In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a fertility treatment that involves fertilizing an egg outside of the female body and then transferring it to the woman’s uterus. IVF at the leading fertility center in North Cyprus combines advanced technology with science to help you get pregnant.
IVF is one of the most commonly used types of assisted reproductive technology (ART). It uses a combination of fertility drugs and medical procedures to help fertilization, embryo development, and implantation so that you can become pregnant
First, you take fertility drugs in the form of shots to stimulate your ovaries to produce more eggs for fertilization. When the eggs are ready, our EuroCARE IVF doctor will carry out an egg retrieval procedure in which mature eggs are retrieved from your ovaries. Once the eggs have been collected, they are fertilized with your partner’s (or donor’s) sperm in the lab using intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) Cyprus. After three to five days, two to three embryos are placed directly into your uterus. Pregnancy happens if any of the transferred embryos implants into the wall of the uterus.
What is the Process of IVF in North Cyprus
IVF in North Cyprus has many steps, and it takes about 20 days to complete the whole treatment process. IVF significantly increases your chances of pregnancy if you’re having problems falling pregnant. Alternatively, IVF can be used to prevent certain genetic conditions from being passed down from the parents to their children.
IVF can be used in situations where one or both partners struggle with infertility. Since IVF combines the egg and sperm in the lab, it ensures fertilization and pregnancy occur. With IVF, many egg- and sperm-related problems can be easily overcome. At your first fertility consultation, our fertility specialist will determine any issues that have made getting pregnant difficult; from here, our specialist can determine the best course of action, or what infertility treatment is right for you.
Men with low sperm count can benefit from IVF because eggs can be fertilized by a few sperm cells using the ICSI method. In the cases of severe male factor infertility, pregnancy can be achieved through IVF with donor sperm. All these options allow individuals and couples to start families regardless of their fertility issues.
Ovarian Stimulation
The IVF process starts with ovarian stimulation. During this stage, the patient will take fertility medications for 10-12 days to help her to produce several eggs. Monitoring through blood work and ultrasound is important at this step. These can measure your hormone levels and track the response of your ovaries.
Once your eggs become fully mature, our IVF doctor will perform an egg retrieval procedure at our fertility clinic in North Cyprus. We remove eggs using a soft, thin tube and ultrasound for visualization. It takes only 15 minutes to retrieve multiple eggs from the ovaries. You’ll be given a light sedative to help you feel more relaxed during the procedure.
Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)
After the egg retrieval, eggs are sent to the embryo lab for evaluation. Eggs are first assessed for quality and maturity and are then fertilized with the sperm from your partner or a sperm donor. Individual sperm cells are injected into each egg — this is called intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Men with sperm issues benefit from ICSI because only a few sperm cells are needed for fertilization to take place. ICSI is an integral part of all IVF procedures at EuroCARE IVF and is performed at no extra cost.
Embryo Transfer
As the cells in the fertilized eggs start to divide, embryos start to be regularly monitored by our embryologist team. Based on the quality assessment reports, top-graded embryos are selected for transfer on day 3 or day 5 after fertilization. The remaining good-quality embryos can be frozen for future use. The embryo transfer procedure is performed by inserting a thin, pre-loaded tube through the cervix and into the uterus where the doctor carefully deposits the embryos. This is a simple, short and painless procedure that takes only 15 minutes.
Embryo Glue
At EuroCARE IVF, we transfer embryos that were previously dipped in a solution called embryo glue. The glue promotes implantation and improves chances for pregnancy success. This step of the IVF process is also performed at no extra cost.
Pregnancy Test After IVF
Twelve days after the embryo transfer, a pregnancy test is done to check if embryo transfer was successful. If you get a positive test result, you will start prenatal care at your local ob-gyn. There you’ll be monitored through blood tests and ultrasounds to ensure a normal pregnancy.
Pregnancy happens if any of the embryos implants into the lining of your uterus. After the embryo transfer, our doctor will prescribe medication to help your uterine lining become thicker. This is important for you to be able to accept the embryos. These medications promote a favorable environment for the embryos to survive and continue growing in the uterus.
Cryopreservation
Most couples choose to freeze their leftover good-quality embryos following an embryo transfer procedure. At EuroCARE IVF, we use vitrification to preserve embryos. With this method, embryos are cooled super rapidly so that ice crystals do not form on the inside. When you decide that you want to grow your family, embryos are thawed (slowly warmed up) and then transferred to your uterus.
Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET)
Cryopreservation has become a widely used technology. During IVF cycles, patients can freeze any extra good-quality embryos to attempt pregnancy in the future. The frozen embryo transfer (FET) cycle at EuroCARE IVF Cyprus involves hormone support prior to transfer to prepare your uterus for implantation. The frozen embryos are thawed by slowly bringing them to room temperature and are then transferred to the woman’s uterus. The success rates of FET cycles are comparable to fresh IVF cycles.
How Long Does The IVF Process Take
A typical procedure of IVF in North Cyprus can take between 18 and 20 days — from the first day of the IVF cycle to the embryo transfer procedure. Prior to starting IVF, our EuroCARE IVF fertility specialist will discuss your treatment plan in detail and will determine the exact treatment timeline. Each IVF journey is unique and depending on your medical condition and ovarian response, your treatment plan can be updated throughout the process to ensure the best outcome. Your timeline will depend on the following factors:
- Preparing your body for egg retrieval using fertility drugs.
