Success rates with donor eggs are significantly higher than with own eggs: fresh donor eggs achieve 55-65% live birth rates per transfer for recipients under 35, 45-55% for recipients 35-42, and 35-45% for recipients over 42. Frozen donor eggs achieve 40-50% success rates per transfer. Cumulative success rates reach 80-90% within 3 transfers. Critical factors affecting success: donor age (peak at 21-25), egg quality markers (AMH, AFC), recipient uterine health, embryo genetic testing (PGT-A tested embryos have 65-75% success rates), clinic expertise and protocols, male factor issues, and lifestyle factors. Important considerations: success rates vary significantly between clinics, your specific characteristics affect match demand but not success rates, multiple pregnancies occur in 20-30% of successful transfers, and success rates continue improving with advancing technology.
How to think about success rates
Success metrics in assisted reproduction can be defined in different ways (per cycle, per retrieval, per transfer, live birth vs clinical pregnancy). Make sure you’re comparing apples to apples.
The most reliable expectations usually come from clinic-specific outcomes and a clinician’s assessment of your situation.
Typical workflow (high level)
- Application + screening: health history, labs, and psychological screening.
- Matching: preferences and profile selection.
- Legal + consent: agreement review before medications.
- Medication + monitoring: clinic-guided injections and frequent appointments.
- Retrieval + recovery: outpatient procedure with short recovery window.
- Wrap-up: follow-ups, records, and next steps if donating again.
What can vary (and why)
- Clinic schedules and medical protocols (individualized to the situation).
- State and international legal requirements (especially for parentage workflows).
- Matching preferences and availability (fit matters).
- Insurance and financial structure (coverage details can change).
- Logistics like travel, time zones, and appointment availability.
Questions to ask (so you don’t get surprised later)
- What are the next 2–3 steps in my specific situation?
- What documents or records should I prepare before we start?
- Which decisions should I make now vs later?
- Which success metric are we talking about (pregnancy rate, live birth, per transfer, per retrieval, etc.)?
- What factors most influence outcomes in our case (age, diagnosis, embryo testing, clinic)?
- Where can I review clinic-specific success rate data?
- What should I expect during screening, medications, and recovery?
- How are privacy and future contact handled?
Next steps
Important note
This page is educational information only and is not medical, legal, or tax advice. Always confirm specifics with qualified professionals and your care team.
See the sources section below for reference links when available.