131. The End of the Road? When Should You Stop IVF?

Should You Stop IVF? Is This The End Of The Road? In this episode, Prof discusses one of the most difficult questions he faces in his practice: “Is this the end of the road? Should I stop IVF treatment?” While one can never say never, Prof often finds himself having to tell his patients that continuing on their IVF journey to a successful conclusion would be nothing short of miraculous. While it’s ultimately the patient’s decision, he often quotes a paper he published a few years ago which found that 800 cycles in women over the age of 45 yielded only 2 babies. So does that mean these cycles are a waste of resources? Not in Prof’s opinion. He believes that this process is necessary for the patient to arrive at the necessary conclusion that they’ve reached the end of the road. It’s a realisation they must arrive at and this often requires going through several cycles. It’s a journey after all. And that journey must be seen through to its conclusion from the patient’s perspective. If you find this episode useful and know someone else who would benefit, please do share it with them.