Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART)
The term ART is used in different contexts but should cover induction
of ovulation, sperm preparation, intrauterine insemination, IVF, ICSI, GIF.
"IN VITRO FERTILISATION (IVF)
This type of treatment, the first to be introduced in 1978 still
remains as the mainstay of ART today. The object of IVF is to add sperm
to eggs in the laboratory (instead of the Fallopian tube) in situations
where the normal pathway via the Fallopian tubes is damaged or absent,
or sperm is not functioning normally. The process of IVF requires a
significant time contribution and is emotionally stressful. When
performed for the correct reasons, it offers a pregnancy (success) rate
of approximately 30-50% percent per single attempt. Units specializing
in ART undertake this type of treatment.
INTRACYTOPLAMIC SPERM INJECTION (ICSI)
ICSI represents one of the major advances in human reproduction and
ART that occurred in the 90's. It differs from IVF by what happens once
the eggs and sperm reaches the laboratory. Essentially a single moving
sperm is injected into a single mature egg. Thus the couple requires
very few sperm for this type of therapy. ICSI has opened up treatment to
a whole new group of patients in whom classical IVF was unsuccessful.
This includes males with very low sperm counts (< 5 million / ml),
males with anti sperm antibody problems, couples who have had failed
fertilisation at IVF. Once embryos are formed, embryo transfer is
identical to IVF.
GAMETE INTRAFALLOPIAN TRANSFER (GIFT)
This procedure developed as an offshoot of the IVF technology in the
1980's. It differs from IVF in that it requires the presence of normal
Fallopian tubes. Today because of the high success rates achieved with
IVF it is seldom used. The procedure did involve the placing of an egg
sperm mixture in the Fallopian tube via laparoscopy.
BLASTOCYST CULTURE
The embryo is usually replaced at the 2-8 cell stage of development.
The blastocyst (multicellular stage with fluid compartment) stage may be
reached by prolonging the culture of the embryo in the laboratory for a
longer period and if it reaches the blastocyst stage can be transferred
to the uterus at that time. This scientific approach helps in selecting
the embryo(s) with a greater chance of succeeding. To achieve this
degree of development special laboratory conditions are required."
Zygote Intrafallopian Transfer (ZIFT)
ZIFT is an assisted reproductive technology treatment that combines the procedures involved in in vitro fertilisation (IVF) with gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT). During ZIFT, a woman’s eggs are fertilized with her partner’s sperm in
the laboratory. Then, once the egg has been fertilized, it is
transplanted into the fallopian tubes via laparoscopic surgery. From here, the fertilized egg (or zygote) travels down the fallopian
tubes and into the uterus, where, if the process is successful, it is
implanted, resulting in pregnancy.
More about ZIFT
Source and more types of ART
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