In vitro fertilisation
What is In Vitro Fertilisation
In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is an assisted reproductive technique which consists of harvesting the patient’s eggs and fertilising them with her partner’s sperm (or donor sperm) in the lab. This produces one or more embryos which are subsequently transferred to the maternal uterus for implantation and development. The treatment gives patients the option of using donor eggs and sperm banks if required.
Prior fertility testing is necessary for diagnostic purposes and to determine whether IVF is the right treatment..
If desired or medically indicated, preconception genetic testing is also an option which allows to either identify or rule out up to 200 hereditary diseases which may sometimes be silent and could be transmitted to the future offspring. Both the mother-to-be and her partner undergo the test, which is also performed in egg and semen donors in our clinic.
Once these tests have been carried out, the woman starts a hormonal ovarian stimulation treatment to produce eggs which are subsequently fertilised in the lab, and to prepare the uterus for implantation of the embryo.
Discover in this video the entire IVF process guided by our specialists:
What are the phases of the treatment
The process from the beginning of the treatment until the embryo is transferred lasts about one month and consists of the following stages:
Visit with your gynaecologist
Ovarian stimulation treatment
Egg retrieval
Semen sample processing
Egg fertilisation and embryo culture
Transfer of the embryo or embryos
Who it is for
Is this the right treatment for us? IVF is recommended for couples where:
- The woman has blocked fallopian tubes.
- The woman has cervical abnormalities.
- The woman has abnormal ovulation.
- The woman has endometriosis.
- The man has a low sperm count or low sperm quality.
- Couples with immunological incompatibility problems.
- Couples with unexplained infertility.
- Patients who have had no success with other assisted reproduction techniques.
- Couples in whom one or both partners have undergone a permanent contraception procedure (tubal ligation and/or vasectomy).
- Couples in whom the male partner has a risk of transmitting a disease to his offspring.
- Single women who wish to have a child.
- Women in a homosexual relationship who wish to have a child.
Success rates
Why choose us
We are pioneers in reproductive medicine
We have more than 80 years’ experience behind us and a team of highly qualified and specialised professionals. The first Spanish test-tube baby was born in our clinic (1984) and Spain’s first egg donation treatment was carried out here, which culminated in the birth of twins (1988).
Personal attention
We will guide you through the entire process, offering personalised treatments suited to your needs. You can also contact our medical team directly at any time.
Extensive experience, quality and cutting-edge technology
We have one of the top in vitro fertilisation laboratories in Europe where we perform over 3,000 cycles (assisted reproduction techniques) each year. We offer the latest advances in assisted reproduction, such as intracytoplasmic sperm injection and real-time monitoring of embryo development (dynamic monitoring).
High success rate
25% of our patients have a history of treatment failure in other clinics. However, our success rate is around 45-55% at the first attempt, with an overall cumulative rate of around 80%.
Psychological support
We provide psychological support in case of emotional overload, an issue which frequently affects women who undergo assisted reproduction treatments.
Testimony
Elena, aged 44, Sant Cugat (Barcelona)
“My husband and I are both lawyers, and like many other couples, we let the years slip by, setting our wish to be parents aside for professional reasons until at the age of 39, I stopped and thought: “it’s now or never”. Unfortunately, we had no luck, and eventually had to resort to assisted reproduction. After several failed attempts, by which time I was 42, we nearly gave up, but someone recommended Dexeus Mujer who encouraged us to give it another try. After another two IVF cycles, after the third, I finally became pregnant… with twins! For the first three months, I couldn’t believe it. Although it hasn’t been easy, we would encourage every couple not to give up as long as there’s still a chance.”
More information and prices
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What is the best treatment for me?
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