Assisted Reproductive Technology, or ART, is available to couples who suffer from infertility, and refers to several different procedures. Infertility is defined as the inability to conceive a baby and/or carry the baby to term. An ovulation disorder is the most common reason for female infertility, and low sperm count and slow sperm mobility is the reason for most male infertility. ART is responsible for the birth of more than 30,000 babies each year, about 1% of the live births in the U.S.
IVF
In vitro fertilization, or IVF, is the most common and oldest type of ART. The first IVF baby was born in England in 1983, and infants conceived this way were often called test tube babies. With this procedure the woman is given fertility drugs to increase her number of eggs. The eggs are taken from the ovaries and fertilized in the laboratory with the man's sperm. The fertilized eggs are then transferred to the woman's uterus in the hope that at least one will survive. The success rate is 25% to 35% per cycle.
Embryo Cryopreservation
When several eggs are fertilized in the lab during IVF, the couple may elect to have some frozen for future implantation. If the first IVF attempt fails, the couple can try again without using drugs or going through egg retrieval and fertilization. The embryos are thawed and placed in the woman's uterus. Cryopreservation is also used for more children after a successful IVF procedure. This option can significantly lower the cost of future treatments.
ICSI
Intracytoplasmic sperm injection, or ICSI, is the injection of one sperm into a woman's egg. The procedure follows the IVF protocol, with the exception of the single sperm donation. ICSI has a success rate of about 20% per cycle and is often used when infertility is caused by low sperm count or lack of sperm mobility. In these cases, the sperm are retrieved by needle aspiration or microsurgery.
GIFT
An alternative to IVF is Gamete Intrafallopian Transfer, or GIFT. This procedure also follows the IVF protocol in the first stages. However, once the egg and sperm are mixed, they are transferred into the woman's fallopian tubes for fertilization within the body. GIFT's success rate is similar to that of IVF. About 24% of couples are successful per cycle.
ZIFT
Zygote Intrafallopian Transfer, or ZIFT, is a combination of IVF and GIFT. The sperm and eggs are combined in the lab. Once fertilization takes place, they are placed in the woman's fallopian tubes, where they will hopefully travel to the uterus. ZIFT has the highest success rate of all of the ART procedures. It has a live birth rate of about 29% per cycle.
Tags: success rate, about cycle, Assisted Reproductive, fallopian tubes, follows protocol, into woman, Intrafallopian Transfer