In Vitro Maturation (IVM)This week the Oxford Fertility Unit announced it was the first clinic to have been granted approval by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) to undertake a new safer, cheaper assisted conception treatment, known as IVM. Read on to find out more about this new treatment which experts are claiming will revolutionise fertility treatment.
What is IVM treatment?IVM stands for In Vitro Maturation. 'In vitro' comes from the Latin meaning
'in glass' and 'maturation' is the process of aging something from infancy
to maturity. In IVM, immature eggs, or oocytes, are retrieved from the
ovary, then matured in the laboratory before being fertilised and replaced
to the womb. What is the procedure for IVM?IVM is much easier than conventional treatment and requires much less
time commitment. 1. Under the guidance of ultrasound, the immature eggs
are retrieved from a woman's unstimulated ovaries. 2. The eggs are then
matured in the laboratory for 24-48 hours. 3. The eggs that have matured
after this time are fertilised using traditional techniques such as ICSI.
4. Two to three days after fertilisation, the embryos are transferred
to the mother's womb. How does it differ from IVF?There are two main differences between IVM and IVF and they are safety
and cost. In standard IVF treatment the woman undergoes 2 weeks of injections
to stimulate egg production prior to retrieval. As well as being time-consuming
and uncomfortable, a potentially fatal side-effect of these injections
is a condition known as Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS). IVM
does not need these daily injections so there is no risk of OHSS. And
because the treatment is shorter than IVF, there is no need for women
to have to sniff an ovary suppressing drug for 2-3 weeks prior to injections.
Mr Tim Child, Consultant Gynaecologist at the Oxford Fertility Clinic,
says as well as being easier, IVM will be less expensive than traditional
IVF treatment. "The cost of drugs, which is often largely met by the patients,
is reduced, meaning IVM has the potential to become a more accessible
form of fertility treatment." Who is it suitable for?To begin with, the Oxford Fertility Unit is only offering IVM to women
with polycystic ovaries. However, it is thought the procedure will be
ideally suited to women below their mid thirties as an alternative to
IVF. What are the success rates?So far, over 400 babies have been born worldwide through IVM treatment and Danish scientists have achieved 30 per cent success rates using the procedure. Professor Bob Edwards, who helped create the world's first IVF baby, Louise Brown, believes that IVM could be safely used to treat most women with fertility problems and will revolutionise fertility treatments. "I see IVM as an all-round - and cheaper - solution," he says. "This really is a new era for IVF. A revolution. I think IVM will replace IVF. It all looks very promising."
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