Frequently Asked Questions

ART includes all fertility treatments in which both eggs and sperm are handled. In general, ART procedures involve retrieving eggs from the ovaries, combining them with sperm in the laboratory, and returning the resulting embryos to the uterus.

IVF may be the right path in the following situations:

• Tubal blockage
• Persistently low sperm count despite treatment
• Endometriosis
• Uterine abnormalities
• Unexplained infertility
• Women of older age
• A previously failed IUI procedure
• Problems with ovulation
• Antibodies against the sperm

IVF is a largely painless procedure. The only discomfort, if any, comes from the repeated blood tests and injections. Most injections cause only mild discomfort, as they are given with a fine, short needle just under the skin — similar to insulin.

Egg retrieval is performed through the vagina using a fine needle under ultrasound guidance. The patient feels nothing, as it is done under short general anaesthesia. It usually takes 10 to 30 minutes. The patient wakes as soon as it is over and can go home the same evening after a few hours of observation.

Transferring the embryo into the uterus is similar to a routine vaginal examination. If preferred, the patient can request sedation during the procedure.

An IVF cycle follows five basic steps:

1. Ovulation induction — Injections and tablets stimulate the ovaries to develop multiple mature follicles containing eggs.
2. Egg retrieval — Once the scan shows mature follicles, eggs are removed using a fine needle through the vagina. It is painless, done under short anaesthesia as a day-care procedure.
3. Fertilisation & embryo culture — Sperm are either mixed with (IVF) or injected into (IVF-ICSI) the eggs. The embryos are kept in an incubator for 3 to 5 days.
4. Embryo transfer — Using a fine tube, embryos are delicately transferred into the uterus.
5. Pregnancy test — About 11 days after transfer, a blood test confirms pregnancy.

Pregnancy success rates vary from 30% to 55%. Many factors play a role — the experience of the doctors, the quality of medicines, the skill and presence of full-time embryologists, laboratory air quality (a clean room with HEPA-filtered air) and the equipment used.

For the patient, the single most important factor is the woman's age. The younger the woman, the better the egg quality and the higher the success rate. Rates are typically strong up to age 35–37, after which they decline.

Other influences include the quality of the uterine lining, the presence of fibroids, an abnormally shaped uterus, endometriosis, pelvic infections, body weight, and the ovary's ability to produce adequate eggs.

When the egg provider is over 40, the chance of success using her own eggs decreases significantly. Though it varies, a 30% success rate at 40 can drop to around 10% by 44, and the risk of miscarriage also rises with age. In such cases, patients may choose to use donor eggs fertilised with the husband's sperm, or even donor embryos.

The fertility drugs used do not cause direct side effects. As the ovaries begin to swell during stimulation, there can be some pelvic and abdominal bloating. A few women experience minor mood changes, headache or nausea, but these are uncommon.

The exact date is not known until two days prior to the procedure. It is typically estimated at about 12–14 days from the start of your IVF cycle, which itself begins 1–2 days from the first day of your period.

The simple answer is no. Children born from IVF are no more prone to any particular birth defect than those conceived naturally.