At Institut Marquès we have our own egg bank. In this way, we can get to know the donors personally. They are young, healthy women who wish to help other women become mothers.
The egg donors are selected according to their blood group, Rh and physical characteristics, to ensure maximum resemblance to the recipient couple. Institut Marquès has donors of all phenotypes.
They undergo a very complete medical, gynecological and analytical examination, which includes psychological tests, karyotype study, tests to rule out infectious diseases and specific tests to rule out the most frequent mutations in the European population that cause cystic fibrosis.
In Spain, the donation is totally anonymous, therefore, in our clinic it is the doctor who is personally in charge of choosing the most suitable donor for each patient. In this way, we can be sure of achieving a perfect match, taking into account both physical aspects and hereditary character traits.
We have no waiting list and, in addition, we can synchronize the donor’s ovulation cycles with the patient’s stimulation, so that we do not have to freeze the eggs and perform In Vitro Fertilization with “fresh” eggs.
Can “everybody” donate eggs? Why?
No, only women between 18 and 35 years old, physically and mentally healthy, with no family history of hereditary diseases and who, of course, are motivated to help other women, can be donors. They must pass all medical examinations. At the legal level, there is a maximum number of donations per country.
Is it advisable for all women of childbearing age to freeze their eggs for the future?
Of course it is. The most appropriate biological age to become pregnant is from 20 to 35 years old, but, nowadays, many women decide to delay their maternity for multiple reasons. We must bear in mind that at 35 years of age a woman’s ovarian reserve is usually only 10%. With age, the quantity and quality of eggs decreases.
Thanks to the vitrification of eggs, we have an alternative that allows us to maintain the chances of being a mother with our own eggs. It is a way to preserve fertility until each woman decides that the time is right for motherhood.
It is also a solution for patients who have to undergo cancer treatment, ovarian surgery, suffer from endometriosis or any disorder that harms their fertility.
It is also indicated for transgender people who want to preserve their eggs before starting the sex change treatment.
In what cases is it recommended to opt for eggs from other women?
Opting for In Vitro Fertilization with donor eggs is an optimal option for those patients whose eggs are not of sufficient quality to achieve an evolutionary pregnancy either for age or other medical reasons. This is the Assisted Reproduction technique with the highest probability of success per cycle, around 91%. The embryos have a great implantation potential since they come from oocytes of a young woman without sterility problems and the uterus is hormonally prepared in an optimal way to receive them.
In IVF, the patient receives a hormone replacement treatment with estrogens and progesterone to prepare the uterus for the reception of the embryos while waiting for the donation. On the same day that the oocytes are retrieved, In Vitro Fertilization is performed with the couple’s or a donor’s sperm. Three to five days later, the embryo is transferred to the patient.