Can I Get IVF If I Have Endometriosis?
With locations in Encino, and Bakersfield, CA, the Los Angeles Reproductive Center provides women in the Greater Los Angeles area with life-changing endometriosis treatments. Using conservative methods and state-of-the-art technology, we can help you fight the pain, reclaim your life, and grow your family.
Women with endometriosis frequently ask: Can I get in vitro fertilization (IVF) if I have endometriosis? Here, our team of accredited fertility experts will tell you everything you need to know about pregnancy, IVF, and endometriosis.
Can I Still Get Pregnant Naturally with Endometriosis?
Experts believe that roughly 11% of American women between the ages of 15 and 44 have endometriosis. There is a notable link between endometriosis and infertility, as up to half of all women struggling with infertility have endometriosis.
It’s impossible to deny that endometriosis might make natural pregnancy more difficult, but many women with endometriosis can still get pregnant with the condition. However, endometriosis treatment can significantly improve your chances of getting pregnant naturally.
What Are My Treatment Options?
Patients can explore hormone therapy and laparoscopic surgery to improve the symptoms of endometriosis. Hormone therapy helps regulate uterine tissue growth, while laparoscopic surgery removes misplaced uterine tissue. As a result, the uterus can better support an embryo for a successful pregnancy.
While many patients find success with these treatments, others may not. In these cases, our dedicated team will explore other options, like IVF.
IVF and Endometriosis
Experts cannot pinpoint exactly how endometriosis makes natural pregnancy more difficult for some women. Many speculate that a thick or uneven uterine lining can alter the shape of the organ, preventing sperm from locating a viable egg. Endometriosis can also alter the hormonal environment around a woman’s eggs, affecting egg quality and contributing to infertility.
The anatomical disadvantage of endometriosis is not indicative of the relative health and function of the uterus. This means that many women with endometriosis are fully capable of getting pregnant, but they need help getting their partner’s sperm to meet their eggs.
IVF introduces active sperm to healthy eggs in a perfectly clinical environment, resulting in fertilized eggs, or embryos. Our team can then transplant the embryos into your uterus, making it easier to achieve successful implantation and pregnancy.
Which IVF Protocol Is Best for Endometriosis?
Women with endometriosis often wonder which IVF protocol is best for them. Every patient is different, but many women with endometriosis have great success with long protocol IVF.
Long protocol IVF uses Lupron, which is a gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist. As such, Lupron has a dual effect:
- It treats endometriosis and fibroids by regulating hormones
- It encourages successful embryo implantation during IVF
These dual benefits make long protocol IVF treatment 70% effective for women with endometriosis. Long protocol IVF is not your only option, however. Our caring team will help you explore all of your fertility options before recommending the best protocol for you.
Schedule an IVF Consultation Today
Endometriosis might make getting pregnant more difficult, but IVF can change that. Want to discuss IVF and endometriosis with our Los Angeles fertility experts? Request a consultation online here, or call one of our two, beautiful locations now.
- Bakersfield office: (661) 889-5173
- Encino office: (818) 946-8051
