What is IVF and how does it work?

by Origin Clinic MOTHER & CHILD SUPER SPECIALITY HOSPITAL

IVF: the concept

One of the saddest things for a couple is the inability to conceive. Thanks to advances in medical technology, an infertile couple can now hope to conceive. IVF or In-Vitro fertilization is a boon that can help infertile couples to conceive. They can avail of IVF treatment at the best IVF center in Gurgaon. IVF is an ideal procedure for those suffering from low sperm count, uterus problems, endometriosis, and other such major problems that lead to infertility. IVF is a procedure where the ovum and the sperm are removed from the body and fertilized in the lab.

How it is done?

When you visit the best IVF center for treatment, many tests would be carried out. These include ovarian reserve testing, uterine examination, semen analysis, and a mock embryo transfer would also be done. All these help the doctor to determine if IVF is suitable or not. Once the viability of the process is determined, the procedure would then be started. The procedure at any of the IVF center in Gurgaon would involve the following steps:

1) Ovulation induction: This stage involves stimulating the ovaries with hormones to create multiple eggs. This is different from the normal ovulation where a single egg is produced. Multiple eggs are needed as there are probabilities of failure. Depending on the type of problems faced, different types of hormones may be administered. Regular monitoring at this stage is very important to ensure ovulation happens and the eggs needed for IVF are produced.

2) Egg retrieval: At the best IVF center in Gurgaon, this is the key stage. Aspiration using ultrasound is used to retrieve eggs. The woman undergoing treatment would need to get admitted to the clinic before ovulation. It takes less than half an hour to remove eggs from the follicles. Once the eggs are removed, they are then placed in a culture medium and the process of incubation is carried out. The eggs are tested and only the healthy ones are used for fertilization.

3) Sperm retrieval: Once the egg is retrieved, the next step is to retrieve the sperm. This is done by the partner at the clinic. If the partner’s sperm is not suitable, then a donor may be used to get a viable sperm. In some cases, the sperm can be directly obtained from the testicle through fine needle aspiration.

4) Fertilization: This is the stage where the sperm and eggs are mixed in the lab to obtain the embryo. Depending on the type of problem the couple face, different procedures may need to be carried out for this. Genetic testing is done to ensure that there are no genetic diseases.

5) Embryo transfer: This is the final step in the procedure. The doctors at the IVF clinic in Gurgaon would insert a catheter and inject the embryo into the uterus. Usually, embryo transfer happens around 5- 10 days after egg retrieval. The embryo is finally implanted in the uterus.

Procedure results

The results depend on many factors including the type of problems faced and the age of the couple. Studies have shown that 29.4% of all IVF procedures led to pregnancy. 22.4% of procedures led to successful births. The low rates are mainly because IVF is used as a last resort, when all other attempts fail. Age is a key factor with women less than 35 years age being able to conceive around 40% of the time. Women over 40 have a very less chance of conceiving at around 11%.

There are various procedures for assisted reproduction. Of these, IVF is the most effective and popular procedure.

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