Highlights: The Advantages and Application of Dr Guo's Four-step Treatment in IVF
1. Functions of TCM therapies used in ART
a. Nursing before embryo transfer: promote egg retrieval rate, reduce side effects and complication to improve pregnancy rate.
b. Miscarriage prevention after implantation: replenish the kidney and invigorate the spleen, activate blood and calming the fetus.
c. TCM therapies treating OHSS: starts from the liver and kidney, gradually associates with the spleen and the stomach, affecting the heart and the lung.
2. Nursing before IVF-ET procedures
a. Regulating menstrual period by balancing yin and yang, replenishing kidney and regulating menstruation, in which replenishing the kidney is the main principle assisted by moving qi, activating blood, and balancing yin and yang.
b. Using TCM herbal medicine based on syndrome differentiation to adjust the menstrual cycle, improve the constitution, reverse its sensitivity, and reduce the occurrence of complications.
c. Regulating qi and blood, breaking the state of low level, improving ovarian reserve.
3. Nursing during IVF-ET cycle
a. Improve drug sensitivity, egg retrieval rate, increase endometrial receptivity, reduce adverse reactions, reduce complications, and improve pregnancy rate.
b. Pituitary down-regulation phase: deficient kidney yin and kidney qi. Modified Liu Wei Di Huang Wan can be adopted to replenish the kidney, nourish essence and rebalance yin and yang
c. Controlled ovarian stimulation: nourish the kidney, activate blood, regulate the thoroughfare vessel and the conception vessel. Modified Jing Hou Fang Post-menstrual formula is applicable which is recorded in Plain Practical TCM Gynecology by Xia Guicheng.
d. Peri-ovulatory period Peri-egg retrieval period - add medicinals to nourish the kidney and reinforce yang, providing a favorable environment for implantation.
e. Medicinals to replenish the kidney: improve the quality of eggs, ovarian reserve, and blood flow, increasing the rate of pregnancy.
f. Medicinals to activate blood and remove stasis: reduce the concentration of plasma fibrinogen, improve the blood circulation around the ovary and promote the maturation of follicles.
4. After Embryo Transfer
a. Embryo implantation and early development
b. The kidney is responsible for storing essence, serves as the origin of reproduction. Therefor, the kidney plays an essential role in carrying the baby and preventing miscarriages. The spleen is the acquired foundation and can nourish the congenital origin.
c. Replenishing the spleen and the kidney for sufficient corpus luteum for strengthening corpus luteum.
d. Modified Jing Qian Fang pre-menstrual formula can be applied, which is originally recorded in the Plain Practical TCM Gynecology by Xia Guicheng.
5. During Pregnancy
a. Exuberant kidney qi of women is the root for pregnancy. The occurrence of miscarriage is related to the hypercoagulable state of blood in pregnant women.
b. Tonifying the kidney, activating the blood and preventing miscarriages calming the fetus.
c. Formula: modified Shou Tai Wan which is originally recorded in Yi Xue Zhong Zhong Can Xi Lu Prescriptions in Integrating Chinese and Western Medicine.