The combination of a woman’s egg and a man’s sperm in a lab dish is known as in vitro fertilization (IVF). Outside the body refers to ‘in vitro’. IVF is an infertility treatment. If a Male or female has infertility problems, then this treatment helps the couple to have a healthy baby. So it helps a woman to become pregnant.
So, In this procedure, eggs are taken from a woman’s ovaries and fertilized with sperm. An embryo is a name given to this fertilized egg. The embryo can subsequently be placed in a woman’s uterus or preserved for later use.
Why is IVF necessary?
IVF is chosen by people for a variety of reasons, such as infertility problems or when one couple has a pre-existing medical condition. IVF is the most effective method of treating infertility for almost all patients, including those who have the following conditions:
- Blockage or damage to the fallopian tube.
- Uterine fibroids.
- endometriosis-related issues
- Ovulation disorders
- sperm count and quality issues
- Unexplained infertility.
- You can be eligible for preimplantation genetic testing, an IVF treatment if you or your partner are at risk of passing on a genetic condition to your kid.
Procedure for in vitro fertilization
IVF is carried out in five essential steps:
- Ovarian stimulation
- Egg retrieval
- Insemination and Fertilization
- Embryo development
- Embryo transfer
Let us understand each step
- Ovarian stimulation:
A group of eggs starts to mature each month during the natural cycle in a healthy person of reproductive age. Only one egg typically develops to the point of ovulation. The remaining eggs in that group that are still immature break apart.
You’ll receive injectable hormone drugs during your IVF cycle to encourage the group of eggs in that cycle to mature all at once and fully. This indicates that you might have numerous eggs instead of just one. In order to track the development of eggs and determine when to collect them, your doctor will conduct routine blood tests and ultrasounds during this time.
An injection called a “trigger shot” is administered when your eggs are prepared for final maturation in order to complete their development and prepare them for egg retrieval. Exact 36 hours before the time of your scheduled egg retrieval, you’ll be told to give the trigger shot.
2. Egg Retrieval:
Follicular aspiration is the term used to describe egg retrieval. Anesthesia is used throughout the surgical procedure. In order to access an egg-containing follicle in your ovary, your doctor will use an ultrasound wand to guide a needle into your vagina. Each follicle’s eggs and fluid will be removed by the needle.
Your eggs are put in a dish with a particular solution. Finally, the dish is placed in an incubator. For this treatment, light anesthesia and medication are given to minimize discomfort. The “trigger shot,” your last hormone injection, is given 36 hours before to egg retrieval.
3. Insemination:
Insemination is the process of combining your eggs with donor or partner sperm cells in a laboratory. Fertilization takes place while the eggs and sperm are kept together in a specific container. Direct injection of sperm into the eggs is an option for sperm with reduced motility. People who work in the lab keep an eye on the development of the embryos as the cells in the fertilized eggs divide.
4. Embryo development:
The growth of the embryos will be closely watched during the ensuing five to six days.
Before it can be transferred to your uterus, your embryo must clear a number of difficult obstacles. 50% of fertilized embryos make it to the blastocyst stage on average. The best time to transfer to your uterus is at this stage. Three or four of seven fertilized eggs, for instance, might progress to the blastocyst stage. Usually, the remaining 50% are not successful and are eliminated.
On the fifth or sixth day after fertilization, all healthy embryos will be preserved in preparation for future embryo transfers.
5. Embryo transfer:
Implantation is possible once the embryos are large enough. 3–5 days after fertilization, this typically happens. A catheter is inserted into your vagina, through your cervix, and into your uterus during an implant procedure. The embryo is then implanted into your uterus by your doctor.
When the embryo embeds itself in the uterine wall, pregnancy develops. It can take six to ten days. You can find out if you’re pregnant through a blood test.
In vitro fertilization – IVF success rate:
The age of the woman undergoing treatment for infertility, as well as the cause of the infertility, both play a role in the likelihood of success for in vitro fertilization (IVF).
Younger women have an increased chance of having a healthy pregnancy and baby. IVF is not typically advised for women beyond the age of 42 since it is believed that their chances of having a healthy pregnancy are too low at that point in their lives.
Your chances of successfully having a baby through in vitro fertilization (IVF) may be improved if you stop drinking alcohol, smoking, and consuming caffeine when you are undergoing treatment.
Cost for In Vitro fertilization in USA:
In vitro fertilization is very expensive. A single cycle of in vitro fertilization (IVF), which includes ovarian stimulation, egg retrieval, and embryo transfer, can cost anywhere from $15,000 to $30,000, depending on the clinic doing the procedure and the specific drug requirements of the patient. Medication costs can make up as much as 35 percent of the total bill.
Twins through IVF:
The method of in vitro fertilization does not, by itself, automatically result in a substantially increased risk of multiple pregnancies. According to the statistics, women who have undergone in vitro fertilization are more likely to have multiple pregnancies than women who conceived naturally. According to statistics that were published in 2013, over forty percent of all in vitro fertilization (IVF) pregnancies in the United States resulted in the birth of multiple children.
The technique of transferring many embryos during a single cycle in vitro fertilization (IVF) is the primary contributor to this phenomenon.
Does one’s health insurance policy cover in vitro fertilization?
The fertility treatments that are covered by an individual’s health insurance plan are based on a number of factors, including the state in which they live, the size of their employer, and whether or not the individual has employer-sponsored insurance.
Insurance companies do not consider many fertility treatments to be “medically necessary,” and as a result, these procedures are not frequently covered by private insurance plans or by Medicaid in the United States.
When coverage is an option, certain kinds of fertility services, have a greater chance of being covered than others do (e.g., IVF). In a few states, the provision of fertility services must be covered by fully insured private plans in order for the state to maintain regulatory authority over these plans.
These criteria, however, do not apply to health plans that are administered and funded directly by employers. Employer-sponsored health insurance covers six in ten workers (61%), therefore plans that are directly administered and funded by companies are free from these criteria.
In addition, states have control over the kinds of benefits that are provided by the Medicaid programmes they administer. The federal government is in charge of determining the benefit standards for all federal health coverage programmes, such as Medicare, the Indian Health Service (IHS), and health coverage for the military.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- Is in vitro fertilization painful?You may be curious about the level of discomfort associated with egg retrieval for IVF. Anesthesia will be administered to ensure that you remain comfortable throughout the duration of the surgery. However, some women say that they had cramping in the days that followed this part of the IVF procedure. The cramping that you’re feeling is extremely comparable to what a lot of women feel throughout their periods. So, this is not painful.
- Is there a difference between in vitro fertilization and artificial insemination?Intrauterine insemination (also known as IUI) and in vitro fertilization (also known as IVF) are both fertility procedures that can be utilized to assist a person who is having difficulty conceiving a child.IVF is a process that involves egg stimulation, retrieval, fertilization, and transfer; on the other hand, an IUI involves injecting sperm into a woman’s uterus in order to shorten the amount of time it takes for the sperm to reach the egg. This is the primary distinction between IVF and IUI treatments.
