IVF With Embryo Donation
Embryo donation can be considered by single women or couples if there is infertility factor in both partners. This procedure can be utilized to avoid genetic diseases to pass the next generation as well. In this program, both sperm and egg are received from the donors to create the set of embryos. The born baby will not carry the genetics of the man (intended father) and woman (intended mother).
Who Might Consider IVF treatment with Embryo Donation?
Embryo donation is a procedure performed for patients who cannot use their eggs and sperm during an IVF treatment for several reasons. This treatment can be suitable;
How do we select our egg donors?
All our donors are;
Which criteria do egg donors need to meet?
In addition to the above-mentioned requirements, donor candidates must pass all required blood tests, ultrasound scans, gynecological examination, and genetic testings to ensure they have sufficient ovarian reserves and are free of infectious and most frequent genetic diseases. This comprehensive selection process generally takes a couple of months.
Required tests which are determined by the Ministry of Health in North Cyprus include;
Only those who have completed this process are added to our anonymous donor list.
How do we select our sperm donors?
We work with the European Sperm Bank and Cyros International to obtain sperm. All donors undergo comprehensive health screenings and genetic testing to ensure the highest level of safety by the sperm banks. Donor’s characteristic information is available on Sperm Bank’s website.
The process of IVF treatment with Emryo Donation Step-by-step
- Before starting the IVF program, you will be asked to fill out a patient information form, which will help us to have information about your general health, fertility status and medical history to understand your case better.
- If you live abroad, you will be invited to a video call as a 1st contact to meet our medical team and patient coordinators. If you live in or can come to North Cyprus, you can have a face-to-face interview with our IVF specialist at our hospital.
- Our IVF program begins by evaluating your most recent blood tests and health records by our IVF specialist to recommend the best suitable treatment option for you and to determine the treatment plan step-by-step (Any of these tests performed within three (3) months can be sent directly to our medical team. You do not have to repeat them)
After our doctor examines your tests and confirms the treatment option with you, we will ask you to fill out an Egg Donor Recipient form to start searching for the best donor candidate for you. We have a diverse egg donor network and for donor sperm, we are working with European Sperm Bank and Cyros International. Once we get information about your and your partner’s physical characteristics and blood type, we will check for and send you the most suitable donor options so you can choose one of them.
- Selected donors will undergo the egg stimulation phase. For the fresh cycles (where we collect eggs from the donor, create the embryos with donor sperm, and do embryo transfer on the 5th day), we will synchronize the donor’s and your preparation. The start date of this process depends on your menstrual cycle.
- While the donor is prepared for the egg retrieval process, you will be prepared for receiving the embryo.
- Once we know the date your menstrual cycle begins (If you are in menopause, there is a possibility of triggering your menstrual cycle with medications if our doctor decides to do so), our IVF specialist will create your personalized medication protocol. The treatment will start on the 2nd day of your period and takes approximately two weeks, with transvaginal ultrasounds on the 2nd, 8th, and 10th days. These Transvaginal Ultrasound check-ups help us monitor the progress of your Endometrium Thickness (ET) and adjust the dosage of medications accordingly.
Note: As well as being able to do a fresh IVF cycle (preparing the donor and you at the same time), we can also create the embryos with donor eggs and donor sperm and freeze them as a 1st step, and then we can start your treatment for the embryo transfer whenever you feel ready.
Is there any difference in success rates of using fresh & frozen embryos during IVF?
Recent medical research and many fertility specialists indicate that the pregnancy rates of fresh embryos vs. frozen embryos are almost the same, while others state that frozen embryo transfer cycles produce greater success rates than fresh transfers.
If we prepared the donor, collected eggs, and created the embryos with donor sperm already, there will be no need to synchronize your and the donor’s cycles. We will only prepare you for the embryo transfer.
We will inform you once the egg donor’s preparation (egg stimulation process) is completed and she is ready for the egg collection. The collected eggs will be fertilized on the same day with the chosen donor sperm (for a fresh cycle). For fertilization, we use the ICSI method, injecting the selected sperm directly into the egg.
