Confused about Mini IVF..

[meinaz]

I read through your site and previous post answers but I am really confused about Mini Stim IVF. You have mentioned that it isn't recommended for those who are producing a normal amount of eggs. I would think it would be the opposite. Can you elaborate for me?

[Dr. Wisot]

Minimal stimulation IVF is used by our group for women who cannot respond to the usual protocols to create enough eggs to make the cycle efficient. If we stimulate someone and they are only able to make one or two eggs we can probably do just as well with minimal stimulation, get one egg at a time, fertilize it, watch it develop and if it becomes a decent quality embryo freeze it, collect embryos and then do a transfer when we have enough.

This is not a very efficient way to do it for someone who can achieve this in one cycle and thus can be more expensive since it requires multiple collection cycles with retrievals, fertilization and freezing. Part of the inefficiency is that you may not get the egg as it can ovulate prematurely or may not be obtained at the time of retrieval.

Arthur L. Wisot, M. D.
Reproductive Partners Medical Group, Inc.
Redondo Beach, California

[meinaz]

Thank you so much for responding. Its going to be Nov and Im still deciding what to do... when I wrote this post I was having normal cycles, but now Im not.
My cycles are 04/29, 06/01, 07/03, 08/27, 10/16
My day 3 labs (Aug) are
Estradiol - 17.4
LH - 5.4
FSH - 6.2
TEST - 35.70
DHEAS - 250.2
AMH - 2.2
TSH - 2.590, T4 - 6.7, TPO - 9

1 tube was removed 10 years ago, HSG shows remaining tube open but blunted and not functional. Im 33, I had 1 successful pregnancy 16 years ago. I had surgery for Endometriosis 4 years ago. Was previously diagnosed with pcos but recently learned that may have been a misdiagnosed. I am hypothyroid and currently take armour thyroid.

I havent chosen an RE for IVF yet. I just havent found anyone that I was excited about. In Arizona, if you bring up natural or mini ivf they think you are crazy.

With my history above do you think natural or mini ivf would be an option for me? Its more about the medications than the money.

[Dr. Wisot]

With those numbers I would probably be recommending a regular all freeze IVF cycle because of the endometriosis. But you could do a natural cycle as you are young with good numbers and a good prognosis but you need to realize that the success rates of a natural cycle are nowhere as good as a traditional cycle and with a history of endometriosis an egg collection cycle with a delayed frozen transfer is probably the best route.

Arthur L. Wisot, M. D.
Reproductive Partners Medical Group
Redondo Beach, California