IVF or the in vitro fertilization is the process of fertilization of the egg or eggs outside the body. It’s a fertility treatment in which eggs and sperms are combined in the laboratory. The resulting embryos are assessed for quality and one or more are placed in the uterus through the cervix. The treatment can be performed by using your own eggs and sperms or the donated eggs and sperms.

Why go for IVF treatment?

IVF can help you get pregnant if you have problems like ovulation, egg quality, blocked fallopian tubes, or if your partner has problems with sperm count or mobility. It helps you get pregnant using a donor egg or sperm. This treatment can also be used if the doctors can’t figure out the exact reason for infertility or if other treatment options have failed.

How does IVF work?

IVF has the following treatment procedures:

• Ovary stimulation: in this, 8 to 14 days around your menstrual cycle you will be advised to take a fertility drug such as gonadotropin. This stimulates your ovary to produce multiple eggs for fertilization instead of just one. You will also be advised to take a synthetic hormone to prevent your ovaries from releasing eggs too early.
• Follicle development: the follicles are the fluid-filled sacs where the eggs mature. When you take these medications, you should visit your doctor every 3 to 4 days to have your blood hormone levels checked and to observe your ovaries under ultrasound.
• The trigger shot: when the follicles are ready, you will be given a trigger shot which is a medicine that causes your eggs to mature fully. They are then capable of being fertilized. After 36 hours of the trigger shot, your eggs are ready to be retrieved.
• Gathering the eggs: the doctor inserts an ultrasound probe into your vagina to observe the ovaries and follicles. A needle is then inserted through the vaginal wall to remove the egg from the follicle. About 8 to 15 eggs are obtained.
• Fertilization: the embryologist will check the quality of the eggs before combining it with the sperms. Fertilization takes place during this time. ICSI –intracytoplasmic sperm injection is a technique in which each sperm is directly inserted into the mature eggs.
• Developing embryos: after the retrieval of the eggs, the eggs that are successfully fertilized will form a 6 to 10 celled embryo. By the 5^th day, the embryo will become blastocysts with fluid-filled cavity and tissues that will develop into placenta and baby.
• Embryo selection: after the egg retrieval, the embryologist will choose the most viable embryo to place it into the uterus. If there are any extra embryos, it can be preserved for future IVF cycles.
• Planting the embryo: the doctor will place 1 to 5 embryos in your uterus, depending on the diagnosis and your age. It is placed using a catheter. One might feel slight cramping but you’ll not need an anesthesia.
• Successful implantation: if the treatment is successful, then the embryo implants in your uterine wall and grows into a baby. If more than one embryo is transferred the chances of getting pregnant are more. About 20%of IVF cases will give birth to twins, triplets, or more.

You can take a pregnancy test after two or three weeks of the embryo placed into the uterus.

What is the role of men?

Around the time, when your partner’s eggs are collected, you will have to produce the sample of your sperms. The sperms will be washed and prepared so that the active ones are separated from the poor quality ones.

How long will IVF take?

The duration is about 6 to 8 weeks to complete one IVF cycle. You will have to wait for a week for the eggs to get mature. Then, consult your doctor to have the eggs retrieved and fertilized. After, 3 to 5 days you will have to again visit the doctor’s clinic to have the embryos inserted into the uterus.

What is the success rate of IVF?

The success rates highly depend on the couple’s reasons for infertility and their ages. The younger the couples, the greater is the possibility of success rates due to healthier eggs.

The % of IVF cycles resulting in live births is about:

• 40% of women under 34 years of age
• 31% of women between 35-37 years
• 21% of women between 38-40 years
• 11% of women between 41 to 42 years
• 5% of women between above 43 years

What are the pros of IVF?

• It has been a successful method of fertilization without causing any harmful effects on the child.
• It has been in existence for years and is a widely preferred method of fertilization when all other methods fail.
• The use of fertility drugs has no connection with ovarian cancer
• Researchers still find a way to refine and improve IVF procedures.

