In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) Basics

In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)

• IVF is a technology used for enhancing food animal productivity, conserving endangered mammals, and understanding fertilization and early development mechanisms.
• IVF involves fertilizing mature oocytes with sperm outside the uterus, i.e., in a dish.

Oocyte Collection and Maturation

• Oocytes are collected by ultrasound-guided follicular aspiration.
• Collected oocytes are matured in a Petri dish and fertilized 20-24 hours later.

Fertilization and Embryo Development

• Conventional, sexed frozen, or reverse-sorted semen may be used for fertilization.
• After fertilization, the oocytes develop for seven days in an incubator.
• Viable embryos that arise from this process are transferred to recipients or frozen for future use.

Artificial Insemination (AI) vs. IVF

• AI involves deliberate introduction of sperm into a female's cervix or uterine cavity for in vivo fertilization.
• The main difference between AI and IVF is that in AI, fertilization takes place inside the woman's body, whereas in IVF, eggs are harvested and fertilized in a lab.

Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)

• ICSI is a technique used during IVF and involves injecting a single sperm directly into a mature egg using a glass needle to facilitate fertilization.
• ICSI is helpful when there are male infertility issues, such as sperm quality or quantity issues.

Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET)

• FET involves transferring embryos created through IVF that were previously frozen and stored for future use.
• These embryos can be thawed and transferred into a uterus at a later time.

Methods of Embryo Preservation

• Reverse-sorted semen is a technique used in cases where there may be a risk of passing on genetic disorders or diseases to offspring.
• This technique increases the chances of producing a healthy embryo by selecting only sperm cells with desired genetic material.

IVF Process

• The IVF process involves:
  • Ovarian stimulation
  • Egg retrieval
  • Sperm collection
  • Insemination through ICSI or traditional insemination
  • Embryo culture
  • Embryo transfer
  • Pregnancy monitoring
  • Birth

IVF Results

• On average, 30% of collected oocytes develop into viable embryos (Grade 1, 2, or 3).
• 18-22 oocytes are collected per aspiration, resulting in approximately 5-6 transferable embryos per IVF cycle.
• Embryo development rate varies depending on the sire used and semen type.
• Fresh IVF embryos achieve about a 55% pregnancy rate.