Egg Donation
For families who are facing infertility or modern family units, parenthood may seem like an impossible dream. But with egg donation and surrogacy, Drs. Michael Vermesh and Tannaz Toloubeydokhti can help patients of all backgrounds.
Explore the benefits of choosing an egg donor in Los Angeles, CA, at The Center for Fertility and Gynecology .
What Is Egg Donation?
Egg donation has been widely performed in the United States since 1986, and we began offering the service at our Los Angeles area clinic in 1990.
An egg donor is a woman who donates her eggs to hopeful parents. During the egg donation process, oocytes (eggs) from a young woman are first retrieved and then fertilized in our state-of-the-art laboratory, either with the sperm of the recipient's partner or a selected sperm donor, to create embryos. These embryos are transferred into the patient's (the recipient) uterus to develop into a baby. This procedure enables women with severely diminished ovarian function, premature ovarian failure, and genetic abnormalities to carry and deliver a child. Egg donation and surrogacy are also great options for same-sex couples and single male patients looking to expand their families.
2 Types of Egg Donation Programs
Anonymous
In an anonymous donation, the intended parents do not know the identity of the egg donor. However, a detailed bio and photographs will be provided.
Known
In a known egg donation, the intended parents ask a friend, relative, or acquaintance to provide the donor eggs and assist in starting or building their family.
Reasons to Consider an Egg Donor
Patients with diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) still have regular monthly menstrual cycles and ovulate normally. However, DOR can cause limited antral follicle count and a lower supply of eggs due to low levels of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels and high day 3 follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels. Low follicle and egg supply can make it difficult to conceive.
Premature menopause is called premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) or premature ovarian failure (POF). When POI occurs, the ovaries cease to function before the age of 40. POI can be caused by several factors, such as genetics, illnesses, chemotherapy, and surgery on the ovaries.
Menopause is a natural part of a woman's life in her 40s to 50s. While a woman that age can still carry a successful pregnancy, fertility is greatly decreased due to the lower quality and quantity of eggs she can produce. Egg donors allow patients to overcome this obstacle to create a embryo to be used during IVF in women who have already gone through menopause.
Recurrent pregnancy loss can be caused by issues like structural abnormalities within the uterus, ovaries, or fallopian tubes. It can also be caused by environmental factors and genetics. When couples use egg donation, an embryo is created using the eggs from the donor, which alters the genetic makeup and gives the couple a better chance of conception.
Our LGBTQ patients face unique challenges when growing their families. Egg donors and surrogacy allow same-sex male couples to create an embryo with either father's sperm or a sperm donor. The resulting embryo is then transferred to a gestational surrogate to continue the pregnancy, allowing the couple to have a genetic tie to the child.
Families come in all forms. Egg donors and surrogacy allow single male patients to grow their families. Sperm from the father is combined with the donor egg. The resulting embryo is then transferred to the surrogate's uterus, allowing our single male patients to have a child of their own.
Want to Donate Your Eggs
or Use an Egg Donor?
Contact Our Fertility Center.
Dr. Michael Vermesh and Dr. Tannaz Toloubeydokhti have helped many families in Tarzana, Bakersfield, Torrance, Greater Los Angeles, communities throughout California, and around the globe grow through personalized fertility options including egg donation and surrogacy. Our center has achieved outstanding success rates via IVF and other fertility treatments, and we can find an option that suits your family's unique needs. Our doctors are affiliated with several organizations, including:
- The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
- American Society for Reproductive Medicine
- Society for Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility
Visit one of our four office locations. To request a consultation at The Center for Fertility and Gynecology, request an appointment online or call us:
Dr. Michael Vermesh and Dr. Tannaz Toloubeydokhti
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"They just made everything so easy and comfortable." We're Highly Recommended by Patients
Vanessa Peoples
Tarzana, CA
2023
This place and Dr. Tolou is amazing!! The entire staff is friendly and knew me by name so quickly. Everyone there has such a positive attitude. I felt very safe under the care of Dr. Tolou and her team. I would absolutely revisit them in the future.
View on GoogleNessa B
Tarzana, CA
2024
Dr.Tolou and her team were wonderful. Every step they where their and alway helping. It wasn’t easy to get pregnant for us, took almost a year. Glade I went here they just made everything so easy and comfortable.
