The Disadvantages of Egg Harvesting

According to Fertilitynation.com, a woman's fertility peaks during her 20s. During her 30s and on, her eggs began to age quickly. For a woman who wishes to delay having a child until a bit later but wants to bear a biological child herself, egg harvesting exists. This procedure stimulates egg maturity and production so that a doctor may retrieve eggs for freezing and later use. Various risks are associated with this, however.

Stopping Normal Menstrual Cycle

• To harvest eggs, a doctor stops a woman's normal menstrual cycle so her system will be more responsive to fertility drugs. This may cause vaginal dryness, fatigue, sleeplessness, hot flashes, breast tenderness, head and body aches, vision problems and mood swings. Your health care professional administers the medicine through injection. You also may have to give yourself injections at home.

Stimulating Egg Production

• Since your body only matures and produces one egg at a time during a normal cycle, your doctor will use medication to stimulate egg maturity and production so she can harvest a number of eggs at once. The regimen begins on a certain day during your cycle, and you must give yourself daily injections for 10 days.

  Side effects include vaginal dryness, mood swings, breast tenderness, enlarged ovaries and water retention. Occasionally, women develop Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS). Even moderate OHSS requires bed rest and medication. Rare, severe cases cause shock, fluid in the lungs, kidney failure and blood clots. Torsion may occur as well (an enlarged ovary twisting in on itself). Ovary removal is rare, but sometimes necessary in this case. Deciding against egg harvesting after completing fertility drugs increases risks for OHSS. You may also become pregnant during fertility treatment before eggs are harvested. Chances of having twins, triplets or quadruplets during this time increase. Many long-term effects of fertility treatment are unknown.

Egg Removal

• Your doctor harvests eggs during a 30-minute surgical procedure called transvaginal ovarian aspiration. A probe with a needle attached is inserted vaginally and inserted into an ovarian follicle, vacuuming the egg and liquid out. The process is repeated, one egg at a time, until an adequate number is reached. You may be given painkillers, sedatives or anesthesia for the procedure. Recovery is a few hours, but generally you are released the same day. If the procedure goes well, your doctor will request one day of bed rest and several days of restricted activity.

  Excess bleeding may occur during needle insertion. Nearby bowels, bladder and vessels can puncture (though rare). In extreme cases, major abdominal surgery may be necessary. Possibility of infection also exists. If this occurs, you must take antibiotics, and it may affect your future fertility. According to Fertilityproregistry.com, studies also link egg harvesting to early menopause.