IVF Treatment - Introduction
IVFAustralia has information brochures on many aspects of infertility care. This outline only deals with in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and related technologies, hereafter known collectively as Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART).
Couples experiencing difficulty achieving a pregnancy have faced many frustrations, disappointments, investigations (tests) and often surgery before ART is contemplated. ART offers a chance to have a baby. The treatment itself can be physically and emotionally draining but the stress and anxiety can be reduced by a better understanding of the procedures and we therefore strongly recommend people learn as much as possible.
We hold regular Information Evenings which we invite you to attend free of charge to learn about your options and provide an opportunity for you to talk one-on-one with a fertility specialist.
Making decisions about treatment options, coping with disappointments, dealing with what it means to both have fertility problems, and coping with treatment, are all areas where counselling can help. We place a great deal of importance on helping couples make careful, considered decisions about treatment.
Recommendations
We recommend to anyone considering ART that they should:
- Endeavour to maintain a healthy lifestyle - we know that alcohol and caffeine in excess adversely affect the outcome and smoking, or using any other recreational drugs, also decreases the chance of success.
- Aim for a sensible weight for their height and build. It is harmful to be excessively over or under weight and this is reflected in much lower success.
- Take a multivitamin containing folic acid (0.5 mg per day) as this has been shown to decrease the incidence of neural tube defects (eg spina bifida) in babies.
- Stop taking herbal medicines as these may interfere with how the body deals with medications we provide as part of the treatment.
- Blood tests check for rubella and chicken pox status, blood group, Rh factor, Hep B & Hep C;
- As a female, understand your menstrual cycle — the most fertile time is between days 12 - 16 of a regular monthly cycle.
Our program is fully accredited by the Reproductive Technology Accreditation Committee (RTAC) of the Fertility Society of Australia and our endocrine (hormone) and andrology (sperm) laboratories are fully accredited by NATA. Our commitment to research and continual improvement ensures that patients at IVFAustralia are usually the first to enjoy the benefit of the most advanced and successful techniques.
Procedures
and the differences between IVF and ICSI
New procedures and improved techniques
are constantly being introduced and we are committed
to providing our couples with the most up-to-date
treatment. Procedures such as GIFT, PROST, ZIFT,
FICSIT and TEST (many of which we pioneered in NSW)
have now been superseded and are therefore rarely
performed. Most couples will require either ‘normal’ IVF or ICSI and it is therefore important
to understand the differences.
IVF stands for In Vitro Fertilisation. With
this method eggs are
collected and put with sperm in vitro (although this means 'in glass' we actually
use plastic). Embryos that result from this are placed (we say ‘transferred’)
into the uterus between 2 and 5 days later. They
can, if suitable, also be frozen (cryopreserved) for later use.
ICSI stands for Intra Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection.
This is a more sophisticated method of achieving
fertilisation in vitro, (i.e. a more complicated
form of IVF involving the scientists putting the
sperm directly into the egg), and is used for those
with severe male factor problems, (e.g. very few
sperm, or very poor quality). It requires very expensive
equipment, is labour intensive and is only used
when conventional IVF does not, or is not expected
to, result in fertilisation.
In some situations, ART does not result in a
pregnancy due to totally unsatisfactory eggs or,
(rarely now because we have ICSI), sperm. In
such cases donated gametes (sperm or eggs), or even
embryos, may occasionally be suggested. Whilst using
donated gametes and embryos is a relatively simple
medical procedure, it is complex psychologically
and requires thorough consideration before the decision
to proceed. We have additional brochures available
discussing these options.
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