What operations are needed for IVF?
IVF refers to the babies produced by in vitro fertilization (IVF) or embryo transfer (ET) and other assisted reproductive technologies in the laboratory. In order to successfully realize the birth of IVF, a series of operations are often required. The surgery required for IVF is described in detail from four aspects below.
1. Preparation for operation before fertilization
1.1 Ovulation promotion surgery: Before IVF treatment, doctors usually inject ovulation promotion drugs to female patients to increase the number of eggs in the ovary. Ovulation promotion surgery is to collect eggs for subsequent fertilization and culture process through needle pricking guided by transvaginal ultrasound.
1.2 Semen collection surgery: For male patients with difficulty in pregnancy due to abnormal semen, doctors will perform semen collection surgery. Usually, semen is collected by manual stimulation or transvaginal ultrasound guided seminal vesicle puncture. The semen collected is used for in vitro fertilization with eggs.
1.3 Testicular sperm extraction surgery: For male patients with azoospermia, if sperm cannot be collected through seminal vesicle puncture, doctors may perform testicular sperm extraction surgery. The operation can extract sperm by sectioning, minimally invasive or biopsy, and then conduct in vitro fertilization with eggs.
2. In vitro fertilization
In vitro fertilization surgery is to combine the collected eggs and sperm in the laboratory, so that fertilization occurs in vitro, and then cultivate the fertilized eggs to a certain stage of development, and finally transfer healthy embryos back to the mother's uterus. In vitro fertilization surgery includes the following steps:
2.1 Sperm treatment and treatment: mix the collected sperm with the liquid that removes unhealthy sperm or immature sperm to improve the fertilization rate and embryo development quality.
2.2 Egg fertilization: put the treated sperm and egg in the same culture dish to promote fertilization. Sometimes, doctors may need to use special fertilization techniques, such as ICSI (single sperm injection) to achieve fertilization.
2.3 Embryo culture and screening: Put the fertilized egg in the culture dish, and let the embryo continue to develop by providing appropriate nutrition and environmental conditions. During the cultivation process, doctors can also conduct quality assessment and screening, and select the most promising embryos for transplantation.
3. Embryo transfer
3.1 Preparation for embryo transfer: Before transplantation, female patients may need to receive some medical treatment to prepare the endometrium, so as to increase the chances of embryo implantation.
3.2 Embryo transfer: During the operation, the doctor will use a thin tube to send the screened embryo into the uterine cavity through the vagina. This process is usually guided by vaginal ultrasound and X-ray to ensure that the embryo reaches the uterus safely.
3.3 Rest and observation: After transplantation, female patients usually need a period of rest and observation to improve the success rate of embryo implantation.
4. Other auxiliary operations
4.1 Assisted reproductive technology intervention: In some cases, doctors may need to carry out other auxiliary operations, such as embryo freezing, embryo chromosome detection or pre implantation gene diagnosis, to improve the chances of success of IVF.
4.2 Pregnancy monitoring and intervention: once the transplantation is successful, the patient needs to conduct pregnancy monitoring and intervention to ensure the normal development of embryos and maintain the stability of pregnancy.
4.3 Fertility related surgery: In the process of childbirth, some patients may need additional surgical intervention, such as hysteroscopic surgery, myomectomy, etc., to improve the success rate of IVF.
To sum up, IVF babies need pre fertilization preparation, in vitro fertilization, embryo transfer and other auxiliary operations. The purpose of these operations is to ensure the successful birth of test tube babies. With the continuous development of assisted reproductive technology, these operations are more and more sophisticated and efficient, providing a path for couples who cannot conceive naturally to realize their reproductive dreams.
