Using Frozen Donor Eggs; Benefits, Cost and Success Rates
Fresh donor eggs were once considered the gold standard for IVF with donor eggs. Recent advances in egg freezing techniques and frozen donor egg success rates have made frozen eggs a viable option for couples and individuals who need the assistance of an egg donor to have children. At many fertility clinics, frozen eggs now have comparable success rates to fresh eggs, providing intended parents with a greater choice of prospective donors while avoiding the need to synchronize the donor and egg recipient’s cycles. Frozen donor egg costs are similar to fresh donor eggs, providing another great option for intended parents looking to have a baby with the help of donor eggs.
Should you choose fresh or frozen donor eggs? Your circumstances and preferences will play a significant role in making this important decision. To help you make the right choice for your family, consider the following information about using frozen donor eggs.
Advantages of using frozen donor eggs
Donor eggs are frozen using a process known as vitrification. Vitrification completes the freezing process in minutes, preventing damaging ice crystal formation in the cell.
The benefits of using frozen donor eggs include:
- No need to synchronize the cycles of donors and recipients.
- Any problems that may arise during the donor’s ovarian stimulation have been addressed, so you know exactly how many eggs you’ll receive.
- Egg recipients can choose from a wide variety of donors whose eggs are already frozen.
- No delays due to scheduling conflicts or a selected donor’s availability.
- Cycle cancellations are rare.
Are frozen donor eggs better for IVF than fresh?
This is perhaps the greatest concern for potential parents: how does using frozen donor eggs for IVF compare with fresh donor eggs? The good news is potential parents can feel free to choose fresh or frozen eggs as the success rates are considered the same. Frozen eggs are more convenient in most cases, as your schedule and cycle do not need to match that of the donor. Access to eggs and completion of IVF is much faster when choosing frozen eggs. For more information on the pros and cons of using fresh versus frozen eggs, check out our blog Frozen or Fresh Donor Eggs: The True Story.
What is the success rate for frozen donor eggs?
At many Pinnacle Fertility clinics, the live birth rate per embryo transfer of 65-70% is comparable to that of fresh donor eggs. These remarkable success rates are due to a combination of factors, including the care with which donor eggs are frozen. We choose our egg donors with great care, taking into account their age, physical and mental health, and family history.
How much do frozen donor eggs cost?
When shipping to an affiliated clinic, the cost of donor eggs is a follows:
Base Tier
$2,850 each
Standard Tier
$3,300 each
Premier Tier
$3,725 each
A minimum of 6 frozen eggs is required, and frozen eggs need to remain in batches of at least 6 eggs unless all eggs are being secured. Shipping is an additional flat fee of $950. The shipping fee includes up to $25,000 liability insurance on the shipping tank. You have the opportunity to increase to $50,000 liability insurance for $1500.”
What determines a donor’s base, standard, or premier tier?
A combination of compensation, travel expenses, or recruiting efforts. This status has no impact on their level of success as all donors meet or exceed the same criteria to donate. The distinction between base, standard, and premier donors can be found within each donor’s extended profile on the top right corner listed under “Donor Tier”.
What does this mean for the overall price of donor eggs?
A batch of 6 frozen donor eggs costs between $17,100 and $22,350. The number of eggs you should secure depends on your fertility goals; are you looking to have just one child, or would you like siblings in the future? Are you looking to select sex of your baby, or do chromosomal testing on embryos? Your doctor will be able to help recommend an optimal number of eggs, depending on your individual circumstance.
What’s included in the frozen donor egg price?
- All surgical fees for the donor
- Donor’s medical screening, including infectious disease, genetic testing, and psychological screening
- All donor’s expenses, including compensation, travel, medications, monitoring visits, and legal fees
- One year of storage for frozen material
Pinnacle Egg Bank Donor Database
The Pinnacle Egg Bank allows intended parents access to an online database of frozen donor eggs. Through the database, you’ll be able to view each donor’s profile, including their ethnicity, family medical history, personality, education, and vital statistics (hair color, eye color, age, etc.). All donors in the Pinnacle Egg Bank database are carefully screened physically and psychologically, and all are approved to donate their eggs.
How to choose an egg donor bank?
Take your time choosing an egg donor bank: you should be 100 percent confident in the bank’s screening process and its ability to successfully retrieve, store, freeze and transport eggs.
Pinnacle Fertility, parent company of Pinnacle Egg Bank, also provides surrogacy services, through Pinnacle Surrogacy. Individual male intended parents, gay couples, and women who cannot carry a child to term can all benefit from our wonderful surrogates.
Choosing an egg donor is one of the most important decisions in the egg donation process. We encourage all prospective parents to read more about IVF, egg donation, and surrogacy. If you have any questions about frozen donor eggs or any other aspect of IVF or surrogacy, please contact us. We’ll provide the facts you need to make the decision that’s right for your family.
