The Emotional Support Behind the Success of the IVF Procedure

Information

When can we talk about a reproductive problem?

The presence of difficulties in conceiving in a couple is a very delicate, personal and difficult topic to share. For us, reproductive specialists, an important factor in determining infertility is the age of the woman. We speak of conception problems when the couple has been trying for a baby for one year without pregnancy occurring, when the woman is under 35 years of age, and when the woman is over 35 - six months of attempts without pregnancy occurring are enough to seek a consultation with a reproductive medicine specialist.

A reproductive medicine specialist requires, besides broad knowledge and practical skills, also a good understanding of the emotional aspect of the problem of infertility. Every couple is unique, and therefore an individual approach, building trust with the doctor, and emotional support are key components for the success of the IVF procedure. At "Vita IVF Center" we strive to understand the details of the problem, to explain in an accessible way the specifics and ways of overcoming it, dedicating the necessary time to each couple. Sometimes years pass before partners decide to seek specialized help.

What is the IVF procedure?

It is one of the methods for treating infertility. In general terms, it involves retrieving eggs from the woman's body after hormonal stimulation has been carried out, followed by fertilization of the eggs with the man's sperm, cultivation of the developing embryos under laboratory conditions, and finally - placement of a selected embryo (or embryos) of good quality into the woman's body. Practice shows that sometimes, besides being a method of treating infertility, the IVF procedure is also a diagnostic method that answers the question of why pregnancy has not occurred. Cultivating embryos in the IVF laboratory provides valuable information about their developmental process, which cannot be observed under natural conditions.

When does a woman's chance of conceiving begin to decrease?

I would like to emphasize the fact that the reproductive potential in women over 35 years of age begins to slowly decrease, and after the age of 40 it drops drastically. There are mainly two reasons - on one hand, there is the physiological decrease with age of the so-called ovarian reserve, i.e. the reduction in the number of small follicles and, respectively, eggs in the ovaries. In some women, the depletion of this ovarian reserve can occur much earlier - at 40, or even at 30, which reduces the chances of pregnancy. There are accessible tests to assess ovarian reserve that give an accurate picture of reproductive potential and how long a woman can delay pregnancy.

The second reason for the decline in fertility with advancing age is the deterioration in egg quality. This leads to more difficulty conceiving and more frequent spontaneous miscarriages. The probability of genetic damage (so-called chromosomal abnormalities) in embryos in women over 40 increases many times over and is above 80%.

For whom is the procedure recommended?

Indications for an IVF procedure can be on the part of the woman as well as the man. In women, the cause may be blocked fallopian tubes, most often as a result of inflammatory diseases in the pelvis or sexually transmitted diseases. Another factor for infertility can be hormonal disorders and lack of ovulation in patients with so-called polycystic ovaries. In 30-40% of women with endometriosis, infertility is present, which in most cases requires an IVF procedure.

When there are deviations in the parameters of the semen analysis, we speak of the so-called male factor, and in such families the only way to achieve pregnancy is IVF (ICSI procedure).

In about 10-15% of couples, no clear cause of infertility is established. We have a normal semen analysis, patent fallopian tubes, ovulation, and preserved ovarian reserve. In such cases we speak of infertility of unexplained origin, and if other methods prove unsuccessful, IVF is a method of treatment.

What is the man's role?

Polluted environment, unhealthy lifestyle, as well as inadequate nutrition are main causes for the deterioration in the quality of reproductive cells - eggs and sperm. Statistics show that about 40% of infertility is due to the man, so when a couple has a problem conceiving, the partner must also be examined. Examination of the main parameters of semen analysis - count, motility, and morphology of sperm - is a quick and easy method for primary diagnosis.

What are the steps in the IVF procedure at "Vita IVF Center"?

The IVF procedure consists of several stages. The first step is hormonal stimulation of the woman. Its purpose is to form more follicles, and accordingly retrieve more eggs, develop more embryos, in order to select the best embryo (or embryos) for placement in the woman's body. This way we increase the chance of the desired pregnancy. Hormonal stimulation consists of daily injections and, depending on the protocol, lasts between 8 and 20 days.

The second step is retrieving the eggs from the woman's ovaries - the so-called follicular puncture. The procedure is performed under anesthesia and lasts on average between 5-15 minutes.

On the same day, the partner provides a semen sample and the embryologist performs fertilization of the eggs with the sperm - the third stage.

The fourth step is cultivating the developing embryos under laboratory conditions.

The last step is placing the selected embryo (or embryos) of good quality into the woman's body - the so-called embryo transfer. 10-15 days later, a blood test is done to check whether pregnancy has occurred.

What percentage of attempts are successful?

The average success rate of IVF procedures in women up to 35 years of age is between 30 and 50%. In women over 40, however, the chance of giving birth via IVF is below 5%, due to the aforementioned physiological depletion of ovarian reserve and deterioration in egg quality.

What is the latest from practice?

Since the birth of the first IVF baby in 1978, reproductive medicine has continuously improved and developed, increasing the chances of achieving pregnancy. A main direction in current trends in assisted reproduction is achieving a balance between an individual approach to the patient and the use of the most modern methods and technologies.

I would point out two very significant developments in assisted reproduction in recent years. The first is preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). At "Vita IVF Center", through PGD we perform genetic analysis of embryos at the 5-day stage (the so-called blastocyst) - before they are returned to the woman's body. After the analysis, only embryos diagnosed as unaffected are transferred. This way, only embryos with a normal genetic set are selected.

The second aspect is related to the most common complication of IVF - multiple pregnancy. Reducing the number of multiple births can only be regulated by reducing the number of embryos transferred. Single embryo transfer of good quality in a selected group of patients is recommended as the only effective means of reducing the rate of twin pregnancies. This is possible only with a combination of high-quality laboratories and good cryopreservation programs.

What is your advice to families who dream of having a baby but face difficulties?

At "Vita IVF Center" we advise women not to delay pregnancy over time. My recommendation is that testing of ovarian reserve become a priority for every young woman who wishes to have children. When a couple has a problem conceiving, they should not be afraid to turn to a reproductive medicine specialist in a timely manner for a correct diagnosis, competent advice, and adequate treatment, so they can reach the long-awaited baby by the shortest path.