Embryo adoption - a last chance for a child?

Embryo adoption is a solution for those couples for whom the IVF procedure carried out with their own cells has been ineffective or impossible.

With prenatal adoption, a couple seeking to have offspring can achieve a healthy pregnancy using an embryo donated by another couple. What does the embryo adoption procedure look like in practice?

What does embryo adoption involve?

Adopting an embryo is often a difficult and psychologically taxing decision. It means that after nine months of pregnancy, the couple will have a child who is genetically completely different from the parents. In embryo adoption, both the egg and the sperm used for fertilisation come from third parties. Sometimes this is the only option for surviving the pregnancy and giving birth.

Embryos for adoption are cells from the IVF procedure of other couples that have been vitrified, i.e. frozen.

The effectiveness of IVF with embryo adoption from another couple depends on the cause of infertility of the couple trying to have an offspring. In Invimed clinics The efficiency of the IVF procedure in the first attempt is 36% and is independent of the age of the recipient.

Embryo adoption - stage one

Embryo adoption is usually the final stage of trying to get pregnant. Many couples opt for this solution when subsequent IVF cycles are unsuccessful. In the course of previous cycles, the couple has therefore already carried out all the necessary tests. Occasionally, couples opt for an adoption procedure. This usually happens when a woman cannot obtain a good quality egg cell or none at all, and the man's sperm cannot be used for fertilisation either.

If the first IVF cycle is already to proceed with embryo adoption, the couple must carry out all the tests necessary to qualify for the procedure.

Stage two - formalities

Couples who qualify for an IVF procedure combined with prenatal adoption must then complete all the formalities.

The first is to fill in the recipients' card, where data such as:

  • blood group

  • growth

  • weight

  • skin complexion

  • hair and eye colours.

The above data will allow the selection of a suitable embryo according to the physical similarity of the recipients to the donors. The couple must also sign a declaration of consent to adopt the embryo.

If an unmarried couple undergoes the procedure, the partner must declare paternity at the Registry Office. Embryo transfer can only take place after such a document has been submitted to the clinic.

The recipient couple will not receive information about who the embryo donor was, just as the donors will not know who the recipient was. Those who consent to embryo donation are deprived of their rights and responsibilities with regard to the child born and are not given any information about the subsequent development of the embryo.

Stage three - Decision

Once the forms have been completed and a decision has been made, the attending physician begins the procedure to prepare the patient for embryo transfer. This procedure does not differ from the standard procedure of preparation for cryotransfer. It consists of stimulating the uterus with appropriate drugs (tablets) to receive the embryo. The procedure can also be carried out on a natural cycle.

Stage four - embryo transfer

The timing of the transfer is determined by the doctors on the basis of both clinical indications related to the stage of the patient's cycle and embryological indications - it is carried out depending on the stage of development of the embryo.

The transfer date is set 3 to 5 days in advance.

The patient comes to the clinic one hour before the transfer. It is recommended that she drinks about 0.5 litres of water during this time, as a half-filled bladder enables a more precise transfer.

The patient is then placed in the gynaecological position, under ultrasound guidance, the doctor inserts a catheter through the cervix into the uterus and then gently injects the embryo inside the catheter.

To be sure, the embryologist checks under the microscope that the catheter is empty after the procedure. After the procedure, the patient is advised to rest for about 20 minutes in the recovery room and then she can go home.

The whole procedure is short - patient positioning, preparation and transfer take about 10 minutes. The procedure is also painless.

How much does it cost to adopt an embryo?

The cost of IVF with embryo adoption at Invimed is comparable to the price of frozen embryo transfer.

Usually, the couple decides to adopt in a subsequent IVF cycle, preceded by several unsuccessful attempts, so the cost consists of the price of the transfer itself and the thawing of the embryo plus the cost of any tests ordered.