IVF Treatment Timeline: Your Day-by-Day Journey in Istanbul

Duration: Ongoing WhatsApp conversation · Location: From home

Before you travel, we review your medical history, hormone levels (AMH, FSH, E2), and any previous treatment records through WhatsApp. You share your test results, ultrasound images, and questions directly via chat — and Dr. Aksoy’s team responds promptly. Your personal coordinator — Berna (French), Sameh (Arabic), or our English team — will be your single point of contact throughout the entire journey.

What you receive: A personalized protocol, medication prescription (purchase in your own country), and a tentative travel date based on your cycle — all coordinated through WhatsApp.

Duration: 3 days · Location: Home country

You begin daily gonadotropin injections (stimulation medication) at home. Our team monitors you remotely — you send us blood work results and, if possible, a local ultrasound scan. This means fewer days away from family and work.

Duration: Travel day · Location: Istanbul

You fly to Istanbul. Our team meets you at the airport and transfers you to your hotel (5–15 minutes from the clinic). Settle in and rest. If you arrive by early afternoon, we schedule your first in-clinic ultrasound the same day.

Duration: 5–6 days · Location: Clinic visits every 1–2 days

You continue your stimulation injections. Every 1–2 days you visit the clinic for a transvaginal ultrasound and blood test. Dr. Aksoy personally reviews each scan and adjusts medication doses to optimize follicle growth. Between appointments, Istanbul is yours to explore.

Typical schedule: Morning clinic visit (30–45 min) → free for the rest of the day.

Duration: 1 injection, precise timing · Location: Hotel or clinic

When your follicles reach the ideal size (17–22 mm), we administer the “trigger shot” (hCG or GnRH agonist). This injection is timed exactly 36 hours before egg retrieval. We will tell you the exact hour to take it.

Duration: ~20 minutes under sedation · Location: Operating room

The egg retrieval is performed under light sedation — you sleep comfortably and wake up without pain. Dr. Aksoy uses ultrasound-guided aspiration to collect your eggs. You rest at the clinic for 1–2 hours and return to your hotel the same day.

Same day: Your partner provides a sperm sample (or we thaw a frozen sample). The embryologist begins fertilization via ICSI that afternoon.

Duration: 3–5 days · Location: Laboratory (you rest and explore)

Your embryos develop in our state-of-the-art incubators. The embryology team sends you daily updates — how many fertilized, how they are dividing, and which are developing into blastocysts. These are free days for you to enjoy Istanbul, attend your follow-up appointment, and relax.

Duration: ~10 minutes, no anesthesia · Location: Clinic

The best-quality embryo(s) are transferred to your uterus using a thin, soft catheter — guided by ultrasound. The procedure is painless (no sedation needed) and takes about 10 minutes. Dr. Aksoy will show you the embryo on screen before transfer.

After transfer: Rest at the clinic for 30 minutes, then return to your hotel. Light activity is fine — there is no need for strict bed rest.

Duration: Travel day · Location: Airport

You can fly home 24–48 hours after embryo transfer. Air travel does not affect implantation. We provide you with a complete medication schedule and written instructions to share with your local doctor.

Duration: Blood test · Location: Your home country

Approximately 12 days after transfer, you take a blood pregnancy test (beta-hCG) at a local laboratory. You share the result with us, and Dr. Aksoy calls you personally to discuss the next steps. If positive, we coordinate your follow-up with your local gynecologist.