Blog

Egg retrieval, also known as oocyte retrieval, is a key procedure in assisted reproductive technologies (ART) like in vitro fertilization (IVF). It’s the process of collecting eggs (oocytes) from a woman’s ovaries to be fertilized outside her body. The goal is to obtain healthy eggs that can be fertilized by sperm in the laboratory, with the aim of creating embryos for implantation in the uterus.

The egg retrieval process is a carefully timed and monitored procedure that follows ovarian stimulation, where the woman undergoes hormone treatment to stimulate her ovaries to produce multiple eggs instead of the usual single egg each month.

What is the Process of Egg Retrieval?

1. Ovarian Stimulation: The process begins with ovarian stimulation, where the woman receives daily hormone injections for about 10-14 days. These hormones, usually a combination of FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone) and LH (luteinizing hormone), encourage the ovaries to produce multiple eggs. During this time, the patient will visit the fertility clinic for ultrasounds and blood tests to monitor the response to the medication.
2. Monitoring & Trigger Shot: Once the eggs are sufficiently matured, a “trigger shot” of hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) is given to induce ovulation. This shot is typically administered 36 hours before the scheduled egg retrieval. The timing of this shot is critical, as it ensures that the eggs are mature and ready for retrieval.
3. Egg Retrieval Procedure: The actual retrieval is a minimally invasive procedure that takes place in a fertility clinic or hospital. It’s usually done under light sedation or anesthesia to ensure comfort. A doctor uses a thin needle, guided by ultrasound, to reach the ovaries through the vaginal wall. The needle is then used to aspirate (suck out) the eggs from the follicles.

   The procedure typically takes 20-30 minutes, and while the patient may experience some cramping or bloating afterward, it’s generally well-tolerated.

4. Post-Retrieval Care: After the retrieval, patients may be monitored for a short period to ensure they’re recovering well. Mild cramping, bloating, and spotting are common, but these symptoms typically subside within a day or two. The patient may also be prescribed medications to support the reproductive system while the eggs are being fertilized.
5. Egg Fertilization & Embryo Development: Once the eggs are retrieved, they are immediately taken to the laboratory, where they are fertilized by sperm through IVF or ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection). The fertilized eggs then develop into embryos over the course of a few days, and one or more healthy embryos may be selected for transfer back into the woman’s uterus for implantation.
6. Freezing Eggs (Optional): In some cases, if the woman is not ready for embryo transfer or has extra healthy eggs, they may choose to freeze (cryopreserve) the eggs for future use.

Key Takeaways:

• Egg retrieval is a crucial step in ART procedures like IVF, involving the collection of eggs from the ovaries for fertilization.
• It involves ovarian stimulation through hormone therapy, monitoring of follicle growth, a trigger shot, and the actual retrieval procedure.
• The process is minimally invasive, done under sedation, and takes about 20-30 minutes.
• Following retrieval, eggs are fertilized in the lab, and embryos are cultured before being transferred to the uterus.

For women considering egg retrieval, whether for IVF or egg freezing, it’s important to consult with a fertility specialist to understand the process in detail and discuss any potential risks or concerns.

Shared Donor Egg Cycles are an immensely affordable option and a new outlook for Intended Parents.

What is a Shared Cycle?

A donor’s eggs are public to two (or three) recipients who divide the cost of shared donor egg cycle. For some, this is a lucrative way to meet the expenses of egg donation.

The Egg Donor is hormonally injected and egg retrieval is executed. The resultant eggs are split correspondingly between the two parties (or three) and the eggs are fertilized with the Intended Fathers sperm of each side.

The Intended Parents remain anonymous to each other both before and after the procedure.

Egg donors who take part in shared cycles typically have undergone a previous fruitful donor egg cycle. The recipients may be selected as primary and secondary recipients, which would determine who receives the extra egg if an odd number of eggs are produced. The primary recipient may also receive all of the eggs if there less than a certain threshold produced.

Recipients are designated by who first engaged with the donor, or the length of time the recipient has been waiting

Yes, you can ship frozen embryos. Embryos are frozen in liquid nitrogen and are TRANSPORTED in dry shipper tanks.

This process allows the embryos to be at necessary temperature throughout the intended parents journey. These tanks can be rented or fertility clinics will place them at their patient’s disposal if requested, as long as they are subsequently returned.

Do I have to Authorize Shipment of Embryos?

It is necessary to authorize the clinic or facility where you were storing them before beginning authorization of shipment.

Depending on whether you are doing an in-country or international transport, and the location you are shipping to different authorization paperwork is involved.

It might also be possible to use commercial shipping companies, but the guidelines need to be carefully explored well in advance.

Overall, it seems to be possible to find a solution for the shipment of frozen embryos abroad. The cost involved will depend on your location and that of the Surrogacy clinic involved.

