Dr Juan Carlos Castillo gives a lecture in Dublin on the optimisation of the Luteal Phase in assisted reproductive treatments

Dr Juan Carlos Castillo, Instituto Bernabeu’s scientific director, has participated this weekend in the Ferring Symposium held in Dublin under the title ‘Updates in Human Reproduction: Challenges and Solutions’. Dr Castillo was one of the invited speakers at this important event, where he gave a presentation on optimal support strategies in the luteal phase of assisted reproduction treatment.

In this line, he highlighted the importance of luteal phase support in fertility treatments to ensure optimal levels of progesterone, a hormone essential for a healthy luteal phase and, therefore, for the success of the treatment. The doctor explained that while progesterone is crucial, measuring levels accurately can be complicated due to the pulsatile nature of its secretion.

‘Luteal phase support is a key aspect in fertility treatments and often does not receive the attention it deserves. Ensuring adequate progesterone levels during this phase is crucial for the treatment success and to achieve pregnancy’ noted Dr Castillo, who adds that ‘in stimulated cycles, a drop in progesterone levels between day 3 and day 5 post-puncture can reduce pregnancy rates. In these cases, it is recommended to explore the addition of exogenous progesterone or the policy of freezing all embryos’.

According to Dr Castillo, ‘when a functional corpus luteum can be created, either in a natural ovulatory cycle or with medical help, the artificial frozen embryo transfer cycle is not recommended. For patients who cannot ovulate, mainly menopausal women, the artificial cycle is the only option to achieve pregnancy’.

The Ferring symposium has brought together leading experts in assisted reproduction from around the world to discuss the latest developments in the field and share their experiences.