Egg Fertilization & Embryo Culture

The male partner provides the laboratory with a semen specimen to be used for fertilization of the eggs, except if donor or frozen sperm is used.

In cases of normal sperm function, the eggs and several thousand sperm are placed together in a dish which contains a nutrient liquid. These dishes are kept in an incubator overnight and are examined under the microscope on the morning after the egg retrieval to determine which eggs have fertilized normally.

An alternative method of achieving egg fertilization is called Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection, or ICSI. An extremely sharp glass needle is used to inject one normal appearing sperm directly into the center (cytoplasm) of the egg under the guidance of a specially fitted microscope.

Candidates for ICSI include men with (1) severely compromised sperm parameters, including low concentration, motility, morphology, or antisperm antibodies; (2) blockage or absence of the vas deferens, where sperm is surgically collected by epididymal aspiration or testicular biopsy for ICSI; (3) those who had low or failed fertilization on prior IVF attempts; (4) unknown infertility (causes of couple's infertility remain unknown after completing all diagnostic testing); (5) certain medication or other medical history.

The success rate with this technique varies considerably among IVF programs and is highly dependent upon the skill of the embryologist performing the procedure. Our excellent results have been documented in an article published in the medical journal Fertility and Sterility, and the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions Assisted Reproductive Technology Annual Report.