The process of assisted hatching is sometimes used to try to increase the chances of success with IVF, often for older women or those who have had repeatedly unsuccessful attempts. It involves thinning the outer layer of the embryo or making a small hole in it before transferring it into the womb. The idea is that this may help the embryo implant, but there is no clear evidence that it makes a difference to the outcome.
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| Infertility Treatments Women |
Frozen embryo transfer
If you've had spare embryos frozen, you can have them transferred later in a separate treatment cycle. The frozen embryos are thawed and can be replaced in a natural cycle if you ovulate normally. If you have an irregular cycle, or have ovulation problems, your clinic may suggest taking some fertility drugs when you are going to transfer the embryos.
Going through a frozen embryo cycle is less invasive than a full IVF cycle, and although you will need to be closely monitored to make sure the embryos are put into the womb at the optimum moment in the cycle, it is generally far less intrusive. The embryo transfer is done in the same way as during a normal IVF cycle, and is then followed by the same two-week wait.
'The frozen cycle was fantastic. I felt completely fine. There was none of the pain of egg collection, none of the worry. In fact, I felt a bit of a fraud.' Elaine, 39
'It was easier because I wasn't having the injections and things, but it wasn't any easier when it didn't work. That was just the same, if not worse.' Sheona, 44
ICSI
ICSI, or Intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection, is a type of IVF that is recommended for men with low sperm counts. ICSI is now carried out widely, despite being a relatively new process. Most of an ICSI cycle is exactly the same as IVF, but sperm is injected into the egg rather than being left to fertilize it naturally. This increases the chances of successful fertilization, and ICSI may be offered if there have been problems with this in a previous IVF cycle.
For more severe male fertility problems where there are no sperm in the semen at all, it may be possible to first remove some sperm from the testicles surgically and then carry out ICSI.
GIFT/ZIFT
Gamete intra-fallopian transfer (GIFT) and zygote intra-fallopian transfer (ZIFF) are variations of IVF, neither of which are carried out very often now. During a GIFT cycle, the eggs are collected from the woman's ovaries, but instead of being fertilized in a laboratory, they are returned to the fallopian tube along with the partner's sperm. ZIFT involves embryos being transferred to the fallopian tubes rather than the womb after the eggs have been fertilized in the laboratory.
IVM
IVM, or in-vitro maturation, is a new process pioneered in Denmark that involves taking immature eggs from the ovaries and maturing them in the laboratory before mixing them with sperm. This technique is less expensive than IVF and doesn't involve the use of such strong fertility drugs, which would be very welcome for many patients. Research in the field is ongoing, and IVM is not yet widely available.
PGD
PGD, or pre-implantation genetic diagnosis, is used to help couples who risk passing on certain inherited conditions to their children. The couple go through a normal IVF cycle, but the embryos are left to develop in the laboratory until they have divided into eight cells. An embryologist will then extract one or two cells from the embryo in order to test them for the inherited condition. Any embryos that are affected are not used, but those that are clear can be implanted or frozen for future use. PGD can help couples who risk passing on a wide range of conditions such cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy, haemophilia or. sickles-cell anaemia.
PGS
PGS, or pre-implantation genetic screening, is similar to PGD, as cells are taken from the embryo in the same way, but PGS checks for any chromosomal problems in the embryos that might cause miscarriage or abnormality. PGS may be offered to women who are older or to any others who are more at risk of chromosomal problems. To find out more, you can check out Infertility Treatments Women.
