When you seek treatment at Wilcox Fertility, we tailor your care to be as individual and special as your family building goals are. We also want you to fully understand each treatment option you have available. This includes egg donation, which is more common than you may think. The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention published an “Assisted Reproductive Technology National Summary “Report of 2012” which states that 12% of all IVF cycles in the United States involve eggs retrieved from a donor.
There are several reasons why you and your partner may pursue donor eggs:
- The female partner has a genetic condition you do not want to pass on to your children
- The female partner is of advanced maternal age (typically over the age of 35 years old)
- The female partner has been diagnosed with Diminished Ovarian Reserve (DOR) and/or Premature Ovarian Failure (POF)
- The female partner has gone into premature menopause
- The female partner has had to have her ovaries removed due to a medical issue
- Same sex couples, most commonly men, need donor eggs should they be pursuing their family with the help of a surrogate
Some intended parents use an egg donor who is known to them, such as a relative or a willing close family friend. Some feel more comfortable using an anonymous donor. There are egg donor matching programs, frozen egg banks with a diverse selection you can choose from or you can be matched with a specific egg donor through an egg donor agency, which is typically called a “fresh donor”.
Should you use a “fresh donor”, this would entail us synchronizing cycles to retrieve her eggs and transfer them to the intended mother. This tends to be more expensive as the donor goes through the hormone stimulation process to retrieve her eggs.
If the parents decide to use an egg bank, this can expedite the process as menstrual cycles would not have to be coordinated. Using frozen eggs also tends to be less expensive. Once you select an egg donor, eggs are thawed whenever you are ready for them to be fertilized.
In either case, the donor eggs would be fertilized with the sperm from a spouse, partner or donor. One or two embryos (based on Dr. Wilcox’s recommendation) will then be transferred to the intended mother or gestational surrogate.
Whatever path you take regarding donor eggs, Dr. Wilcox and your clinical team has experience in each scenario and can help provide insight, options, resources and support along the journey.
For more information on the numerous fertility treatments and family building options offered at Wilcox Fertility, please continue to review other areas of our site or to inquire about financial information, please don’t hesitate to contact us via our online form or call us at 626.657.9327.