Dr. César Lizán, gynaecologist specialized in Infertility at Eva Fertility Clinics
When we talk about assisted reproduction treatment a lot of doubts and concerns appear immediately. Will I have to inject the medication on my own? Are there hormones? Everyone knows that they are bad for you and have a lot of side effects.
The truth is that the drugs used by us are high quality products and it is very rare that one has problems while taking them.
In the early years of assisted reproduction, hormones derived from urine were usually employed (Gonadotrophin) and anti-estrogens pills in order to stimulate the ovaries of the patient. It was an efficient medication but it wasn’t characterized as the ideal quality which is demanded by professionals like us.
In the mid-1990s, new products were introduced to the market and they were obtained by recombinant technology (Gonal first and then Puregon). These products are a copy of the hormones which are produced by the brain in order to keep our ovarian function under control. This means that they are efficient and pure products and are very well tolerated by patients. The side effects are unusual such as mild bruising, or reddening in the area where the product was administered. The main problem is the cost, they are very expensive products.
How is the medication administered in fertility treatments?
Usually, patients inject the medication on their own because the formulation allows you to do it, they are pre-filled pens or syringes used for subcutaneous injection. The nurses will provide the patients with the necessary information and check if they are able to do it. Together with the medication, a graphic will be provided of the day and dosage to administer which will then be reported.
And why is it used?
The purpose of the usage of these drugs is obtaining that all the quality follicles are developed and are selected for the month we planned to go ahead with the treatment.
The administration of these components will allow follicles to grow in the ideal condition until they reach the pre-ovarian stage. At this moment, the patient will be accompanied to the operating room and the puncture will be performed under sedation in order to retrieve the eggs. Usually, the procedure is carried out in this way because it provides a good number of viable embryos to be transferred and this implies an important improvement on the success rates of assisted reproduction techniques.
In the past years, Elonva is the most remarkable pharmacological news thanks to its molecule which is hold together. What does it mean? Through just one injection we achieve the same effect as an entire week of medication. This kind of drug together with a series of stimulation strategies makes the stimulation process more comfortable and simpler for our patients. We are still a long way far from being able to guarantee the success for every woman who goes through a consultation for assisted reproduction but we work hard every day in order to make the dream to become a mother come true.
