How successful are IVF and ICSI?
IVF and ICSI treatment should not be considered to be a single treatment solution. Patients should be prepared to go through at least 3 to 4 cycles to give themselves a fair chance of becoming pregnant as the likelihood of conception is cumulative. For example, with 4 treatment cycles, the chance of getting pregnant is about 70 %. What this means, is that even though the chance of getting pregnant in a single cycle may never be more than 40%, over 4 cycles, the cumulative success rate increases to 70%. Theoretically, therefore every couple undertaking IVF treatment should get pregnant – provided they were willing to go through as many cycles as were required. Unfortunately this is only a statistical probability and nature can – and occasionally does – disappoint. Patients have to be prepared to set a limit to the number of cycles they undertake, but the decision when to stop is one that only the couple can make for themselves. However, after more than 6 failed IVF cycles, the chance fo
