In vitro fertilization

In vitro fertilisation

Infertility is the inability of a couple to conceive by having normal sexual intercourse, without using any contraceptive methods, for 1 year or 6 months (when the female partner is older than 35). Research has shown that, statistically speaking, the causes of infertility are shared equally between men and women: 30% of infertility cases are caused by female problems and 30% by male problems. Another 30% have mixed causes, and in 10% of cases the causes remain unknown.

Medically assisted human reproduction (MAHR) comprises a range of clinical or biological techniques and practices that make conception possible based on the doctor’s recommendation and intervention, bypassing the natural process, namely without sexual intercourse. In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is one such approach.

In vitro fertilisation includes several stages which, together, make up an IVF cycle. The IVF process begins with the administering of hormonal treatment aimed to stimulate the ovaries to produce and mature more oocytes. These are subsequently collected by means of a procedure called ovarian drilling, the optimal number of oocytes being between 9 and 14. Then, the oocytes are fertilised with semen in laboratory conditions, and the resulting embryos are carefully grown and monitored.

After 3-5 days, the best embryos are transferred into the uterus, and the others are frozen. The Romanian good practice guide with regard to the treatment of infertility recommends that no more than 2 embryos be transferred. For this reason, approximately 20% of IVF pregnancies are multiple pregnancies (with twins). Generally, the success rate of an IVF cycle leading to a pregnancy is 30-35%. In practice, it depends on the age of the woman and the younger the woman, the better her chances.

When is in vitro fertilisation worth taking into consideration and even undertaking it?

Here are some of the situations in which in vitro fertilisation can provide a solution to being able to have children:

• when the fallopian tubes of the woman are absent, blocked or ligated;
• when the woman suffers from conditions such as severe endometriosis;
• when the woman has ovulatory dysfunction;
• when the woman is at an advanced reproductive age;
• when the concentration of spermatozoa in the man’s semen is below average;
• when the man’s spermatozoa have low motility, <4% morphology, high degree of DNA fragmentation etc.
• when one or both partners suffer from an inherited genetic disease which they do not wish to pass on to their offspring (if the embryos fertilised in vitro can be tested genetically for the respective disease, allowing for the transfer into the uterus of only those embryos which do not feature the dangerous gene or genetic mutation, so that the outcome of the pregnancy may be a healthy baby);
• when one or both partners suffer from infertility due to unknown causes;
• when there are other good reasons for delaying conception until after the age of 40, such as before undergoing oncological treatment or in the absence of a male/female partner, in which cases fertility can be cryopreserved by collecting and freezing oocytes or spermatozoa (social freezing).

To make an appointment with one of our excellent specialists at Origyn, please do not hesitate to call us at one of the following numbers: 0751 263 263 or 0756 379 565