Tag: endometrial receptivity

Could endometrial scratching boost IVF success rates?

Last modified: Giugno 13, 2017

Could endometrial scratching boost IVF success rates? A simple scratch is capable of significantly increase, and even double, pregnancy chances through IVF, doctors believe.

Even though IVF is an assisted reproduction technique with the highest success rates among other fertility treatment, sadly, repeated IVF failures are not uncommon. In some cases failed IVF treatments could be due to some defect of the endometrium.  More specifically, sometimes, even if a woman’s fertilized eggs are of optimum quality, the receptivity of the uterine lining (endometrium) might not be as great. It is estimated that in approximately 25-30% of IVF failures the cause relates to poor endometrial receptivity.

endometrial scratching

Endometrial scratching involves a mechanical injury to make small scratches on the endometrium.

In such cases, fertility experts can now turn to an innovative technique called endometrial scratching. Briefly, the technique involves a mechanical endometrial injury using an instrument to make small scratches on the endometrium. According to experts local injury could activate the endometrium regeneration process increasing the endometrial receptivity for the implanted embryo and as a consequence boosting success rates. Moreover, scientists believe that it might be easier for embryos to nestle in the furrows made following the endometrial scratching or injury. However, the exact mechanism underlying the method has not yet been experimentally determined.

Research findings support the efficiency of the method for women experiencing recurrent IVF failures. According to a review study published in ‘’Reproductive Medicine Online’’ this technique increased success rates by 70% for a study population of about 2000 women with recurrent implantation failures.

Results from the latest study conducted at Ankara University and published in “Fertility and Sterility journal”, are equally encouraging. For the study, researchers collected data from 114 women aged <40 who had experienced at least 2 IVF failures. Women who had endometrial scratching along with the standard IVF treatment had their success rates almost doubled. More specifically 38% of them got pregnant following IVF compared with 20% of women who did not have the endometrial scratching. These results were presented at the conference of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine in Honolulu.

Would you ask for an endometrial scratching before entering

your next IVF cycle? 

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ERA test (Endometrial Receptivity Analysis) improves IVF implantation rates

Last modified: Febbraio 2, 2017

A novel IVF test, called ERA test (Endometrial Receptivity Analysis) , that assesses the activity of genes of the womb lining seems to improve successful implantation rates according to fertility experts.

Quite often you may hear patients undergoing IVF (In Vitro Fertilisation) treatment wondering what is the reason of their failed IVF attempt: ‘’my embryos are of good quality, I am healthy, yet I did not get pregnant. Why?’’. A successful IVF outcome basically depends on two major factors: the embryo quality and the environment inside the womb that will host the embryo.

ERA test - Endometrial Receptivity Analysis

ERA test is used for designating the personalized ‘’implantation window’’

So what could be wrong for women with good, genetically healthy embryos? Endometrial receptivity, fertility experts believe. The endometrium is capable of hosting an embryo only during a time specific point of a woman’s cycle, completing a successful implantation. This time period is called ‘’implantation window’’.

It was previously thought that this ‘’implantation window’’ is stable among 19th-21st day of a woman’s cycle. Recent research however reveals that for about 25% of women with good quality embryos and IVF failures the implantation window has just been transposed in time without any apparent medical cause.

Thus, with ERA test this troubling event can be overcome as it is used for designating the personalized ‘’implantation window’’ for each woman, something that no other diagnostic test could tell before. According to a pilot study, ERA test findings from 85 women who had experienced at least 5 IVF attempts failed at the implantation stage, suggest that 20-25% of embryo transfers happen sooner or later than the optimum time for successful implantation. In the past the only study available for assessing endometrial receptivity was an ultrasound scan.

Researchers of the study reported that 33% of women given the test had a successful implantation. That is significantly higher than would typically be observed for this patient population. These data suggest that ERA test can improve successful implantation and promote a positive IVF outcome by pinpointing a woman’s optimum time for embryo transfer based on the individual results obtained.

Have you been given an ERA testing prior your IVF treatment, or would you ask for it for your next IVF attempt?

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