Egg Bank Service

• Embryo freezing if there is more than one blastocyst suitable for transfer, this costs £650
• Any subsequent frozen blastocyst transfers - these cost £1,995 (not including medication up to pregnancy test, which could cost between £300-£400 depending on advice)
• 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, this costs £300

Patients having IVF are required to have the following standard tests:

• Consultation and scan is necessary to determine if Donor Egg IVF is likely to be successful and to determine if there are any health issues that need to be considered prior to treatment.
• 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 is recommended where donor eggs are being used at a cost of £350. DNA fragmentation has been shown by research to be linked to increased miscarriage and failure to fertilise rates. Where DNA fragmentation is elevated to clinically significant levels, MACS-ICSI treatment is recommended at an additional cost of £300. A clinician 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.

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.

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:

1. 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.
2. Minimise consumption of heavily processed foods
3. Eat brightly coloured vegetables such as tomatoes and beets as these contain lycopene which has been linked to improved results
4. 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
5. It is highly recommended to stop smoking and drinking alcohol
6. Stress has also been linked to increased rates of DNA damage and so this should be avoided/reduced where possible