Diminished Ovarian Reserve (DOR) | Dr Rama Sofat Hospital
Diminished Ovarian Reserve (DOR) occurs when a woman’s ovaries lose their reproductive potential, which can cause infertility.
A woman’s ovarian reserve refers to the quality and quantity of her eggs, and diminished ovarian reserve means those factors are decreasing.
DOR usually occurs around menopause, but the rate of decrease can vary from woman to woman as described by Dr Rama Sofat.
Aging is the primary cause of diminished ovarian reserve, but DOR can also be caused by genetic abnormalities, some medical treatments and injury.
Causes of diminished ovarian reserve
The main causes of diminished ovarian reserve are:
Diagnosis of DOR
Diminished ovarian reserve presents no symptoms in most women. Some women may see a shortened menstrual cycle, such as from 28 days to 25 days. But for the most part, women find out they have DOR after diagnostic testing. These include transvaginal ultrasound and hormone evaluations for follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), estradiol (a form of estrogen) and the anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH).
FSH and estrogen are good indicators of fertility, as well as of a woman’s response to ovulation induction or stimulation, which can help her conceive. The anti-Müllerian hormone usually correlates well with fertility potential by reflecting the number of eggs left in the body as explained by Dr Rama Sofat.
When a woman is diagnosed with diminished ovarian reserve, she can take an immediate step and try fertility preservation. Fertility preservation involves retrieving a woman’s eggs from her ovaries and freezing them for later use. The best time for women to freeze eggs is when they are young and their ovarian reserve is better.
Fertility treatments for women with DOR
Women can also use ovarian superovulation, which is an exaggerated form of ovulation induction. This treatment uses injectable hormones to induce the woman to ovulate multiple eggs. The eggs are then collected for cryopreservation or for use in a fresh IVF cycle to create an embryo and implant it in the woman’s womb.
Donor eggs in conjunction with IVF are often the best option for women with a low ovarian reserve, especially if their remaining eggs are of low quality. A woman can achieve pregnancy using the donor eggs fertilized by her partner’s sperm (or donated sperm) and having the resulting embryo implanted in her uterus.
Although the resulting child will not have the birth mother’s genes (but will have the genes of the egg donor and the partner’s or donated sperm), the recipient mother gets to carry a pregnancy to term and give birth.
Diminished Ovarian Reserve (DOR) occurs when a woman’s ovaries lose their reproductive potential, which can cause infertility.
A woman’s ovarian reserve refers to the quality and quantity of her eggs, and diminished ovarian reserve means those factors are decreasing.
DOR usually occurs around menopause, but the rate of decrease can vary from woman to woman as described by Dr Rama Sofat.
Aging is the primary cause of diminished ovarian reserve, but DOR can also be caused by genetic abnormalities, some medical treatments and injury.
Causes of diminished ovarian reserve
The main causes of diminished ovarian reserve are:
- Cigarette smoking.
- Genetic abnormalities (Fragile X and other X chromosome abnormalities).
- Aggressive treatments (radiation for cancer).
- Ovarian surgery, such as for endometriosis.
- Idiopathic (this means that there is no apparent cause).
Diagnosis of DOR
Diminished ovarian reserve presents no symptoms in most women. Some women may see a shortened menstrual cycle, such as from 28 days to 25 days. But for the most part, women find out they have DOR after diagnostic testing. These include transvaginal ultrasound and hormone evaluations for follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), estradiol (a form of estrogen) and the anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH).
FSH and estrogen are good indicators of fertility, as well as of a woman’s response to ovulation induction or stimulation, which can help her conceive. The anti-Müllerian hormone usually correlates well with fertility potential by reflecting the number of eggs left in the body as explained by Dr Rama Sofat.
When a woman is diagnosed with diminished ovarian reserve, she can take an immediate step and try fertility preservation. Fertility preservation involves retrieving a woman’s eggs from her ovaries and freezing them for later use. The best time for women to freeze eggs is when they are young and their ovarian reserve is better.
Fertility treatments for women with DOR
Women can also use ovarian superovulation, which is an exaggerated form of ovulation induction. This treatment uses injectable hormones to induce the woman to ovulate multiple eggs. The eggs are then collected for cryopreservation or for use in a fresh IVF cycle to create an embryo and implant it in the woman’s womb.
Donor eggs in conjunction with IVF are often the best option for women with a low ovarian reserve, especially if their remaining eggs are of low quality. A woman can achieve pregnancy using the donor eggs fertilized by her partner’s sperm (or donated sperm) and having the resulting embryo implanted in her uterus.
Although the resulting child will not have the birth mother’s genes (but will have the genes of the egg donor and the partner’s or donated sperm), the recipient mother gets to carry a pregnancy to term and give birth.
Diminished Ovarian Reserve (DOR) | Dr Rama Sofat Hospital
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