The full treatment at our clinic is carried out in 3 appointments – consultation, insemination of the eggs with the sperm of the partner/husband (or donor) and transfer of the embryos. If the sperm is collected and frozen at the first visit, then only two appointments are necessary – consultation and embryo transfer.
The first consultation can also be done via Skype to explain the entire process to you.
Donors remain anonymous in the Czech Republic. Our clinic has its sperm bank, the screened frozen sperm in our bank are used for fertilizing oocytes. Hence there is no waiting time for finding a sperm donor. On the other hand, ovum donations include fertilization of the ova on the same day as they were retrieved. To donate to our clinic donors need to undergo several consultations with our physicians. They need to pass a battery of exams before they can be entered into our registry. The screening criteria are very accurate and thorough according to the Czech legislation. At the minimum, all our donors at least hold a diploma and our patrons, both men, and women, are between the ages of 18 and 35. Our female supporters are mostly students and young mothers with their children. They are also perfectly healthy as they undergo specific medical examinations before donating. Our strength lies in our ability to match the donor’s phenotypes with those of the recipient (blood type, hair color and eye color, height, weight, skin type). It is critical for us to please our patients and cater to their preferences so that it results in the birth of a healthy baby. The waiting time for finding a compatible donor, i.e. being able to go forward with the egg donation, is none. Once the donor is found, we move forward with the stimulation, which lasts about 1-2 months.
All our patients are required to provide us with a recent PAP smear test and hormonal profile blood FSH, LH, PRL, E2, progesterone, fT3, fT4, TSH) before the first interview. These results will be discussed with our physician in an individual consultation session. On the beginning of a woman’s period, the blood work for hormonal values will be performed, between the 2nd and the 4th day of the menstrual cycle. The results should not be older than six months. Patients should make sure that the physician has the results before the first interview; they can also send their results by email or fax. The most important test for men is the semen-seminal fluid analysis which is done to assess the quality of the sperm. Semen collection is performed in our clinic; the report will indicate the most efficient laboratory method. Patients who are collecting a semen specimen for analysis should abstain from sexual practices for at least 2-4 days. This sample will also be stored in case it is needed in the future (due to illness, accident, etc.) for treatment.
During your consultation (Skype or personal) with the physician you can ask any questions that you have, the session will last approximately one hour. The doctor will study your results and may require more analyses and controls to be made. He will inform the couple about the treatment options and laboratory procedures required once he has made the diagnosis of the situation. If you decide to proceed with the treatment, we will immediately provide you with all the necessary medications as well as instructions on how to use them.
You will be instructed to start using a nasal spray (Synarel) for down-regulation about a week before stimulation. You will also start the hormonal stimulation from your home by estrogens; we will provide the medicine during your first consultation. An ultrasound check of the woman’s endometrium (uterine lining) will be done on the 10th – 13th day of the cycle to measure the mucosal development. This can also be done by your gynecologist, so you do not need to visit our clinic for this.
The ovulation and withdrawal of the eggs (OPU – ovum pick up) are performed once the follicles of the donor have sufficiently matured. The harvested eggs are fertilized with the husband/partner’s sperm on the same day. Fertilization can be done by a fresh or frozen sperm from a previous visit to our clinic. It is advised to abstain from sexual activity for 2-4 days before providing the sperm.
ICSI (Intracytoplasmic sperm injection) is an in vitro fertilization procedure in which a single sperm is injected directly into an egg using a fine, micropipette. In cases where the sperm quality is poor or there are infertility problems this procedure is most suitable. Based on the best appearance and motility, a healthy sperm is selected to be injected into an ovum. ICSI allows numerous oocytes to be fertilized. The PICSI requires sperms to be tested for their ability to feed and function.
Three days after the eggs are fertilized (or up to 5 days for a prolonged cultivation), the best quality embryos that have reached an appropriate stage of development, are selected to be transferred to your womb.
Implantation of multiple embryos increases the percentage of success but also increases the risks for both mother and fetuses. You should discuss the number of embryos you are willing to have implanted with your doctor and embryologist. We do our best to eliminate these risks and make the decision with each couple individually.
You will be able to leave our clinic and travel one hour after the transfer of the embryo. You can take a pregnancy test (urine) 14 days later for a positive result, taking the test early may give a false negative. A more accurate test would be measuring the value of hCG in the blood (the Beta-hCG).
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