The retrieval procedure to obtain the eggs is performed trans-vaginally using a hollow needle guided by the ultrasound image (this is completely comfortable under adequate sedation and local anesthesia). Eggs are gently removed from the ovaries using the needle. This is called "follicular aspiration." Its timing is crucial because the egg will not develop properly if it is collected too early; if too late, the egg also may develop poorly or may have already been released from the ovary and lost.
The eggs are immediately identified by our embryologists in our special IVF laboratory. They are placed with the sperm in incubators to allow fertilization to take place. The eggs are examined carefully at intervals to ensure that fertilization and cell division have taken place; the fertilized eggs are now called embryos.
Embryos are usually placed in the wife's uterus 2 or 3 days after egg retrieval. A speculum is inserted into the vagina to expose the neck of the womb (cervix). The embryos are suspended in a tiny drop of fluid and then very gently introduced through a catheter into the womb, often under ultrasound guidance. The transfer is followed by a resting period, blood tests and possibly ultrasound examinations to verify if pregnancy has been established.
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