Ovarian puncture: Everything you need to know

Ovarien puncture: what are the risks, your fears and the possible pain of the process. We are going to discuss the different operations and physical treatments and what they entail.

First of all, the physical processes and operations will depend on the treatment you are going to take. Some treatments require more time or more physical operations, just as every patient is different.

Ovarian puncture

Ovarian puncture is the key step in performing IVF or egg donation. It begins with ovarian stimulation, the aim of which is to obtain as many mature oocytes as possible.

Ovarian stimulation

The stimulation phase involves the injection of medication for one to two weeks to encourage the ovaries to produce several eggs. During this stage, it is normal to experience some effects. Stress and mood swings are common during ovarian stimulation and are due to a combination of hormonal changes in the body.

Possible effects are:

Tenderness, breast swelling (where the hormones are injected).
Mood swings and depression.
Abdominal pain and bloating.

Sedation

This procedure takes about 20 minutes and is painless. While general anaesthesia requires you to be intubated with a tube so that you can breathe during the surgery, sedation is a deep, tube-free operation with a much faster recovery time.

Once sedated, your specialist will use an ultrasound with a probe to locate the ovarian follicles. Then, using a small hollow needle with suction capabilities, your surgeon will guide the needle attached to a catheter through the vaginal wall and drain the fluid from the follicles that contain the developed eggs.

General anesthesia in some cases

This is probably the most frightening operation for patients, as it involves being in a deep sleep for a long period of time. This operation is performed for IVF or egg donation.

Subsequently, one or two embryos are transferred a few days after fertilisation. They are gently placed in the uterus using a fine suction needle.

Are there any risks?

Sedation is a procedure that takes about 15 to 20 minutes. Some women may experience dizziness, cramping, infection or even minor vaginal bleeding after this procedure. But the risks are relatively small because of the light nature of the surgery compared to other procedures, such as general anesthesia.

After this operation, you can resume your normal activities.

At Vida Fertility, we ensure the satisfaction and health of all our patients. If you are not feeling well a few days after the procedure, please do not hesitate to call us so that we can help you.

Some tips on how to be ready on the day of the puncture

Choice of clothes: it is best to wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothes.
Come early: about half an hour to an hour, so that you don’t rush and have time to get ready.
Transportation: Make sure you don’t come alone. You are not allowed to drive home.
Do not eat or drink after midnight and on the day of your operation.

The operations and procedures involved in ART can be stressful and daunting, especially if you have a phobia of needles. However, the services and techniques have evolved and are much more modern than they used to be.

You will be in constant contact with the medical team who remain very involved and serious. Many people think that the most negative side effects are physical, in reality they are more emotional where the patient is mentally agitated. So, we advise you to stay well surrounded and talk with a specialist if the mental load is too intense.