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Egg Bank Service

Many women require donor eggs to be able to conceive. Currently, there is a UK shortage of egg donors, but our partnership with Ovobank is enabling couples and single people become parents using imported eggs, chosen through a strict selection process.

Dr Chris White - Service Lead at Cambridge IVF, talks about the new Egg Bank service.

Link: https://youtu.be/fAKO-tEwGLg

Why do some women use donor eggs for treatment?

You may choose to use donor eggs following recommendation from the clinic for a number of reasons including:

  • The individual was born with ovaries incapable of producing eggs (i.e. Turner Syndrome)
  • The ovaries have stopped functioning, this is called menopause
  • The ovaries have been removed for other medical reasons
  • The individual has undergone chemotherapy or radiotherapy for a medical condition, i.e. cancer treatment
  • The individual has a serious genetic condition and use donor eggs to avoid the risk of their children inheriting the condition
  • Fertility treatment using their own eggs resulted in poor fertilisation or poor embryo formation

Donor Egg IVF Packages

Treatment Packages New Patients Previous CIVF Patients*
Treatment Packages 6 Frozen eggs New Patients £ 7,990 Previous CIVF Patients* £6,990
Treatment Packages 8 Frozen eggs New Patients £ 9,990 Previous CIVF Patients* £8,990
Treatment Packages 12 Frozen eggs New Patients £ 11,990 Previous CIVF Patients* £10,990
Treatment Packages 2 x Implications counselling for recipients New Patients Included Previous CIVF Patients* Included
Treatment Packages Medication for recipient (up to pregnancy testing) New Patients Included Previous CIVF Patients* Included
Treatment Packages Monitoring scans for recipient New Patients Included Previous CIVF Patients* Included
Treatment Packages Egg thaw New Patients Included Previous CIVF Patients* Included
Treatment Packages Sperm preparation New Patients Included Previous CIVF Patients* Included
Treatment Packages Embryo culture in time-lapse incubator New Patients Included Previous CIVF Patients* Included
Treatment Packages Embryo glue to support implantation New Patients Included Previous CIVF Patients* Included
Treatment Packages Individualised progesterone support New Patients Included Previous CIVF Patients* Included
Additional Services New Patients Previous CIVF Patients*
Additional Services Pre-consultation scans New Patients £150 Previous CIVF Patients* £150
Additional Services Initial consultation with fertility specialist New Patients £200 Previous CIVF Patients* £200
Additional Services Virals (HIV, Hep B, Hep C, HTLV) New Patients £100 Previous CIVF Patients* £100
Additional Services CMV testing New Patients £30 Previous CIVF Patients* £30
Additional Services Diagnostic semen analysis (if applicable) New Patients £150 Previous CIVF Patients* £150
Additional Services DNA fragmentation test (if applicable) New Patients £375 Previous CIVF Patients* £375
Additional Services Magnetic activated cell sorting (if applicable) New Patients £300 Previous CIVF Patients* £300
Additional Services Transport costs of eggs New Patients £250-500 Previous CIVF Patients* £250-500
Additional Services Embryo freezing (including 1st year storage fee) New Patients £675 Previous CIVF Patients* £675

*We are able to offer a reduced rate for existing Cambridge IVF patients that have had previous IVF or ICSI treatment with us.

Not included
  • Initial consultation with Fertility Specialist
  • Pre-treatment tests (e.g. transvaginal scan, private diagnostic semen analysis, blood tests)
  • Transport costs of the eggs. This is organised via Ovobank at a discounted price for Cambridge IVF patients.
  • Embryo freezing (if there is more than one blastocyst suitable for transfer) or 1st year of embryo storage
  • Any subsequent frozen blastocyst transfers
  • DNA Fragmentation testing of sperm from a male partner. Semen filtration using magnetic activated cell sorting (MACS) to filter out dying and DNA damaged sperm.
What pre-treatment tests do I need?

