What is duostim?
Duostim is an IVF approach designed for people who are expected to have a low response to stimulation. It involves two rounds of ovarian stimulation, two egg collections, and the creation and freezing of embryos within the same menstrual cycle, followed later by a single frozen embryo transfer.
If your ovarian reserve is lower or you’ve previously had a limited response to stimulation, your doctor may discuss duostim as an option. It’s a way of collecting more eggs within one menstrual cycle rather than waiting for a new cycle to begin.
Think of it as doing “back-to-back” stimulation: once the first egg collection has taken place, we begin a second round straight away while your ovaries are still active and responsive. Both sets of embryos are then created and frozen, ready for a future frozen embryo transfer.
Duostim may be considered if:
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You’ve had a low response in earlier IVF cycles
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Your AMH or antral follicle count suggests a reduced ovarian reserve
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There’s a clinical need to maximise the number of embryos in a shorter timeframe
Your Care Fertility doctor will only suggest this approach if your test results and previous treatment history show it could offer a better chance of collecting more usable eggs.