In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) Health Feed

Suffering from the problem of infertility can be a heartbreaking as well as a very frustrating process but still with different kinds of IVF treatments available today, a lot of women can realize their dreams of having their own family. In Vitro Fertilization is a laboratory procedure where the sperm and egg are fertilized outside the body. It has been more than 35 years since the first baby was born through this process of IVF and now it has become the go-to method for treatment regarding reproduction, which assists in the birth of over 5 million babies. With the availability of different kinds of IVF treatments currently, to navigate one’s way through the in vitro fertilization process can seem to be quite confusing as well as intimidating.

Now, we take a look at the difference between the types of IVF treatments and see if they are right for a woman.

Different Types of IVF -

Since the time IVF came into being, more than three decades ago, it has become the leading form of assisted reproduction, having an estimated amount of 70000 babies per year getting conceived through this procedure. The procedure of IVF involves a really complex series of procedures where an egg gets removed from the ovaries of a woman and fertilized with sperm in a laboratory. The fertilized egg, which is called an embryo then, gets returned to the womb of the woman for its growth and development.

• Natural Cycle IVF: Natural Cycle IVF bears similarity with the standard IVF treatment but this takes place without having to use medication for stimulating the ovary leading to the preparation of multiple eggs. Natural IVF basically monitors the ovulation cycle of a patient with the intention to retrieve only one egg. This is unlike conventional IVF, which requires retrieval of multiple eggs. Women who opt for Natural IVF due to the process being more economical compared to the traditional treatment. Natural Cycle IVF requires less time as compared to the traditional one and is thought to be a safer as well as stress-free treatment option by certain experts.
• Mini IVF: Minimal Stimulation IVF or Mini IVF is a kind of IVF, which is supposed to be somewhere between Natural IVF and Traditional IVF. The Mini IVF treatment is different from the Traditional IVF, with regard to how it gets administered through medicines. In case of Mini IVF treatment, less amount of medication gets administered by the specialists, so that there can only be production of two to three eggs at a time, in comparison to 10 or more in case of conventional IVF.

At the time of treatment, the retrieval of eggs and fertilization take place just like they are done in any other IVF process. The only difference lies in the stimulation part, which is lot less in this case compared to regular In Vitro Fertilization. Despite Mini IVF being suggested as a gentler approach to IVF, some researchers feel that less number of eggs might reduce the possibility of getting success.

Despite the positives, certain fertility experts send out a warning due to the significantly low chance of pregnancy with this process. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!​

A frozen embryo transfer is a type of IVF treatment wherein a cryopreserved embryo, created in a full cycle of IVF is thawed enough to soften it up and hence transferred to the uterus of a woman. The embryo which has been cryopreserved might well be from a woman, who had previously gone through a typical IVF cycle or it can also be a donor embryo. In case a donor embryo gets used, then obviously that embryo is neither related to the woman nor to her partner.

On most occasions, a frozen embryo transfer takes place when there are extra embryos available after a normal IVF cycle. The usually preferred option is to have a fresh transfer.

Reasons behind Choosing To Have a Frozen Embryo Transfer-In Vitro Fertilization Cycle (FET - IVF)

One can choose to go for a Frozen Embryo Transfer cycle if:

A fresh IVF transfer fails and a woman has embryos which are cryopreserved: IVF Treatment cycle can result in the emergence of one or more than one embryo. The safe option is to get only one embryo transferred or a maximum of two at a time. In order to ensure complete reduction of risk, certain doctors even recommend women to go for Elective Single Embryo Transfer, especially for those with a good prognosis.

On certain situations, an IVF cycle can result in extra embryos. Most women opt to freeze or cryopreserve their extra embryos. For instance, a woman gets five embryos. Now, let's presume that a doctor recommends a woman to go for elective single embryo transfer. This would ensure that only one out of the five embryos will get transferred, whereas the remaining four embryos will be cryopreserved. It can well happen that one embryo transfer does not lead to successful pregnancy, then in that scenario, there would be a couple of options: a) A woman can go for another fresh complete IVF cycle or b) She can transfer either one or two of her embryos which were previously cryopreserved.

A woman may want to give her IVF conceived child a sibling: If a fresh embryo transfer results in pregnancy, then through the last example, given above, a woman can have four embryos, which are waiting to get cryopreserved. Cryopreserved embryos can be on liquid nitrogen for an indefinite period of time. Cryopreserved embryos can be used for second child.

