When couples in Bellevue, Washington or the surrounding communities experience infertility, they often enlist the services of a nearby fertility clinic. These clinics offer a variety of treatments, procedures and services for infertile couples including various assisted reproductive technologies. These procedures include the various treatments in which both the egg and sperm are manipulated to achieve conception. There are various assisted reproductive technologies available at the many fertility clinics around the nation, some better known than others. Patients who are struggling with infertility are encouraged to explore all of their options including assisted reproductive technologies that may be available.
The most well known assisted reproductive technology is in vitro fertilization, or IVF. In this procedure, eggs are extracted from the woman and combined with the sperm from the man in a dish in a laboratory. The egg, sperm and a nutrient medium are left in an incubator for a few days so that an embryo may form. Once the embryo forms, it is transferred to the woman's uterus. No more than two or three embryos may be transferred at one time to avoid multiple births.
Another option for infertile couples is intracytoplasmic sperm injection, or ICSI. In this procedure, a single sperm is injected into a mature egg and an embryo is expected to form. The embryo is then transferred to the woman's uterus or fallopian tube where she will carry it to term. This procedure may be used together with in vitro fertilization in cases of severe male infertility. Patients should talk to a fertility doctor for more information about this procedure and its effectiveness in overcoming infertility.
Various other procedures are also available and patients are encouraged to explore all of their options with a qualified fertility specialist at a reputable clinic in the Bellevue area. Before selecting any treatment patients should determine its risks and success rates.
The success rate for assisted reproductive technologies may depend on the specific treatment and various other factors involving the couple. Women who are older may experience decreased success rates, while younger women may experience higher success rates. Generally, assisted reproductive technologies hold about a 10 to 40% rate of success depending on a variety of factors that should be discussed with a medical professional.
While the risk for birth defects is low for babies born as a result assisted reproductive technologies, they are about two to four times more likely than children born of natural conception to have certain birth defects. Couples who are interested in exploring assisted reproductive technologies further should consult a fertility doctor to discuss this risk in greater detail.
Some women complain of headaches and flushing when taking fertility drugs. Women may not be required to take these drugs, but should speak with a medical professional for more information. Women who elect not to take fertility drugs may decrease their chances of producing multiple eggs to be used in the procedure and may decrease the likelihood of the success of the procedure.
As always, couples experiencing infertility and interested in exploring various fertility treatment should seek further information and advice from a qualified fertility doctor. This is often the best and most reliable source for information relating to infertility, assisted reproductive technologies and other fertility treatments.
Learn more about assisted reproductive technology in Bellevue, Washington.
