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| Introduction to Assisted Reproductive
Technologies |
 The
inability to conceive comes as a surprise to most men and women,
many of whom assume that pregnancy will follow immediately after
birth control is discontinued. In most cases, pregnancy occurs
without difficulty. However, approximately 10% to 15% of couples
are faced with infertility.In their efforts to overcome
infertility, many couples will conceive through infertility
treatments such as medications to correct ovulatory difficulties
or surgery to correct anatomical problems. For some couples,
however, the solution may require more involved medical
procedures. There are several specialized treatments designed to
increase the number of eggs and/or sperm, or bring them closer
together, thus improving the likelihood of pregnancy.
Collectively, these medical procedures are referred to as Assisted
Reproductive Technologies (ART). ART offers hope to couples
who are unable to achieve pregnancy through other approaches.
Within any given month, the likelihood of achieving pregnancy
for an average fertile couple is about 25%. With the use of ART
procedures, certain infertile couples may have a chance of
pregnancy even greater than an average couple. In some cases,
success may require repeated attempts with therapy before
conception may occur. However, this is true even in couples who do
not experience fertility problems.
More information can be obtained by clicking on the Education
Link and throughout our site. The Education link will take
you to Health Banks for an informative discussion on Infertility,
procedures and expectations of treatments, our Doctors and our
Staff.
Health Banks
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| In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) |
| IVF was originally developed to treat
infertility caused by blocked or damaged fallopian tubes. However,
it is currently used to treat a variety of infertility problems.
IVF success rates have improved since its introduction many years
ago. IVF involves collecting eggs and sperm from a couple and
placing them together in a laboratory dish to fertilize outside
the body, or "in vitro." The fertilized eggs are then transferred
several days later into the woman's uterus, or womb, where
implantation and embryo development will hopefully occur just as
in a natural pregnancy.
 In
vitro fertilization (IVF) is a four-stage procedure:
Stage 1 - Ovarian stimulation and monitoring
Stage 2 - Egg (oocyte) retrieval
Stage 3 - Fertilization
Stage 4 - Embryo transfer |
| Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection |
| Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)
is a laboratory procedure that has been developed to help
infertile couples undergoing IVF due to severe male factor
infertility. ICSI involves the insertion of a single sperm
directly into the Cytoplasm of a mature egg (oocyte) using a
microinjection pipette. At the Fertility Institute of Virginia,
the ICSI procedure has allowed couples to conceive and deliver
healthy children even when the male partner has had extraordinary
low sperm parameters. The technique is also very helpful in
couples who have had a prior IVF cycle with unexplained failed
fertilization of the eggs (oocytes). |
| Percutaneous Epididymal Sperm Aspiration
(PESA) |
 Percutaneous
epididymal sperm aspiration (PESA) is a process in which immature
sperms cells can be surgically removed from the male reproductive
system. Subsequently, the sperm can then be used to fertilize eggs
with the ICSI procedure and lead to a successful pregnancy. The
technique of PESA with ICSI is ideal to use when the male partner
has blockage in the reproductive system, when he has undergone a
vasectomy in the past, or when he has had a failed vasectomy
reversal.
(click on the menu to the right for motion)
(ICSI) Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection is a laboratory procedure
developed to help infertile couples undergoing in vitro
fertilization (IVF) due to male factor infertility. ICSI, a form
of micromanipulation, involves the injection of a single sperm
directly into the cytoplasm of a mature egg (oocyte) using a glass
needle (pipette). There may also be functional abnormalities which
prevent the sperm from binding to and/or fertilizing the egg.
Indications for Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection could be low
numbers of motile sperm. |
| Assisted Hatching |
Assisted hatching is a technique of
micromanipulation in which an opening is created in the outer
covering (zona pellucida) of the embryo. The procedure is
performed on each embryo prior to the transfer of the embryos
during the IVF cycle. It is theorized that this process helps the
growing embryos emerge from their outer covering and implant in
the uterus, leading to pregnancy. Many studies have supported the
benefit of assisted hatching. (click on the menu
to the right for motion)
Some embryos may need some help escaping from within their shells
- so that they can implant in the mother's uterine lining. Holding
a pipette on the left will hold the embryo in place. Hatching is
done by injecting a solution through the hollow needle on the
right. Once the procedure is complete, assisted hatching has been
completed and the embryos are released.
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