Male Factor in IVF: What is Sperm Magnet?

Sperm magnet, microchip, pregnancy vaccine, PRP, stem cell... Op. Dr. Ozan Özolcay told me. .

What is embryology? How do developments in embryology contribute to IVF treatment?

"Although obstetrics and in vitro fertilization specialist is at the forefront in IVF treatment, an embryologist is as important as us, even a little bit ahead. The embryo is the smallest form of the baby. The egg taken from the woman and the sperm cell taken from the man are brought together under laboratory conditions. In this process, the obstetrician tries to grow the woman's eggs in the best way; then she collects these eggs under a suitable condition and sends them to the laboratory. The laboratory produces a good product by blending the materials given to it in the best way. Of course, over the years, there have been many developments in laboratories in terms of both the tools used and the experience of the people. In fact, conditions forced these developments. Because no matter what we do, some of the patients may not be able to get pregnant. Here's a lot of new research for patients who can't conceive. While some of these innovations do not cause great results, some of them can significantly increase the patient's chances in a certain number of patients.

SPERM MAGNET . What is a sperm magnet? Who is this method applied to?

''The sperm magnet is basically a test called HBA (hyaluronan binding assay). The purpose here is for the sperm to adhere well to the hyaluronan substance on the outside of the woman's egg cell, and then to pass inside. This man's sperm is thought to be more stable in both motility and the structure of the DNA in it. There is a sperm count motility and morphology published by the World Health Organization. If the sperms are not suitable for them and have problems in obtaining healthy embryos, we are talking about this double sperm magnet method. Many laboratories use the sperm magnet. However, since it is a new method, we are at an early stage to say that it is of great benefit to the patient. There are preliminary findings that the method works, especially in some of the men who have problems in sperm count and motility. Therefore, this method can be tried especially in our patients with male factor.

MICROCHIP METHOD . What is the microchip method?

“Microchip is also a method for men. This method, like the sperm magnet method, is not immediately applied to a patient diagnosed with IVF. Because each of these methods requires serious costs. In the sperm chip method, the sperm is passed through a channel using a special liquid. Sperm with healthier sperm motility and sperm DNA structure can pass through that channel. Unhealthy sperm remain in the canal. It is claimed that if the sperms that exceed the duct are taken and microinjection is performed, the embryo to be obtained will be a healthier, more viable embryo. And when this embryo is transferred to the mother's womb, it is thought to increase a person's chance of pregnancy. It is useful to recommend this method especially in special groups with a male factor and who have had a few attempts before.''

PREGNANCY VACCINE . What is the feature of the pregnancy vaccine method?

"If four good-quality embryos are transferred to the patient or if the patient has two or more attempts, but the pregnancy cannot be achieved somehow, it is investigated whether there are factors that will affect the retention in the uterus. Often, these patients may have some previous infections. Or the patient has been pregnant before, but because that pregnancy was not healthy, she had to have it removed and an abortion was performed in the uterus. Or the patient had a tuberculosis infection when he was very young and the uterus was affected by it. Or the patient's uterine wall does not thicken at the desired level. It is said that the pregnancy vaccine method is a glimmer of hope in such patients. In the pregnancy vaccine method, the drug is given into the uterus during a certain period of menstruation. Then the patient is transferred. The patient's chance increases slightly, but the embryo quality must be good. Otherwise, it will not be of much use, even if it is vaccinated many times.

PRP APPLICATION . What is the purpose of the PRP method? How does it contribute to success?

“PRP is technically a very old method. It has been applied in many problems from cartilage problems to hair loss. In this method, a sample is taken from the person's blood and centrifuged in the machine. It has a fluid and the upper part of that fluid is removed. It is known that there are some factors that enable the regeneration of some cells of the body. If this fluid is injected into the ovary, it was thought that the quality or number of some of the eggs could be increased by activating the local factors there, and it was started to be tried. This method, which is still very new, works in a certain group of patients. But the PRP method cannot be applied to a patient who has no eggs. There are some scientific articles showing that when PRP is tried, especially in patients aged between 35 and 42-43 with reduced egg reserve, the number of eggs in a group increases slightly and the quality of eggs also increases. However, since scientific studies have not yet reached a sufficient number, it would be hasty to say that this method works 100 percent for everyone. It also brings a serious cost to the patient. Centers applying this method recommend at least twice, and the patient receives almost one in vitro fertilization price in two trials.''

STEM CELLS . What is a stem cell method?

''Stem cell is also a method applied in patients who do not have eggs. Stem cells taken from the fat area of ​​the patient's body are separated in a special way and injected into the ovary. Thus, it is aimed to reconstruct the ovarian structure that has disappeared. It is a very new method and it has just started to be used in our country. Of course, you have to wait a bit to see the results. Because there are so many question marks about the method right now.”