What To Expect On Your Egg Retrieval Day

Is egg retrieval a surgery?

Yes, egg retrieval is a minor surgery done to collect the eggs from the ovarian follicles. Using an ultrasound-guided probe and needle, the follicles are punctured to extract the eggs.

Since it’s a surgical procedure, anaesthesia is used to make the procedure comfortable and safe. You may be given some options such as:

• General anaesthesia
• Loco regional/ local anaesthesia
• Conscious intravenous sedation

While these three are most commonly used, the entire aim is to make the procedure safe, provide pain relief, and avoid any harmful effects to the eggs.

A Walkthrough of Egg Retrieval Day

You’ll be informed of the time to arrive at the clinic. Once you check-in, you’ll be changed into a hospital gown and have your IV started. They'll then take your vitals, and go over any necessary paperwork.   

The anesthesiologist may also have a couple of questions, after which you’ll be asked to empty your bladder and be taken into the operation theatre. 

Once you’re sedated, you’ll either have a good nap 💤 (if it’s general anaesthesia) or be lightly awake with no pain, if it’s local and conscious sedation. 

How does egg retrieval work?

For egg retrieval, doctors use a suction pump, a needle that's connected to the ultrasound probe and to a tube that collects the follicular fluid. Once you are sedated, the gynaecologist will clean the vaginal area and with the help of the probe, insert the needle and direct it towards the ovaries. 

The needle penetrates the vaginal wall and enters the ovaries. One ovary is operated on first, and once all the follicles are punctured, the doctor moves to the next ovary. Whenever a follicle is punctured, the needle aspirates all the fluid along with the egg into tubes, which are passed over to the embryologists in the lab.

The procedure typically takes 15-20 minutes altogether. Once all the eggs are extracted, the probe and needle are removed, and the vaginal area is cleaned again for the procedure to finish. 

What to expect after egg retrieval

To be honest? Loads of rest and relaxation🧃

Once the procedure is over, you’ll be taken to a recovery room. Since you were under anaesthesia, staff will put you under observation for an hour or longer.

Since you may have some soreness or dizziness post-procedure, it's best to arrange someone to take you home. You can also have food post your surgery.

But as with every surgery, egg retrieval carries its small baggage of side effects as well. You may experience mild abdominal pain or discomfort, and bleeding. Bloating and constipation post-procedure is also common. You may be prescribed painkillers, antibiotics and heat pads for recovery. 

And if you have any side effects that you think are prolonging, we recommend reaching out to your healthcare provider.

📚Also read: Our guide to recovering after egg retrieval 

What to expect from the clinic after egg retrieval 

While you’ll be on a schedule of rest, your eggs are going on a whole other journey in the lab 🥼

Let’s first talk: follicles and egg numbers

Post retrieval, the clinic will inform you of the number of eggs retrieved. Before the procedure, you may have been given a follicle number. But these may not always equal the number of eggs retrieved. There are chances that some follicles were too small, or just did not yield mature eggs. 

📚Also read: Know all about egg yield and follicle count 

Now let's talk: number of eggs frozen

Again, the number of eggs retrieved may not always equal the number of eggs frozen.

Wait, whaaat?

This is because we also need to account for the fact that not all of the eggs will be mature. There are two things that are majorly taken into consideration before freezing eggs and they are:

• The maturity of the egg. Some eggs may be immature, and unless you’re going through a procedure such as IVM (where the eggs are matured within the lab), these eggs cannot be frozen
• How the egg looks: The way the egg looks matters when it comes to egg freezing and the sole reason is that abnormalities are most often an indicator of a genetic issue. Embryologists have specific criteria that they look at such as the shape of the egg, the size, any structural issues, etc. 

So based on this, a hypothetical case would be this: if you were to retrieve 20 eggs, and if 3 of them were immature and 2 had a structural issue, then only 15 would be frozen.

So, by the end of your egg retrieval day, you will get to know the total number of eggs retrieved and frozen.

Where Amilis comes in 

It’s common to feel a multitude of emotions when you’re going through the egg-freezing process. 

While egg retrieval might feel like the final destination, it’s so much more than that. It’s about making the journey smoother, affordable, and supportive for all the women out there opting for egg freezing. 

That's where Amilis (that’s us 👋) comes in. Our supportive team and selection of pre-vetted clinics help you from start to end, and here’s how:

1. A personalised quiz to help you get started and free 1-1 calls with our specialists for any questions you may have 
2. Affordable AMH test to help you understand your ovarian reserve
3. A selection of pre-vetted clinics and a clinic comparator to help you choose the best egg-freezing clinic  

Regardless, we’re here to be the support you need from even thinking about egg freezing, to hearing “We’ve frozen 10 eggs. Congrats!”

Sending you warm hugs 🫂 and all the support for your egg-freezing cycle. You’ve got this ❤️