Your doctor will gently guide a needle attached to a catheter through the vaginal wall. One by one, the eggs will be drawn out using light suction….
Here’s how it works: the doctor will use ultrasound to identify your ovaries, which, by now, will be adorned with clusters of tiny follicles. Your doctor will gently guide a needle attached to a catheter through the vaginal wall. One by one, the eggs will be drawn out using light suction. They’ll be collected in test tubes labeled with your name and unique identification number, which will then be handed off to the embryologist.
The Egg retrieval process is minimally invasive.
The anesthesiologist will use propofol-based anesthesia—not general anesthesia, but rather an intravenous sedation medication—to ensure you feel no pain or discomfort during the egg retrieval process.
Your doctor will gently guide a needle attached to a catheter through the vaginal wall. One by one, the eggs will be drawn out using light suction. They’ll be collected in test tubes labeled with your name and unique identification number, which will then be handed off to the embryologist—an expert in the science of oocyte cryopreservation (the technical term for egg freezing).
After the egg retrieval process is complete and the needle removed, your doctor will examine your vaginal wall and your ovaries. These sites may bleed a little, and the doctor will be prepared to apply pressure or—on rare occasions—use a cauterizing agent to quell the bleeding. After the egg retrieval, you’ll rest for 30–60 minutes in the recovery area, where a nurse will monitor you as you wake up from the anesthesia.
USING THE BUDDY SYSTEM IS A MUST, AND PLEASE, TAKE THE DAY OFF.
We suggest that an “escort,” like a friend or family member, accompany you home from the egg retrieval. They’ll be well taken care of in the waiting room during your procedure. We recommend you go straight home and relax for the rest of the day with a responsible adult by your side, just in case. Even if some of you will probably still go back to work please plan on staying out of the driver’s seat for at least 24 hours.
After the egg retrieval process, you may experience some soreness in the vaginal area, some abdominal cramping, or some spots, which could last a few days. Over-the-counter pain relievers such as Paracetamol will help. Most women feel “back to normal” by the next day. You probably won’t need a follow-up appointment, but the we will call and check in on you, just in case. If at any time if you’re really bloated, throwing up, in a lot of pain, or otherwise feeling bad, give us a call
