IVF refers to a technique of assisted reproduction where the egg and sperm are fertilised outside of the body to form an embryo. This embryo is then transferred to the uterus to hopefully implant and become a pregnancy

• The only difference between the two is the way the egg is fertilised. IVF allows the sperm to penetrate the egg of its own accord whereas ICSI directly inserts the sperm into the egg
• If the egg is fertilised, the embryo is inserted into the uterus in the same way as for IVF

• Problems with ovulation, endometriosis, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), blocked tubes….
• Poor sperm motility, low sperm count, abnormal shaped sperm, antisperm antibodies.
• Failed 3-4 cycles of IUI
• Unexplained infertility
• Advanced maternal age to perform PGS
• In cases when couples are normal but both carriers of a genetic disease and PGD is required.

Ovarian Stimulation -> Egg retrieval -> Fertilization -> Embryo Development -> Embryo Transfer

• You will be advised to carry out a BHCG (blood test) 12-14 days after embryo transfer to determine if you are pregnant. If it is positive, scans will be done after 2 weeks to check the pregnancy’s development and viability.
• If the result is negative, a follow-up consultation is scheduled to discuss your next steps.

The success rates for IVF will vary depending on a number of factors including the maternal age, EMBRYO quality, number of embryos transferred, cause of infertility, response to medicines, Lifestyle factors weight, smoking….

• There are a lot of reasons why your pregnancy results may come back negative. Sometimes the embryos do not implant or they start to implant and then stop. In other cases, they could have been damaged during the process of growth or the actual transfer.
• Having multiple cycles of IVF is common and is often necessary to give yourself a good chance of success. Wait for your cycle to return to normal before another attempt. You need a chance to recover emotionally and physically.