MANZANERA FERTILITY CLINIC

ANONYMOUS EGG DONATION FROM YOUNG FERTILE WOMEN

This treatment consists of IVF/ICSI treatment with donor eggs.

Receiving donor eggs is recommended for women with fertility problems which have not been resolved with other assisted reproduction techniques using their own eggs (artificial insemination, IVF, ICSI) for women who have no oocytes, women with reproductive disorders or genetic abnormalities that could be transmitted to their children if using own eggs.

This technique offers the highest success rate if a woman is over 40 years old.
When there is a higher number of good-quality embryos than can be transferred, the remaining embryos must be vitrified and can be used in future transfers of frozen embryos.

Our donors are truly important to us and that is why we take special care of them. We do not aim to collect an exaggerated number of eggs to distribute them between different patients. We prefer light stimulations to obtain enough good-quality eggs for each unique patient.

The receiving woman must prepare her endometrium where the embryos will be transferred by undergoing a hormonal treatment with patches and pills for three weeks. This way the cycle between the donor and the recipient is synchronised.

STEPS IN THE TREATMENT OF RECEPTION OF DONOR EGGS

OUR EGG DONATION PROGRAMME
Our Egg Donation programme for couples or single women living abroad allows us to achieve high success rates. We explain every step in this document, so you have all the information from the beginning. We hope the following details will clarify your questions regarding the Egg Donation treatment.
1. Before starting the treatment

We are at your disposal from the moment you contact us, willing to inform and help you with anything you need. We understand that the decision to undergo fertility treatment is difficult and important for you, so we will endeavour to clarify all your questions and we will assess your case to be able to advise you on the best possible solution. For this purpose, we will ask you to provide us with your medical history and the results of interest that you may have, so that we can carefully review them and offer you the best medical assistance. This information will also help us to expedite your first consultation and hence avoid repeating any test unnecessarily.

2. First online or face-to-face consultation – free of charge and with no obligation
Primera consulta online o primera visita presencial – gratis y sin compromiso -

To get your first appointment with the doctor, who will follow you during the entire process, you must contact us, and your coordinator will inform you about available dates.

This appointment has two modalities depending on your needs or availability:

  1. First online consultation (Zoom, Skype, and other platforms): suitable for women who count on a gynaecologist in their country of residence who is willing to support them during the treatment and prescribe the required medications.
  2. First face-to-face consultation at our clinic: suitable for patients having difficulties in performing the required tests or who are willing to come to Logroño. Furthermore, once at the clinic, the doctor will be also able to perform the pelvic ultrasound scan and a transfer test.

Moreover, suppose you decide to visit our clinic for the first consultation. In that case, it is a good opportunity to carry out the required tests or to leave a sperm sample, which can be an economical and practical solution to complete your medical records. If you wish, we can provide you with the required prescriptions to get the medications that you can also buy in Spain.

In case you are living abroad, your international coordinator will be present both during online or in-person consultations, and facilitate the dialogue with the doctor, she will inform you about prices and conditions.

If during this first consultation, you agree on setting the dates for the treatment, you will also receive all the required administrative documents and the therapy plan that you must follow to start the treatment.

3. Starting the treatment: donor selection coordination with the recipient

a. Selection and preparation of the donor
After your first consultation, our medical team will select a donor based on physical similarity and blood group compatibility.

Manzanera Fertility Clinic counts on a large pool of donors with several phenotypes and blood groups, which allows us to find a suitable match for you. All our donors are young women (aged between 18 and 34 years) who are carefully screened (medical and genetic tests) in order to discard any genetic and serologic illnesses.

At our Clinic, we assign one donor to each recipient patient, which means that you will receive all the collected oocytes from your donor. Once the donor is selected, she will undergo hormonal therapy (ovarian stimulation) for 10 to 14 days to produce more oocytes than during a natural cycle. We will retrieve the oocytes at the end of this hormonal therapy, and the embryologists will fertilise them using the corresponding sperm sample.

b. Therapy for the recipient patient: endometrial preparation

When the dates for the treatment are chosen, you will receive a THERAPY PLAN containing every indication you must follow.

The treatment starts once you are in your country of residence by taking a contraceptive pill to control your menstrual cycle to synchronise it with the dates of the treatment.

