Citiraj:
IUI
The menstrual cycle of fertile women usually lasts about a month. During this time, and under the influence of the body's own natural hormones, a tiny sac within the ovary containing an egg grows to about the size of a grape. At a point midway in the cycle, this egg is released from the ovary and ovulation occurs. Ovulation is also regulated by hormones. The egg, which from this moment on is ready for fertilization, then passes into the uterine tubes to await the arrival of fertile sperm. Ovulation is a naturally occurring event, and the desire to have children is a similarly natural instinct. But that instinct cannot always be fullfilled. The causes of unwanted childlessness are numerous, but so are the means of treating them.
With technique of intrauterine insemination, sperm is provided either by the male partner or by a third party donor whose sperm has been stored in a deep-freeze sperm bank. Before insemination, the sperm samples are prepared in the laboratory. They are assessed for safety, quality, and quantity and then passed through a filtering sistem for grading and washing. With a syringe and fine tube, the prepared cells are then introduced directly into the cavity of the uterus beyond the mouth of the womb and the cervix. They immediately make their own way towards the uterine tube. The objective of IUI is to bring the sperm cells as neas as possible to the egg. Nevertheless, only the most mobile sperm cells will actually reach the egg and only one will penetrate the outer layer of the egg to achieve fertilization. But just as in everyday life, there are many times the the fertilization fails and the cycle passes without a pregnancy.
All these methods of assisted reproduction offer couples a good chance of bringing a healthy baby into the world. A consultation and a thorough examination are necessary for each individual patient for finding the most appropriate treatment with the highest chances of success. Because the female fertility decreases quite quickly after the age of 35, infertile couples should not delay seeking appropriate medical advice.
IVF
The menstrual cycle of fertile women usually lasts about a month. During this time, and under the influence of the body's own natural hormones, a tiny sac within the ovary containing an egg grows to about the size of a grape. At a point midway in the cycle, this egg is released from the ovary and ovulation occurs. Ovulation is also regulated by hormones. The egg, which from this moment on is ready for fertilization, then passes into the uterine tubes to await the arrival of fertile sperm. Ovulation is a naturally occurring event, and the desire to have children is a similarly natural instinct. But that instinct cannot always be fullfilled. The causes of unwanted childlessness are numerous, but so are the means of treating them.
The technique of in vitro fertilization or IVF removes several eggs from the ovary for fertilization in the laboratory. After a few days, one or two of these fertilized eggs, which are now known as embryos, are returned to the uterus in the hope that they implant and become a pregnancy. Women having IVF are given special reproductive hormones to encourage several eggs to develop in the ovaries. Final maturation of the egg itself is induced by administration of a further hormone. 36 hours later, fluid containing the eggs is drawn from the ovary with a needle. This is usually performed under light sedation in a short outpatient procedure with a doctor using ultrasound to check procedings.
The eggs collected from the ovary are then mixed with a sample of male partner's sperm which has already been washed and concentrated. The eggs and sperm are left in an incubator set at 37 degrees for 24 hours, so that fertilization can take place. During this time, only one of the many sperm cells will penetrate the outer layer of the egg and achieve fertilization. Following fertilization the cells divide and multiply and form an embryo. After two or three days, a healthy embryo will comprise around 8 cells. It is then transferred to the uterus by means of a thin flexible tube where it is left to implant and form a pregnancy.
All these methods of assisted reproduction offer couples a good chance of bringing a healthy baby into the world. A consultation and a thorough examination are necessary for each individual patient for finding the most appropriate treatment with the highest chances of success. Because the female fertility decreases quite quickly after the age of 35, infertile couples should not delay seeking appropriate medical advice.
ICSI
The menstrual cycle of fertile women usually lasts about a month. During this time, and under the influence of the body's own natural hormones, a tiny sac within the ovary containing an egg grows to about the size of a grape. At a point midway in the cycle, this egg is released from the ovary and ovulation occurs. Ovulation is also regulated by hormones. The egg, which from this moment on is ready for fertilization, then passes into the uterine tubes to await the arrival of fertile sperm. Ovulation is a naturally occurring event, and the desire to have children is a similarly natural instinct. But that instinct cannot always be fullfilled. The causes of unwanted childlessness are numerous, but so are the means of treating them.
A further development of IVF is the technique of intracytoplasmic sperm injection or ICSI for short. This is a method which has revolutionized the treatment of male infertility in recent years and gives men with poor quality sperm the chance of fathering their own children. In natural conception, many millions of sperm cells in each ejaculation are necessary for fertilization. In ICSI, just one may be enough.
Women having ICSI are given special reproductive hormones to encourage several eggs to develop in the ovaries. The eggs are then removed from the ovary in a short outpatient procedure. Fertilization in ICSI is achieved by injecting an individual sperm cell in each of the collected eggs. For this purpose, each individual egg is placed under a very powerful microscope and a single sperm cell is injected directly into it by means of a very fine needle. Following injection and after about 24 hours in the incubator, most of the eggs will show signs of fertilization and the cells divide and multiply to form an embryo. After two or three days, a healthy embryo will comprise around 8 cells. It is then transferred to the uterus by means of a thin flexible needle where it is left to implant and form a pregnancy.
All these methods of assisted reproduction offer couples a good chance of bringing a healthy baby into the world. A consultation and a thorough examination are necessary for each individual patient for finding the most appropriate treatment with the highest chances of success. Because the female fertility decreases quite quickly after the age of 35, infertile couples should not delay seeking appropriate medical advice.