B) Ovarian Follicle Monitoring

 

Scans and blood tests are repeated once every few days in order to assess the growth of the developing eggs. All of these scans are done through the vagina using a small, long probe and the bladder should be empty of urine during the procedure. After your first scan at the end of your 2 weeks of Buserelin or Lucrin injections, subsequent scans are done every few days after starting the Gonal F injections in order to monitor the growth of areas within the ovaries called follicles, which contain the developing eggs. These are seen as dark circles on the ultrasound scan. For most patients, vaginal scanning is not uncomfortable and the examination takes only a few minutes.

The blood tests that are done check for levels of certain hormones (oestradiol and LH) produced by the ovary and the brain. These tests give us a good idea of the health of the developing eggs and help to determine the best time to retrieve them from the ovaries. The dose of the Gonal F injected may have to be adjusted so as to allow optimum growth and ensure that the eggs obtained at the end of the procedure are at their best. The nurse will telephone you to inform you of changes to the doses if necessary.

Modifications may sometimes be made to this basic regime to ensure the eggs continue to grow well.  When the blood tests and ultrasound scans indicate that the follicles and eggs are ready, a special injection (called hCG or Profasi) is given at night to trigger the process of final egg maturation. Egg recovery is performed 36 hours after the hCG injection and it is very important that this injection is given at a precise time as instructed by the Nurses and Doctors, so please DO NOT forget! Wrong timing can result in poor quality eggs and hence compromise your chance of pregnancy.

CAUTION: As the injections you are going to have as part of the programme may potentially affect an existing pregnancy please use condoms in the month before starting the ART cycle.

Previous  Next

Copyright © 2004 O & G Partners. All rights reserved. Last update: March 15, 2004