Ovarian Stimulation & Ovarian Induction
All women who undergo infertility treatments, not only in Colombia but everywhere in the world, initially undergo a process of ovarian stimulation or ovarian induction. Even if the issue of infertility is not a lack of ovulation or normal ovulatory cycles, ovarian stimulation is applied to increase the probability of obtaining a pregnancy in compliment to one of several assisted reproduction treatments.
Ovarian induction is meant to stimulate the ovaries to release a woman's eggs with the help of hormonal medication regiments. This treatment seeks to standardize the development of eggs (ovum), regulating egg production in women who do not undergo normal cycles, as well as increase the number of eggs available for artificial insemination.
There are special cases of diseases in women that makes it completely necessary to apply ovarian stimulation, for example when a tubo-peritoneal infertility is present. IE: when only one of the fallopian tubes is active and the fertility specialist needs to ensure that ovulation occurs in the ovary closest to the healthy fallopian tube. Another case that would lead an infertility specialist to apply ovarian stimulation is endometriosis, a condition producing tumors in the ovaries that causes severe pain and affects menstrual cycles.
Process of ovarian stimulation
A woman gets a hormonal preparation subcutaneously or intramuscularly on the second or third day of your cycle. Daily injections are applied and the levels of estradiol (a hormone produced by the growth of follicles) are monitored in compliment to ultrasound to clarify the number of follicles and their size. When the follicles reach a size between 18mm to 22mm and estradiol levels are appropriate, a final injection of single dose of the hormone HCG is applied, which causes the necessary maturation changes and induces ovulation. Usually treatment lasts approximately 12 to 14 days.
The amount of medication that is prescribed to the patient depends on your age, body mass, the morphology of the ovaries, among other considerations held by your doctor. That is, there are no standardized guidelines for medication but those that respond individually to each patient's characteristics.
Ovarian stimulation is not considered a high risk treatment for the mother, however, there may be an abnormal response of the body in to stimulation known as ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome is an abnormal response to ovarian hormonal stimulation, and is identified primarily by a notable increase in the size of the ovaries.
Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome can be prevented in our fertility center, because ovarian induction is performed in a controlled manner, and monitored through comprehensive medical surveillance procedures. However, in some cases the syndrome occurs even taking all precautions. The key to controlling and treating the syndrome is early detection and timely medical intervention.
At the Reprotec Fertility Clinic, we are at the forefront of medical advances in fertility and everything related to ovarian stimulation. Please feel free to contact us with any further questions.
|
