Comparing Traditional IVF vs. Effortless IVF ™
In-vitro fertilization (IVF) is one of the most popular forms of assisted reproductive technology, and Effortless IVF ™ focuses exclusively on effortless IVF treatments. When comparing traditional IVF vs. Effortless IVF ™ treatments at our Dallas area office, we have found that Effortless IVF ™ offers patients the same high success rates at a fraction of the cost with fewer doctor visits. If you have been considering fertility treatment and would like to learn more about the benefits offered by Effortless IVF ™, please click on the New Patient Registration link above to schedule an appointment with one of our fertility specialists.
The Traditional IVF Procedure
In traditional IVF treatments, the woman starts taking fertility drugs to increase the number of eggs available. The dosage of the fertility drugs may be adjusted throughout the course of treatment. During this phase of treatment, the patient will require several doctor's appointments for monitoring, blood work, and ultrasounds.
When it is time to schedule the egg retrieval, the woman will be given medication designed to trigger the final maturation of the eggs. Timing is critical because the eggs must be retrieved just prior to ovulation. Approximately 36 hours after the trigger medication has been administered, the eggs will be retrieved and prepared for the fertilization process.
The fertilization process occurs in the laboratory, where an embryologist mixes sperm and eggs and places them in an incubator. Over the next five days, the incubators and developing embryos are monitored. When the embryos are ready, the transfer procedure is performed to place the embryo(s) in the uterus. In our high response patients, a different trigger injection is utilized in comparison with patients who have low or normal ovarian reserve. This is done to prevent or minimize the risk of ovarian hyperstimulation. The embryos are frozen and a frozen embryo transfer is performed with the following menstrual period.
The Effortless IVF ™ Advantage
In the Effortless IVF ™ procedure, the patient's health, age, and weight determines her dosage of medication, and no adjustments are made during treatment. This reduces the amount of medications needed, as well as the costs associated with them.
Unlike traditional IVF, which requires several sonogram and monitoring appointments, our simplified system relies on a single stimulation sonogram performed on the 10th day of the cycle. This sonogram will determine the patient's trigger day and when the retrieval will take place.
Once the eggs are harvested, Effortless IVF ™ bypasses the need for expensive lab work with a new device called an INVOcell. The healthy sperm and eggs are put inside the INVOcell, and the cylinder is placed inside the patient's vagina. This "natural incubator" provides the appropriate conditions for the developing embryo over the next five days. When the embryos have reached the proper stage, they will be transferred from the INVOcell device to the uterus.
In our high response patients (AMH over 3.1 ng/ml or AFC 20 or greate), the trigger injection is leuprolide acetate (Lupron) rather than hCG. This protocol is standard of care for patients pursuing "traditional" IVF as well. The choice of Lupron over hCG safely reduces the risk of severe ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) which is one of the major risks for patients with robust ovarian reserve. This trigger injection is not does not result in hormone production by the ovary that is as efficient in preparing the uterus for implantation. Consequently, all the embryos are frozen at the time the INVOcell device is removed and a frozen embryo transfer is performed with the next menses.
By eliminating the need for expensive lab work, incubators, monitoring personnel, doctor's appointments, diagnostic imaging, and medications, we are able to offer IVF treatments to our patients at a significantly reduced cost in terms of time and money, while still maintaining the excellent success rates associated with traditional IVF.
Make an Effortless IVF ™ Appointment
If you would like to learn more about the Effortless IVF ™ procedure, how this new treatment can benefit you, and if you are a candidate, please click on the New Patient Registration link above to make an appointment with one of our effortless IVF specialists.