Success Rates: Beyond the Numbers
IVF success rates are available for all to examine. They can be helpful in assessing the general success that a given program has had. It is, however, critical to look beyond the statistics. The best IVF program may not be the same for everyone. This is a difficult decision and one that many couples will need to consider.
IVF success depends on two factors. The first is the couple’s chance of conception. This will be influenced by many factors including age, diagnosis, years of infertility, ability to produce multiple eggs and the extent of prior testing and treatment. IVF centers are also diverse. They employ different patient selection criteria, different stimulation protocols and laboratory procedures. These can all influence success rates.
There are many ways of reporting IVF success. The one that is the most important for many couples is the live birth rate per cycle initiated. Understand that pregnancy rates per transfer or retrieval will be significantly higher. Statistics that utilize clinical pregnancies will also be inflated due to miscarriages that can occur after the pregnancy is recognized.
It is clear that you need to choose a program that offers the services that you need. Some programs may not offer specific ART procedures such as GIFT, ZIFT, Donor Eggs or Gestational Surrogacy. Laboratory procedures such as Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD), Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI), Assisted Hatching (AH) or Embryo Co-culture may not be available at all centers.
Many other factors, including patient selection, cycle cancellation rates, embryo freezing and the number of embryos transferred, can affect success rates. The number of embryos has a vast influence on the pregnancy and multiple gestation rates. If you are concerned about multiple pregnancies, you need to examine the differences between programs.
In summary, you need to look beyond the reported success rates. Your individual prognosis may be better or worse depending on your diagnosis and treatment history. You should ask your physician for an approximation of your success rate based on all these factors. This can help you make better decisions regarding your family building options.
