In vitro fertilisation

In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is a technique in which egg cells are fertilized outside the woman's body. IVF is a major treatment in infertility where other methods of achieving conception have failed.

Pregnancy

The chances of a successful pregnancy is approximately 20-30 percent for each IVF cycle. There are many factors that determine success rates including the age of the patient, the quality of the eggs and sperm, the duration of the infertility, the health of the uterus, and the medical expertise. It is a common practice for IVF programs to boost the pregnancy rate by placing multiple embryos during embryo transfer. A flip side of this practise is a higher risk of multiple pregnancy, itself associated with obstetric complications.

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IVF programs generally publish their pregnancy rates, however comparisons between clinics are difficult as many variables determine outcome. Furthermore, these statistics depend strongly on the type of patients selected.

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