Your in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycle has failed, and you do not know why. You had diligently followed your IVF protocol, had several eggs successfully retrieved and fertilized, then screened the embryos for chromosomal abnormalities and had at least one normal embryo. You also have no anatomical anomalies, your uterine lining was triple-layered and thick enough, and the embryo transfer procedure had gone smoothly. Still, your pregnancy test came out negative. What do you do? Repeat the same steps and hope for better luck? If the answer is yes, you might also want to consider endometrial scratching. It could help tilt the scales in the other direction.
Endometrial scratching is a brief and safe procedure that entails making a scratch in the uterine lining via a thin catheter that is inserted into the uterine cavity through the cervix. The procedure is typically performed in the luteal phase (second half) of the menstrual cycle and produces an inflammatory reaction that is expected to make the endometrium more receptive to embryos for the next couple of weeks.
The entire procedure takes about a minute (the scratching itself is performed in 10 seconds). Typical side effects include slight bleeding for the first day (followed by spotting for the next few days) and mild abdominal cramping.
The reaction of the uterus is similar to that of skin after microdermabrasion—the scratching results in the growth of a new layer. The newly grown lining presumably helps activate the genes responsible for embryo reception. The process, however, is not a silver bullet—it can help some but not others. In some cases it might even makes matters worse.
Endometrial scratching is not commonly done during one’s first IVF or frozen embryo transfer (FET) attempt. It is recommended only when one or more IVF/FET cycles have been unsuccessful despite the implantation of healthy embryos, i.e., in cases when the failure of a cycle cannot be explained.
The cost varies from one clinic to another (I paid $200), and unless you have insurance coverage for infertility treatments, the expense will be out of pocket. Though this cost might appear somewhat high, consider the potential savings—if endometrial scratching does help you conceive, you will not have to try to finance another IVF/FET attempt.
I will report in a few weeks whether endometrial scratching has worked for me. Stay tuned.
I am sorry to hear that the implantation didn't work according to plan. I hope that the endometrial scratchin works. I was wondering if you have read about gestational suragacy. Faithstar's's debating that as an option as wants to have children at some point but a pregnancy would be dangerous for her.
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