Cyprus IVF Hospital Egg Donation Program
"At Cyprus IVF Hospital, we are dedicated to being a patient-centric healthcare institution. Our mission is to understand, define, and address the unique needs and expectations of our patients. We believe in a patient-oriented approach that places the individual at the forefront of our care. Centering on the distinctive requirements of every patient, our goal is to deliver personalized and compassionate healthcare solutions. Your well-being is our priority, and we are committed to delivering excellence by meeting and exceeding your expectations. Your trust inspires us, and your satisfaction is the measure of our success.”
Disclosure: This article is sponsored by Cyprus IVF Hospital
Cyprus IVF Hospital Egg Donation Program
Why Choose Cyprus IVF Hospital?
At Cyprus IVF Hospital, we understand that your healthcare journey is as unique as you are. Here are compelling reasons to choose us for your healthcare needs:
Personalized Care
We prioritize you. Our commitment is to address the distinctive requirements of each patient, ensuring a healthcare plan tailored to your individual needs.
Compassionate Approach
Experience healthcare with heart. Our team is dedicated to providing empathetic and understanding support throughout your journey, fostering a compassionate and reassuring environment.
Expertise in IVF
As a leading IVF center, our specialized focus sets us apart. At Cyprus IVF Hospital, we take pride in our exceptional team of experts dedicated to your family-building journey. Our two distinguished IVF specialists, Dr. Serap Kağan and Dr. İçten Balık Kıvançlı, stand at the forefront of reproductive medicine, bringing a wealth of experience and unwavering commitment to your care.
Patient-Centric Philosophy
We've built our hospital around you. Our patient-centric philosophy guides every aspect of our services, creating an environment where your well-being is our top priority.
Transparent Communication
Open and clear communication is key. We ensure that you are well-informed at every step, empowering you to make informed decisions about your healthcare.
1. Can you tell us why patients from abroad should consider North Cyprus as their destination for egg donation programs abroad?
Northern Cyprus, which hosts many patients worldwide searching for high-quality IVF treatment, is well known for affordable treatment fees, high-standard healthcare facilities, liberal IVF regulations, various donation programs, and premium packages, including premium add-on services designed for our patient's needs.
Why Choose Cyprus IVF Hospital for IVF with Egg Donation?
· There is no waiting time for choosing donors
· A diverse egg donor network
· Women can have IVF treatment up to age 55
· Unmarried couples
· Single women
· Personalised care for individual needs and preferences
· High Success Rates
· Multilingual and experienced medical team
· High-standard healthcare facilities
· Refund guarantee programme (For detailed information, please have a look at our Pregnancy Guaranteed IVF with Egg Donation Program
2. What egg donors are available at your clinic (race/ethnicity, proven fertility, age)?
All our donors are anonymous and aged between 21 and 31 years. Fertility and other tests are applied to donors; more information can be found in Article 4 below.
The donor ethnicities are mostly Caucasian (such as Ukrainian, Moldovan, Belarus, Russian, and Turkish), Asian (not the Far East but Central Asia like Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan), Middle Eastern (various Arabs and Iranian), Black African, and North African (such as Moroccan).
3. Do you use your own egg bank or external egg banks?
We don't use external egg banks. Our hospital maintains an in-house egg donor database, providing a comprehensive selection of available donors.
4. How egg donors are qualified for the process?
How do we select our egg donors? All our donors are;
· Anonymous
· Aged between 21 and 31 years
· Have perfect health and mental state
· Screened medically, genetically, and psychologically to make sure that they don't have transmissible or genetically determined diseases
· Have a healthy lifestyle (BMI below 30)
Which criteria do egg donors have to meet?
In addition to the above mentioned requirements, donor candidates must pass all required blood tests, ultrasound scans, gynaecological examinations, and genetic testing 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;
· HBsAg
· HIV
· Anti-HCV
· VDRL
· Hemogram
· APTT
· PT
· HB Electrophoresis
· Karyotype
· Cystic Fibrosis
· Sickle Cell
Besides these tests, at our hospital, we apply GeneScreen® Easy (Carrier Screening Test screens for several of the most commonly requested disorders, including those recommended by the ACMG & ACOG and disorders specific for individuals of Ashkenazi Jewish descent, testing 330 genes associated with ~600 recessive and X-linked genetic disorders) to the donor candidates.
