Factors that determine the success of your IVF procedure

IVF or In Vitro Fertilization is a process wherein an egg is fertilized by a sperm in a laboratory dish to form the embryo (baby's first cell) which after growth in artificial medium in the lab is transferred into the uterus of women, In general, a blood sample is collected to determine whether you're pregnant or not about 10-14 days after the eggs are retrieved.

Coming to the success of the procedure, a number of factors are at play and these are:

The age at which you get pregnant

A factor that plays a role in influencing your chances of experiencing success in your IVF procedure is the age at which you opt for this procedure. The lower your age, the chances that you may get pregnant and deliver a healthy child using your own eggs witness an increase. On the other hand, if you're aged 41 and above, or your egg reserve is very low donor eggs are the most preferred option as they help to increase your prospects of meeting a success.

Lifestyle habits

Certain lifestyle factors can significantly affect your prospects of getting pregnant through this route. Smoking can reduce your prospect of success using this procedure by about 50%. It can cause you to have lesser number of eggs retrieved during the procedure while increasing instances of miscarriages. Likewise, obesity, alcohol use, consumption of excessive caffeine and drugs can adversely affect your chances of getting pregnant using IVF.

Cause of Infertility

If your supply of eggs is normal, success rate using IVF is high. Women who suffer from the problem of endometriosis experience lesser chances of getting pregnant than women who have unexplained fertility.

Reproductive history

IVF success rate chances are higher if you've delivered a baby previously using IVF.

Embryo status

Embryos that are better developed with good grade stand a higher chance of experiencing success than less developed embryos. More importantly, not every embryo is able to survive the development process.



What are the factors that determine the success of your IVF procedure?

In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a process of fertilization in which eggs (ova) from a woman's ovary are removed. They are combined with sperm outside the body in a laboratory procedure, and then the fertilized egg (zygote) is transferred to the same or another woman s uterus for a successful pregnancy.

IVF is one of the several assisted reproductive techniques (ART) used to help infertile couples to conceive a child.

Causes of Infertility

Blocked fallopian tubes
Hormonal imbalance
Endometriosis
Women with ovulation disorder
Uterine fibroids
In the man, low sperm count or poor quality sperm
Genetic disorder
Procedures
Two procedures are done to gain access to ovaries

It involves inserting the needle through the vagina (transvaginally). With the help of an ultrasound machine, the physician guides the needle to the location of the ovaries
In the other procedure, called laparoscopy, a small thin tube with a viewing lens is inserted through an incision in the navel. This lets physician to see inside the patient, and locate the ovaries.
Method
Without additional techniques, the chances of pregnancy would be extremely small. The additional techniques used in IVF include-

Ovarian hyperstimulation- Stimulation to induce development of multiple follicles of the ovaries.
Final maturation induction- Induction of final oocyte maturation is performed, generally by an injection of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), when the ovarian follicles have reached a certain degree of development. This is known as the "trigger shot  
Egg and sperm preparation- Semen is prepared for fertilization by removing inactive cells and seminal fluid in a process called sperm washing. An oocyte selection may be performed prior to fertilization to select eggs with optimal chances of successful pregnancy. 
Co-incubation- Eggs are removed from the woman and placed in one of the fallopian tubes, along with the man's sperm. This allows fertilization to take place inside the woman's body. Therefore, this variation is actually an in vivo fertilization, not in vitro.
Embryo culture- The main durations of embryo culture are until cleavage stage (day two to four after co-incubation) or the blastocyst stage (day five or six after co-incubation)
Embryo transfer- The number to be transferred depends on the number available, the age of the woman and other health and diagnostic factors. Embryos are transferred to the patient's uterus through a thin, plastic catheter, which goes through her vagina and cervix.
Aftercare
After the IVF procedure is performed the woman can resume normal activities. A pregnancy test can be done approximately 12-14 days later to determine if the procedure was successful.

Risks

Multiple pregnancies
Ectopic pregnancy
Ovarian rupture, bleeding
Infections
Complications of anesthesia

In Vitro Fertilization - Quick Facts!

