Egg donation

Egg or embryo donation and surrogacy

Egg donation opens up the possibility of pregnancy and parenthood for women who were traditionally considered unable to conceive.

In women whose ovaries no longer work, hormone treatment can prepare the lining of the uterus so that it is ready to receive an embryo. In this way, regardless of the age of the recipient, who may even have been through the menopause years earlier, comparatively very high pregnancy rates can be achieved, reaching up to 70% at our clinic.

This shows that the lining of the uterus keeps its biological potential after the menopause, which is caused by the ovaries stopping working.

Pregnancies achieved with this method in older women (over 40) who have had unsuccessful IVF cycles with their own eggs also confirm that eggs from younger donors behave better biologically.

Who egg donation can help

A. Women with primary or secondary ovarian insuf­fi­ciency

1. Premature ovarian insufficiency
2. Menopause, natural or after surgery
3. Chromosomal abnormalities (for example Turner syndrome, X-linked conditions)
4. Previous chemotherapy or radiotherapy

B. Women with a normal menstrual cycle

1. Repeated unsuccessful IVF because of a poor response (no eggs, or only 1–2 poor-quality eggs), abnormal eggs and embryos, or ovarian cysts that keep forming.
2. Hereditary conditions that are not easy to diagnose before birth (for example Huntington’s disease, cystic fibrosis).

Donors must be no older than 34 and have no family history of medical or psychiatric illness. The required medical checks include blood group, full blood count, haemoglobin electrophoresis, hepatitis B (HBsAg), hepatitis C (HCV), HIV, syphilis (VDRL), chromosome analysis and carrier testing for cystic fibrosis.

Surrogacy

When an embryo created by IVF outside the body of the biological mother is transferred to the uterus of another woman, this is called surrogacy. The surrogate carries the pregnancy with the intention of handing the baby over after birth to the couple whose eggs and sperm were used, that is, to the biological parents.

When surrogacy may be consid­ered

1. No uterus (Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome, hysterectomy)
2. Abnormalities of the uterus that make a successful pregnancy impossible (didelphic, atrophic or unicornuate uterus, Asherman syndrome)
3. A serious condition, for example severe high blood pressure or diabetes, that would be dangerous for the mother or the baby

In Greece, surrogacy is permitted under the conditions set out in article 1458 of the Civil Code and article 8 of Law 3089/2002, and requires a court decision.