Whats the difference between IVF and IUI?

Im so naive when it comes to these procedures.

Thanks

Re: Whats the difference between IVF and IUI?

With IUI (artificial insemination) they inject your DH's washed sperm into you via a catheter- and with IVF they remove your eggs, fertilize them, then transfer them back in.

Message edited 6/29/2008 10:01:55 PM.

Re: Whats the difference between IVF and IUI?

an IUI is artificial insemination. The mans sperm is taken ( from sample) and washed an inserted via Catheter into your Uterus.

IVF is when you take heavy duty meds to produce as many eggs as possible, then under anesthesia, the eggs are withdrawn from your fallopian tubes, and the mans sample is either placed with teh egg or inserted one sperm at a time into the egg and when the gee (if the egg) fertilizes in 3 days ( to up to 5 days) its placed via catheter back into the womens Uterus and hopefully the fertilized egg will implant itself.

Re: Whats the difference between IVF and IUI?

Huge difference.

IUI is Intrauterine Insemination. Your DH would give a sample, they wash/spin the sample and place it in a catheter. The procedure itself takes just a few seconds and is about as uncomfortable as a PAP. They are bypassing your cervix by placing the sperm directly into your uterus at the optimal time.

IVF is much more invasive and takes about 6 weeks from start to finish. Some women take BCPs for a certain amount of weeks followed by about 10 days of Lupron which is a drug that supresses your ovaries and prevents ovulation. Then you take injections to stimulate your ovaries to create many (hopefully) follicles that will produce mature eggs which at an optimal time, you will have an Egg Retrieval where you will go under a general anestesia for an approximate 15 minute procedure. Once the eggs are extracted, provided there are mature eggs, they will put the egg and the sperm into a petri dish and let the sperm fertilize the egg. Unless you have MF issues, then they will perform ICSI where they inject the egg with the sperm rather than letting the sperm penetrate the egg. They then watch the growth of the fertilized eggs and will then transfer a determined amount of embryos back at either 3 days past retrieval or 5 days past retrieval. The transfer is done pretty much the same way an IUI is done.

Re: Whats the difference between IVF and IUI?

The difference is a few thousand dollars!

Re: Whats the difference between IVF and IUI?

Posted by Sneezy

The difference is a few thousand dollars!

Re: Whats the difference between IVF and IUI?

I think everyone has covered the differences. I will just add that IUI is often a first line IF treatment for MF issues. It is also often combined with medication like Clomid or injections to make the woman produce more eggs or "targets" for the sperm. IUI with or without medication can also be used for unexplained IF or cervical issues where the sperm is having trouble traveling to the uterus and tubes. IVF is for severe MF issues and other problems when all else has failed. It's the big guns and last resort of fertility treatments.