RECOMMENDED FOR

  • Men with a low sperm count, sperm motility problems or poor sperm morphology
  • Men who have had a vasectomy
  • Men who have difficulty ejaculating normally, as in the case of retrograde ejaculation (because of neurological problems, diabetes, etc
  • Cryopreserved sperm samples from men who have had a vasectomy or have had chemotherapy or radiotherapy. These samples are very valuable as there is a limited quantity and ICSI allows them to be used to best effect
  • Other factors: several cycles of unsuccessful IVF, a small number of eggs obtained from egg collection, or when it is necessary to identify healthy embryos using pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD)

RESULTS

In 26 years, the IVI Group has delivered over 160,000 live births.

TECHNOLOGY

IVI has a worldwide reputation for innovative research and has developed and patented pioneering techniques and technologies.

CARE

97% of our patients said they would recommend IVI. We work with you at every stage of the treatment, providing support and care.

EXPERTISE

IVI is one of the largest fertility providers in the world, with over 70 clinics in 13 countries.

PROCEDURE

We always start with an individual assessment of each patient to identify the most suitable fertility treatment, but the following gives an overview of the process that is normally followed.

Ovarian stimulation

Ovarian stimulation during an IVF cycle consists of daily injections that stimulate the ovaries to produce more eggs than you would normally. Only a single egg is matured and ovulated each month naturally. By stimulating the ovaries to produce more eggs, a larger number of embryos can be collected.

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Depending on the protocol used and how quickly the patient responds, the stimulation phase of the cycle can take between 10 and 20 days. During treatment, 4 ultrasound scans are carried out and a blood test may also be taken to measure the amount of estradiol (a hormone produced by the ovaries). The scans and blood tests monitor how the follicles (fluid filled sacs in which the eggs develop and mature) are growing.

Egg Collection and the laboratory

When the ultrasound scans show that the follicles have reached an adequate size and therefore are likely to contain a suitable number of eggs, we schedule the egg collection process. Some 36 hours before the procedure an injection of the hormone hCG is administered. This makes the eggs mature in a similar way to the way they would naturally.

The egg collection is carried out in the operating theatre under sedation and lasts approximately 15 minutes. Once the procedure is completed you will need to stay in the clinic at least an hour but you can go home the same day. You’ll need someone to pick you up and you shouldn’t drive for the rest of the day, because of the anaesthetic.

ICSI

Once the eggs and the sperm with the best motility and morphology have been selected and microinjection of the egg can take place. During ICSI, the selected sperm is injected directly into the egg. This gives the best possible chance for successful fertilisation. The embryos obtained are allowed to develop for 3 to 5 days in the laboratory before being transferred into the uterus.

Embryo culture in the laboratory

The resulting embryos are observed in the laboratory and are classified according to their morphology and their ability to divide. Not every embryo will carry on developing so the decision about when to complete the embryo transfer will depend on the number and quality of your embryos.

Transfer

The procedure can feel like a smear test. It usually takes around 15 minutes. A tiny drop of culture medium containing one or two embryos is carefully deposited in the uterus using a thin catheter. You will need to have a full bladder for embryo transfer as an abdominal ultrasound scan is carried out during the transfer to ensure the embryo placement within the uterus is optimised.

At IVI we recommend single embryo transfer (SET). Studies show that multiple pregnancies carry a much greater risk of low birth weight, perinatal and infant mortality, preterm delivery and disability. If you have high quality embryos, choosing to transfer more than one embryo does not increase the chances of becoming pregnant, only the chances of having a multiple pregnancy and its associated risks.

Vitrification of remaining embryons

Once the embryo transfer has been made, we vitrify the remaining good quality embryos so that they can be used in a later cycle without the need for further ovarian stimulation.

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