Would you proceed with egg retrieval if only 1–2 follicles are likely to yield eggs?
Would you proceed with egg retrieval if only 1–2 follicles are likely to yield eggs?
I’m 39 with DOR and currently in my third IVF cycle. Unfortunately, this cycle has had a much poorer response than my previous two.
At today’s monitoring appointment, I had one dominant follicle at 19 mm, another at 14 mm, one at 12 mm, and the rest under 10 mm. My clinic thinks we’re likely to get only one egg, possibly two, and asked us to consider whether we still want to proceed with retrieval.
For context, here are my previous cycles:
ER #1 – Conventional stimulation with Provera: Follistim 300 IU + Menopur 150 IU + Provera 10 mg daily, dual trigger (Lupron + 5,000 IU hCG). Retrieved 8 eggs, 3 mature, 2 fertilized, resulting in one day-6 blastocyst (aneuploid).
ER #2 – Estrogen priming + microdose Lupron flare + Omnitrope: Follistim 300 IU + Menopur 150 IU + microdose Lupron 20 units twice daily, plus Omnitrope. Triggered with 5,000 IU hCG + 150 IU Follistim booster. Retrieved 5 eggs, 4 mature, 3 fertilized, but no blasts.
ER #3 (current) – Estrogen priming + Clomid + antagonist: Started with Clomid, followed by Follistim 225 IU + Menopur 75 IU, with Cetrotide. Follicular growth has been slow and uneven, with only one dominant follicle so far.
Another complication is my left fallopian tube. My HSG showed limited/uncertain patency on the left side, while the right tube is open. A repeat HSG suggested some patency on the left, but I’m still concerned about how well that tube functions.
I’m really torn about whether to proceed or cancel. We’ve already invested so much time, effort, and medication into this cycle, but I’m also concerned about going through retrieval for potentially just one egg.
For those who have been in a similar situation, did you decide to proceed with retrieval or cancel? What factors influenced your decision? If you went ahead, how many eggs did you end up retrieving, and what was the outcome?
I’d also love to hear whether anyone had a better response after switching protocols following a poorly responding cycle.
I’d really appreciate hearing your experiences. Thank you!