IVF
What is IVF ?
IVF is the process of taking out mature eggs from the ovary and sperms from male partner and fertilization of an egg outside the body in a lab. Then the implantation of fertilized egg (embryo) in the uterus. IVF is an invasive procedure.
Step by Step IVF Process
1. Fertility Specialist consultation
At your first visit doctor will review your history, medical records, scans, investigations and will decide on the decision of IVF , as and when it is required. At this consultation doctor will advise you pre-IVF medications and investigations.
2. Treatment beginning and monitoring
Patient needs to report of day-2 of menses. After basic blood investigation and scans , Hormone injections are started daily up to 8-12 days till the follicles gets mature. These injections are painless and has to be taken on specific time daily. Almost alternate day you need to visit for scans for 8-10 days.
3. Trigger injection
Once you have the best possible number and size of follicles, we schedule your egg collection. You’ll have a trigger injection of hCG in the evening or night, and then we collect the eggs in a daycare surgery procedure 36 hours later.
4. Egg collection ( OPU )
Egg collection is a simple method. This procedure is done under short anesthesia in operation theater under ultrasound guidance with small needle. This procedure takes around 20-30 mins. While it’s a relatively short visit, we recommend you take the day off work. This procedure does not involve any cut or stitch.
5. Fertilization in lab
Retrievedeggs are incubated in culture media. The partner’s semen sample istaken on the morning of egg pickup. There are different methods offertilization of eggs- conventional IVF or ICSI. But ICSI has bettersuccess rate.
6. Embryo Transfer
The procedure is painless and can be done without anesthesia. Under ultrasound guidance best quality embryo is transferred in the uterus. Usually 2-3 embryo are transferred, rest embryos are kept for freezing. Embryo transfer can be done in same cycle or in next cycle depends on the patient endometrium.
7. Embryo freezing
If fresh transfer not possible or if after fresh transfer remaining embryos are there, then those embryos will be kept for freezing in lab. Freezing dosent have any impact on embryos.
8. Pregnancy Test
After embryo transfer medicines are given and after 2 wks of embryo transfer blood test is performed to check the result.
Who Need IVF ?
IVF can be used in following condition-
1. Tubal pathology
- Blocked tubes or impaired tubal function
2. Unexplained infertility
- If the duration of unexplained infertility is 3 years or longer
- If women is older than 36 yrs
3. Male infertility
- Severe male factor
- Severe impaired count or motility
4. ENDOMETRIOSIS - severe endometriosis
- If mild to moderate endometriosis with duration 3 yrs or longer
- Women older thn 36 yrs with mild to moderate endometriosis
Success Rate of IVF
The success rate of IVF depends on number of factors including maternal age, the cause of infertility, lifestyle of patient. The women age is one of the most important factor. The pregnancy rates are approximately 45-50% in women less than 35 yrs and 30-35 % in women older than 35 yrs.
