Egg Retrieval

Egg retrieval is timed to occur before ovulation would normally occur. HCG is administered by injection to trigger the final stages of egg maturation and to release the eggs from the walls of the follicles. While you are under mild sedation, a transvaginal ultrasound probe with a needle is used to puncture and aspirate the tiny fluid filled follicles. Using a microscope, an embryologist searches the follicular fluid for oocytes and places them into culture dishes containing media designed to resemble the environment inside the body. The culture dishes are then placed, for a few hours, in an incubator, that is set to an optimal environment of body temperature, CO2, and O2 that will help the eggs to complete the in vitro maturation process.

Once eggs are mature, fertilization occurs with processed sperm using either IVF (in vitro fertilization) or ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection) laboratory based techniques. During the IVF procedure, the processed sperm is added to the eggs in culture medium drops. Fertilization occurs as it would naturally with the sperm penetrating the egg. During ICSI, a single sperm is injected into each mature egg by an embryologist.