Overcoming Infertility: Infertility Medicine or Surgery?

Dealing with infertility can be by seeking sterile drugs or certain medical actions according to the cause. The difficulty of getting offspring is certainly not good news for a husband and wife. But on the other hand, is there an effective infertility medicine?

Generally, to overcome infertility, a series of medical treatments are needed. These include drugs, surgery, and the use of assisted reproductive technology.

Treatment Planning

It's a good idea for you and your partner to make a plan about how far both of you will undergo infertility treatment. For example, you are willing to undergo treatment, but not until the surgery process. Although during the process, you may change your mind but it is better for you to make a plan.

If cost is a potential obstacle for you and your partner, discuss together how much it can cost. Planning like this can prevent cost overruns that can be exacerbated by emotional turmoil during the treatment process.

Finding the Right Place and Medical Personnel

If you have fertility problems, it is very important to choose a hospital or clinic, and qualified medical personnel. Some things you need to consider include:

  • Availability of the services you need.
  • What types of treatment are provided.
  • The success rate of the treatment that has been done.
  • How many patients are on the waiting list.
  • Cost of treatment.

Then what will the doctor do for the treatment of infertility? Some of the processes that are usually carried out consist of administering drugs, surgery, artificial insemination, to assisted reproductive technology (assisted reproductive technology). Not infrequently these steps are a combination.

The doctor will determine treatment based on:

  • The results of the physical examination and supporting tests.
  • How long the couple has been trying to have children.
  • The age of each individual.
  • Overall health condition.
  • Preference of partner.

Treatment Options

To determine the right infertility medication, each partner will be asked to do a fertility check. The results of the examination will then be followed up by the doctor.

Treatment for men

For men, treatment possibilities include addressing possible general sexual problems or a lack of healthy sperm. Some types of treatment include:

  • Treat infection. The use of antibiotics may be able to overcome infections in the reproductive tract. The bad news, it does not always mean able to restore fertility.
  • Drugs and hormone therapy.If the cause of infertility is due to certain hormone levels that are too low or high, or the body's problem in utilizing hormones, the doctor will recommend drugs or hormone replacement therapy. Your doctor may also be able to give you medication to improve testicular function and increase sperm quality and count.
  • Treatment of sexual problems. You may need counseling or infertility medication to increase fertility in conditions of erectile dysfunction or premature ejaculation.
  • Operation action.One of the most common causes of infertility is varicocele. This condition can be treated with surgery. Sperm will usually re-emerge from the testes after previously not found at the time of ejaculation.

Treatment for women

To restore a woman's fertility, several types of treatment may be needed, including:

  • Fertility drugs to stimulate ovulation. This type of drug is the main treatment for women who are infertile due to ovulation disorders. These drugs will regulate or stimulate ovulation. For example, drugs such as clomiphene or tamoxifen will help start ovulation or make it regular. Talk to your doctor about the right medication, as well as the benefits and risks.
  • Operations to improvegoodi fertility. There are several procedures that can be performed. For example, hysteroscopic surgery can help treat endometrial polyps or problems with the lining of the uterus and scar tissue in the uterus. If the problem is a blockage of the fallopian tube (blockage of the fallopian tube), then surgery can be done on the tube to make the egg move more easily.
  • Intrauterine Insemination. Also known as artificial insemination, in this process, sperm is selected with the best quality, then placed into the uterus with an assistive device. This procedure is usually done at ovulation to increase the chances and previously given low levels of hormones to stimulate the egg.

Utilizing Assisted Reproductive Technology

If treatment efforts have not yielded results, current technological advances can help realize the efforts of married couples who want to have children. Known as assisted reproductive technology (assisted reproductive technology). In this process, it involves not only gynecology specialists but also medical teams from various other fields. Techniques that can be done:

  • In Vitro Fertilization (FIV)

This is the most common technique. The FIV or IVF procedure begins by stimulating more egg cells than usual, then meeting them with sperm cells for fertilization outside the uterus. About 3-5 days after fertilization, the embryo will be implanted back into the uterus.

  • Shell release (assisted hatching)

This technique will assist the implantation of the embryo into the uterine lining by opening the outer layer that encloses the embryo.

  • Sperm injection into the egg.

In this procedure, one healthy sperm is directly injected into a mature egg. Generally this procedure is done in conditions of too few sperm, problems with semen, or failure of fertilization attempts with the FIV procedure.

  • Donate eggs or sperm.

There are various pros and cons to this, including in Indonesia. Donated eggs or sperm are obtained from donors, if one of the partners has problems with fertility. The egg donor process usually uses the FIV procedure.

Understanding Risk Action and Complications

The use of drugs or hormones to stimulate ovulation in order to increase the chances of pregnancy has risks for women. Meanwhile, complications for men are less common. For that, ask your doctor more about:

  • The risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome due to the use of fertility drugs, because the ovaries swell and cause pain. It presents with various symptoms, ranging from mild abdominal pain, bloating and nausea, to rapid weight gain, and shortness of breath that require emergency treatment.
  • Risk of bleeding and infection during assisted reproductive technology procedures.
  • The risk of carrying twins. Today, it is estimated that 30 – 50% of twins are born to mothers undergoing IVF. Ask about possible procedures that can minimize this possibility. Ask for further explanation related to carrying more than one fetus, considering that pregnancy is a high risk.
  • The risk of giving birth prematurely with the age of the baby is not old enough.

The process of overcoming infertility requires various considerations and the cooperation of various parties, apart from you and your partner. Consult any developments with doctors and medical experts who work together to get infertility drugs according to the expected results.