Ivf first time success rate

Why IVF Sometimes Fails - ELITE IVF

Pregnancy is a complex process — whether it’s via a natural conception or through assisted reproductive technology (ART). There are various things that can happen along the way. In some cases, this can lead to a failed IVF cycle, which can bring about an emotional and stressful time for the intended parents. However, understanding why a previous cycle of IVF wasn’t successful can help you and your medical team make changes to your treatment plan.

In this article, we outline the various reasons why IVF fails and what you can expect in terms of IVF success rates. Keep in mind that a failed IVF cycle doesn’t mean that it won’t succeed in the future. Almost 20% of women who had a failed IVF cycle become pregnant within five years.

IVF Success Rates

IVF success rates depend on many factors, such as age and the reasons for infertility. Overall, first-time IVF success rates often fall between 25-30% for most intended parents. However, this probability tends to increase after multiple IVF cycles.

Let’s take a closer look and examine the reasons why IVF cycles fail. From there, you can make an appropriate plan with your fertility team to achieve your baby dreams.

Reasons Why IVF Cycles Fail: Cancelled IVF Cycle

Your fertility team may choose to cancel an IVF cycle if there are signs the cycle will not be viable. This is due to several reasons, as outlined below.

Issues with Ovarian Stimulation Process

The ovarian stimulation stage refers to the phase of an IVF cycle where the woman takes fertility drugs to stimulate follicle development. If the ovaries do not respond well and too few follicles are developed, your physician may recommend cancelling this IVF cycle. Without enough follicles, the egg retrieval process will prove difficult or there may not be enough eggs worth retrieving.

Diminished Ovarian Reserve and/or Poor Quality Eggs

A diminished ovarian reserve refers to a condition where a woman’s ovaries have lost their reproductive capacity or are not producing enough quality eggs. This is common in women over 35 years of age. The chances of failed IVF are much higher in someone with diminished ovarian reserves.

At the same time, you may have an adequate amount of eggs but have low egg quality. Egg quality is an indicator of success when creating a viable embryo. Therefore, your fertility team may recommend postponing or cancelling your current IVF cycle if your egg quality is too low.

Reasons Why IVF Cycles Fail: Failed Embryo Implantation

IVF cycles can fail, rather than be cancelled, for many reasons. Often, this comes down to failed embryo implantation, which can happen due to the quality of the embryo, a thin endometrium, and/or PCOS.

Quality of Embryo

Poor egg quality often leads to poor-quality embryos. This means that embryos with low-quality eggs frequently fail to fully develop. If by the third day in the lab the embryo has not achieved a six to eight-cell stage or doesn’t have a regular shape, these embryos can’t be used for the embryo transfer phase of IVF.

Chromosomal Abnormalities in the Fertilized Egg

In addition, embryo quality may refer to chromosomal abnormalities. While an embryo may reach a six to eight-cell stage and have a regular shape by the third day in the lab, it may have chromosomal abnormalities, which carry a higher risk of miscarriage.

Thin Endometrium

The embryo is often unable to implant properly on the endometrium in the uterus if it is less than 7 millimetres thick. In other words, a thin endometrium means that implantation will likely fail. If this is the case, there are many ways your fertility team can address this issue, helping you successfully create the family of your dreams.

PCOS and IVF Failure

PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) is a hormonal condition that impacts a woman’s reproductive system. With PCOS, women often have hormonal imbalances relating to androgens, progesterone, and insulin in the body. Symptoms of PCOS may include missed periods, irregular periods, prolonged periods, painful periods, hair loss or hair in new places, mood changes, weight gain, and infertility.

PCOS and IVF failure are common. Frequently, this involves implantation failure or issues with the growth and development of eggs in the ovaries. However, there is hope. Many women with PCOS have faced IVF failure but also had a successful IVF cycle after more than one attempt.

Recurrent Implantation Failure

Recurrent Implantation Failure (RIF) is when a woman under 40 years of age has experienced three IVF failures with quality embryos. There are various reasons IVF implantation failure can happen, including age, increased body weight, stress, smoking status, and more. This can take a mental and emotional toll on the individual or couple. Your fertility team may recommend taking a break before trying again. However, in this case, there are various methods that can be tried to increase the odds of success, including hormonal therapy, blood-thinning medications, and more. Discuss your options with your fertility team to determine an appropriate treatment plan.

