Using fresh donor eggs vs frozen for IVF in 2023

Egg donation via IVF journey is an advanced method that could tackle the problematic issues of age-relating, like decreasing egg reservation and the quality of the eggs. Although such an advanced fertility treatment is like a miracle for couples facing age-related, genetic and other infertility issues, when it comes to welcoming your new baby via IVF egg donation, there is an ongoing debate between those who prefer fresh donor eggs and those who prefer frozen. On the one hand, fresh donor eggs are believed to be of higher quality and have more success rate than frozen eggs. On the other hand, frozen donor eggs are more cost-effective and less time-consuming because the eggs are ready. Both have their own benefits and drawbacks, and understanding the difference between the two is vital to making an informed decision about egg donation in Iran. In this blog post on TebMedTourism, we will answer all questions that may have occupied your mind. Questions like:

• Are frozen eggs better than fresh?
• What is the difference between fresh and frozen donor eggs?
• What percentage of frozen eggs survive?

  So, stay tuned!

Is frozen or fresh egg better for IVF?

The main reason why this question comes to many couples’ minds is that the specialist doctor suggests using donated eggs to solve their infertility problem. Going through the IVF egg donation process to overcome your fertility issue is like waving the magic stick and saying, "bib bidi bob bidi boo." Especially in mothers who are aged and want to have a baby, utilizing fresh and frozen eggs could be very helpful. But in reality, which is superior? Fresh donor eggs vs frozen? The articles published up to this point state that using fresh donated eggs for in vitro fertilization (IVF) results in slightly better birth outcomes than using frozen.

What is the difference between fresh and frozen donor eggs?

The significant distinction between fresh and frozen eggs lies in the timing of their fertilization process and price.

1.      Fresh Eggs

After being retrieved from the donor, fresh eggs are fertilized within hours and cultured in the IVF laboratory for three to five days until they reach the blastocyst embryo state. They are ready until the intended mother goes through the embryo transfer stage.  

2.      Frozen Eggs

Frozen eggs have revolutionized family planning and are becoming an increasingly popular option among couples looking to start a family. Frozen eggs are quickly cryopreserved within hours of being retrieved from the egg donor and are then unfreeze, fertilized and cultured to the blastocyst embryo stage when the intended parent is ready for a transfer. Generally, frozen donor eggs cost less than fresh donor eggs. But only the low price should not be your determining factor in choosing the best egg donation agency; you should also pay attention to the critical success rate factor. By selecting the wrong agency, many infertile couples have experienced repeated failures of IVF cycles and a lot of bitterness and have paid much more money than fresh donor eggs.

Success rates for fresh vs frozen donor eggs

IVF with fresh vs. frozen eggs success rate play a vital role and considerably impact the decisions of intended parents. It is not wise to only consider the prices and look for the lowest cost. Choosing frozen eggs only because of the lower cost and not paying attention to the success rate may lead to failure in IVF. In the matter of fertility treatments, success rates are an important factor to consider. Recent studies have shown that there is a clear difference between fresh and frozen eggs when it comes to success rates for donor eggs. Specifically, the national average for success rates of fresh donor eggs is generally around 57%, while success rates for frozen donor egg transfers are only 45%. According to some research, the success rate of frozen eggs is highly dependent on the embryologist performing the technological vitrification process. Egg vitrification is a fertility preservation technique to freeze donor eggs for future use. The vitrification process involves rapidly freezing the eggs to prevent the formation of ice crystals which can damage the cell. Despite the advanced technology employed, the success rate of egg vitrification is lower than that of fresh eggs.

What percentage of frozen eggs survive?

  Although the vitrification method for freezing donor eggs has become increasingly used due to its high precision and speed, only six out of eight eggs will survive after the freezing and thawing process. Of these 6 eggs, the chance of a live birth ranges from 32% to 40%, depending on the egg donor's age. Due to the importance of egg donors’ age, the age limitation is one of the most essential requirements from the list of egg donor requirements; the egg donor should be in the range of 21-29 years old.

Which is better for IVF: frozen or fresh donor eggs?

When you ask about which one is better, it is good to know everything about fresh and frozen donor eggs. We speak about all advantages and disadvantages of fresh vs. frozen donor eggs via pros and cons in parentheses. After knowing all aspects, the final decision is yours.

Advantage and disadvantage of frozen donor eggs:

1.       High availability with no wait time (Pro); fresh donor eggs vs frozen

Are you looking for the fastest method of pregnancy? If so, frozen donor eggs may be the perfect solution for you. Frozen donor eggs offer some advantages over fresh egg donation, including the fact that there is no wait time for the donor to complete their cycle. Egg donor banks contain all frozen donor eggs that are already frozen and can be thawed and fertilized, but it takes two months to finish the donor cycle and have the embryos ready for transfer with fresh egg donation. The medical, psychological, and genetic screening of egg donors who are available for fresh cycles has already been completed (more information about how we test our donors can be found here: Egg Donor Screening), but they must still undergo the egg stimulation procedure, which takes two to six weeks.

2.       limitation in batch size (con); fresh donor eggs vs frozen

In regard to using frozen donor eggs for fertility treatments, one of the major drawbacks is the limitation in batch size. This can be a disadvantage for couples who are looking for a larger batch size of frozen donor eggs, as the limited supply may not meet their needs. Frozen eggs must first be frozen and thawed prior to fertilization, in contrast to fresh eggs, which are immediately fertilized; Typically, the minimum batch size for frozen donor eggs is six eggs. All eggs must be secured if a donor's frozen egg inventory is less than 12 eggs. With fresh eggs, intended parents can reserve larger batches of eggs.

Advantages and disadvantages of fresh donor eggs:

1.       More success rates (Pro); fresh donor eggs vs frozen

During these decades, with all failures and triumphs in IVF procedures, the finding has produced startling results, not only for researchers but also for fertility doctors and specialists, that fresh donor eggs have more success rate than frozen eggs. The outcomes and birth rates of frozen donor eggs are comparable to those of fresh donor eggs.

2.       Larger batch sizes (Pro)

Fortunately, with fresh eggs, there is no limitation in batch sizes. 20 eggs are produced by an average fresh egg donor cycle. You can obtain fresh eggs in batches of at least eight, but if you want your embryos to be genetically tested or if you want to go through IVF for gender selection, you can obtain additional eggs from the beginning, such as a batch of 12 or more eggs.

3.       Longer time (con)

A fresh egg donor cycle typically ranges from two to three months. Even though all of our egg donors who are available for a new process have already undergone a thorough medical, psychological, and genetic screening (more information about how we test donors can be found here: undergoing ovarian stimulation, preparing for egg retrieval, and the Egg Donor Screening process will take longer.

A brief review at the end | Are frozen eggs better than fresh ones?

If you’re considering IVF, you may wonder which option is best for you: fresh vs. frozen donor eggs. Fresh eggs require a longer process, involving a complete egg donation cycle that typically takes 1 months before the embryos can be ready for transfer. On the other hand, frozen donor eggs can be thawed and fertilized at a more convenient time. The cost of frozen donor eggs is less than fresh donor eggs, but there is an essential point: fresh eggs' success rate is slightly more than frozen eggs. The last one is better to be considered in batch size. Fresh donor eggs have larger batch sizes than frozen eggs. Overall we have discussed all advantages and disadvantages of fresh donor eggs vs frozen for IVF in 2023. Although with all the above information, the final determination is with you, consulting with a professional and well-known agency like TebMedTourism could be very helpful in going through the right way. Our policy is to use fresh donor eggs regarding the high success rates of this method.

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