Egg retrieval (ovum pick-up / OPU) is the most significant day of your IVF cycle. Understand exactly what happens before, during, and after the procedure — so you feel prepared and calm. Mother Hospitals & IVF Center, Boduppal, Hyderabad. Dr. E. Prashanthi Reddy.
No food, water, or chewing gum from midnight the night before your procedure. Fasting is required for safe IV sedation. Take regular medications only if your doctor specifically instructs you to. Remove nail polish from fingers (needed for pulse oximetry monitoring). Wear loose, comfortable clothing. Plan for someone to drive you home — do not drive within 24 hours of sedation.
Arrive at the clinic at the time given by the nurse. A nurse takes your vitals and places an IV cannula in your arm. The embryologist confirms the partner's semen sample has been received. You sign consent forms. You change into a clinic gown. The anaesthesiologist or sedation nurse introduces themselves and explains the sedation process.
Intravenous sedation (propofol with or without opioid analgesic) is given through the cannula. You become deeply relaxed and fall asleep within 30–60 seconds. Your breathing, heart rate, and oxygen are continuously monitored. General anaesthesia (with intubation) is not required — you breathe independently throughout.
Dr. Prashanthi Reddy uses a transvaginal ultrasound probe to visualise each ovarian follicle. A fine aspiration needle is guided through the vaginal wall into each follicle. The fluid containing the egg is aspirated into a collection tube and immediately passed through a small hatch to the embryologist in the adjacent lab, who identifies the eggs under a microscope in real time. Each follicle takes approximately 30–60 seconds. The more follicles, the longer it takes.
You wake up in the recovery area within 5–15 minutes. Mild cramping (similar to period pain) and light spotting are normal and expected. Pain relief is given if needed. The nurse tells you how many eggs were retrieved. You rest under nursing supervision for 2–3 hours, then are discharged home. The embryologist begins ICSI later that same day. You receive a call the next morning with the fertilisation report.
While you recover, the embryologist is already working with your eggs.
Each follicle fluid is examined immediately. Eggs are identified and classified as mature (MII — ready for ICSI), immature (MI or GV — cannot be used immediately), or degenerate. Typically 70–80% of retrieved eggs are mature.
Mature eggs are placed in specialised culture medium. Later that same day, each egg is fertilised by ICSI — a single sperm selected and injected into each egg using a microscopic needle. Fertilisation is checked the next morning.
The embryologist calls you on Day 1 (the morning after retrieval) to report how many eggs fertilised. This is called the 2PN fertilisation check. Fertilised embryos (showing 2 pronuclei) are placed in incubators and monitored daily until Day 5.
MBBS, DGO · ART Training — Kiel University, Germany · TGMC Reg: 50624
19+ Years Experience · 5,000+ ICSI Cycles · Mother Hospitals & IVF Center, Boduppal, Hyderabad
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