In recent years, numerous treatments have been developed to help individuals or couples struggling with infertility and the most effective of all is, in-vitro fertilization. This treatment has been proved to have a much higher success rate and with the help of the right specialists, your chances of conceiving can easily increase.
Challenges with infertility and building a family can be quite troublesome. Keeping this in mind, American Hospital Dubai, in collaboration with Livio AB, has committed to delivering patient-centered fertility care to individuals dealing with infertility all over UAE. Our team of board-certified reproductive endocrinologists and infertility specialists have made it their mission to help couples build their families in a caring environment with our main concerns being in-vitro fertilization, fertility preservation and intrauterine insemination.
In normal circumstances, the sperm travel from the uterus towards an egg, fertilize and then form an embryo. However, this naturally occurring process can be hindered due to many reasons. These reasons may include low motility of sperm, low sperm count, blockage in the fallopian tube, damaged uterus or disruptions in the release of sperms. In-vitro fertilization becomes necessary when the gametes cannot fertilize naturally. In recent years, IVF has become one of the most sought-after treatment for infertility with a significantly high success rate.
In simpler words, In-Vitro fertilization is the combining of the sperm and egg outside the human body, and in a laboratory. The embryo that is formed is later transferred into the uterus where it then implants itself and the patient becomes pregnant.
In-Vitro Fertilization is conducted by stimulating a woman with hormones in order to retrieve eggs from their ovaries, which are later fertilized by the sperm that is acquired form the husband. After successful fertilization, a healthy embryo is selected and is transferred back into the uterine cavity. The rest of the embryos are then stored for future use.
Often in-vitro fertilization is indicated in cases when artificial insemination does not prove as fruitful as hoped due to the following reasons:
• Damaged or blocked fallopian tubes
• Ovulation disorders (including low quality ovules)
• Advanced endometriosis
• Uterine fibroids
• Hydrosalpinx (refers to a condition in which the fallopian tube indicates the presence of fluid and becomes swollen)
• Fertility preservation (in case of treatment for cancer or other health related conditions)
In cases where the infertility is from the man’s side due to poor quality sperm, IVF becomes the better option as well.
The success rate for in-vitro fertilization is much higher than any other infertility treatments, including intrauterine insemination. However, there are many factors that can determine whether IVF will result in a pregnancy or not which can be age, medical history and reproductive history.
• Initial consultation: During the initial consultation, your fertility specialist will lookover your overall health, medical and family history, and detailed reports of other treatments you may have had. In addition to this, the doctor may conduct a transvaginal scan and ask for the sperm analysis of the partner. Collecting thorough information about the patient will help the gynecologist in determining the correct treatment plan that is catered to the patient’s needs.
• Ovarian stimulation: After the treatment plan is set in motion, the in-vitro fertilization proceeds with the stimulation of ovaries using injections to grow the follicles. Afterwards, ultrasounds and blood tests are carried out in order to check the growth and the volume of the follicles. After they have reached the desirable number and size, the hormone hCG is administered to induce ovulation. The puncture is then scheduled after a 36-hour time period.
• Puncture: Puncture is a brief yet simple procedure that is performed while the patient is sedated. The IVF specialist accesses the ovaries through the vaginal cavity and punctures the follicles to collect the oocytes which are later fertilized with the sperms in the in-vitro fertilization lab. After the puncture procedure, patients are advised to rest and are discharged from the hospital in no time.
• In-vitro fertilization: This step involves the in-vitro fertilization of eggs with the sperm by using two different techniques i.e., conventional IVF or intracytoplasmic sperm injection. In the conventional IVF, the oocytes are added in the semen sample for fertilization in the culture dish. Whereas ICSI involves individual selection of the best sperm and then its injecting it inside each oocyte.
• Embryo culture: Embryologists analyze and monitor the development of the embryos through the use of advanced technology for approximately 5 to 6 days.
• Transferring the embryo: The embryo is inserted inside the uterus through a catheter while the patient is made to lay down in bed without being sedated. After resting for a while, the patient is free go about in their daily life and carry on their routine activities.
• Vitrification of the remaining embryos: Vitrification refers to preservation of good quality embryos for future use without requiring a new stimulation.
• Pregnancy test: The fertility specialist specifies the tentative date for the blood pregnancy test, which is usually 14 to 15 days after transferring the embryo.
If you are having trouble with conceiving and would like to seek the help of our expert fertility specialists, you can book a consultation with one of our doctors who can guide you through the correct course of action that is best suited to your needs. Book an appointment with our fertility specialists through the secure online form available on our website.
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