IVF + Egg Donation in Iran

 

Many people suffer from infertility all over the world. Using assisted reproductive technologies, including IVF and egg donation, can help many couples and individuals have a baby and experience parenthood. IVF + Egg donation in Iran is a popular medical service that attracts international patients to this country.

Having babies and expanding families is one of the human being‘s desires that is necessary for generation continuity. Couples and even individuals at some point may feel the need to have a child and raise them with love and support. However, pregnancy does not happen easily for everyone.

Iran is the leading country in the Middle East and one of the world’s top countries for infertility treatment. High skilled and well-experienced fertility specialists, modern technology, and equipped centers along with amazingly affordable costs are some of the important factors in the popularity of this country for infertility treatment.

 

What is IVF?

In vitro Fertilization or IVF for short is a part of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) which helps patients overcome many reproductive problems. This technique was used in 1978 for the first time and ever since more than 8 million babies have been born using this way. This method includes stimulating the ovaries with the use of fertility medications, retrieving oocytes, fertilizing them in vitro in a laboratory, and transferring the embryo(s) into the uterus to develop. The whole cycle often happens over two weeks.

Why IVF is needed?

IVF is one of the most effective assisted reproductive technologies available. People use this procedure for many reasons. Some people use this method after other fertility methods have failed or if they are at an advanced maternal age. The most common reasons for using in vitro fertilization are mentioned below.

• Blocked or damaged fallopian tubes
• Endometriosis
• Low sperm count or other sperm problems
• Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) or other ovarian problems
• Uterine fibroids
• Uterus conditions
• Risks of passing on a genetic disease or disorder
• The need of using an egg donor or a gestational surrogate
• A health condition that prevents pregnancy
• Advanced maternal age
• Same-sex couples
• Individuals who want to have a child
• Interest in sex selection
• Unexplained infertility
• Etc.

How is the IVF process in Iran?

 

In vitro fertilization is a complicated process that you should be informed about before starting. This process usually takes 4 to 6 weeks on average and includes several steps:

• Step one: Ovarian stimulation

A healthy person who is of reproductive age produces matures an egg during each menstrual cycle. Generally, only one egg becomes mature enough to ovulate. During an IVF cycle, the patient receives injectable hormones to stimulate more eggs for maturation. Therefore, instead of having only one egg, you may have many eggs matured and ready for fertilization. While the patient is taking the medications, the uterus condition and ovaries response is monitored through ultrasounds and blood hormone tests. When the eggs are almost ready, a “trigger shot” is given to the patient about 36 hours before the egg retrieval to finalize the maturation of the eggs and prepare them for the retrieval procedure.

 

• Step two: Egg retrieval

In this step, a healthcare provider uses a thin needle guided by ultrasound into each of the ovaries. There is no need for open surgery and the needle is entered through the vagina and cervix entrance. The needle suctions the eggs out of the follicles and puts them in a solution to be put in an incubator later. For controlling the pain, the patient will be sedated with a painkiller or a light anesthesia.

 

• Step three: Sperm collection

For fertilizing the eggs, it is better to take a semen sample from the male partner on the same day of the egg retrieval. The sample is usually washed twice in the laboratory to enhance its quality. The sperm that have the highest quality will be chosen for insemination.

 

• Step four: Fertilization

After egg retrieval, the embryologist tries to fertilize the matured eggs in vitro (in a glass) using a natural way of insemination or by injecting the sperm directly into the eggs, which is called intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). The immature eggs can also be matured through In Vitro Maturation (IVM) method to get ready for fertilization.

• Step five:  Embryo development

In 5 to 6 days after fertilization, the development of the embryos will be closely monitored. The embryos must have high quality to be chosen and transferred into the uterus. On average, 50% of the embryos will get to the blastocyst stage when they are the most suitable for transfer. The suitable embryos can be frozen for future use on day five or six of fertilization. 

 

• Step six: Embryo transfer

Transfer can be done in two kinds of ways: 1) fresh embryo transfer and 2) frozen embryo transfer. Both kinds of embryos follow the same transfer process, except for the thawing process that happens before the frozen embryo be placed into the uterus. The recipient should prepare her uterus environment for hosting the embryo through special medications. The recipient’s uterus condition will be monitored through ultrasound and blood test to see if it is ready to host the embryo.

Embryo transfer does not need anesthesia. In this step, a speculum is placed within the vagina along with a thin catheter. Embryo(s) will be injected into the uterus through a syringe attached to the other side of the catheter. The whole implanting procedure usually takes less than 10 minutes.

 

• Step seven: Pregnancy

When the embryo implants itself into the lining of the uterus, pregnancy happens. After 9 to 14 days, if the result of your pregnancy blood test is positive, you are pregnant and must expect to have your baby in 9 months.

 

What is Egg Donation?

 

Egg donation or ovum donation is a type of assisted reproductive technology that help people have children. This method is mostly used for those who do not have good quality eggs for fertilization due to many reasons such as advanced maternal age. In this method, the oocyte is taken from a qualified donor, and then it will be fertilized with the sperm of the male partner. After that, the embryo can be transferred to the intended mother’s uterus or a surrogate.

Who needs Egg Donation?

