All Medical Procedures

In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a complex series of procedures used to treat fertility or genetic problems and assist with the conception of a child. During IVF, mature eggs are collected (retrieved) from your ovaries and fertilized by sperm in a lab. Then the fertilized egg (embryo) or eggs are implanted in your uterus. One cycle of IVF takes about two weeks.

IVF is the most effective form of assisted reproductive technology. The procedure can be done using your own eggs and your partner's sperm. Or IVF may involve eggs, sperm or embryos from a known or anonymous donor. In some cases, a gestational carrier — a woman who has an embryo implanted in her uterus — might be used.

Your chances of having a healthy baby using IVF depend on many factors, such as your age and the cause of infertility. In addition, IVF can be time-consuming, expensive and invasive. If more than one embryo is implanted in your uterus, IVF can result in a pregnancy with more than one fetus (multiple pregnancy).

Your doctor can help you understand how IVF works, the potential risks and whether this method of treating infertility is right for you.

Intrauterine insemination (IUI) — a type of artificial insemination — is a procedure for treating infertility. Sperm that have been washed and concentrated are placed directly in your uterus around the time your ovary releases one or more eggs to be fertilized. Older types of artificial insemination placed the sperm in the vagina. While this was easier, it was not as successful as the current procedure.

The hoped-for outcome of intrauterine insemination is for the sperm to swim into the fallopian tube and fertilize a waiting egg, resulting in a normal pregnancy. Depending on the reasons for infertility, IUI can be coordinated with your normal cycle or with fertility medications.

Sperm donation is a process that involves collecting the semen and giving or donating it. Semen is the fluid or thick liquid which is released during ejaculation. This is a procedure to assist the couple or an individual to conceive a baby. When these sperms are collected, they are stored in a special environment and then when required, inseminated into the female's reproductive organs. This process is also known as intrauterine insemination. If the sperm donation is used for the fertilization of the matured eggs in the laboratory, then the process is known as in vitro fertilization. The man who is a sperm donor can be anonymous or known to the recipient. If the donation of the sperms is done by a person known to the recipient then it is called directed donations. The man who donates sperms has to go through a complete medical check-up in order to screen for any risks or problems before donating the sperms. It is very important for a person to know the possible psychological, emotional and legal issues of the process of sperm donation.