IVF Treatment Timeline in Istanbul

Duration: Varies · Location: From home

The treating clinician reviews your medical history, hormone results such as AMH, FSH and E2, ultrasound reports and previous treatment records. Your coordinator can explain which documents are needed and how the proposed schedule may fit around your cycle. Medication instructions and any prescription are issued only after clinical assessment; local purchase and availability depend on the rules in your country.

Planning point: Wait for the treatment plan and a workable travel window before buying a non-refundable ticket.

Duration: Often the first few days, if agreed · Location: Your home country

Some protocols allow the first part of ovarian stimulation to take place at home. This requires clear instructions and suitable local monitoring. The length and dose of medication are individual; do not copy a timeline from another patient.

Duration: Travel day · Location: Istanbul

Your coordinator confirms the first clinic appointment and practical arrangements before you travel. If airport transfer or accommodation support is included in your plan, confirm those details in writing. After arrival, allow time to settle and rest before monitoring begins.

Duration: Commonly several days · Location: Clinic visits as advised

Monitoring usually combines transvaginal ultrasound with blood tests. Visits may be every day, every other day or more frequent, depending on the response to medication. The UCLH IVF FAQ describes alternate-day monitoring as common once stimulation begins, while also noting that individual schedules vary.

Typical day: A morning appointment may take around 30–45 minutes, but the time can be longer when additional assessment is needed. Plan rest between visits rather than treating the free time as a sightseeing schedule.

Duration: One injection at a precise time · Location: Hotel or clinic, as instructed

There is no single follicle measurement that applies to every patient. When the clinician considers final oocyte maturation appropriate, the trigger is scheduled for a specific time. Egg retrieval is usually planned about 36 hours later. The HRA summary on follicular growth and trigger timing explains why timing is individualised; the Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS guide also stresses that the 36-hour timing matters.

Duration: Often about 20–30 minutes, with sedation or anaesthesia · Location: Operating room

Egg retrieval is performed with the type of sedation or anaesthesia agreed with the clinical team. The procedure itself is often brief, but cramping, soreness or light bleeding can occur afterward. The HFEA IVF overview and the NHS egg-collection guide describe the procedure and the need to follow local aftercare instructions.

Same day: Sperm is provided or a stored sample is prepared. The embryology team then begins fertilisation and laboratory culture according to the agreed plan.

Duration: Usually 3–6 days of culture · Location: Laboratory, while you recover

Embryos are assessed during laboratory culture. The timing and form of updates depend on the laboratory and your plan; daily messages are not universal. If PGT is planned, biopsy and analysis add a separate stage. The HFEA information on PGT-M and PGT-SR explains why embryos are commonly frozen after biopsy and transferred later.

Duration: Often about 10 minutes · Location: Clinic

A clinician places the embryo selected for transfer through a thin catheter. Transfer is usually performed without anaesthesia, but comfort varies and some people find it uncomfortable. The HFEA IVF overview describes the usual procedure and why individual circumstances matter.

After transfer: Follow the medication and activity instructions given by your clinic. This page is not a substitute for your discharge advice.

Duration: Depends on symptoms and the treating team · Location: Istanbul to home

Do not rely on a universal 24–48-hour flight rule. Ask the treating team when travel is appropriate for you and keep the ticket changeable. A 2025 retrospective study of 2,135 embryo transfers found no significant difference in implantation, pregnancy or miscarriage outcomes associated with flying, but it was not a randomised trial and the authors called for further research: Does flying after embryo transfer impact implantation?.

Seek prompt medical advice for severe or worsening pain, marked abdominal swelling, breathlessness, faintness, heavy bleeding or fever. These symptoms should not be managed by travel advice alone; the HFEA IVF overview outlines important IVF risks, including ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome.

Duration: Blood or urine test, as instructed · Location: Usually your home country

The clinic will give you the test date. NHS guidance says the test is often scheduled around 16 days after transfer, while some protocols use a different interval depending on embryo age and local practice. Follow your clinic’s date and share the result with the treating team and your local doctor when asked.