Luteal support refers to the addition of exogenous progesterone or similar drugs. Why luteal support during IVF?
(The image comes from the network and has nothing to do with this article)
Lutein is a vascular glandular structure that is rapidly transformed by the follicle after ovulation, the corpus luteum can secrete estrogen, progesterone, transform the endometrium and facilitate the implantation of the fertilized egg, after the implantation of the fertilized egg, progesterone can reduce the excitability of the uterus, inhibit uterine contraction, make the uterus in a quiet environment to maintain pregnancy, and jointly stimulate breast development with estrogen.
Women who conceive naturally without luteal insufficiency do not need luteal support. However, in the IVF treatment cycle, the use of hypomodulating drugs during controlled hyperovulation will inhibit pituitary function, so that after the end of the hyporegulation, pituitary function has not returned to normal, resulting in patients with luteal insufficiency. In addition, a large number of granulocytes are removed during egg retrieval, which reduces the active component of the luteal body composition, so luteal support is required after IVF transplantation to maintain the implantation and development of the embryo. Patients undergoing freeze-thaw embryo transfer, because they do not have follicle growth and luteal formation during the artificial cycle, must also rely on exogenous supplementary hormones to maintain embryo implantation and development. Therefore, frozen embryo transfer also requires corpus luteal support. Natural cycle transplantation also requires luteal support.
How long does luteal support last and how long does medication need? The timing of luteal support may vary from reproductive assistance centre to centre, but luteal support initiated on night needle days, egg retrieval days, or embryo transfer days did not have a significant effect on pregnancy rates, and studies have suggested that the use of progesterone before transplantation can reduce the frequency of uterine contractions and improve endometrial tolerance, thereby improving IVF pregnancy outcomes. Luteal support is required through the first trimester of the test tube, usually up to 10 weeks. Patients should not stop the drug without authorization, such as occasionally missing, reducing, changing, etc., and need to contact the doctor in time.