IVF Treatment Process

What is In IVF Treatment Process: In Vitro Fertilisation is an assisted reproductive technological treatment that enables external fertilisation in human beings and thus, facilitating pregnancy. It is generally referred to as IVF. The off-springs who are born with the help of this procedure are known as “test-tube babies”.

Dr. Suman Explained IVF Treatment Process That, “It is a process that includes the intake of fertilisation medications, extracting the eggs produced and culturing them with the sperm taken from the male counterpart of the donor in a petri dish. The embryo formed is then transferred into the uterus of the woman where the next steps take place.”

Why IVF?

As aforementioned, In IVF treatment process that helps couples to conceive. Couples who suffer from various problems or complications during pregnancy can undergo this ivf treatment process. Some of them are:

1. Unexplained infertility- where the cause of infertility is undetected
2. Absence of fallopian tubes-due to some reason if it was surgically removed or due to a severe problem if it was eliminated.
3. Male factor infertility- low sperm count or other problems
4. Abnormal ovulation- a disorder in the ovulation process of a woman can be a problem
5. Blocked or damaged fallopian tubes- if the fallopian tubes have been cut and tied or blocked due to some medical reasons
6. Genetic disorder-for some people, the genetic factor of infertility plays a dominant role

IVF Treatment Process step by step:

The IVF treatment process is a long one, so the patients are needed to be calm and relaxed.

Step 1:

If any doubt occurs, visit a doctor first.

A thorough check-up of hormone levels, condition of the uterus, fallopian tubes, and the cervical area is examined. The status of sperm is also checked. Blood samples are taken and other required tests are carried out.

Step 2:

The natural ovulation process is stopped by the use of medications prescribed by the doctor. The doctor might even suggest injections and nasal sprays. This will continue for some days.

Step 3:

The next step is to strengthen the ovulation and enhance the production of eggs. The more eggs produced, the more is the chance of fertilisation, although it contains some risks of multiple fertilisations but it can be controlled if proper care is taken and proper monitoring takes place. The medications used for this process will continue for some time too, just like the previous step.

Step 4:

This step involves the extraction of eggs from the ovaries. Around 34-36 hours prior to this step, one final hormone injection that will help your eggs to get matured. A needle is inserted into the fallopian tubes through the vagina, guided with the help of ultrasound imaging. Sedatives are used while carrying out this step but it is a minor surgery that takes around 15-20 minutes to complete.

Step 5:

Collecting the sperm sample comes next. Be it the donor or the male counterpart, their sperm samples are collected, treated and then the eggs and sperm are kept together in a unique sterilised container. This process is known as insemination. In case of low sperm mobility, the sperms are directly injected into the eggs. The container is stored in the laboratory for 3-4 days and during this time fertilisation is supposed to happen.

There are two possibilities here, either the eggs get fertilized, or it doesn’t.

Step 6:

If the eggs get fertilized, before transferring them into the womb, a hormone stimulating medicine is prescribed to facilitate the attachment of the embryo on the lining of the womb. Then a catheter is used to insert the embryo into the womb. No sedatives are used because it is a simpler operation than egg collection. Usually this process doesn’t cause any severe discomfort in most women, apart from minor cramps and minimal vaginal discharge.

Step 7:

If the attachment of the embryo takes place then pregnancy occurs. It can only be confirmed after a few days after the transfer of the embryo into the womb. It is advised to take a rest after the completion of the procedure.

Risks and side effects of IVF:

There are medicinal side effects that might cause discomfort:

1. Cramping
2. Headache
3. Breast tenderness
4. Bloating
5. Mood swings
6. Allergy
7. Bleeding and infection

The other risks include:

1. Miscarriage – in some unfortunate cases, this accident might occur.
2. Multiple births– it can be controlled if proper monitoring is maintained.
3. Premature birth– in this case the baby has to be kept in an incubator and she/he might have low weight.
4. Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome– the ovaries become swollen and painful with the usage of all fertility drugs and hormonal medications.
5. Ovarian cancer– it is again, an unfortunate account
6. Birth defects– the baby might suffer from curable or incurable diseases, syndromes or defects.
7. Ectopic pregnancy– here, the embryo gets attached to the lining of the fallopian tubes, which make the continuation of pregnancy impossible because the embryo cannot mature in the fallopian tubes. The whole cycle has to be discarded in this case.
8. Stress– times like these do invite unwanted mental and physical stress, but try and take it easy as much as possible.

Cost of IVF treatment:

The cost of the whole treatment in India can vary between 65,000 rupees to 3,00,000 rupees, per cycle, depending upon the place and hospital.

The extra charges include the following things:

1. Doctor’s fee
2. Blood tests. Hormone tests, medications
3. Embryo freezing, embryo storage, sperm freezing and storage,
4. Egg donation or sperm donation

Success rate of IVF:

IVF, being one of the most popular forms of assisted reproductive technology procedures, has a good success rate. It varies from individual to individual and is hugely dependent upon the age of the woman.

For women under 37- they only require one embryo transfer. If the quality of eggs is not high enough, then two embryos are used.

For women aged 38-42 – if required, they may have a double embryo transfer. The suitable leftover embryos are frozen for later use.

In 29.4% of all cycles, pregnancy was achieved (higher or lower depending on the age of the woman).

In 22.4% on average, live births were achieved (higher or lower depending on the age of the woman).

Other factors such as reproductive history, physical conditions etc also account for the success rate of In Vitro Fertilisation.

In case the treatment fails, the medicines will be stopped and the natural track of ovulation will start. Always take counsel from experienced people, doctors and explore all available actions well before deciding upon any particular treatment procedure. All the best!