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 Assisted Fertility Program
In vitro fertilization (IVF) is the process of uniting oocytes (eggs) with sperm in the laboratory after the eggs and sperm have been collected. Embryos that develop from the fertilized egg are then transferred into the uterus to continue growth. IVF is a reasonable treatment for couples with various types of infertility such as blocked fallopian tubes, endometriosis, male factors, immunologic factors, or unexplained infertility.
After sperm are produced in the testes they move to the epididymis for maturation and storage. Completion of this process takes approximately three months. During sexual intercourse the sperm abandon the epididymis and travel through the vas deferens, where they are mixed with fluid secreted from various glands. This mixture of sperm and seminal fluid, called semen, is deposited in the vagina of the female partner following ejaculation. Causes of male infertility can be divided into two categories—physical abnormalities of the male reproductive tract, such as epididymal or vas obstruction, and impaired sperm production. In most cases of male infertility, however, the cause is unknown. To determine male infertility, a semen analysis is conducted. A normal assessment reveals a sperm count of more than 20 million sperm per milliliter of semen. In normal semen, at least 50 percent of the sperm are actively moving and more than 14 percent of the sperm are shaped normally. Medication rarely improves sperm count. Until recently there has been no effective treatment for male infertility. However, since the introduction of Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) in which a single sperm is injected into the egg, the success rates for couples with male infertility problems have markedly improved.
Female fertility problems are usually a result of either failure to ovulate or abnormalities of the fallopian tubes or uterus. A woman typically produces a single egg each month as a result of various hormonal changes. The egg develops within the ovary and is released upon maturation. It is then picked up by one of the fallopian tubes and moved toward the uterus. For conception to occur, the quality of cervical mucus at the time of ovulation must allow free passage of the sperm into the uterus, the woman’s egg must be fertilized during ovulation, and the fertilized egg must successfully travel through the fallopian tubes. If any of these processes are inhibited, the woman may not get pregnant.
www.assistedfertility.org
2850 Keagy Road Roanoke, VA 24153
Tel: 800.777.IVF1 (4831)
Tel: 540.375.6607IVF Clinics Alexandria & IVF Clinics Charlottesville : IVF Clinics Norfolk : IVF Clinics Richmond : IVF Clinics Roanoke |
