IVF (in vitro fertilisation) treatment is the most advanced form of fertility treatment.
IVF is a fertility treatment where eggs and sperm (or embryos) are handled outside of the body in a laboratory setting, with the aim of achieving a pregnancy.
IVF involves extracting a woman's eggs directly from the ovaries, fertilising the eggs in a laboratory, growing embryos for 3-6 days in a special embryo culture and transferring a suitable embryo back into the uterus.
The eggs can either be fertilised using standard insemination (eggs and sperm mixed together to allow fertilisation) or via intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), where the embryologist selects one single sperm to be injected into the egg.
ICSI is more commonly used in IVF cycles, especially to bypass fertilisation rate issues ( if known), or if previous standard insemination cycles have not been successful.
After an embryo is formed, it is then transferred back into the woman's uterus using a catheter via the cervix. We usually only recommend the transfer of single embryo due to complications of multiple embryo transfers. If you are lucky enough to have multiple embryos created in a stimulated cycle, these can be frozen if they are viable to do so. Those remaining frozen embryos can be used at a later time.
The source of eggs and sperm usually come from the couple planning to parent the child. However, around 5-10% of treatments across Australia use sperm, eggs (or both) from donors.
The success of your IVF treatment will vary from person to person. A woman's age and the cause of infertility can be factors in your success rate of treatment. Birth rates from IVF is between 5%-40% success per embryo transferred. So it may not be the first transfer where you see success.
For more information about choosing an IVF clinic, the Australian Government has set up an impartial website (Your IVF Sucess) to help patients gather information before choosing a clinic.
Click here to find out more > https://yourivfsuccess.com.au/
To discuss IVF treatment or to book a review with me, please ring my rooms on 03 9428 7572 or email us @ admin@kenleong.com.au