The alternative to test tube baby procedure is IVM, treatment without medication; it is realized by maturing the eggs in a laboratory environment. This method was used at the end of 1990’s. In IVM, after using medication for a very short period of time or none at all, the gathered matured eggs are matured outside and then transferred by insemination.

 
This method was first brought forward for women who had polycystic ovarian syndrome and over reacted to medication. With this method women could have test tube babies without using medication.

What is the advantage of IVM?

Women with polycystic ovarian syndrome are extremely sensitive to the effects of the medicine called gonadotropin which is used to stimulate the eggs. Due to this condition they are inclined to get hospitalized because of a complication called ovarian hiperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). OHSS risk is eliminated when the test tube baby procedure starts without the stimulation of the ovaries with medication.

IVM success rates
Not using medication is the attribute that makes the IVM method more advantageous than test tube baby with medication. None the less the pregnancy rate for test tube baby with medication is higher than IVM. Despite its advantages, the reason why IVM was not as widespread was because its success rate was not as high as expected. When new and improved IVM culture facilities step in the expansion of this method will be inevitable. There is no scientific proof yet.

 

There is no scientific proof for the use of IVM for women who previously had unsuccessful test tube baby procedures and women whose ovaries responded weakly to medication. At the moment it is used on a very restricted patient group.