Northwell Health pioneers ovary freezing procedure on Long Island

Northwell Health has become the first health system on Long Island to offer an ovary freezing procedure, an innovative fertility preservation method for patients undergoing treatments that could cause infertility, such as certain cancer therapies.

The procedure involves removing the ovary, slicing and freezing it to preserve its function. When reimplanted in the future, the ovary can resume functioning normally within months, offering patients the potential for biological children. Northwell’s facility is the only one on Long Island equipped to freeze and store ovaries, and it is also accepting tissue from other hospitals across the metropolitan area.

Funded in part by a grant from the Minnesota-based I’m Not Done Yet Foundation, Northwell’s program aims to support young cancer patients and survivors in preserving their fertility. Founded by the family of Bobby Menges, a young cancer patient from Garden City who passed away in 2017, the foundation seeks to address gaps in care for adolescent and young adult cancer patients by funding research, support services and fertility preservation options.

“Fighting cancer as a child is incredibly challenging and can have lasting effects beyond the cancer diagnosis,” said Dr. Randi Goldman, director of the Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Fellowship at Northwell Health, in a statement. “With ovarian tissue freezing, we can help preserve the possibility of a more normal future for these children.”

To learn more about Northwell’s new ovary freezing procedure, visit northwell.edu/obstetrics-and-gynecology/fertility/services/egg-freezing.