Reproductive medicine offers many different methods to help people have a child. We use many of them right here in our laboratory. The special lab techniques our clinic offers are now the standard in reproductive medicine.
Availability and use of these techniques during treatment greatly increases the chances of a successful cycle. From a scientific point of view, as we use each technique multiple times, we help move current medical knowledge and practice forward.
Your doctor and embryologist will advise you on the most suitable method for you based on your results.
There are many ways of handling fertility issues. Besides conventional scientific methods, we also offer some “alternative” treatments in reproductive medicine. More about alternative reproduction medicine.
Assisted hatching is a lab technique that uses micromanipulation (laser) to create a small hole in the embryo’s protective lining, called the zona pellucida. This makes it easier for the embryo to implant in the uterus.
Usually embryos are cultivated in the lab for three to five days. Embryos cultivated for five days are referred to as “extended cultures”, because on the fifth day embryos reach the blastocyst stage. Transferring the embryo at this stage gives it a greater chance of successful implantation.
Cryopreservation is performed using a method called vitrification, which “flash freezes” at temperatures reaching -196 C°. This is a quite gentle technique for freezing embryos and sperm, and the cell survival rate after thawing is very high (90%). More about social freezing.
EmbryoGlue (EmbryoGlue medium for embryo transfer) is a special medium that increases the chances of successful conception. “Tissue adhesive” (hyaluronic acid) fixes embryos in place and helps them achieve better implantation. It also contains all the nutrients the embryo needs for optimal development after the transfer.
Intracytoplasmic morphologically selected sperm injection (IMSI) is an assisted reproductive technique for collecting sperm using a special microscope. This microscope can provide much greater magnifying power than those normally used in reproductive laboratories (approx. 6000 times vs. 400 times). This increased magnification makes it easier to recognize and eliminate sperm displaying abnormalities with a negative impact on treatment.
ZyMōt method is a gentle and highly effective sperm selection system. It is used to prepare and select sperm with higher normal morphology, higher viability, motility, and DNA quality. At the same time, it avoids mechanical and chemical procedures that are known to potentially damage the sperm. This increases the chances of fertilization success, and subsequently the chances of successful pregnancy. More about this method.
