Success Rates

In Vitro Fertilization Success Rates for 2009

Depending on maternal age, our success rates are 10-13% higher than the U.S.  We attribute our high success rates to our high clinical and laboratory standards as well as the relaxing atmosphere of the beautiful island of Barbados.

* Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC)

Our flexible embryo culture system permits blastocyst culture. This is particularly beneficial for couples with 5 or more good quality embryos on day 3, when the extension of the culture to day 5 will significantly improve embryo selection. Ultimately success rates are 10-20% higher depending on the age of the female. For women under 35 years old, a 71% clinical pregnancy rate was achieved in 2009 with blastocyst culture.

Maternal age impacts egg and subsequent embryo quality.  Therefore the age of the woman has a significant impact on success rates. The statistics given are for all women treated at these ages. If we focus on those within an age bracket who are producing good quality embryos, success rates are higher. In addition, in cases where good numbers of embryos are available, this too has a positive impact on chances of pregnancy. This is most evident in the over 40's. For example, our average success rate for the 41+ group with ICSI and IVF is 14%, but in cases where there were 4 embryos available for transfer, we achieved a 25% success rate.

Understanding Assisted Reproductive Techniques (ART) Success Rates

What are the chances of success for a couple having IVF treatment? This may seem like a simple question, but trying to interpret success rates from IVF units can get confusing! Below are some simple tips:

• There are different ways to quote IVF success rates. For simplicity, most IVF units refer to clinical pregnancy rates (CPR) which includes a pregnancy only when there is a fetal heart beat present on ultrasound.

• Because the age of the woman affects the success rate immensely, for comparison purposes it is normal to try to compare women of similar ages.

• When comparing one IVF center to another, the best way to standardize is to compare women in the younger age ranges, as the impact of age may affect success rates dramatically. Hence the "under 38 year old" success rate is often used when trying to interpret different outcomes between one center versus another.

Interpretation of Above Success Rates

The success of your treatment depends on many factors and your specific treatment options. General IVF success rates can be misleading because they do not take into account the individual patient and her situation. ART procedures and success rates have dramatically increased worldwide since IVF began, but there are still many hurdles to cross during a treatment cycle. For instance, your chance of success needs to take into consideration:

• Age of the female partner
• Quality of the sperm
• Quality and number of eggs retrieved
• Reason and duration of infertility
• Quality control in the laboratory
• Skill and competence of the IVF team

Your IVF medical team at Barbados Fertility Centre can talk you through all the details of your specific treatment. We will be able to assess your individual case and give you a projected success rate that is applicable to you.

Going through an IVF cycle involves substantial commitment of time, energy, finance and emotional input. Therefore, we will provide all the information necessary to assist you in making an informed decision. This includes medical, psychological, financial and statistical data.

There are a number of reasons why a cycle may be cancelled or not completed in full, which is another detail your medical team will counsel you about in more detail.

For more information, please contact us.