With egg donation, instead of using your own eggs, we use the eggs of a donor for your IVF treatment.
There are a number of different diagnoses that may lead a doctor to recommend using a donor egg for an IVF treatment:
Using a donor’s eggs may allow a woman to successfully achieve a healthy pregnancy, and have a baby, even if she is no longer producing her own eggs.
In cases where patients have failed to achieve pregnancy through IVF or ICSI due to suspected issues with their eggs, this may be attributed to factors such as age or, in some cases, the presence of poor quality eggs from birth. Some genetic conditions in the mother can pose a risk to the offspring if inherited. In such cases, some patients may choose donor eggs to prevent these conditions from being passed on to their children.
Our anonymous egg donation programme is managed in partnership with a highly regarded fertility clinic, ISCARE, based in Prague, Czech Republic. They are also part of our FutureLife Group, a European leader in reproductive medicine and women’s care.
Last year alone, ISCARE performed over 1,000 IVF cycles for both local and overseas patients. The clinic is a state-of-the-art, modern healthcare facility.
With short waiting times, excellent success rates and exemplary patient-care, ISCARE is a very popular choice for patients from Ireland who wish to access IVF treatment overseas using anonymous egg donors.
Egg donation offers the highest pregnancy success rate compared to all other treatment options offered by fertility clinics. The average pregnancy success rate for egg donation at ISCARE is up to 65% per treatment cycle.
ISCARE Clinic in Prague, Czech Republic
in partnership with
Your first consultation will take place in one of ReproMed’s clinics where you will see one of our consultants.
At this consultation our medical team will take a full history and review any previous fertility history to ensure that egg donation treatment is a viable option for you.
We will then arrange for a meeting with a doctor in ISCARE and appropriate tests will be ordered, as per the medical team in ISCARE, in order for you to proceed with treatment. These tests include the following:
Both partners
• HIV Antibody
• HBV (Hepatitis B surface Ag, HB Core Antibody)
• HCV (Hepatitis C Antibody)
• Syphilis (BWR, TPHA, RRR, RPR, VDRL)
• Blood group
Female partner
• TSH, free T4, Prolactin & anti TPO blood tests
• Smear test (within previous 12 months or most up to date Cervical Check result)
• Mid-cycle uterine assessment scan (within previous 6 months)
Male partner
• Semen analysis (not older than one year) *
• Sperm freezing (to be done within 3 months of viral screening)
*Guarantee
In cases where the male partner has a semen thaw analysis result confirmed at ReproMed Ireland, whereby the count is >2million/ml and 2% normomorphology, we are able to offer a guarantee of at least 2 embryos for transfer.
Following your initial consultation and any required follow-up after your diagnostics are completed, one of our coordinators will liaise with both you and ISCARE with the required paperwork.
ReproMed will be responsible for sending all results to ISCARE on your behalf, who will, in conjunction with our nursing staff, be available to answer any questions you may have at any stage of your treatment.
ReproMed Clinic in Dublin, Ireland
Once all the paperwork is in place and the required testing has been carried out, you will have an online consultation with one of ISCARE’s doctors to confirm the programme with them. ReproMed will then ship your frozen sperm over to ISCARE for treatment. Shipment every 4 – 6 weeks.
The Coordination team in ISCARE will begin to the assign you a donor. ISCARE will inform you of this, as well as the estimated egg collection and embryo transfer date. The donor will be matched to you based on your recipient criteria form and your cycle dates will be confirmed and synchronised for a fresh embryo transfer.
Your instructions and a list of your medications will be sent to you by ISCARE and your ReproMed consultant will prescribe these medications for you and you can, if you wish, speak to one of our nursing team about these medications.
The medications being prescribed will vary from patient to patient, but the purpose of these medications is to encourage the thickening of the lining of your uterus to prepare it for the embryo implantation.
From this point ISCARE will be able to give you a timeline for donor egg collection and embryo transfer so you can arrange flights and accommodation. ISCARE can recommend accommodation close to the clinic for you.
