IVF - Frequently Asked Questions - Male & Female Fertility Treatment in India

1. Are there any restrictions on physical or personal activities during an IVF cycle?

• Smoking: Stop smoking before ovulation induction begins. It is best to discontinue tobacco at least 3 months prior to an IVF cycle. If you cannot stop “cold turkey”, seek the care of your primary care physician. By products of tobacco have been demonstrated to be toxic to the oocyte (egg). We strongly recommend that all women, especially those undergoing fertility treatment, cease smoking.
• Drinking: Alcohol is a drug, and should be avoided during infertility treatment and pregnancy. Please do not drink alcohol from the time fertility medications are initiated until the pregnancy test.
• Medications: If you are taking any medication, prescription or over-the-counter, please inform your physician. Some medications may interfere with the fertility medications prescribed, some are not safe to use before an operation or medical procedure, and others might interfere with ovulation or pregnancy implantation.
• An IVF cycle can be an emotional and stressful time for you and your partner. It may be helpful to have supportive personnel to speak to, such as friends and family, a clergy member, or a psychologist/therapist.
• Heavy exercise such as aerobics, jogging, weight lifting etc. are prohibited during ovarian stimulation and until the pregnancy test results are known.
• Acupuncture is permitted prior, during and after your IVF cycle but herbal supplements are absolutely prohibited.

2. Is the egg retrieval painful?

We do our egg retrievals under anesthesia you will be asleep for the procedure. Our anesthesia specialists use medications which heavily sedate you. You will be "asleep" however; you will not require a breathing tube. The beauty of this approach is that you will feel absolutely nothing, remember absolutely nothing, and will have few of or none of the typical side effects of anesthesia such as nausea and vomiting.

3. Will the egg retrieval damage my ovaries?

The data we have available tells us that it does not. There have been many women who have undergone multiple egg retrievals. The fact that they have responded to stimulation on subsequent occasions and gotten eggs and pregnancies on these occasions implies that the ovaries are OK after egg retrieval. There have been some limited studies looking at the appearance of the ovaries in women who have had egg retrievals and subsequent laparoscopic surgery. In those patients, the findings were normal.

4. Howlong does it take to get started with IVF?

From the point of your initial consultation , you may potentially start an IVF cycle within weeks. Your physician will determine the appropriate time frame for your fertility treatment.

IVF treatment into phases:

Phase One involves your initial consult and diagnostic evaluation. This can take days, but usually takes weeks or even a couple of months (depending on your menstrual cycle, logistical and financial details such as your travel schedule, availability, insurance requirements, etc.)

Phase Two is your cycle planning stage, which is heavy on logistical details such as obtaining IVF medications and learning how to mix and administer them. There is also blood work to be done, consent forms to be signed, payment to be made as well as other details to attend to during this phase.

Phase Two can last days, weeks or months, depending on your schedule, insurance, and availability.

Phase Three is the start of the cycle and usually lasts about two weeks. During this time you will be taking injectable medications and return  every couple of days for monitoring.

Phase Four is egg retrieval and embryo transfer. There are three to five days between the time when eggs are retrieved and embryos are put back into the uterus.

Phase Five is a pregnancy test and beyond.

5. If I am not pregnant, when can we try again?

Usually we ask that patients wait one or two complete menstrual cycles before beginning another ART cycle. Sometimes tests are required that may delay subsequent cycles.

6. Are there limitations onthe number of IVF tries per couple?

We find that most couples will get pregnant within 2 tries. Occasionally, there may be a reason to do a third attempt but that is not common. More than this would really require extenuating circumstances such as a miscarriage due to a non-recurring reason, for example.

7. Is there a higher miscarriage rate for ART patients?

The miscarriage rate is about the same for ART as the general population. Many times older females undergo ART and their miscarriage rates are naturally higher. Since pregnancy testing is done two weeks after embryo transfer, we often know about spontaneous miscarriages in the very early stages of pregnancy. These miscarriages would probably go unnoticed in the general population.

8. What are my choices if my tubes have been tied?
Basically there are two choices, surgery to try and repair the tubes or IVF. There are pros and cons to each choice and often the best choice depends on your unique situation. Surgery offers the option of attempting pregnancy naturally indefinitely without repeated treatments, but carries the rare risks of surgery and in some cases is not successful depending on the type of tubal ligation or tubal damage done initially. IVF offers the chance for pregnancy without having to undergo an operation and maintaining contraception or birth control against future pregnancies after completion of your family.

9. How do we decide how many embryos to transfer?

Your physician will discuss this with you at the time of consent signing, but we usually follow the recommendations of The American Society for Reproductive Medicine guidelines:

• Under 34 years old = 1-2 embryos
• 35-37 years of age = 2-3 embryos
• 38-40 years of age = 3 embryos

These numbers may vary depending on individual diagnosis and clinical circumstance.

10.How much does IVF cost?
The cost of IVF depends on the treatment and options selected. For IVF pricing information, click here.