IN VITRO FERTILIZATION (IVF)

The goal of IVF is to allow a patient the opportunity to become pregnant using the her own eggs or donor eggs and sperm from the female’s partner or from a donor. IVF is the most successful treatment a patient can do using their own eggs and sperm (or donor sperm). By moving to IVF treatment, a couple increases their chances of success dramatically.

DISCLAIMER: The “typical” patients below do not represent the only individuals who should seek this fertility treatment.

• IVF would be the first line of treatment for patients with:
  • Tubal diseases or tubal ligation
  • Severe Male Infertility
  • Endometriosis
  • Recurrent Miscarriage

• IVF is recommended for patients with:
  • Infertility
  • Unexplained Infertility
  • LGBTQ+ FamiliesSingle Woman
  • Advanced Age
  • Ovulatory Disorder
  • Genetic Abnormalities

Before In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) Treatment

• • Before the fertility procedure, the AFMC physician will need to stimulate egg development and ovulation. This is done through daily self-injections over a two week period (8-14 days). The hCG (the ‘trigger shot’) is the final step of the stimulation phase of treatment as it will help develop eggs complete the maturation process and sets ovulation in motion. This increases the potential for success with treatment. During this time, the female patient will visit the clinic for periodic blood tests and ultrasounds to monitor progress. This will cause more than one egg to grow and mature in the ovaries.
  • The morning of the procedure, the male partner provides a sperm sample at the clinic. If the sample is coming from the donor sperm, it would be thawed and processed just prior to the procedure. Before insemination, the samples are prepared in the laboratory to be assessed for safety, quality, and quantity. Then, the samples are passed through a filtering system for grading and washing.

During In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) Treatment

• Follicle Aspiration
  • During this procedure, eggs will be harvested from the ovaries. At the beginning of the procedure, an ultrasound-guided probe will be inserted into the female’s vagina so that the physician can view her ovaries to look for follicles. When found, a suction device connected to the guided probe will collect several eggs from inside the follicles.
•  Fertilization
  • The collected eggs from the Follicle Aspiration procedure will be immediately taken to a laboratory where they will be fertilized. Here is where the eggs will be united with the sperm in an incubator.
  • Fertilization may be performed by insemination, where several sperm are mixed with the healthiest eggs or by using a microscope, the eggs may be fertilized with sperm injected directly into them during a process called Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI). The physician will discuss with the preferred method to use based on sperm quality. This is traditionally planned in advanced; however, in some cases, the embryologist may see that semen parameters for conventional insemination are not being met, so the physician will recommend the switch to ICSI to produce the greatest chance of success.
• Embryo Development:
• • The fertilized eggs, also called embryos, will be monitored for 3 – 5 days as they begin to grow. The goal is to see progressive development, with a two to four cell embryo on day 2 and a six to eight cell embryo on day 3. It is the physician’s goal to transfer the highest-quality embryo(s) to provide the greatest chance of reproductive success. At this time, the lab may create a hole in the zona pellucida surrounding some of the embryos; this process is known as assisted hatching. This will help these embryos implant in the uterus. Some of the embryos will be used right away for embryo transfer and the rest will be frozen and stored for future use if necessary.
• Embryo Transfer
• • This procedure is done 3 – 5 days after fertilization. During the procedure, a guided probe is inserted into the female patient’s vagina so that the physician can see the cervix. A syringe which is connected to a catheter will be loaded with fluid containing one or more of the hatched embryos. The physician will insert the catheter into the vagina, through the cervix, and into the female patient’s uterus. Once inside the uterus, the doctor will inject the embryos.

AFMC IVF Treatment Plans

• Natural IVF Cycle (2 and 3 Cycle Packages Available)
• Mini IVF Cycle (2 and 3 Cycle Packages Available)
• Single IVF Cycle
• Single IVF with Egg Donation
• Single IVF with Egg Donation with Gestational Surrogate
• Single IVF with Gestational Surrogate
• Double IVF Cycle
• Triple IVF Cycle

Please contact our medical center for additional information and pricing.