Ovarian Rejuvenation for Restoring Fertility
The primary ovarian function is to produce eggs to conceive. Ovary performance is exposed to age damage, and after 35 years old, fertility decreases, so it can be more challenging to get pregnant. Research and techniques to help couples conceive are constantly developing and evolving.
If you are diagnosed with a decrease or impairment of your ovarian function, your obstetrician could suggest ovarian rejuvenation techniques. It aims to restore or improve a woman’s fertility by focusing on the ovaries. Research on these techniques’ efficiency and safety is ongoing, as it is still a young domain in scientific investigations.
This article will go through ovarian rejuvenation techniques that could help restore fertility and, hopefully, improve conception chances.
Diagnose with decreased or impaired ovarian function
Before diving into medical treatments, you must receive a proper diagnosis from your fertility specialist. Your doctor will be the best to advise you on the appropriate procedure to follow regarding your condition and the specificity of your situation. The diagnosis will include :
- Recurrent implantation failure: concerns a couple that has already tried to implant fertilised eggs into the woman’s uterus but without success in pregnancy.
- Low AMH: Anti-Mullerian Hormone is a protein produced by the cells supporting the egg’s ovary development. It plays a crucial role in fertility, and its insufficient level is a potential obstacle to conception.
- Age-related subfertility: over 40 years, women’s fertility naturally declines drastically.
- Premature ovarian failure: a woman with POF will see her ovarian function stop before age 40. It can lead to infertility and necessitate special treatment.
Ovarian Tissue Cryopreservation and Transplantation
This technique allows women to freeze their eggs before they become infertile. The medical procedure will retrieve eggs and freeze them until the patient decides to use them.
Lifestyle Habit Change
Aiming for a healthy lifestyle is the first action you can take to support overall reproductive health. Eat a balanced diet with fruit, vegetables, whole grains and protein. Supplement this with folic acid, iron, calcium, and antioxidants that support and stimulate fertility. As much as possible, try to limit processed food, sugar and alcohol.
A healthy, balanced diet will help support a pregnancy; not overweight, not underweight.
Practice regular exercise and maintain a healthy sleep schedule. Go through all your cosmetic products and choose chemical-free ones.
Anti-aging Medical Techniques
Your fertility specialist could suggest some specific techniques that could act on the aging process to slow down its operation and give your ovaries more chances to produce healthy eggs.
Some ongoing research targets ovarian tissue renewal by infusion of platelet-rich plasma. The process consists of taking some of your blood, processing it to extract the platelets, and injecting them into your ovaries. That could stimulate ovarian tissue and improve its function.
Senotherapie is a process that targets cells that don’t divide anymore because they are too old.
Gene repair activation is a technique that aims to act on cellular aging and longevity. These techniques are ongoing, and the scientific community is constantly improving.
Ovarian Follicle Activation
The goal is to stimulate the follicles so they develop into primary and preovulatory follicles. When you have an impaired or dysfunctional ovary, the eggs are not produced properly by the ovary, and this technique will stimulate your ovaries so they can eventually produce eggs. Medical treatments and interventions to help will include ovulation induction, In Vitro Fertilisation, and ovarian follicle preservation.
Summary
Restoring fertility is challenging, and the techniques described above are meant to help regain ovarian function. These can help you, but there is no guarantee. Take time to discuss with the medical team and other couples that are experiencing the same issues. Finding emotional support and good medical advice will help you endure this ordeal.
