Disclaimer: The information provided is not intended as medical advice. Repronova LLC offers consulting and advisory services in reproductive physiology exclusively to participating physicians, who are fully licensed in their respective jurisdictions and who retain full clinical discretion and control over the diagnosis, care, and treatment of their patients.
It is truly traumatic and frustrating to go through IVF when everything seems to be working well – follicles are growing, eggs are retrieved and fertilized – yet there are no embryos to transfer. When it happens again, even after a stimulation-protocol adjustment, it can feel as if the world is crashing down. But do not despair: low egg quality – and particularly chromosomal errors – begin to manifest only after the LH surge or an artificial trigger. Therefore, even though it would be naïve to think that poor egg quality can always be improved, when it does improve, it’s not a miracle. As long as there are eggs, there is hope.
When embryos fail to develop in vitro (in a Petri dish) or develop into chromosomally abnormal blastocysts, “poor egg quality” is usually declared. Importantly, poor egg quality is not a diagnosis but an observation based on your physician’s experience with your IVF cycle, and it does not automatically mean that all eggs in your ovaries are of poor quality.
Also, keep in mind that less than 1% of women in the general population, at any age, have 100% good-quality eggs in their ovaries. It is completely normal to have a mix of good-quality and poor-quality eggs.
Until recently, we believed that egg quality is always intrinsic to the female and that there was nothing we could do except retrieve as many eggs as possible for IVF. And indeed, there is a very good correlation between the number of harvested eggs and the chance of pregnancy.
Yet, about 15 years ago, physicians observed that mild ovarian stimulation (mini-stim) improves egg quality in some patients, and it became apparent that we can influence egg quality with ovarian stimulation, at least to some extent.
The new ovulation paradigm has highlighted potential new entry points for controlling egg quality. For example, it appears that, in some patients, poor egg quality is due to changes in the ovarian cortex, not in the eggs themselves. And we can at least sometimes improve egg quality by extending the follicular phase to term.
So, each case of poor egg quality is unique, and we approach it with an open mind to any possibility.
Term Stim™ is provided to you by your physician, with Repronova contributing a comprehensive reproductive-physiology research service that complements your physician’s clinical expertise.
If your case is accepted, it begins with a Diagnostic Cycle. This starts on the first day of your period and usually involves several visits for blood tests (and, when needed, ultrasound scans) to measure your hormones and follow follicle development and ovulation.
The information from the Diagnostic Cycle is then analyzed together with your previous stimulations and full medical history to uncover the most likely reasons for poor egg quality and to develop a customized protocol.
Finally, we work with your physician on a step-by-step implementation of this protocol, using the Term Stim™ platform to guide and support your treatment.
Term Stim™ requires greater engagement and strict adherence. You’ll need to be available, patient, and prepared for more appointments and to follow your provider’s recommendations closely.
We work with physicians on poor-egg-quality cases where outcomes are uncertain and improvement cannot be precisely quantified. Our promise is honest, disciplined, evidence-driven work with individualized steps that may improve your odds but do not guarantee success.
In some cases, poor egg quality is intrinsic and cannot be changed. Unfortunately, this can only be determined by attempting to change it.
You can reach us first, and we will locate a physician in your area who is currently working with Repronova or is interested to become our partner. At this time we work with physicians in the United States, Europe and South America.
At this time, most of our work cannot be automated, and we can assist physicians with only a very limited number of cases at any given time. As a result, a waiting period should be expected. We also accept cases only after poor egg quality has been validated and only when, in our judgment, there is a meaningful chance of improving the outcome.
On your physician’s order, we will accept your case for preliminary review (free). We will inform your physician within about one week whether we accept or decline working on the case.
Please note that we communicate directly about your diagnosis and treatment ONLY with physicians and not patients. However, you may contact our office to help you find a participating physician in your area and sometime we may have a question that we need you to clarify.
Disclaimer: The information provided is not intended as medical advice. Repronova LLC offers consulting and advisory services in reproductive physiology exclusively to participating physicians, who are fully licensed in their respective jurisdictions and who retain full clinical discretion and control over the diagnosis, care, and treatment of their patients.
