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Fertility Center of Illinois
You will find below a general overview of what an In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)
process entails. In this link entitled “The 10 Step IVF Process”, you will find
more detail of how an IVF cycle gets started when you are a FCI patient. These
details are meant as a general guideline only and serve as a reference only.
The actual timeline will depend on many factors, including your physician’s
recommendation whether any more evaluation is needed or surgery needs to be
done, how long testing takes to get completed, where you are in your menstrual
cycle at the time of your initial consultation and how many IVF cycles are going
at the same time as your desired timeline.
To maintain the highest quality care, FCI does not like to run too many IVF
cycles at the same time but does run cycles continuously and does not batch
them. FCI
upholds to the principle that every patient is important from the first visit to
every embryo in our laboratory. We appreciate your understanding that the
timeline may not fit your needs to do an In Vitro Fertilization cycle ASAP to
maintain this principle.
In a normal menstrual cycle, just one egg/oocyte each month develops and
matures. The egg matures with a fluid filled structure on the ovary called a
"follicle" which can be seen on ultrasound. In an ART cycle, ovulation induction
medications (typically daily self-administered injections) are used to stimulate
the ovaries so that multiple follicles (eggs) will develop.
Depending on your stimulation protocol, you may begin your first medication in
the menstrual cycle preceding the IVF cycle. Then, after your next period, the
ovulation
induction hormones are begun. Exact instructions regarding their use will be
given to you at that time by the FCI nursing staff. These medications will be
used for
approximately 8 to 12 days, depending upon how your ovaries respond. These
medications and their use will be explained in detail before each cycle.
When the majority of follicles have reached a mature size, another medication,
human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), will be given by injection. The hCG must be
given at the appropriate time of follicle development to prepare the egg for
removal from the body.
www.fcionline.com
5911 Northwest Highway, Suite 205
Crystal Lake, IL 60014
tel: 815/356-7034
fax: 815/356-7064
Crystal Lake chiropractor
You may be wondering... how can the same chiropractic treatment which
effectively treats my back pain also optimize my health? The answer can be found
by looking into the relationship between the spine and the nervous system.
As you may already know, the nervous system is the master controller of all
living cells, tissues and organs; orchestrating and coordinating all cellular
functions. The spinal column encases the nervous system (spinal cord and nerve
roots) and is responsible for its protection.
Because of this intimate relationship, biomechanical and structural problems in
the spinal column can irritate parts of the enclosed nervous system. This
irritation can result from noxious inflammatory biochemicals released during
tissue injury or may result from direct mechanical pressure. In either case, the
functioning of the nervous system is negatively influenced as is the functioning
of the cells, tissues and organs which are supplied by the affected nerve(s).
In short, because the body's innate recuperative powers are affected by and
integrated through the nervous system, correcting spinal abnormalities which
irritate the nervous system can lead to a number of favorable results in
patients suffering from various, seemingly non-spinal health conditions.
A vertebral subluxation is a complex of functional and/or structural and/or
pathological articular (joint) changes that compromise neural integrity and may
influence organ system function and general health.
Using a number of unique and highly refined skills, the chiropractor checks the
patient's spine for any misalignments, fixations or other abnormalities
(vertebral subluxations). If subluxations or other abnormalities are detected,
the chiropractor will generally apply a gentle force in a corrective manner to
the affected spinal area.
Chiropractors use many specialized techniques to identify and treat these spinal
abnormalities and optimize overall health. In addition to spinal adjustive
techniques, soft tissue techniques such as massage, dietary and nutritional
counseling, physical therapies, and lifestyle modification programs are commonly
employed.
www.dynamicfamilyhealthcenter.com
Crystal Lake Illinois chiropractor chiropractors
7105 Virginia Road, Suite 24 - Crystal Lake, Illinois 60014
Tel: (815) 477-8844 - Fax: (815) 477-2766
Reproductive Endocrinology Infertility
In general, the entire IVF process takes approximately two months once a
decision is made to proceed. The first month ('preparation cycle') involves
diagnostic tests and
evaluations of the couple, consultations, and 'preparation' of the ovaries. The
second month ('stimulation cycle') involves the actual hormone stimulation of
the ovaries,
monitoring with frequent blood tests and ultrasound (US) exams, retrieval of the
eggs, followed 3 - 5 days later by the transfer of embryos into the uterus.
The couple starts with a thorough IVF consultation with me in order to discuss
the entire IVF process (diagnostic evaluations, ovarian hormone stimulation, egg
retrieval
technique, anesthesia, embryo transfer, risks, benefits and costs). Optional
techniques such as cryopreservation of extra embryos and preimplantation genetic
diagnosis (PGD) are also outlined. Questions are then answered and reading
materials are provided to help the couple understand the process.
The 'preparation cycle' then starts with the next menstrual period. On cycle day
2, 3 or 4 several endocrine and infectious disease labs are drawn. Some of these
endocrine lab tests (Estrogen and Follicle Stimulating Hormone) indicate the
woman's "ovarian reserve" of eggs and determine the medication dosage and IVF
protocol to be used for stimulation of the ovaries the next month. The labs for
the man can be drawn at any time. The woman is often then placed on oral
contraceptive pills (OCPs) or progesterone for the next several weeks in order
to 'rest' the ovaries (by suppressing her pituitary hormones), making her more
responsive to the fertility injections the following month. The uterine cavity
is assessed for any abnormalities such as polyps, fibroids or adhesions (saline
sonogram, hysterosalpingogram or office hysteroscopy) if it has not been checked
within the previous 12 - 18 months. Next, an IVF nurse coordinator consultation
takes place in order to help the couple understand the IVF process, schedule the
actual IVF 'stimulation cycle,' sign consent forms and schedule an injection
teaching session. Depending on the IVF protocol selected, many women begin
Lupron injections later in the month (approximately cycle day 21) in order to
prevent spontaneous ovulation during the subsequent 'stimulation cycle.'
Upon finishing the OCPs, a period begins, signaling the start of the
'stimulation cycle'. The fertility drug injections are usually started on cycle
day 2, 3 or 4 and are given for an average of 10 - 12 days. During stimulation
there may be 6 - 8 office visits needed for labs and ultrasounds in order to
monitor the size and number of egg follicles developing and Estrogen levels. The
fertility medication dosages are adjusted accordingly. When the largest
follicles reach a certain size, another hormone injection is given to mature the
eggs (within the follicles) and the retrieval is scheduled 36 hours later. The
egg retrieval is done transvaginally with ultrasound guidance under anesthesia
(conscious sedation) and takes approximately 20 minutes. The eggs are fertilized
with the sperm in the IVF embryology lab. The development of the fertilized eggs
(embryos) is carefully monitored by the embryologists for several days.
Depending on the number and quality of the embryos, some are transferred into
the uterus 3 or 5 days later. Extra normal appearing embryos may be cryo-preserved.
The woman is instructed to rest at home (couch potato) for 1 - 2 days. Two weeks
after the embryo transfer a pregnancy test is done and a consultation is
scheduled.
www.infertilitydoc.net
5911 Northwest Highway, Suite 205 Crystal Lake, IL 60014 • 815/356-7034
IVF Clinics Joliet :
IVF Clinics Crystal Lake :
IVF Clinics
Rockford : IVF Clinics South Chicago
:
IVF Clinics Downtown Chicago : IVF Clinics Northshore Chicago |
