How Do IVF Procedures Work?
What is IVF and Who Can Benefit From It?
Couples who constantly face the question "why can't I get pregnant?" can go for the IVF procedure. IVF is an abbreviated form of “In Vitro Fertilisation” which refers to the process of manual fertilization of an egg with a sperm outside the womb of the mother, in a laboratory dish. The fertilized egg (there are usually more than one, to increase the chances of a successful pregnancy) is then inserted into the woman's body.
There are many reasons because of which certain couples fail to conceive successfully and that is where the IVF process can benefit them.
The IVF Procedure
The IVF procedure can broadly be ordered into three steps. Couples who are thinking about opting for IVF procedures should go through this following information so that they can be mentally prepared of what to expect.
1. Collection of Eggs and Sperm
Hormone therapy for women begins a couple of weeks before the actual IVF procedure. A woman’s brain signals the body through hormones to produce only a single egg during one month. If the doctors were to retrieve only a single egg for this procedure, the chances of getting pregnant would be bleak. This is why hormones in high doses are administered into the woman’s body so that it produces multiple eggs from the ovaries.
These hormones act in the same way as the ones present in the brain but since the hormones are repeatedly injected, the ovaries produce more eggs. Ultrasounds are done during this period to become aware of the successful formation and maturity of eggs.
The perfect time to retrieve the eggs for IVF is before ovulation and the actual egg retrieval process takes only a few minutes and can be done on an outpatient basis. Through an internal ultrasound probe (which goes through the vagina) a fine needle is passed to suck out the eggs. A local anaesthetic or sedative drug is given so that the procedure is painless. After a short rest, the woman can move about. While the woman is going through this procedure, the husband or her partner will produce a semen sample as live and fresh sperms have to be used for IVF.
2. Fertilization
The embryologist will separate the eggs from their fluid and will do the same with sperms. These are then mixed together and checked after several hours to see if fertilisation has occurred. The fertilised embryos are then placed in a fluid that resembles the liquid in the fallopian tubes. These are then kept in this ‘incubator’ for almost two days before being transferred to the woman’s uterus.
3. Embryo Transfer
While the eggs are being fertilised, the woman is given more hormones to prepare her uterus lining for embryo implantation. This medication is given either as pessaries, gel or injection. The embryos that have been formed are now transferred into the uterus by passing a catheter through the cervix. The woman is required to stay in a resting position for an hour.
The woman is given further hormones to strengthen her uterus and to ensure pregnancy. It is possible even after such care that pregnancy might not result. The chances of pregnancy decrease as the woman’s age increases beyond 40.
Generally the success rate of pregnancy through IVF is around 25%. This is the average rate for women of all ages who participate.