IVF (in vitro fertilization) Greece

The IVF cycle consists of the following stages:

• Ovarian suppression and stimulation –drug-induced ovulation

At the initial stage of treatment, ovaries are stimulated by hormonal drugs to produce many ovaries. Should one consider that normally the female body grows and releases only one mature egg monthly, the development of more ovarian follicles is possible by administering hormones (a combination of GnRH and FSH analogues) inducing controlled ovarian stimulation to develop multiple ovarian follicles.Monitoring stimulation with a series of sonograms and hormonal determinations

• During ovarian stimulation treatment, the female undergoes systematic sonographic tests to assess whether the ovarian follicles in which eggs are found have achieved the desired size and maturation

Sonographic and hormonal determination is required to monitor stimulation and administer chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). Ovulation is induced by a midnight injection approximately 36 hours prior to the egg collection and completes the medication in the treatment protocol followed.

• Egg collection
  The egg collection follows (collecting developed eggs); during this process, the gynaecologist performs an ultrasound-guided transvaginal paracentesis of ovarian follicles using precise and fine movements. The ovarian fluid is immediately tested by an embryologist under the microscope to confirm an egg has been collected and the process is repeated for all mature eggs in ovaries. The embryology lab will then let us know of the final number of collected eggs. Egg collection is carried out under intravenous sedation and it is practically a painless and brief process.
  
  
• Sperm collection

Approximately two hours before the egg collection, a sperm sample is collected from the wife’s husband. This samples is subjected to a special activation process, where the most mobile and healthy spermatozoa are selected. They remain in the lab in a nutrient until they are placed with the eggs. In case where no spermatozoa are found in the fluid, a testicular biopsy is performed.