IVF

There are four-steps involved in a successful IVF procedure

1. Ovarian Hyper stimulation: This involves administering fertility medication under the supervision of an experienced doctor to induce development of multiple follicles of ovaries. A follicle is a spheroid structure which secretes hormones and has the potential to release an egg during ovulation.
2. Retrieval of Eggs: The eggs are retrieved from the patient using a transvaginal technique called transvaginal oocyte retrieval, involving an ultrasound-guided needle piercing the vaginal wall to reach the ovaries. Through this needle follicles can be aspirated, and the follicular fluid is passed to an embryologist to identify ova. It is common to remove between ten and thirty eggs. The retrieval procedure usually takes between 20 and 40 minutes, depending on the number of mature follicles, and is usually done under conscious sedation or general anesthesia.
3. Fertilization outside the body and culture of embryos: In the laboratory, the identified eggs are stripped of surrounding cells and prepared for fertilization. An oocyte selection may be performed prior to fertilization to select eggs with optimal chances of successful pregnancy. In the meantime, semen is prepared for fertilization by removing inactive cells and seminal fluid in a process called sperm washing. If a sperm donor is providing semen, it will usually have been prepared for treatment before being frozen and quarantined, and it will be thawed ready for use.
4. Embryo Transfer: Embryo transfer refers to a step in the process of assisted reproduction in which embryos are placed into the uterus of a female with the intent to establish a pregnancy.