Patients considering using donor eggs will need to have the following standard tests:

  • A consultation with a specialist fertility consultant is necessary to determine if you are suitable for donor egg treatment and to determine if there are any health issues that need to be considered prior to treatment. If deemed suitable you will then have a consultation with a Specialist Nurse for the necessary scan and blood tests.
  • A semen analysis is necessary unless donor sperm is being used. This is essential because in around 50% of cases there is a male fertility issue and so there needs to be a check to determine if pregnancy is likely. The NHS pays for semen analyses and all that is required is a referral to Cambridge IVF for a semen analysis, alternatively recent semen analyses from other accredited services or the NHS are acceptable.
  • DNA fragmentation testing of the partners sperm is optional where donor eggs are being used. DNA fragmentation has been shown by research to be linked to miscarriage and poor fertilisation of eggs. Where DNA fragmentation is elevated to clinically significant levels, MACS-ICSI treatment is recommended. An Embryologist will review if DNA fragmentation testing would be recommended based on an individual’s medical/treatment history.
  • Patients and their partners (where applicable) will be required to have a counselling session with one of Cambridge IVF’s recommended counsellors. This is to ensure all the implications and legal aspects of donor treatment are understood prior to moving forward.

If any of the tests have been undertaken recently by another accredited service or the NHS it may be possible to use these results. Please check with the medical team to ensure the test will be still valid at the time of your donor egg treatment cycle

Is Donor Egg IVF suitable for me?

Women need to be aged between 18 and 49 and have a BMI ideally below 35, but 35-39 may be considered. It is also important that health is generally good because of the risks to babies and mothers of pregnancy when a mother is in poor health. 

The suitability of treatment, in particular for women aged 45-49 will be considered on a case by case basis by a Cambridge IVF clinician, due to the increased risks for babies and mothers in this age group.

Recommendations

It is highly recommended that women do not smoke or drink alcohol when pregnant. Support to give up smoking in advance of treatment is available via your GP.

The very high incidence of male fertility issues is not widely known. Cambridge IVF tests around 5,000 men a year who are having difficulty conceiving. Men need to do what they can to improve their semen quality when seeking to conceive. It takes 74 days for sperm to be produced and matured and during this time they are very vulnerable to heat and damage. Recommended measures include:

  • Sperm are extremely vulnerable to heat which is why testes are outside the body. It is important to avoid hot baths, showers and saunas. Also avoid wearing tight underwear and minimise prolonged periods of exercise that results in the testes being compressed and getting hot.
  • Minimise consumption of heavily processed foods
  • Eat brightly coloured vegetables such as tomatoes and beets as these contain lycopene which has been linked to improved results
  • Taking a fertility supplement that contains zinc and selenium and a broad spectrum of vitamins may be beneficial, Such as Wellman Conception. However it is important to adhere to dosing recommendations – so do not take more than one supplement as success rates may actually decrease
  • It is highly recommended to stop smoking and drinking alcohol
  • Stress has also been linked to increased rates of DNA damage and so this should be avoided/reduced where possible

Availability of donor eggs

Our Donor Egg partner Ovobank has 90 women who have donated eggs or are willing to do so. Ovobank work with strict donor selection protocols to achieve the success of our patient's egg donation treatments.

Ovobank Egg Bank
Ovobank
Ovobank logo

Ovobank were selected because of the quality of their systems, processes and staff and because they are able to meet the highly specific requirements of the HFEA (fertility regulator) for importing eggs to the UK.

Is there a waiting list for this service?

There currently isn’t a wait list for access to this service, however, due to regulations, shipping times vary and can be between 2-5 months.

Please see other frequently asked questions (FAQs) at the bottom of this page.

What do I do next if I am interested?

Call Cambridge IVF on 01223 349010 to arrange a consultation and tests.

You can access Ovobank website here (opens in a new tab) to view the currently available donors. Please do not purchase donor eggs until you have had a consultation, your pre-treatment tests and had your donor choice approved by the Cambridge IVF Embryology Team.

Please note, when navigating the Ovobank Site, donors on the ‘Vitrified Oocytes’ tab are donors with eggs available now (batches are ready to start the importing procedures) or held within a quarantine period (batches will be ready for import subject to final donor screening).

