What to expect during INVOcell
You and your fertility doctor will decide if INVOcell is right for you. INVOcell procedure steps include:
You receive medication at the beginning of your menstrual cycle to help your body produce eggs. Because INVOcell requires fewer eggs, you take less hormone medication compared to traditional IVF.
We use ultrasound and lab tests to determine when your eggs are ready for retrieval. Before the procedure, we give you medication so that you’ll sleep lightly and won’t feel any pain.
Your doctor guides a tiny needle through your vagina and into your ovaries. They use the needle to draw out one egg at a time. We need fewer than 10 eggs to proceed with INVOcell.
Your doctor puts the egg, sperm, and culture fluid into the INVOcell device. The sperm can come from your partner or a donor. It can also be fresh or frozen.
In some circumstances, your provider may recommend intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) before placing the egg in the INVOcell device. ICSI may increase the chance of fertilization.
Once we’ve filled the small INVOcell capsule with your eggs and your partner’s or donor’s sperm, your doctor gently places the capsule in your vagina. You can go about your normal activities over the next several days. Most people experience little to no discomfort with the INVOcell device in their vagina.
After three to five days, we remove the INVOcell capsule and look at the developed embryos under a microscope. We choose a high-quality embryo and place it in your uterus, where it continues to grow. Talk to your doctor if you’d like to transfer more than one embryo.
The INVOcell incubation process may produce several healthy embryos. You may freeze the embryos and use them for a future transfer.