Dr Richa Sharma
Dear Readers we are with some common queries with their possible replies which we commonly come across in our clinical practice .Awareness is the basic tool which can help the couple to choose the treatment option in a better way.
In layman terms, please explain what IVF is and elucidate the differences between ”test-tube babies” and babies born through a surrogate mother. Do most women find the suggestion of surrogacy very radical or are they open to it? Also, do women volunteer to act as surrogates?
Ans- IVF is called as Test tube baby in laymans term and it is an artificial way to form a baby so all those processes which happen inside are carried out in labarotory and the eggs and sperms are mixed to form embryos.
India society is very conservative but with more of literacy and awareness, we have observed now that more and more couples are opening up for the surrogacy and now many patients are already aware of the process.So it is no more considered a radical procedure but it is slowly taken up by society as its like a positive element , a binding force which helps to build and bond family and is no longer a taboo
Generally speaking, what is the success rate of IVF? How many tries are recommended for a woman before the couple is advised to look at adoption?
Ans- Succes rate of an IVF cycle ideally is the individualised success rate of a couple depending upon their clinical parameters, quality of eggs and sperms and the resulting embryos and how effective and fruitful was the implantation to transform into a healthy pregnancy and resulting in a live birth that’s what we all aim form.Well on an average if we consider everything perfect and non compromised then the rate varies from 40 to 45 % if its self gametes and to a max of 50-60% if it a third party reproduction.These are the real figures through world and In India in any best IVF clinic and not a hype of statistics.
After how many months/years of trying, do couples, on an average, approach infertility specialists? Do they usually seek a gynaecologist first and are then referred to specialists, or is there enough awareness for them to come to you directly?
Ans- As such there is no time gap,actually it all depends on the awareness and insight couple have about their problem and of course many external factors influencing their day to day life as being Indians we all have conservative roots somewhere down the line but how much it effects as whether we accept changes happening around and ready
to resort to latest treatment modalities.
All kinds of patients we get- some come directly and some are referred. We feel its all awareness at the end which matters to make a human to choose what’s the bestest choice for them.
As infertility can be a harrowing experience for both mother and father, do you offer psychological support or have a counsellor for tackling the effects that the treatment(especially its failure), can have on the patient? How essential do you think this aspect of IVF is?
Ans- yes that’s very much right that IVF is a very stressful treatment so couples need to be counseled and explained about their problem first and then treatment is offered as cafeteria choice concept where are given different plan of actions and they have to then make their decision as such things cannot be forced on to a couple who is already shattered due to silent sufferings they have been childless.So counselor has a role in this so that in each step they are enlightened .This not only curb downs the stress but helps improve the success rate.So the Doctors have happy patients because they have the blue print of what they are going to do
(The author are Chief IVF Consultant Gurgaon Fertility Centre and Executive Director Gurgaon Fertility Centre)
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