What is IVF procedure and how does it work?

There has been an exponential expansion of assisted reproductive technology (ART) during the past decade. India has one of the highest growths in the number of ART cycles performed every year.

India faces a high burden of infertility, with an estimated 27.5 to 30 million couples in the reproductive age suffering from infertility. Out of this, male factor accounts for 30%-40% while female factor accounts for 40%-50% of infertility. However, the ART in India is still highly under-penetrated even with this massive demand. The number of couples coming forward for evaluation is just 1% (which is approximately 270,000) of the population of infertile couples and less than 40% of these goes for prescribed treatment.  The stigmas associated with infertility treatment need to be eradicated. This can happen only with constant education regarding the problem and the treatment available.

What is IVF?

IVF stands for in vitro fertilization. It’s one of the more generally known types of ART. The human body is magnificent but unpredictable. It is not easy to see what is happening on the inside, even with the most sophisticated imaging technology now available. IVF allows us to create a controlled environment that extensively enhances the opportunity for fertilization of the egg.

So what is IVF? - In simpler terms, egg and sperm are combined in a lab for IVF treatment —incubated, and cautiously monitored all the way through the fertilization process. Successfully fertilized eggs develop into embryos over the course of 3 to 5 days. Next, the embryo quality is studied for transfer, freezing, or further culturing and development. In fact, IVF is not a single process but a series of procedures. An average IVF cycle takes almost 8 weeks from consultation to transfer. The specific events of each path in IVF is similar for almost all patients, what varies is how their body responds at each stage.

 

Who is a Good Candidate for IVF?

The good news here is that IVF is successful in treating many, many different causes of infertility. IVF is often a good option for: 

• Patients with reduced ovarian function and women who cannot produce healthy eggs and who are willing to use donor eggs.
• Many women with removed or blocked fallopian tubes have success with IVF as it bypasses the fallopian tubes altogether
• Women who have an infertility disorder, like polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), Tubal factor infertility or endometriosis are also good candidates for IVF as it helps to treat their infertility symptoms.
• Women with uterine fibroids and  irregular ovulation cycles may benefit from IVF
• For 30%-40% of infertile couples, male infertility is a contributing factor. They may also benefit from IVF.
• Unexplained infertility: 1 in 6 couples suffer from fertility problems and sometimes these remain undiagnosed after investigation. 
• People who want control over the genetics of the baby: Parents may also choose IVF if they run the risk of passing a genetic disorder on to their offspring. Preimplantation genetic screening (PGS) can check the embryos for genetic abnormalities.
• For women who are unsuccessful with other fertility treatments, including fertility medications and IUI (intrauterine insemination), IVF often offers hope where other methods have failed.

 

How does IVF work?

IVF Techniques may differ depending on the clinic, but typically involves the following steps:

1. Strengthening the Egg Supply

You will be given medication that will repress your natural menstrual cycle. This is to make sure that the medication used in the next stage to be more effective. Fertility medications containing the fertility hormone (Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH)) is given to the woman.  Also known as controlled ovarian hyperstimulation, this makes the ovaries produce more eggs than usual. More eggs means more chances to conceive.  During this time, your doctor will perform regular blood tests, examine your hormone levels and perform ultrasounds to ensure you are producing eggs that are maturing in your ovarian follicles

 2. Retrieving the eggs

Egg retrieval is performed by a minor surgical procedure known as "follicular aspiration” under intravenous sedation.  A very thin needle is inserted through the vagina into the ovary guided by transvaginal ultrasonography. The needle is connected to a suction device which sucks the eggs out. According to a breakthrough study published in the UK journal Human Reproduction, there is a strong relationship between live birth rates and the number of eggs retrieved in one cycle. The live birth rate rose with an increasing number of eggs up to about 15; then gradually declined beyond 20 eggs. The “perfect” number of eggs retrieved will also depend on your doctor’s experience and professional opinion. Don’t hesitate to ask.

3. Insemination and fertilization

The eggs that have been collected are placed together with your partner (or donor’s) sperms and kept in an environmentally controlled chamber. Approximately 50,000 to 100,000 motile sperm are transferred to the eggs (when sperm parameters are normal). This is called standard insemination. Sometimes intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) technique is used to fertilize mature eggs if sperm parameters are abnormal (such as low sperm count and/or motility, poor morphology, or poor progression). Fertilization is checked 16 - 20 hours after insemination or ICSI to see if any eggs have been successfully fertilized.

4. Embryo quality:

There are several criteria used to determine the quality of the embryo. This is particularly important when trying to choose which embryos are preferred for embryo transfer. Embryos are evaluated and photographed by the embryologist before embryo transfer. Your Gynaecologist and the embryologist will decide, based on the rate of development and appearance of the embryos, which and how many embryos are recommended to be transferred. Usually, embryos are transferred at the cleavage stage on day 3 ((6 - 8 cells) after oocyte retrieval) or on day 5 when they have reached the blastocyst stage.

The woman is then given human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) or progesterone to help the lining of the womb receive the embryo. These medications will stimulate the growth of the uterine lining, effectively creating a nice cushy environment for the embryo when it is transferred.

 5. Embryo Transfer

It is important that the doctor and the couples have to discuss how many embryos should be transferred. Usually, a doctor will only transfer more than one embryo only when no ideal embryos are available.

A catheter or thin tube is inserted into the uterine cavity through the cervix to transfer the embryos. Embryo transfer is a simple procedure that does not require any anesthesia and this is usually painless. When the embryo sticks to the lining of the womb, healthy embryo growth can begin and you’re pregnant.

ARC Fertility Centre is one of the leading infertility clinics in India operating in 10 different locations in Tamilnadu and Puducherry. ARC is one of the most successful centers for IVF Treatment in Chennai and been helping couples fulfill their dreams to become parents with expert treatments and dedicated care. The Infertility Specialists in Chennai offer you the entire range of treatments and services to assist you in your journey to having a child. They aim to provide dependable, high quality, personalized care for patients and to treat fertility-related conditions as well as other areas of women’s care, by adopting sophisticated technologies, and thereby be a one-stop solution center for infertility.

Visit @ arcivf.com
Mail us: arc.flagship@gmail.com