Frequently Asked Questions

In conventional IVF, eggs and prepared sperm are placed together in a dish and fertilisation happens on its own. With this method (intracytoplasmic sperm injection), our embryologist selects a single healthy-looking sperm and injects it directly into each mature egg, removing the element of chance from fertilisation. It is especially valuable when sperm count, movement or shape is a concern, or after unexplained fertilisation failure. At our clinic ICSI is included as standard in every IVF package at no extra charge, whereas many clinics bill it separately.

In standard IVF your own ovaries are stimulated and your own eggs are collected. In egg donation, a carefully screened young donor goes through stimulation and egg collection, the eggs are fertilised with your partner's (or donor) sperm, and the resulting embryo is transferred into your uterus after your lining has been prepared with medication. Because the eggs come from donors aged 19–28, success rates are considerably higher and largely independent of your own ovarian reserve. Most egg donation patients only need around 5–7 days in Cyprus, since there is no stimulation phase for the recipient.

Under current regulations in Cyprus, sex selection through PGD is permitted only for a medical reason: to prevent a sex-linked inherited disease such as haemophilia or muscular dystrophy. Elective selection for personal or social reasons is not permitted. The technique identifies each embryo's sex with around 99.9% accuracy before transfer, and also screens the tested chromosomes for abnormalities. Regulations in this field have changed over time, so eligibility is always confirmed individually during your consultation rather than assumed. For comparison, sex selection for non-medical reasons is not permitted in the UK and most of Europe, which is why many families travel to Cyprus for this treatment.

Our donors are healthy women aged 19–28 (regulations permit donors up to 35, but we deliberately work with a younger range). Every donor completes infectious disease screening, karyotype (chromosome) analysis, genetic carrier testing, hormonal and gynaecological assessment and a psychological evaluation before being accepted. Donors are matched to you by physical characteristics, height, build, hair, eye and skin colour, blood type, along with education and occupation details. Under current regulations each donor may donate a maximum of five times in her lifetime, and donation is anonymous by law.

Tandem IVF runs two cycles in parallel: your own eggs are collected and fertilised, and at the same time a matched donor's eggs are fertilised as a back-up. It is designed for women with low ovarian reserve or borderline egg quality who want one genuine last attempt with their own eggs without risking a completely failed cycle. After fertilisation you can see how both groups of embryos develop and decide, with our embryologist's guidance, which embryos to transfer. It offers an emotional and practical middle path between own-egg IVF and full egg donation.

Under current regulations in Cyprus a maximum of three embryos may be transferred, but the legal maximum is not automatically the right choice. Transferring more embryos raises the chance of twins or triplets, and multiple pregnancy carries higher risks for both mother and babies. We counsel every patient individually on single or double embryo transfer based on age, embryo quality and medical history, and we explain the trade-offs clearly. The final decision is made together with you, never imposed.

Yes. Good-quality embryos that are not transferred can be frozen using vitrification, a rapid-freezing technique with excellent survival rates on thawing. Frozen embryos give you the chance of a future frozen embryo transfer (FET), for a sibling, or after an unsuccessful fresh cycle, at a fraction of the cost of a full new cycle and with a much shorter stay in Cyprus. Storage is charged annually and all terms are explained in writing before you decide. Our embryology laboratory within Kamiloglu Hospital monitors storage systems continuously.

A typical IVF cycle involves stimulation injections (gonadotropins, which encourage several follicles to grow), a medication to prevent premature ovulation, a trigger injection to mature the eggs about 36 hours before collection, and progesterone support after transfer. The injections use very fine needles and almost all patients manage self-injection confidently after one demonstration, our nurses teach you, and your coordinator is available on WhatsApp if you ever hesitate at home. Many patients begin stimulation at home under our remote guidance, which shortens the stay in Cyprus. Exact drugs and doses are personalised to your test results, never copied from a template.

Egg retrieval is performed under light sedation administered by the anaesthesia team of Kamiloglu Hospital, so you are comfortably asleep and feel nothing during the 15–20 minute procedure. Afterwards most patients describe period-like cramping and bloating for a day or two, manageable with paracetamol and rest. Because our clinic operates inside a full-service hospital with an ICU and 24/7 emergency cover, even the rare complication is managed immediately on site, with no ambulance transfer. You rest in a private recovery room and are usually back at your hotel the same afternoon.

PGD (preimplantation genetic diagnosis) tests embryos before transfer. A few cells are taken from each embryo, usually at the blastocyst stage on day 5, and analysed in the genetics laboratory while the embryos remain safely in culture or are frozen. The results show each embryo's chromosomal status and sex with over 99% accuracy, allowing transfer of an embryo unaffected by the conditions tested. PGD is used for couples carrying inherited genetic conditions, including sex-linked disease, and sometimes after recurrent miscarriage or repeated implantation failure.

