Why should I use frozen donor eggs from Fairfax EggBank?

Fairfax EggBank has one of the most comprehensive donor screening processes of any egg bank in the world, which translates into excellent quality donors and expansive donor selection.

We are owned and operated by the same group of scientists and doctors who own Fairfax Cryobank, one of the nation's leading sperm banks. This experience greatly enhances our ability to serve our patients because even though the technology involved with egg freezing is fairly new, the dedicated staff at the Fairfax EggBank has decades of experience addressing the unique sensitivities of patients who are considering the use of donor eggs or donor sperm.

Put simply, Fairfax EggBank provides quality and quantity when it comes to our patient's choice of donors. We have a network of highly trained fertility centers and decades of experience serving patients who are building their families with the help of donor gametes.

What is the difference between fresh versus frozen donor eggs?

In a frozen donor egg cycle, the IVF cycle has already taken place, with the eggs retrieved and vitrified for use in your future treatment. Recipients using frozen eggs do not need to synchronize their treatment schedule with the donor, as is required in fresh egg donation cycles.

The major benefits of using frozen eggs are the convenience of being able to start based on your schedule alone, rather than having to sit on a waiting list or work around the donor's menstrual cycle or availability. By contrast, the benefit to doing a fresh cycle would be the potential for more eggs. A typical cohort of frozen eggs from FEB consists of 6-8 eggs. It is possible that a fresh donor egg cycle could yield more than that. (It is also possible that a fresh cycle could yield less.)

Fairfax EggBank recipients have the peace of mind of knowing that the eggs have already been retrieved and vitrified so any concerns about donor compliance, cancellation and response to medications are no longer issues.

Cost is almost always less when using frozen donor eggs and it is also more predictable. This is true in part because some of the variables exist in a fresh cycle are not present in a frozen cycle. These variables include costs of donor medications and insurance, and the expense of making last-minute travel plans due to a donor's response that could be faster or slower than predicted.

What is the science behind frozen donor eggs?

Fairfax EggBank utilizes the most advanced technology available, called vitrification, to freeze our eggs. In laymen's terms, vitrification can be considered a "flash freeze." Until recently, egg freezing was very uncommon, but when it was attempted it was done through a slow freeze technique.

The old fashioned, slow-freeze method had limited success because ice crystals would form within the egg and destroy its internal structure. By contrast, vitrification greatly minimizes the formation of ice crystals because the freezing is done so quickly and because of the use of special coating around the eggs called "cryoprotectants".

In our close laboratory analysis, we observe that eggs that have been vitrified are virtually the same as freshly retrieved eggs. They appear very similar under the microscope, they fertilize at nearly the same rate as do fresh eggs and the resultant embryos grow and divide in the same manner.

I already have a fertility clinic, but they are not currently partnered with Fairfax EggBank. Can you ship frozen eggs to my clinic?

Due to the complexity of our laboratory techniques, we cannot ship frozen eggs to clinics who do not participate in our program. Freezing the eggs is just part of the process - the process by which the eggs are warmed is a crucial factor in the outcome of a treatment cycle as well. In order for a clinic to partner with us, special arrangements for embryology training must be made with the Fairfax EggBank. In summary, your clinic can reach out to discuss becoming a partnering clinic or you may choose to go to any one of our current partnering clinics to have your treatment.

Where does my treatment cycle and embryo transfer take place?

Fairfax EggBank works with affiliate clinics across the United States. These clinics have been specially trained in the necessary lab techniques to achieve optimal success. For a list of our affiliate clinics please click here. Fairfax EggBank will ship eggs to any of these clinics; the choice of which one is entirely up to you. Simply contact your chosen clinic and let them know you are interested in proceeding with a frozen donor egg cycle using eggs from the Fairfax EggBank. They will assist you in scheduling an appointment to speak with a doctor.

What can I expect once I've chosen a clinic?

While the process can differ from clinic to clinic, typically you will need a consultation with a physician and diagnostic testing before treatment can begin. In most cases, this takes just a few weeks to complete. Once treatment is ready to commence, medications will be given to prepare your body for the embryo transfer. Medication and treatment protocols will vary, however in a typical frozen donor egg cycle, the duration from when the recipient begins medication to prepare her uterus until the day the embryo transfer takes place is about a month.

How much do frozen donor eggs cost?

A cohort costs $15,000.

How many eggs will I receive?

You will purchase a cohort of eggs. Each cohort has a minimum of 6 mature eggs for your use. Most cohorts range between 6-8 eggs each.

How many embryos may I expect from a cohort of eggs?

While every cycle is different, our experience indicates that a cohort will likely produce 2 good quality embryos suitable for transfer. Some cohorts may produce more embryos than you wish to transfer. In this case, excess embryos can be frozen for future use. Our program has had great success in using frozen embryos originally created from frozen donor eggs.

Does Fairfax EggBank provide any guarantee on eggs purchased from the Bank?

Fairfax EggBank is confident in the quality of our donors, the expertise of our scientists and the experience we have in freezing eggs. If you use frozen donor eggs from our Bank for treatment at one of our Participating Clinics, we provide the following guarantee:

• the fertilization of warmed eggs will result in at least one embryo that has reached the six cell stage for a day three transfer or
• the fertilization of warmed eggs will result in at least one embryo that has reached the early blastocyst stage for a day five transfer or
• a live birth is achieved after transfer of any embryos during the initial cycle or any embryos transferred on subsequent frozen embryo cycles when the frozen embryos were derived from the original cohort.

The determination of embryo development will be made as a joint decision between your clinic and Fairfax EggBank.

If our guarantee criteria is not met during your cycle, we will provide you with a free cohort of eggs for your next cycle.

How many egg donors are there to choose from?

All of the donor cohorts we have available to potential recipients are listed by donor profile on the Fairfax EggBank website. This is updated on a regular basis as we add more donor cohorts and warm others. The Fairfax EggBank works diligently to expand your options and include donors of many different ethnicities, with varied interests and advanced schooling. Click here to view our donor list.

Why would a woman choose to donate her eggs?

There are many reasons why women choose to become an egg donor. To read the personal stories of three of our egg donors click here. To watch a video of a donor describe her motivation and experience, click here.

How much information do you provide on the egg donors?

We offer a significant amount of detailed information about each egg donor. In fact, our program is one of the few to offer such an extensive amount of information on each donor. Profiles can be found on the website, including medical and personal history, donor essays, audio interviews and childhood photos. Current donor photos are also available through your partnering clinic. Many recipients say that this additional information is incredibly helpful in selecting just the right donor. For a full list of screening tests please click here.

How can I view the current photo of a donor I am considering?

Some of our egg donors have given FEB permission to share their current photos with patients as long as we take reasonable precautions to preserve their anonymity. To that end, we require that anyone who views current photos is an established patient of any one of our partnering clinics. This means that you must have a consultation with one of our partnering clinic physicians, as well as sign and return our confidentiality agreement, prior to viewing current photos of our donors.