What is IVF (In Vitro Fertilization)?

Fertility Specialist Hal Danzer, MD, explains the process of In Vitro Fertilization and the benefits that it has had on fertility treatment for couples and increasing the likelihood of conception
What Is In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) - Expert Fertility TIps
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What is IVF (In Vitro Fertilization)?

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IVF is an abbreviation for In Vitro Fertilization, which means taking a human egg and fertilizing it in a dish. The process today involves taking injections of a fertility agent, to bring along many eggs from the ovary. You don't just want one, you want to get ten or twelve or fifteen, because in the process of fertilizing -- Let's say you have twelve eggs at the time you are taking them from the ovary. Maybe only eight of them will fertilize. Once they fertilize, you want them grow anywhere from three to five days. You may start off with a dozen eggs or embryos. You may only have two of those at the end that are the pick of the litter. Those are the two that you transfer into the uterus. If you have remaining embryos, you can freeze those for a later time. In Vitro Fertilization is really a way of taking a years fertility and putting it into one cycle. That has tremendously revolutionized fertility treatment for couples.

Fertility Specialist Hal Danzer, MD, explains the process of In Vitro Fertilization and the benefits that it has had on fertility treatment for couples and increasing the likelihood of conception

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Hal Danzer, MD

Fertility Specialist

Co-founder and partner of the Southern California Reproductive Center, Dr. Hal C. Danzer, MD is an expert in reproductive medicine, including reproductive endocrinology, women’s health and fertility issues.  As one of the most respected specialists in the Los Angeles area, over the years Dr. Danzer has helped countless patients fulfill their dreams of becoming parents. 

Dr. Danzer, a reproductive endocrinologist, is board-certified in obstetrics and gynecology, and serves on the faculty of the UCLA Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Fellowship Program.  He is also Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.

Among his hospital appointments, Dr. Danzer served as Reproductive Endocrinologist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, as well as Attending Physician in the Cedars-Sinai Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 

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Transcription: 
IVF is an abbreviation for In Vitro Fertilization, which means taking a human egg and fertilizing it in a dish. The process today involves taking injections of a fertility agent, to bring along many eggs from the ovary. You don't just want one, you want to get ten or twelve or fifteen, because in the process of fertilizing -- Let's say you have twelve eggs at the time you are taking them from the ovary. Maybe only eight of them will fertilize. Once they fertilize, you want them grow anywhere from three to five days. You may start off with a dozen eggs or embryos. You may only have two of those at the end that are the pick of the litter. Those are the two that you transfer into the uterus. If you have remaining embryos, you can freeze those for a later time. In Vitro Fertilization is really a way of taking a years fertility and putting it into one cycle. That has tremendously revolutionized fertility treatment for couples.