Infertility refers to a reproductive health condition in which a couple is unable to produce a child naturally or conventionally. When couples know they have infertility causing a barrier in their parenthood journey, they see a respective doctor at a fertility or IVF clinic in Delhi or their locality. And at the clinic, the doctor suggests a few fertility treatment options after interacting with couples and going through the results of the recommended tests/screenings.
IVF, ICSI, or IUI are among those suggested fertility treatment options. And in vitro fertilization, IVF is the most effective and popular fertility treatment. Whether you opt for IVF or ICSI, experts combine patients’ or donors’ eggs and sperm in the lab for the implantation in the uterus. The experts who take care of egg fertilization or embryos are embryologists.
Process of ICSI or IVF treatment
In both IVF (in vitro fertilization) and ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection), the initial process is similar. Here is more on the process:
- Administration of hormonal injections for ovary stimulation
- Monitoring of ovary response to hormonal injections through an ultrasound
- Egg retrieval with the use of anesthesia and a needle with a catheter
- Use of fresh or frozen eggs
- In IVF, there is a fusion of eggs and sperm in a glass dish in the laboratory and fertilization takes place
- In ICSI, there is a selection of a single healthy sperm cell and its direct injection into a female’s egg
- After oocyte activation or egg fertilization, there is embryo selection and transfer of embryos after 3-5 days of egg retrieval
- Pregnancy test after 15 days of embryo transfer
- Evaluation of the treatment in the case of a negative pregnancy test report
Role of an embryologist in the entire process
As a couple, you have a query – what is the role of an embryologist in your infertility treatment – when you come across the term. An ideal answer to this query could be that an embryologist is the first person who helps you in the entire process of your fertility treatment. The expert is a baby-sitter for you. The most crucial responsibilities of an embryologist are as follows:
Lab maintenance
An embryologist keeps laboratory conditions maintained and conducive for better embryo development. In it, the expert takes proper care of everything such as air quality, temperature, and humidity.
The extraction of eggs
During the egg retrieval process, there is fluid removal from the ovaries. This fluid carries eggs. With the use of a microscope, the embryologist conducts an examination, and identification, of this fluid and collects eggs from it.
Fertilisation checkup
After the day on which egg combination with sperm happens, the embryologist examines the eggs or oocyte activation with the help of a microscope.
Monitoring and incubation
The embryologist regulates pH and temperature after the placement of fertilised eggs in an incubator. Due to the optimization of the associated conditions, fertilized eggs become embryos. The expert regularly examines the embryos and replaces the cultural media.
Genetic testing (PGT-M, PGT-A, and PGT-SR)
The embryologist is also responsible for embryo biopsy to check chromosomal abnormalities in embryos. It happens on day 3 or 5 after the development of fertilised eggs into embryos. The embryologist removes a single cell on day 3 and a few more on day 5 to minimize the damage risk. With an abnormal number of chromosomes, most embryos have no implantation success. Genetic testing enhances the chance.
Assisted hatching
In a few cases, doctors recommend assisted hatching. The embryologist carries out the process to facilitate implantation.
Embryo transfer
Embryologists choose healthier embryos and load the same into the catheter for the transfer into a female’s uterus. After loading the healthier embryos, the embryologist hands them over to fertility experts to implant them carefully into the uterus.
Cryopreservation
Most doctors use a single healthy embryo for the transfer during IVF treatment. The embryologists identify and free the left embryos for future usage.
Conclusion
Knowing about the role of an embryologist in infertility treatment is helpful to you. With it, you become familiar with the processed use in IVF or ICSI treatment. And this can help you facilitate the team of experts treating your fertility problems.
