1978 saw a revolution in the world of medicine when Sir Robert Edwards and Patrick Steptoe pioneered the IVF treatment. Since then it has successfully helped many couples get pregnant and that is the ultimate advantage of IVF treatment – achieving a successful pregnancy and a healthy baby.
IVF treatment, a commonly used assisted reproductive technique, is a 4 – step process. Simply put it consists of ovulation induction followed by egg retrieval. This egg is then fertilized in a laboratory and the final step of embryo transfer to the mother’s womb can take place post that.
In Vitro Fertilization Treatment has a variety of advantages including the following:
1. Providing hope
Many patients who are facing the fallouts of infertility find solace and hope in IVF. Blocked fallopian tubes are one of the top reasons for difficulty in getting pregnant for women, especially without the help of a specialist. Such specialists focus on fertility treatments including IVF which is a known treatment for the issue cited. Another prominent cause of difficulty in getting pregnant is a low sperm count in men. The count is low and such sperm sometimes also have low sperm motility which makes it difficult to fertilize the egg. Through IVF treatment, the fertilization of the egg takes place in a laboratory and not inside the body and hence the treatment is able to circumnavigate the traditional process of conception.
2. Ability to choose embryos
The uniqueness of IVF treatment allows for the parents to choose the embryo used to get them pregnant. This means that ‘want-to-be’ parents do not need to worry about passing along any genetic conditions to their baby. IVF treatment also gives the provision to test the embryos for any abnormalities or conditions. At Apollo Fertility we thoroughly vet the embryos through a procedure called pre-implantation genetic screening to ensure that patients can be rest assured about genetic disorders and abnormalities.
3. High Success Rate
A cycle of IVF with one embryo and another cycle of frozen embryo transfer has a high chance of success and is coupled with the low multiple birth rate of any assisted reproductive technology. While it may not always take in the first shot, IVF treatment allows for the procedure to be repeated under optimal circumstances. It has one of the highest success rates amongst all assisted reproductive technologies including IUI.
4. It helps diagnose fertility problems
A lot of couples suffer from infertility and on many occasions it is unexplained. IVF treatment helps such couples understand the issue behind fertilization including blocked tubes, low ovarian reserve, male infertility and in every 1 of 6 cases, an unexplained infertility case. Cases such as these may not be diagnosed until fertilization is actually attempted in the laboratory.
5. Flexibility
IVF Treatment can be used by anybody – couples with infertility issues, couples with genetic disorders, couples past their prime, single women, surrogates, same sex couples, etc. A big advantage is that it allows for total control over the timing for the patient. In fact, the egg and sperm can be cryopreserved for the future. Depending on a window of period when the patient wishes to get pregnant, the best time to proceed with IVF can be determined.
