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What is Precycle Screening for IVF

What is Precycle Screening for IVF?

Before starting the IVF journey, every patient will look for better ways to make the treatment successful. Similarly, fertility experts think in that way and help the patients achieve their dream of parenthood.

Doctors do precycle screening for IVF to increase the success of pregnancy outcomes. This screening is a series of tests conducted to evaluate both partners’ reproductive health.

It includes checking their hormonal levels, ovarian reserve, sperm quality, and more. Look no further, this guide explains the importance and components of precycle screening for IVF in detail.

Components of Precycle Screening

Precycle screening for IVF is mandatory to analyze your reproductive tract completely. Precycle screening is available for women and men. Screening reduces the risk of multiple IVF cycle failures and early miscarriages.

Blood Tests

A blood test is important for both men and women before beginning the IVF treatments. Blood samples are collected on the third day of the menstrual cycle that assess the hormonal health of the pituitary gland and ovaries.

It measures thyroid and prolactin hormones, and vitamin D levels, and identifies infectious disease status, blood type, and blood count.

Here is a list of precycle screening in IVF for women.

Pelvic Sonogram

It is a noninvasive diagnostic exam used to assess organs and structures within the female pelvis. This gives a quick visualization of organs such as uterus, cervix, fallopian tubes, vagina, and ovaries.

Ovarian Reserve Testing

Ovarian reserve testing is to estimate the egg count and quality. This is the most important screening before in vitro fertilization treatment.

AFC (Antra Follicle Count): An ultrasound scan counts the number of small follicles in the ovaries. From this test, you can be aware of the immature eggs that need to be stimulated during the treatment. 

AMH (Anti-Mullerian Hormone): It measures the amount of AMH in your blood and provides sufficient information about a variety of reproductive health conditions. 

This test is to check the number of eggs left in the ovaries and know how your body responds to different dosages of fertility medicines.

Hormone Level Assessment

Assessing hormone levels is essential to provide personalized infertility treatment and ovarian stimulation progress.

FSH (Follicle-Stimulating Hormone): You need below 10mlU/ml, if you’re trying to conceive. So, fertility doctors evaluate the FSH in a woman’s body, and if it is high, then it could affect the response to IVF treatment.

Estradiol and Progesterone: These hormones are pivotal for preparing the uterus for implantation, checking it helps to examine whether doctors need to provide special dosage or not.

LH (Luteinizing Hormone): It is responsible for triggering ovulation and abnormal levels of luteinizing hormone can impact of egg retrieval timing in IVF.

Ultrasound Assessment

This test is to examine the ovaries and uterus of the women. Ultrasound assessment is an imaging test that gives a clear picture of your reproductive health.

Structural Issues Examination: It checks the abnormalities such as ovarian cysts, fibroids, and polyps that can create a negative impact on IVF success and fertility.

Uterine Lining Thickness: The ultrasound scan measures the thickness of the uterus lining, which is pivotal for embryo implantation. Ideally, a woman needs a uterus lining around 8 to 15 mm and if it is less than this measure, then it results in unsuccessful outcomes.

Genetic Screening

PGT (Preimplantation Genetic Testing): It is a technique for identifying chromosomal abnormalities in the embryos. PGT reduces the risk of miscarriages, passing on inherited conditions, and other pregnancy complications.

Semen Analysis

When it comes to IVF or any other fertility treatments, analyzing both men’s and women’s reproductive health is essential. So, the male partner’s semen will also be tested to check the quality of sperm.

Importance of Precycle Screening

Pre-IVF screening is the most important thing for the successful outcomes of in vitro fertilization. Performing these tests helps to identify the underlying health issues or any other complications affecting your pregnancy.

Every test before beginning the IVF treatment gives a detailed view of the reproductive health of both men and women. Semen analysis gives accurate information about a male’s fertility potential. It helps the doctors to determine the optimal course of treatment.

Ovarian reserve testing helps to analyze the number of eggs available and how can fertility experts stimulate the growth of immature eggs.

Similarly, PGT, hormone level assessment, and ultrasound tests help to determine which could be the best fertility medications and techniques for successful pregnancy outcomes.

What Happens After Precycle Screening?

Precycle screening includes a series of medical evaluations to assess your and your partner’s overall reproductive health. Once the fertility expert finds out that your body is ready for treatments then they initiate the next steps.

IVF treatment has five different steps such as ovarian stimulation phase, egg retrieval, fertilization, embryo culture, and embryo transfer. Here is a timeline of what happens after precycle screening, let’s take a look.

Cycle Day Treatment
Day 2 or 3
Start to intake stimulation medications. Injections will be provided for 8 to 12 days on average.
Day 3 to 14
Fertility experts track the follicle growth, still, you will be following the stimulation medications.
Day 14
You need to take the trigger shot at a specific time as per your gynecologist's instruction.
Day 16
After 36 hours of your trigger shot, the egg retrieval will be scheduled with anesthesia. The embryologist counts the retrieved eggs and begins the next process.
Day 17
Day 1 of embryo development. Patients can know about the fertilization results including a count of retrieved eggs and their maturity status.
Day 18
Patients can be aware of how the embryos are developing.
Day 19
On this day, embryos will reach the blastocyst stage, which is the last step before egg transfer. So, you can do an egg transfer or go with the freezing option for future Frozen Embryo Transfer FET.
After 2 week-wait
Post the embryo transfer, you need to wait for two weeks to know whether the transfer process is a success or not.

Conclusion

Preparing for IVF treatment will be quite challenging, so please don’t expect it to be a bed of roses. Precycle screening in IVF is important to provide an accurate baseline to the fertility experts about you and your partner’s reproductive health.

It gives detailed information about sperm quality, hormone balance levels, ovarian reserve, quality of eggs, and others to the doctors. They can provide you with a clear path to in vitro fertilization.

So, avail their assistance throughout the IVF treatment to improve the chance of conception and success rate.

FAQs

What is the first scan before IVF?

Baseline transvaginal ultrasound is the very first scan before the in vitro fertilization begins. This procedure evaluates the pelvic organs and the ovaries to determine an accurate time to start the ovarian stimulation. 

Your fertility expert will check these listed things in the baseline transvaginal scan, such as:

  • The uterus orientation.
  • The uterus lining thickness.
  • Follicles measurement.
  • Examine where a cyst or fibroid is present.
  • Measuring serum estradiol levels.
What are the 5 stages of IVF?

These five stages of IVF are crucial as each of them brings the patients or couples closer to their parenthood dream.

  • Ovarian Stimulation
  • Retrieving the matured eggs
  • Fertilization
  • Embryo Culture
  • Embryo transfer
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Dr Niveditha

Dr. Niveditha is the co-founder of The Hive Fertility and Research Centre. She is a young and passionate fertility expert who aims to provide high-quality fertility treatments to her patients. During her 10+ years of service as a fertility expert, she has helped several hundreds of patients overcome their infertility and become parents. She also specializes in the fields of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive endocrinology

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