As you are following your treatment protocol, your donor is concurrently following hers. Her medication is prescribed to stimulate an adequate number of eggs which will be retrieved during the egg collection procedure.
These eggs are then fertilised by Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) with your partner’s sperm or donor’s sperm, if applicable, which was previously prepared in the laboratory.
Monitoring the embryo development is essential in the selection of the best embryos. The embryologists monitor their development and along with the gynaecologist decide the best day for their transfer to the recipient mother’s uterus.
As a result of the treatment there are often more than two viable embryos. These remaining embryos can be cryopreserved using vitrification. This is a freezing process which allows the patient to use them for subsequent transfers at a later date.
Your embryo transfer is a simple 15-30 minute procedure which in terms of invasiveness, could be compared to a smear test. You can fly home on the day of embryo transfer if you choose, as you will not be under sedation.
Approximately two weeks after embryo transfer you can attend ReproMed to have a beta HCG blood test carried out, which will confirm pregnancy.
We are also happy to offer you an early pregnancy scan two to three weeks after your pregnancy test.
We have established a seamless link between our clinics to make this treatment easier for you.
Our coordinators will reach out to you initially, providing the necessary documentation and instructions for completion. Once we receive this documentation, our coordinators will carefully review and forward it to their counterparts at ISCARE, where a dedicated file will be created for you. Subsequently, all your test results and related information will be collected on your behalf and promptly given to ISCARE as soon as they become available.
Feel free to ask questions during this process, and the relevant staff member from either ReproMed or ISCARE will provide you with a clear and timely response.
The cut-off age for donor egg treatment is 49 years of age. This means you will have your embryo transfer before the age of 49.
Donation in the Czech Republic is entirely anonymous so it is not possible to meet the donor either, before, or after treatment, or for any offspring to contact the donor in the future.
Donors are chosen from a database recruited by ISCARE and are based on the recipient criteria form provided by you on your physical characteristics and, on the
photos, provided by you. Every effort is made to choose a donor who matches your, and your partner’s physical characteristics as closely as possible.
What information do I get about my donor?
As above, you will fill out a donor recipient criteria form and tick what you would like your donor to have. For example, hair colour, eye colour, height etc and ISCARE will match you to a donor based on this form. You will not get the details of the donor, due to Czech law.
Do you treat single women or women in a same-sex relationship?
No. Sadly there is legal restriction on treating single women or women in a same-sex relationship in the Czech Republic. Legally they can only treat heterosexual couples.
Do I need to make more than one trip to Prague?
No, your initial preparations are completed at our clinic in Dublin, including the sperm collection. Your trip to Prague will be solely for the purpose of the embryo transfer procedure.
How do I get to Prague?
Prague airport has direct flight connections with Dublin. Please check the different airlines to find the most convenient option for you. ISCARE’s coordination team will provide a list of hotels available with the special rates negotiated for their patients. They will also advise when to book flights.
Does everyone speak English?
All staff with whom you communicate or who you meet, speak English.
In cases where the male partner has a semen thaw analysis result confirmed at ReproMed Ireland, whereby the count is >2million/ml & 2% normomorphology we are able to offer a guarantee of at least 2 embryos. If there are fewer than 2 embryos available for transfer we will offer another attempt free of charge. The sample which will be frozen must meet these criteria to avail of the guarantee programme. There is no additional fee for the guarantee programme.
How will I know if the sperm sample meets the guarantee requirements?
During the sperm freeze process, a small portion of the sample produced is thawed and assessed to ensure the sperm meets the set criteria after it has been frozen. In the vast majority of cases, these test thaws are completely normal. You will receive a portal message from our donations coordinator regarding the test results within 1 – 2 weeks of the freeze. You may be provided with an option to repeat the process should this be deemed appropriate to your particular case.
Can I still send my frozen sperm to ISCARE even if it does not meet the guarantee requirements?
