In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) - Pros and Cons

If you are struggling with infertility and looking for IVF, familiarizing yourself with the pros and cons of the treatment helps you take an informed decision. We have sorted out the advantages of IVF and disadvantages of IVF that you need to know about.

Table of Contents

Feel free to skip ahead if one topic catches your eye

1. IVF - Overview

2. Advantages of IVF procedure

3. Disadvantages of IVF procedure

Take Away

1. IVF - Overview

IVF or In Vitro fertilization is a medical procedure that is conducted to help a couple with their conception process. It is an extensive process that requires multiple consultations to decide the correct approach to the IVF treatment in Gurgaon.

In this procedure, the mature eggs are retrieved from the ovaries of the mother and then fertilized with the sperm in a fertility lab or clinic.

The treatment is generally suggested in patients struggling with the following reproductive complications:

• Lower sperm count or slow sperm motility

• Endometriosis

• Laboured ovulation

• Issues with the uterus and remaining reproductive organs

• The incapability of the sperm to enter through the cervical mucus layer

• Poor quality of the egg

• Genetic disorders in the mother

Depending on the condition, your doctor will likely suggest an IVF procedure after assessing all the involved criteria.

2. Advantages of IVF procedure

Since IVF is such an effective method of conception, it is a given that we have to start with the advantages and the positive aspects of this treatment. Some of them include:

Doesn’t Involve Fallopian Tubes - One of the highlights of this treatment is that the fallopian tubes aren’t necessary unlike Intrauterine Insemination (IUI). If your fallopian tubes are blocked due to prior infection or sexually transmitted disease, IVF is the most effective and safest form of treatment. Since IVF retrieves the mature eggs from the ovaries for artificial fertilization, it implants the embryo into the uterus directly, instead of relying on self-fertilization, as in the case of IUI.

Reduced Chances of Genetic Abnormality - Several infertile couples are at risk of conceiving an abnormal baby because of the artificial procedures involved. IVF allows the doctors to assess and test the embryo before implantation, allowing them to detect any abnormalities beforehand. So, in case either or both of the partners suffer from a genetic disorder or carry a gene for any such disease, the same can be detected before conception.

Effective for Infertile Males - If the male partner has a lower sperm count or immobile sperm that is affecting the conception process, IVF helps ease that hurdle. IVF used the ICSI procedure to inject the sperm into the eggs directly for fertilization. This facilitates a successful treatment and enhances the likelihood of conception for the couple.

3. Disadvantages of IVF procedure

With the advantages done, it is time to focus on the disadvantages of IVF.

Higher chances of Multiple pregnancies - This is a very subjective disadvantage. But, couples who have had issues conceiving generally want to take the process slow, so the possibility of having multiple babies at once might pose as a disadvantage for some. The procedure often imposes higher chances in twin pregnancies.

Fewer mature eggs - The egg collection procedure is crucial in an IVF. But, not every follicle in a woman’s ovary will have a plethora of mature eggs that can be retrieved for the procedure. So, this might result in a few eggs collected during the procedure, reducing the chances of successful fertilization. There are even times when no eggs are collected.

Fertilization or Implantation failure - Since IVF is a step-by-step procedure, it is a taxing procedure that requires a lot of patience. Sometimes, the process comes to a halt because of a failed fertilization. Other times, even with successful fertilization, there can be issues with the implantation, resulting in a failed IVF procedure. The fertilization failure doesn’t happen often, but the implantation failure is what most couples go through.

Miscarriage - As hard it is even to consider this, it might happen in an IVF treatment. This is not necessarily a common and frequent occurrence but mainly occurs in women above the age of 40 who are trying to conceive through IVF.

Ectopic Pregnancy - Another rare disadvantage of IVF is the induction of an ectopic pregnancy. In this, the fertilized embryo implants itself outside of the uterus, especially on the fallopian tube, resulting in a miscarriage after a few weeks of implantation. It happens in around 1 in every 100 mothers conceiving via IVF.

Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome - Around 5% of patients undergoing IVF experience this issue. It is quite a critical fertility anomaly that causes consistent artificial stimulation of the ovary. Generally, the condition pertains up to a week in normal conditions but can extend for months if a woman gets pregnant.

Take Away

For the couples seeking help through their infertility journey with best IVF centre in Gurgaon, we hope this article gives you all the details you need to know about the procedure - both the good and the bad. Since this is a time-consuming and taxing medical procedure, taking informed decisions is pretty significant. You must sit down and talk to your doctor about the ups and downs and every last complication or risk involved before you decide to give this a go.

At Prime IVF, you are given the best treatment procedures from experienced and board-certified professionals at affordable costs.