•City People Reveals The 7 Kinds Of IVF
In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) is a fertility treatment process by which treated sperm from a male partner or sperm donor are combined with oocytes (eggs) that have been retrieved from a female partner or egg donor in the embryology laboratory.
The eggs that fertilize are allowed to develop into embryos before transfer into the mother’s uterus where they can implant into the lining of the uterus and grow into a baby girl or boy.
There are several variations to the basic IVF process that can increase chances at success, ensure genetic disorders aren’t passed on, identify chromosomal abnormalities, shorten the number of cycles required and cost less.
TYPES OF IVF:
(1) IVF + FROZEN EMBRYO TRANSFER (FET)
Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET) may be chosen if genetic testing of embryos for chromosomal abnormalities or gender selection is desired. Women desiring to avoid birth control may safely freeze embryos (cryopreserve) for later use in a FET cycle.
In fact, IVF + frozen embryo transfer includes a multitude of benefits.
* Much lower cost than full IVF cycle
* Less time consuming/ fewer monitoring appointments
* Less complex treatment
* No anesthesia or egg retrieval
* No risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome
* Higher success rates
* Frozen Embryo Transfer Process
Whenever a patient has frozen embryos, the patient can choose to complete an FET cycle, which takes approximately 6 to 8 weeks.
Depending on ultrasound and blood test results, injections of estrogen are then started to build the uterine lining. Throughout the cycle, a patient will have regular monitoring appointments to check that the hormone levels are appropriate and the endometrial lining has thickened. Progesterone is also added to daily medication regime.
Once the Frozen Embryo transfer is complete, daily estrogen and progesterone injections must be continued for about two weeks.
Because of the benefits FET has to offer, this tends to be a popular assisted reproductive method for some. Of course, every patient is different so discussing the best fertility treatment with a fertility specialist is highly advised.
(2) IVF + ELECTIVE SINGLE EMBRYO TRANSFER (ESET)
Typically speaking, a woman undergoing In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) will receive fertility medications that stimulate her ovaries to develop more than one egg at a time. The eggs will be fertilized in the laboratory.
The fertilized eggs will be monitored to see if any develop into viable embryos. They may even be tested for genetic disorders (PGD) and mutations (PGS) while embryos possessing the desired gender (PGD/PGS) would be selected.
Once development has taken place and testing is complete, there may be a number of healthy embryos available to be transferred into the uterus where it will hopefully attach to the uterine lining and grow into a baby girl or boy.
The number of embryos to transfer is a choice that will be discussed with the patient in detail. Elective Single-Embryo Transfer (eSET) is when only a single embryo is chosen for transfer when multiple embryos are available.
Why only a single embryo?
1. Avoid having twins and multiples
2. Preserve opportunity for future children without having to undergo egg recruitment and anaesthesia
Transferring more than one embryo increases the chance of having a multiple pregnancy (twins, triplets, etc.). With eSET, only one embryo is transferred, thereby eliminating altogether the possibility of multiples.
eSET also allows for the cryopreservation of remaining embryos for later use in what is called a Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET) IVF cycle. In this way, if a patient decides to have more children in the future, healthy embryos are already available. The process is much simpler and considerably shorter. Additionally, there will be no need for fertility drugs that stimulate the ovaries and no need to go under anaesthesia.
How is the best embryo chosen?
Embryologists grade each fertilized egg that has developed into an embryo based on its appearance. She looks at the number and size of cells, the rate of development, and other factors depending on whether the embryo is being evaluated in the cleavage or the blastocyst stage.
If you have elected to genetically test the embryos for genetic disorders (PGD), chromosomal mutations (PGS) and/or gender (PGD/PGS), those tests will greatly influence which single embryo will be transferred and which can be frozen (optional) for later use if the first attempt fails to develop to a full term baby or if additional children are wanted in the future.
It is important to note that the decision whether to have additional children in the future does not have to be made immediately.
(3) IVF + INTRACYTOPLASMIC SPERM INJECTION (ICSI)
Before a man’s sperm can fertilize the egg, it must first attach to the outside, and then push through the outer layer into the center (cytoplasm) where fertilization can take place.
In some instances, the sperm is unable to accomplish this task. Either the egg’s outer layer is too thick or hard, or the sperm are not strong enough. In these cases, doctors assist the fertilization process by using a tiny needle, called a micropipette, to inject a single sperm into the center of the oocyte (egg).