Daljindar Kaur's inspiring story of motherhood: How IVF became her savior

The success of In vitro fertilization continues in India as a septuagenarian woman gives birth to a baby boy. Even after 46 years of marriage, the couple from Amritsar was childless. Daljinder Kaur, along with her 79-year-old husband, Mohinder Singh Gill, had been visiting National fertility and the Test Tube Baby Centre in Hisar since 2013 and did not give up even after two failed IVF cycles. They had faced ridicule for their inability to have a baby and yet they kept their hopes up.
On the 19th of April, the couple was blessed with a baby boy who is nothing less than a miracle. The groundbreaking achievement of the embryologists from Hisar has been an inspiration and a beacon of hope for couples all across the country. Once again, IVF has proved to be one of the most successful procedures to have babies for couples with fertility issues. Following are some of the advantages of In vitro fertilization, which you should know about-
1. It can be used by anybody
In-vitro fertilization is not necessarily used by the going to be a mother. It can be used by gestational carriers or by a surrogate as well. So it depends on whether the parents want to take the help of a surrogate or themselves want to be involved in the pregnancy. IVF gives an opportunity to single women and same-sex couples to become parents.
2. Use of donated eggs and sperms
There might be circumstances when the doctor can recommend using donated sperms or eggs. In that case, the eggs can be fertilized manually in the lab and the fetus developed can be used for in vitro fertilization. This increases the chance of pregnancy by a fair amount.
3. Control over timing
In vitro fertilization is a solution for couples who have a very engaging professional life, and can be an option for people who want to have babies after a certain point of time. Eggs and embryos can be preserved for future use. It is also helpful for couples who already have a child and plan to have another later.
4. Decreases chances of miscarriage
Genetic abnormality is one of the primary causes of miscarriage. The technique of preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is used to ensure the viability of the embryo much ahead of time so that the mother can have an uncomplicated pregnancy and carry her baby full term.



Daljindar Kaur's inspiring story of motherhood: How IVF became her savior

Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection i.e. ICSI is different from conventional IVF i.e. In Vitro Fertilization because a single sperm is selected by the embryologist to be injected by a needle into the egg rather than a dish with many sperms placed near the egg so that the fastest swimming sperm enters it. Once the sperm is injected directly into the egg, it fertilizes, after which the embryo is transferred into the womb or uterus. 

Your doctor might recommend ICSI treatment for you if you have an extremely low sperm count resulting in infertility or other medical sperm conditions such as poor motility or poor morphology. It may also be suggested if prior attempts at IVF procedures have failed in fertilizing the egg or the fertilization rate is extremely low. You must also consider ICSI treatment if you resort to embryo testing or if the sperm needs to be collected from the epididymis or testicles surgically. 

However, you must keep in mind that if your partner has a genetic problem resulting in low sperm count, it could be passed on to your child, if you decide to use your husband's sperm for this process.

Success Rates of ICSI:
The success rate of ICSI treatment depends on your age and your fertility problem. Your eggs are healthier when you are young and as you age, chances are that they will become less healthy.
1. 35 per cent if you are under 35 years of age
2. 29 per cent if you are between 35 to 37 years of age
3. 21 per cent if you are between 38 to 39 years of age
4. 14 per cent if you are between 40 to 42 years of age
5. 6 per cent if you are between 43 to 44 years of age
6. 5 per cent if you are above 44 years of age

Advantages of ICSI Treatment:
Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection gives you a chance to conceive a child genetically when most other options are exhausted. Males may be unable to ejaculate on the day the eggs are collected due to anxiety. ICSI proves to be advantageous because sperm may also be surgically extracted for this process. It is extremely helpful for those couples who suffer from unexplained infertility. However, one of the most important factors is that ICSI treatment does not affect your child's physical or mental health.

Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)

In vitro fertilisation, commonly known as IVF, is the process of fertilising single or multiple eggs outside the body. This treatment can be performed by either using your own egg and sperm or using donated egg or sperm or sometimes both. The resulting sperms and eggs are evaluated for quality and then one or more of them are positioned properly in the uterus through the cervix. IVF is regarded as one of the most commonly opted treatment plans, and it accounts for more than 99% of assisted reproductive technology processes.

