IVF is a complex process consisting of several steps. First, Fertility drugs are given over a period of ten days to stimulate the ripening of multiple eggs. Several blood tests and ultrasound examinations are done for precise monitoring of egg development. At the appropriate time, the eggs are retrieved through the vagina. Egg retrieval is a non-surgical procedure performed under light sedation from which you return home after a couple of hours. Since the egg retrieval is performed in our outpatient surgery center, we can offer you the full range of anesthesia options with a maximum of safety. Once the eggs have been obtained, the sperm is then added to the eggs in the laboratory where the eggs develop for 3 to 5 days. In cases requiring ICSI individual sperm are injected directly into the egg. When embryos are transferred on day 3 after retrieval, the embryos undergo Assisted Hatching. The embryos (fertilized dividing eggs) are placed in the womb by a simple non-surgical procedure similar to a pelvic examination. If a large number of eggs fertilize and develop normally, transfer is often delayed until day 5 to allow better selection of embryos at the Blastocyst stage. When more embryos develop than are transferred, the additional embryos can be frozen and stored for replacement at a later date (cryopreservation). Two weeks after retrieval, a pregnancy test is done. At the end of the first trimester, pregnant patients are referred back to their obstetricians for prenatal care and delivery. If pregnancy does not ensue, treatment can be repeated with an equal chance of conception in subsequent cycles.