Monday, 17 March 2014

Essential Details Concerning IVF And The Procedures Used

By Lindsay Ranson


The complex series of procedures that are used to treat infertility and generic problems and thus assist in achieving conception is known as In Vitro Fertilization, IVF. The procedure involves collecting mature eggs from ovaries then fertilizing them with sperms. This happens in a laboratory. The embryo that results is then implanted into the uterus. Each In Vitro Fertilization cycle takes just about two weeks. When it comes to assisted forms of reproductive technology, this is the most effective.

There is the option of doing the procedure using the eggs or sperms of the patients or from known or anonymous donors. In certain instances, a woman who has an embryo implanted in her uterus may be used. The probability of having a healthy baby through this procedure is dependent on a number of factors like the cause of infertility or age. In vitro fertilization can be expensive, time consuming and invasive. In case there is implantation of more than one embryo in the uterus, multiple pregnancies may result.

The choice of clinic is an important consideration. This will have to be done in such a way that the best option is chosen. The treatment approaches used and the treatment population are some of the factors that will need to be considered. It is very important that those involved find out the exact costs to be incurred.

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.

A number of factors determine health of babies born through In Vitro Fertilization. Reproductive history of the individual, cause of the infertility, maternal age and status of the embryo are some of the factors. Other factors include whether or not the individual smokes and their level of caffeine intake.




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