The story of Ana and Carlos by Dr. Claudia Forteza

Ana, 38 years old, was diagnosed with endometriosis just 7 years ago. 

She suffered from chronic pelvic pain, dysmenorrhea, and pain during sexual intercourse due to her endometriosis. Her gynecologist recommended contraceptives that helped alleviate her symptoms.

Her partner, Carlos, who was 37 at the time, was a great athlete and cyclist. He had no particular medical history, did not smoke, and drank alcohol only occasionally.

Three years ago, Ana and Carlos started trying to have a baby, Ana stopped taking the pill, and so far they have had no luck, and the pelvic pain had returned. They then went to Natuvitro for a consultation.

Ana had a transvaginal ultrasound that showed a gestational sac of 6+5 and an endometrioma of 25 mm in the right ovary and another of 29 mm in the left ovary. Her AMH level was 1.10 ng/dL. During this time, Carlos had a sperm analysis that revealed asthenozoospermia, which results in reduced sperm motility, making natural fertilization difficult.

I gave him advice to correct his asthenozoospermia with information on how to improve his lifestyle and change his habits to optimize the quality of his sperm. I recommended undergoing antioxidant treatment, not drinking alcohol, and reducing his cycling activity in the months leading up to the treatment.

In their case, we recommended IVF PGT-A. Ana started a COE cycle to stimulate the production of multiple eggs. During this process, her hormone levels and ovarian follicles were monitored periodically. A follicular aspiration was performed. Eleven oocytes were collected, nine of which were mature. Given Carlos’s asthenozoospermia, it was decided to perform IVF with intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) to achieve a higher fertilization rate. Eight oocytes were fertilized and cultured, three of which reached the blastocyst stage. 

The 3 blastocysts were biopsied considering Ana's age, to select those without chromosomal abnormalities before transfer. One healthy blastocyst (euploid) and two abnormal blastocysts (aneuploid) were obtained. The euploid blastocyst was transferred to Ana's uterus during a natural cycle.

Ana became pregnant after the first IVF cycle and gave birth to a beautiful girl named after me: Clàudia... thank you for this gift and congratulations to the couple!

For more information IVF In Vitro Fertilization, please check the treatment section.