Egg donor

Primary infertility is the inability for a couple to achieve a pregnancy after 12-18 months of trying to conceive. Female problems can contribute to 30% of primary infertility and can impair or limit the possibility to reach the desired goal of conception, even through multiple IVF attempts. In cases where the woman is responsible of primary infertility, another woman can “donate” her eggs and become an egg donor.

Egg donation is a legal procedure that has enabled many mothers to experience the blessing of motherhood.

Which women turn to egg donation?

There are women who realize that it would be extremely difficult or even impossible to conceive with their own eggs. There are various reasons for this. The most important are:

• Absence of ovaries
• Women underwent chemotherapy or radiotherapy
• Women with early menopause or in perimenopause
• Women who have a low ovarian reserve or have had repeated failed IVF attempts using their own gametes
• Women with chromosomal abnormalities
• Women with rare genetic diseases who do not want to pass on the gene to their child
• Women over 44 who have difficulty conceiving regardless of the cause of infertility.

Egg donor: How to choose the perfect candidate

The prospective egg donor must meet certain conditions. In particular, she should be between 18 and 35 years old. The donor can be older only in cases where the donor is related to the recipient. In addition, she must have a normal medical history and her clinical tests, as prescribed by law, must be within normal limits. Sometimes psychometric tests are also carried out, which aim to check the mental health of the egg donor.

Procedure

In the first stage, the egg donor undergoes a controlled ovarian stimulation protocol. For this stage injectable hormones (FSH and LH) will be used , as in the IVF process.

As soon as the tests show that enough follicles have been produced, the egg retrieval is performed. The eggs can be cryopreserved for future use if no couple has been identified or on the day of the egg collection, the husband gives a sample of his sperm, which together with the donor’s eggs is placed in a special tube, in which the incubation will take place. Within twenty-four hours, the number of eggs that have been fertilized will be known and after 3-5 days the embryo is transferred to the recipient. After ten days of the embryo transfer procedure, the recipient is tested to determine whether or not pregnancy has been achieved.

The Obstetrician – Gynecologist Melina Stasinou, having great experience and expertise in Microsurgery of Female Reproduction, is at your disposal for any question you may have regarding egg donation. Respecting each woman and her needs, she will properly advise you on the method that suits you, after the personalized diagnosis of your problem.

Do not hesitate to contact the physician for any question or clarification regarding egg donation.