Yes, you can freeze extra embryos. Search for clinics that are capable of freezing extra viable embryos and storing them for you. There will be a fee assessed for freezing and annual storage.

The capacity of cryopreserving extra embryos PROVIDES couples the opportunity to participate in additional attempts of pregnancy without undertaking ovarian stimulation and egg retrieval each time.

If couples have additional frozen embryos after they have completed treatment, they can choose to store the embryos for the unforeseeable future, destroy them, or gracefully donate them to other Intended Parents.

When to Consider Freezing Embryos?

Embryo freezing can be used by any individual or couples, but there are certain groups who may find it more beneficial than others, including

• Individuals with genetic disorders of ovarian sensitivities, those who are due to undergo chemotherapy, and those who take medications that affect fertility.
• Women who are approaching advanced reproductive age and are not ready for children yet may also benefit from freezing embryos for later use.

Either of these instances of freezing extra embryos will save you VALUABLE time, money, and most remarkably, you eliminate the physical and emotional pressures of doing the entire IVF cycle all over again.

In vitro fertilization (IVF) retrieval takes place when the eggs that have developed in the follicles of a woman’s ovaries are removed.

Production of the eggs must be STIMULATED using certain hormones over a period of time. IVF retrieval happens after a specified number of egg follicles have developed and matured.

Sperm is then mixed with each egg to fertilize the eggs. If fertilization is successful, the embryos will be implanted back into the woman.

An egg follicle is a sac filled with fluid found inside of the ovaries, with each follicle containing one egg. Women inherit millions of egg follicles that contain immature eggs at birth, and each month hormones cause the follicles to develop and mature.

The strongest follicle will attract the follicle-stimulating hormone, causing the follicle to release the egg. The other follicles will die off. This is called ovulation, and it is extremely important to IVF retrieval.

What takes place during Ovulation?

Ovulation is so important because in order for IVF retrieval to work, there need to be multiple mature eggs. The follicles have to be artificially stimulated using certain drugs that are delivered either orally or through a subcutaneous injection in order to produce multiple strong and mature follicles and eggs.

The egg can be too mature for fertilization, so the ovaries are monitored to make sure that the IVF retrieval will take place at the right time.

What is the Egg Retrieval Process?

After the maturation of the egg follicles is determined, the IVF retrieval procedure can begin. The woman is anesthetized, and a needle is placed through the top of the vagina in order to reach the ovary, which contains the follicles. The fluid in the follicles is drawn into the needle.

The eggs release from the follicle wall and are pulled out of the ovary. Depending on the woman’s age and the effectiveness of the fertility medication, between five and 20 eggs might be retrieved. The process takes five to 30 minutes.

After IVF retrieval, the fluid containing the eggs is sent to an IVF lab. The lab is able to identify the eggs in the fluid and rinse them in a culture media, which is a liquid or gel that is specifically designed to support the growth of the eggs. The eggs are then placed in small culture drops in plastic dishes.

The eggs are kept in special IVF incubators under controlled conditions and monitored. After it has been determined that the eggs are viable, they are mixed with sperm for fertilization.

If an egg donor is accepted into a IVF or Surrogacy program and invited to proceed with the selection process, medical and psychological screening is required.

Do I have to take Tests to Become an Egg Donor?

Universal Medical Screening

Physical examination including a pelvic examination; Blood tests to check your hormone levels; Ultrasound to examine your uterus, ovaries and other pelvic organs.

Medical and Psychological History Application

You will complete a questionnaire about yourself and close blood relatives. It will also entail questions about smoking, alcohol intake, prescription and illegal drugs. Review our Egg Donor Application Example.

Transmittable Disease Screening

When blood or tissue is transferred from one person to another, it can carry viruses or bacteria. Donors are tested for a variety of infections to minimize this risk.

Pelvic exam encompasses a small scrape from your cervix to assess for gonorrhea and chlamydia. Blood tests used to detect syphilis, hepatitis B and C, and HTLV-1 and HIV.

Congenital Disease Screening

Most programs explore a donor’s genetic make-up in order to minimize the fortuitous birth defect or serious inherited disease. A complete medical history as well as extensive medical questions about your biological parents, grandparents, brothers and sisters is introduced.

If this information is not accessible by you, typically you should not become an egg donor.

Genetic Test Screening

All other tests required by state law are performed including a check for disease genes that are shared in the ethnic group of either the donor or recipient. Specific genetic concerns are addressed and may involve a simple blood test.

Psychological Screening

Donating eggs entails you confronting complex ethical, emotional and social issues. The screening process may contribute you to evaluate your desire to be an egg donor and to meditate on these issues.

