Understanding IVF Cycles: Limits, Risks and Alternative Options
IVF is a reproductive technology which helps couples facing challenges in conceiving naturally. The procedure offers hope for those struggling with infertility. This article speaks about IVF, its success rates, risks and alternative options after multiple attempts.
IVF which is the short form for In Vitro Fertilization is a procedure which helps couples who cannot conceive naturally.
During this procedure, the doctor would collect healthy eggs from the female and then fuses them with the sperms from the male for the purpose of fertilisation.
Once the fertilisation is complete and the embryo develops it is implanted into the uterine lining of the female. The entire process occurs in a laboratory hence the name in-vitro.
Although it is difficult to say a fixed success rate when it comes to IVF on the first try, as per the data, women who are under the age of 35 have a higher success rate of around 55.1% live birth compared to women who are above 40 years with a success rate of around 8.2%.
The major reason for this variation in success rate depends upon different factors with age being the major one. It is always advised to get an IVF treatment at an early age to increase the chances of conceiving.
Consulting a fertility expert and discussing underlying health conditions and reason for infertility before opting for the procedure is recommended to increase the success rate.
There are no fixed number of IVF cycles that a person can undergo. As per the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM)
Whereas, as per International Society for Fertility Preservation (ISFP)
There are no fixed number of times a person can undergo an IVF treatment. However, the number of cycles depend on certain factors such as
Age
The success rate of an IVF treatment mainly depends on age. As a woman ages, her eggs quality and quantity start to decrease. Women who are older than 40 years will have a lower chance of having a successful pregnancy. This reduced quality and number of eggs will limit the number of IVF cycles.
Fertility
Low sperm count, endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), or tubal blockages are some of the common fertility issues seen in men and women. These issues can reduce the chances of having a successful IVF cycle. Therefore, people who are suffering from these above conditions will have limited number of IVF cycles.
Health
If a woman is facing some health conditions such as cardiac disease, diabetes, in other cases cancer or tumours, it is possible that an IVF might worsen that condition due to involvement of various medications. So, in situations like these people have limited number of IVF cycles.
Finances
IVF as a procedure is an expensive treatment. Not every person can afford to undergo multiple cycles of IVF. Therefore, money will also play a very important role in deciding the number of IVF cycles.
Emotions
IVF can be an emotionally tiring procedure. It comes with a lot of stress and anxiety. Not every person is good at handling this and having to see multiple failures is not everyone’s cup of tea. So, emotional- and mental-wellbeing play a role in deciding how many numbers of cycles a person can undergo as well.
Having multiple cycles of IVF comprise of physical and emotional risks associated to it such as
Physical
Emotional
The major benefit of having multiple rounds of IVF is that it will increase the chances of pregnancy. Although multiple rounds will increase the chances of conceiving, the overall success of the process depends on various factors such as age, health conditions etc. It is always up to the couple to decide if the benefit is worth taking the risk.
When a patient has multiple failed attempts of IVF, they can opt for the below options as an alternative:
The doctor may also review the medical records and come up with new strategies for the process to be successful. It should be kept in mind that second opinions do not mean the first consultation was a wrong one.
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