Fertility

In Vitro Fertilisation Treatment

IVF

In vitro fertilisation (IVF) literally means 'fertilisation in glass'. You may have also heard the term test tube babies but these days the procedure involves placing an egg and sperm together in a plastic dish to fertilise, rather than in a test tube.

What is in vitro fertilisation?

In vitro fertilisation actually means fertilisation inside glass. You may have also been familiar with the term test tube babies but these days the procedure involves placing an 
egg and sperm together in a plastic dish to fertilise, rather than inside a test tube. IVF literally refers to a technique of assisted reproduction where the egg and sperm are 
fertilised outside of the body to form an embryo, this embryo is afterwards transferred to the uterus to hopefully implant and have a pregnancy. The treatment can be either 
performed using the persons own eggs and sperm, or using donated sperm or donated eggs, or even both. Fertilization means the sperm has been attached and entered the egg.

What does this treatment involve?


Treatment is usually done in 6 steps:- Ovarian stimulation and monitoring- With IVF, having a greater number of mature eggs are available for fertilisation and thus increasing the 
chances of pregnancy. Certain medications are even used to prevent an early release of eggs, while other medications are used to stimulate the ovaries to develop more number of 
ovarian follicles. By having large amount of mature eggs available for attempted fertilisation and transfer - generally between five and 10 - it is estimated that at least one of 
them will result in pregnancy.

Egg retrieval: Egg retrieval is also known as egg pick up and is arranged just prior to expected ovulation. Egg retrieval is usually performed in between 36 to 48 hours
after the administration of the ovulation by induction of drugs hCG or LH. The doctor will try to retrieve as many mature eggs as possible, but all the eggs may or may not be used 
in the current IVF cycle. Egg retrieval is usually performed under mild sedation, local anaesthesia or and in some cases by general anaesthesia, most commonly by using ultrasound 
guided fine needle (aspiration). The mature follicles are identified using this ultrasound, and afterwards a needle is passed through the vaginal wall into the follicle and the 
fluid is taken from the mature follicle with gentle suction.

Fertilisation: About two hours before the egg pick up, a semen sample is collected from male partner, two to three days of absence from intercourse/masturbation is preferred prior 
to the sample collection day. If undergoing IVF, the sperm are placed with the eggs in an incubator set to equalise the same temperature as a woman's body. The next day, the eggs are 
examined under a microscope to determine whether the fertilisation has occurred or not. If undergoing ICSI, the eggs are prepared for injection and their maturity will be confirmed 
in a delicate laboratory procedure, a single sperm is placed directly in the cytoplasm of the egg - hence it is referred to as intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection.

Embryo development: Embryo culture is a term used to describe the process immediately after the egg pick Page Imageup. It is during the culture process that the eggs and the male sperm
sperm will be combined in order to produce a fertilised egg also known as a zygote. The doctor will discuss how long they will watch embryo development in the laboratory and how each 
embryo will be 'graded', say from 'a' to 'f' depending on their quality. 

Embryo transfer: Embryo transfer is not a complex procedure - and can be performed even without anaesthesia. Two to five days following egg pick up, the embryo is generally placed 
in a catheter and later transferred to the uterus via the vaginal opening. The number of embryos transferred depends on a woman's age, cause of infertility as well as pregnancy 
history and other factors.

Luteal phase support: The luteal phase is a two week period in between the embryo transfer and the pregnancy test. It is usually recommended to take it easy for a couple of 
days after the transfer. After 48 hours, you can resume your normal activities and the implantation is unaffected by them.

When is IVF recommended?


• When someone has a blocked or damaged fallopian tubes or any other issue.
• When the partner has a issue with his sperms. Major problems are well treated using ICSI.
• When fertility drugs are not working or another fertility treatment such as IUI is not successful.
• When a female has been trying to conceive for around two years and a cause hasn't been found to explain why you she has not become pregnant.
• When a women is having fertility disorders like endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
• Couples who are using embryo testing to avoid passing on a genetic condition to the child.
• Female who are undergoing tubal ligation — a type of sterilization in which the fallopian tubes are cut or sometimes blocked to permanently prevent pregnancy.
• When a female is about to start cancer treatment — such as radiation or chemotherapy — that may harm her fertility.

Facts about IVF

• Acupuncture may increase IVF success rate.
• Use of younger eggs give a youthful fertility advantages.
• Eggs that are harvested does not equal to eggs fertilized.
• There are great chances of having identical twins from a multiple embryo transfer.
• Healthy sleep habits leads to better IVF cycles.
• More than four million babies have been born worldwide as a result of using the IVF technique.
• It has also been estimated that IVF technique has reduced the Fallopian tubes surgeries to half.

What Complications Can Happen?

The Side Effects Include - Hot flushes, Feeling down or irritable, Headaches, Restlessness, Ovarian hyper stimulation syndrome, Drug reaction, Mild bloating, Constipation, Breast 
tenderness and/or Decreased urinary frequency. Also, Eight to ten pounds of weight gain within three to five days after the procedure.

The Risks Include-  Egg retrieval carries risks of bleeding, infection, and damage to the bowel or bladder, Psychological stress and depression if IVF fails, Multiple pregnancies:  
women who undergo IVF have high chances of delivering , about 63 percent single babies, 32 percent twins, and 5 percent triplets or more and IVF pregnancies can become ectopic.

How soon will I recover?

The time needed abroad will depend on the treatment plan, and whether any of these stages of IVF can be done at home. Patients may also begin treatment and later return home or go 
travelling for several days. Patients are also able to fly as soon as the embryo or embryos have been transferred.

Top Doctors for Fertility

Top Hospitals for Fertility