What happens in the IVF lab?

Thanks to advances in reproductive technology, our Tulsa fertility clinic doctors can assist patients in fulfilling their dreams for parenthood. Treatments such as intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), assisted hatching, preimplantation genetic testing and IVF enable our team to achieve optimal results. An important part of our success is the complex work completed in the IVF lab.

A brief overview of the IVF process

For conception to occur, sperm must fertilize an egg. In a natural setting, the ovaries release the egg, which is fertilized in the fallopian tubes. The egg then travels to the uterus, implants there, and develops into an embryo. With the IVF process, our Tulsa fertility clinic doctors intervene and simulate the organic steps for conception.

First, the female patient takes fertility medications to stimulate the ovaries to produce multiple eggs during one cycle. Once they reach maturity, one of fertility specialists will retrieve the eggs. Our skilled embryologists combine the egg and sperm together in the IVF lab. Embryologists monitor embryo development, and your doctor will transfer the best-quality embryo to maximize your chances of pregnancy.

A closer look at embryo development in the IVF lab

Once your doctor retrieves the eggs, the magic begins in the lab. On the first day after egg retrieval, the embryologists will look to see how many embryos have begun to develop. During Day 3, they will change the embryo culture media and may biopsy embryos that will undergo PGT, or preimplantation genetic testing. For Days 5, 6 and 7, embryo grading occurs, so that the embryologists can select the best-quality embryos for freezing or transfer.

Exploring other IVF lab procedures

While the IVF process is the most common procedure performed in the IVF lab, our skilled team also executes other important tasks related to assisted reproductive technology. These procedures enable us to provide advanced treatment options to our patients.

• ICSI
  With intracytoplasmic sperm injection, the embryologist injects a single sperm directly into the center of each egg, increasing the chances of fertilization.
• PGT
  For this procedure, embryologists remove cells from the embryos, which are then sent to a specialized lab to be genetically tested. This can help ensure that only chromosomally or genetically normal embryos are transferred back to the uterus.
• Assisted hatching
  To improve the odds for pregnancy, our embryologists can create a small crack in the outer shell, so that the embryo has an increased chance of successful implantation.
• Cryopreservation
  For individuals or couples with certain medical conditions, or those who want to delay starting a family, we can freeze sperm, eggs and embryos for future use.

The Tulsa Fertility Center team offers leading-edge infertility treatment to our patients. Our state-of-the-art IVF lab enables our doctors to help build families. Contact our office to schedule an appointment with our experienced Tulsa fertility clinic doctor.