In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF)
In vitro fertilisation (IVF)
In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is an assisted reproductive technology that helps facilitate pregnancy through the process of fertilisation outside the body. In IVF, a woman undergoes hormonal medication to stimulate the ovaries to produce more eggs. These eggs are then collected and combined with sperm in a laboratory, resulting in the formation of embryos. Finally, the embryos are transferred into the woman's uterus, where they implant and lead to a successful pregnancy.
Who is suitable for IVF?
- Men with insufficient sperm count, poor sperm quality, or reduced sperm motility that affects conception.
- Women with diminished ovarian function, tubal factors, abnormal uterine lining, or other factors that affect conception.
- Unexplained infertility.
- Couples who carry genetic disease genes and require embryo genetic testing/screening.
- Women over the age of 35 with declining ovarian function, which affects their ability to conceive.
- Couples who have tried other methods such as intrauterine insemination (IUI) but have not been successful.
*According to the Hong Kong legislation, undergoing IVF treatment must be carried out by a legally married couple.
IVF-ET consists of the following steps:
- Ovarian stimulation: Injection of medications to stimulate follicles to grow in the ovaries, usually last 10-14 days. Ultrasound is performed every few days to monitor the follicles until they are mature in size.
- Egg collection: A minor operation to obtain the eggs from the ovaries. A needle is inserted through the vagina into the ovaries under ultrasound guidance. This is done under monitored anaesthesia, and usually lasts 15-30 minutes.
- In vitro fertilisation (IVF): The eggs are fertilised using the husband’s sperms in the IVF laboratory. Fertilised eggs (embryos) are further cultured for a few more days to select the best one(s) for transfer.
- Embryo transfer: The embryo(s) are transferred into the uterus using a small catheter. This can be done two days, three days, or five days after egg collection, depending on the number and quality of the embryos available. This is a simple procedure, no anesthesia is needed. Doctors usually recommend transferring one (or at most two) embryos to minimise the risks of multiple pregnancy (including miscarriage). Pregnancy test is performed about 10-14 days after embryo transfer.
If there are surplus embryos, they will be frozen for future use. Transfer of frozen-thawed embryos is simpler, without the need for another ovarian stimulation and egg collection.
Patient Journey of IVF treatment
