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A Guide to Assisted Reproductive Technologies

Fertility treatment in Davao has come a long way. Couples struggling with conception now have more options than ever when it comes to improving their chances of having a baby. A large part of this has to do with the advancement of assisted reproductive technologies and their greater accessibility.

With so much available technology, however, things can get a bit overwhelming for budding parents, and the procedures may contribute to the stress they may feel before starting treatment. Here is a guide to the most popular ARTs today.

Egg retrieval and freezing

During an IVF or in vitro fertilization cycle, it is typical for the woman to administer different types of medication to stimulate her body into producing more mature eggs. This is because more oocytes or eggs mean more chances for successful ovulation.

It’s usually done with gonadotropins, a type of hormonal medication that directly stimulates the ovaries, getting injected into the woman following a particular schedule.

Once the eggs produced by the woman are deemed mature enough for reproduction via ultrasound, they can then be harvested. This is done by inserting a needle through the vagina, with a gentle suction extracting directly from the ovaries. After the procedure, the woman can then be discharged home within approximately 1-2 hours.

The harvested eggs that weren’t used for IVF, meanwhile, are put into deep freeze in well-secured containers that can hold them for up to 10 years. The woman will have the option of thawing and using them for future IVF purposes.

Semen collection

Men usually do not need any procedures to be done when it comes to sperm collection. In cases that they have little to no sperm in their ejaculate thereby causing them to be infertile, there is a minor procedure called testicular sperm extraction.

Here, sperm is extracted directly from the epididymis and testicles through aspiration or extraction. It is particularly helpful for men who are able to produce perfectly healthy sperm but have reproductive blockages that keep them from joining into the semen. It is also a viable option for men who have undergone a vasectomy.

Similar to the woman, the man has the option of getting his sperm frozen for future use as well.

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection

Once the required sperm and egg are available, they can then be joined together in a lab through intracytoplasmic sperm injection or ICSI. Although not completely required, injection of the sperm maximizes the chances of the sperm being able to reach and successfully penetrate the egg.

This will be done with several eggs for maximum chances of success. They will be then left to develop for some time and will be regularly checked to see if successful fertilization has taken place.

Once the fertilized eggs have matured, the optimal ones will be selected for transfer into the woman’s uterus.

Embryo freezing

With every IVF procedure, there will be always more than one fertilized egg, and since there is a limit to the number of embryos that can be transferred into the woman’s uterus, the couple will have the option of having any left-over embryos frozen for a future procedure should they want more children.

embryo-freezing

This is a convenient option for couples who are worried about growing older and its possible effects on their existing fertility situation. Also, freezing the embryos will save the couple the trouble of having to go through the entire IVF process again in the future if they try to have another child.

Fertility treatment may not be the easiest process to go through, but knowing such advanced assisting technologies to exist help to ease one’s mind and reassure them that there is always hope.

If you want to consult a specialist regarding your fertility or are already planning on going through treatment, you can always schedule an appointment with the top specialists in the most trusted fertility clinic in Davao.