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Oocytes
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Best embryos for embryo transfer
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Other good quality embryos are frozen for future use
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What is in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer?
Mature eggs (oocytes) are aspirated from the woman's ovaries and fertilized with her husband's sperms outside her body. The fertilized eggs are then cultured in the laboratory and the resulting embryos are put back into her womb.
IVF/ET involves the following steps:
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Daily hormone injections to stimulate the ovaries to produce multiple eggs
(a process often referred to as 'Controlled Ovarian Stimulation (C.O.H.)'; |
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Serial blood (hormone) tests and ultrasound scans to monitor follicular growth; |
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Administration of another hormone to prevent premature release of these eggs |
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Ovulation is triggered when the follicles have reached certain sizes; |
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35 (up to 36) hours later, these eggs are retrieved under ultrasound guidance; |
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Sperm preparation; |
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Fertilization of the retrieved eggs with sperms in the laboratory; |
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Culture of the fertilized eggs for three to five days in the laboratory; |
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Replacement of 2 to 3 good quality embryos into the womb under ultrasound guidance; |
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Luteal support with either vaginal suppositories or injections at regular intervals |
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Blood (pregnancy) test 15 days after egg collection. |
Who might benefit from IVF/ET?
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Women with blocked or dysfunctional fallopian tubes (also known as oviducts) |
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Male factor infertility |
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Pelvic endometriosis |
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Unexplained (idiopathic) infertility |
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Couples who have failed 3 to 4 I.U.I. attempts |
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Anovulatory women who have failed clomiphene citrate and gonadotrophin therapy |
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Immunological infertility |
What does the husband need to do?
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Be supportive |
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Provide a semen sample on the day of egg collection to the laboratory |
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Sperms can be frozen in advance if there is difficulty producing a semen sample on demand or if the husband may be out of town |
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If there are no sperms in the ejaculate (a condition known as "azoospermia"), sperms can be retrieved surgically and then cryopreserved for later use. |
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