IVF In vitro fertilization using eggs and sperm from the couple

This technique consists of fertilising the woman’s eggs with the sperm of an anonymous donor in the laboratory. The fertilised eggs will become embryos and will be transferred to the uterus of the patient. The semen sample used for the treatment is of optimum quality and quantity. The donor is a healthy male whose sperm was previously checked to rule out any illness.

First step (ovulation stimulation and monitoring) In order to obtain the eggs the ovulation has to be stimulated with fertility drugs. The follicle stimulating hormone will be administered to the patient as well as GnRh antagonists. A strict control of the menstrual cycle monitoring the Estradiol (a hormone) level in the blood, and an ultrasound check-up of the follicular development in the ovaries is carried out. When the hormone levels and the number and size of the follicles are sufficient, their maturity is triggered by use of a hormone called LH (luteinizing hormone).

The sperm is collected after carrying out a complete study of the donor’s health in order to be sure of the good quality of the sperm and to rule out any illness. The potential donors are placed under a series of tests and analysis before being accepted: sperm, blood, urine, general health, sexual transmitted diseases and a psychological examination. All the donors have to be over 18 and sign a consent form agreeing for their sperm to be used in this technique as well as accepting the anonymity therein. The donor sperm is frozen before being used.

As with partners’ gametes IVF the eggs are cultivated in a culture medium while the sperm is prepared (as with Artificial Insemination). Later on the biologist carries out the insemination which consists of placing the sperm (between 50.000 and 100.000 motile spermatozoa) in the culture medium with the eggs. The following day a check is made on how many eggs have been fertilised and the embryos are transferred to the recipient’s uterus two or three days after the egg collection. Two or three embryos are selected for the transfer. They are introduced in the uterus together with a small quantity of culture medium in a fine catheter. Under an abdominal ultrasound control, the gynaecologist places the catheter up to the end of the uterus where the embryos are deposited.

The non transferred embryos are frozen in liquid nitrogen (cryopreservation) and stored correctly identified in the embryo bank of the laboratory. These embryos can be used in future cycles if pregnancy does not occur at the first attempt. Obviously, it simplifies the process and makes it cheaper, although the pregnancy rates decrease.

This technique is applied when the woman decides to become a single mother, when her partner is another woman or when several previous IVF attempts with the partner’s sperm were unsuccessful. It is also recommended in the case of azoospermia (the male partner does not produce sperm) or, less frequent, when the male partner is a carrier of a chromosomal anomaly and out of ethical reasons the couple do not consider undergoing the pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (chromosomal study of the embryo before it is transferred to the woman’s uterus). IVF with donor sperm can be carried out in the case of sperm anomalies such as oligozoospermia (low sperm concentration), astenozoospermia (low motility) or teratozoospermia (few sperm with satisfactory morphology), and also if the previous IVF-ICSI (IVF with intracytoplasmic sperm injection) attempts were not successful.

Various methods of treatment of reproduction, depending on each patient's diagnosis are carried out in EUGIN Clinic. If you wish to learn more about them, click on the following list