Infertility in modern times is an increasingly common problem due to the modern lifestyle and requirements of a modern woman. These social demands lead most women to the decision to postpone “conception” for a long time, until the much-needed career obligations are accomplished. At the same time, the crisis that we are experiencing in recent years, makes the productive work of the modern woman necessary for a couple to survive financially, and as a fact that removes even further any thought of childbearing. The insecurity that young people feel and the financial misery are so important that the dream of having a child begins to be considered a luxury.
In fact, when this child comes in with difficulty, insecurity grows, and “denial” is established within the couple. But this attitude should change.
However, not all cases of infertility require IVF. Modern science in the field of infertility enables us experts to diagnose, but also to solve problems that were previously considered intractable and with milder techniques. We can recognize pathological conditions, such as endometritis or endometriosis and with simple interventions we can significantly increase the fertility potential of a couple.
But even if the conditions are such that they require the realization of in vitro fertilization, the chances of success from the very first time exceed 50%. Exhaustive and in-depth investigation of every case’s history, the correct application of the most modern methods and the selection of a tailor-made patient treatment plan, are the key points that we experts follow to reach the top result.
At this point, however, some patients wonder “How is it possible, with this science data, that you report to us doctor and there are women who undergo more than five and sometimes more than ten unsuccessful IVF attempts?” The answer is easy and obvious. The key points mentioned above are not observed carefully and usually the thorough examination of the couple’s medical history is omitted or the same treatment IVF protocol is repeatedly attempted without trying to seek the most appropriate solution for the patient. There are of course cases that the couple enters the infertility battle with very bad chances from the beginning. The possibilities of failure must be explained honestly by the doctor without building fierce and vague hope, so that the couple is not subjected to many vain attempts and to quickly redirect towards the therapeutic approach that will get us closer to the common goal.
Last but not least, I ‘d like to share a few more words about the safety of the administered drugs. The newer drugs used in IVF have been tested on hundreds of thousands of people and have been found to be completely safe, while they do not cause carcinogenesis or any other significant burden on the patient’s body. However, they must be avoided or at least used with special care in cases of increased cancer predisposition (especially in breast cancer) or in cases of thrombophilia. In such cases, it is perhaps more appropriate to perform IVF without hormones, i.e. in a natural cycle or with the IVM (In Vitro Maturation) technique.
In conclusion, in the difficult times we live in, the couple struggling with infertility is not able to spend financially or mentally in carrying out many IVF attempts. As experts, we must approach every couple individually, take care of it carefully and guide it to its destination through the shortest, inexpensive and simplest path. I feel that this is my obligation and my promise.
