When an IVF
cycle fails, patients want answers. What went wrong ? What can we do differently
the next time?
Part of the
problem is it's very hard for doctors to provide precise answers, simply
because biological systems are so messy. After all, the law of small numbers
applies , and it's very hard to extrapolate or give definitive answers based on
just one single cycle, simply because there's so many variables.
It’s not as
if we are trying to hide information from the patient, but the honest truth is that
we really don't know why a given IVF cycle fails – or even why it succeeds, for
that matter ! ( Of course, when the IVF cycle succeeds, everyone is over the
moon, and no one asks why everything went off perfectly , because this is what
they hoped for an expected).
The problem
is that doctors are upfront and honest , and tell patients we don’t really know
why the cycle failed, they get very upset . They that the doctor is either
completely clueless , or is not hiding information .
They are
unhappy, because they naively believe that medicine is a science, which is they
expect precision and accuracy from the IVF specialist. After all, isn’t he
supposed to be an expert ? What kind of expert cannot answer such simple and
basic questions ?
Sadly, biological
systems are not engineered by doctors, and patients need to be aware of the uncertainty
which plagues IVF treatment before they actually start their IVF cycle.
Need help in getting pregnant ? Please send me your medical details by filling in the form at www.drmalpani.com/free-second-opinion so that I can guide you !
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