ENDOMETRIAL RECEPTIVITY ARRAY (ERA)
ERA, which stands for “Endometrial Receptivity Analysis,” is a procedure that evaluates the condition of the endometrium at the molecular level.
In cases of embryo implantation failure, this test is an important analytical tool for understanding the reasons behind the unsuccessful outcome.
Endometrial receptivity is the ability of the endometrium to adapt and present the characteristics necessary to receive the embryo during the period known as the “window of implantation.”
ERA analyzes, through specialized software, each of the 236 genes responsible for endometrial receptivity, determining whether the endometrium is receptive or not at the time evaluated. To do this, an endometrial sample obtained through biopsy is required on what would be the fifth day of embryo development (the blastocyst stage), which is the moment when the embryo would attach to the uterine wall.
The procedure may produce three possible results:
1. Receptive, when endometrial preparation has been performed correctly and the embryo is being transferred at the right time;
2. Pre-receptive, when the embryo is being transferred earlier than it should be;
3. Post-receptive, when the embryo is being transferred after the ideal time.
The ERA result therefore determines each patient’s implantation window, that is, the best time for embryo transfer, which is essential for a successful assisted reproduction treatment.
