Egg Bank Service

Many women require donor eggs to be able to conceive. Donor eggs are currently in very short supply worldwide with demand significantly outweighing supply. To ensure we provide high quality donors, we only source donors from reputable egg banks.

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 £184	Previous CIVF Patients* £184
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 £105	Previous CIVF Patients* £105
Additional Services CMV testing	New Patients £37	Previous CIVF Patients* £37
Additional Services Diagnostic semen analysis (if applicable)	New Patients £189	Previous CIVF Patients* £189
Additional Services DNA fragmentation test (if applicable)	New Patients £420	Previous CIVF Patients* £420
Additional Services Magnetic activated cell sorting (if applicable)	New Patients £1602	Previous CIVF Patients* £1602
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 £709	Previous CIVF Patients* £709

*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

Is there a waiting list for this service?

Finding an appropriate donor can take some time due to the various considerations to be made when choosing a donor that you are comfortable with, and due to the low availability of donor eggs. For this reason, we advise you to allow at least three to four months from your first appointment with us to the point at which you are ready to commence treatment.

What do I do next if I am interested?

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

You can view our list of approved suppliers of donor eggs by clicking on the below document.

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.

Approved Suppliers of Donor Eggs for Treatment at Cambridge IVF v3.0

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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.

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.

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.

Further Information

For further information on the donor egg service at Cambridge IVF, please see our patient information leaflet:

Use of donor eggs - Information for patients v3.2

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