Why IVF Fails and How to Improve Success Rates: Essential Tips for Couples

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Authored & Verified by:

Dr. Reubina Singh

MS (OB/GYN), MBBS - Senior Infertility Specialist

The Truth Behind Why IVF Doesn’t Work and a Way to Improve Your Success Rate

The IVF process can be a difficult one, and knowing why it doesn’t always work is, probably, one of the most important things for those who are about to undergo this treatment. Understanding what impacts IVF success gives you the tools to make informed decisions and maximize your chances for success in your next cycle. Let me highlight some of the main reasons for IVF failure and tips to increase your chances of success.

Factors That Are Responsible for IVF Failure

Embryo Implantation Issues

Embryos failing to implant is one of the main reasons IVF does not succeed. It is the lining of the uterus (endometrium) that must create the conditions for accepting the embryo that will allow it to settle in and grow. Even with a good embryo, not all embryos implant. Even healthy couples, in fact, have only about a 12-16% chance of conceiving each month. Embryo implantation is a complicated process which might differ from cycle to cycle, and therefore, this is because.

Tips for Success:

Maximize Endometrial Health — Be sure to talk to your reproductive endocrinologist (fertility doctor) about ways to optimize your endometrial lining, possibly through diet, exercise, and certain medications or treatments.
Think About Implantation Screening — At some fertility clinics, doctors perform implantation screening, a test for genetic markers that may increase embryo acceptance rates.

Egg Quality

The quality of the eggs plays a major role in whether IVF will be successful or not. High-quality embryos depend on healthy eggs. Genetic problems commonly underlie egg quality in older women or in women when genetic defects are suspected due to conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Eggs with fragmented DNA or other problems can lead to embryos that do not implant or develop normally.

Tips for Success:

Lifestyle Factors — The characteristics of a healthy lifestyle, including a balanced diet, adequate sleep, and stress management, can assist with egg quality improvement.
Optimize Ovarian Stimulation — The right medication protocol will yield the highest-quality eggs, but everyone’s different, so you’ll want to work closely with your doctor to find what works best for you during IVF.

Sperm Quality

While egg quality is essential, so is sperm quality for producing healthy embryos. Sperm damage in the form of DNA fragmentation can result in failed fertilization or poor embryo quality. Optimally, the chosen sperm should be as healthy as possible in order to increase the chances of fertilization as well as embryo quality.

Tips for Success:

Improving the Health of Sperm with Lifestyle Changes — Encourage partners to practice a healthy lifestyle with a healthy diet, exercise, and reduce alcohol consumption.
Consider Advanced Sperm Selection Techniques — Some methods like Intracytoplasmic Morphologically Selected Sperm Injection (IMSI) could assist in selecting the healthiest sperm.

Embryo Quality and Development

In IVF procedures, embryo quality in the lab is critical. Even visually “good-looking” embryos can have cytogenic abnormalities that inhibit embryo transfer or growth. Embryos may not develop normally when they have genetic abnormalities, meaning more cycles are lost to non-implantation.

Tips for Success:

Genetic Testing — Inquire about preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) to screen embryos for chromosomal abnormalities prior to transfer.
Select an Advanced Laboratory — A laboratory with modern equipment and skilled embryologists can improve the chances of generating healthy embryos.

Genetic and Chromosomal Problems

One common reason for failed implantation is chromosomal or genetic problems in the embryo. Sadly, some genetic ones might escape detection, even with modern screening techniques. This is a key barrier in the IVF process, particularly for couples with repeated implantation failure.

Tips for Success:

Genetic Counseling — You should also look into genetic counseling to learn more about any hereditary issues that may impact your embryos’ quality.
Choose Embryos Carefully — PGS (preimplantation genetic screening) and PGD (preimplantation genetic diagnosis) test embryos for genetic defects.

Other Things That Impact IVF Success

IVF Clinic and Lab Experience

IVF outcomes are critically affected by the experience and skills of the IVF team and the quality of the lab. A laboratory with high standards will have strict protocols for embryo handling, processing, and storage, while skilled embryologists will know how to deal with more challenging cases.

Tips for Success:

Select a Credible Clinic — Research extensively to ensure the clinic has a good track record of success in challenging cases.
Ask About Laboratory Standards — Inquire about the lab’s success rates with difficult cases and adherence to high standards.

Techniques of Embryo Pickup and Transfer

The success of an IVF cycle can be directly influenced by the manner in which eggs are retrieved and embryos transferred. Proper handling of embryos and an accurate transfer procedure are necessary to prevent trauma to the embryo and improve the chances of implantation.

Tips for Success:

Find an Experienced Expert — It’s vital that you investigate whether your IVF doctor has a history of conducting embryo transfers carefully and correctly.
Ask About the Clinic’s Transfer Protocols — A clinic that stresses the need for the careful handling of embryos during transfer can have higher success rates.

Bonus Tips for IVF Success

The success rate for IVF depends on several factors including age, lifestyle, and health. Women under 35 have, on average, a roughly 40% success rate; at over 40, that number drops to about 10%.

Additional Tips:

Stay Persistent — It’s important to realize that most couples have to go through several IVF cycles in order to succeed. Don’t lose hope; a second or third try could work out.
Work Closely with Your Doctor — Talk to your doctor about what can be tweaked in the next cycle. They might tell you about new protocols or recommend supportive therapies to optimize your chances.
Maintain a Positive Mentality — IVF can be an emotionally draining process. Knowing where to turn for help and remaining positive will only make the experience easier to bear.

Conclusion

While struggling to understand how or if IVF can work, it can be helpful to uncover why IVF may have failed in the past and what else you can do to improve your success rates. Maximize your chances in your next cycle by tackling issues such as embryo quality, egg and sperm health, and selecting a clinic with a good reputation. Just keep in mind that IVF can be a convoluted process that involves perseverance and flexibility; so take it one day at a time, follow your specialist’s lead, and greet each new cycle with hope.

Cryopreservation is a process to keep embryos or eggs by freezing them to be used later. Covered with dried tears, bruises of emptiness, and heartbreak, this journey falls into the older handcycle ways. With every cycle of IVF, couples are one step closer to their goal of finally being a mother.