Background of IVF
IVF technology is a kind of assisted reproductive technology, which is used to help couples who cannot conceive naturally realize their desire for pregnancy and childbirth. This technology was first successfully pioneered by Dr. Edward Stapleton and Dr. Roy Webb of the United Kingdom in 1978, and has been widely used. IVF technology takes out female eggs and male sperm, then carries out in vitro fertilization and embryo culture in the laboratory, and finally transfers the well developed embryos back to the mother to make them pregnant and deliver.
Operation process of IVF
The IVF operation is divided into the following steps:
Step 1: Superovulation. The woman needs to use ovulation promoting drugs to increase the number of ovulated eggs to increase the chance of pregnancy. This can be mediated by the use of luteinizing hormone (hCG).
Step 2: Egg collection. After 36 hours of superovulation, doctors will use transvaginal ultrasound and slender aspirators to extract mature eggs. This process generally requires the use of local anesthesia and the use of monitors to ensure accurate positioning.
The third step: sperm extraction and in vitro fertilization. Sperm can be extracted from normal semen or directly from testis. Then, the doctor will put the extracted sperm and eggs into the culture dish for in vitro fertilization.
Step 4: Embryo culture and selection. The successfully fertilized eggs will be cultured in the laboratory, which usually takes 3-5 days. The doctor will evaluate the development and quality of each embryo to select the embryo most likely to be implanted successfully.
Step 5: Embryo transfer. The selected embryo will be transferred in the uterus of a woman, which is usually a simple and painless process. The doctor will use a slender catheter to place the embryo into the uterus and ensure the correct positioning through ultrasound guidance.
Steps of IVF treatment
The treatment steps of IVF can be divided into the following stages:
Phase I: assessment and preparation. Couples need a comprehensive physical examination to assess their reproductive health. In addition, the doctor will evaluate the ovarian function and endometrium of women to determine whether it is suitable for IVF treatment. If necessary, extra frontal examinations such as salpingography and semen analysis may be required.
Phase II: drug treatment and monitoring. Women are required to use ovulation promoting drugs to increase the number of eggs. The doctor will monitor the ovarian response through transvaginal ultrasound and blood test, and determine the best collection time.
Stage 3: Operation and in vitro fertilization. Egg collection usually requires surgery, which is performed under local anesthesia, so that women do not feel pain. After the eggs are collected, the doctor puts them into the IVF culture dish together with the sperm provided by the man.
Stage 4: Embryo culture and selection. The successfully fertilized eggs will be cultured and evaluated in the laboratory. Doctors will choose well developed embryos for transplantation, and the surplus embryos can be frozen for future use.
Stage 5: embryo transfer and observation. The selected embryos will be transferred into the uterus of women after the cell culture process. After transplantation, patients usually need to take hormone drugs such as progesterone to promote embryo implantation. Next, we need to wait for about two weeks to test whether the pregnancy is successful through a blood test.
Risk and success rate of IVF
The risks of IVF technology include multiple pregnancy, early delivery, abortion, congenital malformation and genital tract infection. In addition, psychological and economic pressure may be faced during treatment.
Despite the risks, the success rate of IVF technology has increased year by year. The success rate is affected by many factors, such as patient age, reproductive health and embryo quality. According to the World Health Organization, the average success rate of IVF technology is between 30% and 40%.
summary
IVF technology helps couples who are unable to conceive naturally realize their desire to have children through assisted reproductive technology. The technology includes superovulation, egg collection, sperm extraction and in vitro fertilization, embryo culture and selection, embryo transfer and other steps. Although there are certain risks, with the development of technology, the success rate of IVF technology is increasing.
