California's First Frozen Egg Pregnancy is Achieved; Breakthrough in Thawing and Fertilizing Frozen Eggs Paves Way for Egg Banking.

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif. -- A 43-year-old Costa Mesa woman who delayed childbirth looks forward to giving birth in November after receiving frozen eggs from West Coast Fertility Centers in Fountain Valley.

Barbara Trulson's pregnancy is believed to be the first successful pregnancy in California achieved by eggs that were frozen, thawed, fertilized, and then transferred to the uterus. She received eggs that had been frozen for a number of years in the Center's laboratory. Human eggs (oocytes) are different from embryos in that they are unfertilized at the time of freezing.

"This breakthrough in successfully thawing and fertilizing frozen and thawed eggs paves the way toward egg banking," said Dr. David Diaz, medical director at West Coast Fertility Center. Egg banking, much like sperm banking, gives hope to women who seek to delay pregnancy or are diagnosed with cancer and wish to store eggs before cancer treatment. Patients may also prefer egg freezing versus embryo freezing for religious and ethical reasons.

Diaz and his scientific team are optimistic about this breakthrough since they have been working for several years on the technique of freezing and thawing eggs. Diaz explained: "The challenge was to successfully freeze the egg and survive the thawing process. The thawed egg was injected with sperm and cultured to become an embryo which was then transferred into the uterus." A few patients at the Center have reached the implantation process with this method, but Trulson has achieved the first successful pregnancy.

"At one point I had given up on having a baby -- but with the advances in treatment at West Coast Fertility Centers -- miracles are possible." Trulson had tried other fertility treatments including in vitro fertilization with her own eggs without success. She is now in her 12th week of a healthy pregnancy. She stressed, "Women should not give up hope!"

Established in 1988, West Coast Fertility Centers is one of the largest and most established Centers of its kind in Orange County. Diaz has pioneered many unique services and techniques related to implantation failure, egg freezing, gender selection and surgery to preserve fertility. The Center is based in Fountain Valley with offices in Fullerton and Irvine. For more information, call 714-513-1399 or visit www.ivfbaby.com.