WHAT ARE THE CRITERIA FOR PROPER DEVELOPMENT OF THE EMBRYO?

Following the procedures of microinjection or in vitro fertilization:

	Fertilization occurs after 16-20 hours (first day)
	Embryos have 3-4 cells after 48 hours (second day)
	Embryos have 6-8 cells or more after 72 hours (third day), and compaction starts.
	It is very difficult to count the cells accurately in the morning of the fourth day; this is the morula stage. Embryos have more than 16 cells.
	The embryo is called a blastocyst in the 5th or 6th days, and now the number of the cells exceeds 60.

Embryos meeting these criteria are evaluated as embryos of normal development.

WHAT IS THE RIGHT TIME TO APPLY FOR INFERTILITY TREATMENT?

In general, couples that cannot achieve pregnancies for 1 year, although they do not use contraception and have regular sexual intercourse are advised to see a doctor. However, as marriages of later ages are more popular nowadays, men who suspect infertility are advised to apply to an urologist. It is mandatory that the spouses attend the visit together. Together with a physical examination, hormone tests, genetic studies, and semen analysis are requested to be performed in our center, even if they were performed previously in other centers.

IMPORTANCE OF GENETIC STUDIES IN MALE INFERTILITY:

Developments in the genetics field of the recent years have provided us much important information on the factors that cause infertility in males. The deletions on Y chromosome, which is a sex chromosome, can cause decrease in sperm production or complete absence of that production despite normal body structure and functions. Similarly, in some numerical anomalies of sex chromosomes like the frequent 47XXY Kleinfelter syndrome, development of testes can be inadequate, and sperm production can be insufficient. Additionally, in congenital absence of sperm-conveying canals, no sperms can be seen in semen because of the obstruction of discharge although the production is normal. This situation is associated with a disorder called Congenital Bilateral Absence of Vas Deferens (CBAVD). In our center, we routinely perform all genetic tests that are performed worldwide for male infertility.