What is in vitro fertilization, or IVF?
In vitro fertilization is a complex, advanced fertility treatment process in which a woman’s eggs are fertilized with sperm outside of her body, in a specialized IVF laboratory. When people ask, “What is IVF?,” some are surprised to learn that it is the single most effective, fastest path to pregnancy for many people struggling with infertility. IVF’s high success rates are the reason why our IVF doctors in Utah specialize in this highly complex fertility treatment.
The first IVF baby was born in 1978. Since then, more than 5 million children have been born to deserving families through IVF, and the technology and skill used in the process has advanced every year as new discoveries are made in the field of reproductive medicine. Our Utah fertility doctors are proud to have played a role in bringing more than 1,000 babies into the world through IVF.
A simple explanation of IVF, step by step
What is IVF really like? The IVF process takes several weeks and involves many visits to our IVF doctors in Utah for testing, monitoring and procedures.
- Initial consultation
- Fertility testing for both partners
- Medications to stimulate the development of multiple eggs at once
- Regular bloodwork and in-office ultrasound monitoring of egg development
- Egg retrieval
- Fertilization of eggs with sperm in our IVF lab
- Monitoring of embryo development
- Embryo transfer
- Cryopreservation of remaining embryos
- Pregnancy test
What is IVF like at Utah Fertility Specialists?
Because IVF is a complex treatment, finding a deeply experienced reproductive endocrinologist and scientific team with extensive knowledge and experience can make a big difference in achieving good results. This is especially true for people who wish to conceive quickly, either because of their personal family planning goals or because they are starting or expanding their families later in life.
Our IVF doctors in Utah specialize exclusively in IVF, as it is the one proven treatment that can overcome most common causes of infertility and help people grow their families faster than other fertility treatments with lower success rates. Because IVF is all we do, we are able to achieve higher success rates than most other fertility specialists, in a friendly, boutique environment that always puts patients first.
Our IVF specialty practice is different because our patients access the extensive expertise of two deeply experienced IVF specialists and lab directors. Medical Director Lawrence S. Amesse, MD, PhD, HCLD, and Scientific Director David Richards, PhD, HCLD, ELD, are both intensely involved in every case and provide personal support for every patient, every step of the way. Our intense focus on IVF is why we are able to achieve consistently high pregnancy rates and a concierge experience for every patient’s IVF journey.
If you’re curious about what IVF is like with our IVF doctors in Utah, we encourage you to schedule a free consultation with us to learn more. Contact us to get started.