In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) Program

As the first In Vitro Fertilization Program in the Northeast, the Yale In Vitro Fertilization Program, referred to as Yale IVF, has become a recognized leader in the field of assisted reproductive technology. Yale IVF is associated with one of the finest medical schools and hospitals in the country.

The program started in 1982, and in 1983, the first Yale IVF baby was born to a couple who shared in our role as forerunners in the evolving field of assisted reproductive technology. The program works with infertile couples offering support, information, and counseling as well as the latest technological procedures and advanced treatment. We strive to make the IVF experience as rewarding and positive as possible.

The program also provides the amenities of a private practice while ensuring access to academic expertise and technological breakthroughs. We realize the process of resolving infertility can be difficult, therefore, our program makes every effort to minimize any confusion or frustration couples may be experiencing by thoroughly discussing all procedures and aspects of care.

Orientation to the Program

Orientation sessions are offered to provide couples an opportunity to meet our team members, have a session with nursing staff with a demonstration on techniques for injection administration, tour our egg retrieval and embryo transfer areas, and participate in an educational seminar led by one of our physicians. If interested, it is also possible to talk with other couples considering assisted fertility procedures or other couples who have already been through our program.

Please call us with questions and for further information about the Yale IVF program at (203) 785-4708. To schedule an IVF consultation with one of our physicians please call (203) 785-4708.

In Vitro Fertilization - IVF

In vitro fertilization (IVF) involves fertilization outside the body in an artificial environment. This procedure was first used for infertility in humans in 1977 at Bourne Hall in Cambridge, England. To date, thousands of babies have been delivered worldwide as a result of IVF treatment. Over the years, the procedures to achieve IVF pregnancy have become more successful and affordable.

To accomplish pregnancy as a result of IVF, several steps are involved:

• Stimulation of the ovary to produce several fertilizable oocytes (eggs)
• Retrieval of the oocytes from the ovary (from the vagina)
• Fertilization of the oocytes and culture of the embryos in the IVF Laboratory
• Placement of the embryos into the uterus for implantation (embryo transfer or ET)

What Types of Infertility Might Be Helped by IVF?

• Absent fallopian tubes or tubal disease that cannot be treated successfully by surgery
• Endometriosis that has not responded to surgical or medical treatment
• A male factor contributing to infertility, in which sperm counts or motility are low but there are enough active sperm to allow fertilization in the laboratory
• Unexplained infertility that has not responded to other treatments
• Infertility secondary to sperm antibodies

GIFT

Due to the high success of IVF and intrauterine embryo transfer, GIFT (Gamete Intra Fallopian Transfer) and ZIFT (Zygote Intrafallopian Transfer) techniques are rarely used in current practice.

ICSI

Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) is a relatively new micromanipulation technique developed to help achieve fertilization for couples with severe male factor infertility or couples who have had failure to fertilize in a previous in vitro fertilization attempt. The technique involves very precise maneuvers to pick up a single live sperm and inject it directly into the center of a human egg. The procedure overcomes many of the barriers to fertilization and allows couples with little hope to achieve a successful pregnancy. At Yale the ICSI procedure was first used in 1994 and the first successful birth was achieved in 1995.

The ICSI Process

ICSI is a tool available in the IVF laboratory to achieve fertilization. The initial steps in preparation for ICSI are the same as for IVF:

• Stimulation of the ovary to produce several fertilizable oocytes (eggs)
• Retrieval of the oocytes from the ovary (through the vagina)
• Fertilization of mature oocytes with ICSI
• Placement of the embryos into the uterus for implantation (embryo transfer or ET)

Fetilization by ICSI means that the micromanipulation specialist picks up the single live sperm in a glass needle and injects it directly into the egg

The physicians of the IVF Program