IVF is a technique that refers to the fertilization of a woman's egg with her partner's sperm in a laboratory dish. The process was originally developed for women with blocked fallopian tubes but is now also recommended when the male partner has poor quality sperm and for women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) when other treatment strategies have failed.

Oocyte Retrieval of IVF Using ultrasound to view the ovary, the physician inserts the needle through the wall of the vagina into the ovary and removes the egg for use in IVF.

• The first step in an IVF cycle is to take fertility medications. These are used to stimulate ovulation (egg production), to increase the chances of fertilization, and to help speed up the process.
• Daily blood tests and ultrasound scanning are used to monitor ovulation.
• Eggs produced in the ovary are removed (egg retrieval) using a trans-vaginal probe under light anaesthetic.
• At the same time the woman's eggs are being removed, a sperm sample is obtained from the male partner.
• The eggs are then exposed to the sperm in a laboratory dish.
• Over the next 24 hours fertilized eggs are identified, graded and several are allowed to develop.
• One to three fertilized eggs are inserted into a woman's uterus, with the hope that one will continue to develop naturally.
• IVF has a high success rate and may, overall, be the best and fastest way of becoming pregnant.

IVF is a treatment and a valuable diagnostic tool. We can see how sperm interact with the egg in vitro so it gives us valuable insight as to why conception has not occurred.

When we obtain embryos we can observe their morphology, the thickness of the 'shell' around the embryo, the potential for the embryo developing to the blastocyst stage, and clues to the quality of the subsequent embryo. Good quality embryos may develop to the blastocyst stage but fail to implant, which points to an implantation problem and an alternative course of treatment. Blastocyst Transfer

In Vitro Fertilization - Embryo Transfer IVF-ET In IVF, eggs are harvested from the woman's ovary and fertilized in the laboratory with sperm. The embryos are then transferred into the uterus.