View on Google"We are absolutely so grateful for Dr. Vermesh and his team. He helped us complete our family. We had two successful IVF transfers with him. He was always so caring and has great bedside manner. Also Zenia thank you so much for always being available for all my questions and concerns. We wouldn’t recommend anyone else."
Allie McGinnis
Learn More About the Egg Donation Process
Egg donation can help overcome a number of fertility issues. The Center for Fertility and Gynecology can help you choose a carefully screened egg donor. Next, we can perform fertilization, embryo transfer, and all other services needed to help you achieve pregnancy.
The Egg Donation Process
Is Completed Over 8 Steps
Prior to being included in our donor pool, egg donors undergo a preliminary screening including a detailed medical history and physical exam. They will also need to discuss the medical, social, emotional, financial, and legal aspects of egg donation.
The intended parents will then choose a specific egg donor. A large selection of highly qualified, anonymous egg donors is available through our Los Angeles office or various agencies. You may also choose to receive an egg from a friend or family member.
A second round of extensive, detailed screenings and other tests of the donor takes place. This might include various genetic, psychological, and physical evaluations. Which steps are deemed appropriate may vary on a case-by-case basis.
Next, the egg donor will undergo ovarian stimulation while the recipient (either a surrogate or parent) undergoes uterine preparation. Egg donors will receive injectable medications, which stimulate the development of multiple eggs for harvest. Meanwhile, recipients will receive a combination of injectable and oral medication to prepare their endometrium for the egg.
Egg retrieval is a simple, minimally invasive procedure used to retrieve the eggs from the ovaries. This procedure is performed under conscious sedation (twilight sleep) and guided by ultrasound for even more precise, comfortable treatment. Because egg retrieval is performed transvaginally with the help of a small needle, there are no incisions involved in the outpatient procedure.
We will then use the recipient partner's sperm or donor sperm to fertilize the egg in-vitro (in the laboratory) or utilize intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Our on-site lab is built specifically for assisted reproductive technology (ART) to ensure the success of this step. Overseeing the entire process gives us an incredible amount of control from start to finish.
The fertilized egg, or embryo, will then be transferred into the recipient, which could include a surrogate.
When possible, we freeze any remaining, high-quality embryos for use in future fertility treatments.
Are You a Potential Egg Donor?
Are you considering egg donation? Your decision could change a family's life. Before contacting our fertility center, intended egg donors should understand a few key considerations regarding the process:
Anonymity
Your cycle will be anonymous unless you are donating eggs for someone you know. This means that the recipient couple will not know your identity and you will not know theirs. However, the couple will see your photograph in order to assist with matching your looks and qualifications with their needs.
Benefits
Becoming a donor offers several financial and emotional benefits. Egg donors will be compensated for a completed cycle whether or not the recipient conceives. You will also be able to help a couple have a family, which is noble and altruistic.
Requirements
Egg donors must be between the ages of 18 and 30. They must also be healthy. A free pelvic ultrasound and pap smear will be performed on all donors. A detailed explanation of the entire process and additional criteria, as well as a history and physical examination, will be provided free of charge to potential donors. Psychological or genetic testing may be necessary prior to the initiation of an egg donation cycle. These will also be provided to the donor free of charge. Lastly, egg donors must be willing to provide our fertility clinic with their pictures. These photos will be used by potential recipient couples to assist in your selection. The photos will be returned to you upon request.
Commitment
The complete cycle duration is approximately four weeks. You will need to take daily injections during this time. These are virtually painless and easy to administer in the convenience of your own home, or you may come to the office for administration.
Contact us today for more information. We offer convenient services to patients in the Los Angeles area from our offices in Tarzana, Bakersfield, Torrance, and Thousand Oaks.
Helping Patients in California and Beyond Hear What Patients Are Saying on Google
E. K.
Tarzana, CA
2024
We're incredibly fortunate to have such a wonderful team at this office. Everyone here is not only exceptionally warm but also highly responsive. Dr. Vermesh holds a special place in our hearts. He played a pivotal role in bringing my husband into this world over 30 years ago, and now he's guiding us through the journey with our little nugget. His longstanding commitment and expertise speak volumes, and we trust him implicitly. Without a doubt, he's the best in his field.
View on GoogleMaria Martinez
Tarzana, CA
2024
I cannot thank Dr.Tolou, Tiffany and the rest of her team enough. The whole process from start to finish was a lot easier than I expected. I never had to wait to be seen for any of my appointments. My husband and I had a consultation with them in November and got our first positive pregnancy test in January. We're incredibly thankful.
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