We freeze eggs with a process called vitrification that allows eggs to be frozen and thawed successfully without being damaged. This method freezes eggs instantly at -196⁰C using liquid nitrogen and is so effective that an estimated 97% of eggs survive the freeze-thaw process.
Thousands of babies have now been born worldwide from treatment using previously-frozen eggs, and we are using this technology to offer frozen donor eggs from our bank for immediate treatment without the need to synchronise cycles with an egg donor.
Our donation teams are very experienced in managing every aspect of donor recruitment, screening and egg-freezing and this gives our patients an advantage in comparison to other clinics where the only option may be to use frozen eggs imported from international overseas egg banks. We can maintain excellent quality control by freezing and thawing eggs in our own laboratories using our robust and identical procedures. This is important because thawing success is dependent on the freezing and thawing methods in different laboratories being fully compatible.
Frozen eggs can only be fertilised by intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI): where a single sperm is directly injected into an egg, so all our treatments using frozen eggs use ICSI.
The national average success rate for women who use their own frozen eggs during IVF is 18%. This goes up to 30% when they use frozen donor eggs.
Our own rates are slightly higher. In 2019, we achieved success rates of 48% when using frozen eggs during IVF.
As one of Europe's most successful providers of egg donation treatment, we truly understand our patient's needs and we care about your future family. We are completely aware of what donation means to you and we designed our egg banking and donation programme with you in mind. You'll receive the very best care and comprehensive personalised treatment plans together with choice and flexibility in your treatment.
“Nothing is impossible, and with the right people with you, the dream of becoming parents is achievable.”
All Care donors are included in our egg bank database. Each donor has their own profile to help you choose your ideal donor. When you have selected your donor, we'll get in touch to answer any questions you might have and take you step-by-step through the process.
You can call our new patient enquiry team who will be able to give you the information you need to get started. You can call them on 0800 564 2270.