In Vitro Fertilization, or IVF, is a potential treatment option for women with blocked, severely damaged, or absent fallopian tubes. IVF was sucessfully used for the first time in 1981. IVF is also used to help couples with unexplained infertility, who haven't had any success with other infertility treatments. IVF is assisted reproduction, it occurs when the man's sperm and the women's egg are combined in a laboratory dish, allowing fertilization to occur. The embryo is then transfered to the uterus to develop naturally. Most of the time two to four embryos are transfered with each cycle, others frozen incase the first transfer doesn't work correctly. Of the babies concieved with IVF, 63% are single babies, 32% are twins, and 5% are triplets or more.
For the most part, IVF is a safe procedure. A potential risks could be, overstimulation of the ovaries, (OHSS, ovarian hyper stimulation syndrome) which affects .5-2% of patients. Its possible to contract a pelvic infection after the removal of the eggs. Excessive bleeding during or after the eggs are collected, multiple pregnancies, or side affects from the drugs.