For many couples Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) is the treatment option that offers the best opportunity of achieving a pregnancy. With In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) the eggs are fertilised by the sperm in the laboratory as opposed to fertilisation happening inside the woman's fallopian tubes. The process was initially developed to help overcome blocked or damaged tubes, where fertilisation could not occur due to the obstruction between the egg and sperm.  Today IVF is a common form of treatment used to overcome other factors affecting fertility, including sperm antibodies, endometriosis, and unexplained infertility.

IVF treatment involves the collection of eggs from the woman, sperm from the man, placing the egg with the sperm in a culture dish in a controlled environment in the laboratory, to create an embryo outside the body.  The resulting embryo is then placed back into the woman’s uterus in a procedure called the embryo transfer.

If more than 2 embryos develop, the remaining or surplus embryos can be stored by freezing for transfer in subsequent cycles. Replacing thawed embryos in subsequent cycles, therefore, is a much less demanding treatment.

At Melbourne IVF it is our policy to offer a service, which optimises the outcome of treatment but minimises the disruption to our patients' lives. To achieve these ends, we have adopted a minimal monitoring approach to treatment that is less invasive to the woman and leads to less disruption in a couple's life during a stressful time. Careful research and practice have proved this is a safe and effective form of treatment without compromising the outcome.
 

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