Egg donation to infertile couples is often an attractive option for young women wanting to do something for someone else and make money at the same time. While egg donation and in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures in general are quite safe, donating eggs does carry risks, both physical and psychological.
Needle Risks
Egg donors receive injections of ovary-stimulating medications called gonadotropins once or twice a day for around 10 days. Infection can also occur at the injection site. A medical practitioner should investigate any redness, swelling or pain around the injection site. Because frequent blood draws are done during an IVF cycle to prevent hyperstimulation, infection or inflammation can also occur at the site of a blood draw.
Egg Retrieval Risks
Bleeding after egg retrieval is usually minimal, but it occasionally doesn’t stop because of nicked blood vessels or previously undiagnosed bleeding tendencies. Nearby organs, such as the bowel and bladder, can also be nicked during the procedure. Stanford University reports that in a study of 674 women who underwent egg retrieval, 1.5 percent had to be hospitalized after the procedure because of complications. Infection after an egg retrieval is rare but possible and could lead to decreased fertility in a donor by damaging the ovaries or fallopian tubes.
Ovarian Hyperstimulation
The main risk from egg donation is ovarian hyperstimulation. Women undergoing egg donation are given ovary-stimulating injections so that they develop more than two follicles in a retrieval cycle. But fertility medication dosing is not an exact science, and some donors develop a large number of follicles. Each developing follicle produces estrogen, so a large number of follicles causes a high estrogen level. High estrogen levels cause a serious complication called ovarian hyperstimulation, or OHSS, in 10 percent of women after in vitro fertilization, according to MedlinePlus.
Most women experience only mild symptoms, but some experience severe OHSS. Symptoms of severe OHSS are extreme fluid retention, abdominal pain, shortness of breath, decreased urine output and kidney damage, blood clotting disorders and weakness. OHSS can require hospitalization until symptoms begin to subside. Because most donors are young and stimulate well, they’re at higher risk for OHSS than older women with poor ovarian reserve.
Psychological Risks
In December 2008, the “Los Angeles Times” detailed the finding of a University of Washington study reported in the November 19, 2008, issue of “Fertility and Sterility.” In the study, entitled “Looking Back: Egg Donors’ Retrospective Evaluations of their Motivations, Expectations and Experiences During their First Donation Cycle,” Drs. Nancy Kenney and Michelle McGowan reported that two-thirds of women interviewed were happy with their decision, but 20 percent had lasting psychological issues after egg donation. The women expressed regret and concern for their potential biological children.
Quelle: http://www.livestrong.com/
