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Isha Ambani Piramal, daughter of Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani and a businesswoman herself, decided to demystify and normalise in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) — a process where the egg is combined with the sperm in-vitro or in the lab – saying she went through the procedure herself. Not only that, her mother Nita Ambani, chairperson of Reliance Foundation, also took the same route. The fact is there are many myths about IVF that need to be busted.
“The most common myth I have heard is that because it involves freezing embryos, babies could be born abnormal. Patient education and access to the right clinic and doctor are the most important factors for a successful birth,” says Dr Anjali Malpani, one of the pioneers of IVF in India and among the first to do egg retrieval in 1990.
IVF is recommended for couples facing infertility due to low sperm count, blocked fallopian tubes, endometriosis or any other medical condition. IVF should be done only after assessing the medical condition and tests of the intending parents.
It is quite simple. Fertility medications are used to stimulate your ovaries to produce multiple mature eggs. Then a minimally invasive procedure is performed to collect them and the sperm from the partner. Once the eggs are fertilised and become embryos, we monitor for several days as they grow and divide. Once a healthy count is ready, one or more healthy embryos are carefully inserted into your uterus through a thin catheter. If implantation occurs, the embryo attaches to the lining of your uterus and pregnancy begins.
Now we use technologically advanced thin needles, which are not painful at all. In fact, all our patients take these injections at home. They are that safe and fuss-free.
Not at all. Home injections have even cut down their trips to the clinic. The injection is first given on Day 2 of your period cycle. On Day 7 of your cycle, we do sonography and blood tests for monitoring. On day 10, if eggs are ready, we give the trigger injection of pregnancy hormones. We retrieve the eggs 36 hours after the trigger injection. So everything gets done in 10 to 12 days. After retrieval, the woman can go back to work. After implantation, we recommend a two-day rest.
There are no side effects of hormone injection and that has been proven by medical research. Many fear cancer in later years. But that doesn’t happen.
Women with PCOD (polycystic ovarian disease) may have hyperstimulation syndrome, which is an exaggerated response to hormones. She may overproduce eggs, more than 20, and a huge amount of estrogen-rich fluid that spills into her abdominal cavity. Usually women require hospitalisation to drain this fluid out. But now there’s a special technique during egg collection with a double lumen needle, which allows us to flush each follicle meticulously and ensure no more than 15 eggs are produced.
Other risks are multiple pregnancies (eg, twins or triplets), or ectopic pregnancy, where the embryo implants itself outside the uterus and inside a fallopian tube and has to be terminated.
For women less than 35, the success rate is 45 per cent. There is no physical harm in trying out IVF cycles as long as you can afford to do them emotionally and financially. Remember, each cycle can cost Rs 2-3 lakh.
Failure happens because of poor egg quality, sperm-related issues, faulty embryo development, implantation failure, hormonal imbalances, uterine abnormalities and underlying health conditions such as endometriosis or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Additional IVF cycles can be done with donor eggs or embryos.
Just follow your doctor’s recommendations, maintain a healthy lifestyle, including a balanced diet and regular exercise, avoid smoking and excessive alcohol consumption and manage stress levels. Take folic acid about two months before.