The Principle of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)

Literally, the Latin term, in vitro means in a glass, as opposed to in vivo, which means in the living world.

In vitro fertilization consists of collecting a maximum number of oocytes at maturity and putting them in the presence of a high number of mobile spermatozoa. In this way, fertilization can occur in the laboratory with a higher probability than in the woman's body.

If the quantity of mobile spermatozoa is insufficient, another technique is available, IntraCytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI), which consists of the microinjection of a spermatozoon directly into the cytoplasm of each oocyte.

Only the steps of fertilization and the first stages of embryo development (which normally occurs in the Fallopian tube) are conducted in the laboratory. The embryos are then placed in the uterus, where they can implant in the endometrium and develop until term.

The Principle of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)

Although the principle is simple, in vitro fertilization remains, in practice, a treatment- and work-intensive technique. Under rigorous control, hormones are administered to the woman so that several oocytes reach maturity at the same time. This approach increases the chances of obtaining several embryos from a single cycle and thus a successful pregnancy.