Donor Egg IVF

Our donor egg IVF program provides a successful means for women to conceive if they cannot use their own eggs in an IVF cycle.  Our donor egg program has helped many women, who otherwise had no chance of experiencing pregnancy and having their own child.  Donor egg is often the best treatment choice for women who delayed child bearing until later in life only to learn that their eggs would no longer fertilize and develop.  Nowadays, many women are marrying later, or remaining single, and desperately want to have their own child.

We especially welcome our Canadian neighbors as donor egg patients and are used to working with Canadian health professionals.  Most cycle monitoring can be done in the patient’s home city and travel to our center is limited. Patients from all over the world travel to Seattle to participate in our donor egg program. 

Women who should consider donor egg IVF include:

• Those who have failed IVF using their own eggs.
• Older women who may be pre menopausal with an elevation in basal FSH (Day 3), and/or who have decreased ovarian reserve.
• Women who have lost their ovaries but still retain a functioning uterus.
• Women who have undergone chemotherapy for cancer treatment.

The Donor Egg Process

The IVF egg donor (after extensive screening) undergoes controlled ovarian stimulation with fertility medications (FSH) causing the development of multiple eggs, which are retrieved. Because the egg donor is young, this usually results in the development of many healthy eggs.

The donor's eggs are fertilized with the recipient partner's sperm in a culture dish and the resultant embryos are placed in an incubator. Donor sperm can also be utilized for single women. The embryos are "cultured" in the incubator until they mature, usually 3-5 days and are then transferred into the host’s uterus.

By the use of hormonal manipulation, the donor's and recipient cycles are synchronized so that the recipient's uterus will be ready to receive the embryos once they are ready for transfer. Usually, the recipient's preparation includes down regulation of the ovaries (if present) with Lupron or Ganirelix and the administration of estrogen and progesterone to cause the development of a suitable lining for the implantation of the embryos.

Egg Donors Needed-Call (425) 462-6100

Egg donors of all ethnicities are always needed. We value our egg donors. Call and will do everything to make the experience meaningful, comfortable, and convenient. We constantly recruit donors to insure that our donor pool is large enough to help couples match their physical characteristics to those of the donor.

There are many reasons why a woman may choose to donate her eggs.  Altruism is usually a motivating factor, as these women sincerely want to help other women conceive a child.  Sometimes a donor is “known” and could be a relative or friend or she may be “unknown” being chosen from our donor pool or a commercial agency. Apart from altruism, financial gain is sometimes a motive as donors are compensated for their efforts.

We have an extensive screening process for all egg donors which includes:

• An extensive questionnaire pertaining to the donor's health, use of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco, must be completed.
• The donor's family history for genetic disorders, premature degeneration of organ systems, and early death is assessed.
• A complete physical examination is performed and tests for sexually transmitted diseases are conducted.
• Egg donors must undergo a psychological evaluation.
• Younger donors are encouraged (age 21-33) and those with diminished ovarian reserve are excluded.

If the recipient has specific concerns regarding a particular donor, we will gladly inquire and offer a personal response.

After several interviews, and a thorough understanding of the process, including its complete anonymity, donors sign an informed consent form. If married, the husband must also consent. If you are interested in helping a couple by donating your eggs, please call (425) 462-6100 for further details or contact Dr. Kustin via e-mail.