PART VII: AN OVERVIEW OF OOCYTE (EGG) DONATION

In recognition of National Infertility Awareness Week, Rocky Mountain Fertility Center is publishing a 7 Part Series on Infertility (one each day).

For Part VII, we provide an Overview of Oocyte Donation (Egg Donation)

Oocyte donation, or egg donation, is an excellent treatment for infertility due to poor ovarian performance. Women in their late 30s and 40s are more prone to experience decreased ovarian function making it difficult to conceive.

For women who are unable to use their own eggs to conceive, oocyte donation is available and offers a highly effective method for becoming pregnant and delivering a healthy baby.

Egg donation is considered an option for women who are likely to be determined unsuccessful with in vitro fertilization (IVF) because the woman is not able to produce viable eggs or enough healthy oocytes.  A fertility specialist works closely with the patient, utilizing the available options for obtaining donor eggs.  Known donors, anonymous donors and donor egg agencies are all options.

When To Consider Egg Donation?

Egg donation is now an effective option for pregnancy, especially if other fertility treatments have failed.  A woman might consider egg donation if:

• The body has not responded to fertility medication.
• The woman is over the age of 40 years old and testing indicates that IVF using the individual’s own eggs may not prove to be successful.
• Premature menopause or symptoms of premature menopause have occurred.
• Several cycles of IVF have been conducted with no success.  This is critical especially if the doctor has determined there is a problem with egg quality.
• There are no longer viable ovaries, or the woman does not have ovaries due to prior surgery.  A woman who has undergone chemotherapy may have lost the ability to produce viable eggs.

There are times when the woman has been diagnosed with a genetic disorder that she does not want to pass on to her child.  She may choose egg donation as the only alternative so that the genetic trait is not transferred to the child.

If you have questions concerning egg donation, your fertility specialist will be able to answer them for you.  Fertility specialists are experts in the field of egg donation, fertility and emotional concerns that may be experienced throughout the process.

Shared Donor Egg Options

There are typically three options available within a shared donor egg program.

• The 1:1 – unshared program is when the recipient keeps all of the eggs from the donor.
• The 1:2 – shared option is when the individual shares eggs with another individual
• The 1:3 – shared option is when the patient shares the eggs with a pair of others

The egg donors are careful screened and meet all of the requirements mandated by the fertility clinic.  All egg donor candidates must complete and pass a medical history and genetic evaluation.  Fertility clinic staff members to screen potential donors, seeing if they meet the requirements to be accepted into the donor program, carefully review the evaluations.

Dr. Deborah Smith was recently named the top Reproductive Endocrinologist in Colorado by HealthTap. She offers comprehensive treatments in a contemporary setting for fertility and gynecology coditions. Her success rates are extremely high compared to national averages, and she has received the Patients Choice Award for the past 3 years and is one of the Best Fertility Doctors in country!