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When and why should I go for an IVF treatment?
You should consider fertility treatment if after one year of regular unprotected intercourse you are unable to conceive.
I Have Been To My Gynaecologist And Several Other Specialists, But They Are Unable To Tell Me Why I Cannot Get Pregnant. What Could Be The Cause Of Infertility?
Diagnosing & treating Infertility disorders is best handled by well trained & experienced IVF Specialists & Embryologists. You should check the credentials of the doctor and the clinic before starting your treatment. If a doctor is unable to explain the reasons for your inability to conceive, it is possible that you will not be offered the right treatment plan. Approximately, 15 to 20% of the population is infertile. Uterine factors such as Endometriosis, Adenomyosis, Tubal factors, Ovulation disorders, Inherited Chromosomal & Genetic conditions, Low ovarian reserve, Azoospermia, and low Sperm count are common contributing factors. Lifestyle choices like delayed pregnancy attempts (females 35 years and older), excessive use of alcohol, drugs, stress, and pollution can also affect your chances of becoming pregnant. Most of these conditions can be successfully treated. The key lies in finding the right IVF Specialist who is well-trained and experienced. At ART, all our Doctors/Embryologists have international training from leading medical institutes. In addition, our doctors also have a good understanding of genetic issues that can lead to infertility.
Is A Woman Always Responsible For A Couple’s Inability To Conceive?
In 15-20% of the cases, the male partner is responsible for a couple’s inability to conceive. This increases significantly when there is excessive consumption of alcohol or drug abuse. One of the issues in treating male fertility in India is that a lot of the Gynaecologists, especially female Gynaecologists refrain from dealing with male patients. At ART, we have specialist doctors well trained to diagnose and treat male infertility including conducting medical procedures like FNA, TESA, TESE and Micro TESE.
How Long Does IVF Treatment Take And How Many Times Do I Have To Visit The Clinic From Start To Finish?
A complete IVF treatment plan can be executed within 28 days for a Fresh Transfer Cycle. For a Frozen Transfer Cycle, the treatment plan can be done over 2-3 months. For either of these treatment plans, the steps are the same. Initial Consultation including ultrasound scans, semen analysis, blood tests which provide the diagnosis, counseling, and creating a treatment plan: One visit to the clinic. 1. Ovarian stimulation (taking medication) takes place over ten days and involves 3 visits to the clinic including blood tests. 2. Egg retrieval or OPU is done in the operation theatre. The procedure takes 10-20 minutes, and you are discharged in 2-3 hours. 3. Embryo transfer is done in the operation theatre. It takes 15-20 minutes and you are discharged in 2 hours. 4. Genetic tests, if needed, are done on the embryo and do not involve any additional visits to the clinic. 5. In Frozen Embryo Cycles, the embryos are cryopreserved and transferred in the optimal window of implantation after 1- 2 two months. The endometrium is better prepared, and this improves the chances of successful pregnancy. 6. Pregnancy test (blood tests, Ultrasound Sound) is over 1 visit after 2-3 weeks of embryo transfer. In Summary, a typical IVF treatment plan involves 6 to 7 visits to an IVF Clinic, from start to finish.
Will I Lose My Eggs Faster After Undergoing IVF Treatment And Retrieving So Many Eggs?
Absolutely not. In normal circumstances, only one follicle is stimulated by the FSH hormone secreted from the pituitary gland and the rest of your eggs preselected that month are thrown out of the system. Using stimulating medications will allow several of these follicles that are pre-destined to be removed from system to grow and be retrieved. In fact, the use of stimulating medications will not reduce your ovarian reserve (the total number of eggs you have). IVF treatment also does NOT affect the age when a woman will reach menopause.
Are There Any Side Effects Associated With IVF Treatment?
Stimulation medications can cause mood swings, headaches, hot flashes, abdominal pain, bloating, mild cramping and discomfort, breast tenderness and constipation. However, it does not affect all women and lasts about a week. AT ART, our doctors and medical staff are extremely well-versed in stimulation techniques. Our key USPs is our own proprietary stimulation protocol, which enhances the quality of your eggs retrieved and reduces the chances of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) occurring.
Why Do We Need Many Eggs While Undergoing IVF Though I Need Only 1 Child Now?