Non-urgent advice: Important note

Information:

Cambridge IVF is absorbing the transport costs by importing eggs for groups of patients. As there is a high demand for donor eggs this is unlikely to cause delays.

If a patient wishes to import eggs immediately there would be a transport cost. The website states charges that they apply if patients buy eggs directly. These prices DO NOT apply to Cambridge IVF patients, our patients pay a single package price of £7,990 for six eggs, delivery and the subsequent cycle of ICSI treatment. If a patient wishes to choose more than six eggs additional costs will be applicable.

Please DO NOT proceed with payment directly to Ovobank. Please contact Cambridge IVF to discuss and confirm your selected donor and to arrange payment of deposit. Cambridge IVF will then liaise directly with Ovobank to arrange order.

FAQs

Why is the cost lower than other clinics?

Cambridge IVF is an NHS facility and the aims of the service are to help patients realise their dream of parenthood rather than to generate large profits for investors.

Are frozen eggs good quality?

Donor eggs are harvested from women under the age of 35. Survival rates of frozen eggs are typically between 85-95%. Fertilisation rates for frozen eggs are slightly lower than for fresh eggs but embryo development thereafter appears to be comparable.

What are the success rates when using frozen donor eggs?

The success rates for donor eggs are likely to be significantly higher than those using their own fresh eggs in women over 40.

Is there a waiting list for this service?

There currently isn’t a wait list for access to this service, however, due to regulations, shipping times vary and can be between 1-4 months.

Why do I need to pay a £500 deposit?

We ask for a £500 deposit to reserve eggs from your chosen donor. The remaining cost will then be requested at the point of the eggs being dispatched from Ovobank and treatment starting. We have to transport the frozen eggs for 5 patients at one time.

Can I have more than one embryo transferred as I like the idea of having twins?

Having twins increases the risk of cerebral palsy by around 6x and increases the general risk of complications for babies and mothers. In addition there is an increased likelihood of triplets as each embryo has a 1 in 40 chance of splitting (the result being two identical babies and one non identical). When triplets occur the risks are even more significant. As a result of the risks to mothers and babies, Cambridge IVF will not transfer two donor egg embryos unless embryo quality is poor and there is a very low risk of twins. If this is the case, the consultant will discuss this with you.

Is the deposit refundable?

The deposit would be refundable if Ovobank or Cambridge IVF are unable to proceed with treatment, or if there are insufficient patients seeking to import eggs to perform the treatment within a reasonable timescale. See our terms and conditions documentation for more detailed information.

Why is there such a high level of demand for donor eggs?

Fertility generally reduces significantly after the age of 35 and for some women it can be earlier. Using donor eggs can dramatically improve the chances of pregnancy whilst still allowing the patient to experience pregnancy and birth in a very natural way.

Why is there a shortage of donor eggs in the UK, but not in many other countries?

There are three principal reasons which impact on the availability of egg (and sperm) donors in the UK;

- Donors are not anonymous - UK legislation means that children born as a result of any treatment using donor eggs or sperm have the right to find out about their biological parents from the age of 18.

- In the UK donating eggs and sperm is required to be altruistic, whereas in some other countries there is effectively no limit on what donors may be paid.

Any eggs imported in to the UK have to comply with UK legislation. Meaning, donation must have been altruistic and the identity must be available to children from age 18.

Why are so many people travelling to countries like Spain, Cyprus and the Czech Republic for IVF?

The demand in the UK for donor eggs outweighs the availability of donor eggs. As a result, the only option available for many is to travel to other countries for treatment. Treatment overseas conveys additional risks as practice varies from country to country. The UK is regarded as one of the safest countries in which to receive fertility treatment because the sector is tightly regulated to protect patients. Cambridge IVF have linked with Ovobank and will be importing frozen eggs from Argentina, with all treatment being completed at Cambridge IVF.

Further Information

For further information on the donor egg service at Cambridge IVF, please see our patient information leaflet (opens in new window).