What is IVF?
In vitro fertilization (IVF) is an advanced type of infertility treatment. This assisted reproductive technology (ART) involves fertilizing an egg outside of the woman’s body.
Clinics from across the country are required to report their IVF success rates to the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology.
IVF Success Rates
IVF success rates are published two years after the cycles were initiated because live births have to be recorded. For example, the figures for 2008 were published in 2010.
IVF success rates are measured in the number of IVF cycles that lead to a live birth out of the total cycles, and rates have steadily increased since this treatment was introduced.
Live Births are Key to IVF Success Rates
In 1989, for instance, 14 percent of IVF cycles resulted in a live birth. In 2010, the overall IVF success rate for all age groups where a cycle resulted in a live birth was 30.3 percent.
An IVF cycle generally gives a rate of conception leading to a live birth that is higher than the chance a fertile couple will conceive during any given cycle.
2010 IVF success rates (cycles that lead to live birth) for different age groups:
- <35 – 41.7%
- 35-37 – 31.9%
- 38-40 – 22.1%
- 41-42 – 12.5%
- 42 – 4.1%
IVF Success Rates Decline with Age
Success rates decline dramatically with age because of a lower chance of pregnancy and a higher chance of miscarriage. When a woman is using her own eggs, age is easily the biggest factor that affects IVF success rates.
Live births increase with the number of embryos transferred — but only to a point for each age group, after which only the incidence of multiple births increases.
Many factors affect an individual clinic’s IVF success rate.
A comparison between clinics based solely on success may not be meaningful because patient medical characteristics, treatment approaches, and entrance criteria for SART vary from clinic to clinic. Even among a given age category, the patents’ situations could be very different at different clinics.
IVF Success Rates at Oregon Reproductive Medicine
For 2010, Portland-based Oregon Reproductive Medicine had among the highest IVF success rates for live births of any clinic in Oregon or Washington.
We are very proud of our consistently high live-birth success rates. But we know statistics don’t reveal what is really extraordinary about our practice — the personalized and thoughtful care we provide to each patient.
How To Improve Your IVF Success Rate
The best way to increase your IVF success rate is to choose a clinic that gives each couple an infertility treatment plan tailored to their unique situation and challenges.
Cutting-edge techniques have lead to increasing IVF success rates for many couples.
You can find out more at a free informational seminar, where doctors from Oregon Reproductive Medicine will answer all your questions about what affects IVF success rates and the other options available to couples.
