Maryam Clinic

In vitro fertilization (IVF) is the most common type of assisted reproductive technology (ART), used to create an embryo by bypassing certain causes of infertility, such as mild sperm abnormalities in men, and fallopian tube or ovulation irregularity in women.

During IVF, a woman’s eggs are surgically retrieved and then fertilized in a laboratory by mixing with a partner (or donor’s) sperm. The fertilized egg, or embryo, is left to grow for two to five days, and is then surgically transferred back into the woman’s womb.

In general, patients will seek advice from a fertility doctor after one year of trying unsuccessfully to get pregnant. The chances of a fertile couple conceiving a child in any given month (called the natural pregnancy rate) is around 20%; resulting in roughly ninety percent of couples becoming pregnant after one year of trying to conceive.

It’s recommended that the remaining 10 percent of couples consult a fertility specialist. In particular, women over thirty are encouraged to undergo a fertility treatment evaluation, after six months of attempting to conceive. And it may be beneficial for women over forty to meet with a fertility doctor shortly after deciding to try and have a child.

There are a number of factors involved in determining if a patient is suitable for IVF treatment. Appropriate candidates often include couples who may experience:

Low sperm counts
Endometriosis
Problems with the uterus or fallopian tubes
Ovulation disorders
Sperm unable to penetrate or survive in the cervical mucus
Other health or unexplained reproductive issues
The only way to know for sure if in vitro fertilization is right for you is to undergo a complete exam and consultation with Dr. Trolice and the Fertility CARE staff.

According to national statistics from the Center for Disease Control, the average IVF success rates using one’s own eggs begins to drop around age thirty and dips rapidly in the mid 30s and early 40s, due to lower egg quantity and quality. At Fertility CARE, our success rates consistently beat the national average.

In addition to age, success rates with IVF vary with respect to one’s height, weight, infertility diagnosis, sperm count, and reproductive history, such as the previous number of pregnancies, miscarriages and births.

The in vitro fertilization process can last anywhere from four to six weeks prior to egg retrieval. The embryo(s) will then be implanted between two to five days afterwards. Not all patients are successful on their first IVF attempt; in fact, it’s not uncommon for patients to go through multiple IVF cycles before finally becoming pregnant.