The Ultimate Guide to IVF in 2022
One in eight couples have infertility problems, or around 49 million couples globally, according to the CDC's National Survey of Family Growth.
Many individuals view starting a family as a major life achievement. Still, before the 1960s, a lot of people had a hard time becoming pregnant and starting families.
With the advent of modern reproductive treatments, many of organizations throughout the world are helping infertile couples start their children. In metro cities like Ahmedabad, Modern IVF Center has helped many people become parents because of the many scientific breakthroughs that have occurred in the 21st century.
What is IVF?
IVF is the most technologically sophisticated kind of ART available to assist infertile women and men have a child. The process of in vitro fertilization (IVF) involves the manual fertilization of a woman's eggs with a sperm sample either from her male partner or a donor.
In Vitro Fertilization may be adapted in a number of ways to meet the needs of prospective parents, from small IVF treatments for those seeking a less intensive and costly option to reciprocal IVF for lesbian couples.
IVF has helped many infertile couples conceive healthy children; you may be a good candidate for this treatment if you have or experience any of the following:
- Fallopian tubes that have been injured, surgically removed, or are plugged
- Premature ovarian failure, uterine fibroids, and irregular ovulation
- Low sperm count or sperm motility
In vitro fertilization (IVF) also allows same-sex couples and single people to realize their goals of starting a family.
Why IVF is Done?
Who can and cannot have successful in vitro fertilization treatment is not determined by any absolute criteria. Situations vary from patient to patient, therefore it's important to take that into account. However, your gynecologist may recommend IVF as your greatest chance of conceiving if:
- Unfortunately, your attempts at Intrauterine Insemination have proven unsuccessful (IUI)
- Since endometriosis causes scarring in the uterus and the fallopian tubes, you may not be able to conceive if you try to have a child.
- Because you're over the age of
- Ovarian reserve has decreased in you (DOR)
- You might not even have any fallopian tubes left.
- You and your partner both have a known genetic condition, and you'd like to protect your child from being affected.
- You need to make embryos to be transferred to a gestational carrier, but you don't have a uterus.
- In cases where the male spouse suffers from severe male factor infertility, assisted reproductive technologies like ICSI and IVF are often necessary to conceive.
How does IVF work?
First, you'll need to stimulate your ovaries to a fever pitch.
Over the course of 8 to 12 days, the IVF specialist will inject you with hormone drugs to stimulate the production of numerous eggs. For the doctor to track your follicles' growth and development, you'll need to come in for blood tests and ultrasounds frequently.
Extraction of Eggs, the Second Step
An egg retrieval is a non-hospital outpatient treatment in which the fertility expert uses a transvaginal ultrasonography probe and hollow needle to remove eggs from the ovaries.
Although the operation itself does not cause any pain, most medical professionals opt to administer a little sedative to their patients instead. The entire process won't take more than 30 minutes, and then you'll be free to go.
Third, get your sperm ready.
Your partner will need to provide a sperm sample on the day of your egg retrieval. A sperm donor is an option for certain patients who cannot have their own children.
Under some conditions, sperm can be surgically extracted from the testis using the TESE, TESA, or Micro TESE operation. The sperm and seminal fluid are separated using the sperm-washing procedure after the semen has been collected.
Four: Fertilization
Fertilization occurs on the same day as egg retrieval. All or all of the following fertilization methods may be used by the IVF specialist:
- In conventional in vitro fertilization, the eggs and sperm are combined in a petri dish, and fertilization occurs by chance.
- The sperm is injected directly into the cytoplasm of each egg, a technique known as intracytoplasmic sperm injection. If male factor infertility is a problem or if previous IVF attempts were unsuccessful, this is the procedure of choice.
- The fertilized eggs are then placed in an incubator where they will spend the next three to five days developing. The embryologist keeps a close eye on them throughout this time.
The Embryo Transfer, the Fifth Step
Three to five days after egg retrieval, embryo transfer is the norm. Utilizing a tiny catheter inserted vaginally, the embryo is implanted into the uterine wall. It's not too uncomfortable of a procedure.
The leftover embryos can be frozen and used at a later date.
Pregnancy testing
Twelve to fourteen days following embryo transfer, you will have a pregnancy test.
Risk of IVF
The danger of harm from any medical procedure is always present. To offer a few examples, there is always a tiny risk of consequences when using sedation or anesthesia, regardless of the reason; the injection site can become painful or infected; using an aspirating needle for egg retrieval involves a slight risk of bleeding or other internal harm; and so on.
Ovarian stimulation during IVF also carries the risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS), which manifests as a buildup of fluid in the belly and other areas of the body. Weight gain, nausea, abdominal distention/bloating, and maybe shortness of breath are some of the symptoms of OHSS.
Measures have been devised to significantly lessen the likelihood of OHSS, and your physicians will keep a careful eye on your estrogen levels and follicular development.