Using advanced ultrasound technology, a doctor can see if the ovaries are producing follicles, the cystic structures where the eggs develop, or if the uterine lining is adequate. Eggs are retrieved from the ovary and fertilized with sperm from a male partner or donor. Fertilization occurs in the laboratory outside the woman's body. The embryos are then transferred to the uterus. In this procedure, the retrieved eggs are placed with sperm in the fallopian tubes of the woman using laparoscopy.
Fertilization occurs in the fallopian tubes rather than in the laboratory.
The embryo travels through the tubes into the uterus where implantation and pregnancy can occur. Severe male factor infertility can be overcome with ICSI, a highly successful micro-injection technique that introduces a single sperm into the egg.