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IVF stands for in vitro fertilization. It means a procedure, commonly known as in vitro, in which fertilization and the first stages of embryo development take place outside the woman’s body. It is currently the most advanced method of infertility treatment, incomparable to any other – writes Tomasz Rokicki, MD, a specialist in gynecology and obstetrics, one of the founders of the InviMed infertility treatment network.
The incomparability concerns the method of fertilization, since in all other fertility treatments, such as insemination, fertilization must take place in the woman’s body. In other methods, we do not have a direct physical influence on the process of joining the sperm with the egg. In the case of IVF, we already have such an influence.
When the biological clock is ticking …
IVF is not the first treatment offered to people who wish to have children who have problems with conception. The exceptions are when, for biological reasons, it is not possible for fertilization to take place in a woman’s body, for example when the woman has had an ovariectomy. It is also sometimes the method of first choice, when the age of the woman is an important parameter.
Currently, there is a tendency to shift infertility treatment to later and later in life, with the age of the woman setting the limit. There is a significant difference between the biological capabilities of women in their 20s and 30s and those of 40+. In many clinics it is accepted that the limit age for the treatment of infertility is 42 years. This is due to the fact that at this age natural pregnancies are very rare and there is a high percentage of abnormal pregnancies due to biology and genetics.
IVF – procedure kilkuetapowa
Technology vitro there are several, but at present the IVF-ET technique is of key importance in clinical practice in gynecology. in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer), which consists in connecting a sperm with an egg in laboratory conditions and placing a few days old embryo in the uterine cavity. The selection of the appropriate IVF method depends on the biological conditions that characterize specific people trying for a child – including the cause of infertility.
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IVF is a complex process in which the main role is always played by the medical component, but the non-medical element is also important, including, for example, the wishes of the couple, ethical considerations. Patients should remember that IVF is a long-term procedure that lasts from two to several months. This time is devoted to the implementation of the preparatory stages and the in vitro itself. The IVF qualification procedure consists of several stages and includes preliminary examinations, time for reflection, and interviews with a psychologist.
The next stage is diagnostics, which is to provide as much information as possible about the health of future parents. The scope of tests that are performed before applying the assisted reproductive procedure is regulated by law. At the next meeting with future parents, the documentation is analyzed and patients’ consents are obtained for the procedures they will undergo. This applies, inter alia, to the issues related to embryo freezing and the statutory necessity to perform this particular element in vitro. Zit happens that patients are not fully aware of the fate of unused embryos. This is important because IVF is not always successful, and frozen embryos in case of failure can be used in the next approach to vitro.
Conception by in vitro method
The in vitro procedure itself takes about a month. It begins with an 8-10-day stimulation with drugs – patients take them at home. The next stage is the day of egg collection – partners then come to the clinic together. The sperm is collected from the man, and from the patient – undergoing a treatment lasting several minutes under general anesthesia – the ovaries are collected after the puncture of the ovaries. From this point on, a 5-6-day biological procedure begins and ends with the administration of, most often, one embryo to the uterus. Under laboratory conditions, the eggs are stimulated, the sperm are selected, the physical connection between the egg and the sperm occurs, and the division processes in the fertilized egg are observed. Finally, the embryo is fed and unused embryos are frozen.
- Facts and myths about in vitro
IVF is an expensive procedure, but there are two sources of funding. The first channel covers the financing of the purchase of drugs for patients who meet the criteria set out in the law, implemented by the National Health Fund. The second channel is local and administrative programs. Such a program works, for example, in Warsaw.
Safety is a priority
Pregnancy and the number of embryos obtained are important in IVF, but the most important thing for us is safety, i.e. the elimination and minimization of any complications that could appear in the treatment process. It is also important for patients to be able to carry out a genetic test of embryos and research their own genome. Currently, genetic research related to vitro not widely used, but it is quite likely that in 10-15 years they will become the standard. This trend is already visible in the spread of future parents in genetic diagnostics.
The article comes from the educational campaign “W trosce o women” prepared by Warsaw Press and whose media partner is medTvoiLokony. All materials can be found on http://www.warsawpress.com/
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