Patients experiencing unexplained infertility may face in vitro fertilization failure, or IVF failure, and miscarriages. Receiving guidance from fertility doctors and IVF specialists allows patients to make educated decisions about testing and treatments. Here is more information about the importance of expert guidance in unexplained fertility:
Discussing Lifestyle Adjustments
Lifestyle factors can impact a patient’s fertility and IVF failure and success rates. During a meeting with a fertility specialist, the specialist may perform a health evaluation, asking about diet, exercise, smoking, and drug use. The specialist reviews the patient’s family medical history.
The specialist can recommend lifestyle changes to help with fertility. This includes giving up smoking and recreational drugs and limiting drinking, as these have adverse effects on fertility. The specialist can go over options for creating a balanced diet and participating in regular, gentle exercise. Taking needed supplements and vitamins may help improve fertility.
Receiving Testing
Visiting a fertility doctor allows patients to undergo testing for conditions that impact fertility. These conditions include hormone imbalance, progesterone resistance, and endometriosis. Hormone testing allows doctors to measure levels of hormones that are active in menstrual cycles, ovulation, uterus preparation, and early pregnancy support. Low or elevated hormone levels are able to interfere with conception ability. Other fertility testing options include ultrasounds, pelvic examinations, and MRIs.
Endometrial tissue growth outside of the uterus is a condition known as endometriosis. This tissue growth can cause progesterone resistance. Progesterone is a hormone that makes the uterine lining thicker, preparing the uterus to receive a fertilized egg. During progesterone resistance, the tissues have a reduced reaction to the hormone. Both of these conditions are able to cause IVF failure.
An OB-GYN or reproductive specialist can perform a ReceptivaDX test for progesterone resistance and endometriosis. During the ReceptivaDx test, the doctor takes a sample of the uterine lining and sends it to the lab, where it is tested for BCL6 markers. BCL6 is a sign of uterine inflammation, which can be a symptom of endometriosis. High BCL6 levels are present in women experiencing progesterone resistance and endometriosis. A ReceptivaDx test has the ability to test CD138 levels. CD138 is a marker for chronic endometritis, which is a uterine lining bacterial infection.
Reviewing Treatment Options
Patients who have received a positive result on ReceptivaDx or hormone imbalance testing can discuss treatment options with their fertility specialist. Understanding possible causes for infertility allows the specialist to create treatment plans. The specialist reviews the possible benefits of different treatments, such as laparoscopy and hormone therapy, with the patient. This helps guide patients to appropriate treatment options for their condition.
Laparoscopy is a surgery that offers an official diagnosis for endometriosis. During this surgery, surgeons use a scope to find and identify the tissue growth. They can help treat endometriosis during this surgery by removing excess endometrial tissue.
Hormone therapy treatment helps slow the progression of endometriosis and minimizes uterine lining inflammation. Hormone treatment options include gonadotropin-releasing agents, oral contraceptives, and follicle-stimulating hormones. These help improve IVF success rates and successful conceptions.
Receiving treatments for endometriosis helps improve the chances of IVF success. Discuss artificial reproductive technology, or ART, options with IVF specialists. An IVF specialist will review the appropriate times to begin an IVF cycle and may be able to approve additional cycles after failures.
Learn More About IVF Failure
Free 20-minute phone consultations are available. During the consultation, a patient speaks with a patient advocate to learn more about how the test works and how to order one. To learn more about how receiving a ReceptivaDx test is able to help reduce IVF failure, schedule a consultation with Cicero Diagnostics today.