ICSI helps situations where there are:
* Too few sperm
* Sperm don’t move in normal fashion
* Sperm have trouble attaching to the egg
* Blockage in male reproductive tract
* Normal sperm, but eggs fail to fertilize in basic IVF
* Use of previously frozen eggs
ICSI is a fertility treatment that fertilizes 50-80% of the eggs on which it is performed, producing high IVF success rates.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN IVF AND IVF WITH ICSI
ICSI differs from basic IVF in that during traditional IVF, fertilization occurs when roughly 50,000 motile (swimming) sperm are placed alongside the oocyte (egg) in a dish in the embryology laboratory. ICSI uses only one sperm and is injected directly into the egg for fertilization.
In both cases, the fertilized egg, now called an embryo, will develop in the embryology lab for 3-5 days before being transferred into the mother’s womb (uterus) where hopefully it will implant and grow into a baby girl or boy.
You may elect to have the resultant embryos tested for genetic disorders (PGD), chromosomal abnormalities such as Down Syndrome (PGS) or for gender identification (PGD/PGS) before transfer.
You may also want to only transfer one embryo, called Elective Single Embryo Transfer, or eSET and choose to freeze the remaining healthy embryos for possible later use, called a Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET) cycle. FET cycles cost much less than a full IVF cycle, take less time, and produce very high success rates.
(4) IVF + EGG DONOR
For many individuals, using frozen eggs from an egg donor is a positive and effective means to moving forward on the path to parenthood.
(5) IVF + DONOR SPERM
Using donor sperm for IUI or IVF fertility treatment is much more common than you might think.
About 40% of all reported cases of infertility (trying to get pregnant without success for 6-12 months, depending on age) can be attributed to male factors.
When a male partner is unable to produce enough viable sperm to achieve fertilization of his female partner’s egg, a sperm donor may be used for intrauterine insemination (IUI) or in vitro fertilization (IVF).
A sperm donor may also be recommended if a male partner has a genetic disease that he doesn’t want to risk passing on, by single women who want to have a child, or as an LGBT fertility option.
HOW SPERM DONATION WORKS
Once your doctor has recommended the use of a sperm donor and you and your partner have determined to proceed, the clinical staff will help you coordinate the selection of a donor from a trusted outside company. Once a donor is selected, the sperm will be shipped for storage until your female partner is ready for her procedure (either IUI or IVF).
WHO PROVIDES THE SPERM?
You have the option of using a known or anonymous donor. If using an anonymous donor, fertility doctors help to coordinate with a trusted sperm bank where registered sperm donors have been per-screened for infections and inheritable genetic diseases. In most cases, it is not difficult for parents to find a donor who looks similar to them.
Those who wish to use a known sperm donor should know that he will be required to undergo a routine psychological consultation as per guidelines recommended by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. This isn’t as much to identify any underlying psychological issues as it is to prepare the donor for long term considerations.
(6) NATURAL IVF
7. MINI IVF (MINIMAL STIMULATION)
IVF PROCESS
Traditionally, the ovaries are moderately stimulated to mature a maximum number of eggs and can typically produce three to ten mature eggs. Daily injections of hormone drugs (gonadotropins) stimulate the ovaries. This usually takes about 10 days of a small needle injection.
The hormone drugs cause the follicles to grow, which increase the hormone level of estrogen (estradiol) which then promotes the uterine lining to grow which prepares the lining for embryo implantation. Traditional IVF collects more eggs than other “gentle” procedures which increases the chances of pregnancy.
Approximately 2/3 of eggs become fertilized and about half of those fertilized eggs develop into good quality embryos. Transfer of the embryos to the uterus may occur between the third and fifth days after egg retrieval, or can be cryopreserved to be used later on in a Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET) cycle.
IVF SUCCESS RATES
The number of embryos transferred back into the patient’s uterus depends on her age and the quality of the embryo. Typically, women in their mid 30 only have 1 embryo transferred and older women may have 2 transferred. This is one of the most important decisions that the patient will make with her doctor.
The goal is to avoid high-order multiple pregnancies such as triplets or greater since these cases are associated with premature deliveries, and complications such as neonatal lung immaturity, seizures, and other medical problems.
-IYABO OYAWALE with additional reports from MorganFertility.com
