Hallo,
wir haben mal die Klinik angeschrieben und um Informationen gebeten, hier erstmal die englische Version. Sobald wir eine in Deutsch bekommen sollten, werden wir diese natürlich ersetzen.
GENERAL GUIDELINE
For the oocyte donation program the waiting period is approximately 3-4 months, therefore, we MUST be informed at least 2 months in advance that a couple is interested for this program, so that we can schedule our donors. Please note that we need all the serological tests / medical history / blood types of the couples that are interested in our programs in order to make proper arrangements for them.
Please note that the visa arrangements for the couples that visit our Center MUST be made at least 2 weeks in advance, so that there are no visa conflicts. It is very unfair to the donor and to other couples that are on the waiting lists to have a donor ready and not have the recipient at our Center on time!
The safest way is to apply for a visa based on a rough estimate of the oocyte pick up, allowing a safe number of days for the embryo transfer. If you need us to send a FAX to the Consulate/Embassy, you MUST notify us at least 10 days in advance and you MUST send us all the necessary information regarding the couple (full names, passport numbers and the estimated dates that the couple will be in Thessaloniki and back to their country). PLEASE DO NOT wait until the last minute to make visa arrangements. We have already had complains by the people who issue the visas!!! We kindly ask you to keep us updated on a regular basis regarding the travel plans of each couple and whether there are any problems regarding their treatment / travel plans. We will be giving you regular updates regarding the progress of our scheduled donors.
Finally, you MUST let us know whether your patients will need a translator and a hotel reservation. The cost for the translator is $150. In the case that the couple does need a translator, he MUST be notified at the earliest possible because otherwise he may not be available. He may be notified either by the couple, by the doctor, or by us. At any case, we kindly ask you to keep us informed, so that we are aware of the situation.
IVF Programs that take place at our IVF Center.
a) Regular IVF cycles * COST = $1250 for the oocyte pick, the IVF procedure and the embryo transfer. The cost for the medication is not included.
The woman follows a medical treatment for the stimulation of her ovaries. Her gynaecologist examines her on a regular basis and he determines when her oocytes must be picked up. In order for oocyte pick up to occur, the follicles must reach a certain size (>20mm) and the oestradiol in the blood must be at a good level. When the doctor decides that the woman is ready for oocyte pick up, the oocytes are picked up under echo guidance (mild anesthesia is administered). Depending on the quality of the sperm, the oocytes are fertilized either conventionally (when the sperm is excellent) or by using "ICSI" (when the sperm is not excellent, or it is of mediate or bad quality -- for example: mediate/low sperm count or mediate/low motility).
In conventional IVF = the oocytes are placed together with the sperm and one spermatozoon fertilizes one oocyte.
In ICSI = intracytoplasmic sperm injection = ONE sperm is injected in each oocyte.
Please NOTE that in cases of obstructive azoospermia, the sperm is retrieved by FNA or TESE (fine needle aspiration or testicular sperm extraction -- in those cases, ICSI is used). * COST for FNA/TESE = $1750 *.
b) Sperm donor cycles * COST = $1250 * (the same medication is used as previously described): When the husband produces no sperm (due to non-obstructive azoospermia, chemotherapy, or due to medical reasons.
Please NOTE that if chemotherapy is to be done, we freeze several sperm samples before the man is asked to start the chemotherapy treatment. The sperm can be used in the future for IVF purposes, IF infertility problems occur. A straw containing sperm is thawed and ICSI is performed using the woman's oocytes that are retrieved as previously described).
In the sperm donor cycles, we thaw sperm from our sperm bank and we perform ICSI on the woman's oocytes. Please note that ICSI is ALWAYS performed when we use frozen sperm, unless you instruct us otherwise.
c) Oocyte donor cycles * COST $1500 (plus about $50 for the medication used in the endometrium prepararation protocol -- please refer to the paragraph named: more information on the oocyte donation program): The donor follows a medical protocol for ovarian stimulation to occur (as described in regular IVF cycles). The oocytes are picked up and the partner's sperm is used to fertilize the oocytes retrieved (conventionally or by ICSI). We must be notified 2-3 months in advance, in order to schedule our oocyte donor. The waiting period is shorter if NO blood type match is requested (approximately 2-3 months), otherwise the waiting period may be MUCH LONGER (6-7 months), depending on the availability of the donors. The blood group that is easiest to be found in A+.
d) Embryo donation cycles * $1500*: We have an embryo bank from embryos that were no longer needed by other couples. Those embryos are kindly donated by the couple's consent. In order for embryo transfer to occur, the woman must follow a medical treatment in order to acquire the desired endometrium thickness (endometrium preparation protocol). When the desired thickness is acquired, the donated embryos are thawed, grown in culture in the lab, and they are then transferred under echo guidance in the woman's uterus.
