What complications may a patient face directly during the procedure of egg removal?
The potential risks exist as at any surgical procedure, also during the egg retrieval process. Notably, these risks appear in both vaginal and laparoscopic approaches in the follicular aspiration.
In the procedure of egg retrieval which method is considered safer for the patient – vaginal or laparoscopic?
In the process of egg retrieval using a vaginal approach, bleeding from the ovaries or vaginal fornix may develop, which is often minimal and does not require a blood transfusion (hemotransfusion – in 1 case out of 500). Much less commonly, complications include infection, which develops in 1 out of 300 patients and requires antibacterial therapy. Injuries to internal organs, mainly the intestines and urinary bladder, as well as damage to blood vessels, are also very rare during the procedure (1 case out of 1000).
With the laparoscopic approach during aspiration of eggs, in addition to the risk of injury to the above-mentioned anatomical structures, there is also the risk of complications associated with the use of general anesthesia. However, these cases are very rare in healthy women.
What is the probability of development of the Ectopic pregnancy with in vitro fertilization?
Ectopic pregnancy develops in 2 percent of in vitro fertilization cycles. According to statistics from the World Health Organization, ectopic pregnancy accounts for 1% of all pregnancies. In 95% of ectopic pregnancies, the embryo remains in the fallopian tube. However, an ectopic pregnancy can also develop in the cervix, ovaries, or abdominal cavity.
And if in vitro fertilization implies the transfer of embryos directly into the uterine cavity, i.e. by bypassing the fallopian tubes, then why does an ectopic pregnancy develop?
An interesting question. Of course, the embryo/embryos are transferred to the uterine cavity not blindly, but under ultrasound control, in the most desirable place for them. However, past inflammatory processes and the functional unhealthiness of the fallopian tubes may become a precondition for further migration of the transferred embryos beyond the uterine cavity.
Should pregnancy necessarily be terminated in the case of ectopic pregnancy?
Implantation of the embryo outside the uterus causes life-threatening complications for both the mother and the fetus. The danger is, that the integrity of the organ, where the embryo is improperly implanted, is damaged over time thus creating a real risk of bleeding.
Several interesting cases have been recorded in our clinic during ultrasound examination, one amniotic sac in the fallopian tube, and the other amniotic sac directly into the uterine cavity. After visualization, our experienced surgeon – endoscopists performed emergency laparoscopic intervention. After the elimination of the ectopic pregnancy, the pregnancy of the uterine cavity was maintained, which in all three cases ended with a live birth in time.
Many years of experience at the In Vitro Clinic and a team of highly qualified medical staff are always at your service to prevent the expected complications associated with in vitro fertilization.
The blog was written by Ani Morchiladze