Egg donation is the most effective treatment in the following cases:
▪ Failure to produce eggs (e.g. premature menopause)
▪ Poor ovarian response to ovarian stimulation with drugs
▪ Repeated IVF failures
▪ Poor ovarian response to ovarian stimulation with drugs
▪ Repeated IVF failures
Under such circumstances, the patient’s eggs are replaced by eggs from a young donor.
Until recently, these eggs came from donors who would undergo treatment simultaneously with the recipient.
However, the breakthrough of vitrification has allowed for the creation of oocyte “banks” thus improving the availability of oocytes for donation.
Experience and the results to date deem this method an excellent treatment option for some couples.
Greek Law (Ν 3305/2005) dictates the rules and procedures of egg donation.
Egg sharing among sub fertile couples
Some couples undergoing IVF treatment give their written consent to donate supernumery oocytes to other infertile couples.
Any supernumery good quality embryos may be cryopreserved.
About our donors
Every healthy woman < 35 years old with a healthy family history may, in theory, become an egg donor. All candidate donors provide a full account of their medical history, complete a genetic questionnaire and are then subject to extensive screening tests. According to Greek Law, donation must be anonymous and the recipient may not exceed the age of 50.
Egg donors receive compensation for their drugs and other medical expenses, in accordance to Greek law.
However, when they decide to become donors, most women are motivated by a desire to help other couples realize their dream of becoming parents.
Greek law requires egg donation to remain anonymous. Donors usually come into contact with the Centre through various means. Each potential donor undergoes thorough medical and psychological screening before she is accepted into the Unit’s Egg Donor Programme.
Usually, the medical information required regarding the donors is more than that required for the recipients.
DONOR EGG CYCLE
DONOR
1. Ovarian stimulation for oocyte production
As in a typical IVF cycle, egg donors take fertility drugs for 10 – 20 days, depending on the case.
The donor’s progress is monitored with frequent ultrasound scans and blood tests. During this time, she may work as usual.
A healthy diet and lifestyle is recommended (no smoking or alcohol, etc.).
Once the eggs have matured, human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is administered and in 34 to 36 hours oocyte retrieval takes place.
2. Egg collection
Egg collection is performed approximately 34 – 36 hours after hCG is administered.
The procedure lasts about 15 minutes and mild intravenous sedation is used. The donor will have fully recovered 1 – 2 hours after the procedure and may leave the Unit.
RECIPIENT
1. Preparation of the uterus for implantation
The recipient is administered hormones so as to prepare the uterus to receive the embryos and to support the pregnancy.
In some cases, embryo transfer takes place within a natural cycle (no drugs).
The uterus is monitored with ultrasound scans and by measuring hormone levels.
A mock transfer will be performed to confirm accessibility to the endometrium. This trial is necessary to ensure a smooth embryo transfer and to maximize the embryo’s chances of implantation.
Sometimes, a Hysteroscopy is recommended before embryo transfer.
2. Fertilisation
The oocytes are fertilized with the sperm of the recipient’s partner and are then cultured in an incubator under ideal conditions.
Following fertilization and for the next 2 – 6 days cell division (also known as cleavage) takes place in the laboratory. The fertilized oocytes are now referred to as embryos.
3. Embryo transfer
On the day of embryo transfer, usually 2 – 6 days following egg collection, the embryos to be transferred to the recipient’s uterus are selected. If there are supernumery good quality embryos, cryopreservation is an option allowing the embryos may be stored for future use.
4. Pregnancy test
Two weeks after the egg collection, a pregnancy test is done (measuring the hormone β-chorionic gonadotropin in the blood).
If the result is positive, the pregnancy is monitored like a typical IVF pregnancy.