There are over 50 fertility clinics in our country. These are mainly private facilities where you have to pay for treatment. The price depends on the type of therapy. We present the available methods of infertility treatment.
There are 1.5 million couples in Poland who suffer frominfertility , of which over 70 percent. wishes to have offspring. Here are the methods that can lead to your goal - the longed-forpregnancy .
Hormonal infertility treatment
This methodinfertility treatmentis used when tests show abnormalitiesovulation , i.e. ovulation, or when excess or deficiency of hormones ( not only sexual) prevents a woman from getting pregnant or a man from producing good-quality sperm. The reason may be genetic defects, failure of the endocrine system, e.g. anovulatory cycles, insufficiency of the corpus luteum, malfunctioning of the adrenal glands, endometriosis. Treatment: It consists in administering drugs containing appropriate hormones that regulate the work of the ovaries, adrenal glands, pituitary gland and hypothalamus. Medicines in the form of tablets or injections are given over several months. Men receive individually selected doses of the drug so that it influences the production of more sperm. In the case of ovulation disorders, hormones are administered on specific days of the cycle. During the treatment, which may last many months, blood is drawn every few days to determine the level of sex hormones. Ovarian ultrasound is also performed regularly to control the maturation of the Graaf follicle. At the time specified by the doctor, the partner must be prepared for intercourse (at home) or for the donation of sperm (if insemination or artificial fertilization is planned). Effectiveness: Induction of ovulation on demand is effective in 95 percent, but it does not always result in pregnancy Cost: It is difficult to estimate, but the determination of one hormone is about PLN 20-40, ovulation test PLN 150-300 depending on the clinic, treatment hormonal (injections) costs about 1.5-2 thousand. Note: Multiple pregnancies may be the result of hormonal treatment. Treatment does not increase the risk of fetal malformations.
Infertility treatment: insemination
The treatment is performedin women with ovulation disorders, unexplained infertility (called idiopathic infertility) or when the mucus is hostile to the sperm. In men - when the sperm is weak and few. Insemination is possible when the woman has open fallopian tubes. The procedure is not performed in women who have inflammatory changes in the reproductive organs, uterine fibroids that make it impossible to report pregnancy. Sperm from the partner or from a sperm bank is used for fertilization. Preparation: Before the procedure, the woman takes hormonal drugs orally or by injection. The aim of the treatment is to obtain more mature eggs (maximum 2-3) to increase the chances of fertilization. From the first days of the cycle, regular ultrasound should be performed to assess the number and size of bubbles and the thickness of the mucosa. Treatment: If the largest follicle is 18 mm and the endometrium is at least 8 mm thick, the woman receives human gonadotrophin, the hormone that causes ovulation (follicle rupture and egg release). When ovulation occurs, the man donates his sperm. In the laboratory, it is rinsed to extract he althy and motile sperm and get rid of any bacteria and prostaglandin that causes uterine contractions. The sperm is then injected into the uterus through a catheter. The procedure is painless and the woman can go home right after the procedure. If fertilization occurs, in the first weeks of embryo development, the woman takes progesterone orally or in the form of vaginal globules, thanks to which the functions of the corpus luteum, i.e. the transformed ovarian follicle, are supported. Efficacy: With a large number of motile sperm after the first insemination, the chance of pregnancy ranges from a few to a maximum of 20 percent. In case of failure at the first insemination, 3 to 5 attempts can be made. If this does not result in pregnancy, and the partners still want to try for a child - consider another method of assisted reproduction. Cost: 700-1000 PLN for one fertilization attempt. Note: Such a pregnancy, especially in the first trimester, she is considered a high-risk pregnancy. A woman should be under the care of a fertility specialist.
Surgical methods of infertility treatment
In women, this method is usually used to remove adhesions after adnexitis, to clear the fallopian tubes or to remove septum in the uterus. In men, on the other hand, varicose veins or scars formed in the epididymis, for example, as a result of infections with chlamydia or gonorrhea. The sperm flow paths are also cleared. When the ejection tube is blocked, surgery is more difficult, but also feasible. Treatment: Mostlyin cases, the procedures are performed laparoscopically under general anesthesia. The recovery time depends on the extent of the surgery. Usually, however, after 1-2 months, you can start trying for a baby again. Effectiveness: In the case of men, surgical treatment is used sporadically, because it does not give the expected results. In women, this method also does not always guarantee that the woman will become a mother in the future. Cost: Most of such operations can be performed in the so-called public he alth services, but few clinics specialize in this. In private, you have to pay for the procedure from 2.5 to 4.5 thousand. PLN.
