Realization of IVF technology
In vitro fertilization (IVF) technology, also known as in vitro fertilization (IVF) technology, is a kind of technology that uses in vitro operations to fertilize eggs and sperm in the laboratory and cultivate them to the embryonic stage, and finally transfer the embryos to the mother's uterus, so as to achieve the purpose of artificial assisted reproduction. IVF technology is often used to treat infertility, which is an important fertility choice for couples who cannot pass natural ovulation and natural fertilization.
The realization of IVF technology is mainly divided into the following steps:
Step 1: ovulation induction
For women, the use of hormone drugs should first promote the ovary to emit more eggs. Generally, women only ovulate one egg per month, but the IVF technology requires multiple eggs for fertilization and culture, so hormone drugs are needed to promote the ovarian ovulation of multiple eggs.
This process needs to be evaluated by the individual's physical condition, and the doctor will prescribe appropriate hormone drugs according to the situation, which generally need to be used by injection or oral administration. During the medication period, the doctor will regularly monitor the ovarian ovulation, and master the ovarian growth and ovulation through ultrasonic detection and blood hormone level determination.
Step 2: Take eggs
When the egg discharged from the ovary is mature, the doctor will arrange the operation of taking the egg. This process needs to be carried out in the operating room, mainly by inserting a slender needle into the ovarian cyst under the guidance of transvaginal ultrasound, and extracting the eggs and follicular fluid.
Egg retrieval is usually performed under general anesthesia or local anesthesia, and the operation time is relatively short, about 20-30 minutes. The eggs taken out will be immediately sent to the laboratory for the next fertilization procedure.
Step 3: Fertilization and cultivation
In the laboratory, doctors will combine the extracted eggs with sperm for artificial fertilization. This process can be carried out by standard Intra Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) or traditional IVF.
After fertilization, the fertilized egg will be placed in a culture dish for incubation in a specific culture medium. The culture medium contains an environment similar to that in the mother's womb, which provides necessary nutrients and oxygen to promote the development of the fertilized egg.
During the cultivation process, doctors will select the most likely embryos to be successfully implanted for transplantation according to the quality and development of the fertilized eggs.
Step 4: Embryo transfer
Embryo transfer is the last and most critical step of IVF technology. In the culture phase, doctors will select the most promising embryos for transfer to the mother's uterus.
The operation of embryo transfer is painless and does not require anesthesia. The doctor will use a thin tube (called a catheter) to enter the uterine cavity through the vagina and put the embryo into the uterus silently. After embryo transfer, women need to continue to use progesterone drugs to help fix the embryo and improve the success rate.
The whole process of fertilization and embryo transfer usually takes 2-6 weeks. After 2 weeks, women can have a blood test to determine whether they are pregnant. If the pregnancy test results are positive, the IVF technology is successful.
summary
The realization of IVF technology requires four key steps: ovulation induction, egg retrieval, fertilization and culture, and embryo transfer. These steps require the precise operation and professional knowledge of doctors, as well as the joint cooperation and patience of couples. Through IVF technology, many infertile couples can realize their childcare dreams.
