After IVF embryo transfer, I was told by my doctor that I needed luteal support for about 10 weeks, and I was not allowed to stop the drug without authorization during this period. Many curious mothers wonder why luteal support is required? Today Xiaoxi interprets it with the curiosity of readers.
First, let's take a look at what the corpus luteum is and what it does.
Lutein is a vascular glandular structure that is rapidly transformed from follicles after ovulation, the luteal body can secrete estrogen and 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, and together with estrogen to stimulate breast development.
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 thaw embryo transfer, who 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.
The above explains the reasons for the support of the corpus luteum after embryo transfer, the luteal support medication has vaginal progesterone sustained release gel and progesterone injection, which of these two drugs has a better effect?
The above two drugs have the same composition, but the method of use is different.
Vaginal progesterone sustained release gel can be administered at home, easy to use, absorbed through the vaginal mucosa and directly acted on the uterus, the drug does not enter the blood. Therefore, the amount in the blood is small and has little effect on liver function, but the blood progesterone value is low at the time of examination. The advantage is that it is convenient and painless, and the disadvantage is that it is relatively expensive and needs to be cleaned when there is too much drug residue.
Progesterone injection requires intramuscular injection to act through blood circulation to the uterus and play a drug role, but the injection will cause local redness, swelling, pain, easy to form sterile inflammation, and local skin to form hard lumps, which is difficult to eliminate. The advantage is low price, stable blood concentration, and the disadvantage is that the injection is painful.
As far as the role of fetal protection is concerned, the two functions are the same, and there is no distinction between advantages and disadvantages.
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.