There are different situations in life. It happens that a couple is diagnosed with some kind of infertility factor and the only method of conceiving a baby is in vitro fertilization, carried out strictly according to the protocol. What is it?
IVF Protocol
This is a preparatory scheme designed for a woman to get an egg and further transfer the embryo. This technique consists of the following manipulations: ovarian stimulation, follicle puncture, embryo transfer, support with hormones for survival, control pregnancy test. Follicular growth is monitored by ultrasound examination of the ovaries. Today, there are different types of IVF protocols, both natural and stimulated.
Types of artificial insemination
Distinguished between stimulated and natural IVF protocols. The stimulated type of IVF consists of two varieties: short and long. In addition, there is still a cryoprotocol, a natural cycle protocol and a Japanese IVF protocol. We can safely conclude that there are IVF of various types.
What about natural IVF?
With natural IVF, the use of hormonal drugs is carried out at the stage of "engraftment" of the embryos. In other words, this is done only after transplantation and only in extreme necessity. The main advantage of this type of IVF is that due to the lack of a large number of drugs, the pressure on the body decreases. There are also disadvantages of the technique - a low percentage of long-awaited pregnancy.
Statistics say that with stimulated IVF, pregnancy occurs in 25% of cases, but in natural - only 12-14%. All due to the fact that it is difficult to calculate the right day for a transplant and create comfortable conditions for this purpose. Doctors can easily make mistakes in the calculations, and as a result it turns out that the embryo transfer took place at the wrong time and the pregnancy did not occur.
Stimulated IVF
Stimulated IVF offers a greater chance of conception due to the use of hormone therapy. When calculating the day of ovulation, the doctor almost never makes a mistake.
The stimulated type of IVF is divided into the following subspecies:
- Long.
- A short.
- Japanese
- Protocol using cryopreservation.
What kind of subspecies are these? We analyze the characteristics of the types of IVF in more detail.
Long protocol
The presented type of IVF protocol is the most productive, and it is it that gives in most cases positive results. This is due to the fact that the patient is carefully prepared for a long time and closely monitored for fertilized eggs.
The protocol continues for forty to fifty days. This is one of the longest protocols. Why does he give good results? It's simple, as many eggs as possible are taken to increase the chances of pregnancy. You can get about twenty kinds of embryos with an IVF of a long protocol. This will allow specialists to make a careful selection of eggs and begin fertilization, although a lot is not a sign of quality. To get as many eggs ready for fertilization as possible, you will need to carry out good hormone therapy, and it will always be selected individually.
Usually a long IVF protocol is recommended for:
- myoma;
- endometriosis;
- infertility due to excess weight;
- hyperandrogenism;
- an unsuccessful attempt to get pregnant while undergoing a short IVF.
The initial phase of a long IVF occurs on the twenty-fifth day of the cycle approximately. At this time, drugs are prescribed to “turn off” the natural production of hormones and “control” the ovaries. In the middle of the cycle (this is about the twentieth day or a little earlier), the drugs completely block the pituitary gland and the second stage of fertilization occurs artificially. On the third or sixth day of the cycle, superovulation begins, which means that it is time to take the drug to cause active growth of the follicle.
Under natural conditions, the female body can produce only one follicle, but strong therapy can increase this indicator by tens of times. On the twenty-second day, oocyte puncture occurs approximately, after which they are fertilized and transferred to the uterine cavity. To ensure that pregnancy does occur, doctors prescribe a special hormone therapy based on progesterones to the patient. After a week or two, with the help of a control analysis, the doctor will be able to accurately say what gave the IVF - positive or negative results.
The technique is characterized by high productivity, but it also has a drawback - a high risk of developing OHSS. This condition is extremely dangerous for a woman and can negatively affect the development and formation of the embryo.
Short protocol
This type of protocol is not as effective as a long one. This is due to the fact that the corrective phase is not carried out, which means the quantity and quality of the eggs obtained after the puncture.
The first stage of the short protocol is carried out on the third day of the menstrual cycle, immediately prescribed drugs to stimulate ovarian activity. After taking the medicine, doctors prescribe gonadotropins, they will need to be drunk for a couple of weeks. Next, you need to drink funds to activate ovulation, and follicular puncture will occur, then the same manipulations are performed as with the long IVF protocol.
A description of the type of IVF of a short duct is worth reading to women:
- whose age exceeds thirty-five years;
- with normal ovarian activity;
- in which a long IVF protocol did not produce the desired results.
The main advantage of this technique, in comparison with a long IVF, is the risk of developing OHSS is low. IVF lasts for four weeks, no less. The disadvantage of this technique is the low percentage of positive results.
Cryoprotocol and the Japanese Protocol
The Japanese Protocol is the safest method of artificial insemination. All due to the fact that the minimum amount of hormonal drugs is used. What is most valued here is not the number of follicles, but their quality. Often during such a technique, they are frozen before embryo transfer, and only then transplant at the best moment.
The main disadvantage of the technique is the low ability of embryos to divide and further develop after defrosting. Pregnancy occurs only in ten percent of cases. The same applies to the cryoprotocol. The main advantage of these methods is that embryos can be frozen at any stage of development, and after that they can be used at the best moment.
Successful IVF protocols
Every type of IVF has contraindications. The skin, organs, and everything else can be severely affected, and pregnancy may not occur, so you only need to trust a trusted doctor. He will take into account the individual characteristics of each patient, consider a data set and based on them will develop the most successful scheme. Therefore, it is impossible to immediately say which type of IVF is the most successful and best in a particular case. All successful IVF protocols are selected competently and responsibly, so look for a good doctor for this purpose.
Statistics of different methods
World statistics on IVF protocols have shown that leading clinics that have all the necessary equipment for the procedures achieve the best results, and doctors have great practical experience. Positive results can be achieved on average in thirty percent of cases, which is a lot.
If you use the standard method, then pregnancy occurs in about thirty-six percent of cases. If the cryoprotocol is in twenty-six percent of cases, the Japanese protocol performed better - forty-two percent, but donor embryos result in pregnancy in forty-five percent of cases.
How to choose a protocol?
Usually, the decision on the application of the ECO protocol is made by the doctor-reproductologist himself, the spouses cannot choose the method on their own. This is due to the fact that the doctor will need to take into account a lot of different factors: age, causes of infertility, the reaction of the female body to drugs, the results of unsuccessful attempts, the financial capabilities of the couple. The doctor will conduct a full examination to determine all available diseases, to identify problems that may affect pregnancy. Having received all the necessary results, the specialist will determine the method of artificial insemination.
The most budgetary methods are considered Japanese, ultrashort and natural. All due to the fact that the presented methods use a small amount of drugs.
A small recommendation: if you do not have any health problems, it is best to use the IVF protocol in a natural cycle. If he does not help you solve the problem, then you can use other methods, however, first you will need to establish the reason why the pregnancy still did not happen, so that negative results could be avoided in the future.
In Russia, there are more than a million couples who cannot have children because of poor health. Medication in some cases does not bring the proper result, because many are forced to use the in vitro fertilization program. This is the only way out for some couples who want to have their own children, but they fail to do this for a number of reasons.
In vitro fertilization is a unique opportunity to have children for families who have failed to do this on their own. Responsibly choose the clinic and doctor, because for each type of IVF fertilization a professional of the highest level will be required.