What is the process of egg retrieval in IVF?
19.4.2025 · 1 min reading
No incision, no stitches. Whether you plan to have your eggs frozen, donate them or undergo IVF treatment, it's good to know about the egg retrieval process. And while the phrase "surgical procedure" may give you the willies, it is a quick and painless process.
How is egg retrieval during IVF performed?
This is how it works: once your doctor has detected by ultrasound that the eggs are ripening after the so-called hormonal stimulation (he can tell by the size of the follicles, which resemble grapes on ultrasound), he gently inserts a needle connected to a catheter through the vagina to the ovary and pricks the follicles with it. He will then start suctioning the follicular fluid directly into heated tubes with your identifying information. Everything is done under general anaesthesia (anaesthesia) lasting 10-15 minutes.
The embryologist then proceeds to locate the eggs in the follicular fluid – the egg measures only 0.1 mm and is invisible to the human eye without a microscope. The eggs found are then either transferred into a culture solution to prepare them for in vitro fertilisation or frozen after cleaning by the embryologist.
