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In-vitro Fertilization (IVF)
During the IVF process, the woman injects fertility drugs (gonadotropins) to stimulate production of multiple eggs rather than the single egg normally produced in each menstrual cycle. The stimulation process continues for approximately 8-11 days, while the woman's progress is monitored with ultrasound and blood draws. Once the woman's follicles containing her eggs have grown to the appropriate size, she is given an injection of hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) to mature the eggs and cause ovulation to occur. Approximately thirty-six hours after the hCG injection, the woman's eggs are retrieved from her ovaries. The eggs are then combined with sperm in a laboratory to create embryos. However, in circumstances where male factor infertility is an issue, Intra-Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) is performed. ICSI involves the injection of a single sperm into each egg. The embryos are transferred fresh into the woman's uterus during the primary cycle either 3 or 5-6 days later, or they are frozen (vitrified) and transferred into the woman's uterus on a subsequent, unstimulated cycle after they have been thawed.
Topics Covered When We Educate Our Clients About IVF
- Guidelines of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) regarding IVF;
- Critical factors to consider when choosing a fertility clinic for IVF;
- Interpretation of published fertility clinic success rates for IVF published by the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART) and the Center for Disease Control (CDC);
- Comparative analysis of world renowned, elite fertility clinics on the cutting edge that report success rates for IVF that are among the highest in the world;
- Comparative analysis of the best performing fertility clinics for IVF in your geographic area;
- How to choose a doctor within a fertility clinic;
- Important questions to ask at an initial consultation;
- How fertility clinics use tests of ovarian reserve to determine which patients they will accept for IVF with their own eggs;
- Transfer of fresh embryos versus previously frozen (vitrified) and thawed embryos;
- Using Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGS) to assess the chromosomal makeup of your embryos;
- Embryo banking / "Freeze all" cycles;
- Risk sharing programs / money back guarantees / refund plans for IVF;
- Grant programs to cover or offset the cost of IVF;
- Programs to finance the cost of IVF;
- Discount programs to reduce the cost of IVF;
- Drug company and other programs to finance or reduce the cost of medications used in IVF; and
- Psychologists, social workers and therapists who specialize in supporting couples and individuals considering or undergoing fertility treatment.