IVF is a High-Tech Approach to Achieving Pregnancy
Through in vitro fertilization, or IVF, hundreds of patients at our Nevada fertility center have achieved their dreams of parenthood. This advanced procedure can circumvent many significant barriers to pregnancy, including blocked fallopian tubes, male factor infertility and ovarian related issues.
The IVF process
The IVF process involves removing mature eggs from a woman’s ovaries and fertilizing them with sperm in a lab, creating embryos that can be transferred back to the uterus to achieve pregnancy.
IVF takes several weeks from start to finish, as it involves multiple steps.
Ovarian stimulation – Medications are used to stimulate the woman’s ovaries to develop multiple follicles, whose growth is closely monitored by ultrasound and hormone level testing.
Egg retrieval – Once mature, the eggs are extracted (retrieved) under mild anesthesia, using an ultrasound-guided needle placed through the vaginal wall.
Fertilization – The eggs are fertilized using Intracytoplasmic sperm injection, or ICSI, in our IVF lab using the partner’s sperm, or, if needed, sperm from a donor.
Embryo growth – The fertilized embryos are allowed to grow and are monitored under carefully controlled conditions in our laboratory.
Genetic testing – For detailed information about the chromosomal balance and genetic health of each embryo, we can offer PGS and PGD testing at this stage of IVF.
Uterine preparation – The woman begins taking hormones to prepare her uterine lining for embryo implantation and subsequent pregnancy.
Transfer – The highest-quality embryo is transferred to the woman’s uterus using a thin catheter passed through the cervix, and the remaining embryos are frozen (cryopreserved).
Ongoing hormone supplementation – The woman continues to take hormones to support pregnancy for several weeks after a positive pregnancy test.
Because fertilization takes place outside the woman’s body, IVF can overcome many common causes of infertility. It also allows for fertilization using donor eggs or sperm, if needed, and for embryos to be transferred to a gestational carrier or surrogate. This makes IVF a good family-building option not only for infertile couples, but for gay men who wish to have a baby.
IVF is also a wise choice for people who are concerned about passing genetic disorders down to their children. Patients can opt for preimplantation genetic diagnosis, PGD, which can help break the chain of inherited disease. Preimplantation genetic screening, PGS, is a tool we use to help women struggling with recurrent miscarriage or a history of failed IVF cycles. PGS can also be used to identify the gender of an embryo, which can be useful if the patient has a family history of sex-linked genetic disorders such as hemophilia or Duchenne’s muscular dystrophy (DMD).
Is IVF right for you?
The fertility specialists at our Nevada fertility center specialize in diagnosing complex infertility issues and targeting each patient’s treatment plan to address their specific fertility challenges.
For some patients, IVF may be a first-line treatment. The process begins with your fertility specialist documenting your medical history and ordering specific tests to determine the cause of your inability to become pregnant. Then, your physician will design a customized treatment plan to help you achieve pregnancy as quickly and cost-effectively as possible.
To learn more about IVF or to schedule a consultation, contact our Nevada fertility center.
What is IVF?
How to determine if IVF is right for you.
The steps involved in an IVF cycle.
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