Only those who have completed this process are added to our anonymous donor list.
5. Do you offer fresh and/or frozen oocytes? How the egg donation cycles are organised and managed in terms of synchronisation?
We mostly use fresh oocytes in the egg donation IVF treatment process. Synchronising the donor's and the woman's preparation:
· Selected donors (by patients) undergo the egg stimulation phase. For the fresh cycles (where we collect eggs from the donor and sperm from the partner, create the embryos and do embryo transfer on the 5th day- within the same IVF cycle), we synchronise the donor's and the patient's (the embryo receiver's) preparation.
· While the donor is prepared for the egg retrieval process, the patient is prepared for receiving the embryo.
· The start date of this fresh cycle process depends on the patient's menstrual cycle.
· We give medication to the chosen donor (mostly contraceptive pills) to synchronise her period with the patient's. The donor's preparation protocol starts a few days before the patient's cycle arrives.
· Once we know the date that the patient's menstrual cycle begins (If the patient is under menopause, there is a possibility of triggering her menstrual cycle with medications if our doctor decides to do so), our IVF specialist creates a personalised medication protocol for her. The treatment starts on the 2nd day of her 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 her 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 partner's sperm (if collected before) and freeze them as a 1st step, and then we can start the woman's treatment for the embryo transfer whenever she feels ready.
Is there any difference in success rates of using fresh and 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.
So, if we prepared the donor, collected eggs, and created the embryos with partner sperm already, there would be no need to synchronise the patient's and the donor's cycles. We will only prepare the patient for the embryo transfer.
Collection and fertilisation of eggs
We inform couples once the egg donor's preparation (egg stimulation process) is completed, and she is ready for the egg collection. The male partner must provide the sperm sample on the same day to fertilise the donor's eggs (for a fresh cycle). The partner's frozen sperm can also be used for fertilisation if he has had his sperm frozen at our hospital before.
6. How the egg donor matching with the recipient process is managed? Is it possible to match and "book" the donor before the first visit at the clinic?
For the donor selection process, we ask the intended parents to fill out an Egg Donor Recipient form to start searching for the best donor candidate for them. We have a diverse egg donor network, so once we get information about their physical characteristics and blood type, we check for and send them the most suitable donor options so they can choose one.
The most critical point in selecting an appropriate egg donor is the blood type of the intended mother. This ensures the baby's blood type is a possible combination of the intended parents' blood types. The other criteria considered while choosing the donor options are age, hair & eye colour/ weight & and height/ ethnicity.
The donor reservation process is done before the patients come to the hospital. They need to make a pre-payment of half the amount of the treatment for us to reserve the egg donor for them.
7. What is the average number of visits and time spent in the clinic for patients travelling for IVF with donor eggs from abroad?
We offer 2 options for the Intended parents for their stay in Cyprus. We explain them the process as below;
OPTION 1:
1. Visit: You can come with your partner to Cyprus for a weekend for 2 or 3 days (e.g. from Friday to Sunday),
· You will see our hospital and meet with the team and Dr Serap; she will examine you and;
· We will do all your and your husband's blood tests, your vaginal ultrasound check-ups here at the hospital. We will prepare your medical protocol and write your medication. This will take only 1 full day.
You can then return home with the medication and the treatment protocol in your hands. (The price of medication and the tests are much cheaper here in Cyprus compared to any country.)
· In the meantime, we can collect your husband's sperm, and he doesn't need to come back again. Only you can come for the transfer.
At home country:
· You will start your medication on 2nd day of your period to make your uterus to be ready for the transfer. Our medical team will contact you about when and how you will use your medication. That preparation process will take approximately two weeks. We will ask you to perform transvaginal ultrasounds on the 2nd and 8th days.
In the meantime, we will choose the egg donor based on the information you will fill out on the attached donor recipient form. We will send you the donor options once we match and find the best donors. You will choose one and we will start her egg stimulation protocol.
Once the donor is ready for the egg collection, we will collect the eggs and create the embryos with your husband's sperm.
2. Visit to Cyprus for the embryo transfer :
· After reviewing your ultrasound results and blood test results, once our doctor confirms that you are ready, you will come to Cyprus for the embryo transfer 1 day before the transfer date.
