IVF or, in vitro fertilization, was first successfully performed in 1978 and resulted in the birth of the fist baby born on July 25, 1978 . When Louise Brown's mother gave birth to her daughter at Oldham Hospital near Manchester, England, the world reacted as if she were a creation of science fiction. Dr. Robert Edwards and Dr. Patrick Steptoe had master minded a revolutionary procedure whereby uniting sperm and egg in a glass dish had produced a beautiful baby girl who became instantly known as the "test tube baby".

IVF was a major breakthrough in treating infertility and is responsible for the birth of more than 500,000 healthy children around the world. In vitro fertilization and Donor Egg Success rates have improved consistently over the last several years. Other new procedures, such as ICSI, have evolved to treat conditions such as male infertility and have enabled thousands of otherwise infertile men to father children.

Huntington has six IVF clinics located in southern California. IVF requires a team of experts, takes several weeks, and consists of five basic steps. Huntington's southern California in vitro fertilization clinics feature board certified reproductive endocrinologists fertility specialists and highly trained embryologists and nurses.

IVF - Ovarian Follicle Development

IVF requires numerous follicles (eggs), however, women usually grow a single egg each month. The patient undergoes ovulation induction with FSH which can be used alone, or in combination with other medications, to induce several follicles to develop. The monitoring of egg development is accomplished in three ways:

The team evaluates cycle data on an ongoing basis for the appropriate timing of the administration of the human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) injection that triggers the final stages of ovulation. The hCG injection is usually given about 35 hours before egg retrieval is scheduled.

Egg Harvesting, Oocyte Retrieval

IVF originally required that the eggs be retrieved by laparoscopy. Today, they are collected by transvaginal ultrasound-guided oocyte aspiration. This is a simple technique that involves the introduction of a small needle through the vaginal wall guided by the ultrasonic probe. Egg harvesting is conducted at our clinic under local anesthesia and IV sedation. There is no hospital fee and HRC does not charge a facility fee for the aspiration.

IVF Laboratory

The eggs must be combined with sperm for fertilization to occur. After the oocyte collection procedure, a "baby incubator" which houses a powerful dissecting microscope receives the follicular fluid containing the eggs. This fluid is placed in a special culture medium which consists of several essential chemicals. At this point in the cycle, the eggs remain in the carefully-controlled extracorporeal system for 4-6 hours before the embryologist adds the specially-processed sperm to allow the fertilization process to occur.

After a period of 16-20 hours , the eggs are examined and checked for the first signs of fertilization when the embryologist can observe "two pronuclei"under the microscope . The eggs essentially look like a "round ball with two eyes" and they represent the genetic material from both partners. The embryo transfer will occur after two to three days if the embryos are growing normally.

IVF - Uterine Embryo Transfer

IVF embryo transfer is not a complicated procedure and is performed in our office without anesthesia. The embryos are placed in a tiny catheter (a tubular instrument) and then introduced into the uterus through the cervix into the endometrial cavity. We require the patient remain lying down for about an hour after the embryos have been placed into the uterus.

Patients are told to absolutely restrict their physical activities for the first 24-72 hours and moderately restrict their activities until a pregnancy test is performed approximately 9-12 days post transfer.

Luteal Phase Monitoring & Support

The luteal phase of the cycle consists of monitoring of blood levels of progesterone, estradiol, and BhCG (pregnancy tests).

If there is a positive pregnancy test, close monitoring of the early pregnancy is highly advisable. We continue to perform the blood tests plus the first pregnancy ultrasound for detection of the baby's heartbeat and evaluation of the number of embryos implanted is usually done between the 4th and 6th week post transfer.

IVF may not be successful in the first cycle and patients are encouraged to talk to their physician and to actively participate in planning for future treatments, including an additional IVF cycle. The treatment cycle allows us to gather an enormous amount of information that is frequently beneficial to tailor a patient's future treatments.

ICSI, TESA, MESA

Embryo Cryopreservation

Embryo cryopreservation is possible when there are extra embryos remaining after incubation. Embryo cryopreservation means that embryos can be thawed and used in additional cycles thus reducing medication costs. We have a separate page devoted to embryo cryopreservation.

IVF with Donor eggs is used when a woman cannot use her own eggs. This may be due to age, disease, cancer treatments such as radiation or chemotherapy, and other factors. In vitro fertilization success rates using donor eggs are typically high. See the donor egg section for additional information.

Success Rates

IVF success rates vary according to variables including the cause(s) of a couple's infertility, whether or not male factor is present, in which case ICSI is recommended, female age and others. Success rates are discussed on a separate Web page. We also feature an excellent article covering factors that can improve success rates by Dr. Wilcox.

HRC has a history of superior success combined with compassion and individualized care. Please learn more about our Southern California Fertility Clinic.

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