Answer from: Nurit Winkler
Usually this is a process that is emotionally draining and sometimes financially very expensive and time consuming. So I think we all feel that we wish to get it right the first time and this has a lot to do with the fertility specialist in making sure that the choices we make are good choices. On your end, send us the profiles of any donors you like and it is our role to do a lot of homework to make sure the egg donation is successful. The way we interpret a successful egg donation, or the way I view it. is that we want to come out of an egg donation with a good amount of embryos that even if we fail the embryo transfer, we aren’t worried about being left with one embryo or even more so, the success rate is so high that after you have the first baby, you have enough embryos to have a second and a third child or how ever large a family you wish to have. So the success of an egg donation has to do with you making the choice you are comfortable with and us, as a fertility specialist and clinic, making sure that the donor is fertile, she will do well and we will have a good amount of eggs that will allow us to have as many embryos that we need without having the stress of being left with one or two embryos.
Answer from: Maria Arquè, MD, PhD
I would say that one of the most important aspects is that the clinic has its own egg donation program – that way, we can guarantee that the program follows all the recommendations and guarantees to screen and select the donors in the required way under European Legislation and the way we can ensure that there is the highest level of safety and quality possible. This is one of the most important things, in my opinion.
Another one is to have a state-of-the-art lab with expert biologists working there, who excel at all the processes involved in the egg donation program. Especially if frozen eggs are used, they have to be very good at vitrification as well.
Answer from: Nataliya Kushniruk, MD
Egg donation program is a program where we use good quality eggs from young and healthy women. What we are mostly concerned with, at this stage, is embryo quality and the health of the uterus and the endometrial cavity. When it comes to the quality of embryos, we need to be mindful of the male factor – that is, we need to be sure that the sperm quality is normal, that its motility, morphology, and concentration are all at satisfactory levels. Moreover, the sperm needs to be free of immunological issues, as well as genetic issues, such as DNA fragmentation.
Aside from the male factor, we also look at the morphology and the genetics of the embryo. We use the Gardner blastocyst grading scale to judge their overall morphological quality. We also perform a trophoblast biopsy on the fifth day of the embryo’s development to obtain a sample for genetic testing. These tests help us determine which embryos are the best candidates for implantation.
Let’s also talk about the endometrium. If we attempt to transfer an embryo into a uterus that is simply not ready to accept an embryo, the pregnancy will most likely not occur. Thus, it is important to synchronize the menstrual cycle and the embryo implantation date – usually, this means implanting between the 19th and the 24th day of the cycle, when its receptivity is at its highest and when the endometrium is thick enough. The uterus should be healthy; that is, it should not be afflicted with issues such as, endometriosis, polyps, cysts, or fibroids, which negatively impact the implantation process. Those are the two main factors that can influence the success rate of an egg donation cycle.
Answer from: Renáta Krmíčková, MD, PhD
There are a few well-known factors that can increase the patient’s chances who are undergoing an egg donation program. First, you should try to eat well, exercise regularly, get enough sleep and reduce stress in your life. These are the general pieces of advice. They can improve your drive in general. Mental health and physical condition can have a huge impact on the possible success of therapy for mothers to be.
But the most important thing regarding the success of an egg donation treatment is the choice of an experienced IVF clinic that applies modern medical standards. At the same time, full mutual trust between the clinician and the treated couple are the necessary factors for the treatment’s success. So, we do our best every day to provide first-class treatment individually and make our patients feel welcome.
