Uterine Disease

The uterus must be capable of accepting the embryo and supporting the developing fetus. It also must be free of large obstructions such as fibroids, polyps, or scarring. The uterus can be damaged by severe infection or instrumentation such as dilatation and curettage.

Some women are born with an irregularly shaped uterus as in the bicornuate uterus. This condition can cause an increase in the miscarriage rate. Uterine structural abnormalities are often diagnosed with the hysterosalpingogram (HSG), the hysteroscope, via ultrasound, or during laparoscopy.

The uterus is lined with endometrial cells that divide rapidly causing thickening and increased blood flow. The endometrium provides nourishment to the developing embryo and fetus. Failure of sequential endometrial development can be treated with supplemental progesterone.

Women with severe uterine disease sometimes must often use a surrogate uterus or gestational carrier. In traditional surrogacy, the male partners sperm are combined with the surrogate's eggs in an IVF cycle and the resultant embryos are transferred to the surrogate. Gestational surrogacy is when the mother and her partner's sperm are combined in an IVF cycle and the resultant embryo is transferred to the surrogate. Children born by gestational surrogacy have the genetic makeup of both parents.

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