IVF
IVF or In Vitro Fertilisation is one of the many treatments used to help couples conceive. It is a means of fertilisation outside the human body.
It is a multi-stage process, and it can be an emotional rollercoaster, so careful assessment is needed to make sure it is the right course of action for any couple.
Rates of success
The success rate of IVF depends on a range of factors, including the age of the woman undergoing treatment, and the cause of the problem also plays an important factor if it is understood. Stress decreases the chances of getting pregnant, and the process itself can be stressful, so it’s important to talk to us in detail before embarking on this journey.
It is a multi-stage process, and it can be an emotional rollercoaster, so careful assessment is needed to make sure it is the right course of action for any couple.
Rates of success
The success rate of IVF depends on a range of factors, including the age of the woman undergoing treatment, and the cause of the problem also plays an important factor if it is understood. Stress decreases the chances of getting pregnant, and the process itself can be stressful, so it’s important to talk to us in detail before embarking on this journey.
What happens during IVF
IVF involves 6 main stages:
- Suppressing your natural cycle – the menstrual cycle is suppressed with medication
- Boosting your egg supply – medication is used to encourage the ovaries to produce more eggs than usual
- Monitoring your progress and maturing your eggs – an Ultrasound scan is carried out to check the development of the eggs, and medication is used to help them mature
- Collecting the eggs – a needle is inserted into the ovaries, via the vagina, to remove the eggs
- Fertilising the eggs – the eggs are mixed with the sperm for a few days to allow them to be fertilised
- Transferring the embryo(s) – 1 or 2 fertilised eggs (embryos) are placed into the womb
Once the embryo(s) have been transferred into your womb, you’ll need to wait 2 weeks before taking a pregnancy test to see if the treatment has been successful.
Age and IVF
Statistically, younger women are more likely to have a successful pregnancy.
It is known that a healthy lifestyle increases the chances of a positive outcome with IVF. Maintaining a healthy weight and avoiding alcohol, smoking and caffeine during treatment may improve your chances of having a baby with IVF.
Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)
For around half of couples who are having problems conceiving, the cause of infertility is sperm-related. ICSI is the most common and successful treatment for male infertility. It is also used as part of the treatment program with IVF.
With ICSI, you only require very few sperm, and the ability of the sperm to penetrate the egg isn’t important, as this is done by the injection technique. We recommend this treatment if;
- You have a very low sperm count, your sperm are abnormally shaped (poor morphology), or they don’t move normally (poor motility)
- You’ve had IVF previously, and none, or very few, of the eggs were fertilised.
- You need sperm to be surgically collected from the testicles or epididymis (a narrow tube inside the scrotum where sperm are stored and matured); for example because you have had a vasectomy, or you have a blockage that prevents sperm reaching the ejaculate, caused by disease, injury, or a genetic condition, or because you have an extremely low sperm count
- You’re using frozen sperm in your treatment, which isn’t of the highest quality, especially if it was stored because your fertility was under threat, or following a surgical sperm retrieval.
- You’re having embryo testing for a genetic condition, and sperm sticking to the outside of the eggs would interfere with the results.
Success
ICSI itself is very successful at helping the sperm and the egg to fertilise.
However, as in IVF, there are still many other factors affecting a successful pregnancy, including the age of the woman and whether she has any fertility difficulties herself. Success rates for ICSI tend to be very similar to IVF, so we don’t publish separate statistics
Key facts
- ICSI is an effective treatment for men with infertility.
- It’s performed as part of IVF
- It involves the sperm being injected directly into the egg.
- Some men may need their sperm to be surgically extracted first.