Understanding the embryology lab

Choosing an IVF clinic can be tough. However, asking the right questions is important to get to know the clinic’s philosophy of care. Also, by asking questions you will get:

A learning experience, to be better informed for future decisions

An opportunity to get a sense for how easy it is to communicate with the clinic

An understanding for how thoughtful and thorough their responses are

Ultimately, you want to pick a clinic that you are comfortable with, as a trusting relationship with your entire care team will be important along the journey.

Below are some of the factors to consider when choosing a fertility clinic, and their lab.

What matters?

The main factors affecting IVF success rates are:

Embryo quality

Directly dependent on the quality of the egg and sperm selected for fertilization. A healthy egg and sperm will most likely develop into a healthy embryo.

Implantation

How receptive is the uterus lining (endometrium) to receive an embryo. There are tests that are performed to determine how the endometrium is developing prior to the transfer of an embryo.

Lab quality

The level of technology, science, and of the embryologists all influence the quality of the lab. A good IVF lab will give you a higher chance of success.

The embryology lab has a direct impact on the quality of the embryos they create. The lab is responsible for many key steps along the journey, including analysis/preparation of the sperm sample, fertilization of the egg, cultivation of embryos, conducting embryo biopsies for genetic testing, freezing of embryos (or eggs) and thawing them for future use.

How can you evaluate lab quality?

Your embryology lab should be able to:

Analyze and store sperm and egg specimens

Grow embryos to the 5-day blastocyst stage

Perform a biopsy on the day-5 blastocyst for PGT-A testing

The quality of the embryology lab is typically evaluated based on the following Key Performing Indicators (KPIs):

KPI	Description	Acceptable success rate
Fertilization rate	Can inseminate eggs with sperm	70%
Growing embryos	Can develop healthy embryos to a blastocyst stage	40-50%
Embryo biopsy	Can remove cells from blastocyst for genetic testing	90%
Freeze and thaw	Can freeze and store sperm, eggs and embryos for later use	80-90%
Implantation rate	Can transfer embryos that implant successfully	35%

Source: Fertility IQ

At Anova, we are continuously investing in science, technology, and people within our embryology laboratory. This means that we are able to have some of the highest success rates across the country.

Anova’s embryology lab procedures

At Anova, we offer a wide variety of laboratory techniques to help patients achieve success with assisted reproduction. Here are the top procedures that are performed at our lab:

Egg retrieval

A procedure where all eggs are drawn out of the follicles using gentle suction with guided ultrasound imaging and a special needle. The collected ovarian follicle fluid is sent to the lab to isolate the eggs

Sperm wash

A form of sperm preparation required prior to intrauterine insemination or IVF. During the sperm washing process, sperm is separated from the seminal fluid and concentrated.

Egg Freezing

Or Egg vitrification is a “flash freezing” method in which cells are immersed directly into liquid nitrogen and frozen for later use.

In-vitro fertilization (IVF)

The sperm and eggs are cultured together in a dish, and the sperm must penetrate the egg on their own

Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)

The process where an embryologist introduces a single specific sperm into the egg to begin the fertilization process

Embryo biopsy for pre-implantation genetic testing (PGT)

By removing a single cell from the embryo, we are able to look for abnormalities in chromosome number (PTG-A) or specific single gene mutation (PGT-M). The removal of a single cell does not impact the future development of the embryo

Assisted Hatching (AHA)

A procedure where we can help the embryo “hatch” from its “shell” by using a laser to dissolve part of the zona pellucida. It is believed that assisted hatching can help an embryo implant in the uterus, leading to higher pregnancy rates in some patients.

Embryo cryopreservation

Embryo cryopreservation is the process of freezing and storing the extra embryos for later use.

Embryo Glue

Embryo Glue is an implantation-promoting transfer medium that contains a substance known as hyaluronic acid, which can increase the chance of implantation of the embryo and, therefore, pregnancy success rate up to 19% (study)

Testicular sperm extraction (TESE) and microscopic epididymal sperm extraction (MESA)

Procedures used to retrieve sperm directly from testes. It is mostly used in male factor infertility cases where the man presents no sperm in their ejaculate but still produces sperm in their testes.

Quality control inside the embryology lab

The lab at Anova is state-of-the-art, ensuring the best possible success rates for patients. One of the most important aspects of a well-run embryology laboratory is quality control.

As part of our commitment to meet the highest quality standards, our lab has multiple quality control protocols in place at every step of the process.

Our embryology lab staff are credited members of the following organizations:

As part of our commitment to meet the highest quality standards, Anova’s lab has multiple quality control protocols in place at every step of the process.

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