IVF
In Vitro Fertilization Clinics: What to Expect
Today, a plethora of medical methods are available to help couples have their own biological child. These methods are known collectively as assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) and are accessible at fertility clinics across the country.
In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) is the most commonly used ART technique by IVF clinics. It involves retrieving mature eggs from the woman, fertilizing them with sperm in a dish in a laboratory, and then implanting the fertilized eggs in the uterus two days later.
The process for IVF begins when a woman is referred to an IVF clinic by her doctor or other fertility specialists. The first thing the clinician will do is to administer to the woman fertility drugs which will stimulate her ovaries to produce more eggs than usual. About one week before her period, she will be injected with a medication that reduces the natural hormones responsible for promoting the development of eggs in the ovary.
To determine whether the drug has been successful at this, a vaginal ultrasound and blood test are performed about ten days after the injection has been given. If egg development has not been reduced, the drug therapy may be continued for another week or two by visiting the IVF clinic. When ovarian function has been temporarily halted, the woman will receive hormone injections for about one week in order to stimulate the development of ovarian follicles, the fluid-filled sacs in which the eggs mature.
More blood tests and another vaginal ultrasound will be performed to assess follicle growth. After the appropriate degree of ovarian stimulation is achieved, another hormone is injected to help the eggs mature and to bring about ovulation. Eggs are harvested thirty four to thirty eight hours later.
Using transvaginal ultrasound as a guide, the physician inserts a needle through the vagina and into the ovary in order to aspirate the fluid that contains the eggs. The eggs are then transferred immediately to the embryology laboratory and placed in an incubator, where they await insemination. Once fertilization has been confirmed, the embryos are implanted into the uterus. Implantation is a brief procedure that is accomplished by inserting a flexible catheter through the cervix and into the uterus. Six embryos are usually implanted and the rest are frozen.
The patient will need to remain in bed for two days following embryo implantation. A pregnancy test will be performed two weeks after the procedure. If conception does not occur, or if the patient wants further children, the frozen embryos can be used at a later date again by visiting the IVF clinic.
