Ovarian Stimulation in India

In a normal ovulation cycle, a woman produces one egg every month. During an IVF cycle, the goal is to have multiple mature eggs for fertilization. It will increase your chances of pregnancy and success with treatment.
Ovarian stimulation is a crucial component of a successful IVF cycle. Fertility doctors usually perform it using injectables or medication to stimulate your ovaries to produce multiple eggs.

For fertility treatments such as ovarian stimulation in India, you require expert skills and vision to give proper hormonal doses and monitor egg development to get healthy eggs for successful treatment.

If you’re facing difficulties in conceiving, you should consult Dr. Hrishikesh Pai. He is an experienced and skilled IVF doctor in India. Moreover, he has vast experience of 35+ years with thousands of cases performed in obstetrics, gynaecology, and infertility. Dr. Hrishikesh Pai is the founder and director of the Bloom IVF group. Bloom IVF is one of the best IVF centre in Mumbai, having eight IVF centres in India.

Read on to know how ovarian stimulation is beneficial for retrieving multiple eggs for fertilization and achieving a successful pregnancy.

What is ovarian stimulation?

Ovarian stimulation is a fertility treatment for women. It involves stimulating the ovaries to produce two or three eggs. So, one of these will mature to become suitable for fertilization. The goal of ovarian stimulation is the production of multiple follicles.

Our IVF doctors usually perform ovarian stimulation in India alongside intrauterine insemination IUI, in vitro fertilization IVF, intracytoplasmic sperm injection ICSI cycles, and egg donation.

For ovarian stimulation, you will receive hormonal medications. These drugs are derivatives of the follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). These are the body’s hormones associated with the natural ovulation cycle. Your IVF doctor may recommend taking one or more of these hormonal medications. These medications help in stimulating the ovaries to produce multiple eggs.

Multiple eggs increase the possibility that:
1. You will have viable eggs.
2. You will have extra embryos to freeze if additional IVF attempts are needed to achieve pregnancy.

Why is ovarian stimulation performed?

Ovarian stimulation is done to:
• Increase the number of eggs during ovulation.
• Improve the chances of the inseminated sperm to reach the fallopian tube and fertilize the egg.
• Receive more than one egg during the egg retrieval step for fertilization with sperms before the IVF procedure.
• Improve the chances of forming a viable embryo for embryo transfer.

Who is eligible for ovarian stimulation?

• At Bloom IVF centre in Mumbai,the fertility experts examine the patient thoroughly. The investigation involves recording medical history, blood testing, and ovarian reserve testing.
• Underlying medical problems like diabetes, hypothyroidism, or hyperprolactinemia needs to be addressed before starting the process.
• Body mass index (BMI) needs to be calculated. If the patient is obese, she needs to consult a weight loss specialist.

The Actual Process of Ovarian Stimulation:

• The IVF doctor starts the ovarian stimulation treatment only if the patient is eligible for it.
• The doctor will administer the hormonal injection usually 8 to 10 days after the last period.
• Next, they will monitor the growth of eggs on day 2, day 7, and day 10 of the cycle. They do the follicular monitoring through vaginal ultrasound and blood tests.
• Once the follicles mature, the doctor gives the patient an HCG/GnRH trigger injection. Further, 35 to 36 hours later, egg retrieval is done under short general anaesthesia.
• The doctor will use ultrasound and insert a needle through the vaginal wall to aspirate mature follicles from the ovary.
• The egg retrieval takes about 10 to 30 minutes. Usually, most of the patients are discharged within 2 to 4 hours of the procedure and can resume their regular activity.

Types of Ovarian Stimulation:

1. Mild Ovarian Stimulation

Mild ovarian stimulation involves using low doses of hormonal injections, generally in combination with oral tablets. This combination results in a reduction in the consumption of gonadotrophin.

2. Standard Ovarian Stimulation

Ovarian stimulation usually begins on day 2 of the menstrual cycle. Our doctors may start stimulation on any day of the menstrual cycle in patients requiring urgent fertility preservation. It is called the random start stimulation. Based on the patient’s medical condition, the type and initial dose of gonadotrophins are selected.

Benefits of Ovarian Stimulation:

• Ovarian stimulation is a patient-friendly approach.
• It reduces the incidence of hyperstimulation like PCOS.
• It also benefits patients with low ovarian reserve.
• It is also cost-effective and does not burden the patients, mainly when more IVF cycles are needed.

Risks in Ovarian Stimulation:

• Ovarian stimulation has the risk of causing ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome occurring (OHSS).
• In OHSS, the ovaries become painful and swollen. It is more common when ovarian stimulation is done using hormonal injections.
• Symptoms of OHSS can include nausea, vomiting, tenderness around the ovaries, and abdominal pain.

Frequently Asked Questions: