IVF monitoring is key to personalized care
When delivering personalized fertility treatment, our Connecticut fertility center takes special care with IVF monitoring. The Park Avenue Fertility and Reproductive Medicine team sees our patients as people first, not just a treatment regimen. Monitoring matters because individual responses vary during fertility treatment. Our sole physician, Dr. Andrew Levi keeps a close eye on every patient to track progress and, when necessary, make informed, timely adjustments to support successful IVF.
What is IVF monitoring?
Monitoring IVF involves achieving a delicate balancing act of hormones, carefully observing ovarian stimulation response, and precisely timing the egg retrieval. Regular monitoring of the IVF process at our Connecticut fertility center helps improve outcomes and lower complication risks.
During ovarian stimulation, Andrew Levi MD uses medication tailored to each patient to stimulate the ovaries to produce multiple mature eggs in a single cycle. The dosage of these injectable stimulation medications is specific to each patient based on their fertility journey and medical history.
Dr. Levi carefully observes the ovarian stimulation process, which typically lasts eight to 13 days, with 10 days being average. During this time, he schedules regular IVF monitoring appointments because each patient responds differently to medication. At these appointments, our Park Avenue Fertility team relies on multiple methods to carefully monitor patients.
- Bloodwork tracks hormones. Once a patient starts prescribed fertility medications, she will regularly undergo bloodwork at our Connecticut fertility center. These results allow us to track hormone levels. We watch for rising estrogen levels, a signal that follicles, the small fluid-filled sacs housing immature eggs, are growing properly. Our goal is to maintain a steady and balanced rate of follicular development, so a woman does not ovulate before an egg retrieval. Bloodwork results also provide important clues to indicate if we need to adjust your medication.
- Transvaginal ultrasounds provide clear imaging. This monitoring technology allows our team to measure and count the number of follicles that are maturing. We also rely on this imaging to reveal the thickness of your uterine lining, which we want to increase during ovarian stimulation. Based on these results, we will carefully time an injection of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), to prepare for ovulation. This “trigger shot” is generally administered 34-36 hours before a scheduled egg retrieval.
Taking care to put patients first
For those who wonder, “Why is IVF monitoring important?”, the answer is twofold. Our medical team wants to boost the chances of successful IVF and safeguard patient health. A watchful eye can reduce the risk of complications during ovarian stimulation as well as the risk of cycle cancellation for poor response.
While the high-tech world of IVF is constantly evolving, Dr. Levi prioritizes human interaction. We encourage patients to ask questions during monitoring appointments to understand how we are diligently working to achieve successful IVF. Contact us to learn how our Connecticut fertility center customizes patient care.