Freezing eggs
After hormonal stimulation, mature eggs are retrieved and vitrified. The process takes around two weeks and is the most common measure in women.
The wish for a child despite cancer.
The Wunschbaby Institut Feichtinger gives cancer patients new chances to preserve their fertility.
Fertility preservation
Why fertility preservation is becoming ever more important.
Thanks to the increasing effectiveness of cancer treatments, the long-term survival of cancer patients has risen rapidly in recent years. However, young patients in particular who have been cured of their cancer sometimes suffer from the long-term consequences of the cancer treatment: in a large proportion of young women and men who undergo chemotherapy or radiotherapy, damage to the ovaries or testicles can occur.
Rapid action is possible
The methods of reproductive medicine are now so advanced that in many cases an egg retrieval and cryopreservation of eggs can still take place at short notice before the start of chemotherapy or radiotherapy – thus preventing unwanted childlessness.
Almost all types of cancer are eligible for fertility-preserving treatment. Young female patients, however, are particularly often affected by blood cancer (leukaemia, lymphoma and others) as well as breast cancer.
International expertise
Priv.-Doz. DDr. Michael Feichtinger has been working on the topic of fertility preservation for years and, as part of international collaborations, has authored several publications on this topic in international journals and books. He is in close contact with the renowned Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm in this regard and, in addition to his role as medical director of the Wunschbaby Institut in Vienna, holds a post-doc position there at the Department of Oncology in the field of fertility preservation.
Since 2019, the Wunschbaby Institut Feichtinger has been a member of FertiPROTEKT, the international network platform for fertility-protective measures.
Options
The paths of fertility preservation.
Which measure is an option depends on your diagnosis, the planned start of therapy and your personal situation. We always make the decision in coordination with your oncology team.
Freezing embryos
If you are in a partnership, the retrieved eggs can be fertilised and the resulting blastocysts frozen.
Preserving sperm
For men, fertility preservation is particularly simple: the sperm sample can usually be provided and frozen on the same day.
Retrieving testicular tissue
If no ejaculate can be obtained, testicular tissue can be retrieved and preserved in a short procedure – even in azoospermia.
DuoStim under time pressure
If one stimulation is not enough for a sufficient number of eggs, two stimulations in one cycle can yield more eggs in less time.
Protecting the ovaries
Depending on the therapy plan, additional measures can be considered, such as medication to protect the ovaries or surgically repositioning them before radiotherapy.
The procedure
Fertility preservation within a few days.
We know that you cannot afford waiting times right now. Please contact us as soon as your diagnosis is confirmed – we arrange appointments at short notice.
1
Getting in touch
Call us or have your treating department contact us. Please tell us when the oncological therapy is planned – this determines everything else.
2
First consultation and coordination with oncology
We discuss the diagnosis, therapy plan and the realistic options. In parallel, we coordinate with your oncology team so that fertility preservation does not delay the start of treatment.
3
Preliminary examinations
For women, hormone testing and an ultrasound of the ovaries are carried out; for men, a semen analysis. Added to this are the usual infection serologies. These steps can usually be completed within a few days.
4
Obtaining the cells
A sperm sample can be provided immediately. For egg retrieval, a stimulation of about two weeks is required, followed by a short outpatient procedure.
5
Cryopreservation
The cells are preserved in liquid nitrogen at −196 °C and stored in several portions. From this point on, they no longer age biologically.
6
Start of the cancer therapy
You return to your oncological treatment – with the reassurance that your chance of having a child of your own has not been lost. We remain available for you.
In detail
What applies to women and what applies to men.
For women
Chemotherapy – especially alkylating agents – and radiotherapy to the pelvis can permanently reduce the egg reserve, up to premature menopause. How severely depends on the substance, the dose and your age at the start of therapy.
The standard path is the retrieval and cryopreservation of mature eggs after hormonal stimulation. When time is very short or the egg reserve is low, a DuoStim can make sense in order to obtain more eggs in one cycle. In hormone-dependent tumours, we choose the stimulation protocol with particular care, in coordination with the oncology team.
For men
Chemotherapy and radiotherapy can severely impair sperm production in the testicle. In some cases it recovers after months or years – but this cannot be reliably predicted. That is why preservation should take place before the start of therapy.
The effort is small: as a rule, providing a sperm sample at the institute is sufficient; it is assessed and frozen on the same day. Where possible, we preserve several samples. If no sample can be obtained or no sperm cells are detectable, testicular tissue can be retrieved in a short procedure – you can read more on our page about testicular biopsy.
