IVF/ICSI

IVF/ICSI

In Vitro Fertilisation is a process where the egg and sperm are fertilised outside the body, an embryo forms and the embryo is put back into the uterus. If the embryo successfully implants, pregnancy is achieved. The pregnancy is then followed till 9 months and a healthy baby is delivered.

The process of IVF-ICSI has the following steps

Controlled Ovarian Stimulation - Injections are given usually from the first day of your period and continued for about 10 to 12 days till the ovarian follicles which contain the eggs achieve a mature size. A final maturation trigger injection is administered, after which the eggs (oocytes) are retrieved.

Ovum Pick Up - The egg retrieval is a technique through which the eggs are collected from the follicles in the ovary. A sonography probe is inserted into the vagina through which a needle is attached, which punctures the ovarian follicles through the vagina and the fluid in the follicles is aspirated. This fluid is checked for the presence of eggs.

ICSI - Once the eggs are retrieved, they are injected with 1 sperm each in order for them to fertilise and form embryos. This procedure is performed by a trained embryologist using a machine called the micromanipulator under high magnification.

Embryo Transfer - The fertilised eggs are then transferred inside the uterus using a small thin plastic catheter under the guidance of ultrasound, on day 3 at the cleavage stage or day 5 at the blastocyst stage. The extra embryos can be frozen and used for the next cycle if the need arises.