ERA – new diagnostic test, which increases chances of pregnancy through IVF
Recently, reproductive medicine has become more personalized and customized to the patients’ needs worldwide, which includes finding best patient-tailored approaches. Endometrial Receptivity Analysis, which is conducted during in vitro fertilization process, is an integral part of the earlier mentioned personalized medicine. This test significantly increases chances of pregnancy at the first attempt.
What is Endometrial Receptivity Analysis?
Endometrial Receptivity Analysis (ERA) is an additional diagnostic, which allows to determine most suitable day for embryo transfer based on a small sample of endometrium tissue. To retrieve the sample, woman undergoes endometrium biopsy, which is a simple, fast and pain-free procedure. Optimal period for implantation window normally starts on the 20th day of the menstrual cycle and lasts until the 22-th day. However, this day might be sometimes shifted and can impede pregnancy.
When implantation occurs through natural means, synchrony between endometrium and embryo is physiologically regulated. During in vitro fertilization process, when embryo is developed outside women’s body and then transferred to her womb, it is especially important for the physician to determine the exact time when the endometrium is ready to receive the blastocyst (on the 5th, 6th or 7th day of embryo development). It is worth noting that 3 out of 10 patients have this period shifted. For instance, those women who suffer from different gynecological diseases, like uterine myoma or adenomyosis may be effected. On some rare occasions, a shift can occur for healthy women and can impede or delay their pregnancy or be the cause of their infertility. For such patients, endometrial receptive analysis is an important achievement.
Target groups of ERA:
- Women, who have experienced two or more failed in vitro fertilization attempts
- Women who have experienced multiple miscarriages
- Women, who have undergone surgical correction of inborn uterine development anomalies
- Women, who have atrophic (< 6mm) or hyperatrophic (>12mm) endometrium.
- In such cases, age does not matter.
How is Endometrial Receptivity Analysis done?
ERA is done during patient’s two menstrual cycles: during the 1st period woman’s body is prepared and endometrial material is biopsied. The biopsy is sent to the European and American laboratories for further research. During the second cycle, doctor transfers the blastocyst into the womb at the time specified by the results of the biopsy results in order to increase the likelihood of successful pregnancy.
What does Endometrial Receptivity Analysis change?
ReproART practice shows that on several occasions, without undertaking endometrial receptivity analysis and while using only standard approaches, pregnancy would have been impossible. Moreover, it might have been necessary to involve a surrogate mother in the process. The underlying reason was that the patient’s implantation window was shifted by as many as 12 hours.
The goal of reproductive medicine is to give as many patients as possible the best chance to get pregnant on the first attempt. This can be more easily achieved with Endometrial Receptivity Analysis. When a woman has only 1 healthy embryo and implantation window is shifted, this test is virtually the only chance to get pregnant.
Patients who have failed an embryo transfer, have 73% higher chance of successful pregnancy as a result of ERA. Thus, when personalized embryo transfer is performed, using results of the ERA the success rate of pregnancy is considerably higher.
Plan your visit with the Fertility Specialist at Tbilisi, Kutaisi or Batumi branches of the Georgian-American Center for Reproductive Medicine or call us anytime to receive detailed information.
