What is IVF?

IVF stands for In vitro fertilization and is the most common type of assisted reproductive technology (ART) used to create an embryo by bypassing certain causes of infertility, such as mild sperm abnormalities in men, and fallopian tube or ovulation irregularity in women.  During IVF, a woman’s eggs are surgically retrieved and then fertilized in a laboratory by mixing with a partner (or donor) sperm.  The fertilized egg, or embryo, is left to grow for 3-5 days and is then surgically transferred back into the woman’s uterus.