Everything you wanted to know about IVF
What is IVF ?
In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a type of assisted reproduction technique where woman’s egg & man’s sperm are fertilized to create an embryo in a special laboratory. The fertilized egg also called as an embryo is then placed in the woman’s womb for further development.
When is IVF suggested ?
In simple words – IVF is usually suggested for couples who are unable to conceive naturally & also have exhausted other fertility treatments such as IUI (Read More About IUI here)
While there could be several other situations where your doctor could be suggesting you IVF, Few of the situations could include
- Multiple cycles of failed IUI (Read More About IUI here)
- Small uterus or a damaged uterus
- Fallopian tube blockage or damage
- History of tubal removal or sterilization
- Fertility preservation for cancer patients
- Male partner with severe oligospermia or azoospermia
- Stage 3 & Stage 4 endometriosis
- Ovulation disorders & Genetic disorders
What are the various phases in the IVF cycle ?
Without getting into every detailed stage, Couples are usually counselled for these 5 stages
Stimulation Phase – Usually adult females produce one egg per cycle month. In this phase woman is administered fertility injections & oral medicines to produce several eggs. From here we move to next phase
Egg retrieval or Egg pick up phase – Follicular Aspiration is a technique where eggs are picked up from woman’s ovaries grown after fertility injections. This is usually done under anesthesia for the woman so that there is very little pain involved.
Insemination and Fertilization phase – Insemination is a technique where male partner’s sperm is mixed with the eggs picked from the Egg retrieval phase under laboratory conditions. This is followed by fertilization in special conditions again in the laboratory often guided by embryologist.
You doctor also evaluates an additional method called ICSI – Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection. ICSI is usually suggested when the Male sperm quality is low (includes count, morphology or motility ).ICSI is a specialized form of treatment for male infertility and involves injecting a single sperm directly into a single mature egg.
Embryo Culture – The fertilized egg is then left to divide & form an embryo in the lab and within 3 to 5 days ( The blastocyst usually forms on day 5) the embryo is ready for transfer. The other embryos are frozen for future use & any further IVF cycles.
Embryo transfer phase – The embryo(s) chosen for transfer is inserted into a thin plastic catheter (a soft tube), which is passed through the cervix into the uterus & gently released. The process usually takes only a few minutes and is usually painless.
Is IVF usually successful ?
Over several years techniques in IVF has transitioned several folds & improved in several fronts . However the success of IVF cycle also depends on several factors including –
- Age of patient
- Number of cycles
- Type & Duration of Infertility
- Past History
CDC from USA has a success estimator for your easy reference https://precisionfertilityclinic.com/ivf-success-estimator
Next steps ?
Please schedule your appointment with Dr. Akhila Anand at Precision Fertility Clinic, Bangalore for a detailed investigation & a custom plan for your fertility treatment.
