Standard IVF cycle
In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a laboratory technique in which fertilization of an egg takes place outside the uterus. IVF is one of the most effective ways to deal with infertility.
IVF is usually performed using the Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI), where the sperm is inserted directly into the egg. The advantage of this method is that it only requires a single sperm. The fertilized egg is cultured and after a certain time it is placed in the uterus, where – in ideal case – it implants and develops further.
IFV can be performed using:
- eggs and sperm of the treated couple
- partner’s eggs and donor sperm
- donor eggs and partner’s sperm
- both eggs and sperm from donors
Average success rate of the procedure: Currently, the success rate of IVF cycles is between 50 – 60% per cycle. However, the difference in success rate across the different age categories needs to be emphasized. While the success rate is very high in women aged under 30 (it is more than 60%), after the age of 40 it falls sharply almost to 15%.
When is the procedure recommended?
There are numerous indications for completing the IVF cycle, the basic ones include the following:
- Occlusion (blockage) of fallopian tubes, absence of fallopian tubes – after surgical removal
- Pathological parameters of semen analysis
- Endometriosis in the woman
- Imminent ovarian failure
- Genetic indications
- Immunological indications
- Idiopathic infertility – unexplained infertility when we are not able to identify the cause of infertility, after completing 2-3 IUI cycles.
Native cycle and soft cycle
The native and soft cycle are procedures similar to the conventional IVF. The difference is that in the native cycle, in vitro fertilization takes place without hormonal stimulation, and within the soft cycle, hormonal stimulation is shorter and doses are smaller than in conventional stimulation.
- The native cycle is an in vitro fertilization without hormonal stimulation, in which your doctor retrieves an egg from a naturally matured follicle.
- The soft cycle is a similar procedure, but before the egg is retrieved, the patient undergoes hormonal stimulation. However, the doses are smaller and the stimulation is significantly shorter than in a conventional IVF cycle.
The rest of the procedure is the same for both types of cycles as for the IVF cycle. In the laboratory, in vitro fertilization, embryo culturing and subsequent transfer to the uterus will take place.
Average success rate of the procedure: The success rate of soft cycles is reported to be approximately 15 – 17% per single stimulation. The cumulative success rate after 3 cycles is approximately 30%. There are no accurate statistics on the success rate of native cycles. In general, the likelihood of success in this case is relatively low – less than 10% per cycle.
When is the procedure recommended?
Due to their very low success rate, native cycles are rarely recommended to patients. Soft cycles are chosen either by the patients when they refuse to undergo conventional hormonal stimulation, or by patients who refuse to cryopreserve (freeze) their embryos and want to fertilize only a very small number of eggs. In individual cases, soft cycles are also suitable for older patients or those who do not respond optimally to conventional stimulation.
