Flow of IVF
IVF is a kind of assisted reproductive technology, which helps couples who cannot conceive naturally realize their desire to have children through in vitro fertilization, embryo transfer and other steps. The process of IVF technology can be roughly divided into the following four aspects:
Aspect 1: Evaluation and preparation of reproductive doctors
Before starting the IVF process, the couple needs to consult the reproductive doctor and accept the doctor's evaluation. The doctor will formulate a suitable treatment plan according to the specific conditions of the couple, including the female's ovarian function, the male's semen quality and whether the couple has other related diseases.
If couples need to use donated eggs or sperm, they need to contact the hospital's reproductive center and carry out necessary investigations and procedures.
After the evaluation, the reproductive doctor will provide the couple with a detailed treatment plan, including drug treatment, egg collection and sperm sampling. The doctor will also explain to the couple the possible risks and side effects, as well as the success rate and costs.
Aspect 2: Egg collection and sperm sampling
Before starting the treatment cycle, the woman needs to inject ovulation promoting drugs to increase the number of ovulatory follicles. This process requires regular examination of ovarian response and adjustment of drug dosage until the follicles mature.
When the follicles reach the appropriate size and number, the doctor will use local anesthesia or general anesthesia in the operating room to collect the eggs through vaginal puncture technology. The acquisition process usually takes about 20-30 minutes.
At the same time, the man needs to provide semen samples. Sperm can be extracted by manual semen collection or semen freezing technology.
The collected eggs and sperm will be processed in the laboratory to ensure the best fertilization rate.
Aspect 3: In vitro fertilization and embryo culture
In vitro fertilization (IVF) refers to the combination of eggs and sperm in the laboratory. Oocytes and spermatozoa are usually placed in culture dishes to promote the fertilization process through special media.
The successfully fertilized egg will develop into an embryo in a culture dish. This process usually takes 3-5 days. In the process of embryo culture, doctors will carefully observe its development and evaluate the quality of the embryo.
Usually, doctors will choose the best one or more embryos for transplantation. Surplus embryos can be frozen for future use.
Aspect 4: Embryo transfer and blastocyst cultivation
Embryo transfer refers to the transfer of well developed embryos into the woman's uterus. This process usually does not require general anesthesia, but through the vaginal route.
In some special cases, doctors may choose to cultivate embryos into blastocysts, that is, cultivate them for several days before transplantation. According to research, the success rate of blastocyst transfer is high.
After embryo transfer, couples need to follow the doctor's advice and take proper rest and care. Generally speaking, pregnancy test will be conducted about 10-14 days after transplantation to verify whether pregnancy is successful.
Summary
The process of IVF technology includes the evaluation and preparation of reproductive doctors, egg collection and sperm sampling, in vitro fertilization and embryo culture, as well as embryo transfer and blastocyst cultivation. To a great extent, this technology has helped those couples who cannot conceive naturally realize their desire to have children. However, IVF technology still faces some safety and ethical problems, including the risk of multiple pregnancy, side effects caused by hormone therapy, and abuse of reproductive medicine technology. Therefore, before IVF, couples should fully understand relevant information, and fully communicate and make decisions with professional reproductive doctors.
