There are various indications for IVF in the natural cycle. The method applies to the following categories of patients:
- Women of various ages with confirmed ovulation (IVF-EC should be used before the age of 37, also the program brings positive results in a more mature period).
- Couples diagnosed with tubal or male infertility.
- Women with FSH levels below 15-18 MMU/ml on days 2-4 of their menstrual cycle and with estradiol levels above 75 pmol/l.
- Patients with cancer diagnoses prone to thromboembolic complications (conditions that are direct contraindications to hormonal stimulation of superovulation).
- Couples wishing to avoid purchasing expensive ovarian stimulants (such agents are necessarily used for standard IVF).
- Partners who refuse to perform embryo cryopreservation. If the obtained embryo has good characteristics and can be transferred to the uterus, there is no need to freeze the remaining embryos. This applies to patients undergoing a conventional in vitro fertilization program. In this case, specialists receive not one but more oocytes, the remaining ones can be used for cryo IVF in the natural cycle.
The IVF-EC program is also recommended for patients who consider it unethical to choose the best embryo among those obtained and use it for transferring into the uterine cavity (this point is one of the basic principles of traditional in-vitro fertilization).
If you are interested in cost of gestational surrogacy, we advise you best surrogacy agency– Delivering Dreams.
Important to know! When performing IVF in a natural cycle, reproductive specialists often resort to the ICSI method, which contributes to successful conception. In this case the selection of an egg and a healthy sperm cell is performed manually and a male germ cell is injected through the oocyte shell with a fine needle. The EC does not receive more than 1-2 eggs, and the ICSI becomes an “insurance policy” against possible failure.
The ICSI program is often considered an alternative for patients with a history of unsuccessful attempts at conventional IVF (due to lack of response to ovarian stimulation, receiving low-quality oocytes).
If the ovarian reserve is significantly decreased (after the level of anti muller hormone, estradiol levels, number of antral follicles determined by a transvaginal ultrasound is determined) the couple may use donor oocytes. Under these circumstances, an IVF program is performed in a natural cycle using biomaterial taken from a donor.
EFFECTIVENESS OF THE REPRODUCTIVE TECHNIQUE
The efficacy of the procedure is largely determined by the age of the patient. IVF in a natural cycle is least effective after 40 years of age.
Current medical statistics reports the following:
- After IVF-EC, the probability of pregnancy at the age of 40 and over is an average of 3-6%;
- For patients younger than 39 years of age, the figure reaches 11-53%.
Reproduction specialists of Medical Plaza Medical Center state that women aged under 36-38 prevail among those who underwent IVF in a natural cycle. In this category of patients, the frequency of full-term pregnancy was not less than 36%.
