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ICSI, or Intra-Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection, is one of the greatest advances in ART history in the past 20 years. Patients must keep in mind that only mature eggs can be inseminated. Insemination, whether it is natural or through ICIS, occurs in the afternoon of the retrieval day (Day 0). During the ICSI procedure, an egg is stabilized under the microscope with a special micro-holding pipette and a single sperm is picked up with a small needle and injected directly into the egg. Fertilization will be evaluated after 18 to 22 hours. ICSI is recommended for male patients who have had a prior failure in fertilization experiences or significant anti-sperm bodies. ICSI has a significantly higher fertilization rate, which is why we recommend most of the patients to do ICSI.

 

A fertilization check will be done by the embryologists on the next day (Day 1). Patients will be notified by a phone call, email, or text message regarding the fertilization status in the afternoon.

We strongly suggest culturing all embryos to blastocysts before transferring them. If the embryos become blastocysts during Days 5 – 7, the embryos would be frozen and ready for the patient’s next cycle for a frozen embryo transfer (FET). Not all embryos can grow into blastocysts. Based on the patient’s specific circumstances, an embryologist will discuss a particular plan for each patient. Our embryologists will make recommendations based on their many years of experience to ensure that all the patient’s decisions are well-informed and based on their best interests.

Pre-implantation genetic testing is the screening of individual embryos for genetic disorders or gender determination during the IVF process. It is a procedure of removing a couple of cells from the blastocyst to evaluate the embryo’s genetic composition and determine which embryos will be optimal for embryo transfer. Our lab offers PGT-A, PGT-M, and PGT-SR. It is an optional service and we will provide all the information to discuss with you on whether it would be beneficial for your IVF cycles. This procedure is safe for embryos since the embryologists will only be carefully removing 3 to 4 cells from the blastocyst stage embryo.

In addition, PGT-A testing can potentially decrease abnormal pregnancy, and abortion rates, as well as increase pregnancy rate per transfer. It also decreases time-to-pregnancy and increases treatment cost-effectiveness.

Labryo uses the most advanced methods of cryopreservation. The method allows embryos to be used at a later date. Most recent studies have shown that the frozen embryo transfer has a higher pregnancy rate than a fresh embryo transfer. Labryo offers both egg and embryo vitrification method. The vitrification process has a higher survival rate. In our center, the egg/embryo recover rate is around 98%.