Afterwards
When the wish for a child becomes a topic again
After completing cancer therapy, the question of the right time arises. How long you should wait depends on your illness, the therapy and any follow-up treatment – this question should be answered together with your oncology team, not by us alone.
When you come back to us, we first check how your fertility has recovered: in women via hormone levels and an assessment of the egg reserve, in men via a semen analysis. Sometimes a spontaneous pregnancy is possible, and the frozen cells remain untouched – that too is a good outcome. Otherwise, we use your preserved cells: thawed eggs are fertilised by means of ICSI, frozen blastocysts are transferred in a prepared cycle.
If it turns out that no eggs of your own are available any more, there are still paths – such as egg donation, which is possible in Austria under certain conditions. We talk about this openly too, when the time comes.
Legal framework
What applies in Austria
Fertility preservation before cancer therapy is a recognised medical reason for freezing eggs and sperm. The following points are legally relevant:
- The cryopreservation of eggs is possible with a medical indication – such as before chemotherapy or radiotherapy.
- Fertilised eggs and sperm may be stored until revoked, but for a maximum of ten years.
- For later use, the following applies: medically assisted reproduction is permitted within a marriage, a registered partnership or a cohabiting relationship.
- If your own cells cannot be used later, sperm or egg donation is possible under certain conditions – it is not anonymous in Austria: from the completed 14th year of age, the child can receive information about the identity of the donor.
- Surrogacy is prohibited in Austria.
As of 2026. The legal situation and its interpretation continue to evolve – particularly in your situation, we clarify the details quickly and personally in the consultation. You can also find an overview on our page about the legal framework.
What counts now is speed – and experience
We have been a pioneer of reproductive medicine in Austria since 1982/83 and co-developed the technique of cryopreservation in 1991. Our own genetics laboratory, our own sperm and egg bank and our locations in Vienna, Baden and St. Pölten mean for you: short distances, appointments at short notice and the experience of more than 30,000 children. Call us as soon as your diagnosis is confirmed.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about fertility preservation.
How much time do you need before the start of my cancer therapy?
For men, one appointment is usually enough: the sperm sample can be provided and frozen on the same day. For women, stimulation of the ovaries takes about two weeks until egg retrieval. Please talk to us even if you have less time – sometimes the point in the cycle can be used to start more quickly.
Does fertility preservation delay my cancer treatment?
That is our central concern, and that is why we always coordinate with your oncology team. The clear priority is your cancer therapy. If a delay is not acceptable, we say so openly and look for the measure that is possible without losing time.
Is hormonal stimulation acceptable in breast cancer?
In hormone-dependent tumours, the stimulation concept is chosen with particular care and always coordinated with the oncology team. There are protocols that take this into account. Whether stimulation is acceptable in your case is not decided by us alone, but together with your treating oncologists.
Can I have eggs frozen as a single woman?
Freezing eggs with a medical indication – such as before cancer therapy – is possible. For later use, however, medically assisted reproduction in Austria is permitted within a marriage, registered partnership or cohabiting relationship. Because this point is important for your decision, we discuss it openly in advance (as of 2026).
Is fertility preservation an option for all types of cancer?
In principle, almost all types of cancer are eligible for fertility-preserving measures. Particularly often affected are young female patients with blood cancer (leukaemias, lymphomas) or breast cancer, as well as young men with testicular tumours or lymphomas. Which measure makes sense depends on the diagnosis and therapy plan.
How long do my frozen cells remain in storage?
Biologically, the cells do not age further at −196 °C. Legally, storage in Austria is provided for until revoked, but for a maximum of ten years (as of 2026). We inform you in good time when a decision or extension is due – nobody loses their samples unnoticed with us.
Will my fertility recover by itself after the therapy?
That is possible, but not predictable. In some patients, the function of the ovaries or testicles returns after months to years; in others, not at all or only partially. Precisely this uncertainty is the reason to preserve beforehand: you lose nothing if it works out by itself – but you gain a lot if it does not.
What does fertility preservation cost and is it reimbursed?
The costs depend on the chosen measure, and the rules on cost coverage are complex. We provide you with a transparent, written breakdown before the start of treatment and tell you what to clarify with your health insurance – without you having to work through forms yourself in this situation.
Your next step
Let's talk – quickly and simply.
Before oncological therapy in particular, every day counts. We make time for you at short notice.
Or call us: +43 1 877 77 75