Embryonic development

After successful fertilization, an embryo develops from the egg cell. The development of the embryo in the following hours and days is decisive for the success of the infertility treatment.

In the IVF laboratory we are working on the constant improvement of the embryonal culture. For example, incubators and culture media, in which the embryos find themselves at this point in time, are being further developed to create the same perfect conditions which exist in the body of a woman. Nevertheless there are embryos which develop less well or with poorer quality than others.

We refer to a poor embryonal development when the embryos separate too slowly or even remain motionless in the days after fertilization. In addition, the quality of the embryos in the laboratory can be judged by a scoring technique and predicted by using various nidation probability parameters.

High level of limited sperm quality (eg cryptozoospermia or via testicular biopsy collected sperm cells)
Reduced oocyte quality (eg higher maternal age, hormone imbalances, poor reaction to stimulation, overweight)
Genetic embryo disturbance
Infection

Complete hormone status with a thyroid stress test (TRH-test)
Spermiogram examination with ejaculation bacteriology and extended diagnostics (eg hyaluronan binding, genetic examination of the sperm cells)
Chromosome examination of the couple (cytogenetic)

Treatment of possible infections
Sperm extraction directly from the testicles (testicular biopsy – TESE)
Thyroid treatment
Pre-implantation diagnostic of the embryo
Egg cell donation
Specific fertilization techniques
In-vitro maturation (IVM) – maturation of the follicle in a test tube
Embryonic culture in the time-lapse incubator