Egg Donation

Egg donation program have helped many women around the world on pursuing their dream of motherhood.

Who can benefit from Egg donation Treatment?

• Females with no ovaries
• Females with ovaries who have a failure to produce eggs (situations such as premature menopause).
• Females who are recommended to benefit from the egg donation due to genetic problems.
• Females with damaged ovaries because of radiotherapy, chemotherapy due to reasons like cancer.
• Older females who went through menopause.

Selection of egg donors:

In selecting egg donors, patient must send us their picture, blood group, and fill the form and state her height, weight, ethnicity, etc... At our clinic, we have a very wide range of donors, and multiple nationalities. Cyprus is very well-known for its universities, and students come from all over the world to study & live in Cyprus and this makes us able to have donors from all over the world. Egg donation treatment in Cyprus must be anonymous according to the laws of TRNC.

• Egg donors who are accepted at our clinic, are checked as follows:
• Must be between 19-26 years old
• Chromosomal Analysis Test (Karyotype)
• Hormone blood tests & pelvic scan
• All infectious diseases
• A session with our part-time psychologist at the clinic to make sure the donor has no psychology or mental problems
• No history of mental , and genetic diseases in her family

The needed Medical Tests:

Women Hormone Blood Tests:

• FSH (follicle stimulating hormone)
• TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone)
• E2
• Prolactin

Women Above the age of 45 years old is required to make extra tests to make sure that they are fit for pregnancy and pregnancy doesn’t harm them; these tests are as follows:

• Liver Function: (1) ALT (2) AST
• Kidney Function: (1) Creatinine (2) UREA
• Blood pressure
• Blood Glucose Level
• Cholesterol Level
• Complete Blood Count (CBC)
• Complete Urine Test

Additional to these tests, you will need:

✓ Letter from an internal medicine doctor & Cardiologist confirming that you are fit for pregnancy. These tests can be done in Cyprus; if the patient prefers.

✓Trans-vaginal scan (Ultrasound Scan) for ovarian & uterine assessment Ultrasound Scan:

The purpose of these scans is to measure your response to medication. More precisely, the purpose of the scan is as follows:

• Assessment of endometrial appearance and thickness
• Assessment of uterine conditions (to make sure there are no uterine pathologies that may interfere with our treatment).

Semen Analysis:

A semen analysis helps assess the quality of a sperm sample with respect to key parameters including sperm volume, concentration (count) per mL, motility, morphology, PH and round cell count.

Infectious Diseases Screening:

• Anti-HIV – test for HIV/AIDS infection
• Anti-HCV – test for Hepatitis C virus infection
• Rubella IgG- IgM – test for German measles infection
• CMV IgG – test for Cytomegalovirus infection
• HbsAg – test for Hepatitis B virus infection
• VDRL – test for Syphilis infection
• Anti- Hbs

How to start the treatment:

Step 1

To Read everything carefully and send all of your questions to your coordinator. Please don’t hesitate to ask as many questions as you want. Please know that you have the right to schedule a call or video call at any time, to ask and get to know your coordinator and doctor. We believe the relationship between the doctor & patient is very important, as she will be performing your treatment, this is why you should be relaxed and happy with your doctor. 

Step 2

Fill the application form that is sent to you by your coordinator or you can schedule a call with your coordinator and she will ask you some questions. 

Step 3

Schedule a pelvic scan date with your Gynecologist. Also, you need to make the required Medical Tests. 

Step 4

Send the application form, Medical tests results, and Scan to your coordinator. 

Step 5

Once you have sent your results, within 24 hours, your coordinator will send you an assessment letter from the doctor. This assessment letter will have everything included, about your situation, success rates, best treatment for you, and advices. And matched egg donor profiles are sent as well. 

Step 6

At this time after everything has been organized and the egg donor profiles has been chosen, you will be receiving your medical Treatment protocol and a prescription to start your treatment.

Egg donors and Patients menstruation cycle are synchronized together to have the ability to have a fresh cycle. On the day of the egg donor retrieval patient must be in Cyprus as the partner sperm sample shall be handed.

