A Quick Glance at the Advanced Treatment Options Available in IVF

IVF refers to In Vitro Fertilization, which is an assisted reproductive technology, is one of the most effective and popular treatment options for people facing fertility issues. When the initial or basic IVF treatment fails, additional advanced treatment options become necessary in order to make the IVF procedure successful. Read on to know more about the different treatment options available in IVF in detail.

1. ICSI: ICSI or Intra-cytoplasmic Sperm Injection is a specialized form of in vitro fertilization. This treatment is required when the sperm is found to be abnormal. The procedure is the same as that of basic IVF and is performed in the laboratory where ICSI sperm injection is given to the female egg in order to fertilize it.
2. Blastocyst: In normal IVF procedure, after the egg collection, the embryo is transferred inside the utterers usually on day two or day three. But, there is also an option to let the embryo grow further till day five when the blastocyst is formed and is then transferred inside the uterus, as per the requirement of the patient’s situation.
3. PGS/PGD: The term PGD refers to Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis whereas PGS refers to Pre-implantation Genetic Screening. Just as the names suggest, both these treatments are performed by collecting single cells from the newly formed embryo and are then diagnosed and screened for the presence of specific genetic conditions for checking of the normalcy of the chromosomes of the embryo, before transplanting the embryo inside the uterus.
4. Laser-Assisted Hatching: Laser-assisted hatching becomes essential in case the embryos fail to hatch themselves in the interior wall of the uterus (uterine wall). This treatment intends to help during the hatching of the embryo from its protective shell in the outer section while promoting implantation once the embryo is transferred inside the uterus.
5. Frozen Embryo Transfer/FET: FET or Frozen Embryo Transfer refers to a cycle where the frozen embryos are used for establishing a pregnancy. Here, the embryos from the previous egg cycle or IVF are frozen and then transferred back into the uterus of the female in case the previous embryo transplant fails.

PESA/TESA
Both PESA or Percutaneous Epididymal Sperm Aspiration and TESA or Testicular Sperm Aspiration are both minor surgical procedures that are performed for finding sperm when the male partner is found to be suffering from Azoospermia which is the absence of sperm when he ejaculates.

Depending on the fertility condition of the patients, previous response to the IVF treatments, and the result of the previous IVF treatment, the IVF treatment options one has to go through may vary. You must consult with your IVF specialist to know whether and which of the advanced IVF treatment options you may have to opt for to ensure a healthy pregnancy as well as a healthy baby.