After fertilization, the embryos will be kept in a particular culture medium in the laboratory for five days. Following embryo creation, the embryo divides and multiplies its cells over 5 to 6 days to become a blastocyst. (A healthy embryo will contain about 6 to 10 cells three days after fertilization. By the fifth or sixth day, the fertilized egg is known as a blastocyst — a rapidly dividing ball of cells) The embryo’s quality depends on the quality of the sperm and the eggs. Embryo cultivation until the blastocyst stage allows us to select the highest quality embryos with the highest potential to develop further. Embryos that survive this stage of development have a high implantation potential once transferred into the uterine cavity.
The highest-quality embryos are selected and transferred into the uterus at the end of the laboratory process. The number of embryos to be transferred is decided by our doctor with you, considering your age, general health, previous unsuccessful IVF attempts and the quality of the embryos. (If more than one embryo is transferred, the possibility of multiple pregnancies increases.) Based on the regulation in North Cyprus, we are allowed to transfer a maximum of three embryos at one transfer.
After one or two healthy embryos are transferred into the uterus, the remaining embryos are frozen for future use on the same day of embryo transfer.
You will perform a pregnancy blood test after 12 days after the embryo transfer date and let us know the result.
What is the success rate for IVF with embryo donation at Cyprus IVF Hospital?
The success rates can vary each year depending on several factors, as per below;
The success rate in IVF with egg donation at our hospital is up to 90%, based on our 2022 operational results.
More information about our success rate can be found on our website in the link below.
Why to Choose Cyprus IVF Hospital for IVF with Embryo Donation?
Frequently Asked Questions About IVF With Embryo Donation
What characteristics should be considered in the selection of egg donors?
After the intended parents fill out the Egg Donor Recipient Form, we provide them with the most suitable donor options for choosing their egg donor accordingly.
The most critical point in selecting an appropriate egg donor is the blood type of the intended mother to make sure that the baby’s blood type is the possible combination of the intended parents’ blood types. The other criteria considered while choosing the donor options are age, hair & eye color/ weight & height/ ethnicity (if there is a special preference).
Are egg donors anonymous?
Yes. According to the North Cyprus Ministry of Health’s IVF regulations, egg donation must be done anonymously. Donor confidentiality is protected by a legal consent form separately signed by both the donor and the recipient.
How is a sperm donor selected?
Sperm donors are typically carefully screened and selected by sperm banks. Donors are evaluated for factors such as medical history, genetic health, physical characteristics, and personal attributes.
All donor sperm in our hospital’s bank are selected from donors who have undergone comprehensive health screenings and genetic tests by sperm banks.
The appropriate donor is selected according to the father’s physical characteristics and blood type to make sure that the baby’s blood type is the possible combination of the intended parents’ blood types and to increase the possibility that the baby looks like the intended father.
Is sperm donation anonymous?
Sperm donation to sperm banks is done anonymously. Therefore, the identity of the donor cannot be shared.
Intended parents can only learn certain details about the donor, such as blood type, age, hair and eye color, weight and height, profession, and hobbies, to help them in the selection process. Characteristic information of donors can be accessed on the websites of sperm banks.
What information does each party have about the other?
The donor can not access information about the recipient (intended parents). Recipients can only learn specific details about the donor, like blood type/age/hair & eye colour/ethnicity/ weight & height/occupation/hobbies, which will help them in the selection process. The photos of egg donors can not be shared with intended parents.
Sperm banks can share the childhood photo of the donors. Characteristic information and childhood photo of donors can be accessed on the websites of sperm banks.
What is the next step if the first embryo transfer fails?
Initially, the cause of the failure should be determined by our specialists, and the decision will be made for further protocols accordingly. If all the embryos are not used during the first transfer, the remaining can be used for future embryo transfer attempts.
What is the price of IVF treatment with embryo donation?
For detailed information about the pricing, please visit our webpage https://cyprusivfhospital.com/pricing/