IVF Treatment: The Full Procedure in 10 Steps
In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is a popular fertility treatment option for couples who are struggling to conceive naturally.
You will most probably know that the procedure involves fertilising an egg with sperm outside of the body in a laboratory and then transferring the resulting embryo into the uterus.
Here is a guide however of all the steps of the IVF treatment process followed by Sago Team North Cyprus.
Step 1: Fertility Testing
After you have chosen to start your IVF journey with us at Sago IVF Team in North Cyprus, we will require certain fertility tests to be done before the treatment can begin.
These are blood tests, hormone tests and ultrasound scans and are required to be carried out on specific dates (day 2, 3 or 4 of your period) and that are calculated in accordance with your menstrual cycle.
After you receive the fertility test results, you will forward these to us, and your results and treatment options will be discussed with Doctor Münür Sago.
Patients also have the option of having the full treatment including these tests at Sago IVF Team fertility clinic – you will need to be in North Cyprus on day 1 of your menstrual cycle and remain there for approximately 20 days until the whole IVF procedure has been successfully completed.
Step 2: Medication
A personal treatment protocol will be tailored for each individual patient which is required to be followed precisely.
Sao Team will send you a prescription for the medication that you will need to take before coming to Sago IVF Team North Cyprus.
It is important that the patient follows these instructions and keeps to the dates and times, as this will significantly affect the treatment outcome ahead.
Step 3: Ovarian Stimulation
The next step of IVF treatment is ovarian stimulation. This involves taking medication to stimulate the ovaries to produce multiple eggs.
A fertility specialist will monitor the ovaries using ultrasound and blood tests to determine when the eggs are ready for retrieval.
Step 4: Egg Retrieval
Once the eggs are ready, they are retrieved using a needle guided by ultrasound imaging.
This is a minimally invasive procedure done under sedation or aesthesia. The retrieved eggs are then taken to the Sago Team laboratory for fertilisation.
Step 5: Sperm Collection and Preparation
On the day of egg retrieval, the male partner provides a semen sample. The sperm are then prepared in the laboratory to ensure optimal conditions for fertilisation.
Step 6: Fertilisation
In the laboratory, the retrieved eggs are combined with the prepared sperm to facilitate fertilisation. The fertilised eggs, or embryos, are monitored for growth over the next few days.
Step 7: Embryo Selection
Not all the fertilised eggs will result in viable embryos. The embryologist will select the healthiest and most viable embryos for transfer. The remaining embryos may be frozen for future use.
Step 8: Embryo Transfer
The selected embryo is transferred into the uterus using a thin catheter. The procedure is usually painless and does not require anaesthesia. Patients can leave the clinic after a few hours.
There are certain guidelines to keep to and medication required to be taken after the embryo transfer which will all be explained to you by Sago IVF Team.
Step 9: Pregnancy Test
It is possible to establish the success of your IVF treatment as soon as 12 days after your embryo transfer if you undergo an HCG blood test.
At this stage, the blood test is the only option as it is still too early to obtain an accurate result with a urine test.
If you are not able to arrange an HCG blood test, you can perform a urine pregnancy test, but you will have to wait until 14 days after embryo transfer.
Step 10: Follow-up
If the pregnancy test is positive, the patient will have regular check-ups with a fertility specialist to monitor the progress of the pregnancy. If the test is negative, the patient and doctor will discuss next steps, which may include trying another cycle of IVF.
All these steps commence however after initial contact with one of Sago Team’s experienced Patient Advisors. Reach out to Sago Team for a free consultation and find out more on IVF treatments in North Cyprus.
