What can an Embryologist say about your IVF Cycle ?
Embryologist’s are the backbone of any IVF Clinic who are constantly and tirelessly working to keep everything around your IVF Cycle in perfect synchrony. They are the ones who review your case history in depth and decide what protocols to use in the Embryology lab for your IVF / ICSI Cycle. In case your previous IVF cycle failed, they are the ones who decide what to do differently in the current cycle with your gametes (oocytes and sperms).
IVF is true team work, the Clinician is in constant touch with the Embryology Team when IVF Cycle is initiated for a patient. Together they decide on the protocol and other aspects that needs to be personalized for your IVF Cycle.
So what input does an Embryologist give to the Fertility Specialist based on patient’s Previous Reports? Here are a few:
- Recommend type of Embryo Culture for your case, i.e. Culture till Day 3 or Extended Culture till Day 5 / 6
- Recommend ICSI over IVF based on sperm motility, swimming pattern and detailed study of morphology of sperm after Semen Analysis.
- At times recommend ICSI for half oocytes, and IVF for rest in case of Total Fertilization Failure in your previous failed IVF Cycle.
- Recommend antioxidants and multivitamins to both partners in case of poor quality of both oocytes and sperms in previous IVF Cycles.
- Recommend PGS for Aneuploidy Screening in case previous cycles failed to produce any Blastocysts at Day 5 despite of having good Quality Day 3 Embryos.
- Recommend Day 6 Blastocyst Transfer if previous cycles in your case has resulted in delayed Blastulation.
- Decide which Blastocyst to transfer first and which ones to save for later FET Cycle if needed by assessing many factors including early cleavage, morphology of blastocysts, occurrence of SER etc.
- Which sperm to choose TESA or PESA? In case both are available on day of OPU.
These are just a few things that the Embryologist mentions based on your previous Embryology records.
As an Embryologist here are a few things that we have learnt from our experience:
No two Oocytes are same, quality of oocytes from same patient differ between two cycles. Eat well, sleep well, treat your body well. How you treat your body reflects at cellular level. Quality IN is QUALITY OUT
Sometimes the best of the Oocytes and best of the Sperms, end up giving poor Embryos. It is the combination of the genetic material that leads to quality embryos. We don’t yet know why at times the good and good don’t add up to give the best. TWO and TWO often don’t add up to FOUR.
If you have Failed an IVF Cycle, and everything was done just the way it should be, then Repeat the same thing. Every cycle produces a different set of gametes, so just hope that the combination of oocytes and sperms work this time. Success is less about LUCK and more about PERSEVERANCE.
One Good Embryo is all you need. Do not try and transfer more than one Embryo just because you have them available. The complications and risks are not worth it.Studies suggest that the poor Quality Embryo may adversely affect the Good Quality Embryo. One is all you NEED.
To conclude, you should know that an Embryologist has seen you at a cellular level, the Embryologist may not be able to tell exactly why your IVF Failed, but they know that with more attempts, they shall be able to give you a positive result. Trust US! We are happier than the patient, when a patient with multiple IVF Failure finally conceives.