Who are suitable for IVF?
IVF can be helpful for you in case you have some issues with the egg quality or ovulation, fallopian tubes that are blocked in some way or endometriosis. It can also help you to get pregnant if your partner has problems with mortality and sperm count and when you have opted for donor eggs. About 1.5% of babies in the United States are conceived through the IVF process.

How does IVF work?
There are several steps through which IVF process works and the timeline follows the following steps:

    Stimulation for ovary: You will have to take a special kind of fertility drug for 8 to 14 days near the start of your menstruation cycle. This drug aids in the stimulation of your ovaries for developing multiple mature eggs to fertilise instead of a single one. You may also need to take an artificial hormone-like cetrofelix and leuprolide for keeping your body from releasing eggs very early.
    Development of follicle: When you are under all these medications, you will have to visit your doctor s office often for checking the hormone levels as well as ultrasound measurements for the ovaries.
    Getting the trigger shot: Once the follicles are ready, you are likely to receive a trigger shot, which is an injection causing the eggs for maturing fully and becoming capable of being fertilised. Your eggs are ready for being retrieved after about 36 hours of receiving this shot.
    Gathering the eggs: At this stage, you are likely to receive an aesthetic or ultrasound probe that is inserted through the vagina for checking the ovaries and identifying the follicles. Normally, about 8 to 15 eggs are retrieved through the insertion of a thin needle.
    Fertlisation: This is the most vital step, where an embryologist is going to examine the eggs before they are combined with the sperm and incubated overnight. Fertilisation happens at this particular time, but abnormal eggs are not fertilised.

Then the embryos slowly develop and are planted on the basis of your age and clinical condition. When the treatment is working, an embryo is implanted in the uterine walls and starts developing. 

IVF - How Does it Work?

IVF is a useful process for people who want to become parents but have exhausted all other means of being so. However, the in-vitro fertilization method is definitely not suitable for everyone. Here are some facts you need to know about the procedure and they will help you determine whether you are suited for the program or not.

1. IVF Takes Time
Even though most clinics may not tell you this, but the IVF procedure takes a bit of time to deliver the desired results. On an average, the treatment can take anywhere between four weeks to a couple of months to produce results, depending on the patient s ability to respond to the medicines used. The procedure involves artificially stopping the menstrual cycle of the woman. Next, the ovulation process is stimulated so that the healthy egg can be extracted from the womb. The eggs chosen are then fertilized and left to undergo embryo culture for another six days. After this, the eggs are implanted back into the mother s body.

2. The process Can Be Stressful
IVF treatment and pregnancy can be quite a stressful period of time for the parents in question. The mother needs to be constantly monitored to check for any abnormal response to the pregnancy. Regular checkups by the doctor along with blood tests may also be suggested. However, this stress has very little chance of affecting the quality of the pregnancy. So, do not worry that overstressing yourself will lead to complications for the embryo.

3. More Than One Cycle Needed For Pregnancy
IVF treatment occurs in cycles. Each cycle involves transplanting a fertilized egg into the womb. However, pregnancy, right after completion of the first cycle, is quite rare. In fact, almost all patients need to undergo several similar cycles in order to get pregnant. So, do not be disheartened if you do not get pregnant after undergoing the very first cycle of IVF treatment.

4. IVF Is Costly
Not everyone is able to afford the high cost of IVF. Others may be able to afford the cost of undergoing a couple of cycles of the same, after which the high costs can become a burden. Only a select few can bear to carry on with the treatment until the pregnancy arises. So, consider your financial condition prior to signing on for such a treatment option.

At any rate, consult with an expert to get an even better idea about the IVF procedure and the consequent pregnancy. 

All You Need To Know About The IVF Procedure!

Don't wait any longer, manage your Insemination online with a Lybrate doctor today

Consult for Insemination - Online and Easy!

FilterClear All

COMMON SPECIALITIES

COMMON ISSUES