IVF stands for In-Vitro Fertilization, which is a widely known assisted reproductive technique. It involves various steps, starting from fertility medications for days to help the ovaries of the patient produce several eggs that are mature for fertilization. In order to keep the track of the egg production, regular ultrasounds or blood tests may be used to measure the hormone levels.
After that, the mature eggs are retrieved from the body through a minor surgical procedure. Medicines are prescribed to the patient to make the procedure comfortable. Then a thin, hollow tube is inserted through the vagina of the patient into the ovary and follicles that hold the eggs. This is how the process of egg retrieval takes place. This egg retrieval is done under short-term anesthesia. No hospital stay is required in this stage.
In the third step, eggs are mixed with sperm cells of the partner or a donor, and stored in a special container for fertilization. In some cases, the sperm with lower motility is directly injected into the eggs to promote fertilization which is called ICSI.
If the patient is chosen to get fresh transfer about 3-5 days after the egg retrieval, one or more embryos are put into the uterus. The doctor slides a thin tube through the cervix into the uterus to insert the embryo. This phase usually does not need anesthesia and hospital stay. When embryos attach to the lining of the uterus, pregnancy happens. It is not a painful process.
A patient may be asked to rest for a few days before resuming the normal activities. A patient may also need to take medicines or get daily shots of a hormone called progesterone for the first 8-10 weeks after the embryo transfer to make it easier for the embryo to survive in the uterus.
It sometimes works on the first try, but many women need more than one round of IVF to get pregnant. IVF definitely increases your chances of pregnancy if you're having fertility problems.
However there are some complication associated with IVF. These complications are multiple births, pre-mature delivery, low birth weight, ovarian hyper stimulation syndrome, miscarriage, stress, etc. So, it is important to take all the precautions, as suggested by the doctors. If the patient follows the procedure with conviction, IVF can prove to be a life changing treatment option.
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