In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)

2009 Statistics l Ovarian reserve and IVF success rates
IVF creates an environment which allows for maximal interaction between as many eggs and sperm as possible. Multiple embryos are produced during IVF, the best of which can then be transferred directly into the uterus under highly optimized conditions. For a woman to conceive with IVF, she needs healthy eggs, appropriate numbers of sperm from her partner, or donor, and a normal uterus. Under these optimal conditions, IVF yields the highest pregnancy rates available. If you are trying to conceive, then in vitro fertilization is an effective method to help you get pregnant. Contact us at our Raleigh, North Carolina office for more information.

Pregnancy is defined as a positive pregnancy test. Clinical pregnancy is defined as ultrasound visualization of a gestational sac and includes ectopic pregnancies. Multiple gestational sacs in one patient are counted as one clinical pregnancy.

Please note: A comparison of clinic success rates may not be meaningful because patient medical characteristics, treatment approaches and entrance criteria for ART may vary from clinic to clinic. Updated January 2010

Ovarian reserve and IVF success rates

Diminished ovarian reserve is one of the most common indications for undergoing IVF. Low AMH levels (< 1) are indicative of decreased ovarian reserve, but that does not always mean that success with IVF will be compromised. We recently reviewed data within our IVF program and presented the findings at the annual conference for the American Society for Reproductive Medicine in 2009. The conclusion of our study was that AMH levels are predictive of the number of eggs retrieved in IVF cycles, but they are not predictive of one's chance of pregnancy (Fertility and Sterility, 2009;92:3 S177-S178). These findings support our treatment philosophy, which is to not exclude women from IVF treatment solely based on decreased AMH levels. We take many other factors into consideration when determining one's chance of pregnancy, such as age, prior pregnancy history, and reason for requiring IVF treatment, and we find that many patients are still candidates for fertility treatment despite having a low AMH level.