OVULATION INDUCTION (OVULATION TREATMENT)

Ovulation induction (OI), also known as ovulation treatment, is the stimulation of ovulation using medication. In other words, it is the development of one or more healthy and mature eggs from the ovaries with egg-enhancing drugs to increase the chance of pregnancy. It is especially used in infertile women who cannot ovulate regularly.

WHO CAN UNDERGO OVULATION TREATMENT?

Normally, women ovulate regularly every month. Women who ovulate regularly usually have regular periods and have a high chance of pregnancy. Some women do not ovulate regularly and their periods are usually irregular. They may also have some hormonal disorders. However, even if a woman menstruates regularly, ovulation may not occur or the time of ovulation may be very variable. In such patients, ensuring that ovulation occurs regularly and at the appropriate time increases the chances of pregnancy like healthy women. Therefore, this treatment method is applied in patients who never ovulate, have irregular or intermittent ovulation but have good ovarian reserve. This treatment can also be applied to female patients with egg maturation and hatching problems. In order to apply this treatment to a woman with ovulation problems, the patient should not have any other problems, her tubes should not be closed and her husband’s sperm test should be normal.

HOW IS OVULATION TREATMENT PERFORMED?

There are many drugs used for egg development treatment. Which one of these drugs is preferred is decided according to the patient’s ovarian reserve, test results and previous treatment methods.

WHAT ARE THE RISKS OF OVULATION TREATMENT?

Ovulation treatment is generally a simple, painless and low-risk procedure. Ovulation monitoring and ovulation testing are very easy and can be done at any time. The most common problems are the risks associated with the development of more than one egg.

These are:

• Multiple pregnancy
• Risk of miscarriage
• Premature birth, low birth weight
• Ectopic pregnancy -OHSS: It is a condition that causes enlargement and swelling of the ovaries, nausea, abdominal blisters, abdominal pain, vomiting, weight gain due to the hatching of many eggs at the same time, which is usually mild but in some cases requires hospitalization.
• Increased risk of certain cancers due to prolonged and high-dose medication use resulting from the condition that causes infertility, i.e. infertility.
• Treatment-related stress, some psychological problems