Ovarian Stimulation for IVF - Process, Risk And Symptoms

IVF treatment is the preferred choice for fertility treatment worldwide and has proven to be the most successful method for conception. Many couples face infertility issues, whether due to male, female, or both partners. IVF offers a solution for these problems.

A few decades ago, infertility was rare, but today, lifestyle choices, stressful jobs, unhealthy diets, sedentary lifestyles, and lack of exercise have led to various ailments, adversely affecting fertility in both men and women.

Ovarian Stimulation

IVF treatment is the top choice for fertility treatment worldwide and is the most successful way to conceive. Many couples struggle with infertility, whether due to male or female factors, or both, and IVF provides a solution.

Infertility used to be rare, but now, lifestyle choices like stressful jobs, unhealthy diets, and lack of exercise have caused health problems that affect fertility in both men and women. IVF helps many people who can't get pregnant due to various issues, from minor problems to major ones with reproductive organs.

Ovarian Stimulation Process

The ovarian stimulation process has to be carefully timed to match the patient's regular cycle. Ovarian stimulation involves various stages, and each one has to be cautiously monitored to understand how the body is reacting to the medication being given.

It is also essential to know the progress of the follicle maturation and what is happening so that the medication for the next stage can be given.

Three stages of ovarian stimulation induce the maturation of the oocyte follicles in the ovaries. An oocyte is another term for the female egg. The three stages are:

Stimulate Growth of Follicles

Anti-oestrogen medication is given to encourage the ovarian follicles to grow and mature the eggs contained within them. This stage intends to promote as many follicles as possible to start maturing the eggs.

Prevent The Oocyte Release

In natural ovulation, when the follicles are ready, the egg is released into the fallopian tubes because of a surge in a hormone called LH (Luteinising hormone). During IVF treatment, a particular medication is given to prevent this LH surge.

This stops the eggs from being released into the fallopian tubes, so they stay in the follicles. This way, doctors can collect the eggs for IVF. If the eggs were released into the fallopian tubes, they couldn't be collected for IVF.

Final Maturation

The final maturation stage is closely monitored, and the eggs are retrieved as soon as they are fully matured. This final maturation process takes about 36 hours after the HCG medication has been administered.

The medication for each stage of ovarian stimulation varies. Ovarian stimulation is an integral part of IVF treatment, and the number of eggs harvested from the ovaries depends mainly on how accurately each stage has been carried out.

Risks of Ovarian Stimulation

Many women who take medicine to stimulate their ovaries experience Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS), which usually happens a few days after the eggs are collected. OHSS is caused by a large amount of hormone medicine in the body, which makes the ovaries swollen and painful. Most women only get a mild form of OHSS, but in rare cases, the medicine can have a severe effect.

Symptoms Of Ohss

Most women with OHSS experience symptoms that usually last about a week if they don't conceive. If symptoms persist, see a doctor. If pregnant, OHSS symptoms may worsen and last 2-3 weeks or more, often resembling pregnancy symptoms, making them hard to distinguish.

Some of the common symptoms of OHSS are:

• Bloated feeling in the abdomen
• Pain or cramping feeling in the lower abdominal area
• Nausea

Other symptoms of OHSS such as:

• Vomiting
• Difficulty breathing
• Sudden weight gain in a few days
• Reduced urination
• Severe abdominal pain

Mild IVF

A technique called Mild IVF is becoming popular in the West. Mild IVF uses gentler stimulation to help the ovaries mature eggs. It's also known as Mini IVF, Micro IVF, or minimal stimulation IVF. Typically, standard IVF involves giving the patient a high dose of hormone medication for 8 to 15 days, usually through injections. This aggressive method aims to mature as many eggs as possible.

Why are Many Eggs Required For IVF?

With standard ovarian stimulation, about 10 or more mature eggs are retrieved for IVF. These eggs are mixed with sperm for fertilization, but not all eggs become embryos. By the 3rd day, most embryos survive, but some stop developing by the 4th or 5th day.

Only a few embryos reach the blastocyst stage by the 5th or 6th day, and some may have chromosomal issues and stop developing naturally.

With Mild IVF, fewer eggs are retrieved. Because fewer eggs are fertilized, even fewer embryos are created. This means there's a lower chance of embryos reaching the blastocyst stage, and sometimes none do. If there are no embryos to transfer, the IVF cycle is canceled.

Comparison of Success Rates

When we compare standard ovarian stimulation to Mild IVF, it's clear that standard IVF has higher success rates because it produces more embryos to work with.

The quality of eggs is crucial for IVF success and is mainly influenced by a woman's age. Younger women under 35 generally have better egg quality, while it declines steadily with age. This is a general trend, though exceptions exist—some older women can still have good-quality eggs, and younger women may have poorer-quality eggs due to health reasons.

Extra Embryos

After standard ovarian stimulation, sometimes there are extra embryos left, even after they've been grown to the blastocyst stage. Doctors often recommend freezing these extra embryos. Unfortunately, many small clinics in India discard these extra embryos, which is wasteful, especially if the IVF cycle isn't successful. If this happens, the woman would need to undergo ovarian stimulation again to get more eggs for another IVF attempt.

Fertility clinics like Medicover suggest patients freeze their embryos for future use. Medicover provides storage facilities for patients to keep their embryos safe until they decide to use them.

Mild Ivf In India

Mild IVF isn't practiced at reputable fertility clinics in India because it doesn't improve IVF outcomes. Although using lower doses of medication may seem cheaper initially, the lower success rate means patients may end up paying more in the long term by needing multiple IVF cycles to achieve success.

Aggressive Ovary Stimulation

In Western countries, what's commonly known as standard ovarian stimulation for IVF is referred to as aggressive stimulation. This term contrasts with mild stimulation methods.

Aggressive stimulation is preferred because it aims to harvest a more significant number of mature eggs, which increases the chances of pregnancy. This process ensures that after fertilization, embryos can develop to the blastocyst stage successfully, optimizing the IVF treatment's effectiveness while prioritizing patient health.

How Does IVF Involve Ovarian Stimulation?

In IVF, ovarian stimulation involves using medications to encourage the ovaries to produce multiple eggs. This is done to increase the chances of successful fertilization and embryo development during the treatment process.

IVF Success

Reputable fertility clinics in India, such as Medicover, focus on achieving successful outcomes for their patients. When patients come to Medicover to start a family, the main goal is to help them have a baby.

Medicover has a strong track record globally, delivering a baby every 3 hours on average. Each patient receives ovarian stimulation medication tailored to their needs. Doctors closely monitor the dosage and its effects, adjusting it as necessary to ensure safety and maximize effectiveness without risking the patient's health.

Frequently Asked Questions