In vitro fertilization (IVF) Test-Tube Baby
General Information: Ankara City Hospital Test-Tube Baby Center provides service on The Main Mass (MHC-L0) in Ankara City Hospital, Bilkent Campus. Our center has a patient-friendly design for comfort and quality service for patients who want to have babies. We also provides service for international patients within the scope of Health Tourism. Our test-tube baby center which has blazed a trail for many subjects in the field has the feature of being one of the Assisted-reproduction Treatment Training Center of The Ministry of Health where many obstetricians and embryology specialists who perform in the different regions of our country and Test-Tube Baby Centers undergo their training in Test-Tube Baby. Our test-tube applied training center is the source of hope and happiness with the experienced staff.
Diagnosis and Treatment: Test-tube baby treatment is successfully applied to the couples who are not able to have babies by natural methods or injection methods. Test-tube baby treatment is applied based on infertility due to the reasons such as unexplained infertility, Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Blocked Fallopian Tubes, endometriosis, polycystic ovarian syndrome as ovarian disorders and poor sperm quality or low sperm count in males.
Additionally, oncofertility processes such as egg freezing or/and embryo freezing before chemotherapy or radiotherapy for patients with cancer and sperm freezing for male patients are performed in our center. Our center offers childbearing opportunities in case of test-tube baby treatment due to medical reasons, gaining brother/sister stem cell donor and preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGT)
Patient Profile In The Clinic: Our clinic is a reference center where infertile couples apply from every region of our country. We offer infertility treatment and consulting service to the couples who apply. Test-tube baby and the other trailblazing infertility treatments such as ovulation induction, injection, endoscopic surgery etc. Our center has not only success rates in our country, but also world-class. Thus, the couples from all the regions of our country who come to us are treated in the light of evidence-based and up-to-date knowledge. Test-tube baby practices are performed due to ovulation disorders such as diminished ovarian reserve, endometriosis, endometrioma (chocolate cyst), polycystic ovarian syndrome, low sperm count or low sperm motility in males, conditions requiring brother/sister stem cell donors and conditions requiring preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGT)
Featured Services: Egg cells (oocyte, sperm) or/and embryo freezing processes are performed for the patients who will get treatment such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery which may affect ovarian reserve negatively due to various diseases or cancer in our center. Moreover, we provide preimplantation genetic diagnosis and test-tube baby treatment for the couples who want to gain stem cell donor brother/sister (HLA matching) for the treatment of their living ill child on condition that it is confirmed by a medical board report in our center. Embryo Biopsy, genetic analysis and test-tube baby practices are also performed in our center for some medical disease conditions requiring genetic diagnosis by embryo biopsy.
In the treatment of IVF, the egg cells taken from the mother and the sperm cells of the father are mixed together in a laboratory environment outside of the female reproductive system and fertilized and an embryo is obtained. The obtained embryo is placed in the mother's womb with the help of a catheter. Within the framework of the current regulation and the Health Implementation Communiqué in our country, the Social Security Institution covers the costs of IVF treatment up to 3 attempts, provided that certain conditions are met. Candidates who want to have IVF treatment in public hospitals must go through some processes. First of all, the male and female couple applying for IVF treatment must be officially married. It is obligatory that the couples undergoing IVF treatment do not have common children, except for their adopted children. It is required that the woman must be at least 23 years of age as she also doesn't reach the age of 40. After previous medical treatments, a medical board report should be prepared by the health boards of the hospitals authorized by the Ministry of Health, that normal medical methods will not be enough to have children and that they will only have children with reproductive aids (IVF). Again, it should be stated with the medical board report that there is no systemic disease that may prevent pregnancy from continuing.
The optimal treatment protocol is selected for the patient based evaluation of the results. Treatment is started following the consent of the couples taken. Egg development is provided by hormone injection in test-tube baby treatment. During this hormone medication, ultrasound and blood tests are performed for dose adjustment under compulsory situations and following egg development meaning eggs' reaction. When sufficient number of eggs in sufficient sizes are developed during the tracing of egg development, injection for egg ovulation is performed to complete the final step of development as timing of egg collection process and preparations are planned. In the day of egg collection, the patient presents herself ready with her spouse, completing the anesthesia preparation already. During the process, Semen Analysis from the male is performed simultaneously or it is performed surgically if necessary. Collected eggs and sperm of the spouse are fertilized by the microinjection method (ICSI) in the laboratory environment. Fertilized eggs are observed in the lab 2 to 5 days and 1-2 developed embryos of the best quality are transferred to the mother candidate during the observations in accordance with the regulation provisions. Double Embryo Transfer can be performed for patients who are 35 years old and above and patients with more than two failed IVF trials. 1 embryo is transferred to all the other patients.
Anesthesia is not required for the procedure. The transfer is a painless process performed by ultrasound and since the urinary bladder needs to be a little bit filled, the patient is asked to drink some water to feel bladder pressure before the procedure. During the transfer process, embryos are released into the uterus with the help of a catheter. After the embryo transfer, patients are informed about the necessary treatments and the points to take into consideration. Couples are informed about treatment and each process in every stage of the procedures and their consent is taken by informed consent forms. If good quality embryo or embryos are remained after the transfer, based on the couple's approval, the embryos can be cryopreserved for future use.
The aim of our center is to conduct scientific research on reproductive health and reproductive methods in our country, to arrange meetings and plan trainings and to share national and international scientific developments in this field. Our center has aimed to realize the clinical application of scientific technologies in the best way since the day it was established and offer current infertility treatments to our community with an internationally reliable and friendly service.
Units of the Department: Genetics, Embryology Laboratory, Urology, Consultant clinics, Antenatal and Perinatology Clinics for pregnancy follow-up
Procedures: egg cell collected from the mother candidate and sperm cells of the father candidate are mixed for fertilization to produce embryo in the laboratory for the treatment of test-tube baby. The produced embryo is inserted into the uterus of the mother with the help of a catheter.
After all these official requirements are ensured, professional physicians examine and evaluate the couples. Spermiogram, hormone and genetic tests in males (if required), smear, hormone and biochemical tests, pelvic ultrasonography, uterus and fallopian tubes imaging (Hysterosalpingography) or hysteroscopy (viewing inside of the uterus by camera system) females are performed.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is micro-injection treatment?
It is sperm injection into the collected mature eggs of good quality sufficiently in the laboratory environment.
2. When should the couples who are not able to have babies despite regular and unprotected intercourse apply for infertility treatment?
If a woman is not able to get pregnant within one year and she is under 35 as she doesn't have any additional risk factor to prevent her getting pregnant and if a woman is not able to get pregnant within six months and she is above 35 years old, being free from any other reason, all the necessary investigation and treatment should be started.
3. Is Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGT) performed?
Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis process and embryo biopsy are implemented if it is required depending upon medical conditions in our center.