reproductive medicine
Specialised procedures
In the course of your fertility treatment – be it insemination, classic IVF, or ICSI – you may be offered additional highly specialised procedures at your consultant’s discretion. These aim at improving your chances of successful outcomes and pregnancy. Whether any of these will be suitable for you depends on the individual characteristics of your case. Your treating consultant is familiar with and will consider all relevant detail in making the decision.
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For the female partner
Specialised procedures for the female partner could be related to preparing the ovaries, the oocytes, or the uterine lining. Sometimes, the same method could be applied for different results; for example, the PRP can improve the chance for successful embryo implantation or enhance the function of the ovary in cases of diminished ovarian reserve or premature ovarian failure. Other procedures have a narrower application, like preparing the eggs for fertilisation or freezing or improving implantation chances.
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For the male partner
Specialised procedures for the male partner are entirely related to sperm processing, selection, and preparation for fertilisation. Some of the procedures are done at our Andrology lab, like the gradient centrifugation and swim-up techniques, MACS, sperm washing for HIV-positive patients, and sperm cryopreservation. Others are done at the Embryology lab, like zona selection and hyaluronic acid selection. In specific indications, PRP could also be offered to enhance sperm production and quality or to improve sexual function in men with erectile dysfunction.
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For the embryo
Specialised procedures for the embryo include Embryoscope time-lapse monitoring and culture, preimplantation genetic testing (PGT), and assisted hatching. These are only available on recommendation by your fertility consultant and the embryologists. Another specialised procedure is preparing embryos for cryopreservation at the Embryology lab.