In regular or oocyte/sperm donation cycles the embryo transfer in the woman's uterus occurs under echo guidance, 3 to 5 days after the process of fertilization (day 1 is considered to be the day after oocyte pick up).
The time that the couple will need to stay in Thessaloniki will depend upon the quality of the embryos. We decide when the embryos will be transferred, according to their progress/quality. The transfer takes place 3 to 5 days after the oocyte pick up. Therefore, the couple may need to stay for 4 to 6 days. The oocyte pick up takes place in the morning or early afternoon (in some cases of couples that come from abroad). Therefore, if the couple cannot come to our Center early enough, they will need to travel the day before the pick up. The embryo transfer can be planned to take place in the morning, as early as necessary, as long as our Doctors can make proper arrangements. The entire process of the transfer (including the preparation of the woman, etc) takes approximately 15 minutes. After the transfer, the woman must stay in bed for about 1 hour. After this time, the couple can leave our Center. Therefore, they can fly / drive back home right after the transfer. Taking all those details under consideration, the couple will need to stay in Thessaloniki a maximum of one week.
More information regarding the OOCYTE DONATION PROGRAM:
First of all, we need the blood type of the couple that is interested in the oocyte donation program IF a blood type match is requested (the waiting period is SHORTER by approximately 5 months if no specific blood group is required: 2-3 months versus 6-7 months). The couple is included in our waiting lists ONLY when we have received all their medical test results (blood / serological tests, culture results, etc). There is a certain preparation protocol for the recipient (endometrium preparation) and for the donor (ovarian stimulation).
Both partners will need to be examined for: Hepatitis, HIV, HCV, Rubella. We also ask for a hemoglobin electrophoresis (HbA, HbA2). The woman should also have a pap test, a cervical examination for Chlamydia, Ureoplasma, Mycolasma, and Toxoplasma culture. We must also know about the man's sperm parameters (number and motility).
There are several hotels that we do business with for our clients. They are all approximately 15-20' from our Center and their prices range from $40-70.
REVISED ENDOMETRIUM PREPARATION PROTOCOL
For the endometrium preparation we start with:
From day 1 to day 4: 2 mg oestardiol valeriate (1 white pill)
From day 5 to day 8: 4 mg oestardiol valeriate (2 white pills)
From day 9 to day 12: 6 mg oeestardiol valeriate (3 white pills)
If the lady has her own cycle, use 0.5ml of Suprefact injections (analog), starting on the 20th day of her previous cycle. The woman continues taking the injections until the day of the embryo transfer.
On day 10, we do an echo for measurement of endometrium thickness.
The ideal thickness is more than 9mm (embryo transfer will not take place if the endometrium is less than 9mm in thickness):
If the endometrium is less than 9mm, we continue the therapy, and we repeat the echo until the endometrium reaches the desired thickness. (PLEASE NOTE that if the endometrium thickness is at least 9mm you must continue taking 3 white pills until the beta-hCG test, which takes place 15 days after embryo transfer. DO NOT STOP TAKING THE PILLS!!!!).
If the endometrium is thinner on day 12, we increase the dosage to 4mg per day (PLEASE NOTE that you continue taking estradiol valeriate until the beta-hCG test, unless you are advised otherwise by us).
Once the endometrium is at the desired thickness you inform our center (you continue taking the pills!!!!).
We notify you when exactly the donor’s oocytes pick up will occur.
The day of the oocyte pick up the husband gives the sperm sample.
Routinely, the transfer takes place on day 3, 4, or 5 (day 1 = the day after the pick up), and it is performed under echo. Therefore, the recipient is asked to drink 1Lt of water, one hour prior to the transfer.
After the transfer, the recipient remains on the transfer bed for 1½ hours. The couple is then allowed to leave the Center. The woman is advised to remain indoors (at her home) for the next 2-3 days.
The pregnancy test (beta-hCG) is scheduled 15 days after the day of transfer.
