Platelet Rich Plasma

Plasma or the liquid part of blood, and platelets, a form of blood molecular that performs an essential position in restoration in the course of the body.

Platelet Rich Plasma

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a concentrated blood product that contains a high percentage of platelets (biomolecules with natural healing and regenerative properties). The platelets in PRP contain multiple growth factors that normally help the body to heal once it has an injury somewhere. PRP is being evaluated as a solution for the two most difficult fertility issues: low ovarian function and poor uterine lining. PRP therapy relies on the body's own resources, namely platelets found in blood, to improve the odds of a successful pregnancy by addressing diminished ovarian reserve and thickening uterine lining.

Egg quality and quantity can diminish with age, driving down the chances of pregnancy for patients in their 30s and 40s. Some younger women naturally suffer from premature ovarian failure, low hormone levels, or unexplained infertility, as well. Platelets, which contain a growth factor to stimulate healing, can help offset these issues.

Some patients choose PRP treatment to address their own poor egg quality and/or quantity before resorting to searching for an egg donor.

How is PRP prepared?

PRP is most often used from the person's blood undergoing the PRP therapy, but can also be made from another individual's blood.

  • The PRP process starts with a healthcare professional drawing a sample of blood from the individual.
  • The blood is then centrifuged for about 15 minutes, causing the different components of blood to separate.
  • Finally, a lab technician collects the plasma, which is now rich in platelets and devoid of cellular components, in preparation for its injection.

Use of PRP

PRP is used in a number of fertility treatments including IUI and IVF to assist with and improve egg quantity and quality, and also to improve uterine lining thickness or enhance endometrial receptivity during an embryo transfer. It is most often used in those who have undergone multiple IVF cycles with a history of recurrent implantation failure (RIF), a condition where multiple IVF transfers do not result in pregnancy despite high-quality embryos being transferred on multiple occasions.

PRP may be used to cause an improvement in egg quality, ovarian rejuvenation, and response to stimulation medications. There are two ways in which PRP may be used to improve oocyte quality and quantity, intraovarian PRP and high volume intrauterine PRP. PRP is also used to improve the endometrial receptivity of the uterine lining prior to an embryo transfer. This is typically done 48 hours prior to the anticipated embryo transfer.

Platelet-rich plasma has the potential to address some of the most common barriers to a successful pregnancy. Although the research and literature in this field is only now being slowly developed, it is still one of the most promising advances in fertility treatment in recent years.