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What is Autologous Endometrial Coculture ?
A state-of-the-art technique co-developed by Abington Reproductive Medicine’s Larry I. Barmat, M.D., Autologous Endometrial Coculture involves placing a patient’s fertilized eggs on top of a layer of cells from her own uterine lining, creating a more natural environment for embryo development and maximizing the chance for an in vitro fertilization (IVF) pregnancy.
Currently, Abington Reproductive Medicine in Abington, Pennsylvania is one of only a handful of centers in the world to offer this leading-edge procedure.
| How is Coculture performed? |
| A typical Coculture cycle consists of the following steps: |
- Once a patient has been deemed an appropriate candidate for the procedure, she undergoes an endometrial biopsy during which a small piece of her uterine lining is removed.
- The uterine lining sample is sent to our research lab, where it is treated, purified and frozen.
- The patient then undergoes a typical IVF cycle and is given medication to stimulate egg growth in her ovaries.
- The patient’s eggs are retrieved and mixed with the sperm. At this time, our lab begins thawing and growing her endometrial cells.
- Once fertilization is confirmed (usually the following day), the patient’s embryos are placed on top of her own (and now thawed) endometrial cells.
- Over the next two days, the embryos are closely monitored for growth and development.
- The patient’s embryos are transferred into her uterus for implantation and pregnancy.
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Who is a potential candidate?
Coculture can be an effective treatment for patients who have failed previous IVF cycles or who have poor embryo quality.
What are the advantages of the procedure?
In addition to being noninvasive and relatively pain free, Coculture can be performed during a short office visit. The procedure also can improve embryo quality and stimulate embryo growth.
Are there any risks involved?
The risks of Coculture are very minimal. In fact, the procedure has been performed in over 1000 patients with no reported detrimental effects on embryo growth. Complications involving uterine infection or damage caused by embryo biopsy are extremely rare.
How do I know if Coculture is right for me?
The best way to determine if Coculture is right for you is to call 215-887-2010 to make an appointment with one of our physicians, who will carefully evaluate your situation and work with you to formulate an appropriate treatment plan.
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