If you’re having problems getting pregnant or carrying a baby to term, you may be wondering about PRP for fertility. Perhaps you’ve heard about endometrial rejuvenation for women with thin womb linings, or ovarian rejuvenation for those with a low ovarian reserve.
A new frontier in fertility medicine, Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) treatment for fertility, uses growth factors from a woman’s own blood to try to boost her fertility. The treatment is still experimental but here at The Fertility & Gynaecology Academy we have found many patients are benefiting from it.
So what is PRP for fertility really? How does endometrial rejuvenation work? Who might benefit from it? Read on to learn more.
What is PRP?
Platelet rich plasma (PRP) treatment uses a patient’s own blood to stimulate growth and repair of tissues in the body.
Blood is drawn from a patient in special tubes and then put into a machine called a centrifuge. The centrifuge filters and concentrates the sample, so that the platelet-rich plasma is separated from other blood components such as red and white blood cells. Then the platelet-rich plasma (which is full of natural growth factors) is injected back into the patient’s body at the site that is diseased or injured.
Platelet rich plasma therapy has been in use for many years, e.g. in sports medicine, arthritis relief, hair-loss treatment, anti-ageing medicine and to treat injury or speed up post-surgery healing. The highly concentrated growth factors in PRP can stimulate tissue regeneration and cell growth, promote healing and reduce inflammation.
Now, PRP for fertility is emerging.
What is PRP for fertility? Can PRP help you get pregnant?
PRP for fertility is used in two areas:
Endometrial rejuvenation
Endometrial rejuvenation is when a woman’s platelet rich plasma is injected into the wall of the uterus to try to thicken the womb lining (endometrium) and improve its receptivity for the embryos. We do this to try to make the womb more hospitable to embryo implantation, for either natural pregnancy or IVF. In other words, to try to make the womb lining better able to receive the embryo(s) and keep the pregnancy.
Persistent endometrial inflammation and scarring can present challenges for embryo implantation. Endometrial rejuvenation tries to ease inflammation and stimulate the progesterone receptors that promote healthy endometrium growth.
Endometrial rejuvenation is usually opted for by women who have suffered recurrent miscarriage or IVF failure.
Ovarian rejuvenation
Ovarian PRP for fertility is when a woman’s platelet rich plasma is injected into her ovaries to try to improve the number and quality of eggs we can harvest (for IVF or fertility preservation), or even for attempting natural pregnancy.
Ovarian rejuvenation treatment is generally opted for by women with a low ovarian reserve.
How does PRP for fertility work?
PRP for fertility is often done in conjunction with other treatments like IVF (which also brings the cost of it down).
PRP for fertility is still in its early days. Your fertility doctor can discuss with you whether you could be a suitable candidate. However, the procedure carries very few risks because what is being administered is a woman’s own blood.
The process
Endometrial and ovarian rejuvenation procedures are outpatient, so you will be able to go home afterwards.
- A few millilitres of blood is drawn in special tubes.
- Your blood will then be put into a centrifuge where the blood spins and is divided into its components.
- White and red blood cells are extracted.
- What remains is processed to concentrate the platelets (at around 5 times higher concentration than the blood that flows in your veins).
Here at The Fertility & Gynaecology Academy we have a uniquely developed protocol to extract richer plasma and increase the concentration of your platelets.
For ovarian rejuvenation treatment
Guided by transvaginal ultrasound, your fertility doctor will inject the platelet rich plasma into the ovaries using a long fine needle similar to the one used in egg collection for IVF. You will have either local anaesthetic or sedative, to ensure you feel no pain. Sometimes it is advisable to undergo ovarian stimulation for about 5 days prior to the treatment, to make the ovaries more easily seen and penetrated by the needle. In this case you would need to be on hormone medicines to stimulate the ovaries, and undergo scanning to check your progress, as in the early stages of an IVF cycle.
For endometrial rejuvenation
The platelet rich plasma will be injected into the womb with the aid of a catheter, in a pain-free procedure that lasts minutes. As the procedure might cause period like cramps, it might be advisable to take painkillers an hour before.
After a PRP for fertility treatment
You need to allow at least a month for the platelets to secrete the growth factors and be effective to improve ovarian function. Any effects then last for around three months. If you haven’t had PRP for fertility for six months or longer, you can repeat the process before doing another IVF cycle. Uterine PRP can improve uterine receptivity within days and is therefore given around day 7 and 11 in the cycle in which you have embryos replaced in your womb. For thin or scarred endometrium, it is advisable to have uterine PRP around day 7 and 11 of the cycle before and the cycle of the embryo transfer.
Is PRP for fertility safe?
PRP for fertility is generally very safe. The treatment carries no risk of transmitted diseases or allergic reaction because it is the patient’s own blood being administered. But every medical intervention, without exception, carries some risk. With ovarian PRP for fertility there is a small risk of infection or perforation from the needle. A good fertility clinic will have the most stringent hygiene and care standards.
Who can have PRP for fertility?
PRP for fertility may be suitable for women who have:
- Suffered recurrent early miscarriage
- Low ovarian reserve
- A thin endometrium
- Experienced implantation failure
Dr Amin Gorgy, Fertility Consultant at The Fertility & Gynaecology Academy says: “PRP for fertility is still in its early days. However, there are a number of research studies to indicate that PRP can improve fertility outcomes. As specialists in treating women who have suffered recurrent miscarriage or recurrent IVF failure at other clinics, here at The Fertility & Gynaecology Academy we are an early pioneer of PRP for fertility. While there are no guarantees, many of our patients have gone on to achieve success after treatment with platelet rich plasma.”
Have you been struggling to get pregnant or suffered recurrent miscarriage?
The Fertility & Gynaecology Academy is home to some of the UK’s finest fertility doctors and leading-edge technology. We have helped countless individuals and couples finally achieve their dream of a baby.
To speak to us about endometrial and ovarian rejuvenation, or to book a consultation call The Fertility & Gynaecology Academy now on 020 7224 1880 or email info@fertility-academy.co.uk.
