IVF Lab
Director: Dr. Adva Aizer
Deputy director of the laboratory:
Olga Strubinski
Embryologists/ Laboratory staff: Dr. Adva Aizer, Olga Strubinski, Jordana Zerbiv, Chen Tesler Azoulai, Chen Shimon, Dr. Yuval Yung, Yelena Koitel, Yael Shaio, Dr. Merav Hirsch, Dr. Sophia Fried, Coral Shamir, Dr. Reot Gordin, Roni Hoshan, Sarah Taib and Sarah Konopaniki
Laboratory Secretary: Moran Madari,
Nicole Ostrovsky and Ayelet Grinstein
Contact:
Phone: 03-5305464 Ext. 7
Fax: 03-5309243 (Indicate "To the laboratory")
Clinic hours:
Sunday to Thursday, 7:30-10:30, 13:45-14:30
Please arrange in advance the collection and reception of biological material such as sperm, egg or embryo samples.
Location:
Gynecology and Maternity Building, Floor 2, Room 267
The laboratory at the Sheba IVF Unit is the first to be established in Israel. It began operating in the early 1980's and the first test tube baby was born in Israel in September 1982. Since then, the Sheba IVF laboratory has been among the best-known and leading laboratories in Israel and around the world.
The lab is also a leader in the field of oncological fertility preservation and is highly experienced in preserving and implanting uterine tissue. The IVF unit achieved the world's first pregnancy after uterine cryopreservation and post-recovery implantation. As of 2018, over 35 implants were performed, leading to 24 pregnancies and 17 babies. In all: ~96% success rate in regaining endocrine functioning.
The lab is the first and among the leading labs in Israel to perform preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). The lab began conducting single cell biopsies of fertilized eggs in 2006, working closely with the Sheba Genetic Institute’s PGD Lab. Since then, over 600 babies have been born thanks to lab intervention.
The laboratory staff is committed to quality and safety management standards defined by the JCI, pursuant to Ministry of Health regulations and procedures for operating an IVF unit, and in accordance with the Sheba Medical Center procedures and requirements. Sheba’s IVF lab is the only facility in Israel ISO-15189 certified by the Israel Laboratory Accreditation Authority.
Advanced Equipment
The IVF laboratory is equipped with state of the art devices, including an incubator that enables real time (time lapse) photos and incubators in which the fertilized eggs are grown in optimal conditions. The lab is further equipped with microscope systems connected to a micromanipulation and laser system, which enable continuous monitoring of fertilized egg development, direct sperm injection into the egg (micromanipulation) and single cell extraction for preimplantation genetic diagnosis. The lab performs rapid egg cooling (vitrification) and gradual uterine tissue freezing using a freezing machine.
The lab is equipped with dedicated containers for storing eggs/fertilized eggs and sperm samples. The storage system consists of automatic systems for nitrogen injection, 24-hour structure surveillance and dialer control as backup.
Clinical Activities
- Receiving fresh or frozen sperm and preparing it for fertilization or cryopreservation until the next treatment cycle.
- Handling testicular sperm following TESA (testicular sperm aspiration) or TESE (testicular sperm extraction).
- Locating eggs upon aspiration from the uterine follicles.
- Egg fertilization through insemination or micromanipulation.
- Egg cryopreservation to retain fertility based on social or medical conditions, and thawing thereof.
- Growing embryos for up to 6 days.
- Removing a single cell from a 3-day old embryo or several cells from a blastocyst and transferring them to a pre-implantation genetic testing lab for genetic analysis. (PGT).
- Returning viable embryos to the patient's womb.
- Laser -assisted hatching (AHA).
- Cryopreserving and thawing embryos as needed in an additional treatment cycle.
- Uterine tissue cryopreservation to retain fertility based on medical conditions and thawing thereof for implantation.