 

If a couple cannot get pregnant using the woman’s own eggs, they may want to consider using donor eggs. Donor eggs can allow a woman to carry a baby who is genetically related to the male partner. Ovum donation might be needed in case of the following conditions:

• Women who are at advanced ages
• Menopausal women
• Premature menopause
• History of chemotherapy and radiation therapy
• Lack of proper response to ovulation-stimulating drugs or assisted reproductive techniques such as IVF
• Low ovarian reserve
• Low quality of eggs
• Having genetic diseases
• History of a recurrent miscarriage of unknown reason
• History of failed IVF

 

Requirements for an Egg Donor

 

To achieve a successful pregnancy, the ovum donor must have certain qualifications. These conditions are:

• Appropriate age: in order to make sure about the health of the eggs, the donor needs to be between 21 and 34 years old. In addition, if the donor has a history of a successful pregnancy, the egg’s quality is more reliable.
• Physical health: the ovum donor must be examined physically to ensure there is no history of genetic disease or chromosomal abnormalities. Furthermore, donors will be examined for addiction and sexually transmitted diseases like AIDS and syphilis.
• Mental health: the egg donor will be evaluated by a psychologist for personality disorders, mental stability, and family history for all the psychological problems.
• The similarity of donor’s appearance with the intended parents: couples usually tend to choose a donor who has similar appearance characteristics like eye color, skin tone, and body structure.

Requirements for an Egg Recipient

To increase the chance of pregnancy, in addition to the donor, the recipient must meet certain conditions to host the embryo properly. These conditions are summarized in the following.

• Age: the maximum age for an oocyte recipient is 45 because pregnancy at older ages can pose risks to both mother and baby. Reproductive organs are weakened at older ages which makes pregnancy riskier.
• Physical health: both couples who want to receive donated eggs should be examined for physical health. Serious diseases like AIDS and hepatitis are barriers in the way of receiving donor eggs. Addiction can also prevent the couple from receiving donor eggs.
• Mental readiness: before receiving donor eggs, both couples should be mentally evaluated to see if they are prepared for receiving ovum. They will receive necessary advice to get acquainted with all the psychological aspects, inheritance, etc. of receiving a donated egg before doing the process.
• Uterus condition: the recipient’s uterus must be ready to host the embryo and carry it during the 9 months of pregnancy. Therefore, the doctor prescribes the necessary medications to prepare the uterus before the embryo transfer.

 

The History of IVF and Egg donation in Iran

 

Until the 1970s, Iranian couples traveled to European countries for treating their infertility problems. The first center for infertility treatment was established in Iran in 1989. The first Iranian IVF baby was born on December 28, 1990.

The world’s first baby who was born through the ova donation process was delivered in 1984. The history of using egg donation as a type of assisted reproductive technology in Iran dates back to the early 2000s. Today both in vitro fertilization and oocyte donation procedures are used widely at fertility centers in Iran after being approved legally and religiously.

IVF + Egg Donation Process in Iran

 

The donor egg IVF process includes several steps, which are discussed below.

Step 1: Consultation and selecting the donor

In the first step, couples should consult with a fertility specialist about all their options regarding the ways of pregnancy and having a child. They may need to try medications and the necessary reproductive attempts before proceeding with using donor eggs.

The clinics screen all the donors physically and psychologically to ensure they are healthy and qualified for donation. Donors go through a physical exam, ultrasound, blood and urine test, hormonal test, and psychological evaluations before being known as eligible.

Then the recipient couples can review donors’ profiles in order to know more about their basic information such as their medical background, family history, and physical appearance, and select a donor whose characteristics are more desirable. Donors can also be chosen among relatives due to several reasons including their appearance similarity to the intended couple.

 

Step 2: Medication and Synchronization

In the beginning of the oocyte donation, the donor should take hormonal medications and use injections to stimulate the ovaries in maturing the eggs. The hormone level of the donor will be checked regularly by the blood test. Furthermore, the donor and recipients’ menstrual cycles need to be synchronized. This is because the uterus of the recipient should be ready for embryo implantation.

 

Step 3: Egg Retrieval and Recovery

When the eggs are mature enough, it is time to retrieve them from the ovaries. The donor will be often sedated with anesthesia. In this procedure, a probe with a fine needle will enter through the cervix using ultrasound guidance. The needle suctions the eggs from the ovaries carefully. This procedure often takes around 20 minutes. After the procedure, donors need to rest at the hospital until they are fully awakened and ready to leave the hospital.

 

Step 4: Fertilization and Embryo transfer

The sperm sample should be provided on the same day of egg retrieval to be inseminated with the ovum through the IVF process in a laboratory environment. Then the highest quality embryo(s) will be transferred into the uterus. After 10-14 days, the egg recipient can have a blood test to know whether the pregnancy result is positive.

 

VF + Egg Donation Success Rate in Iran

 

The success rate of donor egg IVF process is not a fixed criterion in all patients because it depends on many factors such as the age of donor and recipient, genetics, physical and hormonal factors, quality of the sperm and eggs, the health of the recipient, the competence of the fertility clinic, etc. However, Iran has a high success rate for its donor egg IVF procedures. The average success rate among different ages in Iran is more than 50 percent, which is a high rate.

IVF + Egg Donation Cost in Iran

 

All the methods of infertility treatment in Iran including the use of assisted reproductive technologies are cost-effective compared to other parts of the world. The total cost of donor egg IVF depends on some factors like the number of cycles, the type of donor egg (fresh or frozen), etc. On average, the cost of one cycle of IVF + egg donation in Iran is about 4500$ which covers the cost of donated eggs, IVF, medication, tests, and embryo implantation. Of course, if a couple is interested in sex selection, they may want to use PGD technology as well as oocyte donation.

The bottom line

 

FlytoTreat, which is a professional healthcare facilitator, helps couples to expand their family and start a new life by undergoing the IVF + Egg Donation process in Iran that is of the highest quality for the most affordable costs. If you want to undergo this process or need to know more about it, you can contact us through provided WhatsApp number and consult with our medical doctors free of charge all over the week.