The embryos are screened genetically: There are two assisted reproductive techniques in the form of Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis and Preimplantation Genetic Screening, which ensure embryos to get screened for any kind of specific disease or defects. This is carried out through a biopsy of the embryo on the 3rd or on the 5th day after fertilization and after the egg gets retrieved. On certain situations, the results get back in time for performing a fresh embryo transfer. In case the biopsy or genetic test result is complex and more time gets consumed, in that case, all those embryos whose biopsy were taken get cryopreserved.

For centuries, there have been cases where women were unable to conceive a child. The reason could in both, female or male body. Despite knowing the reason, it wasn’t possible to treat such patients or let them have a chance at parenting. Many such marriages would end in a divorce that was unable to conceive a child, but mostly, the motherly instincts of a childless woman were hurt deeply and inconsolably. Thanks to the IVF, which stands for- In-Vitro Fertilization, that it has given a newly found chance at parenting to those who cannot do it naturally?

Even though man developed this technique of artificial fertilization, it is greatly unlikely to have successful implantation or a successful pregnancy. The chances are meagre in most cases given the fact that IVF is indeed, an experiment which does not claim 100% proficiency or results. No one can guarantee 100% success but after meticulous evaluation one can try and assure maximum success. Therefore, whoever goes for an IVF treatment is always, more or less, in the shadow of the doubt whether it will turn out positive or not! This brings us to the most asked question, IVF: how successful is it? Well, the answer merely lies in the statistics and the reason for seeking the treatment.

To start with, there are a number of factors on which the success of IVF depends upon, for example:

• The age of women

• Causes of Infertility

• The quality of egg in the female body

• The quality of sperm

• The quantity of sperm released by the male body

These are the primary factors which influence the success of IVF treatment. If you consider recent statistics, it says that women who receive frozen egg transfers are more likely to have a successful pregnancy than those with a fresh transfer. A frozen egg transfer is not only best recommended by the doctors but it has a higher statistical success rate. This is mainly due to the fact which says that during a frozen egg transfer the hormonal condition in the woman is better adjusted and in control. Moreover, the mother is less like to suffer from any pregnancy-related complications when subjected to frozen egg transfer.

Conclusion: Deciding the success rate of an IVF treatment is highly impossible because the situation with every couple is unique to their own health conditions and other factors. But medical science is advancing by the day which means the possibility of success is most likely to be increased in the near future. One way to ensure the success is thorough research about relatable cases and in-depth talk with your doctor.

There are many different modes of contraception available to women today. Tubal ligation is considered the most effective amongst these. This involves permanently blocking the fallopian tubes by clipping, cutting or burning them. The only downside to this form of contraception is its permanence. Conceiving a child after tubal ligation is difficult but not impossible. The two modes of treatment available to women who have undergone this procedure are tubal ligation reversal and IVF.

As the name suggests, a tubal ligation reversal procedure reconnects the fallopian tubes. This procedure involves making a 10-15cm incision in the lower abdomen. Tiny stitches are then used to reconnect the two blocked ends of the fallopian tubes. This procedure is usually performed while the patient is under general anaesthesia and could involve a few days of hospital stay. A tubal ligation reversal procedure can also be performed as a keyhole procedure. This procedure gives a woman a chance to conceive naturally. The younger the woman is, the higher are her chances of conception after this procedure. In the case of patients over the age of 40 years, the chances of a successful conception after this procedure are very slim.

IVF or In vitro fertilization involves harvesting the eggs from the patient’s ovaries, fertilizing them in a lab and then reintroducing the embryo into the patient’s uterus. When it comes to assisted reproductive therapy, IVF is more successful than a reverse tubal ligation. Another advantage of IVF over reverse tubal ligation is the fact that with IVF the woman will still have an efficient form of birth control even after the pregnancy. IVF also does not need any hospitalization. One of the downsides of a reverse tubal ligation is the high risk of tubal ectopic pregnancy. In this case, the fertilized egg is implanted outside the uterus. This type of pregnancy cannot usually be taken to full term and can be life-threatening for the woman.

On the flip side, IVF can often need repeat cycles which often works out to be quite expensive. These costs can be an issue for a woman who wants more than one child. In the case of reverse tubal ligation, the costs are a one-time investment.

One of the other common side effects of IVF is multiple pregnancies. For women who do not want more than one child, this can again be a problem. Thus, both forms of treatment have their advantages and disadvantages.

