Explaining and Overcoming Causes of IVF Failure
For women going through IVF, nothing is more disheartening than experiencing failure. Many factors can cause IVF failure, ranging from problems with fertilization to issues with implantation.
Ovation partner physicians investigate the causes of IVF failure; and even more importantly, they mitigate them, so that couples can have the best chance for experiencing a healthy and successful pregnancy.
Factors Underlying IVF Failure
IVF failure can be caused by a number of factors, including fertilization failure, genetic issues with the embryo, and failed implantation.
The first step in dealing with IVF failure is to understand what is necessary for a successful IVF cycle. These factors are essential:
- A chromosomally normal egg
- A chromosomally normal, functional sperm
- A successful combination of egg and sperm to form a chromosomally normal embryo
- A uterus that’s capable of carrying and nurturing a baby
After understanding the essential elements for a successful IVF cycle, it’s important to know what can cause IVF failure, including the most common causes of IVF failure.
Genetically abnormal eggs and embryos often cause IVF failure. Eggs with genetic abnormalities are more common in older women in the final years of the reproductive phase of life from menstruation through menopause. This factor alone can be the reason for genetically abnormal embryos that cannot develop into healthy babies.
Fertilization fails. A less common cause of IVF failure, this situation occurs when the sperm fails to penetrate and fertilize the egg.
Failed implantation can cause IVF failure. Even a genetically normal embryo can fail to implant in the uterus. It’s important that the endometrial lining of the uterus is in sync with the developing embryo that is transferred into the uterus as part of the IVF process. If the uterine lining and the embryo are not in sync, implantation is less likely to occur.
The skill of fertility specialists and embryologists can affect the success of an IVF cycle. An IVF cycle can still fail under the supervision of even the most skilled physicians and embryologists. However, an IVF cycle is more likely to be successful under the supervision of fertility specialists who are highly skilled with egg retrieval and embryo transfer, as well as embryologists with access to the latest technology for embryo selection.
How Ovation Fertility Mitigates IVF Failure
Understanding what causes IVF failure is the first step toward preventing it. The next, and arguably most important step, is knowing how to circumvent it with individualized protocols.
Working Together to Prevent IVF Failure
Our partner fertility specialists are experts in IVF stimulation protocols that enable patients to produce the largest number of mature eggs. They work with our Ovation Fertility laboratory teams (embryologists and andrologists) to offer advanced services such as intracytoplasmic sperm injection, ICSI, for problems with fertilization, and assisted hatching for issues with implantation.
Our IVF lab team monitors conditions throughout the IVF cycle. They perform testing to select the best embryos for transfer, and maintain a state-of-the-art laboratory environment that protects eggs, sperm and embryos.
If you’re struggling with IVF failure, please contact us for more information about how we can help.