Egg donation treatment

What is egg donation treatment?

If it is not possible for health reasons to use a woman's own egg for conception, we can replace them with a healthy egg from an anonymous donor. It is fertilized with a partner's or donor's sperm, and the embryo is then transferred to the future mother's uterus.

Who is the treatment with donated eggs (OD, DIVF) suitable for?

• for women who do not have ovaries

• for women suffering from a severe form of ovarian endometriosis

• for women diagnosed with premature ovarian failure

• for women with insufficient quality eggs

• for women who are not producing eggs

• for women experiencing repeated embryo development or implant failures

How does the treatment with donated eggs work?

How do we choose suitable donors?

We pay maximum attention to the selection of suitable egg donors. Candidates go through a complex selection process to ensure the best possible success of the treatment and the health of the future baby. We also carefully select them to meet the specific requirements of each couple. We emphasize the mutual similarity of the donor and the recipient. We respect external physiognomic features such as eye colour, hair, body type, weight and height, and preferred education.

Who are our donors?

• most often age between 18 and 30 years

• perfect health and mental state

• no transmissible or genetically determined diseases

• healthy lifestyle (BMI below 29)

• completed high school education with a high school diploma

What criteria do egg donors have to meet?

• gynecological examination

• ultrasound examination

• genetic examination

• karyotype examination

• test for the presence of sexually transmitted diseases (HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, syphilis)

• drug test

Egg donation treatment step by step

1. The preparatory phase

The first step to conceiving a healthy baby using assisted reproduction is an interview with a doctor at the Unica clinic. During the consultation, we analyze the reproductive abilities of each couple. Based on the interview and initial examination, our experts will recommend specific methods suitable for you and set the whole treatment plan. In the case of egg donation treatment, we will do our best to meet your wishes and requirements for the donor. This is what the process can look like:

2. Selection of the donor

Appearance is one of the important factors in finding a suitable donor. So we choose a girl of the same race, with the same eye and hair colour, height, and weight, as the future mother. Our database contains more than 1,200 donors and is the largest in the Czech Republic.

3. Synchronization of donor and recipient

The future mother and selected donor await the hormonal stimulation in this phase. The date of its start depends on the recipient's menstrual cycle. Doctors adjust the donor's cycle with medication to synchronize with the recipient's cycle. This way, we ensure that on the day of the embryo transfer, the patient's endometrium will be in the best possible condition to receive the embryo. This moment occurs approximately on the 10th to 14th day of stimulation. At that time, the doctor examines the expectant mother and checks the height of the endometrium.

4. Collection and fertilization of eggs

On the same day, we collect and fertilize the eggs, and the partner gives an ejaculate sample to the clinic. If he has had his sperm frozen before, we use these cells.

All eggs we collect from a donor are fertilized using the ICSI or PICSI method. We can get a higher chance of successful conception using modern methods such as MACS, IMSI or MicroChip Fertile Plus®. These technologies preselect suitable sperm, which the embryologist injects directly into the eggs.

5. Embryo cultivation 1st to 5th day

Fertilization of an egg produces an embryo. Its quality depends on the quality of sperm, eggs and the combination of genetic information of both partners.

Extended embryo cultivation allows us to select the highest quality embryos with the highest potential to develop further. For a more detailed analysis of embryo development, we use the EmbryoScope. It continuously monitors them and shows us which embryo will be the most suitable for transfer to the woman's body. In case of an increased risk of congenital genetic diseases, we use the PGT-A and PGT-M genetic diagnostic tests. These assess the chromosomal genetic makeup of the embryo and help select a genetically healthy embryo with a standard number of chromosomes.

6. Embryo transfer to the uterus

After successful cultivation, we select the best quality embryo, which is transferred into the woman's uterus. During the transfer, we use one or a maximum of two embryos. Other high-quality embryos can be frozen and preserved for later conception (KET method) at the couple's request.

7. Embryo implantation 6th to 7th day

On the sixth to the seventh day of its development, i.e. two days after the transfer, the embryo nestles in the uterus. The success of nesting depends on various factors. One of them is, for example, the height and structure of the endometrium. The chance of embryo implantation can be increased with the EmbryoGlue® method.