When the cause of infertility is a mental block
Sometimes the test results do not show any abnormalities in the woman or her partner, and despite all efforts, fertilization does not take place. It turns out that - although the mechanisms of this are not fully known - our psyche has a significant impact on the reduction of fertility. It was found, for example, that depression in 30 percent. cases, it makes it impossible to get pregnant, even when assisted reproductive technology is used. Long-term, severe stress can act similarly (the level of prolactin - an ovulation-inhibiting hormone - often rises). It is caused by a great desire for a child. When the months pass and there is no pregnancy, there is more and more anxiety, complexes and guilt arise. The greater the pressure, the greater the stress, and the greater the mental block that makes it difficult to conceive. A woman who really wants to be a mother is particularly exposed to it. There are many causes of "mental" infertility. A psychologist can help in revealing them. And when hidden fears are unraveled, they are easier to control. This is the first step to achieving inner peace. When you distance yourself, it's easier to stop torturing yourself with unfulfilled parenthood and start living with other things. The body will return to balance and perhaps the mental block will stop working …
Treatment of immune infertility
Sometimes a woman's immune system recognizes male semen as a foreign protein and destroys it, producing special antibodies. The attack begins in the vagina and cervix, so no sperm can penetrate further. Sometimes the male immune system destroys the sperm produced by its own body. The immune substrate is 6-12 percent. cases of infertility.Diagnosis: To find out this type of infertility, a woman's cervical mucus is examined after intercourse, and a man's sperm. It works, among others the presence of anti-sperm antibodies. Both partners' blood serum is tested for IgG, IgM and IgA antibodies. Therapy: When antibodies againstsperm cells are produced by a woman, it is recommended that the couple use insemination, i.e. introduce the sperm directly into the uterus (bypassing the site of the antibody attack). In vitro fertilization is also possible. Male immune infertility is treated with individually prepared preparations, the so-called autovaccines, which inhibit the production of antibodies. Effectiveness: Difficult to define as a percentage. The therapy lasts about a year. Cost: Including research and diagnosis of antibodies against sperm 3-4.5 thousand. PLN.
Infertility treatment: artificial insemination, i.e. in vitro
The method is used when a woman does not have fallopian tubes, when the Graaf's follicle does not release mature eggs, in severe cases of polycystic ovaries or significant endometriosis. It is also effective when sperm are slow to move or cannot be released from the testicles due to obstruction of the vas deferens and when the man has deposited sperm in a bank (e.g. before radiotherapy), and in cases of undetermined infertility.Controlled ovarian stimulation, egg collection, collection and appropriate preparation of sperm, and then transfer of the sperm connected to the egg into the uterus. Efficacy: The chance of getting a positive pregnancy test result is approx. 40 percent. Already after the first attempt, 30-35 percent. treatments result in pregnancy. It is estimated that 60-70 percent. couples who undertake infertility treatment with this method become parents of one or several children. Cost: One cycle costs from PLN 4.5-5.5 thousand. PLN (for the procedure). Sometimes, however, along with hormonal treatment, the procedure can cost up to 12,000. Note: In in vitro fertilization, multiple pregnancies constitute 25%. cases. The number of children with developmental defects does not differ from the number of defects in naturally conceived children.
Infertility treatment: micromanipulation
ICSI is also called sperm injection into the egg. It is sometimes used in the case of poor sperm parameters, infertility of unknown origin, immunological infertility and when attempts at fertilization with the in vitro method have failed. The method gives a chance to father men who do not have sperm in their semen but have sperm in their testicles. Preparation: Same as IVF. First, the ovaries are stimulated to produce more eggs, and then the doctor collects the mature eggs. Under ultrasound guidance, he inserts a long, thin needle into the vagina and then into the ovary, from where it collects all the developed eggs. It takes about 15 minutes and is performed on an outpatient basis. AfterAfter a few dozen minutes of rest, the woman can return home. Semen is collected under general anesthesia from the testes (ICSI-TESA) or from the epididymis (ICSI-PESA). The collected material searches for he althy sperm. Therapy: The ICSI method of combining egg and sperm is as follows: a doctor places an egg on a slide under a microscope. With a special micropipette, it pierces the shell of the egg and introduces the sperm inside the cell. After 2-3 days, the embryo is transferred to the uterus without pain. After inserting a speculum into the vagina, a thin tube (catheter) is inserted through the cervix into the uterine cavity, containing the fertilized egg. Together with 0.5 ml of the medium, it is injected into the uterus. Efficiency: Rated at 30-40 percent. Cost: Ok. 1-1.5 thous. Note: Ladies who become pregnant as a result of micromanipulation should do prenatal tests to rule out a genetic defect in their child.
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