Egg donors are young women who donate their eggs to recipients purposely to help women/couples with infertility and desire to have a child. Egg donors are usually anonymous and less commonly they can be known to the recipient. Anonymous egg donors can be chosen from frozen egg banks or from agencies. Egg donors are thoroughly screened to ensure that they are healthy to donate their eggs. The known egg donor, on the other hand, is a woman who is known to you as a relative, friend or through introduction. A known egg donor will be evaluated by one of our physicians and will undergo screening similar to the anonymous donors.

If the embryo is free of any genetic defects, it is placed in the uterus so that it can be implanted. Any additional embryo that has no genetic defects can be frozen for its further use. Meanwhile, the ones that show genetic defects, will be destroyed.

The recipient woman is evaluated for fitness to carry a healthy pregnancy. She will meet with our physician to review medical history and past medical records and infertility treatment cycles if applicable. The recipient woman will also have a physical exam. A special pelvic ultrasound is performed to evaluate the uterine cavity for its fitness for pregnancy. Additional testing will include bloodwork for preconception screening. We recommend all recipient women/couples to undergo psychological evaluation and consultation to help with this potentially stressful treatment. Women who are >45 need additional testing including cardiology clearance and a pre-pregnancy evaluation by a maternal-fetal medicine specialist.

Donor Egg-IVF is a fertility treatment where eggs from a healthy, screened donor are used to create embryos for transfer into the recipient’s uterus. This is an ideal option for women unable to conceive using their own eggs due to age, poor ovarian function, or medical conditions.

The Process Involves:

• Egg Retrieval: The donor undergoes ovarian stimulation and egg retrieval.
• Fertilization: Eggs are inseminated in the lab with sperm from the recipient’s partner or a donor.
• Embryo Transfer: Once fertilized, the resulting embryos are transferred to the recipient’s uterus to achieve pregnancy.

Little-Known Fact: Donor eggs can come from either fresh egg cycles or frozen egg banks, and studies show that success rates are similar for both options.

• Women with diminished ovarian reserve due to age or early menopause.
• Women with a history of failed IVF cycles using their own eggs.
• Women who have undergone ovarian surgery or cancer treatments.
• Same-sex male couples building their family with the help of a gestational carrier.
• Women with genetic conditions they do not wish to pass on to their child.

Little-Known Fact: Women over the age of 45 can successfully carry a pregnancy with Donor Egg-IVF, provided they pass comprehensive health evaluations.

Egg donors are carefully screened to ensure they are healthy and suitable for donation. The process includes:

• Medical Testing: Donors undergo bloodwork, genetic screening, and fertility assessments.
• Psychological Evaluation: Ensures emotional stability and readiness for donation.
• Lifestyle Review: Donors must follow strict guidelines regarding health, medications, and personal habits (e.g., non-smokers).

Donors can be anonymous (through agencies or frozen egg banks) or known (relatives, friends, or chosen acquaintances). Anonymous donations are the most common.

Donor Egg-IVF is one of the most successful fertility treatments available. Success rates depend on factors like embryo quality and the recipient’s overall health, but on average:

• Live birth rates per transfer: Using donor eggs, success rates range from 50% to 70% for women under 50.
• Women using donor eggs often have a similar success rate to younger women undergoing IVF with their own eggs.

• Fresh Donor Eggs: Donors undergo ovarian stimulation, and eggs are retrieved specifically for the intended recipient. This requires synchronized cycles between the donor and the recipient.
• Frozen Donor Eggs: Eggs are already retrieved, vitrified (frozen using rapid freezing techniques), and stored. They can be thawed and used at the recipient’s convenience.

Both options are effective, but frozen donor eggs offer more flexibility with timing and scheduling.

Little-Known Fact: Advances in vitrification technology have made frozen eggs as effective as fresh eggs for IVF, ensuring high survival rates after thawing.