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In vitro fertilization (IVF)

Do you know the technique of in vitro fertilization with sperm microinjection (IVF-ICSI)?

In vitro fertilization (IVF) bases its effectiveness on the extraction of the woman’s eggs to inseminate them in the laboratory with the man’s healthy sperm. This technique results in one or several embryos that are transferred back to the uterus or cryopreserved.

Also known as ICSI (Intra Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection), in vitro fertilization (IVF) with sperm microinjection is a more complex but also more effective technique than conventional IVF, with a higher rate of embryos and pregnancies.

This technique consists of selecting the sperm to introduce them into each mature egg, ensuring that it reaches its destination regardless of the number or mobility of the sperm. Thus, the unique fertilization of each ovule avoids non-viable embryos.

Phases of the in vitro fertilization (IVF) process with ICSI

The ovaries are stimulated so that the eggs mature. The treatment is done at home. It lasts two to three weeks. You can administer the medication yourself. Simultaneously we carry out controls with ultrasound scans and analysis of the estradiol hormone in the blood, to know the response to the treatment and determine how to continue until the correct day of the extraction is set.

It is done by puncture and aspiration of the ovarian follicles, where the eggs are. During the 5 to 10 minutes that the process lasts, we perform an ultrasound visual control, requiring sedation on an outpatient basis, without admission

After extraction, Cefer’s experienced embryologists observe the extracted follicular fluids under a microscope to identify the ovules and determine their maturation status. In case of applying the ICSI technique, the ovules are denuded by removing the cells that surround the zona pellucida or shell of the ovule.

We isolate the healthy sperm from the rest of the semen. If you are undergoing IVF, the eggs are placed in the culture dish. With the ICSI technique, a healthy spermatozoon is directly introduced into each mature egg, avoiding non-viable embryos. In some cases we can recommend performing the IMSI in addition to the ICSI. This IMSI technique involves a much more precise selection of the sperm to fertilize each egg than ICSI, since a much more powerful microscope is used (16,000 magnifications compared to 400 magnifications for a normal one). We can see if there are vacuoles inside the sperm nucleus, correlated with DNA abnormalities.

*IMSI is available for now at the Cefer fertility center in Barcelona

After 16 to 20 hours of the introduction of the spermatozoon in the ovule, a study is made again under a microscope. If two circles (pronuclei) are seen, the ovum is fertilized! And we will inform you as soon as we know!

Every day the embryologists at Cefer observe the embryos and follow their evolution one by one. This monitoring provides information of great value to select which are the most likely to be a mother to give you.

We have the new and advanced embryo incubation system with Time-Lapse technology (Geri and EmbryoScope) that incorporate an image capture system. This makes it possible to follow the evolution of each embryo without removing it from the incubator, seeing its evolution in first person.

Among its advantages, highlighting that it provides much more of that valuable information that helps to detect morphological abnormalities of the embryo that are not visible with traditional methods, in addition to improving the selection of the best embryos with the most potential to leave you in a state.

It also allows the incubation of the embryo to be more stable, keeping the temperature, humidity and the environment without variations since they do not have to be taken out to observe them.

This makes it possible to increase the viability of the selected embryos, and, with it, their gestation, reducing the abortion rate by half compared to not making said sperm selection.

Embryo Transfer does not require sedation, as it is not annoying. It is performed eco-guided, that is, under ultrasound control, which allows us to ensure that the embryos are deposited correctly.

If you need sperm from an anonymous donor, we will tell you about some of the advantages of our sperm bank.

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