Everything You Need To Know About In Vitro Fertilization

The Egg Retrieval

Inside the ovaries are follicles, which is where the eggs develop in fluid-filled structures. Each follicle contains one microscopic egg, which can be seen and measured by an ultrasound. The eggs loosely attach to the follicle walls. Once the eggs are fully developed, female patients are injected with a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), which prepares the eggs for final maturation and surgical retrieval.

During the second stage, the eggs are retrieved about 36 hours after the hCG injection. Through ultrasound imaging, the technician inserts a hollow needle into the pelvic cavity to retrieve eggs from the ovary. This procedure typically takes five to ten minutes with patients given anesthesia and undergo sedation to manage any pain and discomfort.

The Sperm Preparation

It is during the third stage, that the male partner is requested to provide a sperm sample. Typically, sperm is provided the same morning as egg retrieval. Occasionally, the sperm is collected in advance and frozen until needed. When providing sperm the day of, it is best to abstain from sexual intercourse for at least two days prior to the IVF procedure, but no longer than 6 days for optimal sperm quality. If the sperm are deemed normal, sperm capacitation takes place, where technology is used to give sperm the ability to fertilize an egg outside of the woman’s body. If there are issues with the sperm, steps are taken to help inject the sperm into the egg using technology known as intracytoplasmic sperm injection or ICSI micromanipulation.