Vital Details Concerning IVF And The Processes Used

By Carmen Pace


In Vitro Fertilization, IVF refers to a complex series of procedures used in treatment of infertility or generic problems and help in conception. During the procedure, there is collection of mature eggs from ovaries then they are fertilized by sperms in the laboratory. The resulting embryo is then implanted in the uterus. A single cycle in In Vitro Fertilization cycle takes roughly two weeks. This procedure is the most effective form of reproductive technology that is assisted.

The eggs and sperms used can be from either of two sources; from the individuals themselves or from donors. Such donors could be anonymous or not. In some cases, those concerned may use other women, in which case the embryo is implanted in the uterus of these women. The chance of getting healthy babies depends on such factors as age or the cause of the infertility. The whole procedure can be expensive, invasive and time consuming. Multiple pregnancies occur when more than embryo is implanted.

When it comes to choice of clinic, it is worth remembering that the rate of success of any clinic will be dependent on various factors, among them medical issues and patient age. Also to be considered is the treatment population and the approaches used for treatment. One should be comfortable with these, plus they should be effective. The total cost to be incurred needs to be known in advance.

When individuals are to use their own eggs and sperms, a number of screenings will be required. There will be ovarian reserve testing that is done to determine quantity and quality of eggs. It will involve testing the concentration of follicle stimulating hormone and estrogen during the first days of the menstrual cycle. Coupled with an ultrasound of the ovaries, the test results will help in predicting the way ovaries will respond to fertility medication.

For males, there is semen analysis that is scheduled as part of initial evaluation of fertility. This usually happens before the treatment starts. Screening for infectious diseases in both couples is also mandatory. An example of an infectious disease is HIV. For the establishment of the depth of the uterine cavity, a mock embryo transfer is carried out. The same will be instrumental in determination of techniques to be used to place embryos in the uterus.

Retrieving of eggs is done after administering of sedatives and painkillers. The most commonly used method for the retrieval is trans-vaginal ultrasound aspiration. An ultrasound probe gets inserted into the vagina to identify follicles. This is followed by insertion of a thin needle through an ultrasound guide which gets into the vagina and into follicles, enabling retrieval.

There are two techniques used for fertilization. The first is insemination that involves mixing healthy sperms and mature eggs and incubating them overnight. The other technique is intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection, known as ICSI. In this, one healthy sperm is directly injected into every mature egg. It is used when quality of semen or their number is a problem.

There are many factors that influence the probability of getting healthy babies. Embryo status, maternal age, cause of infertility and reproductive history of the individual are some of the factors. Lifestyle factors include high caffeine intake and smoking.




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