Embryo donation: a programmed approach

Objective: To describe the establishment of an embryo donation program using a large oocyte donor registry to produce embryos. Design: Descriptive study. Setting: A university-based practice. Patient(s): Embryos were obtained either through traditional donation from couples who underwent IVF-ET (n = 8) or through ovum donation (n = 15) with embryos produced by the program. In select cases, ovum donors were inseminated either with donor sperm selected following an advance directive from the patient or couple (n = 13) or with sperm designated by an IVF medical advisory board (n = 11). Intervention(s): Donated embryos or donor oocyte/donor sperm embryos were provided to patients with backgrounds and physical attributes compatible with the embryonic phenotype. In some of the cycles, fresh ET was performed, with embryos shared among two, three, or four couples (n = 18); in other cycles, embryos were cryopreserved and transferred later (n = 21). Main Outcome Measure(s). Clinical and ongoing-delivered pregnancy rates. Result(s): The mean (±SD) numbers of embryos for cycles in which fresh ET and frozen ET was performed were 3.1 ± 0.7 (range, 2–5) and 3.6 ± 0.2 (range, 3–5), respectively. The clinical and ongoing-delivered pregnancy rates were 44.4% (8/18) and 33.3% (6/18), respectively, for cycles in which fresh ET was performed and 57.1% (12/21) and 47.6% (10/21), respectively, for cycles in which frozen ET was performed. Conclusion(s): Embryo donation is an alternative approach to assisted reproduction that meets the needs of single and lesbian women as well as older and less affluent couples. It is a cost-effective and efficacious means of achieving pregnancy.