Did you know? The first successful IVF procedure was performed in 1978, marking an incredible medical achievement just two months after the birth of the world’s first IVF baby. However, it was only in 1997 that IVF success stories truly began making headlines.
The procedure gradually gained momentum in the early 2000s. Today, more than 2.5 lakh IVF treatments are performed every year in India, offering a lifeline to millions of couples like never before in human history.
The Reason behind IVF’s Success in India:
Standard IVF procedures have always shown promise. But it’s the continuous evolution and advancements in medicine that have led to today’s high success rates and the rapid growth of IVF. And how? Let us find out in this blog.
With insights from our IVF specialists at 9M Fertility, we delve into the advancements that have made IVF a remarkable success in India. We also share the latest research aimed at further boosting IVF success rates in the coming years.
Evolution in IVF Techniques: The 1990s – 2000s
The Shift to Transvaginal Oocyte Retrieval: The introduction of transvaginal ultrasound-guided oocyte retrieval in the 1980s was a step-up for IVF. A less invasive method, transvaginal retrieval, made the egg retrieval process smoother and far more comfortable for patients.
Advancements in Hormonal Treatments: During the same decade, new hormonal medications and refined ovarian stimulation protocols were developed. These improvements increased the production of viable eggs, boosting IVF success rates.
The Birth of ICSI (Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection): ICSI was a breakthrough for couples dealing with male infertility. With ICSI, a single sperm is injected directly into an egg, which allows fertilization even when sperm quality is low. This technique opened up IVF to many more couples, especially those facing severe male infertility issues, and greatly expanded the possibilities in reproductive medicine.
While the advancements of the 1990s and 2000s overcame early challenges and significantly improved the effectiveness of IVF, ongoing innovations have further boosted success rates while enhancing convenience and comfort for patients.
Evolution in IVF Techniques: Current Advancements in IVF Treatment
The crux of evolution in IVF happened and was adopted in the early 2010s and these advancements are actively utilized today by fertility specialists in Hyderabad to further refine the procedure and improve success rates.
“These advancements, along with previous progress, reduce the risks, make the IVF process faster and safer, and have opened up IVF as a successful option for couples in India,” says our fertility specialist in Hyderabad, Dr Pratyusha Gunreddy.
Here are the current advancements in IVF treatment procedures that are leveraged today to improve the success of IVF:
- Embryo Cryopreservation: Enables freezing embryos for future use, with improved success from vitrification techniques, increasing survival rates and flexibility in IVF treatments.
- Preimplantation Genetic Testing (PGT): Screens embryos for genetic abnormalities before implantation to reduce the risk of genetic disorders and promote healthier pregnancies.
- Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET): Allows for embryo transfer during optimized cycles. By utilizing advanced freezing techniques, this process improves outcomes and increases the success rates of IVF.
- Ovarian Tissue Cryopreservation: Preserves ovarian tissue for future use, offering fertility options for women undergoing fertility-impacting treatments like chemotherapy.
- Laser-Assisted Hatching (LAH): This is an advanced process where a tiny opening is made in the embryo’s outer shell to aid implantation, which is especially beneficial for patients with prior IVF failures or older age.
- Minimal Stimulation IVF (Mini-IVF): Utilizes lower medication doses to reduce side effects and costs while maintaining effectiveness. These benefits make it an appealing alternative to traditional IVF.
- Adjunct Therapies: Additional treatments like acupuncture or immune modulation enhance uterine receptivity, align the body for embryo transfer, and improve overall implantation chances.
Latest Research and Upcoming Advancements in IVF:
After decades of continuous evolution, IVF today offers the highest success rates among all assisted reproductive procedures available today. Every step of this process has been refined with advancements that boost success. Researchers in reproductive medicine continue to innovate to improve outcomes further. Here are a few promising research avenues and advancements that are brewing in IVF:
- Advanced Embryo Culture Techniques with AI: Improved culture media creates a better environment for embryo growth, enhancing quality. “Combined with time-lapse imaging, it allows continuous monitoring, helping specialists accurately select the best embryos for transfer. Today, AI technology is also being leveraged to analyze embryo morphology, reduce human error, and make the process more efficient”, says Dr Rajasekhar Udutha, Chief Embryologist at 9M Fertility.
- Microfluidics: By precisely controlling fluid environments at the microscopic level, microfluidics enhances sperm sorting, fertilization, and embryo culture. This technology allows IVF specialists to improve success rates, reduce costs, and streamline processes, making IVF more accessible and efficient through more controlled and optimized conditions.
- In Vitro Gametogenesis (IVG): IVG is another exciting development that focuses on creating eggs and sperm from other types of cells, such as skin cells. This procedure could offer a solution for individuals who cannot produce viable gametes, including those facing infertility due to age or genetic conditions. While the technique is still in its early stages, it helps improve IVF outcomes and provides more options for those struggling with infertility problems.
In addition to the above, research in stem cell technology, minimally invasive techniques, and personalized IVF treatments are other promising advancements expected to transform the IVF landscape. These innovations can further boost success rates, safety, and accessibility of IVF treatment in the upcoming years.
As one of the best fertility centre in Hyderabad, 9M Fertility has always been at the forefront of new advancements and research in assisted reproductive technologies like IVF. Equipped with world-class IVF infrastructure and led by India’s best IVF specialists, we continually adopt the latest cutting-edge trends to improve IVF success rates while enhancing comfort and convenience.
So far, our IVF experts in Hyderabad have helped thousands of couples experience the joy of parenthood. If you’re looking for IVF treatment in Hyderabad, we can help you too. Contact us here.
