IVF and ICSI Training Course

Lesson 1 • Natural Fertilisation Mechanisms

Explains sperm capacitation, acrosome reaction, and zona penetration leading to syngamy. Establishes the biological benchmarks that assisted fertilisation must replicate.

Lesson 2 • Male Reproductive Anatomy and Spermatogenesis

Examines testicular structure, sperm production, and maturation in the epididymis. Connects male physiology to sperm quality assessment used in IVF and ICSI.

Lesson 3 • Female Reproductive Anatomy and Physiology

Covers ovarian structure, folliculogenesis, and hormonal regulation of the menstrual cycle. Provides the anatomical baseline required for understanding ovarian stimulation protocols.

Lesson 4 • Oocyte Biology and Maturation

Details meiotic arrest, resumption, and cytoplasmic maturation of the oocyte. Underpins decisions about oocyte readiness for fertilisation procedures.

Lesson 1 • Ovarian Reserve Assessment

Teaches antral follicle count, AMH measurement, and FSH/oestradiol interpretation. Guides stimulation protocol selection and patient counselling on prognosis.

Lesson 2 • Unexplained Infertility Workup

Addresses the diagnostic criteria and investigative steps when standard tests yield normal results. Establishes the rationale for empirical IVF in unexplained cases.

Lesson 3 • Uterine and Endometrial Evaluation

Reviews sonohysterography, hysteroscopy, and endometrial receptivity markers. Ensures uterine suitability is confirmed before embryo transfer planning.

Lesson 4 • Male Infertility Aetiologies

Covers oligospermia, azoospermia, sperm DNA fragmentation, and varicocele. Determines which male factor conditions require ICSI or surgical sperm retrieval.

Lesson 1 • Mild and Natural Stimulation Approaches

Examines minimal stimulation IVF and natural cycle IVF as alternatives for specific patient groups. Broadens protocol repertoire beyond standard high-dose approaches.

Lesson 2 • GnRH Agonist and Antagonist Protocols

Compares long agonist, short agonist, and antagonist protocols for pituitary suppression. Enables protocol selection based on ovarian reserve and patient history.

Lesson 3 • Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome Prevention

Identifies OHSS risk factors, grading, and preventive strategies including coasting and freeze-all. Equips students to minimise severe OHSS while optimising cycle outcomes.

Lesson 4 • Gonadotropin Pharmacology

Reviews FSH, LH, and hCG preparations, their mechanisms, and clinical differences. Provides the pharmacological basis for stimulation drug selection.

Lesson 1 • Surgical Sperm Retrieval Methods

Reviews PESA, TESA, TESE, and micro-TESE for azoospermic patients. Connects retrieval method to sperm quality and ICSI applicability.

Lesson 2 • Transvaginal Oocyte Retrieval Procedure

Details ultrasound-guided follicle aspiration technique, needle selection, and patient preparation. Establishes procedural standards that protect oocyte viability.

Lesson 3 • Oocyte Identification and Assessment

Teaches follicular fluid search, oocyte identification under the microscope, and maturity grading. Links oocyte quality assessment to fertilisation method selection.

Lesson 4 • Sperm Preparation Techniques

Explains density gradient centrifugation, swim-up, and washing methods for sperm selection. Ensures students can choose the optimal preparation method for each sample.

Lesson 1 • Conventional Insemination Technique

Details sperm concentration calculation, co-incubation timing, and dish preparation for IVF. Ensures consistent insemination practice that maximises fertilisation rates.

Lesson 2 • Fertilisation Assessment

Teaches identification of two pronuclei, polar bodies, and abnormal fertilisation patterns. Connects accurate fertilisation scoring to embryo selection decisions.

Lesson 3 • Early Cleavage Embryo Grading

Applies standardised grading criteria for day-2 and day-3 embryos based on cell number and fragmentation. Builds the morphological assessment skills used in embryo selection.

Lesson 4 • IVF Laboratory Environment Standards

Establishes air quality, temperature, pH, and osmolality requirements for the IVF lab. Demonstrates how environmental control directly protects gamete and embryo viability.

Lesson 1 • ICSI Injection Procedure

Details sperm immobilisation, aspiration, oocyte positioning, and injection technique step by step. Builds the precise motor skills and decision points central to successful ICSI.

Lesson 2 • Post-ICSI Assessment and Rescue

Covers oocyte survival check, fertilisation assessment, and rescue ICSI for failed conventional IVF. Prepares students to respond to suboptimal outcomes with evidence-based actions.

Lesson 3 • Oocyte Denudation for ICSI

Teaches hyaluronidase exposure and mechanical denudation to remove cumulus cells before injection. Ensures oocyte integrity is preserved during preparation.

Lesson 4 • Micromanipulation Equipment Setup

Covers inverted microscope configuration, microinjector calibration, and pipette selection for ICSI. Establishes the equipment foundation required for precise micromanipulation.

Lesson 1 • Extended Culture to Blastocyst Stage

Examines the rationale, media requirements, and incubation conditions for day-5 and day-6 culture. Establishes when blastocyst culture is preferred over cleavage-stage transfer.

Lesson 2 • Time-Lapse Embryo Monitoring

Introduces time-lapse incubation systems, morphokinetic parameters, and annotation software. Demonstrates how continuous imaging adds selection data beyond static morphology.

Lesson 3 • Embryo Cryopreservation Principles

Covers slow freezing versus vitrification, cryoprotectant loading, and storage management. Connects cryopreservation quality to frozen embryo transfer success rates.

Lesson 4 • Blastocyst Morphological Grading

Applies the Gardner grading system to score expansion, inner cell mass, and trophectoderm quality. Provides a standardised language for embryo selection and reporting.

Lesson 1 • Difficult Transfer Management

Addresses cervical stenosis, uterine flexion, and failed mock transfer scenarios with practical solutions. Prepares students to maintain transfer quality under challenging anatomical conditions.

Lesson 2 • Luteal Phase Support Protocols

Reviews progesterone routes, dosing, and duration for luteal support after fresh and frozen transfers. Connects hormonal support to endometrial receptivity and early pregnancy maintenance.

Lesson 3 • Pregnancy Testing and Early Monitoring

Explains serum beta-hCG interpretation, doubling patterns, and early ultrasound milestones. Bridges the transfer procedure to clinical pregnancy confirmation and follow-up.

Lesson 4 • Embryo Transfer Technique

Details catheter selection, ultrasound guidance, embryo loading, and atraumatic transfer execution. Establishes the procedural standards that minimise transfer-related implantation failure.