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Egg Retrieval

Guiding you through egg retrieval

Egg retrieval is one of the most important steps of IVF. You can rest assured that the team at our San Antonio IVF center has performed this procedure many times. Here is some information about what to expect from this procedure.

The process of egg retrieval

At our San Antonio IVF center, our fertility suites are just down the hall from our clinic and andrology suite. You and your partner will arrive approximately one hour before the egg retrieval, to allow for the nursing staff and anesthesiologist to prepare you for the procedure.

The egg retrieval takes approximately 15 minutes. Our team will use IV sedation so that you do not feel or remember the procedure. Dr. Erika Munch will use ultrasound guidance to pass a needle through the vaginal wall and into each ovary. She will remove the follicular fluid and eggs from the ovarian follicles. This fluid is then passed to the embryologists, who identify the eggs and can provide a final egg count before you leave the facility.

While we retrieve your eggs, our andrologists will prepare sperm from your partner or chosen donor. After the eggs have had the opportunity to go through the final maturation stages, our team introduces the eggs and sperm for fertilization. This can occur either through standard insemination (where eggs and sperm are incubated together) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection/ICSI (where one sperm is placed directly into each egg).

What happens after egg retrieval?

The day after the egg retrieval procedure, you will hear from the laboratory team and receive the fertilization report. You will also receive an update on embryo development every 24-48 hours.

After the egg retrieval, you will no longer take injectable medications. As a result, you should get your period about 7-14 days later.

If you have any questions about egg retrieval or any other steps of in vitro fertilization, our San Antonio IVF center is here to help. You can contact us to schedule an appointment or learn more about fertility treatments.