About

In vitro fertilization (IVF) is the most complex and successful treatment for infertility. This technology, first developed in the late 1970s, was originally designed to treat women with blocked or damaged Fallopian tubes. Today IVF is an option for all causes of infertility.

The IVF process involves several steps :

The patient is treated with injectable fertility drugs to enable her to release a number of eggs at the time of ovulation.
Just prior to ovulation, the eggs are removed through the vagina under ultrasound guidance while the patient is under sedation.
The eggs are then fertilized in the laboratory.

The fertilized eggs (embryos) are allowed to develop in the laboratory for three to five days.
Usually one or two embryos are transferred back to the patient’s uterus with a small catheter. If more embryos are available than will be transferred, they can be frozen for later use.