IVF with donor egg

The latest technologies assist many infertile couples in having a child. The most effective method of treating infertility is IVF. In some cases, to achieve the goal, it is necessary to resort to the use of a donor egg.

There are two methods of obtaining a donor egg. Firstly, eggs can be obtained by selecting a donor, carrying out an IVF protocol with ovarian stimulation, puncture, and the resulting oocytes can be immediately used for fertilization. Secondly, oocytes can be obtained from a cryobank – from frozen (vitrified) eggs. Our clinic has its own bank of oocytes. The biological material was obtained from verified donors who underwent a comprehensive examination. This guarantees the quality of oocytes and a high percentage of embryo implantation.

Indications for conducting

The reason for IVF with donor oocytes is the inability to get pregnant with one’s own eggs. The need for a donor egg may be caused by:

Depletion of the ovarian reserve (due to age, surgeries, premature menopause, etc.).
The absence of ovaries or their underdevelopment in various developmental anomalies.
Multiple unsuccessful IVF attempts.
The presence of certain genetic diseases.

What are the requirements for egg donors?

All female donors undergo a thorough examination, which is necessary to assess their health status. They have a number of requirements:

age from 19 to 35 years;
height of at least 155 cm;
weight not more than 80 kg;
good eyesight;
having a healthy child of their own;
good overall physical and mental health.

The donor’s examination program includes a general clinical examination (tests) and consultations with specialists – a therapist, gynecologist, and reproductive specialist.

Of great importance is the ovarian reserve (the supply of eggs in the ovaries) of the donor. The number of eggs obtained from the donor and, ultimately, the donor’s compensation depend on this.

When a donor is stimulated to obtain “fresh” eggs, the so-called synchronization of menstrual cycles is necessarily carried out so that both the donor and the intended mother have synchronized menstrual cycles. This is necessary to avoid delays in embryo transfer.

How IVF proceeds with a donor egg

After synchronization of donor and recipient cycles (expectant mother), donor stimulation begins. When the donor follicles reach a certain size, an ovarian puncture is performed to obtain eggs. On this day, the presence of the spouse is necessary: he provides sperm, and the donor eggs are fertilized with it. After 3-5 days, the resulting embryos are transferred to the uterus of the expectant mother. After 11-12 days, the first pregnancy test is performed – blood is taken for HCG. If the donor program is carried out with vitrified oocytes, thawing is performed on the day of ovulation of the recipient, and then everything happens the same as when using “fresh” oocytes.

Making a decision about infertility treatment using donor eggs is very difficult for each couple. Although it brings significant emotional challenges, it offers a real chance to have children for those couples who, without the use of donor material, had no chance.

Egg donation, in comparison with child adoption, offers a distinct addition – the genetic contribution of the father (50%) and the ability to influence the nutrition and well-being of the fetus even before birth, by the mother. Expectant parents also experience the joy of their own pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding from the very beginning, which brings evident advantages to the child, mother, and the entire family.

Egg and sperm donation in Kazakhstan is legal, voluntary, safe, and based on the principle of anonymity between the donor and the recipients of donor gametes, as well as between the donor and the child born from donor gametes.

Who is recommended for the donor egg program?

A couple where a woman does not produce her own eggs. More often, we are talking about women who have not reached the development of the ovaries, or both ovaries were removed during surgery. Additionally, women affected by premature loss of ovarian function are recommended donor eggs.

Couples where a woman does not produce high-quality eggs. This includes women who have undergone repeated infertility treatment by in vitro fertilization methods, and quality eggs have not been selected or the development of quality embryos has not occurred. In addition, older women may have their own eggs, but of lower quality, which are not suitable for fertilization or the development of a high-quality embryo that cannot be formed in the womb.

Couples where a woman is a carrier of hereditary diseases. In these women, genetic testing has revealed changes in chromosomes that can be passed on to future offspring.