Treatment Options

In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF)
Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)

• In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is a technology used to hyperstimulate the ovaries to produce a number of eggs. The eggs are surgically removed from the ovaries and cultured in the laboratory. Semen is prepared and washed sperm added to the eggs. Approximately 18 hours later, fertilisation occurs. Not all eggs fertilise and rarely, none fertilise. Fertilisation outside the body provides valuable information on fertility. The embryos are cultured for 3 to 5 days in the laboratory

• If sperm numbers are low or the motility is poor, intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) may be recommended. Rather than just adding the sperm to the eggs, a single sperm is injected into the egg using a very fine pipette. Fertilisation is still not guaranteed but it offers a significant assistance when semen parameters are poor.

IUI

• Intrauterine insemination (IUI) is a technology used to insert washed semen into the uterus. It aids in ensuring the sperm are deposited into the uterus at the most appropriate time.

• Repromed has a Day Surgery Unit at Repromed in Adelaide and utilises external facilities in Darwin and Mildura.