Information for Patients

• Female hormonal problems such as the absence of ovulation.
• Female mechanical problems such as bi-lateral blocking of the fallopian tubes.
• Semen problems.
• Combinations of the above conditions.
• Unexplained problems.
Infertility is defined as the inability to obtain a pregnancy after at least one year of regular intercourse without the use of contraception. About 15% of couples of childbearing age have this problem.
In vitro fertilization is the most effective method of treatment for infertility. During the treatment egg cells (ovum) are extracted from the woman, fertilized in the laboratory and fetus is re-implanted in the uterus. This requires the woman to take several medications that help time her ovulation (and consequent extraction) and encourage the maturation of several egg cells to increase the chances of extracting a suitable egg.

On your first appointment you will meet with one of our physicians. He will build for you a personalized treatment plan, offer explanations about the process and refer you to preliminary tests at your Kupat Cholim (HMO). Later you will be invited to watch a short instructional video and receive personal guidance from the unit's nurse.
During your next visits most of the training will be done by the nursing staff according to the instructions given by the unit's physicians.

Please make sure you have the correct payment commitment for IVF treatments from your HMO.
Please bring a copy of your HMO medical record, a letter of referral from your regular physician and your lab results.
Before you start treatment you will be required to perform some tests such as a complete blood count (CBC), coagulation function, tests to rule out viruses and infections as well as a breast examination and a cervical smear. Completion of these tests and forwarding the results to us is vital for commencement of the IVF treatments.
In addition, we recommend that you do a genetic survey. This is a blood test designed to make sure that certain genetic hereditary diseases do not transfer to the offspring. This test is done at the HMO or at a genetic institute. You may consult the Department of Medical Genetics at Shaare Zeded at 02-6666435 of 02-6555130/
It is highly recommended that throughout the IVF treatment you maintain a balanced diet, avoid smoking (including second-hand smoke) and drinking alcoholic beverages and observe your body weight.
Please make sure you take all your prescribed medications and execute all your treatment instructions on time.

Embryo cryopreservation. Any good embryo left at the end of the IVF process will be frozen in the laboratory for future use.
Women aged 30-41 can request to freeze their egg cells in order to improve their chances of achieving a pregnancy at a later age.
Couples at risk of carrying a hereditary disease can receive pre-implantation genetic diagnosis, in which each embryo is tested for the disease before re-implantation.