07 March,2011 09:44 AM IST | | Special Features
One of the biggest breakthroughs in treating infertility came in 1978 when the first test tube baby was born with the process of In Vitro fertilization (IVF). Recently, Dr Robert Edwards was given the 2010 Nobel Prize in Medicine for this momentous innovation. But the biggest failure of lVF was in patients with low sperm count.
This was overcome in 1992 with a new technique called Intra cytoplasmic sperm Injection (ICSI), introduced by the Bloom IVF group in 1996. In 1998, the group started an advanced centre at the Lilavati Hospital, Bandra making hundreds of childless couples happy with the priceless gift of a child.
Firstly, they conduct an ultrasound to see whether patient is suffering from pathologies such as fibroids, hydrosalpinx, endometriosis or polycystic disease. If these conditions are present, these are treated prior to IVF. Most patients are also subjected to hysteroscopy, an internal endoscopic examination of the womb. Any abnormality is treated at same sitting.
Their lab at Lilavati Hospital is state-of-the-art, where the environment is controlled with the help of the Air Handling unit (AHU), which constantly filters air, removes humidity and maintains lab temperature around 24 to 26 C to boost pregnancy rates.
There are eight incubators in the lab. More incubators contribute to improved embryo quality and thus pregnancy rates. Besides ICSI, there is a new method of Intracytoplasmic morphologically selected sperm injection (IMSI) which has shown a dramatic increase in pregnancy rates in males with severe low sperm count, low sperm motility and abnormal sperms. However, long term studies are needed to definitely establish its competence.
Bloom IVF have also been using the technique of Assisted Laser Hatching since 1998. Here the cover of the embryos is given a cut with a laser, prior to putting the embryos back into the womb to help hatching. This technique is effective in women older than 38, patients with recurrent IVF failure and in patients undergoing transfer with frozen embryos.
They also do embryo transfer using an ultrasound machine. This helps them correctly place embryos in the uterine cavity. They give special uterine relaxation medicine to reduce contractions at time of transfer to prevent expulsion of embryos. The patient is sent home within 20 minutes.
Recently they introduced the metabolomics machine for the first time in Asia. This machine helps analyse the metabolic activity of the embryo, thus helping selection of the best embryos.
Their laboratory can also successfully freeze extra embryos, using the technique of vitrification. Their pregnancy rate using frozen embryos is the same as fresh embryos: around 40 to 50 per cent in women less than 35.
Thus if the patient has 10 good embryos, they select 2/3 best embryos using the technique of metabolomics, do day 3 transfer or day 5 transfer using blastocyst culture, do laser hatching on the selected embryos and do embryo transfer under ultrasound control. The remaining 7 extra embryos would be frozen and stored for subsequent use. If the patient does not become pregnant, stored embryos can be used to achieve pregnancy.
Despite this, there are a few patients who don't become pregnant. They can either go for surrogacy or adoption. Please note that prenatal sex selection and sex detection are criminal actions and are banned in our country. We do not advocate it or practise it. It is important to protect the girl child in our country.
Bloom IVF group has units all over India including Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, New Delhi, Mohali. You can call at:
Lilavati Hospital IVF Centre, Bandra (W), Mumbai: 022-26438280, 26751000
Ext 8226 (ivfbabies@hotmail.com or gynaeinfo@rediffmail.com) Fortis La Femme IVF Centre, GK2,
Delhi: 011-29220125, 40579493, 09350887858 (fortisbloom@gmail .com .com)
