Mini IVF
A Cutting-Edge, Minimally Obtrusive Fertilization Method in San Diego
Minimal Stimulation IVF (Mini IVF) is an approach to IVF that focuses on prioritizing quality, safety, comfort and success. We have adopted Japanese protocols because they are structured around retrieving the highest quality eggs, which can then be used to create a high-quality embryo, which can then be returned to an ideal environment for conception, minimizing side effects, risks, and complication.
We believe that this patient-first philosophy, coupled with the higher success rates, is the best way to provide top care for anyone who comes to Hanabusa IVF. Using less medications, for us, is about safety, comfort, and ultimately helping you to have the healthiest pregnancy possible.
Key points of Mini IVF:
- Low medication stimulation protocols
- Egg retrievals that avoid intravenous sedation or general anesthesia
- Using the smallest needle possible to avoid bleeding complications and lowering discomfort after egg retrieval
- Culturing embryos to blastocyst stage to reduce poor quality embryos, failed transfers, and miscarriages
- Possible Embryo freezing if fresh transfer is not ideal
- Vitrification (freezing technique created in Japan) to optimize embryo survival
- Minimal/no medication during embryo transfer
- Single embryo transfer to minimize risk associated with multiple implantations
Minimal Stimulation IVF
Similar to traditional IVF, patients in minimal stimulation treatment will go through:
- Ovulation Induction
- Egg Retrieval
- Fertilization
- Embryo Culture
- Embryo Transfer
However, Mini IVF employs far less medication to stimulate the ovaries in order to produce a few eggs whereas a traditional IVF uses more amounts of medication to produce multiple eggs for retrieval. Mini IVF treatment aims to get only 3 to 5 high-quality eggs to conceive a healthy baby. Although more eggs are produced in a traditional IVF cycle, not only is the quality lower, but also most of the eggs are discarded since patients only use a few.
Less Medication, Less Risk
Mini IVF protocols using low-doses of medication makes treatment more affordable than traditional IVF. The expensive injectable fertility drugs substantially increase the cost of IVF. However, Mini IVF employs the relatively inexpensive fertility drug, clomiphene citrate and lower doses of fertility drug injections. It enables more patients to afford IVF treatment to conceive a baby.
As Mini IVF uses less medication for stimulation, it decreases discomfort, reduces risk of Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (“OHSS”), and minimizes the risk of ovarian and endometrial cancer from high-dose fertility drugs. Patients also can benefit from fewer days of monitoring whereas a traditional IVF requires numerous office visits for monitoring.
Here are some of the advantages of Minimal Stimulation IVF available at Hanabusa IVF’s San Diego fertility clinic:
- Fewer daily injections
- Lower costs
- Fewer days of monitoring
- Less discomfort
- Reduction of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome
- Minimizing the risk of ovarian and endometrial cancer
