In vitro fertilization, or IVF, makes pregnancy possible for hopeful parents

 

IVF is often the first fertility treatment that comes to mind when patients think about reproductive medicine. Our Austin IVF center specializes in in vitro fertilization, and we consistently report some of the country’s highest pregnancy rates. Our experienced fertility doctors and renowned IVF lab help make this success possible.

Learn more about IVF at Texas Fertility Center

The team at our Austin IVF center takes the time to explain each step of the in vitro fertilization process. We want to ensure that each patient fully understands the treatment process before committing to IVF.

Here is a quick overview of each step of the IVF process.

• Ovarian stimulation involves taking injectable fertility drugs (gonadotropins) to stimulate egg production and maturation. Patients regularly come to our Austin fertility center for blood tests and ultrasound monitoring during this stage.
• Egg retrieval occurs when the eggs are mature. Our fertility specialist will order a trigger shot to prepare the eggs. The patient will return to our Austin fertility center for the outpatient egg retrieval procedure about 36 hours later. The patient receives light sedation during this short procedure.
• Fertilization in the IVF lab involves combining the eggs with sperm from the patient’s partner or her donor. In cases of severe male infertility, our embryologists may use intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) to aid fertilization by injecting a single sperm directly into each egg.
• Embryo transfer typically occurs in the month after the retrieval, as we have learned that pregnancy rates are higher when we transfer an embryo into a uterus that has not been exposed to the high levels of estrogen that are produced during an IVF stimulation cycle. One of our fertility specialists transfers a single embryo to the patient’s uterus and then monitors her for signs of pregnancy. Any embryos that the fertility specialist does not transfer can remain frozen and stored for future use.

Combining genetic testing with in vitro fertilization, IVF to increase success rates

Our Austin IVF center team recommends preconception genetic testing before in vitro fertilization to rule out any genetic disorders that hopeful parents could pass to their children. We therefore offer preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A) as well as preimplantation genetic testing for monogenic or single-gene defects (PGT-M) and preimplantation genetic testing for chromosomal structural rearrangements (PGT-SR) as an additional step between fertilization and embryo transfer.

PGT-A can check embryos for chromosomal abnormalities to help select the best ones for transfer. PGT-M takes testing a step further to identify which embryos would produce a baby that has a specific genetic illness. It also identifies which embryos would produce an asymptomatic carrier, and which embryos would be totally unaffected.

We have 30 years of IVF success stories

As the largest IVF lab in Central Texas, Ovation^® Fertility and Texas Fertility Center, our Austin fertility center partner, provide world-class care to help men and women make their dreams of parenthood become a reality.

Texas Fertility Center offers exceptional care from skilled physicians and a well-trained, supportive staff. Ovation offers the peace of mind you can only get from working with a highly specialized fertility lab. Ovation regularly attains national recognition from a variety of organizations, including the entities that oversee fertility laboratories, due to our high pregnancy rates as well as for our leadership in fertility research.

Contact us to schedule a consultation at our Austin IVF center and learn more about in vitro fertilization.