IVF meaning In vitro fertilisation  treats infertility or genetic problems. It is the most effective form of assisted reproductive technology and can be performed using your own eggs and your partner's sperm. Alternatively, IVF may involve eggs, sperm or embryos from a known or anonymous donor. Chances of having a healthy IVF baby depends on many factors such as your age, cause of infertility. 

Procedure 

In vitro fertilization (IVF) procedure comprises of several steps — ovulation induction, egg retrieval, sperm retrieval, fertilisation and embryo transfer. One cycle of IVF could take about two weeks, and more than one cycle may be required.

ADVANTAGES  OF IVF

• In case IVF is performed to treat Infertility, you and your partner might have option to try less invasive treatment before attempting IVF . You could be treated with fertility drugs to increase production of eggs or with  intrauterine insemination — where sperm are placed directly in your uterus close to the time of ovulation. ( ICSI & IUI Option)

• At times, IVF is used as a primary treatment for Infertility in women above 40. 

• IVF can also be tried if you or your partner has certain health conditions such as Fallopian tube damage /blockage, Ovulation disorders , Premature  ovarian failure, Endometriosis , Uterine fibroids, Previous Tubal Sterilisation or Removal , Impaired Sperm Production or Function or an Unexplained infertility.

• If you or your partner is at risk of passing on a genetic disorder to your child, IVF assisted pre-implantation genetic diagnosis can help. 

Risks

• MULTIPLE BIRTHS. IVF increases the risk of multiple births in case more than one embryo is implanted in uterus. Such  pregnancy carries a higher risk of early labour and low weight birth.

• OVARIAN HYPERSTIMULATION SYNDROME. Use of injectable fertility drugs like human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), to induce ovulation can result in ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, where the  ovaries become swollen and painful. Symptoms include mild abdominal pain, bloating, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. 

• MISCARRIAGE. Though the rate of miscarriage for women who conceive using IVF with fresh embryos is similar to that of women who conceive naturally. Use of frozen embryos during IVF, may slightly increase the risk of miscarriage.

• IVF EGG- RETRIEVAL PROCEDURE COMPLICATIONS. Use of an aspirating needle to collect eggs could possibly cause bleeding, infection or damage to the bowel, bladder or a blood vessel. 

• ECTOPIC PREGNANCY. 2 to 5% of women opting  IVF would have an ectopic pregnancy — when fertilised egg implants outside the uterus, mostly in a fallopian tube. In this case, the fertilized egg can't survive outside the uterus, pregnancy needs terminated. 

• BIRTH DEFECTS. Age of  mother is the preliminary risk factor towards development of birth defects even in IVF, though there is no age-limit defined for IVF as such. Experts opine that IVF does not increase the risk of baby with birth defects.

• OVARIAN CANCER. Few early studies suggest a possibility of a link between certain medications used in stimulating egg growth and the development of a specific type of ovarian tumour. Recent studies  do not support the findings though.

Preparing for IVF 

Beginning a cycle of IVF using your own eggs and sperm, you and your partner might require undertake various tests :  Ovarian reserve testing. Semen analysis. Infectious disease screening. Practice (mock) embryo transfer. Uterine cavity exam comprising  sonohysterography Or a hysteroscopy .

Cryopreservation makes future cycles of IVF less expensive and less invasive. However, live birth rate from frozen embryos is slightly lower than the live birth rate from fresh embryos. You might donate unused frozen embryos to another issueless couple or to research facility. You could also choose to discard unused embryos.

Fertility Preservation for Cancer or Other Health Conditions If the patient is about to start cancer treatment  like Radiation or Chemotherapy prone to harm fertility. For the fertility preservation,  IVF may be an ideal option. Women can think of having eggs harvested from their ovaries and frozen in an unfertilised state for future use. Alternatively, eggs can be fertilised and frozen as embryos for later use.

Handling Multiple Pregnancy

In case more than one embryo is transferred to uterus, IVF can result in a multiple pregnancy —posing health risks for mother and child. Fetal reduction can be thought of use to help a woman deliver fewer babies with least health risks for a better IVF experience.

IVF, ICSI and IUI are the most common available Infertility treatment options which can be further customised to suit individual medical fitments.

ICSI means Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection, a further refinement of the IVF technique. This line of treatment is to overcome male fertility issues, such as low sperm count or poor sperm mobility, which prevents sperm from fertilising the egg naturally. It is used for surgically-retrieved sperm, or for men whose sperm has high levels of DNA damage. Instead of sperm being mixed with the egg in the lab, the best single & healthy sperm is extracted from the sample and injected directly into the egg to fertilise it. As the sperm is injected, it bypasses the rest stages of early fertilisation. The best quality sperm gets  used. 

IUI means Intrauterine Insemination that  involves inserting partner or donor sperm – into uterus at the time of  ovulation, hoping the egg is fertilised to impregnate. However, the outcome of IUI being a close resemblance to natural conception, need for more than one insemination attempt to achieve pregnancy might arise. Its advantage lies in the fact that this is carried out without using fertility drugs, relying on the egg you naturally ovulate that month.