IN VITRO FERTILIZATION or IVF is a technique of assisted reproduction. In this procedure the eggs of the patient (woman) are fertilized with sperms obtained from her partner. The process is done in a specialized laboratory with all facilities for IVF. The sperms or embryos from a donor may be used in certain conditions.Dalmia Infertility Centre is the best infertility Centre in Central India. We at Dalmia IVF Centre Gwalior are dedicated towards helping the couples struggling with male and female infertility. Dr Pratishtha Dalmia has years of experience in dealing with infertility and has brought a ray of hope in the lives of patients failing to conceive naturally.
IVF Can Help You !
IVF is a procedure used in couples with failure to conceive naturally. This might help the couples with following conditions –
- Females with blockage of both fallopian tubes (tubal block).
- Failure to conceive after Intrauterine insemination (IUI), ovulation induction (OI).
- PCOS (a condition with multiple cysts in the ovary).
- Patients with endometriosis.
- Couples needing oocytes from a donor.
- Male Factor Infertility.
- Infertility with unknown causes (Unexplained Infertility).
How is IVF Done ?
The complete cycle of IVF takes 4 to 6 weeks.
IVF is a procedure in which the egg obtained from a woman is fertilized outside her body. This egg is then implanted inside her uterus to develop into an embryo. There are following steps involved in IVF :-
Preparation prior to the treatment - to assess your and your partner’s general wellbeing some blood tests are done before starting the treatment. Some tests are done to check your hormone levels.Keeping in mind your age and medical history your consultant may order few other tests.
Step 1 - Ovarian Stimulation or Super Ovulation :
The ovaries are stimulated to produce several eggs by giving medications to you. You will be given these injections by our staff in the hospital or you may be taught self-administering these hormones if needed. These hormones stimulate the ovaries to produce several eggs and thus increase the chances of a successful pregnancy.
The length of this phase depends on the response to the administered hormones. Depending on your case history and test reports, out of the two protocols available for the stimulation phase, either one is chosen. These are the LONG and the ANTAGONIST Protocol. Your doctor will discuss these with you. In both of these, the injections need to be taken at the same time every day.
These fertility drugs may cause minor side effects like bloating, headache, stomach upset etc.
Monitoring of response to the treatment is done with blood tests and a series of transvaginal ultrasounds.
Step 2 - Egg retrieval or Egg Collectio :
You will be given light anaesthesia; with the help of Transvaginal ultrasound, the eggs retrieval (collection) from the ovary is done. This procedure takes about 20- 30 minutes and you can go home about 2-3 hours after the procedure. Slight abdominal discomfort or vaginal spotting may occur in few patients but this is relieved in a day or two. You can contact our consultants at Dalmia Infertility Centre if you experience any of these symptoms.
Step 3 - Sperm Retrieval :
Sperm retrieval is the collection of the semen sample. A fresh semen sample from your partner is collected. Ideally the sample should be produced on the same day when your eggs are collected and should reach the Dalmia Infertility Centre in 30 minutes. Due to some reason if the sample cannot be collected the same day then a frozen semen sample of your partner can be used.
STEP 4 - Fertilization and Embryo Transfer :
The eggs collected are then fertilized by the sperms from the semen in an IVF lab. This fertilization is either done by the conventional method or by intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).To confirms fertilization regular monitoring of the eggs is done by an embryologist in the specialized lab of Dalmia IVF Centre.
Following fertilization, an embryo is formed. Out of the embryos developed in the lab, two or three will be transferred to the uterus. The day and the number of embryos to be transferred will be discussed with you. The embryo is transferred into the uterus under sonographic guidance using a thin, soft plastic tube that is passed through the cervix.
This procedure of embryo transfer is almost painless and does not require administration of any anaesthetic.
Step 5 - Pregnancy Test :
Two weeks after the embryo transfer a pregnancy test (beta HCG) is done. One week after a positive test, a vaginal ultrasound is done to confirm the pregnancy and to see the gestational sac.