Egg Donation is a procedure which harvests eggs from suitable donors to help another couple have a child. Egg donors are all volunteers who donate some of their eggs out of a desire to help others. You should be less than 36 years only, in good health and have no personal or family history of hereditary disease. You should preferably already have children of your own.
Donor Egg
Women who have experienced ovarian failure, woman above age of 45 years or women with certain genetic disorders canelect to have children utilizing donor eggs. Patients are encouraged to get their own donors falling which the center may arrange for an egg donor. For this the menstrual cycle of the recipient and donor is matched. Identity of the donor to the recipient and visa versa is not revealed
The donor egg program is of 2 types:
Sole donor: All ooctyes received from a single donor are given to one recipient woman.
Split donor: The oocytes received from a single donor are divided between the recipient and the donor's cycle.
All charges for endocrine studies, injections for ovarian stimulation & disposables for oocyte retrived & embryo transfer are to be paid by the recipient in the sole match donor program while in the split donor program the charges are shared.
Consultation & Screening:
Before proceeding with an egg donation cycle, you will need to consider the ethical and legal issues involved very carefully. These will be discussed in details both during consultation will be given information concerning the drug therapy and treatment required; its side effects and risks, before giving written consent to donation. Each potential donor is required to undergo certain screening tests including a cervical smear, HIV, Hepatitis B and C, and tests to exclude current or past history of transmissible diseases. Chromosomal analysis and screening for cystic fibrosis is also carried out.
Counselling:
Prior to being accepted as an egg donor, you will be required to see an independent counselor. This is to ensure you have been given sufficient information and time to consider the implications before making an informed decision.
Anonymny:
In the majority of cases are egg donor and recipient remain anonymous to each omer. You will receive no information concerning the recipient, nor whether donation has been successful in achieving a pregnancy. On rare occasions a close relative or friend will offer to act as the donor, but such requests must be considered very carefully.
Legalities:
Treatment involving the use of donated gametes (eggs) falls under the remit of the Human Fertilisation & Embryology Authority (HFEA). This regulatory body was set up in 1991 as a requirement of the Human Fertilisation & Embryology Act (1990). Every clinic that offers egg donation must be licensed by the HFEA and is inspected annually to ensure standards are maintained. Under law any woman who gives birth to a child is regarded as the legal mother, regardless of the genetic origins of te child. Her husband/partner is regarded as the legal father. The donor of any gametes has no parental rights or legal obligations.
Donor Medication:
Suppression of the natural cycle is usually achieved using a drug called Buserelin. This has the effect of stopping the pituitary gland's production of FSH and LH. Complete suppression usually takes about two weeks to achieve. Once pituitary suppression has been achieved, the ovaries are stimulated to develop a number of follicles, each containing an egg.
This is done using urinary or recombination of FSH. Depending on the preparation used, these may be administered either subcutaneously or into the muscle. The daily does varies between individuals. And may e increased or decreased as necessary to optimize the ovarian response. Buserelin administration also continues during this stage. When sufficient follicles have developed to an appropriate size, an injection of human Chorionic Gonadotrophin (hCG) is given late in the evening. This initiated the final stages of oocyte maturation leading up to ovulation 36-40 hours later. The egg collection is timed to occur 36 hours after the hCG injection.
The Egg Collection:
The egg collection is carefully timed from the HCG injection. The egg collection is done under local or general anaesthesia. The procedure, which takes about 30 minutes, is performed using vaginal ultrasound in the same way as routine scanning. A needle is guided along the probe through the vaginal wall and into the ovary. Each follicle in turn is punctured and drained of the fluid it contains. The embryologist examines this to determine whether an egg is present. On average eggs are retrived from about 80% of mature follicles. The eggs recovered will be inseminated using spenn provided by the recipients' partner. Those that fertilise will be cultured to establish further developments. Two or three days after the egg collection the recipient will attend the unit for an embryo transfer. Up to three of the resulting embryos will be transferred to the recipient's uterus. Spare embryos may be cryopreserved (frozen) for future use by the recipient couple, provided you have given consent for this.
Possible complications of Egg Donation:
The drugs are relatively free of both short and long term side effects. Hot flushes, headaches, mood changes and vaginal bleeding may be experienced during the first stage of treatment. Sometimes sickness, headaches and general irritability can occur before the egg collection. After the egg collection, you will feel drowsy for the rest of the day. We generally allow you to go home after 2-3 hours.
It is important to have somebody to accompany you home, as it not safe to drive yourself. It is common to feel some lower abdominal discomfort, for which you may take painkillers such as paracetamol. If you feel sick, avoid eating substantial meals and stick to drinking fluids for the rest of the day. A small amount of vaginal bleeding is normal. It is best to use sanitary towels rather than internal protection.
As your ovaries have produced a number of eggs, not all of which may have been retrived, you are at risk of a spontaneous multiple pregnancy yourself. You are therefore advised to use a barrier method of contraception or abstain from intercourse until you have had a full period. In very rare cases Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS) may occur if the ovaries over stimulate and produce large numbers of eggs or high levels of oestrogen. If we think you are at risk of developing this, we will provide you with more detailed advice on what symptoms to wath out for.
OHSS is characterized by lower abdominal discomfort, swelling and nausea. Sometimes vomiting and difficulty breathing may occur. It is important to drink plenty of fluids to avoid becoming dehydrated. Passing small amounts of dark urine is a sign of dehydration. If you are worried that these symptoms are developing, please contact the unit immediately. Occasionally admission into hospital for intravenous fluids and observation is necessary.
Egg Donation is a procedure which harvests eggs from suitable donors to help another couple have a child. Egg donors are all volunteers who donate some of their eggs out of a desire to help others. You should be less than 36 years only, in good health and have no personal or family history of hereditary disease. You should preferably already have children of your own.
