How IVF procedure works.
IVF procedure is a multistep process where the woman’s natural menstrual cycle is firstly downregulated, i.e. suppressed and timing artificially controlled (most commonly using birth control pills and a drug like Lupron or Synarel).
In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a technique whereby egg cells are fertilized outside the mother’s body in cases where conception is impossible through normal intercourse. “In vitro” is Latin for “in glass”, referring to the test tubes.
Infertility differs from sterility. Being sterile means you’re unable to conceive a child. With sterility, you or your partner has a physical problem that precludes the ability to conceive. A diagnosis of infertility simply means that becoming pregnant may be a challenge rather than an impossibility.
IVF is a major procedure for treating infertility and is found to be successful even when many other treatments fail. In very brief and simple terms what is done during IVF is as follows : –
- The ovulatory process is harmonically controlled.
- The eggs are removed from woman’s ovaries.
- The sperm is collected from the dad.
- The sperm is allowed to fertilize the eggs in a fluid medium.
- The zygote or the fertilized egg is then transferred to the woman’s uterus for pregnancy to proceed.
In general, don’t be concerned about infertility unless you and your partner have been trying regularly to conceive for at least one year. However, if you plan to conceive and you’re a woman older than 30 or haven’t had a menstrual flow for longer than six months, seek a medical evaluation. If you have a history of irregular or painful menstrual cycles, pelvic pain, endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) or repeated miscarriages, schedule a consultation with your doctor sooner. If you’re a man with a low sperm count or a history of testicular, prostate or sexual problems, consider seeking help earlier.
For IVF to be successful it is necessary that the mother is able to produce healthy ova or egg, the father can contribute sperm that can fertilize, and the mother possesses a uterus that can carry the pregnancy to its full term. Therefore any infertility that is caused by reasons other than defects in these three areas can be countered by IVF.
IVF Procedure – Downregulation Treatment in India
The downregulation phase is designed to suppress natural ovarian activity, usually using the contraceptive pill, so that timing of the menstrual cycle can be controlled.
Additionally, to this, the centers in the brain responsible for releasing hormones called follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) that are responsible for stimulating the ovaries to make and ovulate mature eggs in a normal menstrual cycle need to be suppressed. This is because if they were not, inappropriate early ovulation could happen during the subsequent stimulation phase of IVF due to the higher than normal levels of estrogen made by many maturing follicles at once.
IVF Procedure – Stimulation Treatment in India Once the downregulation has been completed, the ovaries will need to be stimulated to produce more eggs than would normally happen in a natural cycle. To do this, artificial forms of FSH are given by injection (they are not absorbed orally, so injection is necessary) daily. This will stimulate the antral follicles (eggs ready to develop into more mature form) in the ovaries to grow, and unlike in a natural cycle where follicles compete for FSH and only the ‘strongest’ is ovulated, many will usually grow.
