IVF, or in vitro fertilization, helps many people overcome fertility challenges and build families
Many patients at our infertility center in Illinois fulfill the dream of becoming pregnant through IVF. In vitro fertilization is a popular, advanced fertility treatment that specialists have continually improved over the years, making it one of the most effective treatment options for many fertility conditions.
During this advanced fertility treatment, an embryologist fertilizes eggs from the patient or donor in the IVF lab, then the doctor transfers a resulting embryo into the uterus of the patient or a surrogate.
When guiding patients through this advanced fertility treatment, our fertility specialists use honesty, compassion and an in-depth knowledge of infertility to minimize patients’ stress and increase their chances of developing a healthy pregnancy.
Various circumstances can make a patient a good candidate for IVF
In vitro fertilization is a common treatment for those experiencing infertility challenges because it allows patients to bypass a variety of fertility issues. Dr. Deutch might recommend this advanced fertility treatment for patients with these infertility causes.
Diminished ovarian reserve. IVF may help women with diminished ovarian reserve achieve pregnancy. Factors such as advanced maternal age, or past chemotherapy or radiation treatments, can lead to infertility due to a low supply of eggs.
Fallopian tube blockages. Because eggs are surgically retrieved, in vitro fertilization allows women to bypass blockages or other structural problems in their fallopian tubes.
Sperm factors. Men with certain sperm issues can benefit from this advanced fertility treatment, as it allows for the use of procedures such as intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), which is the injection of a single, healthy sperm into an egg for fertilization.
Various female fertility conditions. Women with endometriosis, fibroids or severe cervical complications can be candidates for this advanced fertility treatment.
Unexplained infertility. This treatment can be the best next step for women and couples with no infertility diagnosis who have been unable to become pregnant for an extended time.
Same sex male couples and single men. When gay couples or single men wish to have a biological connection to their children, IVF with donor eggs and a surrogate makes it possible.
Through fertility tests such as bloodwork, ultrasound and sperm tests, the fertility specialist at our clinic helps patients determine if IVF is right for their needs.
Learn more about what to expect during an in vitro fertilization cycle
When patients decide to move forward with this advanced fertility treatment, our staff supports them in creating a timeline for the IVF cycle. The woman or egg donor will then begin taking medication that suppresses the natural menstrual cycle, and an ovarian stimulation medication that causes multiple eggs to grow.
When enough eggs mature, the doctor removes them from the woman’s ovaries during an outpatient procedure that only takes about 15 minutes. Next, the embryologist fertilizes the eggs by either placing them with sperm or injecting each with sperm using ICSI.
After fertilization, the doctor works with the patient to determine which embryo to transfer into the uterus of the patient or gestational surrogate. We can freeze remaining embryos as part of the preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) process, or for future pregnancy attempts.
With the support of our infertility center in Illinois, women and men struggling to build a healthy family can fulfill the dream of taking home the baby they have hoped for.
