Why Doesn’t IVF Have a 100% Success Rate?

Introduction

IVF is an advanced reproductive treatment in which we fertilize an egg in the lab and then transfer it to the woman’s uterus for pregnancy. The success rate of IVF treatment is approximately 60%. So why isn’t it a hundred percent?

Is it the fault of the couple? No. If an IVF cycle fails, it is the fault of no one. Things like climbing after the IVF cycle or picking up heavyweight can not affect your pregnancy chances.

There is still a chance of unexplained infertility even if the pair has good sperm and eggs. Unexplained infertility refers to the inability to conceive despite the absence of a medical problem.

This blog will go over the reasons behind IVF failure and how to treat it.

Reasons for IVF failure

Several factors can affect an IVF cycle. Some of these include:

The quality of the eggs

The eggs may not be up to the mark in terms of quality, which effects fertilization and embryo development process. As a result good quality embryos may not be formed. This can become an individual reason for IVF failure.

Oocytes’ Age

The number of eggs count decreases dramatically as a woman’s age rises, significantly beyond 35 years. In addition, the quality of eggs degrades over time. It is one of the most frequent causes of IVF failure. If the woman is under 35 years old, her odds of having a successful pregnancy are 40 percent or higher. However, if a woman is 40 years old or older, her pregnancy chances are only 15%.

There is no ovarian response

At times your ovaries don’t respond to the injections and medications during an ovary stimulation process. Due to this reason, IVF can fail sometimes. 

An Anomaly of the chromosomes

There can be chromosomal abnormally in egg or sperm. When they fertilize, an abnormal embryo is formed. If the embryo is not chromosomally normal, the chances of pregnancy are less even if the result comes positive, chances of miscarriage increases. 

Another thing to remember is that only 15 to 40% of oocytes are normal, and others are not. In fact, only 25% of oocytes reach the baby stage. Hence, chromosomal abnormalities can majorly affect pregnancy rates.

Lifestyle

Lifestyle is an essential component of pregnancy success. Health complications like obesity, underweight or nutritional problems can affect your IVF success. Pay attention to your lifestyle and stay active to stay fit.

Smoking

If you’re going through IVF, stop smoking for atleast three months. Smoking lowers egg quality and quantity and is incredibly harmful to your health and the development of your fetus. Smoking also impacts sperm count and DNA of sperm is damaged due to smoking.

If you smoke, today is the best day to quit!

Alcohol

Couples undergoing IVF therapy should not consume over two drinks each week. Anything over this can affect your IVF cycle and pregnancy.

Tension and stress

They are two other essential elements that will influence IVF treatment. Stay relaxed and tense free throughout your IVF cycle and pregnancy.

Stages of the embryo

Embryologists keep a close eye on the phases of the embryo. First, to ensure that it is growing and developing correctly. Then, they are ready for implantation on day 5 when they reach the blastocyst stage.

At this stage, these embryos have more excellent implantation rates. At Gunjan IVF World, we transfer all the embryos at the blastocyst stage for better results.

Another important factor to think about while considering IVF treatment

• An excellent laboratory

Select a lab that has all the essential and latest equipment’s for IVF/ICSI procedure. In addition, a decent lab should be able to replicate the conditions of a woman’s uterus.They should also have an embryologist who is a qualified and skilled specialist.

If the lab is not properly managed, it can affect IVF success. 

• The egg retrieval or embryo implantation procedure

Both of the procedures above should be carried out with caution and under the supervision of a professional. However, the embryo transfer technique is the last and most crucial step. Even if you have the best sperms and eggs, an IVF cycle can fail if they are not transferred correctly.

At Gunjan IVF world, we do mock ET to check for any problems and correct them in advance. 

• Sperm

The quantity and quality of sperm are both critical. The male entirely determines the quality of sperm and has an equivalent part in pregnancy chances. 

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FURTHER READING

Conclusion

Even if you’ve had one or two failed IVF efforts, you still have a decent third chance, or an equal chance, of having a successful IVF pregnancy.

However, after three attempts, consider modifying the stimulation strategy, having a hysteroscopy, endometrial exam, or checking for any infections.

Consult your doctor about what’s wrong and what can be done. It’s never too late to find out! Do not give up. Great things take time to accomplish!