Assisted Reproduction Technology

 
The art of assisted reproduction technology has branched out from in vitro fertilization into a wide range of therapies aimed at helping couples get pregnant. Through the use of drugs, laboratory techniques, donor eggs and sperm, the reproductive capability of infertile men and women can be enhanced to promote ovulation and conception.

The following is a table that outlines the various procedures associated with ART:

Technique	Procedure	Benefits and Uses
IVF	In vitro fertilization involves fertilization outside the body, in a glass dish. The fertilized embryo is then placed into the uterus	- Damaged fallopian tubes - Endowmetriosis - Older women with deterioration eggs
GIFT	Gamete intrafallopian transfer occurs when sperm and egg are mixed outside the body, then transferred back to the fallopian tubes for fertilization to take place.	- Women with healthy fallopian tubes - Cheaper than IVF - Higher pregnancy rate than IVF
ZIFT	Zygote intrafallopian transfer is similar to GIFT except that the embryo transferred to the fallopian tube is very young.	See GIFT
SUZI	Subzonal insemination is a type of IVF where sperm are selected and injected into the outer layer of the egg (the zona pellucida).	- Helps men with low sperm counts
MESA	Microepididymal sperm aspiration involves surgical extraction of sperm from the epidymis.	- Good for men with a blocked vas deferens
TESE	Testicular sperm extraction is similar to MESA except the sperm is collected from the testis.	See MESA
MIST	Microinsemination sperm transfer.	See SUZI
ICSI	Intracytoplasmic sperm injection. A single sperm is selected, treated and injected directly into the egg. When fertilization has taken place, the embryo is transferred to the uterus.	- Precise selection of a single sperm cell

ART Risks

While ART can bring newfound optimism and joy to a couple struggling with the concept of infertility, there are still some risks that need to be addressed. While conception may be successful, the resulting pregnancy itself is at a higher risk for the following disorders than most normal pregnancies. Mothers using ART show a higher risk of:

25% - Miscarriage

20% - Premature Births

15% - General Complications

15% - Mulitple Pregnancies

15% - Cesarean Sections

4% - Ectopic Pregnancies

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