In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is an external reproductive treatment used to help individual with fertility problems to have a baby. In IVF, female egg cells which is called the oocytes will be fertilized with the male semen cell in a laboratory. The fertilized egg cells will then be selected and returned to the uterus for development.
Patients will be provided with step by step detail explanations for the treatment. Below are the stages involve in this treatment:
IVF treatment begins when a hormonal medications is injected into the patients on their 3rd day of menstruation. This injection is to aid the development of multiple egg cell thus increasing patients chance to conceive. Generally this ovaries stimulation process will last for 12 days. However, it will also depend on ovaries reaction to this hormone injection. This process will vary with each individual. Egg cell development will be observed carefully via ultrasound during daily hormone treatment.
Another available treatment method is called short protocol. This method works on 2nd or 3rd day of menstruation with an average of 15 days length. On 6th day of hormone therapy or when the follicular reaches a certain size, the eggs will be stimulated with an injection of Gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist so it could prevent follicles’ premature cracking. This injection will be done from the navel. Nowadays this method is more preferred and popular because with equal success rate, it takes a shorter time compared to the previously mentioned method. Apart from this, the side effect known as eggs overstimulation syndrome (egg hyperstimulation) is found to be less common in short protocol compared to the other method.
In test tube baby treatment, another step will be taken when the eggs finally reached a certain maturity. Stimulated egg cells will be cracked by injecting a different hormonal injection and for 34-36 hours later, egg collection will be done. It is vital to perform this treatment at the correct moment. That is why timing is the hardest point in this process.
Patients will be put to sleep with an empty stomach at an early time of the day. The egg collection process will begin afterward and will last for 15 to 20 minutes. Patients will not experience any pain during this process since it will be carried out while they are sleeping.
To retrieve the eggs, an ultrasound probe will be inserted into the vagina for follicles identification. In order to retrieve the eggs, a thin needle will be inserted into an ultrasound guide which will go through vagina then into the follicles. Between 1 and 40 eggs will be collected during this procedure. However, this figure can differs with each individual. In general, around 10 to 12 eggs will be taken during this process. On rare occassion it is possible that no eggs could be harvested at all. Patients are not required to be hospitalized after the procedure and they could return to their home immediately.
Depending on sperm cells’ quality, eggs collected during the previous stage will be fertilized in the laboratory. Classical IVF or microinjection (ICSI) methods will be selected according to the sperms’ quality. The embryo will be able to develop in the womb due to this fertilization. Fertilization under the microscope will be completed within 12 to 15 hours. The results will be reported to the patient and embryo transfer day will be scheduled accordingly.
The transfer will be perfomed around 48 to 72 hours after the fertilized embryo collection which is also known as the pre-embryo or zygote. According to the situation, the transfer may consume up to 120 hours with surgeon’s decision. The advancement of this process will completely depend on embryo’s quality.
During this phase, embryos will be inserted into the uterus by gently passing through the cervix via a thin plastic catheter. Patients age will determine the number of embryos to be transferred. For example, 1 embryo will be placed in the first two treatments for individuals below 35 years old while for other patients, 2 embryos can be placed instead. In this simple procedure patients will not experience any pain.
Hospitalization is not required for the patients after the application. Patients will then obtain the progestreone hormone for 2 weeks and following this period, patients will take a pregnancy test. If the result is positive the gestational sac can be seen via ultrasound after 10 days.
12 days after the transfer process, a pregnancy test will be carried out to check whether a pregnancy has occured successfully. Without patients needing to be hungry, Beta-HCG will be detected through blood test. An ultrasound examination will be done after 10 days in case of positive result. Patients from outside of the city can carry out the ultrasound by themselves and inform their surgeon remotely. The surgeon’s remote observance at this stage will be sufficient and patients are not required to come and see the surgeon who conducted the treatment for a re-examination.
In vitro fertilization or also known as IVF, is an external reproductive treatment used to aid individuals with fertility problems to have a baby.
Individuals who has been struggling with infertility may benefit from IVF treatment.
No, IVF treatment does not focus on woman only. IVF helps man with sperm motility and quality problem. In addition it also helps man with azoospermia or varicocele problems.
IVF will be performed under few conditions such as reduced egg reserve, egg quality declination, problems in intrauterine or fallopian tubes, cysts, decreased sperm motility, low sperm quality, azoospermia and varicocele.
IVF is carried out in few phases. It starts with ovarian stimulation by injecting a hormonal medication into patients, egg collection, egg fertilization in laboratory followed by embryo transfer. 12 days after the transfer, pregnancy test will be carried out to check whether the IVF procedure are successful or not.
It is not compulsory for the patients to do the ultrasound at the same clinic. It is sufficient for patients to take the ultrasound examination at a different place and inform their IVF surgeon accordingly.
Patients will not experience any pain during egg collection as the procedure will be carried out with the usage of anesthesia.
Normally around 1 to 40 eggs will be collected in this procedure. However, this figure will differ with each patient. In average around 10 to 12 eggs will be retrieved in egg collection.
IVF treatment will normally be performed in stages on different days. However, patients are not required to be hospitalized after each procedure.
Since there’s no hospitalization required for IVF treatment, patients will be able to resume their daily life immediately.
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