Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is common and affects as much as 1 in every 10 women. PCOS is the most prevalent cause of infertility in females. As per statistics up to 80% of women with PCOS experience infertility, but the good news is that there are effective treatments available for controlling PCOS. With the help of medication, a proper lifestyle and PCOS friendly diet, many women have gotten pregnant naturally with PCOS. When none of these work, IVF is great. Most couples in which the cause of infertility is PCOS have benefited from IVF and went on to have a healthy pregnancy and a blessed child.
Understanding PCOS simply
PCOS(polycystic ovarian syndrome) is a hormonal imbalance. All women have both female and male hormones. But in some women, there is an imbalance between these hormones. Women with PCOS have higher than normal levels of male hormones namely androgen.
The name PCOS gets its origin from the shape of the ovaries when seen by ultrasound. The ovaries appear to have many small cysts, and researchers aren’t sure what causes PCOS; they know that people with PCOS often have insulin resistance. Women with PCOS experience the following symptoms :
- Abnormal periods
- Infertility
- Weight gain
- Extreme acne
- Severe fatigue along with Depression
- Excessive facial and body hair growth
- Hair thinning on the scalp
Effect of PCOS on fertility
One might wonder what harm is there with the presence of male hormones. The effects are as follows:
- The excess levels of male hormones present interfere with ovulation. The hormone imbalance causes immature follicles to release an egg each menstrual cycle.
- PCOS leads to insulin resistance, overweight, and metabolic syndrome.
- Since immature follicles release the egg, its quality is also poor.
- Even if one achieves pregnancy with poor egg quality there will be issues with embryo quality.
- Uterine lining abnormalities cause issues with the embryo attaching to the uterine lining after fertilisation.
- Issues with placenta development and the pregnancy journey also may not be smooth.
There is plenty of hope in the form of many treatments available for PCOS. As compared to other reasons for infertility PCOS probably has a high success rate.
Treatments available for PCOS control
Adapting a healthy lifestyle: For people with PCOS the ideal BMI should be between 25-27. By simply losing 5% of the existing weight one could improve ovulation and pregnancy rates.
Medications to normalise ovulation: Expert fertility specialists at ZIVA fertility clinics will first try medications that can regulate ovulation. They include drugs that can stabilize the metabolic side of PCOS, and induce ovulation.
PCOS and In vitro fertilization (IVF)
IVF is an effective treatment in case the above-mentioned changes are not yielding pregnancy. IVF has shown remarkable results for PCOS-related infertility. It works even best if women have a good ovarian reserve, even if they are not ovulating.
IVF stimulation protocol is a crucial step in the IVF process. This means that the ovaries are stimulated with the help of hormonal injections to help the ovaries release multiple eggs during the menstrual cycle. Ovarian stimulation allows choosing the accurate time to retrieve eggs for the next procedure.
What is the Success Rate of IVF in PCOS patients?
With IVF, not only are the chances of pregnancy higher but the risks are also lowered. The fertility specialist can choose to transfer a single embryo into your uterus thus mitigating the risk of multiple births.
The success of IVF with pregnancy depends on the experience and expertise of the clinics and the doctor. The success rate of IVF in PCOS is about 70%.
Reasons for IVF success for PCOS patients
Ovarian stimulation is the first step in the IVF process wherein hormonal medications or injections are given to correct the issue of ovulatory dysfunction. Medications are also given for hormonal balance before the ovulation period or post-embryo transfer. The hormonal balance at these times reduces the risk of pregnancy loss in females with PCOS.
The chances of conceiving are sometimes higher in women with PCOS because more eggs are produced than in non-PCOS-IVF women. So, more eggs are retrieved, and the embryos formed are high. With increased embryo availability the chances of conceiving are directly increased.
Factors affecting the success of IVF in PCOS patients
We at ZIVA fertility clinics will identify the corrections that PCOS patients may require. We at ZIVA fertility clinics will start with:
- Regular exercise.
- Weight loss.
- Controlled diet.
- Normal blood sugar levels.
- Rectify other metabolic disorders such as hypothyroidism.
- Hormonal medications that normalise delayed or irregular menstrual cycles.
A word from ZIVA fertility clinics
If you have PCOS please know that there is no need to struggle to have children. We have decades of experience in dealing with IVF, an option for PCOS. Reliable fertility treatments that we offer at ZIVA fertility clinics can help you achieve your dream of parenthood. This is a journey which we will take with you. For more information, please visit our website https://zivafertility.com/ or contact us at +91-9100002737 or +91-9347406900.
