Angelica Cheng
Active Member
Frozen (vitrified) donor eggs have caught on in popularity in recent years due to the following reasons:
However, for best results, it is necessary to ensure that the fertility clinic or lab that do IVF with frozen donor eggs is also the same clinic or lab that recruited the egg donor and froze her eggs. Avoid using frozen donor eggs that are transferred from an egg bank. If possible, use the IVF lab that is affiliated with that egg bank.
This is because the thawing protocol is often specific for the freezing (vitrification) protocol that was used for the donor eggs. It is best that the lab staff (embryologist) that do IVF with frozen donor eggs is the same person that froze (vitrified) the eggs.
Problems may arise if the thawing protocol does not match the freezing (vitrification) protocol, which may reduce the survival of the newly-thawed donor eggs and compromise their developmental potential after fertilization.
Only the same IVF lab that performs both the freezing and thawing processes can ensure that the two protocols are matching and compatible.
Also beware that IVF success rates with frozen (vitrified) donor eggs are significantly lower than that with fresh donor eggs (see attached bar chart below).
Please refer to the following video podcast by Dr. John Jain, an American fertility specialist:
- More convenient - there is no need to synchronize the timing and hormonal stimulation cycles of egg donors and recipient patients.
- Cheaper - due to negating the travel and hotel costs associated with fresh egg donation
- Little or no waiting time - frozen eggs are readily available
- More certainty - the exact number of frozen donor eggs is known and guaranteed. By contrast, for fresh egg donation, the number of eggs that will be retrieved from the donor after hormonal stimulation is unknown and not guaranteed.
However, for best results, it is necessary to ensure that the fertility clinic or lab that do IVF with frozen donor eggs is also the same clinic or lab that recruited the egg donor and froze her eggs. Avoid using frozen donor eggs that are transferred from an egg bank. If possible, use the IVF lab that is affiliated with that egg bank.
This is because the thawing protocol is often specific for the freezing (vitrification) protocol that was used for the donor eggs. It is best that the lab staff (embryologist) that do IVF with frozen donor eggs is the same person that froze (vitrified) the eggs.
Problems may arise if the thawing protocol does not match the freezing (vitrification) protocol, which may reduce the survival of the newly-thawed donor eggs and compromise their developmental potential after fertilization.
Only the same IVF lab that performs both the freezing and thawing processes can ensure that the two protocols are matching and compatible.
Also beware that IVF success rates with frozen (vitrified) donor eggs are significantly lower than that with fresh donor eggs (see attached bar chart below).
Please refer to the following video podcast by Dr. John Jain, an American fertility specialist:
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