What tests do I need before traveling to the U.S. for IVF?

IVF is an assisted reproductive technology that can help many couples who are unable to conceive naturally achieve their dreams. For couples who are planning to travel to the United States for IVF, it is very necessary to have a comprehensive physical examination that can help them better understand their physical condition and improve the success rate of IVF.

1. Items that women need to check:

Before IVF, women need to undergo a series of reproductive system tests, which include measurements of six key hormones, namely follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, estradiol, prolactin, progesterone and testosterone. These tests are required before traveling to the U.S. for IVF.

The following is a detailed explanation about hormones:

Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH): Follicle stimulating hormone testing can be used to diagnose menstrual bleeding, infertility issues, the onset of perimenopause or menopause, ovarian dysfunction, pituitary tumors, and ovarian cysts.

Luteinizing hormone (LH): This test can be used to evaluate a woman’s ovulation function, fertility function, and to understand the potential risk of miscarriage or other pregnancy complications.

Estradiol (E2): Estradiol plays a key role in promoting ovarian maturation and ovulation, while maintaining normal growth and periodic shedding of the endometrium. Its regulation of menstrual cycle and flow has a significant impact on women’s fertility.

Prolactin (PRL): Measuring the level of prolactin can not only check the reserve function of pituitary secretion of prolactin, but also be used to diagnose pituitary diseases. It has important clinical application value for the diagnosis and differentiation of menstrual abnormalities and infertility.

Progesterone (P): Progesterone is an important progesterone that plays a crucial role in maintaining good thickness of the endometrium and stability of the placenta, helping to maintain a healthy pregnancy.

Testosterone (T): The detection of testosterone levels can be used for the diagnosis of certain diseases or causes, including acne, unexplained weight gain, polycystic ovary syndrome, ovarian cancer, infertility, and sexual dysfunction.

The following is a brief summary of information about AMH:

AMH,Or anti Mullerian hormone, mainly used to evaluate ovarian reserve function. Its expression level varies at different stages of growth and development. During embryonic development, AMH helps regulate the differentiation and development of the reproductive tract. Before adulthood, it plays a role in regulating the function of male testicular interstitial cells. In adulthood, it inhibits the recruitment of female primordial follicles and the development of antral follicles. At present, detecting AMH levels is mainly used to evaluate the fertility of adult women. This test can reflect changes in ovarian reserve function earlier and is not affected by factors such as menstrual cycle, hormonal contraceptives, or pregnancy. Under normal circumstances, the normal range of AMH is between 2 and 6.8ng/ml. The higher the value, the more eggs there are, while the lower the value, the more significant the degree of ovarian dysfunction.

What comprehensive tests are required before preparing to undergo IVF treatment in the United States?

(3) Vaginal ultrasound: Vaginal ultrasound examination is mainly used for the examination of women’s uterus, bilateral ovaries, and pelvic cavity, which helps diagnose uterine fibroids, adenomyosis, ovarian tumors, pelvic fluid accumulation, intrauterine device position, endometrial thickness, and other conditions.

2. Male examination items:

Men need to undergo semen examination, and the purpose of semen analysis is to evaluate indicators such as sperm quantity, vitality, and morphology. The routine examination of semen (PRT) includes semen output, semen color, pH value, sperm motility, sperm motility, microscopic examination, semen liquefaction time, etc., which can reflect the male fertility rate.

After completing all these checks, you can go to the United States for an IVF cycle:

1. Ovulation induction+egg retrieval process

Ovulation induction requires the use of specific drugs. At Little Monster Reproductive Center in the United States, all ovulation induction drugs used have undergone strict testing by the US Food and Drug Administration and are natural drugs that do not cause additional burden on the body. In addition, experts will develop personalized plans based on each person’s physical condition, age, hormone levels, and ovarian function to achieve the desired ovulation induction effect. The process of ovulation induction will be tracked by experts throughout the entire process, monitoring the development of follicles in real time (such as the size and number of follicles), and adjusting medication in a timely manner according to changes in female hormone levels. The egg retrieval process is completely painless, using general anesthesia, and then with the assistance of B-ultrasound, a fine needle is used to retrieve the egg. The entire process only takes 10-15 minutes to complete.

ICSI is the second generation of in vitro fertilization technology, in which experts first wash male semen using gradient centrifugation to remove impurities and dead sperm other than viable ones. Then, under a high-power electron microscope, normal and high-quality sperm are selected, and microinjection technology is used to inject these sperm into the egg, artificially promoting fertilization between the sperm and egg, thereby improving the fertilization rate.

2. Embryo genetic testing process

PGS/PGD is a third-generation in vitro fertilization technology that differs from traditional methods in that it does not immediately transfer sperm and eggs, but instead cultivates them to the blastocyst stage and then performs all chromosome testing and genetic diagnosis. The success rate of this technology at Little Monster Reproductive Center in the United States is relatively high, with a live birth rate of 89.8%. It is not only suitable for cases of reproductive system diseases and habitual miscarriage, but can also be applied to couples with special reproductive needs to help them achieve their reproductive dreams. PGS can detect abnormalities such as chromosomal duplications, deletions, and translocations in embryos, which helps prevent miscarriage; PGD, on the other hand, can perform genetic testing on specific chromosomal segments. The Little Monster Reproductive Center in the United States currently uses this technology to detect nearly 300 genetic diseases, effectively avoiding multiple potential family genetic diseases and ensuring a healthy birth for babies.