Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is one of the most common endocrine disorders in women of reproductive age. At the same time, it is one of the diseases that cause infertility due to ovulation problems. Stating that the average rate of infertility in PCOS patients is 60-70 percent, Gynecology and Obstetrics Specialist Assoc. Dr. Çiğdem Yayla Abide underlines that infertility treatment is possible with the right treatment and methods.
According to World Health Organisation data, PCOS is seen in 8-13 percent of women of reproductive age. PCOS, which has many symptoms such as irregular menstrual cycle, overweight, fat gain, increase and thickening of arm and leg hair, hair loss, depression and anxiety, is also one of the causes of infertility. Although not every PCOS diagnosis causes infertility, infertility can be seen in 60-70 per cent of PCOS patients. Stating that women have a great concern with the diagnosis of PCOS, Gynecology and Obstetrics Specialist Assoc. Dr. Çiğdem Yayla Abide; ‘Menstrual irregularities and anovulation (ovulation problems) are seen in PCOS disease. And therefore fertility is decreasing. Many women diagnosed with PCOS think that they cannot get pregnant and experience great stress. However, pregnancy is possible in PCOS patients by utilising assisted reproductive techniques.’
Stating that it is very important to make a healthy lifestyle change, that is, healthy nutrition (diet) and regular exercise are very important in PCOS patients, as it is very important in all areas of life, Abide said; ‘Even losing 5-10 per cent of the weight can lead to improvement of ovulation (ovulation) and male hormone excess findings, thus conception, decrease in hair growth and regular menstruation. In addition, in this way, all diseases that obesity may cause in the future (such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, high cholesterol) are prevented.’
What should be considered in PCOS diet?
Stating that a special diet programme should be applied on a patient basis, Abide emphasises the importance of consuming low glycemic index foods (brown sugar, wholemeal flour, wholemeal pasta, legumes, melon, watermelon, fruits other than bananas) and fibrous foods (bulgur, oats, whole wheat bread, fresh fruits). Abide recommends switching to a frequent and intermittent diet to reduce the hunger crisis, recommends consuming low-fat or lean meat, and adds that it is very important to avoid processed foods, alcohol and smoking.
Stating that they recommend all exercises that enable weight loss or weight control to PCOS patients, Abide says, ‘150-300 minutes of moderate intensity aerobics or 75-150 minutes of heavy intensity exercise or an equal combination of these and muscle strengthening exercises should be part of the programme.’
Infertility treatment in PCOS patients who want children:
Abide states that treatments such as clomiphene citrate or letrazole, which increase egg development and ovulation, are initiated if menstruation is not regularised or ovulation problem persists despite weight loss with diet and exercise applied as primary treatment and adds; ‘If pregnancy cannot be achieved with these treatments, gonadotropin hormone can be given as secondary treatment, intrauterine vaccination treatment can be performed or laparoscopic ovarian drilling surgery (laparoscopic ovarian drilling) can be applied. If pregnancy cannot be achieved with these treatments, IVF/ICSI (in vitro fertilisation) is recommended as a tertiary treatment.’ Abide also states that the success rate of IVF is approximately 65-70 per cent in PCOS patients without other accompanying problems (such as sperm quality or deformity, obstruction in the tubes).
Article published on: Sağlık News
