Aided reproductive technology has been used by a great many couples in recent years. Each patient has her own indications for certain procedures. Every tenth woman who has problems conceiving needs IVF. Today's article will tell you about this manipulation. You will learn what the consequences of IVF can be, and you will also be able to familiarize yourself with the stages of its implementation.
In Vitro Fertilization
What is this procedure? In vitro fertilization is a manipulation involving conception outside the female body. In this case, the probability of pregnancy is about 60 percent. Not all couples get a positive result on the first try. Some families are forced to undergo in vitro fertilization several times.
The procedure is carried out in different ways. The condition of the patient and her individual characteristics are always taken into account. The procedure practically does not concern a man. But if the quality of his sperm leaves much to be desired, then separate manipulations are applied here. in vitro fertilizationgiven to couples who are unable to conceive a child naturally. The list of main indications includes: the absence of fallopian tubes or ovaries, the poor quality of the partner's sperm, which cannot be corrected. IVF protocols can be long and short, with minimal hormonal correction, ultra-short or hyper-long. But the first two are the most commonly used. You will learn more about them and what consequences of IVF can occur below. Do not forget that the body of each patient is individual.
Immediate and long-term negative consequences of IVF
It would seem that bad things can happen during an in vitro fertilization protocol?! But even if during stimulation and after it you did not have any difficulties, they may meet in the future. All the consequences of IVF can be divided into immediate and long-term.
The first includes sudden negative situations or complications that occur during stimulation or immediately after cell transfer. The most common circumstance is OHSS - ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. Also during this period, complications such as allergies, intolerance to one or another drug, adverse reactions, and an inflammatory process may occur. Often, the immediate consequences of IVF are abdominal pain, fluid formation in the retrouterine space, stool disorders, nausea and vomiting, liver dysfunction caused by the use of a large number of drugs. During the puncture, a woman may experience bleeding, which isalso not a very pleasant circumstance.
Doctors are still hotly debating about the long-term consequences. It is known that the IVF procedure is quite new, it is shrouded in many myths. It is believed that this manipulation causes intensive growth of tumor neoplasms. It is especially dangerous if their nature of origin is malignant. Manipulation can cause headaches in a woman in the future, the procedure reduces the ovarian reserve. Any modern IVF center preliminarily examines a woman, studies the risk of unpleasant situations.
Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome is a common complication
What are the consequences after IVF, you already know. It is worth highlighting OHSS - ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. Why is it dangerous and does it always appear?
OHSS is a condition caused by hormonal interference in the patient's body. At one stage of IVF, a woman is forced to take drugs that stimulate the growth of follicles. Doctors need to take more than one or two eggs - more are needed to be successful. Often, physicians receive 10-20 follicles from a woman's ovaries. At the same time, the glands in the natural cycle are not able to produce so much. Against the background of drugs, the ovaries increase in size, overgrow with many follicular cysts. Symptoms of this condition are usually the following: pain in the lower abdomen, an increase in the size of the gonads, accumulation of fluid in the abdomen, blood clotting. Therapy is necessary for all patients with such a problem.
The scale of the negative impact could bethe most different. More often, doctors resort to outpatient treatment, but the possibility of hospitalization is not ruled out. Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome is dangerous because the formed cysts can twist, burst. This is fraught with acute pain and internal bleeding, requiring surgical intervention. The consequences of OHSS, which doctors fear, may be as follows: thromboembolism, respiratory, cardiac or renal failure, ovarian apoplexy. Treatment includes diet, rest, fluid intake, use of blood thinners.
Short or long protocol: choice
What are the consequences of the IVF procedure for a woman, you already know. Despite this, many representatives of the weaker sex decide on this manipulation. In most cases, a long or short procedure protocol is selected. What is the difference, does the patient have a choice?
If you contact a good IVF center, then it is most likely not possible to make a decision on the choice of protocol on your own. After collecting an anamnesis, the doctor decides which technique is right for you. The long protocol is used for women with good ovarian reserve. If your egg supply is low, then count on a short protocol. It will start on the 3rd or 5th day of your natural cycle, and stimulation lasts an average of 10-14 days. The patient is given drugs that prevent premature ovulation. The long protocol goes, respectively, longer - an average of 3-5 weeks. Before superstimulation, the doctor prescribes to the patient drugs that block the production of LH. Upon reaching its minimum values, the activation of the ovaries with appropriate medications begins. It is generally accepted that the positive outcome of the entire operation depends on the hormone-blocking procedure before IVF. Indeed, the percentage of pregnancy with a long protocol is higher.
