Did you know? In IVT treatments, gonadotropin injections are used to stimulate the ovaries to increase the number of available eggs. But unfortunately, conventional IVF protocols can be expensive, inconvenient and are often associated with uncomfortable side effects.
That’s why at Aster IVF, we’re offering IVF Lite, a.k.a. Minimal Stimulation IVF, which has regained favour due to the realisation that it is associated with fewer side effects, incurs a lower risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS), has a lower cost and good success rates! Aster IVF offers IVF Lite as a cost-effective and safer alternative to the standard IVF program.
What is IVF Lite?
IVF Lite involves a soft stimulation protocol with the lesser amount of fertility drugs. When combined with Egg Accumulation using the Cryotech Vitrification Technology (ACCU-VIT), it provides a very efficient and cost-effective alternative to conventional IVF. It is designed to retrieve only a few eggs in each ovarian stimulation cycle. Stimulation in this manner has been associated with better quality eggs and hence better quality embryos. In other words, it is a simpler treatment schedule with lower doses of drugs, fewer risks (from Multiple Pregnancy and Over-stimulation) and consequently reduced cost.
IVF Lite goes easy on your ovaries and easier on your finances.
What is Cryotech Vitrification and can you tell me more about ACCU-VIT?
Cryotech Vitrification technique has overtaken the conventional slow freezing technique. The eggs to be frozen are placed in a very small volume of vitrification medium, which is then cooled at an extreme rate so that the eggs are flash frozen and preserved intact. Survival rates after vitrification & thawing and subsequent pregnancy rates are much better than they were with conventional slow freezing.
In the IVF Lite protocol, one or more Minimal Stimulation IVF cycles are carried out and all the resulting eggs are frozen using the Cryotech Vitrification technique to accumulate a sufficient number of eggs (ACCU-VIT) for a remote PGS (if indicated) and frozen thawed embryo transfer. In cost-conscious environments, IVF Lite is the only type of IVF that is going to be the future.
What does the Minimal Stimulation IVF procedure involve?
Instead of the high doses of fertility injections used in conventional IVF cycles, Clomiphene Citrate tablets, a low dose of fertility injections (Gonadotropins) and GnRH Antagonist injections are used in the softer IVF Lite stimulation protocol. Egg retrieval is planned 34-36 hours after the hCG trigger. All retrieved eggs are frozen and in a subsequently chosen month, the endometrium is prepared using estrogen tablets to increase implantation rates. In this month the eggs are thawed and fertilised with husband’s sperm and an Embryo Transfer is planned in this remote cycle.
Am I a suitable candidate for IVF Lite?
Today we can offer IVF Lite to almost everyone requiring IVF. The groups which traditionally benefitted from minimal stimulation IVF are Poor Responders, Older Patients (above age 40), women with multiple previous conventional IVF Failures and Hyper-responders (like patients with PCOS who go repeatedly into Ovarian Hyperstimulation). Today, because of the cost advantages & much higher success rates, we have extended the indications of IVF Lite to all patients requiring IVF/ ICSI. If IVF LiteTM sounds appealing to you, discuss with your Fertility Physician at Aster IVF whether it is suitable for you.
What are the Advantages?
With IVF Lite, painful and expensive injections of conventional IVF in the initial part of the cycle are substituted by inexpensive oral medications. Lesser injections improve patient compliance. IVF Lite decreases the number of visits to the clinic so that there is very little interference with work schedules and other regular commitments.
IVF Lite gives rise to more number of Euploid eggs and Embryos on PGS leading to higher pregnancy rates in women with low AMH.
IVF Lite gives Pregnancy Rates (PRs) comparable to conventional IVF in patients with a normal Ovarian Reserve and PRs better than conventional IVF in Older Patients, patients with previous conventional IVF Failures, Poor Responders & Hyper-responders.
IVF Lite means a simpler treatment schedule, a lower drug dose, a good outcome, fewer risks (from Multiple Pregnancy & Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome) and a lower cost. By all accounts, this is patient-friendly IVF.
What are the Disadvantages?
With the IVF Lite protocol, fewer eggs are formed per cycle, necessitating the need for multiple cycles in order to accumulate an optimum number of good quality eggs. This form of IVF needs proper counselling so that patients are aware and are mentally prepared for multiple attempts. IVF Lite can occasionally result in poor or no response at all, necessitating cycle cancellation.
A well-equipped laboratory capable of successfully vitrifying and thawing eggs is absolutely mandatory for this form of IVF.
What are the Success Rates?
At Aster IVF, our success rates with Minimal Stimulation IVF Lite are similar to conventional IVF for women with a normal Ovarian Reserve. For Poor Responders, our success rates are as high as 40%.
