What you need to know about IVF treatment
In vitro fertilization is a treatment method that helps couples who cannot conceive naturally. In this treatment, eggs from the mother and sperm from the father are combined in the laboratory environment, outside the female reproductive system. During this process, sperm cells fertilize the eggs and embryos are created. The resulting embryos are then placed in the mother’s uterus to provide a chance for pregnancy.
This method can be the solution for couples who are struggling to conceive naturally. IVF treatment can enable couples to achieve their dream of becoming parents with advanced laboratory technology and medical expertise.
Who is IVF treatment for?
Women under 35 years of age, who do not have a medical condition preventing pregnancy, who are unable to conceive within 1 year despite regular and unprotected sexual intercourse, should be evaluated and medical attention sought if necessary. However, this period is defined as six months for women over the age of 35 or who have previously had problems preventing conception. If there is no pregnancy at the end of this period, the necessary treatment steps should be started immediately so as not to waste time. In this way, the couple’s concerns about pregnancy and reproductive potential can be best evaluated and the treatment process can begin.
IVF treatment; It can also be applied in cases of unexplained infertility, in cases where both fallopian tubes of the woman are blocked in the uterine film, in cases where egg reserve decreases due to increasing age or genetic reasons, in cases where low sperm count and male motility are detected, in cases of endometriosis, in cases where there are genetic diseases in the family.
What are the IVF treatment stages?
Egg Stimulation: Hormone drugs are used to stimulate the woman’s ovaries. In this way, multiple eggs develop instead of a single egg that usually matures in one cycle. Developing a large number of eggs in this way increases the chance of success.
Collect eggs: After egg stimulation, the woman’s eggs are collected under ultrasound guidance. It is usually done under light sedation or local anesthesia.
Retrieving sperm: A semen sample is taken from the man in the laboratory environment. If sperm quality is poor or there is a problem with sperm production, there are several methods that can be used to obtain sperm.
Fertilization: Combination of egg cell and sperm cell in the laboratory environment. In classic IVF treatment, the sperm is placed near the egg, which is expected to be fertilized. In the micro-injection method, the sperm cell is injected directly into the egg cell.
Embryo culture: Embryos obtained after fertilization are cultured under laboratory conditions for a specified period of time. During this period, the division and development processes of embryos are monitored.
Embryo Transfer: The best quality embryos are transferred back into the woman’s womb. This procedure is usually performed 3-5 days after egg retrieval and is a simple procedure that does not require anesthesia.
Maternity Follow-up: There is regular monitoring for pregnancy monitoring after embryo transfer. Pregnancy monitoring is provided by methods such as blood tests and ultrasound.
What is the success rate?
Since the quality of embryos obtained after fertilization can vary, it is not possible to predict the exact results of IVF treatments. However, the treatment success rate is high and usually ranges between 33 and 55 percent. There are several factors that can influence a successful outcome. These factors can be both medical and environmental.
What are the benefits of freezing embryos?
Embryo freezing significantly increases a person’s chances of getting pregnant. After the fresh embryo transfer process is completed, the remaining healthy embryos can be frozen and stored in this process. In this way, frozen embryos are thawed in the future when another pregnancy is planned, making for a less tiring process than simply transferring. In addition, when applied to women whose egg reserve is decreasing, the chance of pregnancy in the future is possible thanks to frozen embryos.
It is also preferred in cases where the treatment process risks damaging the woman’s ovarian reserve. Embryos from cancer patients can be frozen prior to chemotherapy or radiation. In this way, the embryos are stored outside the body and are not adversely affected by the treatment process.
