Research and development

There have been great developments since the first IVF-baby was born in Sweden in 1982. Among the most significant breakthroughs are:

Ultrasound

This can accurately be described as one of the most important advances for patients doing IVF. The vaginal ultrasound made possible more precise and accurate monitoring of the ovaries during hormone stimulation and retrieval of eggs via the vagina.

Simplified hormone stimulation

Initially hormone stimulation was a complicated and cumbersome process for the woman. Advances in research made it possible for the woman to inject herself with the hormones, reducing the number of ultrasounds to one or two and even made the treatment process more predictable. The introduction of the so called short protocol, which meant less exposure to hormones, resulted in further reduction of side-effects.

ICSI (male infertility)

Microinjection means that single sperms are being injected into an egg by way of a special microscope. This technique opened up new possibilities for no less than a third of all infertile couples.

Single-Embryo-Transfer

Single-Embryo-Transfer became obligatory in Sweden in 2003. The method reduces the risk of complications for both the mother and the featus without significantly reducing the chance of pregnancy.

The importance of media

One of the most important advances at the laboratory is the development of the nutritional solutions where eggs, sperms and finally embryos are being kept during the cell division process. This has allowed cultivation of embryos for up to six days (the so called blastocyst stage) which makes the selection of embryos for transfer easier.

Storing of frozen embryos

An important development in IVF is the ability to store frozen embryos and blastocysts. This means that the woman does not have to resume hormone stimulation before a new treatment. With this new technique, called “vitrification”, comes opportunities to store non-fertilized egg, which is one of the latest revolutionary discoveries in IVF.

The research aimed at facilitating treatments for patients and improving pregnancy results through IVF continues. Livio Research plays an important role for all parties on the Swedish IVF-market.

Patient care

To be the best provider of fertility treatments it takes more than presenting excellent pregnancy results. Good patient care is as important as the results.