Top 5 Reasons for IVF Failure

Embryo Transfer Failure

Unfortunately, embryo transfer failure is a common challenge in assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatments and can be particularly distressing for couples seeking conception. When a transferred embryo doesn't successfully implant in the uterus, it's considered an embryo transfer failure. The reasons for this failure are multifaceted and vary, but may include issues with the embryo itself, the woman's uterus, or factors related to the procedure itself. Risk factors for embryo transfer failure can include the woman's advanced age and high stress levels.

To increase the chances of success, the embryo transfer procedure itself is crucial. Incorrect transfer, misplacement of catheters, or excessive uterine dilation can all impact failure rates. Collaborating with a specialized ART center is essential to minimize the risks of embryo transfer failure.

It's important to note that embryo transfer failure doesn't necessarily represent a dead end for couples seeking conception. Alternatives such as embryo freezing, egg donation IVF, or gestational surrogacy can offer new opportunities for success. Moreover, seeking support from mental health professionals is vital to help couples manage their emotions in the face of these challenges.

Egg Quality

Embryo implantation rates are higher (around 50%) in women under 35, compared to only around 12% in women over 40. Older women often wonder: "What's wrong with my uterus? Why won't it accept the embryos?" At this point, some even consider using a gestational carrier.

If your uterus is perfectly healthy but the egg quality (and resulting embryo quality) is inadequate, switching to IVF with donor eggs is more likely to bring success. If your eggs are responsible for IVF failure, even transferring them to a surrogate's uterus will yield the same outcome. IVF failure in older women is primarily due to older, less viable eggs.

Woman's Age and Ovarian Response

The woman's age, uterine health, and how her body responds to IVF medications also play a significant role in IVF success. Normally, a woman's ovary releases one egg per month - from a collection that's fixed at birth and sharply declines after the mid-thirties.

Before an IVF cycle, medications are administered to stimulate the ovaries to produce more eggs. If you already have a reduced egg count or have high FSH levels, your body might not respond properly to IVF medications, which is not a good sign. If your body responds well to the medication and produces more eggs, you have a good chance of IVF success as it indicates the normal functioning of hormones in your body. But if it doesn't, your chances of IVF success may also be reduced.

These basic fertility tests for women will give you an idea of your fertility levels and help the doctor decide on the most viable treatment for you.

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Sperm Quality

For successful fertilization, it's essential for sperm to be in top shape, sufficiently numerous, and able to move efficiently. These tiny heroes play a crucial and complex role in the fertilization process.

Sperm are generally not the culprit in IVF failure except in cases of chromosomal problems. Any quantitative or qualitative issue with sperm is easily detected during semen analysis, allowing patients to utilize solutions such as intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) or IVF with donor sperm.

Genetic and Chromosomal Causes

Chromosomal abnormalities in human embryos are a major factor contributing to IVF failure. Research shows that the number of chromosomal abnormalities in human eggs (and therefore human embryos) dramatically increases after age 35.

How to improve the quality of embryos from IVF in women over 40? Sadly, statistics reveal that nearly 75% of these embryos have chromosomal abnormalities. Hence, the low IVF success rate in older women. Older eggs are thought to have an inefficient spindle apparatus that fails to properly align chromosome pairs. An error in separating chromosome pairs disrupts the necessary balance of 23 chromosomes per egg.

Chromosomal variations in the sperm can also lead to chromosomal abnormalities in embryos, but their frequency is thought to be lower than that observed in human eggs.

15% of men with normal semen analysis may have defective sperm DNA. Genetic problems in sperm can be detected through sperm DNA fragmentation analysis, which, while not routinely used, has been a critical turning point in the treatment protocol for some of our clients.

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