What Is Fresh Egg Donation?

The procedure involves selecting an egg donor who ideally is under the age of 33. The donor’s ovaries are stimulated to produce multiple eggs while simultaneously preparing the recipient’s uterus for embryo implantation. Once the donor eggs are retrieved, they are fertilized with the recipient partner’s sperm and the resulting embryos are transferred into the uterus of the recipient.

When Is It Used?  

Egg donation may be considered as a fertility treatment option when a woman’s own eggs are not viable due to factors including advanced maternal age, poor egg quality, primary ovarian insufficiency/premature ovarian failure, or due to being a carrier of certain genetic mutation.

Donor eggs may also be used for LGBTQIA+ couples or single parents by choice, often in conjunction with gestational surrogacy. In the case of reciprocal IVF in lesbian couples, one partner can donate an egg to be fertilized with donor sperm, the resulting embryo is than implanted into the other parent’s uterus.

What Is Frozen Egg Donation?

Similar to fresh donor eggs, frozen donor eggs are collected from young healthy women, but rather than undergoing immediate fertilization, are frozen by an egg bank. Frozen donor eggs have become more popular over the past few years because they are immediately available to be shipped from an egg bank to the recipients’ fertility center and typically come at a lower cost than fresh eggs. Improved convince and selection of donors available from large egg banks does come at a cost though. Frozen eggs produce excellent live birth rates but these tend to be a bit lower than live birth rates achieved with fresh eggs. Often only a small batch of frozen eggs may be available from a given donor, limiting the options to have a genetic sibling in the future or to perform genetic testing on embryos. Despite these drawbacks, frozen donor eggs offer a compelling option to many recipients. West Coast Fertility doctors and embryologist are happy to offer both fresh and frozen egg donation options to our patients.

Choosing an Egg Donor

West Coast Fertility has partnered with select donor egg agencies and egg banks to provide our patients a wide selection of egg donors in Orange County. Generally, the age group of the egg donors is between 21 and 32, they have a healthy weight, are non-smokers, are physically and emotionally fit, and free of genetic and medical diseases.   

The matching process is given the utmost importance; the recipient couple is provided detailed information about potential donors health history. Childhood and adult photographs of the donor are typically available to the recipient.

Most cases of egg donation are anonymous; meaning the donor and recipient will not meet or know each other’s identity. In some instances though, both parties opt for an open donation. In directed egg donation, a recipient may opt to work with a known donor, such as a friend or a family member. In cases of open and directed egg donation, psychological counseling is advised for all parties.

Egg Donation Cycle: An Overview

Once the match process is complete, the donor will undergo testing for infections and proceed with ovarian stimulation with fertility drugs, followed by retrieval of eggs. The donor gives herself stimulation injection medications that cause her to mature multiple eggs within a single menstrual cycle.

The egg retrieval is performed in the operating room under sedation so that the donor does not feel pain. This is typically a quick procedure that takes about 20 minutes. The eggs are then processed in the embryology lab.

Fertilization

The eggs can be fertilized either by conventional IVF, where eggs and sperm are left in the dish together; or by intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), where  a single sperm cell is directly injected by the embryologist into each egg.

Normally fertilized eggs are kept in an incubator for 3-5 days to monitor their development into embryos. The best embryo can be selected for transfer, while surplus embryos can be frozen for future use. In some cases the recipient may also opt for genetic testing of embryos to determine the sex of the embryo that is transferred.

Embryo Transfer

The recipient receives hormone medications to prepare her womb for implantation of an embryo. She will come to West Coast Fertility Centers for the embryo transfer which is quick and painless procedure. The patient will need to take hormone medications to support the implantation of the embryo and will be advised to when to return to the clinic for her pregnancy test.

Egg Donation Cycle: The Egg Donor

The egg donor will need to undergo superovulation, with daily injectable fertility medications for about 10 to 14 days.

Monitoring the Cycle

While the donor is undergoing superovulation she will need to have several brief visits at the fertility center to monitor her progress. At each visit a transvaginal ultrasound and blood tests are performed. Once the follicles have grown sufficiently, an medication is given to trigger the final maturation of eggs and schedule the egg retrieval procedure.

Egg Donation – Retrieval

Transvaginal ultrasound-guided egg retrieval is performed under sedation to collect the eggs.

A small needle is guided through the vagina into the ovary. Using the needle connected to a suction device, the eggs are safely removed from the ovarian follicles.

Fresh Egg Donation Cycle: The Recipient

The cycle of the recipient in a fresh donor egg IVF cycle is synchronized with the cycle of the donor by using hormone medications. Typically, the natural production of hormones is first stopped by using a medication called Lupron Depot®. Then administration of estrogen and progesterone is used to achieve normal endometrial development.

On the day of egg retrieval, the recipient couple visits our clinic. The male partner has to provide a sample of sperm following the retrieval of the eggs. The fertilized eggs are kept in an incubator for 3-5 days.

The fertility doctor will discuss with the couple the number and quality of the embryos that are available for freezing and transferring. Using ultrasound guidance, the embryo is placed in the uterus of the recipient. Surplus embryos are frozen for future use.

Egg Donation Success Rate

The 2018 national data available from Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART) show that live birth rate per fresh donor egg cycle was 49.4%, while live birth rate per frozen donor egg cycle was 39.3%.

It is important to note that these are average values and patients who transfer two embryos in both fresh and frozen egg donation groups achieve higher live birth rates than those who transfer one embryo at a time. However, patients who transfer two embryos also often have twin pregnancies, which have higher risks especially of preterm delivery when compared to singleton pregnancies. Patient-specific factors can also affect live birth rates, for example, patients who have significant uterine issues may achieve lower live birth rates even with use of donor eggs.  

How West Coast Fertility Centers Can Help You

If you are looking for an egg donor in Los Angeles or Orange County California, West Coast Fertility can assist you. Please call us today to schedule an appointment with one of our fertility specialists.

Your initial consultation with West Coast Fertility will help decide if using donor eggs is the right option for your family. West Coast Fertility will be your partner in this process, helping to guide you every step of the way! In general, you want your egg donor to be a healthy individual, and relatively young (age 21-32). Regardless of the donor you choose, whether it be a family friend, relative, or an anonymous source, the individual will be screened extensively per FDA requirements and ASRM guidelines. This screening includes infectious disease testing, evaluation of family genetic history, fertility and past gynecologic history, and a fertility workup to evaluate the potential for egg donation.

Egg Donor Options:

• A family friend or relative

• Anonymous fresh donor through West Coast Fertility or an outside donor agency

• Frozen Eggs selected from West Coast Fertility’s Egg Bank

• Frozen eggs selected from outside egg bank and transferred to West Coast Fertility