Various Types of In Vitro Fertilization

Having no child can cause depression and have impacted numerous lives. Thanks to the advanced assisted reproductive technologies like In vitro fertilization (IVF) many couples are happy in their lives. A set of intricate treatments known as in vitro fertilization (IVF) are used to help with fertility and aid in child conception.

In IVF, the female eggs are extracted from ovaries and these are fertilized in a laboratory using sperm of the male. The fertilized egg (or eggs) is/are then transported to a uterus. IVF cycles are completed in roughly three weeks. When these processes are divided into separate steps, the process can sometimes take longer.

There are various IVF treatment options available, but not all of them are suited for every couple because of a number of characteristics that are taken into account while making the decision. It depends on the patient’s health condition.

Hence the expert practitioner, before providing IVF treatment will question the patients, gain detail medical history, perform numerous tests, and then recommend the best suitable IVF procedure. The purpose of these inquiries is to help medical professionals determine which sort of IVF treatment would be most beneficial for you.

Furthermore, it enables them to assess the physical readiness of the patients for IVF. Let’s examine the various IVF procedures and how to make a decision.

IVF types

In vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures can be possible with the use of the couple’s own sperm and eggs. In some cases, a known or unknown donor’s eggs, sperm, or embryos may also be used while in some a gestational carrier, a woman who has had an embryo implanted in her uterus, may occasionally be employed for child conception.

Thus, the various IVF procedure are:

1. Natural IVF

In this method of IVF, the woman is first treated with medication that promote fertility and helps in stimulating ovarian follicles. The ovary makes multiple eggs. Generally, one egg is released at a time so with fertility medicines more than one egg is produced giving more chances of getting pregnant. The mature eggs of the female are then extracted from ovaries and are fertilized with the sperm in the lab. This is non-surgical process and thus is easier and less expensive. But it can cause hyper-stimulation syndrome and may require multiple sessions.

2. Minimal Stimulation IVF (Mini IVF)

It is similar to the traditional natural IVF procedure but uses controlled medications that produce more two to four eggs. This method is cheaper and is more effective.

3. Intrauterine Insemination method (IUI)

This is an IVF procedure wherein the sperm from male partner is placed into the female uterus directly during the time of ovulation. This increases the chance of sperm to reach the to the egg and thus the chance of fertilization increases. This method is less surgical and is highly effective.

4. Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection method (ICSI)

In this method a single sperm of the male partner is directly injected into the cytoplasm of the egg of the female to help in fertilization. It is mostly used in cases of sperm dysfunction.

5. In Vitro fertilization with the donor eggs

This method is used in cases where the female eggs are not functional and thus cannot be used for the embryo formation. In such situation the donor egg bank or donor egg from another women are used and the egg is fertilized with partner’s sperm in the laboratory. The fertilized embryo is placed into the uterus of the women.

6. In Vitro fertilization with the donor sperm

In this method the donor sperm is used to inseminate the female partner or is fertilized with the female partner egg and placed in the uterus. During insemination the donor sperm is placed into the female partner uterus at the time of ovulation.

7. In Vitro fertilization with the frozen embryo transfer

This method is highly useful to those female partners who decide to postpone their pregnancy till 40s. In this method the embryos which are frozen from the previous cycle are transferred to the uterus.

8. Gamete Intrafallopian tube transfer method (GIFT)

In this method the female eggs and the male sperm are together placed in a catheter which is then inserted into the fallopian tube. Through the catheter the gametes are then placed in the fallopian tubes and thus helps in faster fertilization. But it is very expensive method as it requires expertise and the eggs are fertilized outside the body.

Which In Vitro fertilization method is best for you?

The choice of right IVF procedure depends on numerous factors like your health condition, the number of good and suitable embryos, the chances of getting pregnant, the time duration of conceiving, your wiliness to undergo surgical procedures, your schedule, your mental strength and finally your budget.

IVF procedures are costlier and can range from 50,000/- INR for natural IVF to 2,00,000/-INR for surgical ones. Hence it is essential to consult good fertility experts to help you decide in selecting the best IVF treatment for you.

Conclusion

In Vitro fertilization has emerged as a highly helpful assistive reproductive technology that has brought smiles and joy in many lives. Still many couples fear to avail these technologies due to lack of information and awareness. There are numerous IVF procedures and selecting one suitable for you can be a troublesome job. But proper awareness of one’s medical condition and the various techniques along with expert advice can help you to make sound decision.

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