(Fort Worth Fertility)
(Fertility)
(Fort Worth)
(817-348-8145)
Women may choose egg donation for a variety of reasons. Some women have tried to become pregnant for years without success, mainly because they do not produce good quality eggs of their own. This often includes women over the age of 40 who have failed other fertility treatment attempts.
Previous chemotherapy, ovarian surgery, premature menopause and absence of ovaries from birth are some of the reasons why ovaries are absent or function poorly. Additionally, some women carry a genetic disorder that they do not want to transmit to a child.
Women may choose to use an anonymous or known oocyle donor.
Fort Worth Fertility know that the decision to participate in oocyte donation (egg donation) is not an easy one for a couple to make. Donor oocyte agencies and Fort Worth Fertility require that all of our recipient couples and donors have psychological counseling. All of our donors undergo formal psychological screening that includes an interview by a practicing psychologist.
Our donors should be between 21 and 32 years of age. Donor screening includes extensive medical, social and family history on the donor.
There are risks involved in the stimulation cycle and aspiration of oocytes. Therefore, Fort Worth Fertility requires that the recipients clearly understand these risks. For couples using the Fort Worth Fertility donor program we require health insurance on the donors. Donors from agencies usually require this coverage as well. In case of complications directly related to the donation, the recipient couple will be responsible for any charges that the insurance does not cover.
Fort Worth Fertility allows dividing oocytes between two different recipients. This allows you to have a reduced fee with still an excellent chance of conception. There is the chance that the donor may respond poorly to the initial stimulation treatment. We will monitor her progress closely. If it appears that conditions are sub-optimal, the cycle will be cancelled and a new cycle can be initiated with an alternative treatment plan.
Candidates for oocyte donation (OD) include healthy, married women under the age of 48 who have one of the following indications:
Determination of preliminary eligibility for the Program is based on information from our office's history form and copies of medical records documenting female and/or male infertility evaluations and treatments.
The physician consultation will include:
The OD program requires psychological evaluation in the form of an interview between the recipient couple and the donor's agencies or the program's psychologist. This evaluation is required to assist in determining the couple's motivation, expectations, support systems, sources of stress, coping mechanisms, and other areas of concern. These factors may influence the couple's willingness to participate in the OD program.
The consultation with the oocyte donor coordinator will include:
Required laboratory and diagnostic studies include a recent pap smear, TSH, mammogram if necessary, hysteroscopy and a trial transfer. If the patient is older than 44 we also require an EKG, stress test, chest xray and evalution by a primary care physician.
The doctors and staff at Fort Worth Fertility cannot give legal advice about any property or custody rights issues or questions that an interested party may have and anyone considering these programs is strongly encouraged to obtain legal advice from a competent attorney of their choosing.
During the preparation of the recipient couple we are able to match the couple with an anonymous oocyte donor. Donor egg recipients have an opportunity to review donor’s characteristics from agencies. We have listed some egg donation agencies we have worked with in the past. There are many other agencies and you may feel free to contact them as well. We will soon have our own donors available. An attempt by the recipient couple to find a donor should be based on the desires of the recipient couple. Some of these criterions are based on race, height, weight, hair, eye color, and personality traits.
Some of the agencies include:
Surrogate Parenting Center Of Texas (surrogacy and donor egg)
7011 Preston Rd., Suite 215
Dallas, Tx 75205
(214) 742-6222
E-mail Address: Contactus@spct.cor
Website Address: www.spct.org
SSA/ Parenting Options (surrogacy and donor egg)
10777 Westheimer., Suite 350
Houston, Tx 77042
Contact Kathy Stern, M.A.
(713)952-4772
www.ssa-agency.com
The Egg Donation Center of Dallas, Inc (donor egg)
P.O. Box 740636
Dallas, Tx 75374
Contact Carol Littleton
(214) 503-6553
Website www.eggdonorcenter.com
E-Mail Info@eggdonorcenter.com
Once a match is made the agency will contact our office and we can begin the process of donor oocyte donation.
During a donor IVF cycle, if the recipient is having regular menstrual cycles, she will be placed on oral contraceptives, followed by a medication called leuprolide (Lupron), which is administered subcutaneously (meaning "just under the skin"). Leuprolide is a man-made hormone that will temporarily shut down her menstrual cycle. After her menstrual cycle is sufficiently suppressed and her cycle is adequately synchronized with her donor, the recipient will begin taking hormone replacement medication to make the lining of the uterus receptive to the embryo(s). This medication will consist of an estrogen progesterone preparation.
Common side effects of leuprolide include hot flashes, vaginal dryness, and vaginal spotting. Leuprolide is not associated with increased rates of miscarriage or malformation, and with short term use is not known to cause significant or serious side effects in its users. The hormones estrogen and progesterone, which are used to prepare the uterine lining for pregnancy, may have side effects. These are given in amounts intended to duplicate as closely as possible the normal function of the ovary. Minor side effects such as headaches, breast tenderness, or mild weight gain may occur. Progesterone is not thought to have any harmful effects.
After the eggs have been removed from the donor, a semen sample will be obtained from the recipient's husband/partner. This sample will be specifically processed to obtain from the most active sperm, which are then combined with the donated eggs.
A "trial" transfer will be performed sometime prior to the embryo transfer cycle to determine the length and contour of the recipient's uterus.
The developing embryos are ready for transfer on either day three or five after fertilization. All or some of the embryos that have normally developed are transferred by a process called embryo transfer.
A vaginal speculum is inserted and a small catheter containing the embryos will be threaded into the uterus, under ultrasound guidance,to gently deposit the embryos. After the embryo transfer, the recipient will lie flat for one hour and then should remain quiet for the next 24 hours. This part of the IVF process will be physically easy, yet is often emotionally difficult. There should be essentially no discomfort from this procedure and no anesthesia or pain medication is required for the transfer of embryos. A blood pregnancy test will be performed approximately 14 days after egg collection, with results available the same day.
There is a significant possibility that multiple gestations (twins, triplets, or more) may result from the return of multiple embryos to the uterus. Limiting the number of embryos placed into the uterus reduces this risk. If you have embryos which may be suitable for cryopreservation or freezing you would be a candidate for our single embryo transfer (SET) program that allows you to have a free frozen embryo transfer if you do not conceive with the SET. If a multiple gestation occurs, there is an increased risk for pregnancy complications including miscarriage and pre-term labor. It would be extraordinary for us to transfer more than two embryos to the recipient's uterus. We encourage patients in our donor oocyte program to consider our single embryo incentive program. Our incentive program offers the couple the opportunity to transfer a single embryo and if they have other embryos that are cryopreserved and are not pregnant they will be offered to transfer the cryopreserved embryos at no charge. In this way the couple can considerably decrease the likelihood of multiple births and at the same time not compromise their chance of a successful pregnancy.