Any treatment procedures come along with its own drawbacks and shortcomings. In that aspect, IVF has its own shortcomings. Those are:

• Highly expensive
• Time-consuming procedure
• There are changes of miscarriage and other complications
• There are more chances of giving birth to twins & triplets.
• Increased risk of ectopic pregnancy
• Risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome
• Failure of the treatment in some cases

What does IVF cost?

A few decades ago, people thought of IVF procedure as a mysterious procedure used for infertility treatment that produces test tube babies. Later did they realize that it was the most effective method of fertilization by external means.

The cost of IVF treatments in various states excluding the drugs & blood test charges are listed below:

• Mumbai: INR 2,00,000 -3,00,000
• Bangalore: INR 1,60,000-1,75,000
• Chennai: INR 1,45,000-1,60,000
• Delhi: INR 90,000-1,25,000
• Nagpur: INR 75,000-90,000
• Hyderabad: INR 70,000-90,000
• Pune: INR 65,000-85,000
• Kolkata: INR 65,000-80,000

Other factors that affect the IVF costs in India:

      A woman under 35 years of age has 32% chance of success at the IVF treatment whereas woman above 39 years of age may need 5 or more treatments in order to get pregnant. The woman’s age is the most important factor in determining the success rate of the treatment. Some clinics also offer multiple-cycle IVF cost plans, which would be much cheaper for the couples.

• ¨ Couples with low fertility levels will require donor sperm or donor eggs. The cost of donor sperm is about INR 8,000 to 12,000 whereas the cost of a donor egg is INR 28,000 to 42,000.
• ¨ Donor embryos are preferred by couples where one or both the partners are likely to have a serious health condition which could be inherited by the children. The cost donor embryos for IVF treatment may range from INR 36,000 to 52,000.
• ¨ Some couples prefer to go with frozen embryo transfer so that they can be thawed and transferred into women’s uterus at a later date and as per the couple’s convenience. The cost of frozen embryo transplant can be anywhere between 20,000 to 30,000
• ¨ The testicular sperm aspiration (T.E.S.A) is a sperm extraction procedure which is done in men who has a vasectomy but still desires to have a child. It is a simple procedure which takes about 30 minutes that involves local anesthesia. A small needle is used to extract sperm directly from the testicle. The cost of this procedure is generally about INR 12,000 to 18,000.
• ¨ Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is a technique in which each sperm is directly inserted into the mature eggs. This is preferred by couples who face male fertility issues such as low sperm count and poor sperm quality. The cost of ICSI procedure from 20,000 to 45,000

Freezing embryo for IVF treatments

This technique is becoming a popular choice among women who wish to pursue their career during their 20s & 30s and then raise children when they are in their 40s. The cost of embryo prevention is the combination of cost of the initial procedure and annual charges to keep the embryos frozen. The initial procedure will cost about INR 20,000 to 30,000 and you will have to pay an additional INR 4,000 to 6,000 each year to preserve them.

Don’t narrow down your choice only on the basis of the cost. The cost of various IVF treatments will differ from city to city and from clinic to clinic. Look for the best hospitals and surgeons that provide the best IVF treatments in India.

Top 10 IVF treatment hospitals:

• Max healthcare- New Delhi
• L.H Hiranandani Hospital-Mumbai
• Infertility India- Mumbai
• Virk center for human reproduction- Punjab
• Bloom fertility center- Maharashtra
• Nova IVI fertility- Gujarat
• BLK Super specialty hospital-New Delhi
• Apollo hospital center for assisted reproduction- Bangalore
• Indira infertility clinic & research center- Udaipur
• Shivani fertility & mother care- Rajasthan

The Indian government has not laid any laws based on surrogacy or IVF treatments but has scheduled guidelines for the visa purposes. Foreigners have to be aware of those guidelines if they wish to take up treatment in India.

While IVF treatments may seem expensive, they are fairly reasonable considering the sophisticated medical technology used and the expertise of the doctors. Besides, when it comes to children, as any couple who has undergone the treatment will tell you, it’s certainly worth it.

For more details about IVF and get yourself treated by best gynaecologists of India, you may contact Free Doctor Helpline at +918010555444