Does Endometrial Scratching Increases Your Chances of Pregnancy?

While an unsuccessful cycle of IVF is quite common, a lot of couple find it very difficult to cope with it. After more than one unsuccessful cycle of IVF, couples often question their doctor about alternative infertility treatment in Delhi to increase their chances of pregnancy. As the embryo implantation is a complicated process, one of the reasons of successive failures of the IVF cycle could be as simple as the poor endometrial lining.

In these cases, endometrial scratching can be use as a pre-IVF treatment. But can endometrial scratching increase the chances of your pregnancy? Is it comfortable?

What is Endometrial Scratching?

Endometrial scratching is a procedure wherein the inner lining of the uterus is scratched or scraped at a certain point of your cycle to help embryos implant more successfully after In Vitro Fertilization or Intra-cytoplasmic Sperm Injection, especially in case of patients who have had multiple unsuccessful IVF cycles despite good quality embryos.

Often referred to as endometrial biopsy, this procedure involves taking biopsy of the inner lining of the uterus, endometrium, with the help of a flexible 3 mm wide catheter inserted through the cervix. While it may cause a bit of discomfort or pain, it does not require anaesthetics and happens to be a simple, low cost procedure which can be carried out within a few minutes.

When is endometrial scratching done?

Endometrial scratching is usually done in the luteal phase of cycle after ovulation, usually a week or so preceding your IVF treatment. Normally, it is done on the 21st day of the patient’s menstrual cycle.

How does endometrial scratching help?

Endometrial scratching is said to trigger a reaction in the uterine lining thereby releasing hormones that repair the endometrium. This results in a new lining of the uterus which is more receptive to an embryo implantation, thereby increasing the possibility of pregnancy.

Trials and Research:

Though there is no evidence of endometrial scratching increasing one’s chances of pregnancy, a controlled trial has found that while endometrial scratching did not improve live birth rates for women with one unsuccessful IVF cycle, it did so in case of women who had failed more than one IVF cycles.

However, as there is no evidence supporting endometrial scratching despite its availability for several years, larger trials and research is required in order to validate the same.

In any case, the patients should be aware of the fact that though it is very rare, cramping and infection can occur after the procedure. Nonetheless, for patients who have suffered successive failed IVF cycles, and have been looking for alternative options to increase their chances of pregnancy and live birth, endometrial scratching is a boon.