In this technique, which is performed outside the woman’s body, embryos are created in a laboratory environment and embryos with healthy development are placed in the uterus.
Couples can use in vitro fertilization (IVF) if any of the following factors are present.
Vita Altera identifies and applies personalized treatment methods. During the determination of the causes of infertility, diagnosis and alternative treatments research, the male’s sperm test hormones, testicular ultrasound may be requested and a urological examination is made if necessary.
In women, genetic analysis and gynecological examination are performed first. Then, menstrual cycles are checked and information about the patient’s history is gathered. If necessary, additional tests (uterine film, genetic analysis, etc.) are requested and possible problems are examined. It is ensured that both parties are ready for the process, both biologically and psychologically, and with this process, it is ensured that IVF is the most correct answer to the problem of infertility.
It is the stage of stimulating the ovaries with drugs that are started during the menstrual period. With our expert staff, we plan the process that needs to be followed with vaginal ultrasound, blood tests and medical combinations in order to obtain the most appropriate level of oocyte retrieval in terms of both number and quality
For each patient, the preparation takes between 10 and 12 days on average.
Egg retrieval is performed 36 hours after the fracturing needle is administered, in cases where the treatment was not performed with donated eggs. Local anesthesia is not used for the comfort of our patients. Instead, general anesthesia is the method we apply with the help of the most appropriate drugs. With the aid of ultrasound, mature eggs are retrieved vaginally using a thin needle with a method that takes about 10-15 minutes. On the day of this operation, a semen sample is requested from the male partner.
In order to ensure good sperm quality, ideally 3 to 5 days of sexual abstinence is recommended on the day the sample is given.
Sometimes it is necessary to thaw and prepare previously frozen sperm samples from the male partner. The same process applies to donor sperm samples.
The eggs taken from the ovaries are immediately placed in the “embryo culture” medium after micro-injection with sperm and placed in an incubator to sit for approximately 24 hours. One day later, the presence of 2 pronuclei representing the parent’s chromosomes in the cell is an indication of successful fertilization of the egg. A sensitive process begins for embryos that are left to develop. During this process, minimum contact and sensitivity is required for embryos whose development may be affected due to important conditions such as humidity, gas concentration and heat.
After the 72-hour period, our expert embryologists inform the patient about the number of fertilized eggs, the quality of the embryo (6-8 cells), the eligibility criteria for culturing the embryos of blastocyst transfer which will take place on the 5th day.
In our clinic, under the supervision of our specialists, blastocyst embryos that have developed up to the 5th day are transferred. The decision whether all the embryos are chromosomally normal or not is followed up during the development process until the 5th day. Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is recommended to manage this process in a healthy way.
Considering the advantages and disadvantages of these options, which are of great importance, the decision whether to continue with day 3 embryos or day 5 blastocyst is made together with the parents.
In the IVF treatment process, the process of taking cell or cells from embryos for diagnosis by expert embryologists is called embryo biopsy. These cells, which are sent to the genetic laboratory, are examined according to the genetic status of the embryos. With the help of this technique, healthy embryos are selected before they are transferred to the mother’s womb. Thus, the detected unhealthy embryos (genetic or chromosomal disorder) are removed.
Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is the process of placing a spermatozoid into the mature egg. This technique is revolutionary in the field of reproductive medicine, allowing infertile men who were previously unable to become fathers due to low sperm count to become parents.
In addition, in azoospermia cases where no sperm cells are seen in the semen, an incision made under general anesthesia on the skin of the scrotum (ie the sack in which the testicles are located). With this technique, it can be reached both testicular tissues and take a sample tissue from them under the microscope to see if sperm cells are present. These sperm cells can also be injected into the egg with the ICSI method and pregnancy can be achieved. This method is called microTESE.
Embryo transfer is performed between 2-5 days after fertilization, which is generally accepted as the last stage of treatment. The aim is to transfer the embryo taken from the laboratory to the mother’s womb, which is the end point of development.
Transfer process is performed by leaving the embryos into the uterus with the help of ultrasonography from the abdomen with the help of a thin catheter. Embryo transfer is a painless and often simple procedure. It is only necessary to be full bladder during the procedure.
All healthy embryos developed during the process cannot be placed in the uterus at once, there are some legal and medical limitations in this regard. Embryos that may remain after the transfer can be frozen and stored with the consent of the couple. The fee to be requested by our center for the embryo freezing process is valid for 1 year freezing and 1 year storage. If the patient wants their embryos to be stored more than a year they could extend their contract by paying small amounts annually.
After the transfer, it is necessary to rest for 30-60 minutes in our clinic. It is very important that you physically relax and rest well on the first night. You can return to your routine from the next day, and you should stick to the “do’s and don’ts” list that will be notified to you by our experts.
If unsatisfactory results are observed during the preparation phase (such as high progesterone level or the uterine wall is not thick enough), the procedure is not performed and the embryos are stored frozen for transfer until a new cycle.
With a pregnancy test to be performed 10-12 days after the embryo transfer, it is clearly understood whether the treatment has resulted in a positive result. Urine test is not very certain because it cannot give definite results for the physician. If necessary, a pregnancy test may be requested again.
In the first 3 months, the use of medication must be made in line with the instructions of the physician who performs the IVF treatment. Especially, when drugs containing progesterone hormone are stopped early, miscarriage may occur, the continuation of pregnancy in the first 8-10 weeks of pregnancy depends on the presence of sufficient amount of progesterone hormone in the woman’s body. It is possible to see the gestational sac with vaginal ultrasound approximately 2 weeks after the positive result of the test.