Faqs
How common are fertility issues in women?
Newer Insights: Female Infertility Factors
Female infertility accounts for approximately 30% of all infertility cases. In over 10% of cases, both the male and female partners have coexisting abnormalities contributing to their infertility.
There are four primary components crucial to female reproduction: (1) the ovary, (2) the uterus, (3) The fallopian tubes connecting them (4) the pelvis housing these organs. Any dysfunction in one or more of these factors can lead to infertility.
Ovulatory Dysfunction: Conditions such as Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) make up almost 70% of cases where ovulation is absent. Patients in this group often have poor oocyte (egg cell) quality and reduced fertilization rates. For women with premature ovarian failure or diminished ovarian reserve, utilizing oocyte donation through Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) becomes a viable option for achieving pregnancy.
Tubal Factor Infertility: Tubal disorders are a frequent cause of female infertility, contributing to roughly 25-30% of cases. These disorders hinder sperm from reaching the egg or impede a fertilized egg from reaching the uterus for successful pregnancy. In cases where the fallopian tubes are obstructed or have been removed, In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) emerges as the primary and most effective option.
Uterine Factors: Certain uterine conditions have been linked with infertility. For instance, patients with uterine agenesis (absence of a uterus) but functional ovaries can benefit from surrogacy. Similarly, conditions like refractory endometrium due to Asherman's syndrome, unexplained thin endometrium, multiple recurrent fibroids distorting the uterine cavity, or adenomyosis, which can lead to recurrent implantation failure, make surrogacy a viable option.
Pelvic/Peritoneal Factors: The pelvis houses all the crucial reproductive organs, and maintaining a healthy reproductive environment is essential for their proper functioning as well as the maintenance of the relationship between the fallopian tubes and ovaries. Endometriosis and pelvic inflammatory disease are the two major factors that affect pelvic factors. Severe endometriosis can impact the quality and quantity of eggs, potentially becoming a barrier to achieving pregnancy. In such cases, your doctor might recommend IVF treatment as a viable solution.
How common are fertility issues in men?
Male infertility accounts for 20-30% of infertility cases. When male infertility is a factor, and there is a deficiency in sperm quality, it becomes challenging for sperm to successfully penetrate the egg. In such cases, In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) with intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) may be recommended. ICSI involves the direct injection of a sperm cell into the egg cell, and it is particularly useful when sperm counts are extremely low. For patients with no sperm present in the ejaculate (azoospermia), ICSI can still be performed using sperm aspirated directly from the testis through a procedure known as Testicular Sperm Aspiration (TESA).
What factors impact the success of IVF?
- The quantity and quality of the eggs/embryo
- The quantity and quality of sperm
- The stimulation protocols and the timing of ovulation
- For implantation, the receptivity of the endometrium, or lining of the uterus
- The ease of the embryo transfer process
The chronological age of the woman also significantly impacts the quality of the egg and embryo. As women get older, there is a more rapid loss of their endowment of eggs. It starts to become more challenging beginning at around 32 years old.
Younger women are more likely to have a successful pregnancy women falling in the category of under 35 years have a 52 percent chance of acquiring pregnancy by only one round of IVF. The success rates decline to around 13O4 by the time the woman reaches age 40.
What happens during IVF?
It might take anything between four and six weeks to finish an IVF cycle and conceive the IVF baby depending on the fresh or frozen transfer of the embryos. Once the patient’s health is cleared and the process starts, there are basically five steps within IVF
- The woman’s eggs are stimulated to grow and mature by daily injectable fertility drugs
- The eggs are removed in a minor surgical procedure called a follicular aspiration
- Sperm will be collected from your donor or partner
- Insemination of the eggs by sperm occurs in the lab
- About three to five days after fertilization, the doctor will place the embryo into the uterus while extra unused embryos are frozen for subsequent transfer. (In good responding patients, all embryos are frozen since studies have shown higher success in these patients with frozen thaw embryo transfer.
Once the embryo(s) has been transferred into your womb, you'll need to wait 2 weeks before taking a pregnancy test to see if the treatment has worked.