Egg retrieval risks

As preparation for egg retrieval, hCG injection would be given to you. After around 35 hours, the egg or oocyte retrieval will be done under general anaesthesia. You will be asked not to eat or drink anything after midnight the day before the oocyte retrieval procedure. First, the vagina will be cleaned with sterile water. Then, a needle will be introduced into the vagina and then into the ovary guided by the ultrasound. The fluid within the follicle containing the egg is collected from the mature follicles in the ovaries and then is labelled and sent to the lab. The duration taken is usually 20 to 30 minutes. You will be in the recovery room for about an hour before you will be sent home.

Egg retrieval is a highly skilled and delicate procedure that is very safe and comes with minimal discomfort. But as no two patients are the same, the way they experience the post-retrieval symptoms may also differ.

The procedure is performed using an aspiration needle to collect eggs which may cause bleeding, infection damage a blood vessel and damage to the bowel or bladder. The risk is also associated with general anaesthesia. Once you wake up, the side effects that you may experience are constipation, breast tenderness, vaginal discharge, bloating and cramping. These are a combination of the hormonal changes and the effects of surgery and will pass. You can always talk to your fertility expert at Oasis if you are concerned. The risks associated with the procedure are pain, injury to the bowel/ovaries/uterus/bladder/ blood vessels or pain in the ovaries or pelvis. These are rarely seen as the procedure is performed under ultrasound guidance and by an extremely skilled and experienced fertility expert. A little cramping, spotting and heaviness in the pelvis are normal. If you experience any severe pain or bleeding after the procedure brings it to the notice of your fertility expert as soon as possible.