 |
Sydney IVF
IVF stands for in vitro fertilisation. In vitro literally means 'in glass' and
with this form of assisted conception, fertilisation takes place in a dish in
the laboratory. (At one stage, scientists also used test tubes for fertilisation,
hence the term "test tube baby". Any assisted conception procedure where
fertilisation takes place outside the body is a form of IVF.
IVF was originally devised to overcome infertility caused by blocked or absent
fallopian tubes. Today, IVF is used to treat many more reproductive problems,
including irregular ovulation, low sperm count or motility, and unexplained
infertility.
In a regular IVF cycle, we use GnRH-agonists and antagonists (e.g. Lucrin or
Orgalutran) to suppress the LH surge that triggers ovulation, but in fact, one
in five women do not have premature LH surges and could forgo the suppression
drugs. Unfortunately, we have no way of predicting who will or will not have the
premature surge, and with so much invested in an IVF cycle, most clinics
suppress all patients just to be safe.
However, at Sydney IVF, we've found that some women who repeatedly fail to
conceive with FSH/agonist/antagonist combinations may get pregnant quickly using
a more "natural" cycle.
In a young woman this can mean a totally natural (no added hormones) cycle; in
an older woman, a cycle helped by FSH injections but without any suppression.
(In effect, we're stepping back to the late 1980s before the GnRH-agonists and
antagonists were widely available.)
www.sydneyivf.com
321 Kent Street
Sydney | NSW | 2000
Phone : 02 9229 6420
Fax : 02 9233 7519
Monash IVF Australia
Conception outside the uterus is often the only means of achieving a pregnancy
for women whose fallopian tubes are blocked. Normally, an egg (oocyte) is
produced by one of the two ovaries once a month. It passes down the fallopian
tube where it will be fertilised by sperm from the woman's partner if sexual
intercourse has recently taken place.
The fertilisation of an egg by a sperm is termed "conception" and the fertilised
egg is called a zygote or pre-implantation embryo. This zygote passes along the
fallopian tube and into the women's uterus where it will usually implant within
a few days.
In the early days of IVF it was much easier for the media to use the word
"embryo" rather than zygote or pre-implantation embryo. The media still prefer
to use "embryo"
even though this is technically incorrect. A zygote becomes an embryo when it
implants in the uterus between day 7 to day 14. However, for this paper, both
embryo and pre-embryo have been interchanged.
If a women is infertile (unable to become pregnant) because of diseased or
damaged fallopian tubes, her egg cannot be fertilised in the usual way. It is
estimated that 1/3 of this infertility is a female problem, 1/3 a male factor
problem and 1/3 where there are both male and female problems.
www.monashivf.com |
