Endometriosis is a disease that not only reduces the quality of woman’s life, but also negatively affects her fertility. This does not mean, however, that ladies affected by this disease have no chance to make their dream of having a child come true. IVF helps them!
Endometriosis is a disease that not only reduces the quality of woman&rsquos life, but also negatively affects her fertility. This does not mean, however, that ladies affected by this disease have no chance to make their dream of having a child come true. IVF helps them! What is the procedure of IVF fertilization in patients with endometriosis? Is IVF really less effective then? You can read about it in our article. First, however, we will explain to you what endometriosis actually is.
In endometriosis, an incorrect expansion of uterus mucosa occurs
It occurs outside of it, e.g. in the peritoneum, ovaries, fallopian tubes, vagina, rectum or bladder. In rare cases, endometrial tissue is located in parts of the body very distant from the female reproductive system, e.g. in the eye, brain or lungs. Endometriosis is most often associated with the so-called retrograde menstruation. Menstrual fluid, which in addition to blood also contains endometrial tissues, instead of getting outside, goes back through the fallopian tubes to the ovaries. In this way, the mucosa can implant into the organs encountered along the way.
However, retrograde menstruation also occurs in women without endometriosis. Therefore, it is believed that more factors contribute to its formation, e.g. menstrual blood flow disorders, short cycles, immune system disorders, long-term exposure to estrogens and genetic factors.
Endometriosis is quite a painful disease
Women with endometriosis most often see the doctors because of heavy and painful periods, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and painful intercourses. These ailments usually appear with the onset of menstruation, but can also occur throughout the entire cycle.
How does modern medicine cope with endometriosis?
Treatment of endometriosis is not easy. Pharmaceuticals available on the market have a short-term effect and only mask the symptoms that accompany the disease. Sooner or later, when endometriosis is already advanced, you need to resort to surgery. Laparoscopy becomes the basic tool. Minimizing the risk of damage to surrounding tissues and lowering the ovarian reserve is possible when an innovative tool – a plasma knife – is used. Plasma surgery gives the opportunity to precisely remove the focus of endometriosis, without damaging the ovarian reserve.
Effectiveness of the ivf procedure for women with endometriosis
There are various opinions about the effectiveness of the IVF procedure in women with endometriosis. According to some specialists, this disease causes the woman’s body to respond worse to hormonal stimulation (a lower number of eggs is obtained), and the embryo is less likely to implant properly in the uterus. Others believe that endometriosis does not have the slightest effect on the success of the IVF procedure. Who’s right?
Endometriosis lowers the quality of oocytes?
It is indeed the case that some morphological changes are observed in the oocytes of patients with advanced endometriosis, i.e. in stage III or IV. They have, among others thinner zona pellicuda and are equipped with a smaller number of mitochondria. These are the structures responsible for providing energy to the cell. Endometriosis also disrupts the hormonal balance in woman’s body. A lower concentration of such hormones as AMH, FSH, LH or estradiol can be observed. However, the question arises whether these types of abnormalities may prevent fertilization and later implantation of the embryo in the uterus? For now, there is no clear evidence. However, many specialists think so.
Do you have endometriosis? Do not postpone the IVF treatment
Endometriosis is a disease that not only reduces the quality of woman&rsquos life, but also negatively affects her fertility. This does not mean, however, that ladies affected by this disease have no chance to make their dream of having a child come true. The IVF helps them!
Endometriosis is a disease that is progressing. From year to year, the quality of woman’s oocytes struggling with this disease decreases. For this reason, the decision to undergo the treatment should not be put off indefinitely. Even before the entire procedure begins, the embryologist inspects the oocyte collected during puncture, carefully assessing their structure. The best quality cells are always selected for the IVF procedure.
With advanced endometriosis, the entire treatment process should be selected individually for the patient. The doctor may decide to change the treatment method (modification of the stimulation protocol), enable the woman to take additional medications or order specific tests.
To sum up, the oocytes of women with advanced endometriosis are often of lower quality, which may have an adverse effect on the course of the IVF treatment. Nevertheless, women with advanced endometriosis become pregnant and fulfill their dream of motherhood.
