Complications of infertility treatment

Every couple should be aware of risk associated with highly advanced assisted reproductive techniques. It is recommended to read the information mentioned below and in case of any doubts consult with your physician or read the frequently asked questions (FAQ) section.

• abdominal pain / abdominal discomfort - during ovarian hyperstimulation, when the ovaries become enlarged, women can suffer from some abdominal pain or discomfort. Similarly, it can happen after ovarian biopsy (oocyte pick-up). However, if these ailments are getting more severe and are accompanied by fever or other symptoms, contact with a physician is needed.
• ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) - a complication due to high sex hormone levels (estrogens, progesterone) in a woman's body as the ovary undergoes a process of hyperstimulation. There is a thin line between a correct and an excessive response to stimulation in each individual.
• multiple pregnancy - an effect of intensive stimulation of ovaries resulting in the production of higher follicle number. Each follicle contains a single oocyte. It is estimated that after gonadotropin stimulation 20% of pregnancies are multiple. The majority of them are twins, rarely triplets or higher order multiples. To compare, only 1-2% of pregnancies are multiple in general population.
• ectopic pregnancy - the risk of ectopic pregnancy is slightly higher after infertility treatment. During in vitro fertilization the risk of ectopic pregnancy is rather low.
• ovarian torsion - the ovaries become enlarged during controlled ovarian hyperstimulation. This enlargement can lead to their torsion, which causes spasms in the blood vessels in the mesosalpinx. Ovarian torsion needs to be repaired. This is done through surgery, and for less severe cases laparoscopic surgery is used. This complication is reported in less than 1% of cases.
• ovarian cancer - because of insufficient data we found it difficult to say whether drugs used during ovarian stimulation are responsible for ovarian cancer. However, it's a well-known fact that its risk is getting higher with a greater number of ovulations (not necessarily after induced stimulation). On the other hand, pregnancy and lactation decrease the risk of breast and endometrial malignancies.
• infections - during ovarian biopsy with oocyte pick-up, vaginal wall is punctured with a needle. It increases the risk of infection as always when the tissue continuity is interrupted. Sometimes prophylactic antibiotic therapy is used. This complication is very rare thanks to the rules of aseptic and antiseptic surgery.
• perforation - the needle used during ovarian biopsy with oocyte pick-up can damage surrounding organs (mainly large intestine and bladder) or blood vessels. Nevertheless, the size (diameter) of the needle used for ovarian biopsy is very small, which is why this complication is very rare and potential damages can heal naturally. Besides, similar needles are routinely used in other fields of medicine for blood vessels or bladder biopsy