(+34) 952 122 565
  • Appointment
HealthFlex
×
  • About Us
  • Fertility Treatments
    • In Vitro Fertilisation – ICSI
    • IVF – Egg Donation
    • Ropa Method
    • Pre-Implantation Genetic Diagnosis
    • Genetic Matching
    • Preservation of Fertility
    • More Fertility Treatments
    • Pricing
  • Patient Journey
  • Real Stories
  • Blog
  • Contact

The egg retrieval process, step by step

The egg retrieval process, step by step
agosto 28, 2021URE Centro GutenbergFertility treatments

There are going to be many important moments throughout the course of your in Vitro Fertilisation treatment. One of them is the egg retrieval, the procedure during which your doctor will collect eggs from your ovaries to be used in the IVF laboratory in order to make your dream of becoming a mother come true.

But… what does the egg retrieval really involve? How long does it take? What procedure is performed? In this article we are going to try to explain to you how the egg retrieval is carried out, step by step, so that you will feel relaxed and know what to expect during this stage of your in Vitro Fertilisation treatment when the time comes.

The steps leading up to egg retrieval

During each menstrual cycle a female normally produces one single egg. This mature egg is a structure we call a follicle that increases in size due to hormone activity as ovulation approaches.

We need more than one egg in order to work in the IVF laboratory. The ideal scenario is to have at least 8-10 eggs to work with, though this number may vary and mainly depends on the age of the female.

Therefore, we are going to help your ovaries work harder than usual leading up to the egg retrieval so that they produce more than just one single egg. This is done by giving you medication in the form of hormones for a period of time that can range from approximately seven to fourteen days (the average time is ten days).

This is how we are able to stimulate your ovaries to produce more than one egg. By having a greater number of eggs to work with, you’re more likely to achieve a good fertilisation rate, a greater number of developing embryos and higher odds for a successful embryo transfer. It’s that easy.

Throughout this stage of the ovarian stimulation your assisted reproduction specialist will monitor you very closely by periodically performing ultrasound scans and blood tests to check hormone levels. You will most likely need to come to the clinic every two to three days so that we can monitor you.

When will it be time for the egg retrieval?

Once your doctor has determined, after several ultrasound scans, that the size of your follicles is ideal and that your estradiol hormone level is optimal, the egg retrieval procedure will be arranged. You will administer a hormone called hCG (Ovitrelle®), which triggers final maturation of the eggs. Your egg retrieval will take place about 36 hours after your Ovitrelle® injection.

The egg retrieval is an outpatient procedure, meaning that it does not require hospital admission. It is performed in an operating theatre that has been specifically adapted for assisted reproduction and that is equipped with a transvaginal ultrasound, egg retrieval guides and an aspiration pump, in addition to routine operating theatre equipment. The operating theatre needs to be located near the IVF laboratory, as the embryologist’s work in the laboratory will begin as soon as the eggs have been collected.

In order to undergo the egg retrieval procedure you must be fasting and it is advisable to avoid using perfume or makeup. Patients normally receive anaesthesia (deep sedation), so that they’ll be sleeping and relaxed. In special cases it is possible to carry out the egg retrieval without anaesthesia (when there are only one or two follicles to be aspirated), but we always recommend considering your wellbeing and peace of mind first and foremost. It’s a very special moment and it’s important that you are relaxed.

Once you’ve fallen asleep your doctor will insert a sterile needle into your vagina, guided by an ultrasound, in order to aspirate your follicles. The needle will be placed into each follicle one by one in order to suction and collect the follicular fluid which will travel to a test tube through a catheter. The follicular fluid that’s collected contains the eggs. Right after this the test tube will be taken to the in Vitro Fertilisation laboratory where the embryologist will observe, count and determine how many mature eggs have been collected.