Unexplained Infertility and IVF Failure

Unexplained infertility can be frustrating, especially when it results in IVF failure. However, IVF has some of the highest success rates when it comes to treating unexplained infertility in particular.

Occasionally, unexplained infertility may be caused by Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS). This condition happens due to excess hormones, which may occur during IVF when taking medications to stimulate egg development. This may cause the ovaries to become painful due to swelling. However, OHSS is rare during IVF, occurring in fewer than 5% of cases.

Failed IVF can happen for various reasons. Understanding the reasons why IVF fails and why this cycle didn’t work out for you can help you navigate the next best step. That way, you can continue to work toward building the family of your dreams.

At ELITE IVF, our team is here for you every step of the way. With over 15 years of helping individuals and couples achieve their baby dreams, we know every fertility journey is different. We create a plan unique to you and your situation, guiding you through the entire process. Call us today for more details or complete our online intake form to get started.

What is The Success Rate of IVF on the First Try?

Skip to content What is The Success Rate of IVF on the First Try?

How does IVF Work?
What factors impact the success of IVF?
What is the success rate of IVF on the first try?
How to find the right fertility team

The national average for women younger than 35 able to become pregnant by in-vitro fertilization (IVF) on the first try (meaning, the first egg retrieval) is 55%. However, that number drops steadily as the woman ages.

Mark P. Trolice, M.D., board-certified reproductive endocrinology and infertility specialist and founder of The IVF Center^SM says, “Annually, across the country, over 275,000 cycles of IVF are performed. ” One of the most common questions asked by his patients is What is the success rate of IVF on the first try?”

Dr. Trolice and his team at The IVF Center^SMbelieve the success rate of the IVF procedure is dependent upon the entire clinical and laboratory team. This is critically important to note. Why? Because, as Verywell Family points out, “The high cost of IVF, plus the psychological distress experienced by couples, makes multiple IVF cycles difficult.” One study correlated higher anxiety with waiting to become pregnant during the IVF procedure. Dr. Trolice and his team address this issue by having a clinical specialist available 24/7 as well as a full-time Reproductive Health Psychologist to answer questions and provide emotional support.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports the use of ART procedures has doubled over the past decade. Approximately 1.9% of all infants born each year are through IVF. However, the success rates of these procedures vary among clinics. How can you select the right fertility team to ensure you have a higher rate of success with your IVF procedure?

Here’s what you need to know about IVF, how the procedure works, and your real world chances of it working on the first cycle – defined as an egg retrieval and complete use of all embryos during fresh or frozen embryo transfer attempts.

How Does IVF Work?

IVF is a highly complicated procedure with a series of steps, and a few different medications, to help with fertility and the conception of a child. IVF requires a doctor to retrieve mature eggs from the ovaries of a woman during a minor office procedure while she is under intravenous sedation. Those eggs are fertilized by sperm in a laboratory. The fertilized embryo is then transferred to the uterus – a single blastocyst embryo is recommended for transfer in women less than 38 and for all women when the embryo is determined to be chromosomally normal.

Once the patient’s health is cleared and the process starts, there are basically five steps within IVF:

The woman’s eggs are stimulated to grow and mature by daily injectable fertility drugs
The eggs are removed in a minor surgical procedure called a follicular aspiration
Sperm will be collected from your donor or partner
Insemination of the eggs by sperm occurs in the lab
About three to five days after fertilization, the doctor will place the embryo into the uterus while extra unused embryos are frozen for subsequent transfer. (In good responding patients, all embryos are frozen since studies have shown higher success in these patients with frozen thaw embryo transfer.

There are many cycle options with the IVF process:

Standard (insemination of intended parents egg with intended parent sperm)
Donor sperm (insemination of intended parent egg with donor sperm)
Embryo donation (transfer of non-biologically related embryo)
Egg donation (sperm of the intended parent inseminates donor eggs for the intended parent to carry the pregnancy or through the use of a gestational carrier)
Gestational carrier (a non-intended parent who carries a non-biologically related embryo)

IVF increases your chances of getting pregnant if you’re having fertility problems. There is an emotional, physical, and financial burden that goes along with IVF and other fertility treatment procedures. It makes sense to look at some of the factors affecting the success rate of IVF before considering IVF.

What Factors Impact the Success of IVF?

