How is Egg Donation Performed?
Egg donation can be a very complicated procedure, depending upon the type of donor you choose to use. Anonymous donors typically provide eggs to agencies, which you can then purchase. These eggs are normally cryopreserved, and can be used relatively quickly once purchased. If you use a known donor though, you must first wait for the eggs to be removed. This can be quite time consuming and physically stressful for the egg donor. Usually, the known donor will receive fertility medications to stimulate ovulation. Once she ovulates, multiple eggs will be removed from her ovaries through a procedure known as transvaginal aspiration. Once the donor eggs have been received, your reproductive endocrinologist will prepare you for the IVF procedure. You will be given different hormone injections in order to thicken your uterine lining for implantation. The donor eggs will then be fertilized with a sample of your partner’s sperm. Once the eggs have been fertilized, they will be cultured for three
