Egg Donation

Egg Donation

An oocyte, or egg, is donated by a fertile woman to help another woman conceive. This process is known as egg donation. It is a part of the ART, or assisted reproductive technology. Typically, the procedure entails a doctor taking an egg or eggs from the donor, fertilizing them in a lab, and then putting the developing embryos into the recipient’s uterus. 

Usually, an implantation method like in vitro fertilization (IVF) is used for this. Experts at the institution occasionally decide to freeze all or part of the embryos for later use or implantation in other people. Women who are unable to use their eggs for a variety of reasons—such as ovarian failure, preventing congenital defects in the fetus, or late age—often benefit from egg donation.

This article looks at the criteria used to choose donors, the process, and any legal ramifications that may arise after an egg donation.

What is an Egg Donor?

Egg donation is carried out by the Indian Council of Medical Research’s (ICMR) rules, which guarantee anonymity. The majority of egg donors are young, healthy women who frequently have one or more children of their own. 

They are screened for infectious illnesses like HIV and Hepatitis, and they go through a comprehensive medical and psychological evaluation. Every test that the ICMR recommends is performed, and the guidelines it sets are scrupulously adhered to. Only after completing the required legal papers and screening procedures is an egg donor enrolled in the program.

Egg Donor Cost and Success:

The cost of IVF with donor eggs varies in India based on the clinic and the particular treatments used. The price often falls between Rs. 2.5 lakhs and Rs. 4 lakhs. This amount, however, could change based on the qualities of the donor, the standing of the clinic, and the need for further services. 

Accessible egg donation services are provided by many respectable fertility clinics in the area, despite the variable fees. In India, the success rates for IVF cycles with donated eggs typically range from 50% to 60%. Emotional and ethical factors must be taken into account when making judgments. Couples may experience uneasiness and moral quandaries.

Consulting medical experts and support networks can help you navigate this road with confidence. It is crucial to keep in mind that although success rates are vital, emotional health should also come first. Individuals and couples can make educated decisions and start their reproductive journey with hope and resiliency if they have the right assistance and direction.

Who Uses Egg Donation?

When considering using an egg donation process, several considerations must be made. 

  • Couples in which the female partner wants to conceive a biological child with the male partner’s sperm but has poor-quality or no eggs. 
  • Women without ovaries who nevertheless have a functional uterus. 
  • Hereditary trait carriers want to keep their genes from passing on to their progeny. 
  • Women over the age of 42

What are the Types of Egg Donations?

Based on the location of the eggs, there are two categories for egg donation: 

  1. Donation of fresh eggs
  2. Donation of cryopreserved eggs 

But nowadays, we can also divide egg donation into two more categories: 

  1. Contribution to an egg bank 
  2. Donation of shared or little eggs. 

Below, we’ll go into further detail about each one:

  • Fresh Egg Donation

In these cases, hormonal synchronization is required on the part of both the donor and the recipient of the egg. This guarantees that the recipient prepares her endometrium while the donor is stimulated. To put it another way, the donor eggs are extracted during the same cycle. The embryos are then implanted into the recipient’s uterus three or five days later.

  • Cryopreserved Egg Donation

The donor and recipient do not need to synchronize to use this method. First, the mature oocytes are harvested from the donor and frozen using the vitrification process. 

These eggs are softened and fertilized with the couple’s sperm or, in the circumstance of a double donation, the sperm of a compatible donor, after a suitable recipient has been found. Though synchronization with the donor is not required, the egg recipient receives endometrial preparation treatment before embryo transfer, just like in the previous technique.

  • Egg Bank Donation

Donor eggs can be used either fresh or frozen, as was previously described. It involves coordinating the recipient’s and donor’s cycles if the egg donation was made recently. Alternatively, the eggs are extracted, frozen until fertilization, and then thawed when needed. About the latter, the fertility clinic has two options: it can work with an outside egg bank or keep its donors (own egg bank)

  • Mini Egg Donation

Mini egg donation is the process of donating fewer eggs than usual. This means that the recipient will only receive 4 or 5 eggs, as opposed to full egg donation, which involves receiving all of the donor’s eggs (usually 8–10). This strategy saves money. Mini egg donations have the same cycle-by-cycle pregnancy success rate as larger egg donations.

