Information on IVF / ICSI
First phase , downregulation
The
IVF /ICSI cycle begins on the 21st day of the menstrual cycle by starting
GnRH analog (Suprefact injections or Synerela nasal spray). These
medication are administered daily . The purpose of GnRH analog
medication is to downregulate the pituitary gland and turn the ovaries
to a resting stage. This is important in order to control the ovarian
response and avoid premature ovulation. This part of the IVF treatment
takes about 2 weeks and during this time the woman has a menstrual
period. A vaginal ultrasound examination is preformed at the end of
this phase to decide if the second phase ovarian stimulation , can be
started.
Second phase, ovarian stimulation
The
ovarian stimulation is preformed with FSH medication ( Gonal-F,
Puregon, Menopure). These medication are administered by subcutaneous
daily injections in addition to the GnRH medication. At this time the partner takes Doxycyclin antibiotic medication. He takes 1 tablet
2times the first day and then 1 tablet pr day until the day before the
eggcollection. The dose of the FSH medication can vary between
patients. The purpose of the stimulation is to develop many mature
follicles in order to be able to collect several eggs at the end of the
stimulation. The ovarian stimulation usually takes 10-14 days and the
woman will have 2-4 vaginal ultrasound examination during this time to
asssess the maturity of the ovarian follicles and adjust drug dosage if
necessary. When the follicles reach a certain size which indicates
mature eggs, a hCG medication ( Ovitrelle) will be administered
subcutaneously to initiate the ovulation process. At this time the woman stops taking the FSH and GnRH medication.
Eggcollection will be scheduled 34-36 hours after the Ovitrelle
injection.
Third phase, eggretrieval
The
couple come to the clinic in the morning. The woman fasts from midnight
before the egg retrieval. The man brings a fresh sperm sample ( less then
1 hour old) to the clinic between 8:00-8:30. Prior to the egg-retrieval
the woman will be given a pre operative sedative and analgesic medication and
also local analgesic. The egg retrieval is performed with vaginal
ultrasound guided needle aspiration. The procedure takes 10-15 minutes
and after the procedure the woman rests in recovery for about 1 hour
before leaving the clinic.
After the eggretrieval
The
woman can leave the clinic about 1hour after the eggcollection but the
influence of the sedatives can last up to 24 hrs. Due to these effects
the woman should not control a vehicle that day. Some moderate
abdominal discomfort or sometimes pain can occur and slight vaginal
bleeding is common for 1-2 days. Resting at home is advised with assistance from her partner or another close person until the following
day. The nurse will provide you with detailed information about the next
step in the treatment upon departure from the clinic.
Results of IVF / ICSI treatments
Our results from IVF and ICSI cycles have been steady about 40% clinical pregnancy rate / embryo transfer.
