New procedure that postpones menopause could also lead to longer fertility

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One quest to significantly postpone menopause could allow women to have children later in life.

According to the National Institute on Aging, women going through menopause can have a host of symptoms, ranging from irritability to hot flashes to a lowered sex drive. In addition, post-menopausal women have a higher risk of weight gain, heart disease and osteoporosis.

However, a team of specialists from the company ProFaM have developed a procedure that freezes tissue from a woman in her 20s to 30s, The Telegraph reported. The tissue can then be implanted again to rejuvenate fertility or hormones that prolong the menopausal process.

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ProFaM is led by IVF specialist Professor Simon Fishel, and the company name stands for Protecting Fertility and Menopause. The company performs this quick procedure lasting only 30 minutes for about $6,000.

According to The Guardian, nine women have already undergone the procedure. Although this particular use is new, doctors already perform this same surgery on girls who want to preserve their fertility before undergoing cancer treatments.

If young women get the procedure done in their 20s, when hormones and fertility are still strong, it could postpone menopause as much as 20 years, The Guardian reported.

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However, a few older women have also been known to carry children using traditional IVF with donor eggs. In fact, multiple women in their 50s and 60s have carried their own grandchildren. That includes one 60-year-old whose daughter died of bowel cancer at a young age. The daughter had frozen her eggs before she died, and her mother quite literally carried out her wishes to have children.

For those shying away from menopause symptoms, women could choose hormone replacement therapy (HRT). However, HRT also has its own risks, including blood clots, heart problems and breast cancer.

Professor Fisher told The Guardian that this procedure could benefit women trying to avoid menopause for any reason.

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The National Institute on Aging states that normal menopause can last anywhere from 7 to 14 years —and then women deal with the post-menopausal stage for the rest of their lives. This innovative technique could help women avoid that process for a lot longer.