"My husband and I had already adopted a child and were about to give up on infertility treatment when success finally came", Niem shared after her second child was born in September.

Niem and her husband had been married for many years without conceiving, experiencing four in vitro fertilization cycles with six failed embryo transfers. By the time they came to Tam Anh General Hospital Hanoi (IVF Tam Anh), the couple had been infertile for 17 years.

Dr. Bui Thi Hanh diagnosed the couple with complex infertility due to their age (both over 40), long-term infertility, and multiple previous failed embryo transfers. Niem had a bicornuate uterus malformation, which reduced the chance of embryo implantation, while her husband's tests showed no sperm.

Niem underwent uterine reconstruction surgery, followed by in vitro fertilization (IVF). Doctors stimulated her ovaries, and 11 oocytes were retrieved.

Doctors performing oocyte retrieval. *Photo: Tam Anh General Hospital*

Concurrently, Dr. Cao Tuan Anh performed percutaneous epididymal sperm aspiration (PESA) on the husband, finding sperm in the right epididymis. Embryologists successfully created nine day-3 embryos suitable for cryopreservation and transfer.

Niem successfully transferred one high-quality day-3 embryo, became pregnant, and gave birth to a daughter.

Three years later, Niem and her husband returned to IVF Tam Anh for another child. Doctors carefully examined her uterus, which had fluid accumulation due to previous septum surgery and a C-section. After two cycles of endometrial preparation to ensure it was ready for embryo reception, doctors transferred one successfully thawed embryo. Niem again became successfully pregnant and gave birth to a healthy son.

Niem's two children shortly after birth. *Photo: Contributed by the family*

At IVF Tam Anh Hanoi, approximately 60% of patients are cases of long-term infertility, advanced maternal age, multiple failed in vitro fertilization attempts, or a combination of factors from both partners. Depending on the cause, doctors develop individualized treatment protocols, combining modern embryo culture technology with thorough uterine evaluation before embryo transfer. The cumulative pregnancy rate in this group currently reaches 72,3%.

Van Anh