Egg Donor Requirements:

The following are the standard requirements for IVF donors: 

  • Between the ages of 21 and 36 
  • Having naturally given birth to a minimum of one healthy child 
  • Displaying positive signs of both physical and mental health
  • Free of contagious, inherited, or genetic disorders that could affect the progeny. 

This age bracket is used for in vitro fertilization (IVF) using an egg donor because women in this range generally respond well to hormone therapies and have a significant amount of high-quality eggs. 

The pair may choose whatever additional requirements, such as appearance, educational background, and other factors, to fulfil depending on the package they have selected

Egg Donation Process

The sample process can start as soon as the woman is judged to be physically and psychologically prepared, following the completion of all assessments and admission exams. There are two main stages to the egg donation process: 

  1. Ovarian Stimulation: Only one mature egg occurs during a normal menstrual period. The donor receives hormone therapy to encourage the maturation of many oocytes. Subcutaneous injections are given by the patient on their own over six to twelve days.
  2. Follicular Puncture: Under mild anaesthesia, this surgical procedure, which involves the extraction of oocytes, usually takes 20 to 30 minutes. The transvaginal procedure is guided by ultrasonography.

What Does the Egg Donation Process Entail?

The following are the stages involved in donating eggs: 

  • Ovarian stimulation with hormone therapy: 

A woman is born with a reserve of about 500,000 immature eggs. From puberty onward, several of these eggs start to develop every month, but only one of them matures fully, the others degenerating spontaneously. Hormonal therapy is used to stimulate the ovaries so that all developing oocytes mature and degeneration is prevented. 

As a result, several ripe eggs can be produced in a single cycle. Subcutaneous injections are used to deliver hormonal medications, such as gonadotropins, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and/or luteinizing hormone (LH).

GnRH analogues are also used to efficiently control hormone levels and stop spontaneous ovulation, which can cause a cycle to end. The particular treatment plan is customized to the individual circumstances and menstrual cycle traits of each donor. 

From the start day of her menstrual cycle until the time the specialist designates, the donor takes her medication as directed by her physician, making sure that the regimen is followed for maximum efficacy. Usually, the course of treatment lasts no more than ten or twelve days.

  • Hormonal Treatment Injection for Egg Donation Process:

The donor comes to the clinic around every two days throughout the hormone stimulation phase to receive necessary analytical and ultrasonography evaluations: 

  • Estrogen Levels: As oocytes mature, there is a greater release of estrogen, which raises blood estrogen levels. 
  • Follicle Size: The volume of the follicle increases in tandem with the growth and maturation of the oocyte. Follicles that measure 16 to 18 mm indicate that ovulation is about to occur and that the oocytes are ready to be extracted. The expert uses these analyses to track ovarian growth and determine when oocyte maturation is best.
  • Follicular Puncture: Oocytes are surgically removed during a follicular puncture, also known as an ovarian puncture. This process, which is done under general anaesthesia, takes 20 to 30 minutes. Via an ultrasound-guided puncture, fluid containing the eggs is removed from the follicles and placed into a syringe. 

Transvaginal aspiration is used, so the donor is not left with any noticeable scars. The donor may leave the recovery area and go home on their own after a brief recuperation period. She might feel a little uncomfortable, but it’s not painful for her to wake up. 

The donor can return home and resume normal activities, however, heavy lifting should be avoided in the first several days following surgery. Menstruation resumes about two weeks after a puncture, signalling the start of a new cycle. This summarizes the exact steps involved in Egg Donation.

What will happen to my eggs in the Egg Donation Procedure?

The donated eggs will be used to treat a woman who wants to become a mother using donor eggs. 

  • Based on their physical characteristics and immunological compatibility, recipients and donors are matched. 
  • The recipient’s and donor’s hormone cycles need to coincide for fresh egg donation. 
  • If the eggs are going to be vitrified (frozen) and stored in an egg bank for later use, recipient and donor cycle synchronization won’t be necessary.
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