The desire to conceive a child is universal. No other life experience seems to match the birth of a child in significance and importance. As children grow and develop, so does our appreciation of life, profoundly influencing us as individuals and as families.

Yet, infertility and the inability to conceive spontaneously, is a common problem that affects both men and women everywhere, in the prime of their lives. It is estimated that 15% of all couples have difficulty conceiving.

The Medical Center’s IVF Unit was founded with the goal of implementing advanced technology in order to aid couples that suffer from infertility. The unit employs a team of leading fertility specialists, who utilize the innovative techniques that have revolutionized this field in the last decade.

The unit performs fertility treatments using state-of-the-art technology, with maximum sensitivity to the patients’ medical and emotional needs, and boasts impressive fertilization rates that are of an international standard. The treatment’s success hinges upon the expertise and vast experience of the medical team, as well as upon cooperation and mutual understanding with the couple. Support groups are also available to enhance the patients’ welfare.

University Affiliation
HMC is also proud of the unique association of its IVF Unit with Bar-Ilan University in jointly providing advanced studies for a Master's Degree in Clinical Embryology and Gametology. This course provides specialized training in Methods of Assisted Reproductive Technology and In Vitro Fertilization, and is one of the first of its kind in the world.

Members of the staff have published numerous scientific articles in leading international journals, and are enjoying executive membership (chairperson) in the most prestigious international society in reproduction.

The Emotional Challenge
The success of IVF treatment requires greatly skilled and experienced staff, combined with the understanding and cooperation of the couple seeking care. At HMC, we are fully aware that many couples have been through difficult years of tests and treatments. In order to help patients to continue with their daily routine, HMC has developed a totally ambulatory service, in pleasant, comfortable surroundings, with special sensitivity to the individual medical and emotional needs of infertile couples.

The Basic Ambulatory Program
(1) Clinical evaluation of the couple
(2) Stimulation and collection of ova
(3) Collection and preparation of sperm
(4) Fertilization and evaluation of early embryo growth in the laboratory
(5) Transfer of the early embryos to the uterus

Experience tells us that the chances to conceive are greater when more than one ovum is available for fertilization. We use a variety of ovulation induction medications to achieve multiple ova.

Various treatment options:

AZH: Assisted Zona Hatching
Delicate drilling of the outer envelope surrounding the embryo with a low power YAG laser facilitating implantation in the uterus of women with repeated implantation failure.

ICSI: Intra Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection
Injection of a single sperm cell into the ovum using a highly sophisticated inverted microscope. The introduction of ICSI technology has enabled high fertilization rates in cases previously considered beyond hope.

MESA: Microscopic Epididymal Sperm Aspiration and
TESE: Testicular Sperm Extraction
Aspiration and extraction of minute amounts of sperm cells directly from the testis to be used in the ICSI technique when sperm cells are lacking in the ejaculate.

PESA: Percutaneous Sperm Aspiration
This is a non-surgical method of multi-focal aspiration of the testis, facilitating the search for sperm cells in cases where no spermatozoa are detected in the ejaculate e.g. azoospermia.

Electro-Ejaculation
Obtaining sperm using electrical stimulation in men who are unable to ejaculate spontaneously due to spinal cord injuries, certain systemic diseases or psychological problems.

Sperm Donation
Couples requiring sperm donations are supplied with cryo-preserved donor sperm from a university-affiliated sperm bank in strict accordance with government regulations.

ED: Egg Donation
Providing a donor egg service to women unable to conceive from their ova. The HMC unit has achieved a 45% pregnancy rate per ED, as well as one of the highest numbers of ED births published worldwide up to date.

Cryo-Preservation
It’s the process of freezing and storing the remaining embryos for future implantation. An obvious benefit of cryo-preservation is the chance of achieving pregnancy with frozen embryos during a later cycle.