IVF- In vitro Fertilization & ICSI- Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection

Life Smile facilitates the affordable low cost fertility procedures including IVF - In vitro Fertilization procedure and ICSI - Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection for infertility treatments at the top ART – Assisted reproductive technology centers, the IVF and ICSI clinical facilities in India. The fertility assistance procedures overseas for uninsured, self insured and underinsured individuals help in a cost savings of up to 70% to 80%. The IVF procedure abroad in India would cost US$ 2400 and the ICSI procedure overseas would cost US$ 1200.

IVF means fertilization outside the body in a test tube. Since the birth of the first test-tube baby in 1978 IVF has, resulted in over a million healthy babies worldwide. Pregnancy rates and birth rates have improved over the past few years with better infertility treatment technologies, leading to a steady increase in the number of IVF treatment cycles performed worldwide.

With ICSI, intracytoplasmic sperm injection, the embryologist injects a single healthy sperm into a single egg. This technique helps couples who are infertile because of male infertility factors, such as the inability of the man's sperm to fertilize an egg. In most ART procedures, the embryologist mixes the egg with millions of sperm. This approach is successful in 3 out of 4 cases. ICSI improves the odds in difficult cases, since the sperm does not have to travel to the egg or penetrate it. In addition, the embryologist needs only one healthy sperm to fertilize the egg.

Ideal candidate for fertility procedures are:

• Women with blocked fallopian tubes, damaged Fallopian tubes or inoperable tubes or whose tubes have been removed after ectopic pregnancies.
• Women with endometriosis.
• Women with cervical mucus problems.
• Men with infertility problems.
• Men or women with immunological infertility problems.
• Couples with unexplained infertility.

In Vitro Fertilization Technique:

In vitro fertilization procedure is very complicated and should be performed by skilled, trained and highly experienced fertility – IVF specialist doctors and technicians and using a sophisticated laboratory equipment. The entire procedure lasts approximately a month. IVF procedure usually begins on the second / third day of the woman's menstrual cycle and takes 21 to 24 days for completion. After the procedure is completed there is a 39% - 51% chance of a successful pregnancy, success rates may vary depending on a few factors like age etc. The whole procedure comprises of the following steps:

Ovulation stimulation in female through fertility medicines: It has been established that the procedure is more successful when several embryos are implanted simultaneous.

Egg harvesting: harvesting the ova before the ovulation because otherwise they will vanish in the reproductive tract, ultrasound scanning is performed to monitor the follicles. The female is administrated an hCG injection with 36 hours before ovulation. A premature ovulation can be triggered with a luteinizing hormone. Once the ovulation has been triggered what follows is egg harvesting using a technique named ultrasound-guided aspiration, through vagina, abdominal wall or with the help of a laparoscopy procedure.

Insemination: After the eggs harvesting the IVF specialist doctor establishes their maturity level to know when is the perfect time for adding the sperm, which is for insemination. For the in vitro fertilization the sperm is provided by the partner or a sperm donor on the day of egg harvesting or before, which is kept frozen until the moment that is needed.

Fertilization: At this point a certain number of sperms that have been separated from the motile sperm ("sperm washing") are placed with each egg in its own laboratory dish and left for 18 hours in an incubator. Once the fertilization takes place the fertilized cell divides in two within 12 hours and after division in another 48 hours, the pre-embryos are then prepared for being transferred into the uterus.

Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD): An extra step in the in vitro fertilization procedure is PGD and is used by couples who want to make sure they can carry a successful pregnancy to term. This procedure consists in screening each embryo for chromosomal abnormalities or inherited genetic diseases, before the implantation takes place in the in vitro process. PGD is available only for patients whose progeny are at high risk for a genetic disease. The PGD procedure is very effective, the embryos with prior PGD-scan and transferred to the uterus during the in vitro process have a very good chance of a successful pregnancy.

Embryo transfer: takes 10 to 20 minutes and may require day care at the hospital, it has been demonstrated that the more embryos are transferred in the uterus, the bigger the chance of multiple pregnancies. The embryo (embryos) is transferred in the uterus using a transfer catheter. After the IVF process is completed the women is given progesterone injections daily for a better chance of successful pregnancy. The embryos that aren't selected for transfer can be frozen for further use.

More information on Infertility treatment IVF ICSI procedures

A few Fertility procedures facilitated by Life Smile health care in India are:

LIFE SMILE : IVF - FERTILITY ASSISTED REPRODUCTION PROCEDURES

• IVF + ICSI
• IVF cycle
• Oocyte / Egg Donation
• ICSI
• PESA / TESA
• Gamete / Zygote Intra fallopian transfer
• IVF- Surrogacy
• Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis
• Cryopreservation Gametes and Embryos
• A.H.: Assisted Hatching
• Sperm Donation
• Embryo- Egg Donation

More information on IVF ICSI Fertility procedures costs and cost saving comparisons

The discounted health care for IVF, ICSI infertility treatment costs abroad in India and the low prices does not mean low on the quality of healthcare. In fact the healthcare technologies in India are at par with that provided by the healthcare facilities in any advanced country, using exactly the same advanced technology, machines and equipments as used in USA or Europe thereby delivering similar or even better success rates. Adherence to the highest quality standards of healthcare by competent board certified IVF doctors with priority treatment (medical treatment without wait list) and personalized attention by top fertility expert doctors positions India as the best alternative healthcare destination for nations with high medical care costs.

Many of the IVF, ICSI assisted reproduction doctors in India have graduated from top medical school universities of North America-USA, Canada, UK, Europe, and Australia and have vast overseas healthcare surgery experience and training for performing infertility treatment procedures- IVF, ICSI from hospitals and clinical research facilities abroad in the inexpensive fertility procedures they perform. Health care services in India are always provided by well-trained doctors, with superior health care know-how and experience.

The low-cost IVF cycle, ICSI infertility treatment procedures are facilitated by Life Smile offshore in India with inexpensive health travel tour to India, the costs of assisted reproduction technology (ART) procedures are very low overseas in India and since the fertility procedures are not covered by health insurance, the people self-pay and are highly benefited by medical tour discounts for IVF cycle, ICSI infertility procedures abroad.

The cheaper cost of medical health care travel for medical vacation tour abroad to India, safe and highly affordable infertility treatment – IVF and ICSI overseas to India facilitated by Life Smile India means a big cost savings on assisted human reproduction treatment especially since it is elective procedure and medically uninsured. India’s low-cost, world-class, affordable, top rated, healthcare facilities- accredited, certified hospitals and clinics attract and receive global patients from over 40 countries for the personalized medical care in cost effective manner. This unique blend of top class medical healthcare expertise for infertility procedures and other medical health care procedures at attractive and affordable prices is the most important factor in a constant annual growth rate of 30% in Medical tourism to India. There are many reasons contributing towards this huge medical healthcare cost differential and IVF cycle, ICSI infertility treatments at reduced rates, the most important of these factors are:

• India being a developing economy so has the very favorable currency exchange rates in comparison to GBP, USD, EURO, YEN, AUD, FRANC etc.
• India, ranking very high in the list of developing countries has a vast pool of the best qualified and experienced medical / technical / Para-medical professionals, healthcare technologies and world class institutions but the costs towards healthcare services and medical healthcare products have stayed at a extremely low-levels.
• Doctors are required to pay towards Medical Malpractice Insurance, elsewhere this Insurance usually costs USD 90,000 - 140,000 annually whereas in comparison, doctors in India have to pay insurance cost as low as USD 2500 - 3000 annually.
• India is the world's largest exporter of the quality Bulk Drugs so the cost of the high quality medicine is cheaper.

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