The quantity and quality of the eggs/embryo
The quantity and quality of sperm
The stimulation protocols and the timing of ovulation
For implantation, the receptivity of the endometrium, or lining of the uterus
The ease of the embryo transfer process

There are multiple tests that fertility doctors conduct to determine the reproductive and physical health of the IVF patients. Dr. Trolice says, “The evaluation of the woman prior to IVF ensures that her uterine anatomy is normal. We also assess her ovarian age through a hormone test called AMH or antimullerian hormone.” Ovarian age helps doctors determine the amount of fertility medications to use during the IVF cycle.

The chronological age of the woman also significantly impacts the quality of the egg and embryo. As women get older, there is a more rapid loss of their endowment of eggs. It starts to become more challenging beginning at around 32 years old. The success rates decline to around 13% by the time the woman reaches age 40.

The chances of conceiving through the IVF procedure are higher if the patient(s) have had a successful pregnancy in the past. If the woman has a fertility issue like fibroid tumors, or uterine abnormalities, IVF may be less likely to work. There are also lifestyle issues that will negatively impact the success rate of IVF, mainly cigarette smoking. Additionally, vaping, alcohol/drug use, and an elevated body mass index can impair pregnancy success.

How to Find the Right Fertility Team

To find the right fertility clinic, look closely at their success rates with the IVF procedure. You can look up fertility clinics on the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART) website to see their outcome statistics as well as an estimate of your cumulative success of a baby from one to three cycles. You can also look on the clinic’s website for patient testimonials. Make sure the clinic doctors are board-certified in R reproductive endocrinologistsEndocrinology and Infertility and members of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM). SART demonstrating adherence to the highest standards in IVF.

To find out more about the team at The IVF Center^SM and how we can help you achieve your dream, contact us online anytime to schedule an appointment.

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6 arguments “FOR” in vitro fertilization (IVF)

IVF is not a “last resort”, but the best way to deal with infertility

method is still a lot of misunderstanding in the form of myths and fears. People who think about IVF are afraid of the consequences: from the procedure itself to the high cost of treatment and the birth of unhealthy children. As a result, IVF is resorted to only when all other methods of getting pregnant have not worked, the time has been irretrievably lost.

In unsuccessful attempts to conceive a child, women and men spend years, a lot of money and nerves - and after all, they could become parents long ago with the help of IVF, because this is the most reliable way to cure infertility. Zdorovye Mail.Ru dispels the prejudice associated with IVF, together with the chief physician of the REMEDI Institute of Reproductive Medicine, obstetrician-gynecologist Elena Mladova.

IVF is a method for people with severe infertility

In fact, the IVF procedure is a standard method for treating infertility. For women over 35 years of age, the reason to turn to IVF is unsuccessful attempts to get pregnant within a year.

What about patients under 35? If pregnancy has not occurred after a year of unprotected sex, you can devote another 6-12 months to examinations and treatment of both partners by other methods - and in the absence of pregnancy, still turn to IVF.

“I had a patient who devoted seven years to alternative ways to get rid of infertility - even leeches were used! Then she turned to reproductive specialists, as a result, she became pregnant almost immediately. And then I wondered for a very long time why she wasted so much time when she could just do IVF, ”says the doctor.

Successful IVF takes many tries

Many people have a “friend who did IVF three-five-seven times - and all to no avail”. Such patients tell everyone how long and costly it is - so people save IVF as their last hope.

In reality, the success of in vitro fertilization depends on many factors, the main one being, of course, the age of the patient.

“Up to 35 years, the probability of getting pregnant after the transfer of two embryos is 50%, at 36-38 years old - 38%, at 39-40 years old - 30%, at 40-42 years old - 22%, at 43-44 years old - 11%. The preparation for the implantation process also affects: how well the woman was examined, how the eggs were selected for fertilization, whether the embryos were tested for chromosomal defects, ”explains Elena Mladova.

Of course, different patients will need a different number of attempts. But often you can get pregnant by IVF the first time, and on average you will need to do three “approaches”.

According to the doctor, there is a take home baby indicator - it means what percentage of IVF cycles ends with the birth of a child. So, this figure is approximately equal to 34-36%: it means that a third of women will become pregnant and give birth the first time, another third - from the second IVF attempt, the rest - after the third cycle.
If it was not possible to give birth to a child after three IVFs, you need to carefully look at what goes wrong during the procedure itself. Perhaps there are too many mutations in the embryos, and they need to be carefully selected. Or, for example, a woman is already well over 40, and she is still trying to get her own eggs for IVF - and in this case, you should think about donor cells.

