WHO IS A CANDIDATE FOR IN VITRO FERTILIZATION (IVF)?

For a variety of situations or conditions, In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), may be required as the first line of treatment.  In other cases, IVF may be needed if other treatment options fail to produce results. Below is a compilation of indications for IVF treatment.

Age Related Fertility

A woman’s ovarian function diminishes through the aging process and fertility assistance may be needed to help achieve pregnancy. Approximately 1 in 4 women over 38 will need fertility assistance.  The reduced function of the ovaries found with aging can potentially be overcome through the use of IVF at a Rapid City or Denver fertility clinic.  Some women of advanced age (over 35) proceeding with IVF often choose to do preimplantation genetic diagnosis with their IVF cycle to decrease the chance of having a baby with a chromosomal abnormality.  Preimplantation genetic diagnosis in women over 35 will increase the likelihood of having a healthy pregnancy and may increase the pregnancy rates in women over 35 utilizing IVF.

Anovulation

Most women who experience anovulation (not ovulating) are able to conceive with simpler techniques (i.e. with fertility drugs), but those who require in vitro fertilization are generally those who fail to respond to fertility drugs or those that over respond to fertility therapy.    Pregnancy rates in women that don’t ovulate and need IVF to conceive are generally very high.

Endometriosis

Endometriosis can lead to infertility.  It is a condition in which the lining of the uterus (endometrium) grows on other organs in the abdominal cavity, such as the ovaries and fallopian tubes.  Most women with moderate or severe endometriosis will need IVF to conceive, especially if they have failed to get pregnant after surgery for their endometriosis.  Success of IVF in patients with this disease depends on the woman’s age, the severity of the endometriosis and the amount of the ovarian tissue destroyed by the endometriosis.

Fallopian Tube Damage

Depending on the situation and extent of damage, most women with abnormal fallopian tubes will need IVF to conceive.  There are limited options for the treatment of tubal damage and these include Surgery or IVF. Pregnancy rates associated with surgeries to fix fallopian tubes are low so most women chose IVF as the preferred method to treat infertility associated with tubal disease.

Male Factor Infertility

When an abnormal semen analysis is the reason for problems associated with fertility, Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) may be recommended.  When there is male factor infertility, ICSI can be used to inject a sperm directly into the egg.  ICSI is used when sperm motility is low, the sperm count is low or sperm had to be aspirated from the epididymis or the testes.

One of the most dramatic advances in treating infertility has been the ability to get woman pregnant using techniques in the IVF lab even with severely abnormal sperm samples.

Pre-implantation Genetic Testing (PGT)

Genetic testing on embryos prior to implantation may be indicated for patients who are at risk for having a child with a genetic disorder or a chromosomal abnormality.  Additionally, IVF with PGT has been successful for women who have experienced unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss or repeated unsuccessful IVF cycles. PGT tests all good quality embryos either on Day 3 or Day 5 for abnormalities and the normal embryos are then transferred to the uterus.

Unexplained Infertility 

Nearly 20 percent of couples present no identifiable cause for infertility, even after completing a comprehensive evaluation.  Where more conservative treatments have failed, IVF is very successful.