Infertility Treatments: What is IVF (in vitro fertilization)? In vitro fertilization
involves removing eggs from the ovaries, fertilizing them in the laboratory
and then replacing the embryos into the uterus where they implant and mature
Who qualifies for IVF? IVF was originally designed to help women with blocked
or absent fallopian tubes Today, IVF has proven successful for couples with
unexplained infertility, ovulation disorders, endometriosis and male factor
problems
What is IVM (in vitro maturation)? It is retrieval of immature oocytes (Human
egg) from the ovary and are matured in vitro in the laboratory
Once they aremature, IVF is then performed
Who should be considered for IVM treatment? In general, women with infertility
who have polycystic ovaries (PCO) or polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and
who are under 40 years of age are considered candidates for IVM treatment
Other women repeatedly produce poor quality embryos or demonstrate poor responders
to ovarian stimulation for conventional IVF may be considered for IVM treatment
depending on individual agreement
What is ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection)? ICSI is the acronym to describe
Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection, the injection of a single sperm directly
into the cytoplasm of an oocyte
Is ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection) safe? For comprehensive information,
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What is gestational carrier? Gestational carrier is the procedure of taking
the oocyte and the sperm (gametes) from the biological parents, fertilizing
them in-vitro and then implanting the fertilized embryo(s) into the uterus
of a woman (carrier), so that she may be able to carry the pregnancy to term
What is embryo cryopreservation? Embryo cryopreservation is a method used
to preserve embryos by cooling and storing them at low temperatures. They
can be thawed at a future date and transferred to the uterus in an unstimulated
cycle
Who is a candidate for epididymal sperm aspiration? Occasionally, for those
men with no sperm in the ejaculate, sperm can be removed from the epididymis
or directly from the testicle. These procedures are called microsurgical epididymal
sperm aspiration, or testicular sperm aspiration
The sperm can then be used for intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) in
an IVF cycle to produce a pregnancy
What is TDI (therapeutic donor insemination)? Therapeutic donor insemination,
or TDI as it is often referred to, is the treatment of infertile couples with
a male factor problem with the use of anonymous donor sperm. The fertility
problems that make TDI a possible option for couples are azoospermia (or the
absence of any sperm), oligospermia (or few sperm) and a male that may carry
a genetic disorder and could pass this on to his offspring