In vitro fertilisation

In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is a technique in which egg cells are fertilized outside the woman's body. IVF is a major treatment in infertility where other methods of achieving conception have failed.

Indications

Initially the IVF was developed to overcome infertility due to problems of the fallopian tubes, but it turned out that it was successful in most other infertility situations as well. The introduction of Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI, see below) addresses the problem of male infertility to a large extent.

Related Topics:
Fallopian tube - Intracytoplasmic sperm injection

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Thus, for IVF to be successful it may be easier to say that it requires healthy ova, sperm that can fertilize, and a uterus that can maintain a pregnancy. Cost considerations generally place IVF as a treatment when other, less costly reasonable options have failed.

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