Ep. 6 | Pros and Cons of Fresh vs. Frozen Eggs and Third-Party Reproduction

Fertility Health Podcast

In vitro fertilization (IVF) has been helping women and couples overcome fertility challenges for almost 40 years. Up until recently, IVF has traditionally used fresh eggs retrieved from a woman fertilized ‘in vitro’ in a laboratory with a spouse’s or donor’s sperm to create an embryo. However, egg freezing for future use has risen in popularity. Often, using frozen eggs comes with both cost and scheduling advantages over using fresh ones. So, which is better? We’ll find out in this episode.

Tune in as Mark P. Leondires, M.D., founder, medical director and partner in reproductive endocrinology at Reproductive Medicine Associates of Connecticut (RMACT) and Gay Parents To Be (GPTB), joins host Mark P. Trolice, M.D., to discuss the pros and cons of fresh vs. frozen eggs, third-party reproduction and IVF surrogacy.

Tune in to discover:

• The criteria for a good IVF surrogate
• The history of egg freezing and how the field has evolved until today
• The differences between using fresh vs. frozen eggs including success rates
• What Gay Parents To Be (GPTB) is and how it supports gay individuals and couples to make family-building choices

About Mark P. Leondires, M.D.

Dr. Mark P. Leondires is the Founder, Medical Director and Partner in reproductive endocrinology at Reproductive Medicine Associates of Connecticut (RMACT) and Gay Parents To Be (GPTB). He is board-certified in both Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility.

Dr. Leondires received his undergraduate degree in biochemistry and history from Colby College in Waterville, Maine. He earned his medical degree from the University of Vermont College of Medicine in Burlington, Vermont. He completed his residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Maine Medical Center in Portland, Maine, which was followed by a fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland.

Among Dr. Leondires’ accolades, he was chosen by his peers as a Castle Connelly Regional Top Doctor for his work in the field of reproductive endocrinology and infertility. He was also selected in 2012 and 2013 for Best Doctors in America, a database of the country’s top five percent of physicians, as chosen through a peer-review process.
Prior to joining RMACT, he most recently served as the Director of Assisted Reproductive Technologies at the Combined Federal Program for Reproductive Endocrinology. While under his direction, the ART Program was one of the most successful in the Washington DC area and in the top tenth percentile nationally. Along with numerous teaching and research activities, Dr. Leondires has published many articles in professional medical journals, as well as abstracts, articles and book chapters.

About Mark P. Trolice, M.D.

Mark P. Trolice, M.D., FACOG, FACS, FACE is Director of Fertility CARE: The IVF Center in Winter Park, Florida and Associate Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology (OB/GYN) at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine in Orlando responsible for the medical education of OB/GYN residents and medical students as well as Medical Endocrinology fellows. He is past President of the Florida Society of Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility (REI) and past Division Director of REI at Winnie Palmer Hospital, part of Orlando Health.

He is double Board-certified in REI and OB/GYN, maintains annual recertification, and has been awarded the American Medical Association’s “Physicians’ Recognition Award” annually. He holds the unique distinction of being a Fellow in all three American Colleges of OB/GYN, of Surgeons, and of Endocrinology. His colleagues select him as Top Doctor in America® annually, one among the top 5% of d