This screening will allow you to meet with a mental health professional to discuss your life state of affairs, your support system, feelings about the donation, and related issues.

The screening process evaluates your commitment to the complex requirements of egg donation as failure to follow instructions can endanger your health and jeopardize the procedure. This also minimizes the chance that you will have regrets or psychological problems, or find the procedures traumatic.

What are the Possible Risks of Egg Donation?

The Risks

— Medications can induce hot flashes, vaginal dryness, fatigue, sleep apnea, body aches, mood swings, headaches, and vision complications.

— Soreness, redness or mild bruising at the injection site. Mood swings, tender breasts, enlarged ovaries and mild fluid retention can become apparent. Occasionally, medications cause more hyper stimulation than intended, medically known as ovarian hyper stimulation syndrome.

— Blood withdrawal can cause uneasiness and bruising where the needle was introduced to the skin.

— Insertion of needle into the ovary may induce bleeding. It is unlikely to damage or puncture the areas of the bladder or adjacent blood vessels but if this should happen it can invoke internal hemorrhage or serious injury to the pelvic organs and major abdominal surgery would be needed.

As expected with most medications or medical procedures, there are risks that are presumed by the patient. Long term significances of egg donation are not known, however medical risks associated with egg donation are small and egg donation is a safe process.

You can additionally explore procedures and potential side effects at the well-respectable infertility websites of the AFA and ASRM.

When you are matched with potential Egg Donor recipients, a legal authorization contract is typically required to participate in a donor cycle.

This sets into view the Egg donor’s compensation, confirmed commitment to work with the recipient, and the liabilities you may face if you do not fulfill your agreement to proceed in a cycle.

As there are countless emotions involved with this process it is vitally important that you understand your COMMITMENT. After the contract is signed the compensation sum is locked and cannot be changed by you or the recipient.

What is the Legal Process of Egg Donation?

After you are medically cleared by the recipient’s doctor to proceed with egg retrieval the legal process begins.

The egg donation contract is drawn up and you will have a consultation in which you should express any concerns you may have about the contract and make requested changes.

Your attorney will instruct you and help you understand what is expected of you concerning your responsibilities.

When the terms of the contract are finalized, you and the recipient will be required to sign the contract permitting a legal clearance letter is generated by the recipient’s attorney.

It is recommended that you and your donor have separate attorneys to advise you during this process. Egg donor agencies may either provide you with a legal agreement or refer you to an attorney who can develop one for you.

Guide for Egg Donors

While on medications, there are restrictions the egg donor must shadow.

In the journey of becoming an egg donor certain medical requisites are required of you in a typical egg donor cycle.

Female ovaries contain one to two million undeveloped eggs, or follicles, at birth. Throughout a woman’s life, the immense majority of follicles expire through a process defined as atresia. When a woman reaches puberty and starts to menstruate; nearly 400,000 follicles remain.

Each month after a menstrual cycle, an average of 10-20 eggs are created indifferent with each female. What is defined as the dominant egg selected by the body will encounter ovulation; the other eggs absorbed by the body.

During the egg donation cycle, the fertility drugs that a donor intakes will “highlight” the developed the eggs that would normally be rejected during the woman’s monthly menstrual cycle.

What is the Egg Donor IVF Protocol?

The egg donor will work with an IVF doctor to reach a protocol for the cycle. Once the donor is medically cleared through pre-testing and medical/genetic exams the doctor will impede a medication schedule for the egg donor to follow. .

Donors typically take medications for 3 weeks leading up to the egg retrieval. While on medications, egg donors will be observed every few days to ensure the medications and dosages are precise for the best possible retrieval.

The medical monitoring consists of blood work and an ultrasound. The protocol may change depending on the egg donor’s reaction to the drugs.

The medications involved help develop the eggs produced during the donor’s menstrual cycle. The fertility doctor has your safety and well-being as a priority and ensures that you are well educated you about the medications you will be taking, the exact medical procedures and any possible side effects or risks associated.

Birth control pills may be prescribed to coordinate your monthly menstrual cycle with the carrier. Daily injections of hormones (typically Lupron) will be prescribed to shut down your ovulation, putting you in a short-term menopausal condition. The daily IVF injections are self-administered near the thigh or lower abdominal area with a small needle.

Once you start Lupron treatments, a series of injections using gonadotropin hormones (Follistim, Gonal-F, Menopur) follows, which contributes the increase in the amount of follicles developing in the ovaries.

Follicle development is crucial as they encompass the precise eggs that are being prepared for retrieval. The timing of the egg retrieval bringing the development of the eggs to the maximum level, the egg donor is given an HCG injection to stimulate ovulation. HCG is safely prescribed and is a safe natural hormone.

It is essential that you speak with the IVF doctor to understand everything required of you prior to starting any medications.