The egg retrieval procedure takes between fifteen to twenty minutes, and two to three hours later the patient will be ready to be discharged and to go home. There are some risks associated with the egg retrieval, as with any medical procedure, though they are very infrequent and the majority of patients do not develop any side effects; these risks are normally related to the medication used for sedation or to the procedure itself (needle inserted into each ovary to retrieval follicular fluid). In general, however, patients can resume their normal daily activities with minimal restrictions after the egg retrieval.

Do you still have questions about the egg retrieval procedure? Are you looking for a specialist in assisted reproduction? Remember that your first appointment with us is completely free.

You can request an appointment by calling us 0034 952 122 565, or you can do it online here.

Add Comment Cancel

Lo siento, debes estar conectado para publicar un comentario.

Follow us!

Fertility Clinic in Spain | URE Centro Gutenberg | Facebook Fertility Clinic in Spain | URE Centro Gutenberg | Twitter Fertility Clinic in Spain | URE Centro Gutenberg | YouTube Fertility Clinic in Spain | URE Centro Gutenberg | LinkedIn Fertility Clinic in Spain | URE Centro Gutenberg | Instagram

Recent posts

  • Signs you can’t get pregnant: main causes of infertility
  • Pregnancy after the age of 40, is possible?
  • How does age impact male fertility?
  • Lydia tells us her story, “I’m a single mum of two princes who fill my life with happiness”
  • Can I get pregnant if I have Polycystic ovarian syndrome?

Categories

  • Clinical results
  • Fertility treatments
  • Guest posts
  • Lifestyle and fertility
  • Real testimonies
  • Uncategorized

Archive

  • noviembre 2023
  • octubre 2023
  • septiembre 2023
  • agosto 2023
  • julio 2023
  • junio 2023
  • mayo 2023
  • abril 2023
  • marzo 2023
  • febrero 2023
  • enero 2023
  • diciembre 2022
  • noviembre 2022
  • octubre 2022
  • septiembre 2022
  • agosto 2022
  • julio 2022
  • junio 2022
  • mayo 2022
  • abril 2022
  • marzo 2022
  • febrero 2022
  • enero 2022
  • diciembre 2021
  • noviembre 2021
  • octubre 2021
  • septiembre 2021
  • agosto 2021
  • julio 2021
  • junio 2021
  • mayo 2021
  • abril 2021
  • marzo 2021
  • febrero 2021
  • enero 2021
  • diciembre 2020
  • noviembre 2020
  • octubre 2020
  • septiembre 2020
  • agosto 2020
  • julio 2020
  • junio 2020
  • mayo 2020
  • abril 2020
  • marzo 2020
  • febrero 2020
  • enero 2020
  • diciembre 2019
  • noviembre 2019
  • octubre 2019
  • septiembre 2019
  • agosto 2019
  • julio 2019
  • junio 2019
  • mayo 2019
  • abril 2019
  • marzo 2019
  • febrero 2019

Fertility Treatments in Spain

  • In Vitro Fertilisation – ICSI
  • IVF – Egg Donation
  • ROPA Method
  • Pre-Implantation Genetic Diagnosis
  • Genetic Matching
  • Preservation of Fertility
  • More fertility treatments

(+34) 952 122 565

international@urecentrogutenberg.com

Calle Gutenberg, 5 - 29016 Malaga, SPAIN

Copyright © 2022 URE Centro Gutenberg
Privacy Policy | Cookies Policy

We use cookies to offer you the best experience on our website. You can learn more about which cookies we use or disable them in the .

URE Centro Gutenberg | Fertility Clinic in Malaga, Spain
Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
Privacy overview

This website uses cookies so that we can offer you the best possible user experience. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognizing you when you return to our website or helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly necessary cookies

Strictly necessary cookies must always be activated so that we can save your cookie settings preferences.

If you deactivate this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will have to activate or deactivate cookies again.

Third party cookies

This website uses Google Analytics to collect anonymous information such as the number of visitors to the site, or the most popular pages.

Leaving this cookie active allows us to improve our website.

Please activate the strictly necessary cookies first so that we can save your preferences!