It has been scientifically proven that the higher the number of eggs retrieved during an IVF stimulation, the higher the chances of delivering a healthy baby. Normally, not all eggs will lead to live birth. Some of the eggs may not be mature and they will not fertilize. As a woman ages, the egg quality deteriorates. In Indian women, research has shown that by the age of 33, half the eggs in a normal woman’s ovaries have a chromosomal abnormality and will cause implantation failures (embryos will not implant in the uterus) or abort early in the pregnancy. Both chromosomal abnormalities and genetic mutations can cause embryo arrests and implantation failures. Moreover, having additional good-quality eggs can be used to create healthy embryos & be cryopreserved for future use. This enables having more than one time embryo transfer from one egg retrieval cycle and also more than one child born from one egg retrieval cycle. This is both less stressful and cost-effective.
Is Bed Rest Recommended After The Embryo Transfer?
There is no scientific evidence to recommend bed rest after embryo transfer. A very recent meta-analysis published in 2022, including more than 20,000 patients, demonstrates that the chances to have a baby were higher in women that did not have bed rest after transferring the embryo to the uterus. Actually, this is similar to what happens in nature, the embryo floats freely in the endometrial cavity of the uterus for days before implantation as the woman performs a normal physical activity, unaware of her pregnancy status. At ART, we recommend a normal lifestyle including walking and moving around.
What Are The Factors Which Might Negatively Impact A Successful Pregnancy In IVF Treatment?
Selecting an IVF Clinic, its medical team, and its underlying infrastructure has a major impact on your treatment outcomes. It is extremely important to select a good IVF Clinic with experienced IVF specialists and embryologists. The Clinic should have a good embryology lab with the latest equipment for fertilizing and incubating the embryos. Having a generic IVF treatment plan can negatively affect your chances of pregnancy. At ART, we offer personalized treatment plans. Egg quality has a significant impact on the success of your IVF treatment. The quality of eggs declines with advanced maternal age. Patients with premature ovarian failure often require more attempts to produce a healthy egg and to have a healthy child. It is important that you seek treatment as early as possible, especially in cases where pre-existing conditions are detected like genetic abnormalities, medical conditions like endometriosis, and low ovarian reserve. Adverse Lifestyles include the use of drugs, excessive alcohol intake, lack of sun exposure leading to Vitamin D deficiency, and obesity can all impact the chances of becoming pregnant. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle, a healthy BMI, and focusing on mental and physical health and wellness will significantly enhance the chances of your IVF treatment.
What Is A Personalized Treatment Plan?
All patients do not have the same cause for infertility. In some cases, it can be related to the egg quality, in others, there may be an underlying medical condition or a hereditary genetic condition. So, all of these issues require different treatment plans. A personalized treatment plan is based on correctly diagnosing the reasons for your inability to conceive, your age and hormonal profile, and your semen analysis. It then selects the best stimulation protocols, taking into consideration genetic testing, where, it can improve the chances of your success. If a male factor is responsible, then appropriate treatment has to be undertaken.; and adequate embryo transfer protocols to increase the chances of delivering a healthy baby; for example, freezing embryos and subsequent embryo transfer in a natural cycle.
Why Do I Have So Many Failed IVF Cycles?
The primary reason for many failed cycles is an incorrect diagnosis for the underlying cause of your infertility. By correctly identifying the reasons, a proper treatment plan can be made. This could include selecting a healthy embryo and transferring the embryo to a correctly prepared uterus. This can avoid multiple transfers and failures in most cases. Focusing on the medical staff (training, experience), understanding the importance of the Embryology lab (infrastructure), and embryologists. Have you considered these issues more than the cost when you compare different clinics? All clinics and doctors are not the same. Cycles done at below-average clinics will typically lead to poor results.
Why Do I Have Recurrent Failures And Why Is My IVF Doctor Unable To Do Anything?
Recurrent failures have a very significant correlation with chromosomal abnormalities, which increase with advanced maternal age. Undertaking a PGT-A on the embryos will help select a normal and healthy embryo that will lead to live birth. A lot of gynaecologists in India are not familiar with the role of genetics in Reproductive Medicine. At ART Fertility Clinics, we have all our doctors understand the importance and role of genetic testing in improving pregnancy rates and delivering healthy babies.
What Is The Importance Of Research In IVF Treatment?
Reproductive Medicine is a relatively young science and only 45 years old. There are still a lot of unknowns and new discoveries are taking place all the time. It is very important that the medical and embryology team are continuously updating their knowledge and training. At ART Fertility Clinics, the cornerstone of our success is our research and publications. Our doctors and embryologists excel clinically. However, they are all leading numerous studies that primarily focus on improving medical outcomes and patient safety. These studies are based upon understanding the causes of infertility in each geographical region and then offering personalized treatment plans. ART is one of the leading research-oriented institutions in the world with over 100 publications in leading international peer-reviewed journals.
