I.V.F. stands for In Vitro Fertilisation and is also known as the Test-Tube Baby technique. In this process the egg cell is fertilised by the sperm outside the womb, in vitro, and then artificially implanted in the uterus.

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I.V.F.

I.V.F. stands for “In Vitro Fertilisation” and is also known as the “Test-Tube Baby” technique. In this process the egg cell is fertilised by the sperm outside the womb, in vitro, and then artificially implanted in the uterus.

For this method to work many egg cells are needed to increase the chance of fertilisation.

Therefore the women gets medications to stimulate the development of multiple follicles in the ovaries. Most patients use gonadotropin, which is a FSH analogue. The “regimen“ usually lasts for about 10 days. When the follicle has developed enough the women is given hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin). 34-36 hours after this injection the egg cells are aspirated from the ovaries. Aspiration is performed with a very thin needle through the vagina wall. Usually 10-30 eggs can be removed by this method. In the laboratory the removed eggs and the sperms are prepared for fertilisation and then incubated together for about 18 hours. After this time the eggs are usually fertilised but they are not yet ready to be implanted into the mother. The fertilised eggs are left in a special growth medium until they have reached the 6-8 cell stage. After this stage the 2 or 3 eggs with the best quality are implanted into the uterus after the endometrium is stimulated to prepare it for receiving the eggs.

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I.V.F. is a very popular method to become pregnant for couples who have problems with having a baby and most of the time (in 75% of all cases) it is successful. The reasons for the problems of having a baby can be from different nature. It might be that the man has poor sperm quality or that his sperm count is very low, so that the woman doesn’t get pregnant. Other reasons might be that the woman has ovulation disorders or that her fallopian tubes are injured, for example through previous tubal ligation or because she suffered ...

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