Frequently Asked Questions
The procedure is indicated for irreparably damaged or blocked fallopian tubes, ovarian failure and men with poor semen report and when other modes of treatments have failed.
In general, it is appropriate to see a physician for infertility treatment after 12 months of trying to conceive naturally. If the woman is young, around 20, 2 years of trying for natural pregnancy can be considered. If the patient has a condition that predisposes to infertility such as irregular menstrual cycles (early or late), endometriosis, previous tubal pregnancy, polycystic ovarian syndrome, pelvic inflammatory disease, painful menstrual cycles, pelvic pain, repeated abortions etc., immediate medical help is warranted. Similarly men with low sperm count or history of testicular or prostate cancer or sexual problems must consider seeking help earlier. If the female partner is over 37 years, she may need to seek help sooner than 12 months.
It is a multistep procedure and every step is closely monitored by ultrasound.
- Down Regulation
- Hyperstimulation of Ovaries
- Maturation of Eggs
- Semen Preparation
- Extraction of Eggs
- Fertilization of Eggs
- Embryo Transfer
- Confirmation of Pregnancy
The process from stimulation of ovaries to embryo transfer needs 10-15 days and an other 15 days for confirmation of pregnancy.
It is really not necessary from the conception point of view. Routine work activities are recommended. Avoid strenuous work and travelling on bumping roads.
Fourteen days after embryo transfer, a pregnancy test is carried out. If there is pregnancy, the progress of embryo development is monitored by regular checkups through ultrasound.
IVF treatment is a costly procedure and pricing varies depending upon the individual fertility plan and the fertility centre. It generally varies from 1.2 to 2.5 lac.in tier two cities. Do your research before selecting a IVF centre.
- The stimulated cycle is very carefully monitored. However, in any cycle there is a small risk of hyper stimulation which may result in enlargement of the ovaries (ovarian hyper stimulation syndrome-OHSS). Conservative treatment usually results in total resolution of the cysts.
- Chances of multiple pregnancies is 30%. One should be prepared to accept twins and rarely triplets ( ART ACT 2021 permits transfer of not more than 3 embryos). There can be a need to reduce the number of viable foetuses in order to ensure the survival of at the most two foetuses.
Risk of birth defects after IVF pregnancy is approximately 2% similar to natural pregnancy. However, minimal increase of nearly 1% range has been observed in IVF with ICSI births.
The effect of age on incidence of infertility and on the results of the therapy is particularly significant. There is diminished fecundity with increasing age. A woman reaches the maximum fertility potential at the age of 24 years. By the age of 30 her fertility potential begins to decline. However, the decline is not significant, until the age of 35 and it is more marked after 40 years.
- The outcome of IVF can be improved by living a healthy life which includes keeping adequate weight, stress free life, exercise and avoiding alcohol and smoking.
- Treating underlining medical conditions like PCOS and Endometrosis before the start of cycle.
Generally most couples get pregnant within 2 cycles. However, several attempts may be made to achieve pregnancy.
Use of another woman for oocyte donation, semen of a person other than her own husband and hiring a uterus of another woman for embryo development come under the head of Third Party Reproduction.