What is “in vitro maturation” and why might it be better for me than standard IVF?
In vitro maturation (IVM) is a new technique whereby eggs are matured in the laboratory before being fertilised with sperm. Fertilisation is, therefore, still ‘in vitro’. The difference between IVM and ‘standard’ IVF is that the eggs are immature when they are collected. This process means that the woman does not need to take as many drugs before the eggs can be collected as she might if using the ‘standard’ IVF process when mature eggs are collected. This means that this option could be particularly helpful to women who are more susceptible to developing ovarian hyper-stimulation syndrome (OHSS – see FAQ on risks of IVF), such as those with a polycistic ovarian syndrome. IVM is still a relatively new technique and so far about 300 children have been born worldwide as a result. To date there is no evidence to suggest this treatment is unsafe, neither is there enough evidence to be absolutely certain of its safety.
In vitro maturation (IVM) is a new technique whereby eggs are matured in the laboratory before being fertilised with sperm. Fertilisation is, therefore, still ‘in vitro’. The difference between IVM and ‘standard’ IVF is that the eggs are immature when they are collected. This process means that the woman does not need to take as many drugs before the eggs can be collected as she might if using the ‘standard’ IVF process when mature eggs are collected. This means that this option could be particularly helpful to women who are more susceptible to developing ovarian hyper-stimulation syndrome (OHSS), such as those with a polycistic ovarian syndrome. IVM is still a relatively new technique and so far about 300 children have been born worldwide as a result. To date there is no evidence to suggest this treatment is unsafe, neither is there enough evidence to be absolutely certain of its safety. This is something you should discuss with your doctor before making a decision about your treatmen
In vitro maturation (IVM) is a new technique whereby eggs are matured in the laboratory before being fertilised with sperm. Fertilisation is, therefore, still ‘in vitro’. The difference between IVM and ‘standard’ IVF is that the eggs are immature when they are collected. This process means that the woman does not need to take as many drugs before the eggs can be collected as she might if using the ‘standard’ IVF process when mature eggs are collected. This means that this option could be particularly helpful to women who are more susceptible to developing ovarian hyper-stimulation syndrome, such as those with a polycistic ovarian syndrome. IVM is still a relatively new technique and so far about 300 children have been born worldwide as a result. To date there is no evidence to suggest this treatment is unsafe, neither is there enough evidence to be absolutely certain of its safety.
