IVF with donor egg is used to treat infertility arising from the inability of a woman’s ovaries to produce viable eggs.
As a woman ages, the quality of her eggs decreases over time, and the probability of miscarriage and birth defects increases as well.
For women in their 40s, donor egg may be the solution for getting pregnant.
This procedure is also used with the absence of ovaries and can help couples with potential genetic abnormalities that might be carried by the woman.
For a personalized plan of treatment don’t hesitate to send us your medical file on info@ivflebanon.com or call us on 0096171200089

Egg freezing enables women to preserve their best chance for a healthy pregnancy when they are ready
Many women hold the dream of becoming a mother and starting a family. Yet for many of them life’s circumstances, such as a focus on career, family obligations, finding the right partner, or the onset of a medical condition such as cancer, may delay starting a family.
A woman’s fertility is largely dependent on the quality of her eggs which declines around 30 and decreases at a significantly faster rate after she turns 35. While a woman is able to physically carry a pregnancy to term in her 40s, there is a very small chance that her eggs will be viable into her 40s.
Our team at IVF Lebanon will help guide you through the egg freezing process, and help you to evaluate if this is the right option for you.
A plan of the process can help you see that it is a fairly easy procedure and doesn’t affect your daily routine responsibilities.

1. First consultation with IVF Lebanon specialist for a detailed explanation and plan.
2. Preliminary fertility testing – blood tests & ultrasound one month prior to the procedure.
3. First treatment appointment on day 2 or 3 of cycle – ultrasound and start of medication.
4. Begin taking medications.
5. 2 to 3 Treatment visits for ultrasound review and blood tests.
6. Egg retrieval procedure at the center.
7. Egg Freezing.

A consultation with our fertility doctor at IVF Lebanon is the first step when considering egg freezing for delaying pregnancy.
Click here to make an appointment and find out if you are a good candidate for egg freezing.
Or email us on info@ivflebanon.com or call us on 0096171200089

In Vitro Fertilization is commonly referred to as IVF. It is the process of fertilization by manually combining an egg and sperm in a laboratory dish. When the IVF procedure is successful, the process is combined with a procedure known as embryo transfer, which is used to physically place the embryo in the uterus.

Embryo Freezing or Cryopreservation

Sometimes more embryos are produced in an IVF cycle than can be safely transferred to the uterus. Transferring “too many” embryos can result in an increased chance of high order (>2) multiple births.
When there are “extra” embryos couples often choose to have them cryopreserved (frozen). Cryopreserved embryos can be used in future frozen embryo transfer treatment cycles.
Since the embryos have already formed, ovulation induction is not necessary.

Our infertility specialists and embryologists at IVF Lebanon have extensive experience with all aspects of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) including embryo cryopreservation.

Based upon the number of embryos, causes of infertility, previous treatment, female age, and other factors, our fertility specialist at IVF Lebanon will help you decide if embryo cryopreservation is an option.

Intrauterine insemination (IUI) is the process of placing a catheter into the cervix to inject washed motile and concentrated sperm directly into the uterus.
This procedure increases a woman’s chances of becoming pregnant because sperm are in their best possible form, and are injected at a time when she is most fertile.
Intrauterine insemination is often recommended because studies have shown that pregnancy is more likely to occur if timing of exposure to sperm is controlled, and if sperm is placed in higher numbers closer to the egg or eggs.
The actual insemination process takes approximately 2 to 5 minutes.
IUI is often recommended for women or couples who:

• Have ovulation problems and are undergoing ovulation induction
• Are unable to have normal intercourse with ejaculation into the vagina at appropriate times
• Have mild male factor infertility
• Have unexplained infertility
• Have cervical mucus disorder
• Have failed using other treatments alone, such as infertility medication

In many cases, IUI is performed during natural cycles without the use of any fertility medications, in the vast majority of cases; IUI is a completely painless process. Some inseminations are accompanied by cramping, but this is usually very mild and momentary.
It is not necessary to remain lying down after the procedure 72hours and you may immediately resume your usual activities after several hours.

