Low Response in IVF treatment: what is it?

The term ‘low ovarian response’ or ‘low responder’ is used when, despite stimulating the ovaries in an in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment, there is a low response in IVF treatment and fewer oocytes than ideal are retrieved.

Having fewer oocytes than ideal does not mean that pregnancy cannot be achieved. It is true that with a low ovarian response, the chances of achieving pregnancy are lower, but not impossible.

At URE Centro Gutenberg, we have been working for more than 35 years, and there are many cases of low responders who today enjoy their healthy baby at home.

When do we talk about low response in IVF treatment?

Normally, a woman develops and matures one egg per month, exceptionally two.

For in vitro fertilisation treatment to be effective, we generally perform controlled ovarian stimulation with hormones that allow us to achieve ‘superovulation’, i.e. the development of more than 1 or 2 eggs, ideally between 10 and 15 oocytes.

This improves the chances of success of the treatment by providing more ‘opportunities’ or more possibilities of obtaining viable embryos.

When the ovarian response, despite adequate stimulation, is less than 3-5 oocytes, we refer to this as a diagnosis of low ovarian response. In these cases, doctors often explain to patients what low response in IVF treatment means and what strategies can be used to improve their chances of pregnancy.

This situation means that there will be fewer opportunities to obtain an adequate number of embryos and, therefore, lower expectations of pregnancy, especially in women over 38 years of age.

This diagnosis may vary from one centre to another, as it depends on the results and experience of each clinic to determine the number of oocytes that define a low response.

A low response can be occasional or permanent, i.e. it may vary in the next menstrual cycle.

Currently, low response is one of the main challenges in reproductive medicine and is therefore the subject of ongoing research. This is why specialists are continually evaluating new protocols and medications that may offer better results in women with low response in IVF treatment.

What are the causes of low ovarian response?

The main causes or risks of low response are the woman’s age (over 38 years old), having a low ovarian reserve and a diagnosis of endometriosis.

Other factors may also play a role, such as medical and surgical treatments, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, obesity, environmental pollution and unhealthy lifestyle habits, etc.

Can I get pregnant if I have a low ovarian response?

Having a lower than ideal ovarian response does not necessarily mean that you cannot achieve pregnancy or that these eggs are of lower quality, it just means that we will have fewer ‘opportunities’ to obtain a good embryo for transfer.

The course of action to take in the event of a low response to ovarian stimulation will depend on each patient’s situation and diagnosis. One alternative is to stop treatment and stimulate the ovaries again in another cycle. We generally recommend this when we know that the low response was a one-off and that the patient has better response potential. If the low response was expected, a decision must be made whether to proceed with the IVF cycle with the oocytes obtained or to vitrify the oocytes to accumulate with a second stimulation. Double stimulation in the same menstrual cycle is known as DuoStim.

It is also important to try to improve factors that may contribute to a low response, such as obesity, smoking, etc.

We hope we have helped you understand what it means to have a low ovarian response and that it is clear to you that this does not mean you cannot achieve pregnancy. With the right medical guidance, even women with low response in IVF treatment can find strategies that improve their chances of success.

At URE Centro Gutenberg, we have fertility specialists with extensive experience in cases of low ovarian response, as well as state-of-the-art techniques and technology to help you with your case and give you more personalised care in your treatment.

If you wish, you can request a free initial consultation with us. You can ask whatever you want about low response in IVF treatment. This consultation can be either in person or online, and you can request it by filling out this form or by calling us on 952 122 565.