What is IVF?

What is IVF?

Do you remember when you first heard the word IVF, you probably had to repeat it in your head at least a few times just to get the hang of it. At that point, most people are clueless about the treatment and the first image that flashes before their eyes was of a baby attached to tubes in a giant test tube. At some point you will realise how utterly wrong It was!

There is a huge amount of information available online that can be bewildering and in the worst-case scenario, misguiding. From my experience, I can tell you that this is not what one should do as there is no way to tell authentic and genuine information from the inaccurate and unreliable. Therefore, instead of choosing to lurk and wallow in confusion, consult a clinician for all your questions and doubts.

Trust your clinician, ask the right questions, and that will be your best bet at understanding IVF. Everything during the treatment is tailor-made. That is, during IVF, one person’s treatment is designed for that person alone and will vary from someone else’s.

Each case is unique.

Opting for IVF is a big step, and it is totally reasonable if patients talk to other couples that have gone through a similar experience before walking into a fertility clinic. However, it must be borne in mind that each case is unique and comparisons don’t work.

What is IVF?

Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) is a range of fertility treatments that encompasses a number of options offered to couples that have a problem conceiving. IVF is an advanced form of ART suggested to you by your clinician after evaluating your case history.

In-vitro fertilization (IVF)

The process of in-vitro fertilization (IVF) typically comprises three phases: ovarian stimulation, egg retrieval, and embryo development and implantation. However, each of these phases comprises multiple steps, all carefully choreographed to facilitate conception, pregnancy, and the birth of a healthy baby.

On paper, these steps seem relatively simple. In practice, an IVF cycle requires an average of four to six weeks of a woman’s life. For that reason, it’s important that couples exploring IVF as a fertility treatment option have a clear picture of what the process entails and what the IVF timeline looks like.

When the eggs are ready, they will be removed by the doctor using a tiny needle with the guidance of an ultrasound scan while the patient is on general anaesthesia. This step is called retrieving the eggs or Ovum Pick-up (OPU). The eggs are put together with the partner’s sperms to activate or fertilize them. They are then incubated in the laboratory for a few days to allow them to divide and form embryos which are then transferred to the uterus.

What is Conventional IVF

A stepwise representation of (conventional) IVF:

The female partner is stimulated by a course of hormonal injections that helps to grow eggs.

The eggs are removed out of the body on the day of the procedure.

Sperms are obtained from the male partner.

Eggs are incubated with the sperm. The sperm self-selects and enters the egg.

The embryo formed is grown in the lab.

The embryo is transferred into the uterus of the female partner.

Pros: Natural selection.

The sperm that fertilizes the egg depends on nature.

       Cons: Lower egg activation rate.

Semen samples with low count have a lower success rate.

The overall rate of success is considered to be 40 to 50%.

Factors to be taken into account before opting for (conventional) IVF:

1. The age of the female patient and her ovarian reserve.

This means that the age of the female patient and her medical history will determine how productive her ovaries are and how good her eggs are.

2. The semen parameters of the male partner.

This means how good the semen is for reproduction. Very low count may not be a good candidate for conventional IVF.

What is Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)

A stepwise representation of ICSI:

1. The female partner is stimulated by a course of hormonal injections that helps to grow eggs.
2. The eggs are removed out of the body on the day of the procedure.
3. Sperms are obtained from the male partner.
4. A single sperm is injected in the oocyte by the embryologist in the lab. This is a lab procedure, and the patient is not involved.
5. The embryo formed is grown in the lab.
6. The embryo is transferred into the uterus of the female partner.

Pros: The fertilization rate with ICSI is higher as one sperm is manually inserted inside the egg.

Cons: The procedure is expensive and invasive.