Under normal conditions, 1 or rarely 2 egg cells mature every month in the ovaries and are released into the female reproductive system for fertilization. The main purpose of IVF treatment is to mature as many eggs as possible, to harvest them, to combine them with sperm cells and to create quality embryos. Therefore, the ovaries are stimulated with hormonal drugs. After the ovaries are stimulated, egg development is monitored Maturing egg cells are collected before cracking. The eggs taken from the woman are brought together with sperm in a laboratory environment using the traditional IVF or ICSI method. After the sperm and egg meeting takes place, embryos are expected to form.
In drug-free IVF treatment, also called In Vitro Maturation, women are not given high-dose hormone medication to stimulate the ovaries. A very low dose of gonadotropin hormone can be used, or without the use of any hormonal therapy, "immature" egg cells are harvested from the ovaries.
Immature egg cells collected from the ovaries are matured outside the body, in the laboratory, inside a culture using hormones or oocyte protein dimer called 'cumulin'. For fertilization of maturing eggs, ICSI method is usually resorted to. With the ICSI method, quality sperm cells are mechanically placed in the cytoplasm of mature eggs, and if embryo formation is observed, embryo transfer is performed at the right time.1
The difference between drug-free IVF and traditional IVF treatment is related to the drug treatments carried out for the maturation of the eggs and the properties of the eggs collected from the ovaries. In medicated IVF treatment, only the fertilization stage is performed in the laboratory environment, while in non-drug IVF treatment, egg maturation is provided in a controlled manner outside the body.
Drug-free IVF treatment can be considered as a treatment that focuses on the quality rather than the quantity of embryos. The lack of high-dose ovarian stimulating hormone drugs and following the natural cycle shortens the duration of IVF treatment and reduces its costs.
The important thing is to prioritize the needs of each specific couple during the planning of the treatment processes. Although IVM is an effective assisted reproductive technique, it may not always be considered the right choice. In some cases, it may become necessary.
IVM treatment can be preferred for,
1 https://americanpregnancy.org/getting-pregnant/infertility/ivm-in-vitro-maturation/
2 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3913892/
Not:Bu içerik genel bilgilendirme amaçlıdır, tanı ve tedavi yerine geçmez. Kişisel tanı ve tedavi planı için hekim değerlendirmesi gerekir.
