IVF - In Vitro Fertilisation Americas

Thawing and transfer(including assisted hatching ) In Vitro Fertilisation also known as the “Test-tube baby” technique, is where the egg is fertilised outside the body and the embryo(s) are introduced back into the woman’s uterus. IVF is typically suitable for several groups of patients, such as: - Couples in which the woman has blocked or damaged Fallopian tubes. - Women with endometriosis or ovarian disorders. - Men with abnormal semen parameters. - Couples with unexplained infertility. The woman is given fertility drugs to stimulate her ovaries and the development of several mature follicles. Once mature follicles have been produced the eggs are collected using an ultrasound-guided needle through the vaginal wall and into the ovary. This procedure is performed under sedation/local anaesthetic. The collected eggs are then placed into culture in the embryology laboratory. Our Fertility Specialist performs the embryo transfer procedure. The selected embryos are introduced, through a fine catheter, into the woman’s uterus. Typically 2-3 embryos are transferred, depending on the patient’s circumstances. The embryo transfer procedure takes no more than half an hour and few women experience any discomfort. The success rate for IVF is typically 25 – 30 % per treatment cycle. However, the success rate is dependant on many factors, such as the age of the woman.

The egg donation programme was set up to link women that wanted to donate their eggs with those couples that need donated eggs. A woman might need donated eggs for a number of reasons: - Premature ovarian failure - Genetic reasons for not using her own eggs, i.e. some diseases are transmitted genetically. - Older women who have had previously unsuccessful fertility treatments The donors are usually between 21 and 35 years old and donate altruistically to a known or an anonymous recipient. The woman donating her eggs is given fertility drugs to stimulate her ovaries and the development of several mature follicles. Each of these follicles may contain an egg. The recruitment and development of the follicles is regularly monitored by ultrasound scans and blood tests. This is to ensure that the ovarian stimulation is both safe and effective. The pregnancy rate for those treated using donated eggs is 35 % per treatment cycle at Barbados Fertility Centre. However, the success rate is dependant on many factors, such as the number and quality of the donated eggs.