Is Egg Retrieval Painful?

A common concern of patients contemplating IVF is whether egg retrieval is painful.

The egg retrieval procedure is performed at our Clinic, not at a hospital. It only takes a few minutes (usually 5 to 10), and we use very comfortable conscious sedation for analgesia. As a result, most of our patients sleep through the brief procedure without the need for general anesthesia.

Since 1985, we have done many thousands of egg retrievals and are very experienced in retrieving eggs from the ovaries.

Under ultrasound guidance, the tip of a thin needle is passed through the top of the vagina into the cul-de-sac (space behind the uterus). The ovaries are located near the bottom of the cul-de-sac allowing the tip of the aspirating needle to enter the ovarian follicles and aspirate the follicular fluid from them. The embryologists then examine the fluid under a microscope to identify the eggs.

In summary, if you worry whether the egg retrieval will be painful, you are likely in for a pleasant surprise.