Before the embryo transfer, it is necessary to prepare your uterus lining, which means it must get thicker to be ready to receive the embryos and foster the implantation. Easy and non-aggressive hormonal therapy, which lasts 15-20 days, helps to achieve this. We customise our treatments, so the time frame varies on every patient’s needs.

Based on the results of vaginal ultrasound scans (2-3) that must be done on specific days, we control the development of your endometrium. Your regular gynaecologist should do them. We will tell you in advance the days when you must have these scans, and with every result (endometrial thickness), we will let you know how to go on with the therapy.

4. Fertilisation and embryo transfer at Manzanera Fertility Clinic
Fecundación y Transfer de embriones en el Centro Médico Manzanera

Your stay in our city will last 7-10 days if you wish to use a fresh sperm sample (recommended). You must arrive the latest the day before the oocyte collection (egg retrieval from the donor). If you wish to use a frozen sperm sample or donor sperm, you only need to be here for 3-5 days.

  • Fertilisation

Once the donor’s eggs have been retrieved, they will be fertilised at our laboratory by In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) or ICSI.

The difference between IVF and ICSI consists of how the eggs are fertilised, that is, how the sperm penetrates the egg. Our embryologists will assess every situation to choose the most appropriate technique:

IVF: oocytes and a proper concentration of spermatozoids are set in a laboratory dish. The fertilisation takes place naturally, without external manipulation.

 

ICSI: fertilisation is achieved by microinjecting a single spermatozoid into the egg. This technique enables us to achieve high fertilisation rates when using low-quality sperm.

The embryos will be kept in an incubator for 3-5 days until the transfer.

  • The embryo transfer

Our embryologists will check the quality of every embryo after incubation to select the best specimens which will be transferred to the uterus. This thorough selection process aims to increase the implantation success chances.

The embryo transfer is an easy and painless procedure, which takes a few minutes. It is performed with a small ultrasound-guided catheter, which is introduced into the vagina and does not require anaesthetic or sedation. We can transfer 3 embryos at most.

When the embryo transfer is finished, you will rest in an individual room at the clinic.

After the embryo transfer, the gynaecologist will explain how to continue with the therapy. This is the time to clear up any doubts you may have. We advise you to rest for one or two days before travelling back home.

5. Back home: Pregnancy test
Two weeks after the embryo transfer you can carry out the pregnancy test. We look forward to you contacting us and receiving good news. In any case, we would like to share this moment with you. We are at your disposal for anything you need. Please, do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.
6. After the treatment
The remaining good-quality embryos must be vitrified (frozen), which will make easier a later treatment. If you decide, at any time, to discontinue embryo cryopreservation, you only need to provide the clinic with written confirmation of your intention.
7. For your peace of mind: embryo transfer guarantee and cancellation policy
During the treatment using donor eggs, some unexpected circumstances may require cancelling the embryo transfer. Even though it is unlikely for this to happen, you can be confident thanks to our embryo transfer guarantee and cancellation policy which covers unforeseeable cancellations due to force majeure, limitations in endometrial growth, a low number of retrieved eggs, etc.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Suitability of the IVF treatment with donor eggs
Is IVF treatment with donor eggs suitable for me?

Reception of donor eggs is the recommended treatment for women with fertility issues that cannot be solved by other assisted reproduction techniques (IVF, ICSI); for women with low ovarian reserve; or for women who could transmit genetic diseases to their children when using their eggs. It is also the treatment that offers higher success rates in women over 40 years of age willing to be mothers.

Is there a legal age limit to receive donor eggs?
There is no legal age limit in Spain when undergoing fertility treatment. With advancing age, pregnancy may involve some risks for the woman. In Manzanera Fertility Clinic, our patient’s health is the most important. Therefore, our clinic offers women over 50 years old a special program for donor egg reception who accomplish some medical requirements, which show that the pregnancy will not affect them adversely.
Can I become a mother if I am single?
Yes. Spanish law permits any woman to undergo fertility treatment, regardless of her civil status or sexual orientation. We count on a sperm and an egg bank with a wide spectrum of blood groups and physical characteristics, which allow us to select the most compatible donors based on the patient’s phenotype.
Can we have a baby if one of us is HIV positive or has another contagious illness like hepatitis?
Yes. Where the man is the carrier, before commencing treatment, the sperm sample must be washed in the laboratory to separate the virus from the semen sample. If the woman is the carrier of the virus and is under medical control, it will be possible to undergo the treatment. It will be necessary to have some previous tests, including viral load.
What is the success rate when receiving donor eggs?
This treatment is one of the assisted reproduction treatments with the highest success chances. However, we must take into account other factors which may influence the treatment’s success, e.g., the male’s sperm sample if there are fertility issues, the spermatozoids are carriers of aneuploidies or the condition of the recipient mother’s endometrium.
What are the advantages of receiving donor eggs compared to other fertility treatments?

