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Andrology
A specialty focusing on the male infertility side of assisted reproductive
techonology (ART).
Assisted Hatching
A sophisticated
technique for perforating the shell surrounding the egg (the zona pellucida)
so that the embryo can break out of the zona and implant in the uterus.
Assisted Reproductive Technology
(ART)
Treatments and procedures involving the handling of human
eggs and sperm for the purpose of establishing a pregnancy. Types of ART
include IVF, ICSI, assisted hatching, embryo cryopreservation, frozen
embryo transfer and oocyte donation.
Cryopreservation
A technique that involves freezing and preserving embryos or sperm for
transfer at a later date.
Donor Embryo
An embryo formed from the egg of a woman who donated it (the donor)
for transfer to a woman who is unable to conceive with her own eggs (the
recipient).
Egg
A female
reproductive cell, also called an oocyte or ovum.
Egg Retrieval
Using a needle
to puncture the wall of the vagina while a patient is under sedation,
the physician enters the ovaries to retrieve the ripened eggs.
Embryo
A fertilized egg
in the early stages of growth, from fertilization by a sperm until the
eighth week of pregnancy.
Embryology
A specialty
focusing on embryo development.
Embryo Transfer
A procedure
in which the physician passes a catheter into the woman's uterus, discharging
the embryos and fluid it holds.
Fertilization
The process during which sperm penetrates an egg, fusion of genetic
material occurs and an embryo develops.
Follicle
A sac-like structure
in the ovary that protects and nurtures a ripening egg until ovulation,
the point at which it is released.
Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH)
A hormone that stimulates the ovary to ripen a follicle.
Human Chorionic Gonadotropin
(hCG)
A hormone produced following ovulation, it aids the
corpus luteum in production of progesterone, required to prepare the uterine
lining for implantation of the fertilized egg.
Human Menopausal Gonadotropins (hMG)
A hormone used to stimulate the development of multiple follicles.
Hysterosalpingogram
The
radiological examination of the female reproductive system.
Hysteroscopy
A diagnostic
procedure in which the physician uses a fiber optic scope, inserted through
the vagina and cervical canal, to examine of the inside of the uterus.
Intracytoplasmic Sperm
Injection (ICSI)
A procedure, used most commonly in cases
of male infertility, in which a single sperm is injected directly into
an egg.
Intrauterine Insemination (IUI)
Sperm that have been washed (separated from the seminal fluid) and prepared
in the andrology laboratory are inserted directly into the uterus.
In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)
A process in which an egg and sperm are combined in a laboratory dish
to facilitate fertilization. If fertilization occurs, the resulting embryo
is transferred to the uterus.
Laparoscopy
This procedure allows a physician to view the ovaries, as well as the
outside of the fallopian tubes and uterus, with the help of a surgical
instrument inserted through a small incision below a woman's navel.
Leutenizing Hormone (LH)
The increase in LH level during the middle of a woman's cycle triggers
ovulation, the release of a ripened egg from a follicle.
Micromanipulation
The mechanical manipulation of eggs, sperm or embryos under a microscope.
Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), assisted hatching and embryo
biopsy are all forms of micromanipulation.
Microsurgical Sperm Aspiration
Procedures using an operating microscope to obtain sperm that can be
used in conjunction with Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) in certain
cases of male infertility.
Microsurgical Epididymal Sperm Aspiration
(MESA)
A microsurgical procedure to extract fluid and sperm directly
from an epididymal tubule, where sperm is stored. The sperm is prepared
in the laboratory for use with ICSI.
Ovulation
The release of a ripened egg from its follicle.
Ovulation Induction
A type
of infertility treatment that uses hormone therapy to stimulate oocyte
(egg) development and release.
Progesterone
A hormone, secreted after ovulation, that prepares the lining of the
uterus for implantation of a fertilized egg and helps sustain pregnancy.
Reproductive Endocrinologist
A gynecologist who has received additional fellowship training in female
infertility diagnosis and treatment.
Sperm Morphology
The size and shape (form) of an individual sperm.
Sperm Motility
The ability
of sperm to move and swim.
Testicular Biopsy
A procedure that allows for microscopic examination of a tissue sample
that is removed through a small incision in the scrotum and contains the
semniferous tubules that produce sperm. The results can help determine
causes of infertility and suggest a course of treatment.
Testicular Sperm Extraction (TESE)
A procedure for extracting sperm by removing a small piece of testicular
tissue through an incision in the testes. In the laboratory, the tissue
is processed to extract sperm for use with ICSI.
Tubal Factor
A cause of
infertility related to structural or functional damage to one or both
fallopian tubes.
Unexplained (Idiopathic)
Infertility
Infertility for which no cause has been determined
despite a comprehensive evaluation.
Vasovasostomy (Vasectomy
Reversal)
Microsurgical removal of scarred sections, and
reconnection of the inner and outer layers of the vas deferens after a
vasectomy, allowing sperm to travel out of the epidydimis and into the
ejaculate.
Vasoepididymostomy (Epididymal Repair)
A microsurgical technique used in cases where the epididymal tubule
is blocked, it involves stitching both layers of the vas deferens directly
to the epididymis and its inner tubule at a point above the obstruction,
allowing fluids to bypass the blockage.
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