In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)
In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)
In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a procedure first developed in 1978 in which a woman’s ovaries are stimulated with fertility drugs to produce multiple mature eggs, which are then removed from her body and are fertilized in the laboratory with her partner’s (or donor) sperm. The resulting embryos are cultured for three to five days, at which point, and the best 1 or 2 embryos are then transferred back into her uterus.
An IVF procedure or “cycle” at SIRM is centered on our core philosophy that each and every patient is unique and should have a custom-tailored approach to her IVF treatment. Accordingly, we do an in-depth review of each patient’s medical and reproductive history, and create a customized protocol based on her individual needs. Above all, our goal is to empower each patient with the information she needs to make informed decisions about in vitro fertilization / embryo transfer in conjunction with her SIRM physician.
An IVF procedure at SIRM involves the following steps:
1. Preparing for Controlled Ovarian Hyperstimulation (COH)
2. Undergoing Controlled Ovarian Hyperstimulation
3. Egg Retrieval
4. Sperm Processing
5. Fertilization of Eggs in the Laboratory
6. Selecting the Best Embryos for Transfer
7. Embryo Transfer
8. (Optional) Cryopreservation (Freezing) of Remaining Embryos
The very first IVF success story came on July 25, 1978 when Louise Joy Brown, the world’s first “test tube” baby, was born in Great Britain. The technology has come a long way since then. Today, IVF is a fairly common procedure with a high rate of success, having progressed beyond the wildest dreams of those who worked on the concept back in the 1970’s. In Vitro Fertilization is so effective today that it is considered one of the primary options to treat infertility in women – as well as cases of severe male factor infertility.
It’s been over thirty years since that significant date in medical history, and the science of in vitro has evolved quite a bit. Geoffrey Sher, founder of the Sher Institute, has been an innovative force in the fertility field since the early 1980’s. In vitro fertilization clinics have sprung up around the country, with Sher Institute fertility clinics now open in Central Illinois, Dallas, Pennsylvania, Las Vegas, St. Louis, New Jersey, and New York.
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