Evaluating an IVF Lab
The embryology lab is where the egg will be fertilized with sperm, and your embryos will be nurtured until they are ready to be transferred into your uterus for implantation and pregnancy. It is important to consider the person(s) who will be overseeing the lab and working with your embryos when choosing an IVF Program.
WHAT ABOUT THE IVF LAB?
The Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART) website has a very simple way to check up on an IVF program's accreditation. On the SART National Summary Page, you can click on the state and all accredited programs in that state will pop up. You can then find the name of the clinic in question and read its statistics.
Federal legislation passed in 1988, requires accreditation of all laboratories performing testing, analysis and reporting. This is a professional standard.
Our IVF lab is CAP certified, which comes from the Commission on Laboratory Accreditation of the College of American Pathologists. CAP is widely considered the leader in quality assurance and this accreditation is recognized by the federal government as equal to or more stringent than the government's own inspection program.
Micromanipulation Services
Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI), the latest in micromanipulation techniques and the most promising for couples with severe male factor, involves injecting a single sperm into the egg.
Assisted Hatching (AH) involves making a tiny whole or slit in the outer covering of an embryo. This allows for easier hatching out of its shell (zona) before implanting in the uterus. This procedure is sometimes done for couples with unsuccessful past IVF attempts, or in older women who appear to have thickened zonas around their embryos.
WHAT ABOUT THE IVF LAB?
The Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART) website has a very simple way to check up on an IVF program's accreditation. On the SART National Summary Page, you can click on the state and all accredited programs in that state will pop up. You can then find the name of the clinic in question and read its statistics.
Federal legislation passed in 1988, requires accreditation of all laboratories performing testing, analysis and reporting. This is a professional standard.
Our IVF lab is CAP certified, which comes from the Commission on Laboratory Accreditation of the College of American Pathologists. CAP is widely considered the leader in quality assurance and this accreditation is recognized by the federal government as equal to or more stringent than the government's own inspection program.
Micromanipulation Services
Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI), the latest in micromanipulation techniques and the most promising for couples with severe male factor, involves injecting a single sperm into the egg.
Assisted Hatching (AH) involves making a tiny whole or slit in the outer covering of an embryo. This allows for easier hatching out of its shell (zona) before implanting in the uterus. This procedure is sometimes done for couples with unsuccessful past IVF attempts, or in older women who appear to have thickened zonas around their embryos.
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Who Is On Staff in the Lab?
The Embryology Lab Director and ART Lab Staff. The head embryologist and lab director should have a doctorate (PhD) in a chemical, physical or biological science. He or she should have a minimum of two years documented experience and have performed at least 100 of these procedures. Among the embryology staff there should be at least one person with experience in each of these fields:
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An Andrologist
Andrologists are generally laboratory specialists with college degrees in biochemistry, biology, endocrinology or physiology. They focus on hormonal issues and sperm quality rather than anatomical reasons for male factor infertility. They develop and direct the procedures for handling sperm in our clinic. Andrologists work closely with the embryologist to prepare sperm up to the point of fertilization. |
Cryopreservation (Embryo and Sperm)
It is critical that a clinic have accredited facilities for freezing and storing embryos and sperm. Embryos can be frozen for later use in a Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET) procedure. For couples selecting donor insemination and those freezing sperm for later use, sperm cryopreservation on site is desirable. While exact timing of a cycle can enable use of sperm stored at another site, it is far more expedient to have storage and thawing protocols handled at the site where the procedure will take place. |