Donor Egg Program
Bloom’s donor egg program is another option for those patients faced with infertility due to egg factors. This includes women who have suboptimal egg quality or reduced egg number (decreased ovarian reserve), ovarian failure, or haven’t had success with other fertility treatments. It involves taking the eggs from a donor, fertilizing them with a partner’s or donor’s sperm, and then transferring the resulting embryo into the patient.
Success rates for donor egg cycles are significantly higher than traditional IVF for patients with egg factor infertility.
Egg donors, either known or anonymous, are thoroughly screened prior to donation according to the guidelines set forth by the FDA and ASRM. They are screened for personal, family, social, medical, and genetic history. Typical items we screen for include: HIV, hepatitis, STD’s, drug use, infectious disease, psychological issues, and genetic abnormalities.
Once a match has been selected, the reproductive cycles are synchronized for both donor and patient. The donor will go through the IVF process up through the egg retrieval stage, while the recipient will prepare the uterus and continue the process from the embryo transfer stage onward. Many times, we may plan for the egg donor to complete the treatment cycle in advance, and freeze the resulting embryos. Once the outcome of the cycle is reviewed by the recipient couple, including the number and quality of embryos, they may choose to schedule the implantation phase of the cycle at their convenience.