For an appointment or more information, call us at: (866) 759-5832

Or, simply fill in the form below and a representative will contact you shortly.

* Denotes a Required Field

About Our IVF Laboratories, Procedures, and Success Rates

In Vitro Events
During the egg retrieval process, aspirates of the follicular fluid are passed to the laboratory where an embryologist identifies eggs under a dissecting microscope. Eggs are recovered from about 75% of follicles and typically, follicles larger than 14 mm at the time of hCG yield mature eggs. Mature eggs surrounded by cumulus-corona cells are washed in the culture medium, incubated for several hours, and then 'in vitro' fertilized with specially prepared sperm in the fertilization medium. Alternatively, if there is a male-factor infertility, intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is performed. For this purpose, cumulus-corona cells surrounding the eggs are removed and mature eggs are injected, each with one sperm.About 16-18 hours after insemination or ICSI, eggs are checked for fertilization. Normally fertilized eggs have two pronuclei - one male and one female. Normal fertilization rate is about 60% with insemination and about 70% with ICSI. Some eggs do not fertilize and some fertilize abnormally with more than one sperm. Fertilized eggs cleave into pre-embryos. On Day 2 after retrieval, they reach 2 to 4-cell stage; on Day 3, 4 to 8-cell stage; on Day 4, they become more than 16-cell morulas; and on Day 5, they reach a more than 32-cell blastocyst stage. The blastocyst hatches out of zona pellucida on Day 6-7. Healthy pre-embryos are transferred into the female reproductive system between Day 2 and 5. During the time interval between egg retrieval and embryo transfer, pre-embryos are cultured 'in vitro', carefully monitored, and their development is graded. Abnormal pre-embryos are slow in development and may arrest at any stage. They may show a large number of cytoplasmic fragments or its blastomeres (cells) are abnormal in number or appearance. These pre-embryos are not transferred.

'In Vitro' vs. 'In Vivo'
The 'in vitro' conditions of the laboratory ideally should be the same as those occurring 'in vivo'. If they differ, the quality of pre-embryos may be lower, resulting in low implantation and pregnancy rates. During the past two decades, embryologists have learned that pre-embryos, as they traverse through different parts of the female reproductive system, encounter different conditions. To mimic these conditions, sequential embryo culture media were developed which have significantly improved the success rates and which are currently being used by most laboratories. Recently it has also become clear that a variety of contaminants and volatile substances in the laboratory air may adversely affect weaker embryos. To eliminate such a possibility, some IVF programs have been transferring embryos earlier or in a larger number while other IVF programs have invested in sophisticated air filtration systems.Relatively little is known, but circumstantial evidence suggests that there is a constant communication and signaling 'in vivo' between embryos and cells of the reproductive system and that nutrients and waste products are continuously being exchanged. To simulate the 'in vivo' environment, some laboratories offer co-culture of somatic cells with embryos and report improved embryo quality and higher success rates. It is quite likely that further improvement in our knowledge will be followed by higher implantation rates which will limit the numbers of embryos transferred to fewer than two.

Factors Affecting Success Rates
Success rates of ART procedures for all SART-accredited programs are published annually by the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology/Center for Disease Control (SART/CDC) and are available on the Internet. These success rates can be influenced by a variety of factors and cannot be meaningfully compared between the reporting centers. Some centers improve their pregnancy rates by including in the IVF treatment, couples with relatively minor problems in whom a less involved approach would also be effective; others select only good candidates for the IVF procedure, excluding those with lower chances; and yet others transfer a larger-than-recommended number of embryos. Furthermore, SART/CDC reports are delayed by more than a year and may not reflect current success rates of the center because of changes in key personnel or laboratory technology. Also, a discrepancy may exist between the method of SART/CDC reporting and that of individual centers' literature. Couples should pay close attention to whether success rates are expressed as live births or as clinical pregnancies and whether the denominator is the initiated cycle, oocyte retrieval, or embryo transfer.

Our Embryology Laboratory
Our laboratories were designed and equipped with state-of-the-art technology in 1990. They were subsequently upgraded as technology evolved. Over the years, we have reached several milestones as the first IVF program in the Chicago area:

• We introduced ICSI in 1994 We introduced sequential media in 1995 We introduced ultrasound-guided embryo transfer in 1995 We introduced embryo co-culture with autologous endometrial cells in 1996
• We introduced blastocyst Day 5 transfer in 1997

During December 2001 - January 2002, our entire IVF suite was remodeled and upgraded to the highest standards. The construction materials were specially screened for the lowest rate of emission of volatile substances which may be harmful to the embryos. The entire IVF suite was hermetically sealed and pressurized. Most importantly, however, we have acquired a state-of-the-art air filtration system about the size of an 18-wheeler which was placed on the roof of the building. This system provides positive pressure in the laboratory, 15 complete air exchanges per minute, and removal of 99.9% of particulate matter, potentially toxic substances such as bacteria and fungi, and volatile substances. Before reaching the laboratory, the air passes through layers of active carbon and potassium permanganate filters and HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filters. Only a handful of IVF laboratories in the USA have such an advanced air filtration system.

Our Success Rates
At OBFC, we offer a full range of infertility treatments including those less invasive and less expensive than IVF. As a referral center, we do not preselect our IVF candidates and frequently perform IVF procedures in couples who may not have the optimal chances and/or who were rejected by other centers. Over the years, our success rates have progressively improved, not unlike those from other leading centers. In Table 3 below, we demonstrate our combined results for the years 1996-2004 (as were reported to SART/CDC) and in Tables 1 & 2 below, our results for 2005 and 2004, respectively. During these two years, our clinical pregnancy rates reached more than 60% per transfer in patients younger than 35 years old. Moreover, our center has established a successful embryo cryopreservation program. Our clinical pregnancy rate with frozen embryo transfers (all ages) reached 55% per transfer in 2004. A successful frozen embryo transfer program increases chances for pregnancy with each egg retrieval. However, we would like to stress that a comparison of clinic success rates may not be meaningful because patient medical characteristics and treatment approaches vary from clinic-to-clinic.

IVF Lab & Success Rate | Endometriosis Study | About OBFC | About Fertility
Infertility Treatment | About Endometriosis | About Fibroids | Infertility Services
FAQ | Staff/Facilities | Location/Directions | Press/Articles | Contact Us | Links | Home

© Copyright 2007 | Oak Brook Fertility Center
Website hosted by Einstein Medical