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Frequently Asked Questions
ART(Assisted Reproductive Technologies) /
IVF(In Vitro Fertilization):
What is infertility?
Infertility is the inability to become pregnant after
one year of trying to conceive.
How often does this happen?
Infertility is a problem in one out of six couples.
Where does the problem lie?
40 % are related to the woman.
40 % are related to man.
10 % are due to problems in both.
10 % are unknown causes.
When does one seek help?
Investigations and Treatment are usually undertaken
after one year of trying. How ever, exceptions to this may be made if
the couples are older or if specific diseases are present.
What are the common reasons for infertility?
There may be many causes for infertility. Often more
than one reason is found in a couple. The following are the common ones.
How is infertility treated?
Treatment will depend on the type of problem found
after the tests.
These may include one or more of the following:
Surgical procedures:
- To clear blocks or obstructions.
- To remove growths such as fibroids.
- To correct uterine abnormalities.
- To remove ovarian cysts, endometriosis, etc.
Assisted Reproductive Technology Procedures:
- Various procedures tailored to the needs of the patients are currently
available in the assisted reproductive technology laboratories.
What is insemination?
Is it Assisted reproductive Technology?
Strictly speaking, insemination is not an Assisted
Reproductive Technique - since handling of the oocyte / egg is not part
of this procedure. Intra Uterine Insemination of processed sperm of the
husband is performed for certain cases of male infertility, cervical problems
or unexplained infertility. These procedures are tried prior to resorting
to full - scale ART procedures.
What is Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART)?
Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART)
Where human eggs, sperm and embryos are handled in
a controlled environment of very specialized laboratory help infertile
couple in their quest for a child. Under normal circumstances, the human
egg, the oocyte, never leaves the women's body. Techniques during which
these eggs are retrieved and handled outside the women's body are called
Assisted Reproductive Techniques.
What is In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)?
In vitro fertilization is a process in which eggs
from the women and sperm from a man are fertilized outside the women's
body in the IVF laboratory. After two to five days the embryo is placed
in the women's uterus to grow further.
How long do these little human beings grow in the laboratory?
These embryos are maintained in the laboratory under
ideal culture conditions for anywhere between 2 and 5 days. It is difficult
or impossible to sustain human growth in the laboratory beyond 6 days.
What happens after that?
These embryos are placed back very gently in the
mother's womb to implant and grow further. This is called embryo transfer
.Usually no more than three embryos are transferred. The unused embryos
can be frozen and stored for later use.
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