Hormonal stimulation during IVF is dangerous

During the preparation for IVF, the ovaries of a woman are stimulated with the help of analogues of natural hormones - this is necessary so that not one (much less often - two) eggs mature (as in the natural menstrual cycle) , but a few. With the help of stimulation, you can get 12, and 15, and even 20 eggs at a time - this significantly increases the chances of IVF success and reduces the procedure time.

“Of course, we can take one egg for IVF in the natural cycle – but then our chances of reaching only the stage of embryo transfer are only 30%. If the patient is very afraid of hormonal stimulation, this is the way out, but then she takes on high risks that the procedure will not succeed.

But I recommend stimulation to everyone - this is the most reliable way to get pregnant sooner,” explains Elena Mladova.

The most common possible side effect that occurs infrequently in the process of preparing for IVF is ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome: due to not always correctly selected doses of hormones, the ovaries can increase in size, the abdominal cavity fills with fluid, blood thickens.

The most common side effect that occurs when preparing for IVF is ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome: due to the loading dose of estrogen and progesterone, the ovaries literally “swell” up to five times in size, the abdominal cavity fills with fluid, blood thickens. This syndrome can be life-threatening - due to the density of the blood, the risk of thrombosis increases, and hence myocardial infarction, stroke and other serious consequences.

“It's not that bad - since the 1980s, when the technology of ovarian stimulation was invented, science has advanced, and the risk of complications has been significantly reduced.

Hyperstimulation occurs mainly not from the stimulation itself, but from subsequent pregnancy in the same cycle, which also provokes a large release of estrogen and progesterone. As a result, the body receives a double dose of hormones - this causes a failure.

There are several solutions to the problem, the doctor explains. “We can freeze embryos after successful stimulation and fertilization, and then transfer them to the next cycle. Or use the latest drugs in an individually selected dose, which minimize the risk of side effects and do not cause hyperstimulation at all - after them, the level of hormones returns to normal on the third day.

In general, today I can almost 100% guarantee a woman that she will not have any ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome.”

Women are often afraid that after IVF, the likelihood of cancer will increase - for example, of the breast or uterine body, that is, organs that are sensitive to sex hormones. But studies show that there is no increase in cancer cases or cancer deaths after in vitro fertilization. The detection rate of oncological diseases is slightly increased - only because a woman is more often and thoroughly examined before and during IVF.

The doctor explains that the patients' fears, again, are usually related to hormonal stimulation. However, in fact, it is possible to stimulate even patients who are genetically predisposed to breast cancer or have already contracted it - and want, for example, to freeze their eggs for the future. For safety reasons, they are additionally prescribed special drugs that neutralize the effect of "excess" estrogen.

IVF is full of twins (or even triplets!)

Indeed, with in vitro fertilization, the likelihood of multiple pregnancy increases. This happens for several reasons.

Firstly, reproductive specialists sometimes deliberately transfer two or three embryos to a woman in order to increase the chances that at least one will take root. Secondly, due to the technology of cultivating embryos, the possibility of “bifurcation” increases, after which identical twins are obtained - compared to a normal pregnancy, it grows from two to 12 times.

As a result, for example, two embryos were implanted in the patient, and one of them also split in two - here you have triplets.

“I am in favor of transplanting one embryo into a woman, if possible,” the doctor is sure. “And to increase the survival rate, do pre-implantation genetic diagnosis and exclude non-viable embryos with chromosomal mutations.

If it so happens that there are three or more fetuses, I always suggest making a reduction - reducing the number of embryos to two. This will significantly reduce the risk of preterm birth and other consequences of multiple pregnancies. ”

With twins, reduction is not done, because the risk of miscarriage is too great. But with three or more embryos, the probability of losing the entire pregnancy due to reduction is only 5%, so this procedure is justified.

IVF babies are all sick

Since the invention of IVF technology , more than 8 million "test-tube babies" have been born . And doctors say with confidence that the method itself does not harm the health of babies.

