In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) is one of the most popular, and most effective, procedures for couples that wish to grow their families. As the most advanced procedure in the assisted reproductive technology repertoire it is complex, but can be extremely rewarding.
Success Rates
Our experienced and compassionate physicians have achieved extraordinary IVF success rates–significantly higher than the national average-and have been recognized by the Society of Assisted Reproductive Technology for achieving these results with a lower number of embryos transferred, thereby reducing the risk of multiple pregnancies.
IVF Overview
IVF is a procedure where the eggs and sperm are combined in the laboratory, incubated, and the resulting embryos are transferred into a woman’s uterus. IVF procedures are further defined by the number of days an embryo is cultured before it is transferred. A “cleavage stage” transfer follows a 2-3 day culture period, while for a blastocyst transfer the embryos are cultured for an additional 2-3 days. Since approximately half of 2-3 day old embryos lack the capacity to develop more fully in vitro, further culture allows a self-selection of embryos that are more able to implant and less likely to be chromosomally abnormal. Since the best embryos grow to the blastocyst stage, the implantation rate per blastocyst transferred is twice that of 3-day-old embryos.
IVF Options
Depending on your physician’s recommendation and your specific treatment plan, Reproductive Partners Fertility Center – San Diego (RPSD) offers three additional IVF procedures–PGS, ICSI and assisted hatching– that can be conducted before the embryo is transferred. Detailed overviews of each procedure are provided on the following pages.