Yes, you can. Although, no fees will be reimbursed if your sample does not meet the guarantee criteria. We will advise you if your sample does not meet the guarantee criteria.
You will be assigned an egg donor within 2 – 3 weeks of your online consultation with ISCARE.
How many embryos will I have?
We expect that you will have at least 2 embryos guaranteed. If there are more, they will be vitrified in ISCARE for future use. If there are fewer than two embryos available and your sperm meets the criteria, we will repeat your cycle free of charge.
Typically, one embryo is transferred but this varies depending on the embryo quality and the age of the recipient. A recommendation will be made based on your specific case. Your wishes will, of course, be taken into account.
What happens to any embryos that are not transferred?
ISCARE offer a vitrification (freezing) service and will freeze and store any surplus embryos for you for your future use, if you wish. There is an annual fee of €100 and you will be contacted when this is due. Your first year is included in the egg donation fee.
Unfortunately not. This is due to a legislation enacted in Ireland in May 2020 we cannot perform treatment in Ireland using embryos derived from anonymous eggs or sperm. All embryo transfers must be performed in Prague, Czech Republic.
Do you encourage us/me to see a counsellor or psychologist prior to beginning treatment?
Undoubtedly the use of donor gametes, whether sperm or eggs or both, can prove to be psychologically challenging for couples or individuals. We do not insist that our patients seek the support of a counsellor when coming to terms with their options but we do actively encourage that anyone struggling with the concept seeks appropriate help. Here, at ReproMed, we have a team of counsellors who we can put you in touch with.
Egg donation abroad (Travel to Prague) - €6,300
Costs breakdown
€1,700 payable to ReproMed which includes:
• Required diagnostics
• Treatment coordination fee
• Prescription transcriptions
• Sperm freezing & shipment
• Cycle monitoring scans
• Beta HCG test to confirm pregnancy
• Early pregnancy scan (c. 8 weeks)
Remaining €4,600 to ISCARE which includes:
• Treatment planning
• Financial compensation (medication costs) and treatment costs of the donor
• Spermiogram (SPG) and sperm preparation
• ICSI, assisted hatching, prolonged embryo cultivation
• 1 x Embryo transfer (Fresh or frozen)
• Embryo vitrification and 1-year storage
Please note that if you choose treatment without ICSI, ISCARE is unable to give you a guarantee of two embryos.
First Instalment:
Payment of €1,700 is expected to be made to ReproMed when you decide to start the programme and before we book your diagnostic tests.
Once you confirm that you would like to proceed with the programme, we will contact you with payment information.
Second Instalment:
Payment of €4,600 is paid in 2 instalments to ISCARE.
First: €2,000 via bank transfer to the details below once donor has been assigned
Name: ISCARE I.V.F. a.s.
Number of Bank account: 267 608 285 / 0300
IBAN: CZ41 0300 0000 0002 6760 8285
SWIFT: CEKOCZPP
Bank: ČSOB
Second: €2,600 by card or cash at ISCARE reception in Prague before embryo transfer
If you choose to cancel treatment at the following stages, the costs as follows are:
Cancel after diagnostic testing performed €1,000
Cancelled after sperm shipment to ISCARE €1,500
ReproMed is a recognised training facility for medical and clinical students. If you have any issues or
concerns with the education of students during your treatment cycle, please inform one of our staff.
ReproMed Dublin
5th Floor Rockfield Medical Campus Northblock, Dundrum, Dublin 16, D16 W7W3
ReproMed Galway
Brooklawn House Galway
West Business Park, Rahoon, Galway, H91 CRN2
ReproMed Kilkenny
Ayrfield Medical Park, Granges Rd, Kilkenny, R95 FE0H
ReproMed Cork
Unit 6, Classes Lake Retail Centre, Ovens, Co Cork, P31 HY36
ReproMed Drogheda
Unit 2, 1st Floor, Dublin Road, Drogheda, Co. Louth, A92 EHOX