Your local home for world-class fertility care
Our boutique fertility clinic is located in northeast Louisville, Kentucky, convenient to Bardstown, Bowling Green, Lexington, Owensboro, Richmond, and Southern Indiana.
Egg Donation
For many of our patients, successful treatment may require consideration of non-genetic alternatives. At Kentucky Fertility Institute, we offer full spectrum of third-party reproductive solutions, including the use of egg donation for women who cannot use their own eggs to achieve pregnancy.
What is Egg Donation?
Egg donation is when a woman volunteers to give her eggs to another woman to help her become pregnant through the in vitro fertilization process. In other words, egg donation is an infertility therapy that allows women who cannot use their own oocytes (eggs) to become pregnant and deliver a child of her own. There are many reasons why some women may not have viable oocytes. The most common reason to use donor oocytes is due to advanced female age, and this will be a common treatment option for women in their early 40s and beyond. Younger women with premature ovarian insufficiency, diminished ovarian reserve, or certain genetic risk factors may also choose to use oocyte donation for their care.
How Successful is Egg Donation?
Egg donation is one of the most successful types of fertility treatment. The national average live birth rate for egg donation typically exceeds 50%, accordingly to the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART).
"Dr. Hunter and the entire KFI staff were fantastic to work with. Infertility can be a very sensitive matter, but I never felt uncomfortable throughout the process."
— KFI Patient
How Do You Choose an Egg Donor?
At KFI, patients have the option to either use a known or anonymous egg donor. Known egg donation is when patients select a family member or close contact to serve as her egg donor. Anonymous egg donation is when the donor is unknown to the patient, and is typically recruited through an agency or commercial egg bank. KFI works with a number of reputable egg banks to ensure a safe and diverse selection of egg donors for our recipient patients.
Egg Donation FAQs
Egg donation may be recommended for individuals or couples who cannot achieve pregnancy using their own eggs. The most common reason is advanced maternal age, as egg quality naturally declines over time. Donor eggs are also sometimes recommended for younger women with premature ovarian insufficiency, diminished ovarian reserve, or a history of unsuccessful IVF cycles. In some cases, egg donation is chosen to avoid passing on certain genetic conditions. It can also be an option for single parents or same-sex male couples who plan to build their family through gestational surrogacy.
The first step is a consultation with a fertility specialist. During this visit, your doctor will review your medical history, discuss previous fertility treatments, and determine whether egg donation is an appropriate option for you. If egg donation is recommended, the next step is typically selecting a donor through an egg bank or donor program. At Kentucky Fertility Institute, we work with several reputable egg banks to ensure a safe and diverse selection of egg donors for our recipient patients.
Once a donor has been selected, your team will begin planning the treatment cycle. This includes preparing the uterus for embryo transfer and coordinating the timing of the IVF process.
Age can influence fertility treatment decisions, but donor egg IVF often reduces many of the challenges associated with declining egg quality. Because egg donors are typically young and carefully screened, the quality of the eggs used for treatment is generally high. For this reason, egg donation is commonly recommended for patients in their early 40s and beyond, when pregnancy with their own eggs may be less likely. However, younger women may also benefit from donor eggs if they have conditions such as diminished ovarian reserve or premature ovarian insufficiency.
The total cost of egg donation can vary depending on several factors, including whether the cycle uses fresh or frozen donor eggs. Expenses may include donor fees, egg bank costs, IVF laboratory procedures, medications, and embryo transfer. Additional costs may also include genetic testing, legal services, and embryo storage. Because each treatment plan is unique, the total cost can vary from one patient to another. Your fertility care team can provide a more detailed estimate and help you understand the financial aspects of treatment before moving forward.
Egg donors may be either known or anonymous. A known donor might be a family member or close friend who volunteers to donate eggs to help someone achieve pregnancy. Many patients choose to work with anonymous donors who are recruited through specialized egg donor agencies or frozen egg banks. These programs provide detailed donor profiles that may include information about education, health history, physical traits, and personal interests.
