Egg retrieval day is the most important day for any person undergoing the egg retrieval process for fertility preservation. It is the last day of the egg freezing process, concluding the exogenous hormone treatments and medications for the patient.
The Night Before
Getting a good night’s rest the night before the procedure is of upmost importance. If patients are doing the procedure under general anesthesia, it is imperative that they refrain from eating and drinking (except small sips of water) for at least 8 hours prior to the retrieval. This is intended to prevent any undigested food or fluids from moving up into the mouth and airway while under anesthesia. The procedure may be canceled if patients do not follow fasting requirements. Patients should check with their doctor about taking any regular medications the night before or the morning of the procedure. Patients typically wear loose, comfortable clothing and are asked to refrain from wearing contact lenses for the retrieval.
The Morning Before the Procedure
Essentially, an egg retrieval is a ten minute procedure where the patient can decide whether or not to use anesthesia. Most patients undergo the procedure with light general anesthesia, involving a short period of 15-20 minutes of sedation and a rapid wake up with a groggy feeling. This is the most common type of sedation used in this procedure because it is typically well tolerated. Patients with 1-2 follicles that have a normal anatomy might be able to tolerate the procedure with local anesthesia or without anesthesia altogether, however this is relatively uncommon. Leading up to the procedure, the patients arrive about an hour prior to the scheduled time for a preoperative evaluation and completion of consent forms.
During the Procedure
Once the patient is cleared, she is brought into the surgical suite where the team will do what’s called a “time-out”, during which the embryologist and the physician will review the details of the plan for the cycle and re-verify the patient’s name and date of birth. The egg retrieval procedure is performed transvaginally using ultrasound guidance, where a needle is inserted through the vaginal wall into both ovaries to collect the follicles. The fluid is collected in a test tube and is then given to the embryologist, who uses a microscope to determine if the oocytes are present in the follicle. Once the embryologist has visualized and counted the number of oocytes retrieved, the patient is usually notified immediately of the number attained. However, only the mature and viable oocytes will undergo the cryopreservation process, as they have the highest chance of becoming correctly fertilized later on. For most patients, about 80% of the eggs retrieved are frozen.
After the Procedure
Following the procedure, the patient will go to the recovery room where she’ll rest for 15-30 minutes and be monitored for any side effects. Based on how you feel, patients can then head home and are advised to take the day off of work/school and avoid any physical strain or lifting more than 10lbs. Some clinics may require an additional adult to drive the patient home post-procedure. Depending on the number of follicles, recovery time can be anywhere from 24 hours to up to a week, but the vast majority of people will be able to go to work the next day.
Patients might experience mild to moderate cramping, similar to menstrual cramps, and minor bleeding which may last up to 3 days following the procedure. Patients are advised to take acetaminophen (Tylenol) for pain and/or ibuprofen (Advil). Narcotics, such as opioid medications are not typically prescribed for pain control. If abdominal bloating and/or pelvic pain becomes increasingly worse, patients should inform the clinic immediately. Eating and drinking shortly after the procedure is permitted, however patients should avoid spicy or greasy foods and keep their diet light for the remainder of the day.
Dr. Jesse Hade is a compassionate and dedicated board-certified reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist with over 20 years of private practice experience. As one of the leading experts in fertility, Dr. Hade has mentored and trained many physicians currently in practice throughout the country and is an award-winning physician with numerous research studies.
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