IVF is a medical procedure where eggs are fertilized outside the body in a laboratory dish. The fertilized eggs (embryos) are then implanted into the uterus for a successful pregnancy..
Infertility can be caused by factors in both men and women. Common causes include age, ovulatory disorders (like PCOS), fallopian tube blockages, endometriosis, low sperm count, hormonal imbalances, and genetic factors.
Couples should seek help if they have been unable to conceive after one year of regular, unprotected intercourse. If the woman is over 35, it is recommended to seek treatment after 6 months.
Fertility treatments include IUI (Intrauterine Insemination), and microfluidics to select the best sperm IVF, ICSI (Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection), egg freezing, embryo freezing, genetic screening, depending on the underlying issue.
The IVF process involves ovarian stimulation, egg retrieval, sperm collection, fertilization, embryo culture, and embryo transfer into the uterus. It’s followed by a pregnancy test to confirm if implantation has occurred.
Success rates for IVF vary based on factors like age, egg quality, and sperm quality. On average, with good quality blastocyst it can reach up to 70%, but for women over 35 years the success rate is lower.
ICSI (Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection) is a technique used during IVF where a single sperm is injected directly into an egg. It’s often used for male infertility problems such as low sperm count or poor sperm motility.
Egg freezing is a method where eggs are harvested and frozen for future use. It’s particularly useful for women who want to delay pregnancy or are undergoing treatments (like chemotherapy) that may affect fertility.
As a woman gets older, both the quantity and quality of her eggs decline, which can affect IVF success rates. These changes to staff over 30 years and over 35 years become more prominent.
Genetic testing, including PGT (Preimplantation Genetic Testing), is used to screen embryos for genetic disorders before implantation. This helps reduce the risk of passing on hereditary diseases and improves IVF success.
The IVF process itself is minimally invasive. Some procedures, like egg retrieval, may cause mild discomfort. Most women recover quickly and can resume normal activities soon after.
While IVF is generally safe, potential risks include ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS), multiple pregnancies, ectopic pregnancy, and the emotional stress of the procedure. Your fertility specialist will guide you to minimize these risks.
Maintaining a healthy weight, eating a balanced diet, reducing stress, quitting smoking, limiting alcohol consumption, and avoiding exposure to environmental toxins can improve fertility in both men and women.
Embryo freezing is when embryos are created during IVF and stored for future use. It’s an option for couples who have unused embryos after IVF treatment or those who wish to preserve embryos for later implantation.
A pregnancy test is usually conducted about 14 days after blastocyst embryo transfer to confirm if the embryo has successfully implanted and pregnancy has occurred.
Blastocyst are embryos cultured in an IVF lab for 5-6 days. Blastocyst culture helps to select the best embryo to transfer and then improve the success rate of IVF.
IVF success rate decrease with increase in paternal age over 40 and more evident over 50 years of age.
Depends on may platform eg. age of female partner, Injection used, dose of injections etc. The IVF package includes ICSI, blastocyst-culture, freezing, throwing and embryotransfer. The package varies from center to center but usually start from 1.25L