Once the screening tests are back, approximately 4 to 6 weeks after the initial consultation, an egg sharer is matched with a recipient by our team of expert nurses. This process usually takes 1 to 2 weeks. Once that happens, a nurse from the egg sharing team will synchronise the treatment cycles, this may require going on the oral contraceptive pill for a couple of weeks.
Treatment begins when egg sharers begin their medication. Egg collection will take place approximately 2 weeks after an egg sharer starts medication.
Step 1
The nurses will organise a base line scan before an egg sharer begins their fertility injections to stimulate their ovaries. This will ensure there are no unexpected abnormalities in the reproductive system that could hinder treatment.
Step 2
Egg sharers take hormone injections for 10 to 16 days to stimulate the ovaries to grow additional follicles instead of just one which is what happens during a natural menstruation cycle. A nurse will provide an injection lesson to the patient before the egg sharer starts.
Step 3
During the stimulation period, egg sharers attend the Lister an additional 2 to 4 times for scans, depending on how they respond to the drugs. This will allow the team to monitor the number and size of the follicles and avoid hyper stimulation. At an appropriate time, an egg sharer will be told to take another drug which will release the eggs from the follicles.
Step 4
At the Lister Fertility Clinic, egg collection is carried out using a light general anesthetic. The 20 minute procedure is painless and patients usually go home 4 hours later, or sooner if well enough. Our fertility consultants use an ultrasound probe to examine the position of the ovaries and then put a very fine needle through the top of the vagina and ovaries and into the follicles. The fertility consultant inserts the needle into each follicle. The fluid containing the eggs is then aspirated into a tube attached to the needle. The number of eggs collected from patients varies depending on various factors.
Step 5
The eggs are split between the egg sharer and egg recipient. If an odd number of eggs are collected, the extra egg goes to the egg sharer. In the rare case that less than 8 eggs are collected, the egg sharer must choose whether they wish to keep them all (in which case they must pay £1,500 plus the cost of drugs). Alternatively, the egg sharer could choose to donate all her eggs to the egg recipient and return for another free cycle when she can keep all eggs produced for use during a second cycle .
Step 6
The eggs are then fertilised through conventional in-vitro fertilisation (IVF), Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) or Intracytoplasmic Morphologically-selected Sperm Injection (IMSI) - depending on the quality of the sperm sample. They are then incubated and monitored for 2 to 5 days to fertilise and develop. If patients use donor or frozen sperm, they will have to arrange for the delivery prior to treatment with our laboratory.
Step 7
Embryo transfer is carried out at the Lister Fertility Clinic. This 20 minute procedure is painless and feels similar to a cervical smear test. The fertility consultant will place the embryo(s) into a thin tube known as a catheter. This is then inserted through the vagina and cervix and the embryos are placed in the uterus. The egg sharer will continue taking medication to help maintain their uterus lining during early pregnancy.
Step 8
The egg sharer will take a pregnancy test 14 days after embryo transfer. Hopefully, the test will be positive and our team will help book an ultrasound scan around the 8 to 9 weeks. In the unfortunate event that the cycle is unsuccessful, egg sharers can attend a for a free follow-up consultation with one of our fertility consultants to discuss the treatment cycle and whether or not they wish to try again.
