Print This Page

Infertility Treatment through Assisted Reproductive Technology

Couples who are struggling to get pregnant have recourse in infertility treatment like assisted reproductive technology. Infertility is generally defined as the inability to conceive after more than a year of trying to get pregnant. If you want to undergo infertility treatment, talk to a reproductive endocrinologist. A reproductive endocrinologist is a doctor who specializes in infertility diagnosis, evaluation and fertility treatment.

The Reproductive Endocrinologist

Reproductive endocrinologists are medical doctors who have expertise in reproductive hormones. They are licensed infertility specialists. They have been trained in reproductive technologies and other methods of treatment for infertility. Reproductive endocrinologists evaluate men and women for infertility and recommend appropriate fertility treatments.

Reproductive endocrinologists have different specializations. Some specialize in reproductive surgery. Surgical methods of infertility treatment are necessary when anatomical disorders are preventing conception. Reproductive endocrinologists are also experts in fertility treatments that stimulate sperm and egg production. There are also those who specialize in new assisted reproductive technologies.

Assisted Reproductive Technology

Assisted reproductive technology (ART) is an infertility treatment offered in most fertility clinics. Not all reproductive technologies fall under the ART classification, however.

Assisted reproductive technology is a limited field. It does not include sperm-focused procedures like intrauterine insemination. It also does not include ovarian hyperstimulation or procedures that aim only to stimulate egg production. Assisted reproductive technology involves handling both the female egg and the male sperm. ART procedures entail the harvest of eggs and sperm.

Assisted Reproductive Technology: Indications

Assisted reproductive technology is not the first line of defense against infertility. Inh2fertility specialists usually try less invasive fertility treatments first before resorting to ART. As a general rule, they recommend ART only after several failed attempts of intrauterine insemination.

Assisted reproductive technology is the fertility treatment of choice, however, when a woman is 38 years old or older. Intrauterine insemination is only for younger women. ART is also appropriate when a woman has an anatomic disorder. Traditional reproductive technologies are ineffective against blocked, scarred or damaged fallopian tubes. They are also ineffective when a woman has endometriosis or abnormal endometrial growth.

Assisted reproductive technology is also recommended when the woman has poor egg quantity and quality. It is also used when the man has poor sperm count and motility. ART is also employed when the cause of infertility cannot be determined even after comprehensive fertility testing.

Types of Assisted Reproductive Technologies

There are five types of assisted reproductive technology treatments for infertility. Each of the following methods may be implemented using donated eggs or a surrogate mother.

In vitro fertilization-embryo transfer

Eggs are harvested from the woman’s ovaries and mixed with sperm in the laboratory. Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) may be used in conjunction with in vitro fertilization (IVF) to induce fertilization. In ICSI, the sperm is injected directly into the center of the egg. This helps if the man has poor sperm count or if his sperm is sluggish or unable to penetrate the egg’s outer layer. After successful egg fertilization and division, the resulting embryo is transferred to the woman’s uterus through the cervix.

Gamete intrafallopian transfer

Eggs are harvested from the woman and combined with sperm in the laboratory. The combination of eggs and sperm are then transferred to the woman’s fallopian tube through laparoscopy. Fertilization, if successful, will occur inside the woman’s body.

Zygote intrafallopian transfer

Zygote intrafallopian transfer involves harvesting eggs from the woman’s ovaries then mixing them with sperm. The resulting zygote (the fertilized egg cell) is transferred to the woman’s fallopian tube through laparoscopy. This zygote will undergo cell division and become an embryo inside the woman’s body.

Tubal embryo transfer

Tubal embryo transfer is like in vitro fertilization with embryo transfer. In this case, however, the embryo is transferred to the fallopian tube through laparoscopy.

Frozen embryo transfer

Whenever in vitro fertilization is done, multiple eggs are harvested and combined with sperm. This procedure produces several embryos. Some of the embryos are preserved through freezing for future use. Frozen embryo transfer involves thawing a frozen embryo and transferring it to the woman’s uterus or fallopian tube.

Conclusion on Infertility Treatment

Assisted reproductive technology gives hope to couples who have been trying to get pregnant for years. It is not for everyone, however. You should consult a certified reproductive endocrinologist for extensive fertility screening and evaluation. You should also try other infertility treatment methods before resorting to assisted reproductive technology.

Read our previous article on Infertility Studies.

Other wiki resources: causes of infertility; conception; how to get pregnant; artifical insemination; infertility studies; fertility after 40