Pre-Assessment in IVF treatment

In-vitro fertilization clinics also serve as women’s health centres. Each woman referring to the clinic is also assessed in terms of general gynaecological status. In this sense, complete blood count, blood type analysis, fasting blood glucose, lipid profile, blood levels of some vitamins, thyroid function tests, cervical sampling (pap smear), and breast examination (ultrasonography and mammography) are performed according to the medical history. Endocrinological and other consultations may also be performed for any previously diagnosed disorders.

Your ovarian reserve and potential vaginal and uterine tube problems are reviewed, and some hormone tests are ordered along with a general examination on the 2nd or 3rd day of the menstrual period. Beyond the menstrual period, disorders of the uterine cavity are searched and a hysterosalpingography may be ordered if necessary. The male partner gives a sperm sample after sexual abstinence for 2 to 5 days.

Patients with suspicious sperm analysis are advised to give a new sperm sample after a 2 to 3-week interval and urological examination, hormone analysis and genetic analysis are done when necessary.

Hysteroscopy (monitoring the intrauterine cavity by a camera) and laparoscopic operations (closed surgical procedure) may be required for intrauterine disorders (polyp, myoma), uterine tube disorders and ovarian cysts.

To manage health problems (diabetes, goitre, anaemia, heart disease) of the couple, weight loss for the patients with higher body mass indexes and quitting smoking for the smokers would provide positive contributions to the therapy.

Each woman is born with a certain number of ovarian cells (oogonium). This number is about 7 million during the 20th gestational week, 1-2 million at birth, and decreases to 400,000 during adolescence.

These ovarian cells, which are normally programmed to death are chosen by the follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) in the first 5 days of the menstrual bleeding and generally, one or two of them is matured. During her reproduction period, a woman is capable of using 400 ovarian cells. Some women may have older ovarian age earlier due to some genetic causes and do not present symptoms instantly.

Generally, ageing of the ovaries starts after 35 years of age; however, some women may experience ageing earlier. Apart from this, smoking, unqualified standards of life, ovarian surgeries, chemotherapy agents and radiation also affect the egg (ovum) count negatively.