Who Amongst You May Need IVF (In Vitro Fertilization)?

IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) means fertilization outside the human body(in vitro), in common language called. as Test Tube Baby treatment. It is a specialised technique in which, male and female gametes are put together to fertilize in culture media, resulting embryos are then put inside the uterine cavity to achieve pregnancy. ICSI (Intracytoplasmic sperm injection) is an advanced technology used for Infertility treatment, where each egg is injected with a selected sperm. Hence fertilization rates are higher then IVF, wherein sperm selection occurs naturally.

Following are indications for IVF treatment:

1. Tubal factor infertility: If bilateral fallopian tubes are blocked due to any reason, the couple is unsuitable for simpler treatments like timed intercourse or IUI

2. Severe male factor infertility: If husband semen count is below 15 million/ml or progressive motility is less than 40% or volume is less than 1.5ml, then pregnancy rates with IUI are very low. These couples can conceive faster with IVF treatment.

3. Anovulatory cycles: PCOS and other anovulatory conditions respond well to IVF stimulation and have an excellent prognosis

4. Altered anatomy in cases of Pelvic infections, endometriosis, pelvic adhesions wherein surgery is unlikely to help, may need IVF

5. Poor ovarian reserve: Reduced antral follicle count or AMH levels which may or may not be associated with advanced age, warrant aggressive treatment like IVF/ICSI which gives best results.

6. Unexplained infertility: If 3-4 IUI cycles fail in such couples,  it is better to opt for IVF treatment as it may correct some unidentified factors causing subfertility or infertility.

7. Latest advances like PGS (Preimplantation genetic screening) or PGD ( Preimplantation genetic diagnosis)  are generally used for couples with repeated miscarriages or recurrent implantation failures or family history of genetic disorders. The couple is subjected to IVF treatment followed by embryo biopsy. 

These are the most common indications of IVF/ICSI treatment. Before planning IVF treatment, please discuss with your fertility expert about the prognosis and possible consequences in your case and take a wise decision.