Treatments

Many people now benefit from treatments that are generally termed ‘Assisted Conception’. Please use the links above to guide you through the process.

Most treatments require the administration of medication (drugs), containing Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH), which controls follicle and egg development.

Treatment options available

Ovulation Induction (OI) -is the simplest form of treatment, which uses mild stimulation to encourage egg development. Careful monitoring is carried out to ensure the correct time is advised for intercourse in order to maximise the chance of pregnancy. This treatment may benefit couples where the woman does not release eggs.

Stimulated Intra Uterine Insemination (SIUI) - in this treatment mild stimulation is used to encourage egg development. Careful monitoring is carried out to ensure the correct time for insemination. The sperm sample can be prepared to improve the quality of the sperm and then a soft plastic tube is used to introduce sperm in to the uterus. This may benefit couples where there is a mild sperm problem or where the infertility is unexplained.

In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) - is the medical term for ‘test tube’ baby technique. The principle of IVF treatment is to obtain eggs from the ovaries by stimulation with FSH. Slightly more intense stimulation is used to encourage development of several eggs (between 6 to 10). This process takes about two weeks. The eggs are removed from the ovaries by passing a needle into the follicle in the ovary to find the egg. This is a simple procedure performed under mild sedation and local anaesthetic. Once the eggs have been collected they are placed with the sperm in a glass dish and incubated overnight. The following morning the embryologist checks for fertilisation. The fertilised eggs are now called embryos and are allowed to develop another one or two days. Two good quality embryos are selected for transfer, which are placed into the uterus with a very soft plastic tube. This is a simple procedure that does not require an anaesthetic.

Intra Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) - if there is a severe problem with the sperm, IVF can be combined with this technique. The ICSI procedure is the direct injection of a single sperm into each egg. It can be used if very few sperm are found in the ejaculate.

Surgical Sperm Recovery - sperm samples can be obtained directly from the testicle by this simple procedure, which is usually performed under mild sedation and local anaesthetic. Sperm are extracted using a very fine needle. The main reasons for this procedure are the absence of the tubes carrying the sperm, blockage of the tubes, a vasectomy or other testicular disorders.

Frozen Embryo Replacement (FER) - IVF treatment may result in ‘spare’ embryos, we are able to offer freezing of these surplus embryos to allow their use in a FER cycle. Stimulation drugs are not required for this treatment; careful monitoring is carried out to time ovulation perfectly. We can then calculate when the lining of the womb will be suitable for the embryo to implant and arrange embryo transfer. The embryos are placed into the uterus with a very soft plastic tube. This is a simple procedure that does not require an anaesthetic.

Donor Insemination (DI) - this treatment involves the use of sperm from a donor. Stimulation drugs are not always required for this treatment; careful monitoring is carried out to ensure the correct time for insemination. The sperm sample will be prepared and then a soft plastic tube is used to introduce them in to the uterus. This may benefit couples that cannot conceive because of problems with the man’s sperm, the male partner carries an inherited disease, or to treat single or same sex couples.

Egg Donation - this treatment involves the use of eggs obtained from a donor. Occasionally, a patient may be treated with eggs from a donor who is already known to them. The eggs are fertilised with your partner’s sperm to allow their use in an FER cycle. This may benefit couples that cannot conceive because the female does not produce her own eggs due to premature ovarian failure, removal or absence of the ovaries, a genetic disorder, disease, or sometimes in older women the eggs may be of poorer quality.

Egg Share - this helps two sets of patients, those requiring donated eggs and those needing IVF who are willing to be egg donors. In egg share a woman donates half of her eggs to another woman and receives her treatment at a reduced cost. Not all women are suitable to be egg share providers; there are strict criteria to be met, and a range of specific issues to consider. Counselling plays a vital role in this decision making process and is essential for all egg share providers, egg recipients, their partners, and any other affected persons.