Modern medicine has grown in leaps and bounds over the last century, but perhaps the biggest accomplishment of modern medicine is In Vitro fertilization (IVF), which has literally brought new life to millions of childless couples and families. It can be claimed to be the greatest gift of science because of several environmental, social and biological reasons like pollution, stress, and low sperm motility prevent couples from experiencing parental joy. However, even though IVF is a medical blessing, it is by no means a perfunctory or easy process. It entails several time-consuming and vagarious processes. Even after that there is only 30 to 35 per cent chance of conception after an IVF cycle in women below 35; for those around 35 to 40 have 20 to 25 per cent chance and women older than 40 have success rate of 6 to 10 per cent. Statistics is certainly not lenient with IVF success rate, but it is still celebrated as a breakthrough in medicine.
The IVF cycle consists of the following five steps:
Stimulation
This is the first step involved in IVF which takes 8 to 14 days. Using fertility drugs to stimulate the woman’s ovary to produce more than one egg, which is usual for normal ovulation. IVF is usually done with multiple eggs because not all eggs develop normally on fertilization, or fertilize at all. Ultrasounds and blood tests are done to find out if eggs are ready to be retrieved.
Retrieval
When the eggs are ready, transvaginal ultrasound aspiration, a surgical procedure, is carried out to locate mature follicles and remove eggs using suction. Laparoscopic surgery can also be performed to remove the eggs.
Insemination
In this stage, the eggs are examined to determine which stand a viable chance of fertilization and these are then kept in a culture medium for insemination. Meanwhile, the best sperms are separated from the man’s semen and added to the eggs in the incubator.
Fertilization
In a few hours, a sperm penetrates an egg; usually the physician confirms fertilization the next day by formation of pronuclei- two of these unite to form zygote which divides to form embryo. The embryo reaches 2 to 4 cell stage in two days after fertilization, 6 to 10 cell stage on the third day and after five days forms the blastocyst. The blastocyst consists of cells with fluid cavity which ultimately lead to foetal tissues.
Embryo transfer
The embryo is placed in the uterus at this stage. The embryo is placed in fluid and drawn into a catheter, using which it is inserted into the vagina of the surrogate, through the cervix, into the uterus. If the embryo transfer is successful, i.e., the embryos attach to the uterine wall, the surrogate mother will test positive in pregnancy test.
IVF may be a lengthy process and it may not be the perfect treatment for couples who have problems in conceiving. However, it is the best treatment available and we are optimists, we like to brave the odds. We like to believe we will be the exception to the rule, we will defy statistics. And every now and then, it does come true.
No comments:
Post a Comment