In Vitro Fertilisation

We aim to offer infertile individuals and couples access to the most advanced medical diagnosis and treatment options available.

We are committed to providing you with state-of-the-art fertility treatment in a confidential, compassionate and supportive environment.

IVF is the abbreviation of In Vitro Fertilization, which means fertilization in a test tube, hence the name "test tube baby."
IVF means taking one or more eggs from the ovary and fertilizing them outside the body, then returning the fertilized eggs (embryos) to the uterus via the cervix. IVF has passed through several stages, starting with the classical test tube baby over 25 years ago and moving up to Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) where an individual sperm is injected into an egg using microscopic techniques.
Because many different factors can influence your ability to conceive, our hospitals offer fully equipped centers with a dedicated team of specialists to provide you with every available option.
The team of doctors and embryologists are fully equipped to conduct comprehensive diagnostics to pinpoint fertility problems and their root causes. The Fertility Centers can identify infertility problems in both males and females, with an emphasis on non-invasive and minimally invasive procedures.
Once the problem has been accurately diagnosed, our experts discuss with you the range of treatments available and recommend the best course of action for you. The hospitals offer many different therapies and treatments, from simple to advanced:

Hormone Therapy

If analysis detects any hormonal abnormalities, then hormone therapy is an effective option to correct the imbalance and reach optimal levels.

Ovulation

For women whose ovaries do not properly produce and release mature eggs, drug therapy can help to stimulate the ovaries.

Intrauterine Insemination

A more advanced artificial insemination procedure. The male partner's sperm is concentrated for maximum potency, and this fluid is implanted directly into the female's uterus.

IVF (In-Vitro-Fertilization)

Here, a mature egg is obtained from the ovary and mixed with thousands of the husband's sperm in a special lab dish under appropriate environmental conditions simulating the natural state. The process of fertilization is monitored in the lab until fertilization is complete and cellular division of the egg (embryo) has begun, after which the egg is returned to the mother's uterus via the cervix.

GIFT & ZIFT

GIFT and ZIFT target the Fallopian tubes, rather then the uterus, as is the case in traditional artificial insemination. In GIFT (gamete intrafallopian transfer), eggs are extracted from the ovary, combined with sperm, and immediately placed in the Fallopian tube. With ZIFT (zygote intrafallopian transfer), the procedure is similar; however the eggs are fertilized and begin development in the laboratory, then placed in the Fallopian tube the following day.

Sperm Retrieval

TESE - testicular sperm extraction
PESA - percutaneous sperm aspiration
MESA - micro epididymal sperm aspiration

ICSI (Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection)

It is the process of injecting a single sperm into a mature egg by introducing the sperm in the nucleus of the egg using a microscopic needle (diameter 7 microns) without affecting the viability of the egg. The fertilized egg is then monitored until it starts to divide forming the embryo after which it is returned to the mother's uterus via the cervix.

Freezing Program

This is one of the most important programs in the Unit. It reduces time, effort and expense for the couple. Freezing is possible for:

A. Sperm and / or testicular tissue (from biopsy of the testes)
B. Embryos
C. Ova (eggs)

The freezing process is done under very strict conditions. The living cells are preserved in special solutions at very cold temperatures (-196°C). 80% of such cryo preserved cells remain viable for future use for a period of up to 10 years.

Genetic Lab Testing

The science of genetics began around 100 years ago when Mendel cultured peas in his garden and recorded their development in his notes. This science has recently become one of the most interesting in our time.

Genetics has many branches; it begins with the study of the cell especially the nucleus which contains the chromosomes that carry the genes and their DNA. Cytogenetics helps us study these issues and determine the status of the embryo especially after IVF and before transferring it to the uterus. It can also help make an early diagnosis of abnormalities and genetic diseases that may accompany the pregnancy such as;

1. Down Syndrome
By using the technique of pre-gestational diagnosis (PGD), we can protect any woman above 35 years of age who joins the IVF program, from the suffering incurred in having a child born with Down syndrome and severe mental retardation as well as other problems. By this technique, a single cell is taken from the 6-8 cell embryo and chromosome 21 is studied. If two copies of that chromosome are present, we know that the embryo will be affected and it is therefore excluded. Only those embryos with a single copy are used. This way we can spare mothers from having to undergo amniocentesis after 15 weeks of pregnancy at which point current Jordanian law prohibits termination of pregnancy anyway.

2. Sex-linked Diseases
PGD technology can also be used to detect abnormalities related to chromosome X and Y, such as Turner syndrome (XO) or Klinefelter syndrome (XXY), or to detect X-linked disorders such as haemophilia and certain muscular dystrophies, etc.

3. Repeated Miscarriages
Healthy embryos stand a better chance to implant in the womb thus reducing the risk of repeated miscarriages. PGD helps such couples by selecting only the "healthy" embryos and increasing the pregnancy rate. Among the abnormalities that can be detected by this method would be trisomy 13, trisomy 18 and trisomy 21. Other abnormalities can also be detected using probe tests. These are expensive and are therefore not offered as routine tests, but are done at the couple's request especially if one or both are known to have a chromosomal abnormality. Amniocentesis is also performed at 14+ weeks and amniotic fluid analyzed by conventional methods as well as by using FISH to detect trisomy 21, 13 or 18, or by using PCR to detect Thalassemia A and B or Fragile X syndrome.

4. Sperm DNA Fragmentation
The "superficial" assessment of sperm count, morphology and motility alone are insufficient and that are specific details related to the DNA composition that determine whether sperm can or cannot fertilize an egg that can proceed to a more advanced stage of embryonic development.

It was noticed that sperm containing fragmented DNA can only fertilize the egg, but the chromosomal divisions within the nucleus cannot proceed beyond a certain stage, so that implantation is either not possible or if it occurs would lead to inevitable abortion for that pregnancy.

Sex Selection
Preimplantation Genetic Sex Selection (PGS)
The ability to determine if an embryo carries an X (female) or y (male) chromosome at a very early stage helps a lot of families select the sex of their child, controversial as that subject may be. The technique involves going through an IVF cycle then examining a single cell from the 6-8 cell embryo. If the embryo is XX it is a female and if XY it will be a male. If it is found to be X or XXY, that would result in an infertile female or infertile male respectively. This method has 95-98% accuracy. A possible application is for women who have difficulties in pregnancy and need to have one more child of a specified sex, eg women who have already had a number of Caesarean sections and can only have one more.

Would you like to know more about how our team of experts can help give you the gift of life? Please complete our online Enquiry Form