For fertilisation outside the woman’s body (such as IVF, ICSI), it is necessary to remove eggs from the ovarian follicles. This procedure is called a follicular puncture. If ovarian follicles are ripened to a sufficient size after the stimulation cycle, ovulation is initiated. Egg cells can thus release themselves from the wall of the follicle when the follicular fluid is aspirated. Some 35 to 36 hours later - before the actual ovulation occurs - the fluid and egg cells are carefully removed from the ovarian follicles.
Follicular puncture for egg retrieval for subsequent artificial fertilisation is generally carried out under a short general anaesthetic.
You are given a short-acting sedative (approx. 10 min), that puts minimal strain on your body. After the procedure, many of our patients simply feel like they have had a pleasant sleep. If required, we can also use pain relief or local anaesthetic. Ultrasound imaging is then used to guide the careful removal of the egg cells through the vaginal wall.