The Many Possibilities

“It is the little things that we do in combination that add up to become one big, happy success story,” said Dr Navdeep when asked about the usage of EmbryoGlue in his IVF procedures. He added, “If one thing doesn’t work and there is a possibility that something else might, then why not, especially if it is for the benefit of making a couple’s dream of conceiving a child come true.”

The IVF process is often a journey of hope for couples. For Dr. Navdeep, he is committed to ensuring that they are provided with significant medical procedures options. Considering the amount of effort put in by a couple, including the physical and emotional challenges they go through in the whole IVF process, Dr. Navdeep and team take every possible step to help couples achieve their goal of becoming proud parents.

With time and money being two of the most important considerations for a couple going through an IVF, add-ons such as EmbryoGlue, which helps increase chances of implantation, play a very important role in contributing to the success of an IVF. Knowledge is key and knowing such an option is available lets a couple be more prepared on what to expect at the end of the whole IVF journey.

Implantation after an Embryo Transfer

Embryo transfer is probably one of the highest points in an IVF process for most people. It is the last step before the two-week wait period begins, before one knows if the transferred embryo has implanted and hopefully hears those magical words of “Congratulations, you’re pregnant.”

So, what really happens inside the womb after an embryo transfer? After this procedure, the embryo is expected to naturally implant itself in the womb. The embryo moves around the womb before stabilising at one point. A chemical reaction occurs between the embryo cells and the womb lining where the embryo embeds itself into the womb lining. All conditions need to be perfect here, where the inner lining of the womb and embryo have to be in sync. This is when the embryo attaches to the endometrial blood supply and a person eventually becomes pregnant. At this point, the hormone progesterone enriches the uterus lining and helps sustain the growing embryo.

Implantation, however, may not always occur naturally as expected. There could be a number of factors affecting implantation of the embryo. This includes unhealthy embryos where an embryo looks good in the lab but may have defects, causing it to stop growing. Apart from that, unreceptive womb lining is another reason why implantation may not occur where deranged hormones cause the womb lining to be out of sync with the embryo.

A Beneficial Add-on

The EmbryoGlue is known to be an add-on that helps increase the chances of pregnancy. So, what is the composition of the EmbryoGlue and how does it work?

• It is not an actual glue, but it acts like glue by increasing the chances of implantation of the embryo to the womb.
• It is an implantation promoting transfer medium that consists of a high concentration of hyaluronan and recombinant human albumin, both of which promote implantation.
• It is uniquely developed to mimic the conditions in the female uterus in order to help embryos implant after an embryo transfer.
• Before the embryo transfer is to take place, the embryos are taken out from the incubator and placed in a medium enriched with EmbryoGlue for a duration of between 30 minutes to 3 hours. This is to bind the substance to the embryos.
• The EmbryoGlue causes the embryo transfer medium to thicken, becoming more similar to the uterine fluids. The thickening of the medium improves its ability to mix with the uterine fluids which helps to prevent the embryo from drifting.
• The EmbryoGlue acts as an adhesive for the embryo as it implants itself in the wall of the womb.
• The EmbryoGlue seems to be highly beneficial for women above the maternal age of 42 and with a history of implantation failures after IVF.

Seeing some increase in pregnancy rates with the usage of EmbryoGlue, Dr. Navdeep has chosen to use the EmbryoGlue consistently for all of his IVF cases in his center regardless of patients’ age and history. It is his part in doing whatever it takes to help couples realise their dream of conceiving that child so wished for.

Costing only about a few hundred ringgit, the EmbryoGlue is quite affordable and worth using considering its benefits. 

Since the EmbryoGlue’s medium conditions are quite similar to that of the uterine fluids, there has been no known risks to the embryo or the patient from its usage.

Getting It Right at the First Attempt

Going through the whole IVF journey can be physically and emotionally challenging for a couple; it is really no walk in the park. With this in mind, Dr. Navdeep believes in doing everything possible to get it right the first time an IVF procedure is carried out. Weighing its benefits, couples undergoing IVF can rest assured that adding on the EmbryoGlue during the embryo transfer stage helps in enhancing implantation. Although this does not guarantee a pregnancy, it certainly helps to increase the chances of a couple hearing, “You’re pregnant”, words they have been so eagerly awaiting to hear. 

You are sure to have many questions. In addressing infertility, the sooner you have them answered, the better. Do list them down and call 03-8069 9333 (TMC Fertility & Women’s Specialist Centre, Puchong) or 03-62871000 (Thomson Hospital, Kota Damansara) or email ask@drnavdeepfertility.com to make an appointment to consult with Dr Navdeep.