What exactly is IVF?
In IVF, or In-vitro Fertilization, eggs are obtained from the female, after her ovaries have been stimulated with infertility drugs through an egg retrieval. While the patient is sedated for five to ten minutes, under ultrasound control, a needle is inserted into the ovaries and eggs are aspirated. These eggs are then fertilized in the laboratory (in-vitro) with the partner’s sperm and the ensuing embryos are watched for three to six days while they start dividing. On the third day, when the better embryos have reached eight-cell stage, most patients undergo an embryo transfer. With a tiny catheter, usually unperceivable to the patient, embryos are placed into the uterine cavity. A pregnancy test (hCg) is administered approximately ten days later to determine if our patient has become pregnant.