Initial scan

Day one of your menstrual cycle marks day one of the treatment process with medications. On day 12 (which is the expected date for the egg donor to retrieve the eggs) you will fly to Cyprus. Your coordinator will be in touch to advise your pick-up time for the appointments in Cyprus. The initial scan consists of a trans-vaginal ultrasound to check the development of your follicles. (Dr. Verda may prescribe additional stimulation medications at this stage if necessary). 

Egg & Sperm Collection

Our team will advise you of your pick-up time and  day of egg donor collection. During the eggs collection, our team at Kyrenia IVF,we will be preparing the sperm sample from your partner (or donor). Abstinence from ejaculation for two to three days prior to providing the semen specimen is recommended. 

Fertilization

The most motile sperms are selected for fertilization. To ensure fertilization, our team uses the ICSI procedure. This technique involves the insemination of sperm into each egg by micro-injection. Once you have had the appropriate rest, our transfer team will take you back to your hotel. Our doctors will also discuss with you the amount of eggs that were collected and the sperm quality. Our team will also discuss with you any other information regarding the procedures carried out that day. After 24 hours, you will receive an update regarding the fertilization process and the amount of embryos. 

Embryo Transfer

The embryos are transferred on either day three or day five of their development. Our compassionate embryologist is highly skilled in identifying healthy embryos and in some cases will recommend extending embryo development to day five — also known as blastocyst stage. Blastocyst transfer is common in IVF cycles as it can increase the chances of success while decreasing the likelihood of multiples. Dr. Verda will work closely with our Embryologist to determine if a day three or day five transfer is ideal for you. On transfer day, Dr. Verda will discuss with you the quality and quantity of your embryos. You can then decide how many embryos you wish to have transferred. Again you will be shown to a room and provided with the necessary garments. Embryos are transferred to the uterus through a soft embryo transfer catheter. This painless procedure is similar to a pap smear and does not require any anesthesia. The embryos are placed in a small amount of fluid inside the catheter, which is passed through the cervix at the time of a speculum examination and ultrasound guıdance. The embryos are placed in a position to reach the top part of the uterus. The catheter is removed and checked to ensure that all the embryos have been transferred. You are required to have a full bladder for the transfer procedure and we advise that you begin drinking water on the way to the hospital. After the embryo transfer is complete, your bed will be wheeled from the procedure room into your private room, all while you remain lying flat on your back. Since you must remain as flat as possible, a bed pan will be brought to you by the nurse approximately 15 minutes after the transfer procedure if needed. If you desire to use cryopreservation, the good quality embryos that are not transferred can be frozen in liquid nitrogen, carefully labeled and stored in the embryo bank. These can be used in subsequent cycles if pregnancy is not achieved on the first attempt or if you decide to have more children at a later date. 

The Result

The most accurate test for pregnancy is the beta HCG blood test — 12 days after the embryo transfer (day 1 being the day after transfer took place). HCG is also known as 'the pregnancy hormone'. The body begins to produce HCG when an embryo begins to implant in the uterus. While we understand many intended parents are anxious to find out the results at home, please wait until day 12.

In some cases, it can be difficult to have a blood test carried out. A home pregnancy test will indicate whether or not there is any detectable HCG in your urine and not the level present. Please wait to carry out a home pregnancy test 14 days after the embryo transfer. Please note HCG is present in urine in the highest concentration first thing in the morning. 

If you have a positive result, it is very important that you continue the medications as advised by Dr. Verda. You can also advise your doctor / gynecologist as you will need support and subsequent tests and scans. You should repeat the beta test in 2 to 3 days. The goal is to have the level of HCG doubled every 3 days. If it needed another beta test should be carried out in another 2-3 days’ time. If all three betas indicate a healthy pregnancy, then a vaginal ultrasound will be scheduled between 6 to 8 weeks of the pregnancy. At that time, your doctor will be looking for a heartbeat and a gestational sac to confirm the pregnancy. 

If the result is negative and you have had a blood test on day 12, ALL medications should cease straight away. If the result is negative and you have carried out a urine test on day 14, we recommend that you continue taking the medications as advised by Dr. Verda for another 2 days and test again. If the result is still negative, ALL medications should cease right away. 

Any negative results on your pregnancy test are devastating — Dr. Verda and the Kyrenia IVF staff are available to answer any questions you have about the procedure and discuss further options for you.