The collection of the eggs and their fertilisation in the laboratory by your partner’s sperm
Egg collection is performed thirty-seven hours after your ovitrelle injection. The eggs are recovered using ultrasound through the vagina. A fine needle is passed through the ultrasound probe directly into the ovarian follicles and the eggs are gently sucked out. This procedure is performed under sedation administered by an anaesthetist. You will not be aware of the procedure taking place although the sedation is not as strong as a general anaesthetic. Typically, the egg collection lasts fifteen to twenty minutes. It is usually possible to collect eggs from between 80-100% of the larger follicles. The eggs are inspected in the laboratory for a preliminary idea of their maturity. Quality, rather than quantity, is important at this stage.Your partner will accompany you to the clinic and his sperm must be produced on the morning of egg collection. The eggs and his prepared sperm will be mixed together in the laboratory in carefully controlled conditions. If the sperm quality is low and ICSI is necessary, the sperm will be microinjected into each mature egg at this time (see ICSI information sheet). It takes twenty-four hours to find out if the eggs have been fertilised. If so, they are allowed to develop for a further one or two days to become embryos. It is only at this stage that they can be transferred into the uterus.
