In Vitro Fertilization IVF

In vitro fertilization, or IVF is a method of infertility treatment in which the man’s sperm and the woman’s eggs are combined outside of the body. In general, IVF involves five steps:

Steps in IVF treatment

A combination of medications is used to stimulate the woman’s ovaries to produce many eggs in one cycle, in a process called controlled ovarian stimulation (COS).
The mature eggs are removed from the woman’s ovaries – usually through a slim needle inserted through the wall of the vagina.
The eggs are examined and placed into a culture dish in the lab. At the proper time, they are mixed with specially prepared sperm. Later, if fertilization occurs, the resulting embryos are grown in the lab for a few days.
One or more embryos are transferred back into the woman’s uterus, where an embryo may implant and result in an ongoing pregnancy.
A pregnancy test is given. If conception does not occur, all steps of the cycle should be evaluated by the treatment team and discussed with the patient in a follow-up meeting.

Should I undergo IVF?