IVF Treatment & Its Success

IVF or In Vitro Fertilization is very much the buzzword in the medical community as well as among the married couples who are looking to have a child. However, it was not much long ago that IVF was considered to be a mysterious procedure used with couples facing issues of infertility. The babies produced from such procedures were known as the test tube babies. Unlike the traditionally simpler method of artificial insemination where the sperm is put into the woman’s uterus and the conception takes place normally, in the process of IVF the sperm and the eggs are combined outside the woman’s body in the laboratory. Once the embryo or embryos are formed, they are placed inside the uterus. In Vitro Fertilization is typically an expensive and complex procedure. Only around 5% of couples having infertility issues try it out. However, since 1981 when it was first introduced in U.S., it has led to the birth of more than 200000 babies.

IVF can be an option for couples if one or either partner has any of the following problems:

Endometriosis

·         Problems with ovulation

·         Low sperm counts

·         Any unexplained fertility problems

·         Antibody problems that can harm the eggs or sperm

·         Problems associated with the fallopian tubes or uterus

The inability of a sperm to penetrate the egg or survive in cervical mucus 

A woman who chooses to undergo an IVF process will need to visit the IVF clinic on a regular basis and go through hormonal therapy to produce greater number of eggs on a monthly basis. This will help the medical expert to enhance chances of ovulation within the woman. The doctor may carry out blood tests and ultrasound to find out whether the eggs are at the best stage for extraction.  

Success Rates of IVF Procedure 

The success rates associated with an IVF procedure depends on several factors, such as reasons for infertility, the age of the patient and the center from where the procedure is being done. Among the various ART (assisted reproductive technology) procedures carried out in U.S., such as IVF, ZIFT and GIFT, IVF is the most common and accounts for about 99% of all procedures. According to some recent reports, it was found out that

·         The percentage of the cycles that led to live births was around 22.4% on an average (can be higher or lower according to the age of a woman).

·      Pregnancy was successfully achieved in about 29.4% cases on an average (can be higher or lower according to the age of a woman).

The age of the woman is a critical factor when it came to the success of an IVF procedure. For example, a woman aged less than 35 years had about 39.6% chance of successfully having a baby through IVF, whereas a woman aged 40 years or more has a typical chance of success of about 11.5%. Nevertheless, recent findings have suggested that the overall success rate with IVF is increasing for every age group.