IVF/ICSI
| Stage 1 | Referral | We only accept patients referred by a GP or Doctor involved in your investigations/treatment to date. |
|---|---|---|
| Stage 2 | Patient Information Evening | Held regularly, all couples are welcome to attend prior to first appointment at the Assisted Reproduction Unit. This session lasts for one and a half hours and includes a tour of the Unit. PI-Pres |
| Stage 3 | Consultation | With both medical and nursing staff. Information given to enable all consent forms to be completed, blood tests undertaken and questions answered. |
| Stage 4 | Counselling | Available before, during and after treatment which can be very beneficial. |
| Stage 5 | Treatment Cycle | Contact Unit and treatment schedule will be sent out with all details of what to do and when. Start first drugs usually day 2 or day 21 of cycle. |
| Stage 6 | Ultrasound Scans | Will be undertaken to ensure the next phase of the cycle can commence and to monitor the response to the stimulation drugs given (approx 12-17 days). |
| Stage 7 | Blood Samples | Will also be taken to monitor response to stimulation drugs. |
| Stage 8 | Egg Collections | When three or more follicles are sufficient size. Final injection given. Procedure takes about 30-45 minutes. |
| Stage 9 | Fertilisation Check | The day following egg collection an Embryologist will contact you to advise you of how many eggs have fertilised and to organise embryo transfer date and time. |
| Stage 10 | Embryo Transfer | Two or three days after collection. Any suitable remaining embryos can be cyropreserved. |
| Stage 11 | Pregnancy Test | Two weeks after transfer the woman should perform a urine test to confirm if she is pregnant. |
| Stage 12 | Pregnancy Scan | This will be organised five weeks after embryo transfer. |
| Stage 13 | Follow up | Follow up appointment with staff after review of medical records by medical, embryology and nursing staff. |
Consent to treatment is a very important part of your initial consultation and therefore you will receive copies of the forms prior to your appointment. You should read these thoroughly and bring them with you to the Fertility Centre. At your appointment they will be fully explained and you can discuss your choice of management.
Routine blood tests must be undertaken before sperm, eggs and embryos can be frozen. For further information see (0105).
A cycle of IVF can take 8-10 weeks from a menstrual bleed to the completion of the embryo transfer and it is essential that couples fully understand each step involved. Prior to attending the unit for a consultation you are invited to attend a patient information evening which is open to all couples who are about to embark on an IVF treatment programme. These evenings will enable patients to meet medical, nursing and laboratory staff who will give a presentation and answer any questions.
In IVF eggs are fertilised by the partner's sperm in the laboratory and the resulting embryos are transferred back into the uterus. In a normal menstrual cycle the ovaries produce only one or two eggs whereas if IVF/ICSI is planned, the ovaries need to be stimulated with drugs to produce more eggs, ideally 8-10 eggs would be collected at egg recovery.