In Vitro Fertilisation. The conventional infertility treatment

In Vitro Fertilisation is a technology through which fertilisation is achieved outside the body. In a conventional IVF cycle, women typically undergo hormone treatment before the egg collection.

In a natural cycle a woman normally produces one mature egg that may be fertilised following sexual intercourse and subsequently implant and develop in the uterus. In IVF it is generally considered necessary to stimulate the growth of several follicles for each treatment cycle in an attempt to maximise the pregnancy rate.

The hormone treatment normally consists of three steps. The first step includes hormones which suppress the woman’s own hormonal cycle. The second step stimulates the growth of several eggs. The third step triggers the final maturation and the eggs are collected just before ovulation.

The hormones are normally administered in the form of a nasal spray or injections, and the hormone treatment may be associated with side effects. 

The eggs are usually collected by a trans-vaginal technique with the aid of ultrasound. Following egg collection, the subsequent insemination and fertilisation takes place in vitro. After 2-5 days the embryo is normally transferred to the uterus where it may implant and develop into a foetus.

The range of specially designed, tested and trusted MediCult ART media is used world wide for IVF procedures, offering assistance to clinics in obtaining consistent and optimal results.

IVF has been the most significant technique used to manage infertility for decades. It has led to and is still leading to the development of new technology.

The first live birth following IVF was that of Louise Brown in 1978. Hundreds of thousands of IVF children have been born worldwide since then.