• Ovulation Enhancement, in which special medications are used to stimulate the production of several   eggs - rather than just a single egg which is usually produced each month-. Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), which is produced by the pituitary gland, is usually prescribed.
  
• Egg harvest is the procedure in which the eggs are removed. The IVF team removes the eggs by ultrasound-guided aspiration while the patient is under anesthesia. A very fine needle is than passed through the vaginal wall to remove the egg by gentle aspiration. Abdominal incisions are not required, and the patient returns home in about two hours. 
  
• Insemination of the harvested eggs takes place in our laboratory. A sperm sample supplied by the male partner is processed, and a high number of sperm is placed with each egg in a separate dish, along with a culture medium. The dishes are then placed in an incubator calibrated to the same temperature as the woman's body. Fertilization takes place in about eighteen hours. Twelve hours later, the fertilized cell, or embryo, divides into two cells. Three days later, when the embryos have divided again and consist of four to eight cells each, they are transferred into the uterus. 
  
• Embryo transfer is a brief procedure which usually takes place on an outpatient basis, without anesthesia. Dr. David Diaz exposes the cervix and cleanses it with a special culture medium. The embryos are then loaded into a very thin catheter passed through the cervix and deposited near the top of the uterus. Any remaining untransferred embryos can be frozen for use at a later time.
  

The pregnancy rates from IVF procedures may vary. To find out our pregnancy rates please follow this link. Generally, the pregnancy rate following, IVF depends on the woman's age, the sperm quality, the embryo quality and the cause of infertility.