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Virginia, Maryland, Washington, Fertility Clinic
In vitro fertilization (IVF) literally means "fertilization outside of the body"
compared to in vivo fertilization which is "fertilization within the body". IVF
has made it possible for millions of infertile couples to create healthy
genetically related children. The IVF process is summarized as follows: 1) the
female's ovaries are stimulated to recruit many follicles each of which contains
one egg. 2) When the eggs are mature, they are withdrawn from the follicles. 3)
The eggs and sperm are combined in a Petri dish. 4) Once fertilization occurs,
the embryos are cultured in an incubator where they remain for 3-5 days. 5) When
the embryologist and physician agree that the embryos are mature, they are
transferred to the uterus.
mcfivf.com
Fertility Clinic Virginia Infertility Specialist Norfolk
It is mandatory for the male partner of all infertile couples to undergo a
thorough physical examination followed by repeated semen analyses. The semen
analysis should always include a state - of - the - art determination of the
basic semen parameters ( i.e., sperm concentration, motility, morphology, and
viability ) as well as an immunological ( presence of antisperm antibodies ) and
a microbiological ( semen culture ) investigation. If needed, more advanced
sperm function tests should be performed; for example, valuable information
about sperm fertilizing capacity can be obtained through the assessment of sperm
- zona pellucida binding ( using the hemizona assay ), acrosome reaction tests,
and other bioassays.
www.jonesinstitute.org
Norfolk, Virginia
EVMS Main Campus
601 Colley Avenue
Norfolk, Virginia 23507
( 757 ) 446-7100
Fertility Center
The crux of infertility evaluation rests on the couples’ medical and pregnancy
history as well as a limited number of tests. Because of this, it is crucial
that both partners be present at the initial screening evaluation. Infertility
is a shared experience, and it is common that problems are noted in both
partners. As with most medical evaluations, the process used to identify a
potential problem should begin with the easiest, least expensive and least
invasive approach. Therefore, the initial female and male reproductive histories
direct the diagnostic process. Diagnosis requires an assessment of ovulation,
sperm production, fallopian tubes and the uterine cavity.
www.washivf.com
2150 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20037
Virginia Center for Reproductive Medicine
Unlike sperm, which men create throughout their adult lives, women are born with
a finite number of eggs. A female fetus contains approximately seven million
eggs, but by the time that fetus has become a baby girl and is born, the number
of eggs in her ovaries is down to between one and two million. By puberty, a
normal girl will have lost all but 400,000 of those eggs, and she will continue,
throughout her adult life, to lose approximately 1,000 eggs each month. It is
estimated that during a woman's reproductive life, she will ovulate only about
450 eggs; the rest of that large reserve will die naturally on their own.
www.vcrmed.com
Virginia Center for Reproductive Medicine
11150 Sunset Hills Rd, Suite 100
Reston, VA 20190
Phone: 703-437-7722
Toll Free: 888-NORISK-0
Fax: 703-437-0066 |
