Overcoming recurrent miscarriage and unsuccessful IVF

Although it is extremely distressing, miscarriage is sadly a common occurrence with one in six pregnancies ending before week 20. If you experience three or more consecutive miscarriages, this is defined as recurrent miscarriage, and it is important to investigate the possible causes.

If you’re undergoing IVF treatment, repeated unsuccessful cycles can be disheartening. Again, investigation can determine the underlying causes and identify new treatment options that may give you a better chance of success.

Recurrent miscarriage

If you’ve miscarried multiple times, please don’t be discouraged. About 2% of women experience recurrent miscarriage, but we can find ways to overcome some of the potential causes, which may include chromosome and genetic abnormalities, blood clotting disorders, hormone imbalances or other medical conditions.

Thanks to the advanced science capabilities at IVF Australia, we can investigate the cause for your situation, and develop a treatment plan to give you the best possible chance of a successful pregnancy.

This may include IVF with Pre-Implantation Genetic Diagnosis or Advanced Embryo Selection, which allows us to select the embryo with the greatest chance of success.

If this is successful, my team will then provide comforting, caring miscarriage support, which includes extra monitoring via ultrasound during the critical early pregnancy phase.

Read more about multiple miscarriage and miscarriage symptoms, or call my clinic to make an appointment.

Unsuccessful IVF and Recurrent Implantation Failure

If your first IVF cycle has failed, or if you have been unsuccessful with a few cycles of IVF, you may wish to seek a second opinion or consider a different approach.

Recurrent implantation failure is the failure to achieve a pregnancy following several cycles of IVF where three good quality embryos have been transferred. The causes of recurrent implantation failure are varied and involve the quality of the egg and sperm, chromosomal abnormalities in the embryo, structural, hormonal and immunological condition of the uterus, general health of the mother and father or a combination of these factors. It’s important to start with additional investigations, using our Advanced Science approach, as more targeted testing could discover causes of your previously unsuccessful IVF.

Some investigations and treatments may include

• use of Oosight technology (Polscope) in selection of the best egg prior to IVF treatment
• use of Digital High Magnification to select the best quality sperm
• use of sophisticated pre implantation genetic screening of embryos for selection of the healthiest embryo
• Blastocyst culture
• Laser assisted hatching
• Testing and treatment for Natural Killer Cells

Having to endure not one but two or more unsuccessful cycles of IVF is painfully frustrating and as your clinician it is extremely disappointing. In my experience with persistence, thorough investigation and often simply taking a different approach most patients will eventually achieve pregnancy.

I am currently involved in research projects to investigate the causes of implantation failure and possible treatment options to improve pregnancy rates.

As clinical director for IVF Australia’s North Shore and Central Coast clinics, I work with other experts to pinpoint new treatments and tests that we can tailor to you. I’ll explore all the possibilities and propose a personal treatment plan, guiding you to make a decision that’s right for you.

Please bring past tests and treatments, so I can fully understand your current situation.

To make an appointment please call 02 9425 1600 or email me.