Understanding PCOS & How Effective is IVF for Women Suffering from Infertility Caused By PCOS?

Introduction
Complications of PCOS
How PCOS affects your fertility?
Fertility treatment options
How effective is IVF in the case of PCOS?

Introduction

Every woman desires and expects to have children. But some women who have chronic health conditions such as PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) is also known as reproductive metabolic syndrome, and imbalance or an endocrine metabolic problem. Women with PCOS often have concerns about childbearing and likely to have trouble in becoming pregnant.

PCOS is a complex hormonal condition that affects up to 1 in 5 women of reproductive age. Most women with PCOS have increased levels of luteinising hormone (LH), which facilitates ovulation, and reduced levels of follicle stimulation hormone (FSH) which is essential for the function of women’s ovaries and pubertal development. Women suffering from PCOS even produce higher than normal amounts of male hormones called androgens which cause tiny cysts on the ovaries.

Due to these hormonal imbalances, women having PCOS may have prolonged or infrequent menstrual periods and they don’t ovulate (release of an egg from the ovary) or ovulate occasionally. As no egg is released from the ovary, this makes it harder for women with PCOS to conceive.

Complications of PCOS include:

We don’t know what exactly causes PCOS, doctors believe that high levels of male hormones disrupt the menstrual cycle and prevent ovulation. Genetics, inflammation, and insulin resistance are linked to excess androgen production. Extra insulin production triggers ovaries to produce more androgens, which not only disrupts ovulation but also causes acne and hirsutism.

Women with PCOS also tend to experience low-grade inflammation that further stimulates cystic ovaries to produce male hormones, which can lead to heart and blood vessel problems in the future.

Here are some critical complications of PCOS to include:

Infertility
Ovulation problems miscarriage or premature birth
Gestational diabetes
Metabolic syndrome
Steatohepatitis- a severe liver inflammation
Sleep apnea
Anxiety, depression, and eating disorders
Abnormal uterine bleeding
Endometrial cancer

How PCOS affects your fertility?

It is well-evident that women dealing with PCOS take longer due to fall pregnant than other women. The main reason could be due to irregular menstrual periods which means PCOS patients don’t ovulate every month. They tend to have poor egg quality compared to that id a non-PCOS woman. This can imply that women with PCOS have lower pregnancy potential compared to non-PCOS patients of the same age.

Also, being obese or overweight reduce fertility and could contribute to women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome taking a little longer to conceive. Though PCOS patients have more fertility issues than other women and they need effective contraception to avoid unplanned pregnancy.

Fertility treatment options

Women who have PCOS don’t ovulate regularly. As a result, when a woman having PCOS consults a PCOS specialist for fertility treatment, the doctor will begin by prescribing some front-line medications. Clomiphene, Metformin, Letrozole are common medications prescribed for women with PCOS to stimulate ovulation.

The woman while taking one or more of the aforementioned medications, she should perform intercourse with her partner to get pregnant.

PCOS patients can have better results if they undergo laparoscopic surgery. Surgery is used to eliminate the production of male hormones also help in resizing the ovary. Before the surgery, the doctor will make sure that menstruation, ovulation, and egg quality are good at defined levels to get better results.

What if the medications don’t work?

If the PCOS patient doesn’t achieve pregnancy from this method, physicians may suggest more advanced fertility medications or methods like IUI or IVF.

If a PCOS patient doesn’t conceive while using hormone-regulating medications alone, fertility specialist may prescribe gonadotropins or recommend IVF. Gonadotropins are hormones that are given in the form of injections to induce ovulation. However, women who take gonadotropins require frequent monitoring through blood tests and ultrasounds to analyze how their body is responding to these medications.

How effective is IVF in the case of PCOS?

IVF is an effective procedure for women with PCOS, It’s the best treatment for infertile women suffering from PCOS. Women having PCOS respond very well to the medications and have a high success rate of ovulation.

The good news for people who are opting for IVF to embrace a conception of a baby is that the eggs can be fertilized in an artificial setting, making pregnancy easier.

While 15-20% of women suffer from POCS, it is true that there may be complications in conceiving due to irregular menstrual cycle which means no eggs and hence natural fertilization of eggs could be difficult because of overproduction of eggs or o ovulation. In such a case, IVF uses overproduced eggs and fertilized with the male partner’s sperm in the laboratory resulting in the formation of an embryo. Once an embryo is formed, it is placed back into the uterus or womb of the female partner. In cases of overproduction, eggs’ performance is often compromised, but once the embryo is placed in the uterus most of the women with PCOS deliver healthy babies.

Although PCOS may seem an obstacle for conception due to the presence of cysts in ovaries, perhaps an expert and experienced specialist can give the safe and appropriate treatment, helping in the release of the eggs.

In the scenario of women who have PCOS have higher AMH rates ( To know more about AMH, refer to our previous blog—What does AMH exactly mean in regards to your fertility? ) and can have complications in conceiving. We have measures and advanced procedures to retain better and successful results.

At MotherToBe we understand how a PCOS diagnosis can feel. We also know how confusing and aching it can be searching for the answers to your questions.

MotherToBe is the leading fertility center in Hyderabad where you can count on the experience and expertise of our PCOS & fertility specialists. We provide holistic care and treatment and suggest the right options. Our knowledgeable and caring fertility specialists are experts in providing effective treatments that allow women with PCOS to become mothers.

About Our Infertility Specialist:

Dr. Vyjayanthi is an experienced Fertility doctor in Hyderabad, has been providing advanced fertility treatments who are struggling with fertility issues. She has extensive specialized training combined with years of experience in the field of embryology and reproductive medicine, assuring that you’ll get the correct diagnosis and effective fertility care. She is expertise in creating a highly individualized treatment plan and helping childless couples reach their family-building dreams. Book an A ppointment here.