Overview
Tandem IVF is a fertility treatment suited for women with diminished but not completely exhausted ovarian reserves. When your chance of success with treatment using your own eggs are highly reduced but not impossible, you can be given a chance of pregnancy using your own eggs with a combination of donor eggs.
Gaining great popularity within the last few years, Tandem Cycling allows women with lowered ovarian reserves to have a shot at pregnancy using their own eggs, but at the same time having a back-up egg reserves through the use of an egg donor.
A tandem cycle allows you to receive a lower dose of medication since you will only be needing a few good quality eggs. At the end of this process, you get to decide what combination of your own eggs and donor eggs to use. This also allows you to have a go with your own eggs first and freeze donor’s eggs for a future cycle without facing the cost of two separate cycles.
Usually, couples who would like to save their time and boost their chances for pregnancy select this option and participate in two processes at once.
History of Tandem IVF
Tandem IVF was specifically designed for women who have a low ovarian reserve, produce poor quality eggs and/or have a history of failed IVF cycles.
By effectively combining two (your and your donor’s) cycles, patients are provided the best possible chance of pregnancy. Using your own eggs while having donor eggs as a backup plan is a game changer.
Instead of entering an IVF cycle, being unsuccessful, and then moving forward with donor eggs, chances of success can increase by up to 70% and help you save money in the long run.
How does it work?
Tandem IVF is a perfect treatment solution for those who have experienced several unsuccessful IVF cycles and those who want to guarantee that they will get pregnant soon, without any delays and minimal health risks.
Overall, the treatment is the same as a standard IVF cycle. You will need to start taking hormone injections 8 days before you come to your North Cyprus clinic. These medications stimulate your ovaries to produce more eggs than normal.
Upon arrival, an ultrasound will check how your ovaries have responded to the medication and also ensure the uterine lining is ready for embryo transfer.
It is important that you are having regular menstrual cycles in order to go through tandem IVF, otherwise egg donation is a better option.
Once follicles have reached the desired size, you will be given a ‘trigger’ injection. This prepares your eggs for collection approximately 36 hours later. All the collected eggs (from you and your donor) will then be fertilised with your partner’s sperm.
Your embryos and those from the donor are kept separate whilst being cultivated in the laboratory. The decision regarding which embryos to transfer is the patients who can choose their own, the donor’s or a combination of the two. If there is any chance you can use your own eggs, it will absolutely be offered by your fertility doctor.
Contact Health NCY and we will provide a more comprehensive breakdown of the options available to you in North Cyprus.