Three Reasons For Intended Parents to Choose an Egg Bank Vs. a Donor Agency

If you’re considering using an egg donor, you may be wondering about the advantages of an egg bank vs. a donor agency. What is the difference between the two? What are the success rates? We’re happy to answer your questions about the benefits of an egg bank over a donor agency.

Reason 1: Using an Egg Bank vs. a Donor Agency Saves Time and Effort

With a donor agency, there is a significant period of time between when you choose your donor and when the eggs are available for transfer. Egg donors from agencies are usually not medically and psychologically screened until after you choose them. If they pass the screenings and you want a fresh embryo transfer, both you and the donor must start medications at very specific times to synchronize your menstrual cycles before the transfer. If your chosen donor does not pass the screenings, then you must begin the process again by choosing another donor, which can be an emotionally challenging experience, and takes even more time.

In contrast to a donor agency, with a donor egg bank the eggs are already retrieved and ready to develop into embryos for transfer. At an egg bank, all donors receive the entire medical and psychological screening process and then go through the medications and egg retrieval procedure. The donated eggs are then flash-frozen in a process called vitrification, which preserves the eggs at a very high quality and allows them to be stored until chosen for transfer. When you view the egg donors on SIMPLIFY’s database, you can choose with confidence, knowing the donor has already passed all the necessary screenings and gone through the retrieval process. Once you’ve chosen the donor and purchased the eggs, they are available for fertilization and transfer based on your schedule.

Reason 2: With an Egg Bank You Know Exactly What You’re Getting

With an egg bank, any and all costs are upfront, predictable, and clearly laid out. Because the donors are already screened and approved, with most egg banks you only need to decide which donor to select and how many eggs you may need.  With a donor agency, the costs can be unpredictable. The donor might be unable to complete the cycle, there might be travel required, or you might need multiple donation cycles before a successful egg transfer, all of which involve additional costs. With an egg bank, much of the financial and mental uncertainty of the donation process is removed.

SIMPLIFY Egg Bank offers a unique model with even more assurance for intended parents. Our “Two Blastocyst Guarantee” means we thaw as many eggs as needed to improve the success rates for fertilization and transfer. We also offer chromosomal screening for our treatment cycles with a “One Euploid Blast Guarantee,” meaning we guarantee at least one blastocyst (fertilized & developing egg) confirmed to have a normal number of chromosomes. This also improves the success rate and reduces the financial and emotional challenges of the donor egg process as much as possible.

Reason 3: Egg Banks Provide Expert Medical Care, Focused on You

When you choose to use a donor from an egg bank instead of a donor agency, your entire process is conducted by expert medical professionals at the bank’s associated fertility clinic. At SIMPLIFY, all of our medical care is provided by the team at Pacific Northwest Fertility, our exceptional sister clinic. This means you can be assured of the highest quality, compassionate care throughout your entire experience. PNWF has equally high success rates for IVF with both frozen and fresh eggs, and our team has years of experience guiding intended parents through the process. 

To learn more, contact us for a free consultation today.