CHICAGO, June 22, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A new treatment option at Fertility Centers of Illinois, the INVOcell Vaginal Incubation System™, offers patients the advantage of traditional IVF success rates at half the cost with fewer office visits and less medication. Fertilization and embryo development occur within the body, allowing for natural conception without the assistance of a laboratory.
Fertility Centers of Illinois is the first private practice in Chicagoland to offer the procedure. The INVOcell Vaginal Incubation System received FDA approval in November 2015 and is only available in a handful of reproductive centers in the U.S. INVOcell has also been used in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
Three Steps: The INVOcell Vaginal Incubation System
- Step One: After completing mild ovarian stimulation through prescribed medication, eggs are retrieved while a patient is under light conscious sedation. During this same time, the sperm is prepared.
- Step Two: Eggs and sperm are combined and placed in a small medical grade plastic device known as an INVOcell. Once closed and locked, the INVOcell is placed inside the vagina for three to five days to allow in vivo fertilization and incubation while embryos develop.
- Step Three: Once vaginal incubation is complete, the INVOcell is removed. The healthiest developing embryo(s) is selected for immediate same-day transfer to the uterus where it can implant in the uterine wall, allowing pregnancy to occur. The remaining embryos are frozen to be saved for future use.
In a traditional IVF cycle, eggs are fertilized by a laboratory professional using the intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) technique. Fertilized eggs continue to develop in a laboratory petri dish within a temperature-controlled incubator for up to five days. The resulting embryos are then evaluated for embryo transfer and surplus embryos frozen.
“When less aggressive treatment options do not result in pregnancy, the next step has always been traditional IVF, which can prevent couples from moving forward due to cost,” explains Dr. Meike Uhler, reproductive endocrinologist and physician partner at Fertility Centers of Illinois. “Now couples have a more affordable option that doesn’t compromise their odds of success and allows for natural conception. We are very excited to offer this new technology and additional treatment option to patients.”
IVF vs. INVO: Comparable Conception and Birth Rates
Success rates and clinical outcomes between traditional IVF cycles and INVOcell cycles are comparable. In clinical trials used for FDA clearance, 450 INVO cycles were performed resulting in 132 babies born. Clinical trials also yielded a clinical pregnancy rate of 32.4 percent and birth rate of 23.8 percent. According to the CDC, traditional IVF cycles yield a pregnancy rate of 33 percent and a birth rate of 27 percent.
Multiple Patient Benefits
The INVOcell Vaginal Incubation System requires less medication as well as fewer doctor visits and monitoring appointments. Due to this simplified and effective approach, the INVO procedure is half the cost of traditional IVF. The costs of medication and cryopreservation of surplus embryos are billed separately. Discounts on select Ferring Pharmaceutical products are available, further curbing patient costs.
Couples also experience the comfort of knowing their embryos conceived naturally in vivo, within the female body rather than in a laboratory. This treatment option may be more suitable for couples with certain religious or cultural beliefs. For same sex couples, INVOcell allows an option for both partner to participate.
Ideal Candidate for INVOcell
Ideal patient candidates for the INVOcell procedure are couples with a woman age 37 or less and an AMH of at least 1.0, and a male partner with no infertility diagnosis. Patients who have not experienced success conceiving through intrauterine insemination (IUI) are ideal candidates for the INVO Procedure. INVOcell allows for much higher success rates than IUI at half the cost of IVF.
For more information on the INVOcell Vaginal Incubation System from Fertility Centers of Illinois please visit https://fcionline.com/mini-ivf.
Fertility Centers of Illinois (FCI) is one of the leading fertility treatment practices in the United States, providing advanced reproductive endocrinology services for over 30 years with more than 35,000 babies born. FCI physicians, embryologists and support staff are stringently chosen based on educational background, medical skills and their ability to collaborate. With a team of nine nationally and internationally recognized physicians who treat thousands of patients each year, the practice has earned a reputation for early to the market with state of the art technology. FCI is dedicated to medical and clinical excellence and continues to invest in the latest technologies and research. FCI offers a comprehensive range of fertility treatments with an emphasis on in vitro fertilization and its related applications and technologies. The practice has one of the largest Collaborative Reproduction Centers, providing treatment options for Egg Donation and Gestational Carriers. The practice has extensive experience in the continually evolving field of genetic screening of embryos, including diagnosis for single gene abnormalities. FCI has expanded their experience and technologies into the rapidly growing realm of egg freezing with a personalized paradigm of treatment for each patient throughout reproductive life. As the premier and largest fertility practice in the Midwest region, Fertility Centers of Illinois has eight physician offices serving patients in the Chicagoland region, northern Indiana, and southern Wisconsin. Learn more by calling 877-324-4483 or visiting www.fcionline.com.
INVO Bioscience (IVOB) is a medical device company, headquartered in Medford, MA, focused on creating simplified, lower cost treatment options for patients diagnosed with infertility. The company's lead product, the INVOcell, is a novel medical device used in infertility treatment that enables egg fertilization and early embryo development in the woman's vaginal cavity. The company was founded by Claude Ranoux, MD, a noted expert in the field of reproductive health, infertility and embryology. For more information, please visit www.invobioscience.com.