IVF Success Rate by Age

IVF Success Rate by Age – Overview

Infertility is unfortunately too common and it is estimated to affect around 15% of couples who are trying to conceive. Depending on your specific situation, various infertility factors may be treated using in-vitro fertilization (IVF).

IVF procedures are expensive and also take an emotional and physical toll, which often leaves patients wondering if IVF is worth it. Luckily, IVF is usually successful. This is especially true for women under the age of 35 years or those who use donor eggs.

Some factors need to be considered when determining whether IVF is the right choice for you to conceive.

Age-based IVF Success Rates

According to national data collected by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), the chances of success rates of conception decrease in inverse proportion to the patient’s age.

These are the chances of a successful birth after one egg retrieval using either a frozen embryo transfer cycle or using freshly retrieved eggs/embryos during the cycle.

Below 35 years = 54.5%
Between 35 and 37 years = 41.1%
Between 38 and 40 years = 26.7%
Between 41 and 42 years = 13.8%
Over 43 years = 4.2%

As you can see, the success rate for an IVF procedure drops drastically when a woman reaches 40. This is why most women over 40 choose to use donor eggs. However, the success rate of an IVF procedure with donor eggs may still be influenced by the recipient woman’s age, particularly regarding the implantation rates and pregnancy outcomes.

Frozen vs Fresh Embryo IVF Success Rate

When using fresh donor eggs, the chances of a successful conception and birth per cycle are:

With frozen embryos = 46.5%
With fresh embryos = 55.3%

Multiple Cycles vs Single Cycle

As mentioned above, the success rates above are meant for the one-egg retrieval method. The chances of success significantly increase with multiple cycles of IVF.

Instead of relying on only a single chance, you should undergo several IVF trials to achieve successful conception.

However, if you add the high expense of IVF procedures to the psychological stress experienced by couples, it is quite difficult to meet multiple IVF cycle goals. Very few couples are willing or able to try more than 2 to 3 cycles.

If the IVF technique is not showing satisfactory results even after multiple attempts/cycles, you should consider adoption or other alternatives to get positive results.

Different Factors Affecting IVF Success Rates

The success of an IVF procedure depends on several different factors. Some of these factors are not under our complete control while some can be improved effectively through changes in lifestyle.

The Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART) has developed a patient-predictor tool that can provide deeper insight into the odds of success of IVF procedures.

We assume that you have not undergone the IVF procedure before and this is your first attempt. In such a situation, the following factors are considered when determining the success rate of an IVF procedure:

Age
Height
Weight
Any previous full-term births
Number of pregnancies
If you plan to use donor eggs or own eggs
The cause of infertility (if known)

Conclusion

The success rate for any IVF clinic is important when choosing where to undergo the IVF procedure.

However, the stated success rate for individual clinics should not be taken as definite. A clinic with an excellent conception rate may be turning away couples with lower chances of conception.

Or, they may transfer a higher number of embryos per cycle to increase the chances of conception however this is a very risky move.

Hence, consult with your physician or Ob-Gyn to determine which clinic will be able to help you in the best way possible with a successful IVF treatment. You should also ensure to enquire about any potential risk of complications from the procedure before choosing to initiate the treatment.

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