The best form of treatment for you can be decided only by a fertility expert.

Even though the process of In Vitro Fertilisation has been around for a while now, there are still a few myths and misconceptions connected to it. Here we dispel some of the most popular myths about IVF treatment:

Myth #1: Women should take bed rest after embryo transfer
Reality: False
Doctors have said that it is absolutely not required to put your life on hold after IVF treatments. Further, it can actually be detrimental because it prevents normal fluctuations in heart rate and blood pressure.

Myth #2: IVF causes multiple births
Reality: False
While it is true that earlier, IVF clinics often transferred more than one embryo into the uterus of the woman because success rates were much lower in the past, today the process is much more advanced. While it’s true that during the treatment the ovaries are stimulated to produce multiple eggs, these eggs are removed from the body before fertilisation. Fertilisation happens in the laboratory under specific conditions, thus the term “test-tube baby”, and the resulting embryo is implanted into the mother.

Myth #3: Babies born through IVF have higher chances of birth defects, illness and developmental delays
Reality: False
This is a very common myth prevalent among many women, primarily due to a lack of understanding of the science behind IVF treatments. Numerous research has revealed that the likelihood of any such abnormalities in children born after IVF is not higher than those conceived in a natural way. The child’s health depends more on the health of the parents than on the way of conception. The genetic makeup of the mother and father can influence what kind of genetic defects, if any, their child will have. Therefore, if you are worried about the health of your future child, it is advisable to undergo a PGD (Preimplantation genetic diagnosis) screening before going for IVF treatments. Further, during the embryonic state, that is when the embryos are growing and being prepared to be transferred to the uterus, the doctors can detect specific chromosomal and genetic abnormalities and hence inform the parents about them.

Myth #4: It is not possible to get pregnant in the 1st attempt
Reality: It depends
This myth arises from the fact that IVF treatment does not necessarily guarantee a successful pregnancy. Although this method of increasing fertility is quite effective, it also depends quite a lot on the physical condition of the woman undergoing IVF. For example, a young woman with blocked tubes is more likely to conceive than a woman over 35 years with severe endometriosis. In both cases, it is possible to become pregnant at the first try, only that the chances are different.

Such myths and misconceptions often prevent a lot of couples from seeking treatment to help them conceive. In such situations, it is best to talk to your doctor about any doubts you may have and not just depend on online material, which can often be quite misleading.

One of the major milestones in a woman’s life is the entry into motherhood. For most women, when this does not happen in the natural logical sequence of things, there is anxiety and a lot of pressure from family and friends.

However, with advancements now, there are options like intrauterine insemination and in vitro fertilization (IUI and IVF) available, which can help increase the chances of conception and pregnancy. IVF is where the egg is retrieved from the woman’s womb, fertilized externally and then transplanted back into the uterus where it grows to full term. However, there are always unanswered questions like how long to wait before going for IVF, is it the right procedure for me, etc.

Read on to know to find answers to some of these. 

1. Maternal age: As a woman reaches 35 and a man reaches 40, the fertility rates drop significantly. The chances that a woman at 35 will conceive is about 20%, which goes down to 5% if the woman is 40. However, this rate can be significantly increased by using IVF. The quality of the egg would gradually deteriorate, and so if a woman is nearing 40, it is better to consider IVF as the ovarian reserve would be optimal with IVF.
    
2. Failed intrauterine insemination: In couples who have problems with the sperm reaching the uterus, intrauterine insemination (IUI) is first attempted. However, if 3 or more attempts of fail, it is time to consider IVF.
    
3. Duration of inability to conceive: While some couples conceive quite promptly in a month or two, most take about 6 to 8 months of unprotected sex to conceive. Therefore, IVF can be an option if you are failing to conceive even after a year. Less than a year, don’t fret. Take it easy and it might just do the trick.
    
4. Medical health: Both the partner’s medical health should be taken into account. Lifestyle changes like smoking, alcohol abuse, drug abuse should be considered, which can account for poor sexual performance and therefore lead to an inability to conceive. Health conditions like diabetes and heart disease can also lead to infertility. Hypothyroidism in women is another thing that must be ruled out, as it often leads to an inability to conceive.
    
5. Sexual problems with the partner: One of the first things to do before going for IVF is to check that the male does not have any issues. Be it erection issues or ejaculation issues or sperm issues, they need to be ruled out. Sperm quality, quantity, and motility have to be analyzed, and if they are optimal, IVF can be considered.