IVF was originally developed for women with blocked tubes or missing fallopian tubes, IVF is also used when other conditions are present, including endometriosis and male infertility. Our experts will review your history and guide you to the most appropriate treatment and diagnostic procedures.
1/3rd of the infertility issues are caused by the male partner. Male factors also influence an increased rate of miscarriages. Most common causes of male infertility are:
Infertility is gender neutral. It affects the male and the female population. 1/3rd of the infertility issues can be attributed to the female partner. In the world 50-80 million suffer from infertility. Most common causes of female infertility are:
Women are born with approximately 2 million eggs in their ovaries. Before a girl reaches puberty, about 11,000 eggs die every month. Thus, in her teenage years, a woman has only about 300,000 to 400,000 eggs available. From this point onwards, about 1000 eggs are utilised every month. This has nothing to do with any form of birth control, pregnancy, hormone production, health, lifestyle or nutritional supplements. Eventually, a woman reaches menopause when she has no viable eggs left.
PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) refers to a condition caused by hormonal imbalances. Women suffering from PCOS produce higher than normal amounts of male hormones. This affects ovulation and can result in irregular periods. In some cases, women suffering from PCOS may have irregular periods. This, in turn, can make it harder for these women to conceive. In fact, PCOS is one of the most common causes of female infertility.
Endometriosis is a common disorder found in women, where the endometrial tissues grow outside the uterus. This gynaecological condition can occur in the ovaries, fallopian tubes, the tissues lining the pelvis, and in rare cases, abdominal cavity, too.
Intrauterine insemination a more refined form of artificial insemination is a non-invasive ART procedure. The procedure is simple, easy to perform, does not include extreme effort from the couple and costs less than advanced procedures such as IVF and ICSI.
Generally, IUI is recommended for couples with good ovarian reserve and semen parameters, but with associated problems such as PCOS, minimal endometriosis, and borderline sperm counts and motility for Successful IUI the Fallopian tubes need to function effectively.
The first visit with a fertility specialist will involve documenting medical history and conducting diagnostic tests to assess the couple’s fertility status. Based on this, the consultant will suggest the treatment protocol. In case of IVF the following 5 steps are followed.
What is cryo preservation?
Cryopreservation is the process of freezing eggs, sperm or embryos to sub-zero temperatures for later use. When the eggs, sperm or embryos are needed, they are thawed and fertilized or used in a fertility treatment cycle. Sperm may be used for intrauterine insemination (IUI) or in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures.
It is important to recognize that the rate of birth defects in humans in the general population is about 3% of all births for major malformations and 6% if minor defects are included. Fortunately, 20-plus years following Louise Brown's birth (the first IVF baby), we now have ample data that children conceived through IVF have no increase in these rates of birth defects due to the technique itself.
Minor rise in abnormalities is ascribed to the infertility and age factor of the intending parents. Further follow-up on older children indicates that IVF children have done as well or better than their peers in academic achievement (probably a social bias) and have no higher rates of behavioural or psychological difficulties.
PGT-A is genetic testing performed on embryos to identify numerical chromosomal abnormalities or aneuploidy. This test is performed on embryos prior to transfer into the uterus. By analysing all embryos generated in an IVF treatment cycle, those free of chromosomal aneuploidy can be identified for selective transfer. As a result, the pregnancy rates per transfer are increased and the miscarriage rates decreased.
PGT-M involves testing of embryos for specific monogenic disorders like thalassemia, haemophilia and certain types of muscular dystrophy. It helps couples who have a family history or those who have had a child affected with these disorders to have an unaffected child.
All embryos formed as a part of an Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) are tested for this specific monogenic disorder. Only unaffected or career embryos are transferred to have a disease free child. This can also be combined with PGT-A to further improve success rates.
PGT-SR tests people with chromosome rearrangements. These people are at risk of producing embryos with unbalanced chromosomal structure. Such embryos are not viable and can result in multiple miscarriages. PGT-SR tests embryos for such specific rearrangements and can help in selection of normal embryos for transfer.
For the first visit, you are asked to carry yours and your spouse's ID proofs. You will also be asked to carry any relevant medical reports and records if any.
Book an appointment for a full fertility assessment and an session with one of our specialists.
Asiri Medical Hospital,
No 181, Kirula Road, Narahenpita,
Colombo 05, Sri Lanka.