Implantation Clinic/ Aqua Scan and additional tests

[Toffeepudding99]

Hi, I’m 40 yrs old on my second cycle - pushing the trigger tonight in fact for my retrieval Monday. I’ve had a great response 27 follicles in left 14 in right. I had this same response (slightly lower at 30 overall) on my 1st cycle and got one euploid after PGTA. So I’m going to be positive but realistic that given my age even with this great response the numbers are going to fall rapidly - but that’s okay. My post is really to ask about any recommended tests. We didn’t do any before transfer of our euploid - we dived straight in but sadly miscarried at 8 weeks. I’ve had a natural birth before (my 12 year old son) and so believe there’s positivity in that but in 12 years of course my body (inside and out) has changed.

My clinic have mentioned Aquascan and Implantation Clinic to me to consider when I get my PGTa results from this round.

Re: Aquascan my recent tracking scan went well and I asked whether fibroids or polyps would be seen on screen and they said yes: I don’t have any. So for me, the Aquascan I guess would be to determine any scarring perhaps?

Re: Implantation Clinic - I’m weighing up the additional costs of an already extortionate journey. I’ve had a healthy pregnancy (as above) and I’m hoping my miscarriage was just a sad blip. Both of these steps online seem to suggest they’re tests for recurrent miscarriage or implantation failure so not sure that yet applies to me. Basically after this complete essay I’d like to know your opinions and your stories of whether these were essential steps in your cycle.

[K_LNB]

Apologies as this may not be helpful, but my personal view is that you may not need to test anything. Like you I had a successful conception and pregnancy with first but now struggling with second at an older age. On first round of ICSI we got 30+ eggs and only one blastocyst which resulted in a chemical pregnancy. We are going for a round two, pretty much exactly the same protocol. I feel like there isn’t anything wrong with me, it’s just not every embryo will work at close to 40. I guess what I’m saying is I’m skeptical of all the “extra” tests clinics sell for more money!

[Toffeepudding99 in reply to K_LNB]

Thanks for taking the time to reply. And you nailed it …. These are my thoughts exactly.

I’m revving myself up that I can do this!!! - ive done it before and my IVF round DID implant.

My second round has also been the same-ish. Although I’ve been switched from menopur to pergovaris and my trigger will be Decapetyl as Buserilin is out of stock!

[Twiglet2]

I would agree there’s nothing from your post that would indicate you have any issues with implantation (since it happened) or from your scans that you need anything else. Assuming your thyroid function is okay and you have looked at blood clotting/sticky blood test then I wouldn’t be throwing any money at any more scans etc. and be hoping for another 1 or 2 Euploids from all those lovely follicles 🤗 xx

[JoleneR]

Firstly, good luck on your egg collection. I recently asked my clinic about having an aquascan to check for scarring, and they said no, a hysteroscopy is best for that (as it's a camera rather than a scan). I had one surgical management of an early miscarriage, so this is why I may check for scarring. **I'm just updating this post to say that another consultant said an aquascan could check for scarring, although hysteroscopy is the gold standard. I haven't decided what to do**.

I personally haven't done any investigations around implantation, except one previous hysteroscopy because they couldn't see three distinct layers in my lining so my transfer was cancelled. They never found out the issue and it didn't happen again 😕 But they did remove a small polyp that wasn't seen on a scan.