Using donor eggs offers a higher success rate in addition to other advantages for the patient, such as extending the age range to be a mother, or it is also a solution when the low quality of the eggs impedes a natural pregnancy. Using young donor’s eggs helps to lower the risk of miscarriage and chromosomal abnormalities.

May we qualify for a “shared maternity”?

Yes, in addition to the different fertility treatment options, we do offer another one when planning your family’s future. If you are married, you and your partner qualify for the “ROPA” treatment, that is “Reception of Oocytes from the Partner”, provided that all medical requirements are met. This treatment consists of fertilizing the eggs of one of the women in the couple with donor sperm and transferring the embryos into the uterus of the other woman.

Are there any risks or side effects when undergoing treatment with donor eggs?
This is a very safe treatment. The procedure is mostly painless and non-aggressive. When undergoing treatment with donor eggs, there is no need for ovarian stimulation, sedation or anaesthesia.
Egg Donation at Manzanera Fertility Clinic
Are there waiting lists for this treatment?
Manzanera Fertility Clinic has no waiting lists. You can call us or contact us via e-mail to set a date for consultation when you prefer.
What is the first step to begin the treatment?

After the first informative contact with our international staff, they will help you to organize the first consultation with one of our medical specialists, either for a first online consultation or a face-to-face visit. For the first online consultation, provide any test results or fertility analysis you may already have.

  1. First online consultation (Zoom, Skype and other platforms): it takes 30-60 minutes. If you have an online consultation, you have to travel to Spain only once;

or, as an alternative:

            B: First face-to-face consultation at the clinic: the doctor will explain to you in detail how the treatment works and will review your medical history. Besides:

  • he will carry out a gynaecological examination and an embryo transfer test;
  • the male partner can leave a sperm sample, that will be checked and, if its quality is good enough, it can be frozen and hence preserved for later egg fertilization (if it is required);
  • at our clinic, you can also have all the required tests, getting the results shortly;
  • if you live abroad, you can also buy here all the required medications, so that you can take them with you, to get everything ready for the time you start the therapy.

Once the dates for the treatment are set, you can start the therapy, which the doctor will organize specifically for you and which you must follow until the embryo transfer.

Why is it recommended to freeze sperm on the first visit to the clinic?
The freezing of a semen sample is optional. However, we recommend it in case unexpected circumstances prevent you from coming to the clinic on the day of the egg fertilisation or other issues arise. In such a case, we will be able to fertilize the eggs with the previously frozen sperm. The laboratory staff will assess the quality of sperm and will assess if the sperm sample can be frozen during the first visit.
How many days of sexual abstinence are required before the treatment?
The man should ejaculate 2-3 days before providing his semen sample. Note: this period of abstinence must also be maintained prior to your first visit to the clinic, should you wish to freeze a semen sample.
What tests and analyses are required before commencing the treatment? Can I have them done at Manzanera Fertility Clinic? Can I bring them from my home country if I have already had them done?

To use donor eggs, it is necessary:

1º The woman must have a vaginal ultrasound scan and some general blood tests to confirm a good health status, and the man must have a sperm test.

2º Both a woman and a man must also have the following tests:

  • Blood group and Rh Factor
  • Serology: HbsAg (Hepatitis B antigen), HIV, HCV (Hepatitis C), and VDRL (Syphilis): these results must be not older than 6 months at the date of the embryo transfer.

Furthermore, the man may need some genetic tests depending on each case (karyotype, FISH and sperm fragmentation, genetic matching). The doctor will individually assess the need to have these tests, as well as any other complementary analyses. You can either have all of these tests done at the clinic or in your home country and then provide us with the results which are not older than 6 months.

What are the treatment steps?

