IVF advances gives women over 40 the chance to have children

NEW HOPE: Advances in IVF (in vitro fertilization) have enabled medical practitioners to achieve high success rates in such operations. (AP)

RIYADH: Dr. Ahmad Mohammad Al-Saleh, gynecologist and specialist in infertility at Dr. Sulaiman Al-Habib Medical Group, said advances in IVF (in vitro fertilization) have enabled medical practitioners to achieve high success rates in such operations, in addition to helping them diagnose with great accuracy pathological problems that lead to infertility in both spouses.
He said IVF is recommended for three categories of patients: Those who have problems that delay or impede the occurrence of pregnancy or childbirth; those who have no direct medical cause to explain delayed childbearing; women who marry later, for example at 40 or more, and fail to conceive for more than six months after marriage.
Dr. Al-Saleh said that there is an excellent protocol that helps realize the dream of women with repeated IVF failures to bear children.
“The procedure depends on three stages: Ensure that there are no antibodies that hinder the growth or adhesion of the embryo in the uterus; cleaning the uterus in order to create a conducive environment that can receive the embryo; ‘laser beams on embryo,’ which activate the embryo’s ability to adhere firmly to the uterus for the pregnancy to occur,” explained Dr. Al-Saleh.
He said blocked or damaged Fallopian tubes; polycystic ovarian syndrome; infection of the uterine lining leading to pelvic adhesions, and a woman’s age (usually over 40) are some of the reasons for infertility and, consequently, the need to resort to IVF.
In the case of men, infertility could be caused by the absence of sperm; blockage of seminal vesicles, leading to a severe shortage or lack of sperm; increased sperm abnormalities; sluggish sperm.
He said that IVF is the fastest way to achieve pregnancy, compared to other means.
“Through this procedure a doctor can determine the presence and quantity of ovules and sperm, and the extent of their interaction. Moreover, a woman can be subjected to more than one IVF procedures, depending on her health situation or any other related factors,” he added.
Modern techniques of treating infertility have contributed to a great increase in birth rates, said Dr. Al-Saleh adding: “Modern incubators help the married couple choose the best embryos to grow in the uterus, which increases pregnancy chances by between 10 and 15 percent.”