Centro A.s.t.e.r. C/o Clinica Del Mediterraneo Fertility Clinic in Ragusa, Italy

The Aster Team deals with the specialist treatment of infertility, a problem that affects about 15% of new couples, through the highest technologies existing in the field of reproduction and embryology, guaranteeing patients the widest therapeutic possibilities.

Why rely on us?

Because we are a network of specialist centers and we assist more than a thousand couples in their parenting project every year.

Because we are a cutting-edge team in the diagnosis and treatment of couple infertility.

Because with us you can perform all the most innovative tests for the study of fertility, including the latest tests for the evaluation of oxidative stress.

Intrauterine inseminations (IUI)

They consist of depositing a pool of selected spermatozoa inside the cervical canal or uterine cavity, in order to facilitate their ascent into the tubes.

These techniques are applied when there are alterations in the quality of the sperm, alterations of the cervical mucus, or disorders of the sexual sphere. In order for these techniques to be able to give reasonable results, it is however necessary that the partner's seminal fluid has minimum functional characteristics, in terms of the number of normal-shaped progressive mobile spermatozoa (in accordance with the provisions of the World Health Organization). 

There are two types of interventions:

Natural cycle insemination (without ovarian stimulation)

Induced cycle insemination (by ovarian stimulation)

In both techniques, the maturation of the follicle (or follicles, in case of ovarian stimulation) is followed by ultrasound and by means of serial hormone dosages; reached on the day of ovulation, a pool of suitably selected spermatozoa, coming from the seminal sample produced by the husband, is introduced into the uterine cavity.

IVF - ET - IN VITRO FERTILIZATION AND EMBRYO TRANSFER

IVF-ET (In-vitro Fertilization - Embryo Transfer):

this technique is applied in the treatment of various dysfunctions of both male and female types. Its purpose is to ensure the meeting of the spermatozoa with the oocyte, to verify its fertilization, and to observe the development of the first embryonic stages.

The technique includes:

- pharmacological induction of superovulation (production by the woman of a higher than normal number of oocytes), to be followed with ultrasound monitoring and hormonal dosages;

- preparation of the partner's semen sample;

- surgical aspiration and culturing of oocytes with an adequate quantity of suitably selected partner spermatozoa (oocyte insemination);

- control of the successful fertilization (zygote stage) and possible continuation of embryonic development up to the fifth day (blastocyst stage).

The transfer of embryos into the uterine cavity is carried out starting from the 2nd day after fertilization with an outpatient service.

ICSI - INTRACYTOPLASMATIC INJECTION OF THE SPERMATOZOO

This technique involves the microinjection of a single sperm into the oocyte, is applied in cases of severe male factor, and differs from the classic IVF-ET technique only in the moment of egg insemination.

After the oocyte retrieval, the oocytes are deprived of their covering cells (corona radiata) and are selected according to morphological criteria.

The best oocytes are microinjected with selected sperm from the partner.

This technique allows to ascertain oocyte maturity/quality; it also allows high fertilization rates (around 75%).

The technique includes:

- pharmacological induction of superovulation (production by the woman of a higher than normal number of oocytes), to be followed with ultrasound monitoring and hormonal dosages;

- surgical aspiration of oocytes;

- cleaning of oocytes (decolonization) and evaluation of the cytoplasmic quality and nuclear maturity of the same;

- preparation of the partner's semen sample;

- insemination of oocytes by inserting, with the aid of microcapillaries, a spermatozoon selected for each oocyte. 

- control of the successful fertilization (zygote stage) and possible continuation of embryonic development up to the fifth day (blastocyst stage).

The transfer of embryos into the uterine cavity is carried out starting from the 2nd day after fertilization with an outpatient service.