Another thing is that IVF, as we have already found out, increases the likelihood of having twins or triplets - and they are often premature. And because of premature birth, complications arise - up to cerebral palsy. But you can minimize this risk by transplanting one embryo at a time.

“In Sweden, for example, six IVF attempts are paid for by the state – but only one embryo at a time. Medical officials believe that this is more profitable than nursing premature twins and triplets later, or even treating sick children for life, ”says Mladova.

Also, the health characteristics of children born through IVF are related to the fact that older people turn to this procedure - and over the years, as you know, the risk of mutations in germ cells increases.

This is solved by the fact that the embryos are examined more carefully - they carry out pre-implantation diagnostics. But, unfortunately, it will not be possible to identify all mutations - it is not known exactly what we are looking for, and it is too expensive to check all the genes of each embryo.

Therefore, the frequency of developmental anomalies in "IVF children" is indeed growing a little - 4% versus 2.5% during normal pregnancy. But usually these are some cosmetic defects that are easy to correct surgically. The frequency of severe neurological disorders, such as autism, does not increase due to IVF.

IVF is expensive and accessible to few

IVF is really not cheap. But there is good news - the state allocates quotas for in vitro fertilization under compulsory medical insurance.

“Over the past 10 years, IVF funding by the state has increased 10 times,” says Elena Mladova.

And almost everyone can get a quota for IVF - just go to the antenatal clinic, register and collect the necessary documents. According to the federal quota, there are no upper restrictions on the age of parents, even a single woman can receive funding, you can choose any accredited clinic in the country (including private) for the procedure. For regional quotas, each entity sets its own rules, but usually the upper age limit for the patient is 45 years old, and only married couples can participate.

There is a common misconception that the state gives only one attempt for “free IVF”. This is not so: the federal quota is indeed issued for one IVF cycle, but you can participate in the program several times. And the regional quota immediately allows two attempts, but you can apply for it only once.

“For various reasons, about two thirds of patients still do IVF at their own expense. You will also have to pay for the preservation of eggs or embryos “for the future” - today young women who want to extend their fertile age do this. Patients also pay for (if necessary) egg and sperm donation, surrogate mother services.

Still, we have quite enough children born under compulsory health insurance. And, I hope, there will be even more soon,” says Elena Mladova.

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what is the probability, statistics, reviews of experts

In vitro fertilization has allowed many women to become pregnant and give birth (1). But, unfortunately, the first IVF attempt is not always successful. We understand why the long-awaited result may not come and how to increase the chances of success.

Reasons for failure

There are many reasons for an unsuccessful IVF attempt. Let's talk about the main ones.

Age. Unfortunately, the probability of pregnancy in women after 40 years is much lower, even with excellent health. And not only with IVF, but also with natural conception. This is because the number and quality of eggs decline over the years (2).
Excessive response of the ovaries to the administration of hormonal drugs. This step is necessary at the stage of ovulation stimulation, but is not always well tolerated by the body.
Pathology of the genital organs. In some cases, pregnancy is simply not possible.
Unhealthy lifestyle. It has long been known that smoking, alcohol, other addictions and bad habits are the enemies of pregnancy and the bearing of a healthy child.

Other causes include:

impaired spermatogenesis;
genetic disorders;
bleeding disorder;
hormonal imbalance.

Since there are many reasons for unsuccessful IVF attempts, it is necessary to undergo a thorough examination and properly prepare for the procedure.

Statistics: chances of success

Chances of success with the first IVF 一 about 50%. After the second attempt, they increase by 8%, but after the fifth failure they decrease to 15%. On average, the results depend on the age of the woman (3):

under 36 years old - up to 50%;
37-39 years 一 35%;
40 years - up to 20%;
42-44 years 一 below 10%.

How to improve the effectiveness of the program

You can increase the chances of success. To do this, you must follow some rules.

Lead a healthy lifestyle. Alcohol and smoking have a very negative effect on reproductive abilities. Sport, on the other hand, has a very positive effect.
Do not drink too much coffee. It is recommended to limit yourself to two cups a day. Moreover, the drink should not be strong.
Eat right. Food should be balanced, rich in vitamins. It is better to refuse diets.
Do not take medicines without your doctor's advice. Also, do not use drugs that are contraindicated during pregnancy.

The simplest but most important advice is to protect yourself from negative emotions and stress. Believe in a successful result, because a successful IVF from the first time also depends on a positive attitude!