Examination and preparation is an important step
In order for IVF to have only positive consequences for a woman, it is necessary to take into account all the doctor's recommendations. The first and very important examination is the determination of the oocyte reserve. Installing it is not as difficult as it seems. It is enough to donate blood for hormones: AMH, FSH and LH. Based on the obtained values, the doctor determines the duration of the protocol. Both partners should be tested for infections, and the woman should also be tested for antibodies to rubella. Be sure to examine the internal cavity of the uterus. If there are polyps, synechia or cysts in it, then they are removed before the start of the protocol. A man submits a spermogram to determine his fertility.
Before stimulation, couples are advised to lead a he althy lifestyle: refrain from alcohol and smoking, exclude heavy sports. The food consumed by future parents should be rich in proteins. If you have chronic diseases, be sure to tell your doctor about them.
Use of hormonal drugs: stimulation
IVF stages are divided into three main stages: preparation and administration of medicines, puncture andfertilization, embryo transfer and support. The medications needed for stimulation are prescribed by the doctor. In order to increase the number of follicles, FSH-based drugs are used, for example, Puregon. Boosting this hormone leads to the maturation of 5-30 eggs at a time. Note that not all of them may be complete and suitable for further processing.
To prevent the production of their own hormones, compounds are used that block the work of the pituitary gland. These include Orgalutran. Immediately before the puncture, the woman is given medications containing human chorionic gonadotropin (pregnancy hormone).
Puncture of follicles and fertilization of eggs
Collection and processing of follicles are the next steps. Eco involves taking material when using general anesthesia. Manipulation is quite painful, so it is not carried out "for profit". During the puncture, the direction of the needle is controlled using an ultrasound scanner. The doctor chooses the closest and least traumatic way. The procedure lasts an average of half an hour. But due to the use of anesthesia, the patient needs medical supervision for another 2-3 hours.
After the puncture, the follicles are processed with the partner's sperm, then potential children are placed in a favorable environment. IVF involves transfer of embryos on the third or fifth day (depending on the individual).
Embryo transfer and replanting
Russian legislation has recently decided to prohibit the transfer of largethe number of embryos. Now clinics are limited to two (at least three) fertilized cells. Be prepared for the fact that not all of them will take root. Embryo transfer does not require the use of anesthesia. With the help of a thin catheter, the fetal egg is delivered directly into the uterine cavity, the process of passing through the fallopian tubes is excluded. The manipulation lasts no more than 10-15 minutes. During the procedure, a woman may experience mild discomfort and nagging pain.
After treatment
What are the consequences of IVF? Feedback from women who have gone through this procedure suggests that for some time after the transfer they had to stay within the walls of a medical institution. During this period, doctors recommend rest. Therefore, you will not be able to return to your usual activities anyway. After the transfer, doctors monitor the woman, excluding possible complications. If there is no bleeding, acute pain, the temperature after IVF is normal, then the patient can go home. The woman is prescribed further support, which includes the use of drugs based on progesterone. It is imperative to use them, because due to the intervention, the corpus luteum is not able to independently support a pregnancy, which may turn out to be multiple.
Positive: pregnancy
You can evaluate the result of the manipulation in 10-14 days. A pregnancy test is often uninformative. He showsa positive result due to the presence of the administered hCG hormone. Therefore, it is better to go for an ultrasound to your doctor. Two weeks after the transfer, a good device will show the presence or absence of a fetal egg in the uterine cavity. Also, a reliable answer to the question of interest will give a comparative blood test for hCG. The most favorable outcome of IVF is pregnancy.
Childbirth after IVF
How are babies born? IVF does not require a caesarean section. But, as practice and reviews show, it is prescribed quite often. The main reason can be a woman's chronic diseases, a history of gynecological pathologies, multiple pregnancy. Natural childbirth after IVF is no different from normal. But it’s worth saying right away that with such a pregnancy, complications occur more often in the form of placenta previa, its premature detachment, weak labor activity.
Psychological side
Often, women experience the consequences of IVF from the psychological side. Often this happens when using donor materials: sperm or eggs. Successful parents are constantly trying to find features in the born child that do not coincide with their features. Doctors advise such parents to consult a psychologist, as the situation can get out of control.
Failure in IVF is also experienced by women very hard. Many patients immediately want to join the next protocol. But the body needs time to recover. Gain strength, next time the odds ona positive outcome will be higher.
Summarize
From the article you could find out what are the consequences of IVF. This procedure causes a serious blow to the female body. Therefore, you need to prepare for it in advance. The more thorough the preparation and the more responsible approach, the higher the likelihood of a positive result. Good luck and patience!
