The journey to completing a family can be quite tricky. For some, falling pregnant and having children happens very easily while for others the same journey can be a difficult and time-consuming path. There was a time when prospective parents had only two options- have babies naturally or adopt. Today though, the advances in science have brought in opportunities for parents to conceive with assisted methods. This article discusses in detail one such assisted method called the IVF. We explain in detail the IVF process, cost, and success rate.
Infertility happens when the husband or the wife or both have issues with their reproductive system making it difficult to get pregnant. Today’s couples who are struggling with infertility have multiple options such as IUI or Intra-Uterine Insemination or IVF or In Vitro Fertilisation. Infertility specialists or doctors who specialise in treating infertility take the couple through multiple processes and steps before deciding the best course of treatment. Let us take the time to understand the complete process of IVF.
In This Article
- What is In Vitro Fertilisation(IVF)?
- What is the IVF Process Step by Step?
- How Much Does the IVF Cost in India?
- How Long Will IVF Take?
- The Average Success Rate For IVF in India
- Factors Affecting In Vitro Fertilisation Success Rate
What is In Vitro Fertilisation(IVF)?
IVF or In Vitro Fertilisation, also known as the test tube baby method is a medical method of helping couples conceive. In this method, egg and sperm are brought together to fertilise in a test tube or outside a woman’s body. In India, the progression of a family is considered significant both from the traditional as well as the social front. To have a child of their own is a dream of all the parents, however, there are some couples who cannot live this dream smoothly due to some medical reasons and thus comes in the picture, the most famous form of aided conception, which is referred to as IVF.
The process comprises of reaping the eggs of the wife and then inseminating them with the sperms of the husband and transferring them to the cervix in a safe and medically supervised location. This process is quite a complicated and lengthy one, though it is very expensive yet value for money and useful.
What is the IVF Process Step by Step?
An array of procedures furnished with drug dose and injections go on for about two weeks, which stimulates the follicle development within the mother. After this, the eggs get collected and are taken for the process of fertilisation.
1. Control Ovarian Hyper-Stimulation(COH)
COH is performed with the help of distinct procedures. The widely used one is a “long GnRH-Agonist (Lupron) protocol” in which the emission of gonadotropin hormones is repressed for preventing premature ovulation process. Further, the ultrasound along with hormone assessment is done for scrutinising the development of follicles.
2. Egg Retrieval
Egg retrieval is undertaken in a surgical suite under intravenous sedation. The transvaginal ultrasonography is done with the help of needle to extract ovarian follicles. The embryologist scans all the follicular fluids in order to trace all the existing eggs.
3. Fertilization and Embryo Culture
The technique which is often used for fertilization of mature eggs is the Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection(ICSI) in case the sperm count does not fit in the normal range. Under this, the embryologist choses a single spermatozoa with the help of a very fine glass micro needle and then infuses it straight inside the cytoplasm of the egg. The process of fertilization is evaluated after 16-18 hours of insemination or ICSI process. Zygotes are the fertilized eggs and cultured in a special devised means which assist in their growth. These are assessed after the second and even the third day after the retrieval is done.
[Read : What is Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection?]
4. Embryo Quality
Several ways are used in order to evaluate the embryo quality for deciding which embryos to be used for embryo transfer. The physician, as well as the embryologist, decide depending upon the development rate and the emergence of the embryos. Generally, embryos get transmitted at the stage 3 also knows as the cleavage stage or even at the blastocyst stage. This is further assessed under a grading system used in the lab.
5. Day 3 Transfers
The day 3 transfers of embryos also, referred to the cleavage stage embryos have about 4 – 8 cells. When scrutinising the embryos, not only the number of cells are looked at but even if they are in symmetry or if there exists a disintegration. The Embryos are graded in the lab and grade 4 is considered to have the best quality.
6. Day 5 Transfers
Blastocyst embryos are also known as the day 5 embryos. The embryos at this stage have amplified in size and are developed .They look like a ball made of cells which has fluid inside. It is believed that the more the expansion of the embryo, the better is its quality. The embryos are even categorized from number 1 to 6, grade 6 being the best quality for blastocyst.
7. Embryo Transfer
The embryos either get transmitted on day 3 when they have 6-8 cells or on day 5 when they attain the blastocyst stage. Embryos get stacked in a delicate catheter and get placed in the uterus opening across the cervix.
[Read : Getting PGS And PGD Before IVF Treatment]
How Much Does the IVF Cost in India?
India is slowly progressing to get a place for itself under the IVF treatment label. The cost of treatment in India is quite low when compared to other countries where the cost is nearly 11000$- 14000$, however, India reports to have a cost structure in the range of 50,000- 85000 but most of the couples do end up spending about 1, 00000 INR -3, 00,000 INR as many other kinds of treatment are required depending on other factors.
How Long Will IVF Take?
IVF is not just one single but an array of complex procedures. An average IVF treatment takes around 6-8 weeks starting from the consultation till the transfer. Even though it might differ from one patient to the other depending on the kind of problem one has.
The Average Success Rate For IVF in India
IVF procedure is applicable for treating infertility existing in couples when almost all other technologies fail. Since IVF is dependent on many factors its success rate varies as well.
Factors Affecting In Vitro Fertilisation Success Rate
- The age of the woman who needs IVF.
- The category of the uterus – whether normal or any other issues.
- The rate of success or failure of fertilization.
- The total quantity of the transferred embryos.
- To check if the luteal stage after transfer is satisfactory or not.
Thus one good thing with IVF is that it is picking up the pace in India and has given a lot of optimism to the couples who had problems having a baby and fulfilled many dreams and aspirations.
Read Also: Using Donor Eggs: The Conception Alternative You Need to Know About