What Is The Role Of Genetics In IVF Treatment?
Genetics is at the forefront of IVF treatment. In the USA and Western countries, the links between genetics and reproductive medicine are increasingly merging, including testing and treatment options. In the USA, over 50% of patients undergoing IVF treatment undergo genetic testing. It is no surprise that the USA has the highest pregnancy and live birth rates, globally. Genetic Testing of prospective parents (WES, Pre PGT- M, Carrier Screening) can identify existing single gene mutations and help plan testing (PGT- A, PGT- M) to avoid chromosomal and single gene disorder embryos. Patients with recurrent implantation failures and abortions can benefit the most from these tests.
Why Should I Do Genetic Testing On My Embryos? How Does It Help My Chances Of Pregnancy?
If you have known hereditary diseases in your family, PGT- M test can help select healthy embryos. If you are at an advanced maternal age (females over 35), your chances of having a baby are significantly improved if you undertake the PGT- A analysis on your embryo. There is a lot of scientific data that supports these facts.
Why Can I Not Have My Own Baby From My Eggs? Why Do I Need An Egg Donor?
Very poor responders with advanced maternal age should consider egg donation as a first line of IVF treatment. However, other women willing to consider embryo pooling along with PGT- A testing to avoid chromosomal abnormalities should have an evaluation by their doctor to calculate the chances of having a baby with their own eggs. It is important that the embryology team at your IVF clinic is well-trained and has the latest equipment. An egg donor is needed when you have exhausted your treatment options with a well-trained IVF team that is ethical and transparent in explaining to you the chances of getting pregnant.
Why Is IVF So Expensive? Why Is There So Much Difference In Pricing Between Clinics?
The cost of IVF treatment in India is amongst the lowest in the world. However, all clinics are not the same in terms of infrastructure, training, and qualifications of the medical staff (doctors, embryologists, counsellors). All of these elements contribute to your chances of getting pregnant and delivering a healthy child. Employing well-trained staff, providing cutting edge technology has associated costs. “Price Shopping” will rarely lead you to the optimal clinic that can best suit your needs. Treatment plans should be priced upon the complexity and medical procedures that your medical condition warrants. Clinics offering headline-grabbing prices cannot be expected to offer services and often hidden charges will appear. At ART, IVF prices excluding medications are in the range of Rs 1.2 Lacs to Rs 2.5 Lacs depending upon whether or not genetic testing and/or male infertility-related procedures are required.
All Clinics Say They Have The Highest Pregnancy Rate? How Do I Know What Is True?
It is important that you select your IVF Clinic based upon real data. The best metric for comparing clinics and institutions is comparing live birth rates, complications rates, and single and multiple pregnancy rates. You should ask for data that you can verify for experience and success rates of treatments by relevant age groups.
I Have So Much Pressure To Get Pregnant And Have A Child; How Should I Evaluate Which Clinic Or Doctor I Should Go With My Limited Resources?
Select an internationally recognized institution, which has the best renowned medical team, with a scientific approach and proven results. Then, evaluate the doctor and embryologist assigned to you. The technology in the embryology lab would make a huge difference in the outcomes. Check their success rates. Moreover, evaluate your experience during the consultations with the doctors - how much time they spent with you, if they scientifically explained your issues and cleared your doubts, if they consider a personalized treatment plan for your case, etc.
How Is ART Fertility Clinic Different From Other IVF Centers?
ART is a global leader in Reproductive Medicine providing the most comprehensive range of treatments including treating both male and female infertility and in house genetics. ART has deployed the best infrastructure in the world, not just in India. The medical team and embryologists are amongst the best trained, have delivered the best results, and are contributing to research and publications. The pricing is fair and transparent. ART can be trusted to help you achieve your dreams of becoming parents to healthy children.
What If I Want To Delay Having A Child?
The answer depends upon the maternal age and hormonal profile. If you are under the age of 33 and have a good ovarian reserve, you would be a good candidate to freeze your eggs. If you are married and have a middling ovarian reserve, it would be a good idea to freeze your embryos. Typically, frozen embryos lead to higher live births than frozen eggs that are thawed to make embryos at a later stage.
