In Vitro Fertilization

This is perhaps the most well-established assisted reproduction treatment, which has been applied for over 30 years. In this method, the ovaries are stimulated with medication in order to produce multiple follicles. At the appropriate time, the eggs are retrieved transvaginally under ultrasound guidance (egg retrieval). Fertilization of the eggs then follows, using a sperm sample from the man, performed in the laboratory by embryologists. Fertilization of the eggs can be done either through the conventional in vitro fertilization (IVF) method or through intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).

The fertilized eggs are cultured in appropriate culture media and develop into embryos. After 2–5 days, the embryos are transferred back into the woman’s uterus (embryo transfer), and 14 days after egg retrieval, a pregnancy test is performed to determine whether pregnancy has been achieved. The success rate of in vitro fertilization (IVF) ranges between 45–48% in women up to the age of 35 years. After this age, success rates begin to decline each year, reaching around 12% in women aged 40, and dropping even further to 2–3% by the age of 44.