Possible Risks and Side Effects of IVF

You will be fully apprised of all of the possible risks associated with your infertility treatment and IVF cycle as part of the informed consent process, which occurs before your cycle begins. Most patients generally do not have problems with blood sampling and hormone injections; however, some experience local discomfort, redness or bruising at the injection sites. Injections can be painful and the side effects of medications may include breast tenderness, fluid retention, a bloated feeling, moodiness and/or tenderness in the ovaries. In fewer than 1% of all IVF cases, a patient may form ovarian cysts that could rupture, a twisting of the ovaries that may require surgery, or experience ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). The latter, associated with enlarged ovaries and fluid in the abdomen, can lead to dehydration, large amounts of fluid accumulation in the abdominal and lung cavities, blood clotting disorders and kidney damage.

Monitoring during your stimulation cycle is extremely important, as it allows our physicians to closely regulate medications to minimize your discomfort and side effects. However, in a relatively small number of cases, they cannot be avoided. Although very rare, there are potential risks associated with egg retrieval that could require surgery, including infection and injury to blood vessels or other structures. Any possible links between stimulation drugs and ovarian cancer continue to be a subject of extensive researched; however, a positive causal effect has not been established.

 

Other Considerations

Success Rates and Multiple Births
Our success rates for infertility treatment cycles using IVF and other assisted reproductive technologies are very high compared to other programs due to a combination of quality oocytes and the expertise of our team of highly experienced physicians, nurses, embryologists and other laboratory staff. Our staff and laboratories are licensed and/or certified by the State of New Jersey and our screening measures go well beyond those employed by many other programs.

Although the chances for success at IRMS are high, there is no guarantee you will become pregnant. Whether you become pregnant is affected by factors that differ in every case. You or your spouse may face clinical infertility problems that preclude fertilization or successful embryo transfer. Your cycle may be cancelled because of stimulation problems, you may not produce enough eggs or the eggs may not fertilize and develop into quality embryos. Finally, when the process is successful, you may face the risk of multiple pregnancies. At IRMS, we take steps to avoid multiple gestations by limiting the number of embryos transferred, but you still may have to choose between having more than one child and undergoing multifetal reduction to reduce the number of embryos carried to term.

Psychological Screening and Issue Resolution
The psychological issues associated with IVF are significant and not to be taken lightly. Although we do not require every couple to meet with our on-site psychologist before acceptance into the program, we may recommend that this occur in some cases. Further, it is important that you are aware that psychological support is available throughout the process if it is necessary. You will be made aware of the requirements and implications of the procedure. You also will have the opportunity to discuss practical considerations with your nurse, and personal, moral and ethical issues associated with IVF, with our psychologist.

Cryopreservation and Disposition of Embryos
At the end of your cycle, you may have more embryos than required for transfer and, if the quality is good, they may be considered for cryopreservation. This occurs in approximately 25% of IVF cycles involving women age 39 or younger. As a result of several factors, embryos are rarely frozen when the patient is older. The availability of frozen embryos will allow you to undergo a subsequent transfer without stimulation, a process known as a Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET). However, if they cannot be frozen, they can be donated for research or destroyed.

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