Why does IVF fail?

It is often difficult for patients to understand why, when we obtain eggs and sperm, combine them in a successful laboratory to develop embryos and put what appear to be healthy dividing embryos into the uterus, IVF could possibly not succeed. As with most biological events, pregnancy is a very complex process. Even today, what we do not know about pregnancy continues to exceed what we do know.

Nevertheless, there are some specific factors that we have identified that can occasionally lead to IVF failure.

Causes of IVF failure

The most important variables involved in a successful IVF cycle are a healthy egg, normal, functional sperm, and a uterus that is capable of nurturing the growth of a baby. In addition to these issues, there are many other factors that can impact one’s chance for pregnancy with IVF. These include the laboratory environment, the techniques used in the lab, and the skill of the specialists performing the egg retrieval and embryo transfer.