Egg donation is an option for many couples facing infertility
If anonymous egg donation is desired, recipients of donor eggs can be assured that their chances of having a healthy child are excellent, and that the entire process can be performed in a discreet and confidential manner. It is indeed a thrilling option for women who wish to conceive who otherwise would not be able to do so.
Egg donation is the most complex of current assisted reproductive techniques.
It requires synchronization of the menstrual cycles of the donor and recipient; stimulating the donor to produce many mature eggs at once; retrieving eggs with ultrasound guidance; inseminating and fertilizing the eggs; placing the fertilized eggs or embryos into the recipient’s uterus, and supporting the pregnancy with hormones. Couples considering egg donation must set up an initial consultation with Dr. Levi.
The recipient must be in good health and meet age requirements.
Recipients over the age of 45 must submit a recent EKG, mammogram and a medical clearance letter from their primary care physician stating they are capable of carrying a pregnancy to term without compromising their health. A medical history is taken and a screening with blood testing for infectious and sexually transmitted diseases are performed on both partners. It is strongly recommended that couples consult with a clinical social worker or licensed psychologist to understand the ramifications associated with creating a child from donor egg. Donors are compensated and all of their medical, psychological, pharmaceutical and travel costs associated with their treatment are paid by the couple who receive the egg donation.
Park Avenue Fertility’s donor coordinator will also meet with the couple and discuss the process. Couples are asked about their physical characteristic preferences. This allows the donor coordinator to match the couple with the most appropriate donor. Couples have the option of selecting a Park Avenue Fertility donor or selecting a donor from an outside agency. A listing of outside agencies can be made available to couples wishing to select a donor from an outside agency. Outside agency fees can vary, and couples are responsible for contacting the outside agencies directly. The agency will explain its fee schedule and arrange for payment.
A woman who desires to be an anonymous egg donor must be accepted into the Park Avenue Fertility program.
Women are usually recruited through referrals and advertising in local newspapers. Our donors usually reside in Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Pennsylvania. Donors are screened for physical and psychological suitability as recommended by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Women who apply to our program must meet its eligibility requirements.
Park Avenue Fertility requires that women are healthy, non-smokers between the ages of 21 and 29, and agreeable to a drug and nicotine screening, along with other requirements. Screening requirements that are mandated by the FDA are strictly adhered to by our program. Potential donors provide a childhood photo, a current photo and complete a detailed questionnaire which includes information on family history, detailed medical and genetic information, and a psychological inventory. Upon a thorough review of the questionnaire, a personal interview is set up with the potential donor and is conducted by the donor coordinator. If the donor is accepted into our program, a detailed profile of the donor is established. These profiles are then used by prospective recipient couples to choose an egg donor.
Donor matching
This service is available for patients that would like to use a Park Avenue Fertility donor or have the physician and the donor coordinator review donors from outside agencies. If you wish to use a Park Avenue Fertility donor, the donor coordinator and the physician will match and present donors for the couple to review and select from. A comparative analysis of the couple and donor is performed. The couple’s donor preferences are used in the analysis along with notes from consults; phone conversations with the couple; demographic information, and detailed questionnaires (profiles) of the donors. Preliminary matches are made by the donor coordinator and a profile with photos of the proposed donor is presented to the couple for their review.
Our patient care coordinator will contact your insurance company to check for any services that are covered by their insurance plan. Covered services will be submitted to insurance.