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Egg pick-up

Egg Pick-Up:

When the Specialist ascertains that the follicles are of a size that will be suitable to be collected (or harvested) it is normal practice for a nurse to book you in for your egg collection appointment.

Egg collection or “pick-up” as it is commonly termed, is a procedure undertaken under reasonable sedation and local anaesthetic applied to the ovaries.

On the day of egg collection your partner will also be asked to provide a semen sample.  It may also be that this has been produced previously. The semen will be prepared in a special solution to encourage the healthiest and strongest sperm to swim towards the top of the container – this is the semen typically used for normal semen samples.

When you present to the clinic, you will be asked to change into a gown, a nurse will take your vital measurements e.g. weight, temperature and blood pressure. They will administer medication including analgesics and a mild sedative. 

You and your support person or partner will be taken into a small theatre suite where the procedure will be conducted.

A vaginal ultrasound probe with a very fine hollow needle attached to it, is inserted into the vagina. Under ultrasound guidance, the needle is then advanced from the vaginal wall into the ovary to suck out the fluid from the follicle which contains the egg. Each egg is removed in turn through the needle by a suction device, passed to the Embryologist for placement in a suitable container. The whole procedure takes about 20-30 minutes.

You will be advised how many eggs were collected during this procedure. Eggs collected can range from 1 or 2 through to 17 to 20!

You may experience some mild discomfort following the procedure, but this will be relieved with painkillers.

You will be transferred to a recovery facility where you can rest and recover for a while. When ready you will be provided with some simple refreshments. Your partner is welcome to stay with you during this time.

Meanwhile in the laboratory, a certain amount of semen (for a normal sample) will be added to each container with each egg for fertilisation.

If there is a male fertility factor, Inter-cytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) may be indicated.  This is where an individual sperm is injected into each individual egg,  ICSI allows almost any man with sperm, either in his semen or in his testis, to try IVF.