Frequently Asked Questions

Which treatment protocol will be used for me?
The treatment protocol is defined based on the woman’s age, past clinical history and the ovarian reserve.  This can be discussed further if you contact the clinic and we can take down your details and medical history.

Which blood tests are needed before enrolling reproductive treatment?
All the tests recommended by ESHRE (European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology) are done prior to the treatment. All of the tests can be done in our clinic. In order to be aware of any abnormal test results, we strongly recommend you to have the tests and let us know the results before flying to Turkey.

Do you collect the eggs under general anesthesia?
Yes. General anesthesia is routinely for a comfortable procedure. Since the egg collection is a short procedure it takes between  3-10 minutes, mild sedation with propofol suffices you may opt out of anesthesia but is strongly recommended.

When would embryo transfer take place?
Transfer is usally between the second and third day (cleavage stage) this is after the egg collection. In some cases prolonged in vitro cultures are preferred and blastocyst transfer is done on day five.

How many embryos do you transfer?
The National Society of Reproductive Health and Embryology in Turkey recommends that not more than three embryos to be transferred each attempt in ordinary cases. However this does not apply in Turkish legislations, therefore  the number of embryos that can be transferred can be increased if there is a valid reason.  This will be fully discussed with the couple before process and treatment begins no more than three embryos will be transferred unless both parties are in agreement and they consent. The patient can decide to reduce the amount of embryos transferred at anytime before the procedure. There is no pressure to increase the embryo transfer rate.  This would  generally apply to women who are over 38 years of age and if there has been a history of recurrent treatment failures.

In our clinic our policy is to transfer 1-3 embryos in the first attempt depending on the patient’s age, quality and the number of the embryos. We take into consideration the patients’ idea prior to define the number of embryos to be transferred (e.g. Single embryo transfer can be done on demand of the couple even in the presence of ten good quality embryos).

Do you freeze the remaining embryos?
According to the Turkish legislations, the remaining embryos can be frozen and stored up to five years. We would require a signed consent  form from the patient  prior to cryopresrvation.

Is there an age limit?
No. There is no age limitation in Turkey but since the success rates decrease dramatically, egg donation IVF/ICSI  maybe necessary for  women over the age of 43.

Is Third party reproduction allowed in Turkey?
All kinds of third party reproduction is forbidden in Turkey. However in such cases we can refer the patient to our sister clinic in Northern Cyprus where egg donation, sperm donation or embryo donation can take place.

Would I need to come back for any reason?
No. The pregnancy follow up is no different than a natural pregnancy. You can have all the routine tests and examinations in your country. 

When would my first scan be?
It is highly reccommended that the first ultrasound examination should be done 10 days after the pregnancy result. This would be to ensure the development of the pregnancy sac and anything is normal. The next scan would need to be the following week to check for embryo development and fetal heart beat.

Once these have been done your pregnancy will be no different from a natural pregnancy.

Would I have to continue treatment in UK?
All information regarding treatment will be given before leaving the clinic.

Do I have to disclose my medical information?
In ordinary cases, one does not have to disclose the medical details.

Do you encounter multiple pregnancies?
Yes. Multiple pregnancies are cine qua non of reproductive treatments ranging from 10-30%  of all IVF/ICSI treatments throughout the world. Fortunately vast majority of the multiples are twins. In our clinic, in order to minimize the probability of multiple gestation and to overcome the related risks, elective single embryo transfer or dual embryo transfer are performed at blastocyst stage in suitable cases.

What if more than two emryos are implanted and I have multiples?
We would recommend embryo reduction. This procedure would be to decrease the number of fetuses to 2 or 1. The risk of carrying triplets or higher multiples has great risks and it is very rare that these pregnancy go without serious consequence. On the other hand there is a slight risk with embryo reduction procedure itself and has a 2% chance of miscarraige in our hands. In spite of the successful results of embryo reduction, this procedure is not a routine part of reproduction management. The goal of a successful reproductive treatment is a singleton pregnancy and reducing the number of embryos transferred  should be the main approach for this goal. But in certain circumstances embryo reduction is a mandatory procedure.