Egg retrieval (OPU) and IVF

Ovarial puncture is a procedure under brief general anaesthesia, where a special puncture needle is inserted through the vaginal wall to the ovaries to extract the eggs. The whole process is controlled by ultrasound and takes about 10 minutes. Before the procedure, the patient is stimulated with hormones that regulate the growth of follicles. In this way, a larger number of eggs are obtained, which will allow the development of more embryos suitable for subsequent embryo transfer. The patient is monitored during anaesthesia and surgery by an anaesthetist, and after surgery by the staff of the clinic. The patient leaves the sanatorium after approximately 3 hours accompanied by her partner.

In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) is performed in cases of unexplained infertility, when a woman has damaged fallopian tubes, or after repeated failure of simpler methods of assisted reproduction. An ejaculate sample is obtained from the partner on the day of oocyte puncture. Sexual abstinence for 3-4 days prior to collection is recommended. After processing the ejaculate and selecting the best quality sperm, the eggs are fertilized in a specialized medium. Fertilization occurs spontaneously, the principle is similar to that of natural conception. After 16-20 hours, the embryologist assesses the success of the fertilization. The embryos thus formed are transferred to the uterine cavity after a few days of culture. If the man has doubts about whether he will be able to pass the ejaculate on the day of egg collection, he has the option of having the sperm frozen in advance, but fresh ejaculate is preferred.