Who is ROPA for?
The reciprocal IVF method is recommended for lesbian couples in which:
• The woman who wants to provide the eggs has a good ovarian reserve.
• The woman who receives the embryos does not have complex uterus problems.
At
Reproclinic, we specialise on ROPA treatment and provide personalised care. Each patient is cared for one team.
How does ROPA work?
At
Reproclinic, we start by doing some tests to make sure both women are eligible for this procedure:
Woman receiving the embryos
o Hormone checks and screening for infectious diseases.
o Ultrasound to check the uterus.
o Mammography (if there is a history of breast cancer in the family or if the woman is over 39 years old).
Woman donating the eggs
o Hormone checks to determine ovary function and screening for infectious diseases.
o Ultrasound of the ovaries.
o Mammography (if there is a history of breast cancer in the family or if the woman is over 39 years old).
If everything is ok, the ROPA treatment may begin.
For the woman donating the eggs
1.
Ovarian stimulation. Hormones are administered daily for about 15 days to stimulate the ovaries.
2.
The egg release. Once the ovaries are properly stimulated, another hormone is administered to induce ovulation.
3.
Ovarian puncture. This is done by sedation and lasts about 20 minutes. It consists of aspirating the follicular liquid and the egg using a needle connected to a vaginal ultrasound.
For the woman receiving the embryos
1.
Endometrial preparation. This is a very simple process that only requires the administration of estrogen via patches (or in some cases orally) for 10-15 days. Using an ultrasound, the doctor will monitor the development of the endometrium until it grows to a thickness of between 5 to 10 millimeters and develops a trilaminar appearance.
2.
Collecting the semen sample and in vitro fertilization (IVF) process. On the same day that the donor eggs are retieved, IVF is performed with the semen from the previously selected donor. This is done using the ICSI technique, which involves injecting the sperm into the egg with a very fine needle.
3.
Embryo culture and selection. Over the following days, biologists observe the growth of the embryos using a time-lapse technique. This way they can see which ones are growing better and are more suited for implantation and to give birth to a healthy baby.
4.
Selecting the embryos to transfer and embryo transfer. After five days of development, the most viable embryos are selected and transferred to the mother’s uterus.