This option requires 2 trips to Cyprus, but you will only stay 5 days or less.
OPTION 2:
Only 1-visit to Cyprus :
· In this option, you will stay in Cyprus for approximately 2 weeks during the IVF process.
· During your stay, you will be under our supervision: We will do all your blood tests, vaginal ultrasound check-ups. You will obtain your medication and start IVF protocol in Cyprus.
· When the embryo is transferred, you can fly back to your country on the same date.
8. What are important IVF add-ons patients may consider for their egg donation cycle?
Patients should discuss these options with their doctors to decide based on their circumstances.
Pre-Implantation Genetic Testing (PGT)
PGT can involve testing embryos for chromosomal abnormalities before implantation, which may enhance the chances of a successful pregnancy.
The genetic tests which are most commonly applied at our hospital are as follows:
Assisted Hatching
This technique involves creating a small opening in the outer layer of the embryo to facilitate its implantation in the uterus.
Intralipid Infusions
Intralipid therapy involves the administration of intravenous fat emulsion and is sometimes considered for patients with immune-related issues.
EmbryoGlue
EmbryoGlue is a special transfer medium that may be used during embryo transfer to improve implantation rates.
9. How the embryo transfer process is organised and managed at your clinic for patients who are travelling from abroad?
Explained in Article 7.
10. What may be guaranteed in basics egg donation programs at your clinic? The number of oocytes, the number of embryos, etc.?
Mature eggs guaranteed: 8 (M2) quality of eggs
Embryos guaranteed: At least 2 embryos on Day 5 guaranteed
11. Are there any tests/scans or other diagnostics patients should provide before the first visit to the clinic when travelling for an egg donation cycle?
Yes. The woman and man must perform the required tests and scans before proceeding to their IVF program. We email them the test before they visit Cyprus so they can decide whether to perform it in their country or at our hospital.
Preparation Phase & Free consultation
· Before starting the IVF program, IPs will be asked to fill out a patient information form, which will help us understand their general health, fertility status, and medical history to understand their case better.
· If they live abroad, they will be invited to a video call as a 1st contact to meet our medical team and patient coordinators. If they live in or can come to North Cyprus, they can have a face-to-face interview with our IVF specialist at our hospital.
· Our IVF program begins by evaluating the woman and man's 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 months can be sent to directly to our medical team. You do not have to repeat them)
12. What are the documents (agreement/contract) patients need to read and sign before starting an egg donation program?
The IPs are asked to sign,
· Cyprus IVF Hospital Consent Form (Main Template)
· Consent Form For Frozen Embryo Transfer
· Embryo/Sperm/Egg Disposition Consent Form
13. From which countries do patients most often travel for an egg donation program to your clinic?
While the majority of our patients hailing from the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Denmark, Sweden and the Balkans, as well as other EU countries, form a significant part of our portfolio, we also proudly serve individuals from diverse corners of the globe, including the USA, Canada, Japan, China, New Zealand, India, various Arab countries, and North Africa.
14. What kind of support do you offer for patients who are traveling from abroad for egg donation programs at your clinic?
Pick-up Service from Airports
For all our patients living abroad, we offer airport pick-up service.
· The Transportation between Ercan (ECN) Airport (Northern Cyprus) is free of charge.
· The transportation from/to Larnaca (LCA) Airport is for €75 per one-way and Paphos (PFO) airport for €150 per one-way.
Hotel Accommodation
· We provide IPs with a list of agreed hotels featuring diverse options.
· Our related team arranges all booking processes with the hotels so the patients don't have to deal with the booking or stress about any cancellation fee if needed to revise their duration of stay in Cyprus.
Free transportation between the hospital and the hotel
We assign a dedicated driver for our patients and provide complimentary transportation between the hospital and their hotel throughout their stay.
7/24 Access to our team
Our medical team provides 7/24 accessible guidance to our patients during their treatment.
Other VIP services offered
We provide complimentary assistance for patients who require injections by sending our nurses to their hotel upon request.
Medical Disclaimer:
The information provided in this blog is intended for general informational purposes only and should not be considered as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your healthcare provider or qualified medical professional with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this blog.