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BIOLOGICAL & IVF
What is IVF?
In vitro fertilization (IVF) is an assisted reproductive technology (ART) in which sperm and an egg are fertilized outside of the human body. IVF is a complex process that involves retrieving eggs from ovaries and manually combining them with sperm in a lab for fertilization. Several days after fertilization, the fertilized egg (now called an embryo) is placed inside a uterus. Pregnancy occurs when this embryo implants.
Why is IVF Performed?
Choosing IVF
People choose IVF for many reasons, including infertility issues or when one partner has an existing health condition. Some people will try IVF after other fertility methods have failed or if they’re at an advanced maternal age. IVF is also a reproductive option for same-sex couples or people who wish to have a baby with their partner.
IVF is an Option if you or your Partner has:
- Blocked or damaged fallopian tubes.
- Endometriosis
- Low sperm count or other sperm impairments.
- Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) or other ovarian conditions.
- Uterine Fibroids
- Problems with your uterus.
- Risk of passing on a genetic disease or disorder.
How Common is IVF?
Dr. Mohamed Zizi
Dr. Amine Bittiti
Dr. Hamid Bennis
Procedure Details
What are the steps of IVF Treatment?
Before you start IVF treatment, your doctor may prescribe Birth Control Pills or Estrogen. This is used to stop the development of ovarian cysts and control the timing of your menstrual cycle. This allows your doctor to control your treatment and maximize the number of mature eggs during the egg retrieval procedure.
During each natural cycle in a healthy person of reproductive age, a group of eggs matures each month. Typically, only one egg becomes mature enough to ovulate, and the remaining immature eggs disintegrate.
you’ll take injectable hormone medications daily to encourage the entire group of that cycle’s eggs to mature simultaneously and fully. This means you may have many eggs instead of just one egg (like in a natural cycle).
The type, dosage, and frequency of medications prescribed will be tailored to you as an individual based on your medical history, age, AMH (anti-mullerian hormone) level, and your response to ovarian stimulation during previous IVF cycles.
Ultrasound and blood hormone levels monitor your ovaries’ response to the medications.
When your eggs are ready for final maturation (determined by your ultrasound and hormone levels), a “trigger shot” is given to finalize the maturation of your eggs in preparation for egg retrieval. You’ll be instructed to administer the trigger shot precisely 36 hours before your scheduled egg retrieval time.
Egg Retrieval
- Your doctor uses an ultrasound to guide a thin needle into each of your ovaries through your vagina. The needle is connected to a suction device to pull your eggs out of each follicle.
- Your eggs are placed in a dish containing a special solution. The dish is then put in an incubator (Controlled environment).
- Medication and mild sedation are used to reduce discomfort during this procedure.
- Egg retrieval is done 36 hours after your last hormone injection.
Fertilization
The afternoon after your egg retrieval procedure, the embryologist will try to fertilize all mature eggs using intracytoplasmic sperm injection, or ICSI. This means that sperm will be injected into each mature egg. Immature eggs cannot have ICSI performed on them. The immature eggs will be placed in a dish with sperm and nutrients. Immature eggs rarely finish maturing in the dish. If an immature egg does mature, the sperm in the dish can attempt to fertilize it.
On average, 70% of mature eggs will fertilize. For example, if ten mature eggs are retrieved, about seven will fertilize. If successful, the fertilized egg will become an embryo.
If there are many eggs or you don’t want all eggs fertilized, some eggs may be frozen before fertilization for future use.
Embryo Development
Over the next five to six days, your embryos’ development will be carefully monitored.
Your embryo must overcome significant hurdles to become suitable for transfer to your uterus. On average, 50% of fertilized embryos progress to the blastocyst stage, the most suitable stage for transfer to your uterus. For example, if seven eggs were fertilized, three or four might develop to the blastocyst stage. The remaining 50% typically fail to progress and are discarded.
All embryos suitable for transfer will be frozen on day five or six of fertilization for future embryo transfers.
Embryo Transfer
There are two kinds of embryo transfers: fresh embryo transfer and frozen embryo transfer. Your healthcare provider can discuss using fresh or frozen embryos and decide what’s best for your unique situation. Frozen and fresh embryo transfers follow the same process, but the name implies the main difference.
A fresh embryo transfer means your embryo is inserted into your uterus between three and seven days after the egg retrieval procedure. This embryo hasn’t been frozen and is “fresh.”
Pregnancy
What do you prepare for IVF treatment?
Before starting IVF treatment, you’ll need a thorough medical exam and fertility tests. Your partner will be examined and tested as well. Some of the preparations you’ll go through include:
- IVF consultation with your doctor to discuss the details of the IVF process.
- A uterine exam, up-to-date Pap test, and mammogram (if you are over 40 years of age)
- A semen analysis.
- We are screening for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and other infectious diseases.
- Ovarian reserve testing and blood and urine tests.
- Instructions on how to administer fertility medications.
- Genetic carrier screening.
- Sign consent forms.
- Uterine cavity evaluation (hysteroscopy or saline-infused sonography SIS).
Your doctor will provide all the information before we start the process.
