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reproductive medicine
Tests performed before undergoing IVF
Before your first visit to the reproductive specialist, it is necessary to perform some preliminary tests, and prepare all the documents you have so far – results from previous tests and medical history records. Subsequently, depending on the specificities of your particular case, and after a detailed assessment of your reproductive status, it is possible that your attending physician would recommend additional tests and consultations.
Having some reproductive difficulties does not necessarily mean that any of the methods of assisted reproduction has to be used. In some cases, pregnancy difficulties are only caused by mild hormonal abnormalities, and with appropriate therapy and lifestyle changes, this usually leads to a positive result and spontaneous pregnancy. In other cases, however, it is necessary to resort to assisted reproduction.
The right method applicable in your case is decided by your reproductive specialist after an initial examination and consultation, review of the detailed medical history, and analysis of all the documentation submitted by you on the history of previous diseases and tests, and after all complementary examinations, tests and consultations, if necessary, are completed. Here in Nadezhda, individual approach toward the patient is at the core of what we do, combined with interdisciplinary work by specialists to achieve optimal patient care and the best results.
Preliminary tests and consultation for women
Mandatory tests before initial examinationIf you are not yet a patient of Nadezhda Assisted Reproduction Center, you must first submit an online request for a primary examination with one of our reproductive specialists. Note that before the initial examination, it is necessary to carry out some preliminary tests:
- Hormones: FSH, LH, E2 (examined on day 2-3 of the menstrual cycle), AMH (Antimüllerian hormone);
- TSH, FT4, TAT, MAT and PRL (tested on days without menstrual bleeding, without coffee intake, until 10 am);
- Vitamin B12 (fasting test – without food and drink intake);
- Insulin resistance (oral glucose tolerance test – the test takes about 2 hours and is performed in the morning before 8:00 am, in a fasting state – without food or drink intake);
- Virology (AIDS, Hepatitis B and C, Syphilis) – it is recommended that the test is done immediately before the date of the examination (the time limit is 3 months).
Please bring with you all available documents, such as test results and discharge summaries, on the day of the examination. During this first meeting, the reproductive specialist will take a detailed history and get to know your case in detail.
The medical history is a set of questions about your medical history and health status. It is important to promptly report the presence of any concomitant and hereditary diseases, as well as any history of diseases. If you have a maternal oncology history, and family history of early menopause, report this to your reproductive specialist.
This is followed by an ultrasound examination with a high-resolution 3D ultrasound machine that produces volumetric three-dimensional images of the ovaries and uterus. The high class of the equipment used by your reproductive specialist allows precise examination, diagnosis and assessment of the condition of your reproductive organs.
After this first consultation and examination, the doctor will discuss the results with you and recommend a plan for further action.
After getting to know the specifics of your case in detail and making a precise assessment of your reproductive status, your doctor may prescribe additional tests and consultations beyond those required before your initial examination.
Preliminary tests and consultations for men
If you are going to have an initial consultation with a reproductive specialist of Nadezhda, it is necessary to carry out the following tests in advance:
- Spermogram (the test is performed at Nadezhda Reproductive Center – Sofia) – it is required to ensure sexual abstinence between 3 and 5 days, as well as a prior appointment at the Registration Office or through the call center of the hospital by phone: 02/44 179 70 or 0882 193 970;
- Virology (AIDS, Hepatitis B and C, Syphilis) – it is recommended that the test is done immediately before the date of the examination (the time limit is 3 months).
It is recommended that after the spermogram you make an appointment for an individual consultation with an Andrology Laboratory biologist to discuss and analyze the results of the test. During the personal consultation, the individual indicators will be explained to you in detail and the need for further tests will be discussed. The biologist will provide recommendations regarding the intake of any food additives to improve the sperm indices.
Consultations are carried out from Monday to Friday from 14:00 to 16:00 and on Saturdays from 11:00 to 15:00 in rooms 27 and 31 on the ground floor of the hospital only after prior appointment with the hospital call center, by calling 02 441 79 70, 0882193970, 0882193972, or at the Registry Office.
See also
Assistet reproduction technology
Stages of IVF
Specialized tests
Specialized procedures
