Steps involved in IVF-ICSI Procedure:

Before IVF

- Ovarian stimulation by FSH or HMG injections to produce multiple eggs
- Monitoring of the response by ultrasound scans and blood tests (Estradiol - LH, Progesterone..if needed.)

DAY: 0
- Egg retrieval with the help of a needle under local or general anesthesia



- Observation and selection of oocytes
- Selection of good motile spermatozoa
- microinjection of the eggs in laboratory (one spermatozoa per oocyte).

DAY: 1
- Observation of the fertilization (Pronuclei)
- washing oocytes (new medium culture)

DAY: 2
Observation of embryos (2 - 4 cells)
- Possible transfer of the resulting embryo(s) into the
uterus of the woman
- possible freezing of additional healthy fertilized embryos

DAY: 3
Observation of embryos (6-8-10 cells)
- Possible transfer of the resulting embryo(s) into the
uterus of the woman
- possible freezing of additional healthy fertilized embryos

DAY 5
Observation of Blastocysts
transfer of one or two blastocyste(s) into the
uterus of the woman
- possible freezing of additional healthy fertilized blastocysts

EMBRYO TRANSFER

With the progress made in the treatments of assisted reproduction, implantation and pregnancy rates have increased. This evolution has led to increase the rates of multiple pregnancies in the general population.
Considering maternal and fetal risks related to multiple pregnancies it seemed necessary to reduce the number of transferred embryos : 1 or 2 for a young woman and 3 for forty year old woman or more.

Embryo transfer is a simple procedure that does not require anaesthesia.It may be performed between Day 2 (4cell), Day 3 (6-10 cells) or Day 5-6 (blastocyst) under echography control or not.
Abdominal ultrasound can be used simultaneously to watch the catheter tip advance to the good location

The selected embryos are inserted into a catheter and guided towards the woman’s uterus.
Any additional healthy fertilized embryos can be frozen the same day and used later.
Between Day 1 and Day 8 after transfert it is not unusual to see vaginal blood spotting prior to the pregnancy test without consequence for the pregnancy.
Pregnancy test will be performed 12 or 13 days later.