Flow of IVF
In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a kind of assisted reproductive technology that transfers the fertilized eggs into the mother's uterus through in vitro fertilization (IVF). The flow of IVF will be described in detail below.
Step 1: ovulation guidance and ovarian stimulation
The process of IVF is firstly to conduct ovulation and stimulate the ovary through drugs, so that the ovary can produce multiple mature follicles at the same time. In this process, female patients need to regularly check the ovarian development, and receive blood and ultrasound examination.
When the ovary is fully developed, the doctor will guide female patients to inject ovulatory stimulating hormone in mature follicle stage to predict the best time for follicles.
Step 2: Take eggs
Fetching eggs is one of the core steps of IVF. In the gynecological operating room, the fluid in the ovarian follicle and the mature egg are sucked out together by ultrasound guided fine needle puncture. This process usually requires anesthesia to reduce discomfort.
After taking the eggs, the doctor will quickly deliver the eggs to the laboratory for in vitro fertilization.
Step 3: Fertilization and embryo culture
In the laboratory, doctors put male sperm and female mature eggs together for in vitro fertilization. Fertilization process can be divided into conventional fertilization and ICSI fertilization, and appropriate methods can be selected according to specific conditions.
After fertilization, the embryo will be cultured in the laboratory, and the doctor will observe the development of the embryo and screen out the well developed embryo.
Step 4: Embryo transfer
Embryo transfer is the last step of IVF. The doctor will select the embryo with the most development potential and transfer it into the female uterus through a catheter. This process is similar to routine gynecological examination, without anesthesia.
After successful embryo transfer, female patients need to rest and observe, and doctors will carry out hormone support treatment according to the situation. Pregnancy tests will be carried out about two weeks later to determine whether the pregnancy is successful.
Cost of IVF
The cost of IVF varies with regions, hospitals and individual patients. In mainland China, the cost of IVF generally includes the following aspects:
Medical service expenses
The medical service fees refer to the medical service fees related to IVF technology provided by the hospital, including doctor fees, operation fees, examination fees, drug fees, etc.
Laboratory expenses
Laboratory costs refer to the laboratory operation and culture costs involved in the IVF process, including in vitro fertilization costs, embryo culture costs, etc.
Drug expenses
Drug cost refers to the cost of ovulation promoting drugs used during ovarian stimulation and follicular development, as well as hormone support treatment drugs after embryo transfer.
other expenses
In addition to the above costs, the IVF process may also include special operation costs in the laboratory, anesthesia costs, ward costs, etc.
In general, the cost of IVF is high, ranging from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of yuan. The specific amount of expenses shall be determined according to the hospital and personal conditions.
Summary
It can be seen from the above detailed description that the process of IVF includes ovulation guidance and ovarian stimulation, egg retrieval, fertilization and embryo culture, embryo transfer and other steps, and each step requires doctors' fine operation and careful observation. The costs of IVF mainly include medical service costs, laboratory costs, drug costs and other costs. Test tube baby is a complicated assisted reproductive technology. Through this technology, infertile couples have the opportunity to achieve their reproductive aspirations.