What is involved with in vitro fertilization?
There are basically five steps in the IVF and embryo transfer process which include the following:
Step 1: Stimulation by hormonal therapy and monitoring at IVF Lebanon
In order to induce the production of mature follicles in the ovary, different drugs and hormonal medication should be administered for a certain period of time; the drugs may vary regarding to the stimulation protocol for each woman, those drugs tell the ovaries to produce several eggs.
Treatment protocols may vary also, according to whether an intra-uterine-insemination (IUI) or an in vitro Fertilization (IVF) is scheduled.
Most commonly the hormonal therapy during ovarian stimulation consists of hormones that occur naturally in the human body (gonadotropins). These hormones are mostly administered by intramuscular or subcutaneous injection.
Egg development is monitored using ultrasound to examine the ovaries, and blood test samples are taken to check hormone levels.
Step 2: Egg retrieval
Oocyte or egg retrieval is a procedure that marks the beginning of the second phase of an IVF cycle. It occurs when ovarian stimulation is successfully completed.
A minor procedure in IVF Lebanon center, called follicular aspiration, is done to remove the eggs from the ovaries using a hollow needle and ultrasound images as a guide through the vagina (pelvic cavity) and into the ovary and sacs (follicles) containing the eggs. The needle is connected to a suction device, which pulls the eggs and fluid out of each follicle, one at a time.
Egg retrieval is a relatively easy procedure that takes about 10 to 20 minutes, based on the number of follicles present at the ovaries. The whole process is performed under mild sedation and local anesthesia with a recovery period of approximately an hour. The fluid containing the oocyte is aspirated into multiple tubes which are then passed to the embryologists, who empties the fluid into a Petri dish and looks for the egg, under the microscope. When the oocyte is located is removed from the mixture of follicular fluid and blood and is placed into a culture medium of specific chemical composition and proper temperature.
Women programmed for this procedure shouldn’t eat or drink anything from the previous night.
Some women may experience cramping on the day of retrieval, which usually subsides the following day; however, a feeling of fullness or pressure may continue for several weeks following the procedure.
Step 3: Sperm Collection
On the day of egg collection, the husband gives a sperm sample. The semen specimen should be obtained following a 3-4 day abstinence from sexual activity and masturbation is the preferred method of collection.
The semen sample can be frozen a sample several days before the day of oocyte retrieval (fresh samples are always preferred).
After collection the semen sample is delivered to the lab where it is properly prepared for IVF. The purpose of the preparation is to isolate the motile spermatozoa from other elements of the semen and activate them in order to be capable to fertilize the mature oocytes.
Step 4: Insemination and fertilization
Several hours after egg retrieval and semen preparation, a process called insemination, will be achieved. This process consists in the mixing of the sperm and egg. The sperm and eggs are placed in incubators located in the laboratory. The sperm usually enters (fertilizes) an egg a few hours after insemination.
If the chance of fertilization is low, the laboratory staff may directly inject the sperm into the egg. This is called intra-Cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Once this occurs, the fertilized eggs are considered embryos. When the fertilized egg divides, it becomes an embryo. IVF Lebanon Laboratory staff will regularly check the embryo to make sure it is growing properly. Within about 2 to 5 days, a normal embryo has several cells that are actively dividing.
Step 5: Embryo transfer
The embryos are usually transferred into the woman’s uterus the third or fifth’s day following egg retrieval. At this stage, the fertilized egg has developed into a two-to-four cell embryo or blastocyst. The whole procedure is very easy and usually takes just few minutes followed by an additional 30 minute rest period. Sedation is not required, apart from exceptional cases; however patients must have a mildly full bladder so the doctor can visualize the uterine cavity using an abdominal ultrasound.
The transfer process involves a speculum which is inserted into the vagina to expose the cervix. The doctor will clean the area with a non-toxic solution. IVF Lebanon embryologists load the selected embryos into a specially designed catheter in a small amount of culture medium. A predetermined number of embryos are suspended in fluid and gently placed through a catheter into the womb. This process is often guided by ultrasound. Once complete, the embryologist examines the catheter to confirm that all embryos were deposited to the uterus. If not, the procedure is repeated.
More than one embryo may be placed into the womb at the same time, which can lead to twins, triplets, or more. The exact number of embryos transferred is a complex issue that depends on many factors, especially the woman’s age. Unused embryos may be frozen and implanted at a later date.
The procedure is usually painless, but some women experience mild cramping.
These steps are followed by rest and watching for early pregnancy symptoms.
A blood test will be used, twelve to fourteen day after the embryo transfer, to determine if successful implantation and pregnancy have occurred.
If embryo implantation has occurred, beta-HCG hormone will be detectable in the woman’s blood at that time. This hormone is what we look for with a pregnancy test.
It is not recommended to take a urine pregnancy test after IVF treatment. The reason is that there are a lot of false negative results.

• What are the risks associated with in vitro fertilization?

As with most medical procedures, there are some potential risks. The risks of in vitro fertilization depend upon each specific step of the procedure. Ovary stimulation carries the risk of hyper stimulation, where the ovaries become swollen and painful. This condition, “Ovarian Hyper stimulation Syndrome”, is usually rare, mild, and involves the following potential side effects: nausea, vomiting, lack of appetite, or a feeling of being bloated. More severe symptoms which occur in 1% of cases include the following:

• Severe abdominal pain
• Severe nausea or vomiting
• Decreased urinary frequency
• Dark-colored urine
• Shortness of breath
• Ten pound weight gain within three to five days.

When the chance of fertilization is low, our laboratory staff at IVF Lebanon may directly inject one mature sperm into the egg. This is called Intra-Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI).
Through this procedure, a single sperm is injected directly into the egg in an attempt to achieve fertilization. The eggs are monitored by our embryologist to confirm that fertilization and cell division are taking place.

Like many medical problems, infertility can be caused by any of a number of conditions or factors. In order to treat the problem, we must understand its source.
When a couple seeks out fertility treatment for the first time at IVF Lebanon, a series of tests is performed to help identify the cause or causes of their infertility.
For men, a semen analysis is the first infertility testing procedure performed in our centre, but additional tests will most likely be necessary to pinpoint any specific problem.

Semen Analysis is generally the first infertility testing procedure performed during a couple’s fertility assessment because it is non-invasive and can tell us a great deal. The sample will be examined at IVF Lebanon’s laboratory and several measurements will be taken. Among these are volume of semen, sperm concentration, sperm motility, and sperm morphology. Note that a sperm DNA fragmentation test can be performed upon request or upon our Fertility specialist request.

In medicine and clinical genetics Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) refers to procedures that are performed on embryos prior to implantation, sometimes even on eggs prior to fertilization. to detect suspected or known abnormalities.
Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) is used to:

• Screen for a specific genetic disease
• Aneuploidy screening
• Diagnosis of unbalanced inheritance of chromosome abnormalities causing recurrent miscarriages
• Gender selection

Gender selection rates approach 99% with the use of pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) and many couples may decide that they want to use this technology.
To accomplish this, embryo testing (Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis PGD) in conjunction with IVF can be performed and only embryos of the preferred gender will be placed in the uterus.
In addition, sperm sorted can be used with an IVF cycle to result in more embryos of the desired gender.

Schedule a Consultation
IVF Lebanon center has high rates of success with IVF and genetic testing. Contact us today and schedule your consultation 00961 5 459359.