Infertility is defined as the inability to get pregnant. Infertility can be caused owing to the problems related to ovulation and if there is no ovulation there won’t be any eggs for fertilization. This problem with ovulation is caused due to several different reasons such as polycystic ovary syndrome which interfered with the normal process of ovulation. PCOS is the most common reason behind infertility in women. There are a number of other reasons behind infertility.
There are multiple methods for treating infertility either through drugs or through surgical procedures. In recent times there are many other procedures which are used by doctors to treat fertility and assist with the conception of the pregnancy. One of the very popular procedure is IVF or in other words In vitro fertilization. The process of IVF involves the collection of eggs from the ovaries and fertilizing them with sperm in a laboratory. Followed by that the fertilized eggs are inserted in the uterus. In vitro fertilization is a time-consuming and invasive treatment procedure but it is also regarded as the most effective way to treat fertility. But the probability of success depends upon a number of factors like the age and the reason behind infertility. In Arizona there are a number of fertility clinics which offer IVF treatment to patients. The procedure of the treatment is very complex and for that reason it is very necessary to find reputed clinics which have adequate experience and expertise in the field and has maximum success rate. One can find the list of all the fertility treatment center of Arizona which specialises in IVF treatment online by simply typing AZ fertility treatment center.
The procedure ofIVF fertility treatment involves several steps which span over a period of few months. The steps for IVF treatment are as follows:
- Preparing the body for the IVF cycle
- Stimulating the ovaries
- Trigger shot
- Egg retrieval
- Fertilization
- Developing the embryos
- Implanting the embryos
- Blood test to check for successful implantation
Now let’s discuss each and every step elaborately beginning with:
Step – 1
In order to provide stimulation to the ovaries, it is important to bring back the body into its natural state during the first few days of a cycle. Once the body is back to its natural state, medications by the name of gonadotropin are administered which is a fertility drug used to stimulate the ovaries. The medication makes the ovaries to produce multiple eggs and not just one. Medication helps the body to produce mature eggs and stops the body from releasing them earlier.
Step -2
The next step is monitoring the development of follicles. After every two to three days, blood test and ultrasound are done to check if the follicles are growing properly or not. It is in this period when doctors adjust the dosages of the medication if the patient’s hormone levels are not working accordingly. This step is very crucial because the success of this step maximizes the chances of positive results.
Step – 3
The third step is called trigger shot which is an injection a medical HCG which is injected into the patient’s body in order to help the eggs mature completely and ready for fertilization. Two days after the trigger shot is injected the process of egg retrieval is done.
Step – 4
Until now every step is taken toward making the follicle mature properly and after that is done begins the actual process of retrieval of the mature eggs which has break free from the follicle wall. Patients are given anesthesia for the procedure and with the help of a thin needle, the eggs are removed very carefully. Once the eggs are retrieved, the embryologist preserves them in a temperature controlled environment where they can grow and eventually fertilize.
Step – 5
The egg retrieval process is then followed by the procedure of fertilizing the eggs. The embryologist carefully examines the eggs before uniting them with the gathered spermafter combining them incubate them for some days. The sperm and the eggs are united through the method of insemination. Sometimes doctors also use ICSI technique or in other words, intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection. In this technique, a single sperm is chosen and are injected into the eggs directly for fertilization. The ICSI technique is used mainly when the quality of the sperm is poor or when the process of fertilization has failed during earlier IVF cycles.
Step – 6
Once the eggs and sperm are successfully combined, it is time for the embryos to develop. The embryos are allowed to mature and doctors continuously monitor their growth. It is in this step the doctors can assess the quality and health of the embryos and select the healthy mature embryos for the process of implantation. The most viable embryos are prepared for implantation and the rest are preserved for future cycles.
Step – 7
With the help of a thin tube, embryos are implanted in the uterus through the cervix. The number of embryos inserted into the uterus depends upon the quality of the embryos. The chances of pregnancy increases when healthy and good quality embryos are inserted. The process of transfer is generally done within three days of the process of egg retrieval when there aren’t many eggs retrieved, otherwise they are allowed to grow and are inserted after five days. In many cases, if the embryos are too fragile to last for five days then the procedure for embryo transfer is done on day three.
Step – 8
The last step of the IVF treatment is to determine if the transfer is successful or not. If the process of implantation of embryos in the uterine wall is successful then the embryo will continue to grow into a baby. The chances of multiple pregnancies increase if more than one embryo is transferred. For that reason, the embryos which have matured for five days are stronger which minimizes the chances of multiple pregnancies as fewer embryos are needed to be transferred. The pregnancy hormone testing is done after two weeks of the transference of embryos in the uterus. Various other hormonal tests are also done to make sure they support early pregnancy or not. The hormonal tests are done after every 2-3 days in the first week to determine the progression and once the pregnancy hormones have reached that level where it can support early pregnancy ultrasound is done to monitor the development of the pregnancy.
