IVF is an advanced medical procedure but its success rate is limited. Although a great deal of time, money and emotions are at stake with every failed IVF cycle, there is a lesson to be learnt with the same. The key issue here is to find out what went amiss with the cycle that led to its failure; so that the error may be dealt with effectively the next time around and the chances of success are also maximized.
IVF cycle documentation plays a vital role in this regard and every responsible and reputed IVF clinic makes it a point to carry out reliable documentation of each and every part of the cycle and also provide the same to the patient. In fact, the patients should insist on being provided with the documentation, whether the cycle is a success or failure, as they are entitled to get the same because they have paid for the treatment.
The Importance of IVF Cycle Documentation
IVF involves a series of steps, starting with ovarian stimulation, followed by egg retrieval, embryo culture, embryo transfer and is finally confirmed by a pregnancy test after a period of two weeks. The entire procedure needs to be documented across these processes, with detailed medical information related to medication and diagnostic tests, along with ultrasound scans and photos being part of the documentation.
Medical records need to be taken about each and every technical aspect such as the superovulation protocol and the timing of the HCG trigger shot. Also, the follicular growth has to be monitored through the cycle and documented in the form of ultrasound images to ensure that the HCG trigger is administered at the right point of time, with the maturity of the follicles. These images are also useful for evaluating the number and quality of the eggs for retrieval, something which is of key importance in case the IVF fails and subsequent attempts have to be made.
The importance of IVF cycle documentation can be adjudged from the fact that it can make a great deal of difference in the success rate of subsequent attempts; most of the times, the patient would like to switch to some other clinic after the failure of first attempt and the specialist at the new clinic would need the previous reports and scans to learn all about the case history. A good IVF centre would be proactive about providing the reports and documentation to the patients, or else the patient can rightfully claim the same from the clinic.
In fact, while the patient gets a second opinion after a failed cycle, the IVF cycle documentation would be of great use in determining whether the cycle has failed due to some clinical problems with the patient or the incompetence of the clinic. For instance, the scans may show a large number of follicles after the superovulation, but the number of eggs retrieved could be very few and this points a finger at the expertise of the medical staff at the clinic.
Why should IVF patients insist on getting all the records and documentation?
It would be right to say that IVF documentation is of great use for the patients who want to try again or seek a second opinion with the subsequent attempts. At the same time, even those who have had a successful cycle may prefer to preserve the documents and images as these are the memoirs of the efforts they have put in to achieve parenthood. The IVF patients should make it clear to the clinic right as they begin the cycle that they would be looking for all the documentation (whether the cycle would be a success or not) because the success or failure of the cycle cannot be predicted in advance.
It has been seen that sometimes even the most aware of the IVF patients fail to realize the significance of acquiring the records and documentation. These can actually be of great benefit to the patient as well as the doctor in the long run and influence the treatment plan in tough cases. In case the clinic refuses to provide the patients with the documentation, the patient should ask for them with a written application. Those clinics and doctors who fail to do so are most likely to lose their reputation and trust in the long run.
Gaudium IVF is a trusted name when it comes to provide the best and the latest in infertility treatment because it believes not only in giving the best but also being transparent and open with the patients. For a free second opinion from the award-winning fertility specialist Dr Manika Khanna, visit Gaudium IVF today.