At Kentucky Fertility Institute, patients may select a known donor or work with one of several reputable egg banks. These programs help ensure that donors are thoroughly screened and that patients have access to a diverse selection of potential matches.
Egg donors undergo a comprehensive screening process before being accepted into a donor program. Screening typically includes a detailed medical history review, genetic testing, and infectious disease testing. Donors also undergo psychological evaluation to ensure they understand the donation process and are comfortable participating. Many programs also review family health history and lifestyle factors to help identify donors who meet strict eligibility criteria. Only donors who meet medical, genetic, and psychological screening requirements are approved to donate eggs.
Donor selection usually begins with reviewing donor profiles provided by an egg bank or donor program. These profiles often include information about medical background, physical characteristics, education, interests, and sometimes personal essays or photos. Patients may choose a donor based on a variety of factors, such as physical resemblance, cultural background, education, or other personal preferences.
The timeline for finding an egg donor can vary depending on whether you are using a fresh donor cycle or frozen donor eggs. With frozen donor egg banks, patients can often choose a donor relatively quickly because the eggs have already been retrieved and stored. In these cases, treatment may move forward once a donor cohort is selected and medical preparation is complete. Fresh donor cycles may take longer because the donor must be recruited, screened, and synchronized with the recipient’s treatment schedule.
Egg donors may be anonymous, known, or sometimes “open” donors, depending on the program:
An anonymous donation means the donor and recipient do not know each other’s identities.
Known donation occurs when a patient selects a family member or friend to serve as the donor.
Some egg banks offer open or identity-release donors, where the donor agrees that identifying information may be shared with the child once they reach adulthood.
Each approach has different considerations, and patients may choose the option that best fits their personal preferences and family goals.
Fresh donor egg cycles involve coordinating the donor’s ovarian stimulation and egg retrieval with the recipient’s treatment cycle. After the eggs are retrieved, they are fertilized, and the resulting embryos are transferred or frozen.
Frozen donor eggs come from egg banks where eggs have already been retrieved, frozen, and stored. These eggs can be thawed and fertilized when a patient selects a donor.
Frozen eggs often offer greater convenience and faster timelines, while fresh cycles may yield more eggs from a single donor. Your fertility specialist can help determine which option may be most appropriate for your treatment plan.
A mock cycle is a practice cycle used to evaluate how the uterus responds to hormone medications before the embryo transfer. During this process, doctors monitor the uterine lining to ensure it develops in a way that supports implantation. The mock cycle helps the care team determine the best medication schedule and timing for the actual embryo transfer. This step helps refine treatment planning and identify the optimal conditions for implantation. Not all patients require a mock cycle, but it may be recommended in certain situations.
During an egg donation cycle, eggs from the selected donor are fertilized with sperm in the laboratory through the IVF process. The resulting embryos are then monitored for development. Meanwhile, the recipient takes medications to prepare the uterine lining for implantation. Once the uterus is ready and the embryos have developed appropriately, one embryo is transferred into the uterus. Any additional embryos that develop successfully may be frozen for future use. After the embryo transfer, patients typically wait about two weeks before taking a pregnancy test to determine whether implantation has occurred.
Egg donation is one of the most successful fertility treatments available. Because egg donors are typically young and healthy, donor eggs often produce high-quality embryos.
According to national data from the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART), live birth rates using donor eggs commonly exceed 50% per transfer. Success rates may vary depending on factors such as embryo quality, uterine health, and overall patient health. Your fertility specialist can provide more personalized expectations based on your medical history and treatment plan.
Learn more about Egg Donation in Kentucky Today
Considering egg donation is a big decision, but you don’t have to navigate it alone. The experienced team at the Kentucky Fertility Institute is here to guide you through every step of the process with attention, care, and expertise. Contact us today for more information or to schedule an appointment.