- Monitoring the response of your ovaries to the fertility drugs.
- Adjusting your medication protocol to help your ovaries mature more eggs.
Who Should Consider IVF
IVF in North Cyprus is typically used when couples have continuously failed to conceive after 12 months. In some cases, this time is shortened to 6 months (for women over 35). IVF is used to treat infertility in both women and men caused by various factors such as ovulation disorders, endometriosis, premature ovarian failure, uterine fibroids, genetic disorders, blocked, damaged or removed fallopian tubes or uterus, and male infertility caused by sperm production or sperm transportation problems.
In certain situations, individuals and couples may be advised to use donor eggs or donor sperm. If a couple is at risk of passing on a genetic disorder to their children, they may be advised to use donor eggs or donor sperm. Single women who want to start a family on their own can become mothers through IVF with donor sperm. People who have cancer can have healthy eggs or sperm frozen before the start of cancer treatment. This is called egg/sperm freezing. The frozen eggs or sperm can be thawed once cancer treatment is over and used in an IVF procedure to create embryos for implantation.
Women who have blocked, damaged or removed fallopian tubes can get pregnant through IVF since their eggs are retrieved from the ovaries and fertilized with the sperm outside the body in a specialized laboratory. The embryos are then transferred to the uterus through the cervix.
Is IVF Painful
IVF is generally not painful. There are a few steps in the IVF process that may cause discomfort. It is very unusual to have more than minor discomfort or pain.
Most fertility drugs are administered by injection and mostly, they have the shape of a pen designed to reduce pain. Any discomfort after administering such injections is over in a few minutes.
Egg retrieval is a medical procedure that involves removing the eggs from the ovaries through a thin tube. You will be given a sedative so that you don’t experience any pain or discomfort during this 15-minute procedure. You may feel mild discomfort in the abdominal area due to expanded ovaries from the stimulation drugs.
Embryo transfer is a painless procedure that uses a soft, flexible, thin tube to transfer the embryo(s) into the uterus. The experience is painless and is very similar to a pap smear.
Is IVF Safe
IVF is a safe and effective high-tech treatment for infertility. At EuroCARE IVF, patient safety is our top priority. The main risk from IVF treatment is multiple pregnancies (twins, triplets or more). However, this can be avoided if you decide to have fewer embryos transferred to your uterus. Another possible risk of IVF is ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) which can easily be prevented or managed through regular monitoring and protocol adjustment. It’s very important to keep in touch with our medical team and report any unusual symptoms you may notice during and after the procedure.
IVF Success Rates
In 2018, the chances of a successful pregnancy through IVF at the EuroCARE IVF clinic in North Cyprus were as follows:
- 78 percent for women aged 20-29 years
- 67 percent for women aged between 30 to 34 years
- 49 percent for women aged between 35 to 39 years
- 29 percent for women aged 40 to 44 years
The percentage of a successful pregnancy through IVF using donor eggs during that same year were as follows:
- 80 percent for women under 35 years
- 79 percent for women aged between 35 to 39 years
- 78 percent for women aged 40 to 44 years
- 70 percent for women aged 45 years and beyond
Factors that affect IVF success
The chances of pregnancy success through IVF depends on multiple factors including:
- age
- cause(s) and duration of infertility
- using donor eggs
- the success of previous pregnancies
- a treatment plan that is recommended
There are many factors that affect your ability to get pregnant. Women who don’t get pregnant on the first try still have very good chances of getting pregnant after the second, third and multiple cycles of IVF. Our doctor will review your case and will discuss the reasons for your failed IVF cycle(s) and your chances for pregnancy. If you decide to move forward with donor eggs, you will be appropriately prepared for egg donation treatment.
Benefits of IVF in North Cyprus
- High chances of pregnancy success. IVF in North Cyprus is one of the most successful assisted reproductive technologies (ART). IVF has been used since 1978 which is a long period of time for scientists to do health studies on children conceived using this IVF.
- Safe procedure. Several studies have shown that the fertility drugs used for ovarian stimulation are not linked to cancer.
- Technological advancements. There are several techniques that have significantly improved IVF procedures including cryopreservation using vitrification (flash freezing), intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) for fertilizing the collected eggs with the sperm, and genetic screening technologies like PGD (preimplantation genetic diagnosis) and PGS (preimplantation genetic screening) that have helped hundreds of patients avoid passing on genetic conditions onto their children.
IVF Treatment at EuroCARE IVF
The EuroCARE IVF clinic in North Cyprus is dedicated to making sure all individuals and couples have access to advanced fertility care. We have developed numerous IVF treatment programs and packages to make IVF widely accessible and cost-effective. Our IVF specialist will help you determine which treatment option might work best for you.
Services provided in the frame of the IVF treatment packages include office visits, ultrasounds, and blood work, ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection) procedure, embryo transfer along with embryo glue, assisted hatching, and embryo freezing. Obstetrical and prenatal care is not covered by our infertility programs.
Just as there’s no one path to parenthood, there are many options to choose from to help you build a family and have a healthy baby. Be sure to discuss these important issues with our fertility specialist!