What exactly is an ERA/ Endo scratch??

Question

Are they the same thing? I’m just curious. I see this a lot on this board but it was never even brought up when I was going through IVF (2018). What does it tell you?
I had a lap in 2017 to remove a tube and of course the pre IVF testing in 2018 (Hysteroscopy, hsg). I recently updated the HSG because we will start IVF # 2 soon. I don’t think they are having me update the Hysteroscopy though. Do you recommend the ERA/endo scratch? At what point in the cycle is it done? Thank you. X

Answer

Yes and no lol. So an ERA is a receptivity analysis to see how receptive your uterus is to progesterone before transfer. Basically it's a mock cycle when you go through a FET protocol to transfer but instead of transferring an embryo, they do an endo biopsy (scratch the endometrium) and send it out to be analyzed. This determines if you're receptive to the amount of progesterone or if you need more/less. 
An endo scratch can be performed in conjunction with an ERA. This tests for silent endometriosis and endometritis. Its also thought to help with implantation in the subsequent transfer cycle. It's done the same way, via biopsy. This can be done at the same time as an ERA and its common to do all 3 tests at the same time. 
It's usually done after multiple transfer failures. There is also a lot of conflicting info on an ERA being accurate. I always recommend an SHG and an endo scratch to be on the safe side. However, an ERA is really something to consider later in my opinion. Your doctor may feel otherwise though so it wouldn't hurt to ask.

What exactly is an ERA/ Endo scratch??

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