At OvobankUS we are always happy to answer your questions, as many times as you need, as we understand that undertaking an egg donor IVF treatment is complex, on physical, psychological and emotional levels.
We get asked a lot of questions by our collaborating centers and intended parents, so in this blog we want to share five of the most frequently asked questions… and answer them for you.
1. What is the success rate of donor egg IVF?
It is estimated that in the United States, over 10,000 babies are born every year from donor egg IVF treatments, with success rates, when measured as the number of clinical pregnancies per embryo transfer, of between 45.9% and 54.0%.
At OvobankUS we are very happy to be able to report that our collaborating clinics have achieved success rates above these figures when using Ovobank eggs and following Ovobank protocols. Indeed we have clinical pregnancy rates of 74% from fresh embryo transfers and 61% from frozen embryo transfers.
2. How do you select your donors?
We have rigorous testing and screening protocols for our donors. Any women wishing to donate her eggs with us must be between 18 – 33 years of age, and have to pass tests which evaluate her physical, psychological and gynecological health. We also perform genetic screening and genetic compatibility testing to ensure the future health of babies born from our donor eggs. You can see all this information in our donor profiles.
Only 30% of donor applicants eventually become OvobankUS egg donors, so we can offer you safety and security in your family building journey.
3. How many eggs do I need to order?
The number of eggs you need to order is very personal. Are you looking to have, or complete a family with, one baby or are you looking to build a larger family and want the eggs to come from the same donor?
To help you get the most from any batch you order, OvobankUS operates a blastocyst guarantee* with all batch sizes as standard, so you can be confident that you will obtain embryos for a transfer, and with the Batch and Maxi batch we guarantee an additional 2nd blastocyst, which can be frozen for later transfers if required:
- Mini batch (3 eggs): no blastocyst – free Mini batch (3)
- Batch (6) and Maxi batch (8): no blastocyst – free Batch (6)
- Batch (6) and Maxi batch (8): no 2nd blastocyst – free Mini batch (3)
*A report must be submitted to OvobankUS with semen report and evaluation performed before the replacement batch is sent.
If no blastocyst is obtained from the replacement batch of eggs we will conduct an investigation into the possible causes, and certain medical conditions must be met, along with a minimum semen quality.
4. Until what age can I try for a baby with donor eggs?
In the United States there is no age limit for women to try to have a baby using donor egg IVF. However it is discouraged by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, ASRM for women over 55 years old. Additionally, clinics themselves may have an upper age limit for embryo transfers.
If you are considering donor egg IVF and you are of advancing maternal age it is highly recommended that you undergo extensive medical testing to ensure you are in a healthy condition to carry a pregnancy to full term, and ensure you take into consideration the needs of your child in each stage of your lives.
For more reading on this subject you can read our blog here: Why advancing maternal age shouldn’t mean you give up on your dreams.
5. How do the eggs get from the donor to the clinic?
With OvobankUS, we take care of the shipping logistics and you can rest assured that your precious cargo will be protected and tracked during its journey. To transport cryopreserved egg cells, special containers called dry shippers are used, which are cooled by liquid nitrogen at -196°C. At OvobankUS we use custom designed boxes to house and protect the dry shipper, which also contain our unique tracking system to monitor the GPS position and conditions of the shipment during its journey to the fertility clinic. For transport options, you can choose specialized courier service (included in the price) or you can choose Lab2lab where one of our experienced personnel will hand deliver the shipment from our lab to your lab (extra costs apply).
We hope you have found this blog useful. Do you have another question? Contact us on info@ovobankus.com and we will answer you as soon as possible.