The process of our Egg Donation treatment has 3 steps:

  • First appointment (online or face-to-face).
  • Starting the therapy in your country of residence: if necessary, control your menstrual cycle using contraceptive pills, and subsequent endometrial preparation for 14-21 days, monitored by 2-3 ultrasound scans, which will be done by your gynaecologist in your country and on the scheduled dates as per your therapy plan.
  • Stay in Spain for the last stage of the treatment: ultrasound scan control before the embryo transfer, fertilization of donor’s eggs and embryo transfer.
How many days do I need to stay in Spain?
When you come for the embryo transfer, you should stay here for 7-10. Furthermore, after the embryo transfer, we recommend planning one- or two-day rest time.
Can we know in advance the dates on which both the egg retrieval from the donor and the embryo transfer will take place?
The doctor will organize your treatment for a set week. We will tell you in advance the time when you must stay in Spain which can take 7-10 days. During this week, both egg fertilisation and embryo transfer will take place. Exceptionally, the egg fertilisation date can be slightly advanced or delayed compared to the set dates. In such cases, we will duly inform you, should you need to modify your travel dates.
Do I need to take any medication for the treatment? How long?
Yes, you will need to take some medications that will help your uterus get ready to receive the embryos. It is an easy and non-aggressive therapy. Usually, this hormonal therapy lasts for 14-21 days. However, our treatments are personalized, so the time frame varies on every patient’s needs.

The therapy continues after the embryo transfer until the date that the doctor indicates.

Egg collection from the donor and embryo transfer
How many eggs are usually collected? How many embryos will I have?

The number of collected oocytes depends on the donor’s response to the hormonal treatment. The average is 8-10 eggs. The donor is exclusive to a single patient, so all of the extracted eggs are designated to her. The minimum of 6 eggs is guaranteed.

The final number of embryos depends on several factors, such as the number and quality of retrieved eggs, the quality of the sperm, etc. In any case, if all the requirements are met, the fertilisation rate can reach 70%.

How many embryos can be transferred into the uterus?
For safety reasons and in accordance with Spanish law, we can transfer from 1 to 3 embryos. Before the embryo transfer, our specialists will inform you about the quality of your embryos and the chances of success in your case, and they will advise you on the best number of embryos to be transferred. In any case, the final decision about this number is up to you.
22. What happens to the vitrified embryos if we decide we do not want them to be transferred in the future?

After a year of preservation in the clinic, if the embryos have not been transferred, these are the possible options for them: a donation to other infertile couples (Embryo adoption programme); keeping them vitrified for future treatments (this incurs an annual maintenance fee) or thawing them with no other purpose.

Legally speaking, the frozen embryos are the couple’s responsibility. One year after the vitrification, if the couple decides to dispense with them, they must provide the clinic with written confirmation to donate or thaw the embryos. We will send you the required document that you both must sign, according to the Spanish law on assisted reproduction.

Are the eggs fresh or vitrified?
We use both options depending on each case to try to achieve the highest success rate.
What happens to the remaining embryos?
The remaining good-quality embryos must be vitrified and preserved at the clinic’s laboratory for future transfers.
What happens if there are no embryos to transfer?
There is a guarantee for such cases which you can request.
The egg donor
Can I choose the donor? Will I get any information about her? How is she selected?
In accordance with Spanish Law, egg donation is completely anonymous. This means we cannot provide you with any information about the donor. In addition, you are not allowed to choose the donor.

At our clinic, we only select healthy, young women between 18 to 34 years old (average 25 years old), who are fully screened for infectious diseases and genetic illnesses and undergo a psychological test. Our staff selects the best donor for each patient’s phenotype (physical characteristics) and blood group. We aim to match the egg receptor with a donor who is of similar appearance.

Do egg donors receive any kind of monetary compensation?
Egg donation is an altruistic act. However, the donor receives a small amount of monetary compensation for the inconvenience caused (injections, anaesthesia, etc.).
Can the egg donor find out the identity of any children born as a result of her egg donation?
No. Both egg and sperm donations are completely anonymous. The Spanish law protects all parties’ (donors, receptors and future babies) identities.
Access to Manzanera Fertility Clinic
How do I get to the clinic?

It is easy to get to the clinic by road, train, or plane. We offer a chauffeur service that can pick you up at any airport in the area: Logroño, Bilbao, Zaragoza, Santander, Pamplona, Vitoria, or Madrid. We can also help you by booking your accommodation in our city. If you need any help or information about means of transport, flight connections, etc., please contact your coordinator by email or phone.