A Complete Guide to IVC

Many couples who want children struggle with infertility. However, a new type of treatment known as IVC can help you conceive.

INVOCell, or IVC, is a new procedure that can help couples struggling with infertility get pregnant and have the family of their dreams. Specifically, the treatment is known as intravaginal culture of oocytes. It is a type of assisted reproduction that involves retrieving a woman’s eggs and placing them with a man’s sperm in a device. This new procedure is considered a game-changer in the world of fertility treatment and may be something to consider if you are having trouble conceiving and want an option that’s less expensive than in-vitro fertilization, or IVF.

What Is IVC?

IVC is a tiny device that holds the eggs and sperm for both fertilization and incubation. The device is inserted directly into the woman’s vagina so that fertilization can take place. It gives the patient more of a personal involvement in the procedure. When this fertility treatment is performed, the woman’s eggs are retrieved and fertilized. Afterward, the device incubates the cells so an embryo can form. From there, the embryo is transferred into the woman’s uterus so pregnancy can occur.

How Does the Procedure Work?

When a woman comes in for an IVC treatment, it is performed in cycles. The eggs and sperm are combined in the culture device. Afterward, the device is placed into the vagina so that fertilization and incubation can occur in the woman’s body.

Once the incubation period is complete, the device is removed from the patient’s body. The doctor will then look at both the quantity and quality of the embryos that have developed and choose the best ones to transfer into the uterus. Of course, the goal of the procedure is an embryo that will successfully implant, starting a healthy pregnancy.

What Is Involved in a Typical Cycle?

In general, a typical IVC cycle takes place over three weeks’ time. There are specific steps that occur within a cycle. They include the following:

• The woman is given fertility medication to stimulate the growth of multiple eggs
• The eggs are retrieved from the ovaries
• The sperm and eggs are combined in an IVC device, which is then placed into the vagina for fertilization and incubation
• The device is removed, and the embryos are examined so one or more can be transferred into the woman’s uterus

What Can You Expect With Treatment?

If you and your doctor have determined that this is the right type of fertility treatment for you, there are different things you can expect. Your doctor will prescribe a special medication to help promote the development of multiple eggs at a time. Later, the doctor will perform a minimally invasive procedure to extract the eggs while you are under sedation. The eggs are then combined with sperm and are placed into the culture device.

The doctor then places the device into a retention device, which is placed inside the vagina. It’s important to avoid performing any overly strenuous physical activity that can change your vagina’s temperature. Avoid soaking in a bathtub or sauna and ask the doctor what you can or cannot do during the period when the IVC device is inside your body.

Once the incubation period is up, the doctor will remove the device to examine the embryos that have developed. Both quality and quantity are taken into account. You and your doctor will determine the number of embryos that will then be transferred to your uterus. If you have any left over, they can be frozen for future use.

Deciding that IVC is the right option for you is very personal. Discuss it with your partner and your doctor so you can have the peace of mind that this is the best way to get the family you’ve always wanted.