Egg Retrieval Process for IVF
Doctors stimulate the woman’s reproductive system with the help of injectable medications to develop multiple follicles & eggs to get sufficient eggs for the IVF fertilization procedure. One of the best (fertility specialists), Dr Ruchi Bhandari, from the best IVF center in Jaipur, says. Usually, women fear taking egg retrieval injections and ask about how to take them. But, taking injections by themselves or with the help of their partner is a very simple procedure that patients don’t have to stress about, and doctors will guide you before injecting.
- Now eggs develop in the fluid-filled formation into follicles.
- Each of the follicles may be seen with the help of ultrasound.
- The eggs are closely attached to the follicle wall inside the ovary.
Preparation for Egg retrieval process –
Size and Shape of Follicles for the Egg Retrieval Process
- Once follicles are mature( doctors check through ultrasound for the follicle size & hormonal measurement), then, By follicle aspiration procedure, the developed eggs are taken out from the women’s body.
- Doctors generally consider 15 to 20 mm diameter of the size of follicles for ‘mature’ follicles.
Anaesthesia During Egg Retrieval Procedure
- Doctors give strong anaesthesia medication through an IV to ensure that patients are under the influence of anaesthesia during the IVF egg retrieval procedure so that they cannot feel the procedure’s pain.
- Some of the clinics use various types of anaesthesia depending upon the need for anaesthesia for the patient.
- Doctors use General anaesthesia, Conscious sedation 7 local anaesthesia for this procedure.
Egg Retrieval Procedure
- By doing the ultrasound, the doctor will pass a needle through the women’s reproductive system till a needle gets into the ovary and the follicles.
- Then, the fluid inside the follicles is retrieved through a needle, and then, eggs will get detached from the wall of follicles and sucked out with a needle from the ovary for further procedure.
- Usually, this procedure takes around 10 -15 minutes at a clinic.
The fluid & eggs which are collected will now shift into the dedicated laboratory for IVF procedure, where eggs will get washed off for separating bad sperm from the culture. Then the doctor will take some drops in a dish and keep that dish in specialized IVF incubators under a highly controlled environment.
Post Egg Retrieval Process
- After you wake up, the doctor will monitor you for a while, and if everything is fine, the doctor will discharge you to go home and take proper rest.
- Commonly, patient recovery is very simple and stress-free, women may feel moderate stomach cramping for a few hours on the day of treatment.
- Some women uses oral medications for pain such as – ( Vicodin ).
What are some side effects and risks of the egg retrieval procedure?
While the retrieval process starts, the doctor uses vaginal ultrasound to get guidance for inserting a medical needle through your vagina to reach the follicles to retrieve eggs.
Some possible risks include –
- Mild to moderate pain in the abdominal or pelvic area. Mostly, the pain disappears after 1 or 2 days of treatment. In high pain, a doctor can manage it with counter pain medications.
- Damage or injury inside the organs of ovaries, such as bowel or blood vessel injury, is very rare, but if found, it requires instant emergency surgery & blood transfusions.
- Some patients get pelvic infections ( between mild to severe). Doctors give antibiotics and medications during egg collection procedures to ensure that infection does not occur. The severe infection needs treatment or intravenous antibiotics.
- Rarely, Doctors remove one or both tubes or ovaries to manage a severe infection. Women with pelvic infection or endometriosis are more likely to get in touch with IVF related infections.
How Many Eggs Need to Be Taken Out?
- Usually, doctors find out about 8 to 12 eggs in the egg retrieval process.
- Age also plays an important role and affects the number of eggs retrieved. Younger women will have higher numbers of eggs as compared to older women.
What Happens with the Remaining Eggs?
- Eggs & sperm both are placed together in a dedicated laboratory for 4 hours after the egg retrieval process, or a doctor may inject sperm separately into the eggs, known as the ICSI injection procedure.
- Before starting the embryos transfer procedure. Doctors do infusion in embryos and keeps it in the IVF laboratory for 2 to 5 more days.
- Once, fourteen days after the egg retrieval procedure, the doctor looks out for the evidence by doing a blood test. To check for a successful pregnancy for which everyone is waiting.
Also read – The role of physiotherapy in women’s health
Conclusion
The egg retrieval is one of the most crucial steps. Also, a Correct egg retrieval procedure increases the chances of successful further IVF steps, increasing the effectiveness of fertility treatment. The egg retrieval procedure is a clean, simple process with lesser risks. Post egg retrieval, Women usually prepare for embryo transfer procedures. So, I hope you get all the details in this blog related to egg retrieval. Which will help you know about the whole procedure and make you anxiety-free about the treatment.