Our clinical pregnancy rates are published by age group and treatment type: up to 65% per transfer for IVF under 35, up to 50% at 35–39, up to 35% at 40–42, and up to 85% for fresh donor egg cycles, based on our clinic data. Note that these are clinical pregnancy rates (a heartbeat confirmed on ultrasound), which is a stricter measure than the simple positive blood tests some clinics advertise, but still higher than eventual live birth rates. Success rates are averages and individual results vary, during consultation we give you a realistic, personalised estimate rather than a marketing number. See the full age-banded tables on our success rates page.

Age is by far the biggest factor, because egg quality and chromosomal normality decline from the mid-thirties onwards. Other major influences are embryo quality, the receptivity of the uterine lining, sperm quality, the cause of infertility, body weight, smoking, and the experience of the laboratory handling your embryos. Some factors cannot be changed, but many can be optimised: protocol design, blastocyst culture, careful transfer technique and lifestyle preparation all contribute. This is exactly why we design each protocol individually instead of quoting one headline percentage for everyone.

Egg donation has the highest success rates of any fertility treatment because the eggs come from screened donors aged 19–28: our clinical pregnancy rates are up to 85% for fresh donor cycles and up to 75% for frozen, based on our clinic data. Crucially, these rates depend far less on the recipient's age, since the uterus responds well to hormonal preparation even into the late forties and beyond. The main recipient-side factors are the condition of the uterine lining and general health, both of which we assess and optimise before transfer. As always, these are averages with a full methodology explanation on our success rates page.

Recent HFEA data puts UK live birth rates per embryo transferred at roughly 32% under 35, around 25% at 35–37, 17–19% at 38–39 and 10–12% at 40–42. Our published figures are clinical pregnancy rates, which run higher than live birth rates, so the honest comparison is not a single number but a like-for-like understanding of what is being measured, and we explain that openly. It is also fair to say that success rates in Cyprus are not independently audited the way HFEA audits UK clinics, which is precisely why we publish our methodology, age bands and definitions instead of a headline claim. Be wary of any clinic anywhere advertising 90% success.

First, our doctor holds a review call with you to go through the cycle in detail: how stimulation went, how the embryos developed, and what the cycle revealed. If you have frozen embryos, a frozen embryo transfer is a lower-cost, shorter next step; if not, we discuss whether a revised protocol, additional diagnostics or a different treatment path such as egg donation would improve your chances. We will tell you plainly if we do not believe another identical cycle is worthwhile. You will not face a sales pitch at the most painful moment, that is a commitment. Our failed IVF page explains the whole pathway.

No, because no honest clinic can guarantee a pregnancy, biology does not work that way, and we deliberately avoid the "baby guarantee" marketing some clinics use. What we do guarantee is the controllable part: a protocol designed personally for you, laboratory standards inside Kamiloglu Hospital, transparent pricing with no surprise extras, and a clear assessment of your chances before you spend anything. If we believe your chance of success is low with a particular approach, we will say so plainly and explain the alternatives. We would rather lose a booking than mislead a patient.

Yes. Under current regulations, fertility clinics in Cyprus are licensed by the TRNC Ministry of Health and subject to annual inspections, with rules governing donor anonymity, donor age, the maximum number of embryos transferred and patient age limits. What Cyprus does not have is a central regulator like the UK's HFEA that independently audits success rates, we believe patients deserve to know that, which is why we publish our own methodology and definitions in full on our success rates page. Our clinic additionally operates within the clinical governance framework of Kamiloglu Hospital. Candid regulation answers are rare in this market; we think they build more trust than pretending oversight is identical to the UK.

Yes, under current regulations in Cyprus, egg and sperm donation is anonymous by law, and this anonymity cannot be waived. As the recipient you receive a detailed non-identifying profile: the donor's age, nationality, height, weight, blood type, skin, hair and eye colour, education and occupation. This is the opposite of the UK system, where donor-conceived children can access identifying information about their donor at 18, an important difference to reflect on, and we are happy to discuss what it may mean for your family. There is no central donor register in the TRNC, though clinics keep their own records and enforce the five-donation lifetime limit.

Under current regulations: fertility treatment is generally available up to age 45, and up to 55 at clinic discretion subject to fitness-for-pregnancy testing; egg donors may be no older than 35 (we work with donors aged 19–28); and a maximum of three embryos may be transferred in one cycle. These are the regulatory boundaries, our medical advice within them is always individual, and we will tell you frankly if we believe treatment at the limit of eligibility is not in your interest. Regulations can change, so we confirm the current position during your consultation rather than asking you to rely on a webpage.

Several layers apply. The clinic is licensed and inspected by the TRNC Ministry of Health under current regulations; every procedure requires your written informed consent, documented in a language you understand; and your medical data is handled confidentially. Because we operate within Kamiloglu Hospital, you are additionally covered by hospital-level clinical governance, with an anaesthesia team, ICU and emergency care on site, a meaningful safety protection that paperwork alone cannot provide. We also recommend understanding your home country's rules on donor conception and parentage, and we will point you to the right questions to ask. Clear expectation-setting is itself a form of patient protection.