Fertility Services

A full range of investigations will help us to try and understand the cause of your infertility. Sometimes this might be obvious, for example very infrequent periods, but occasionally infertility may remain unexplained.
As a minimum we would usually need to perform the following:-

• An internal ultrasound scan to assess the size and shape of your womb and also give information regarding the size, activity and location of your ovaries
• An HSG (hysterosalpingogram) which is an X-Ray investigation. It involves injecting a small amount of dye which shows up on X-Ray films of the pelvis. This gives valuable information about the shape of the cavity of the womb and also whether the fallopian tubes are open.
• Hormonal profile – blood tests will help to tell us about whether you are ovulating and also to help assess how your ovaries are working (the reserve of your ovaries).
• A semen analysis for your partner (if applicable)
• To prevent any unnecessary duplication it is useful if you can bring copies of any previous investigations for us to review.

After these investigations have been performed we will review your test results with you and see if there are any reasons why pregnancy may not be occurring. Depending upon the results of these tests we may suggest further investigations.

We also offer a full range of further investigations including:-

• Saline sonography
• Laparoscopy and hysteroscopy
• DNA sperm fragmentation
• Recurrent implantation failure screening
• Endometrial biopsy and ERA (endometrial receptivity array) plus endometrial scratch

Despite countless breakthroughs in medical science, we still do not understand why some pregnancies will end in tragedy. For most of us, having a child of our own is the most fulfilling experience of our lives and all of us can imagine the desperation and sadness of parents who lose a baby. Miscarriage is the commonest complication of pregnancy, only 50% of pregnancies reach the stage of a recognised pregnancy with an embryo being lost even before you miss your period.

• There is a close link between infertility, unsuccessful IVF cycles, miscarriage and pregnancy complications such as premature labour and pre-eclampsia.
• Whilst traditionally in the UK recurrent miscarriage is taken to be the loss of three or more consecutive pregnancies, this definition is of limited value.
• The miscarriage rate in a pregnancy that has reached at least 8 weeks is less than 2% and it is therefore unusual to miscarry after this time point.
• Consideration should be given to investigate couples who have experienced even only 1 miscarriage after 10 weeks gestation.

Whilst the most common cause for any single miscarriage or unsuccessful IVF cycle is a random genetic abnormality in the embryo, the incidence of which increases with advancing maternal age, the rationale for investigation is either to confirm or to exclude the presence of an underlying treatable cause for pregnancy loss. This is particularly important as couples who lose 3 or more pregnancies, at any gestation, tend to lose genetically normal pregnancies. Miscarriage is therefore not always due to ‘bad luck’ alone.

At 92 Harley Street we offer a comprehensive investigative service of both partners for:

• Those who have experienced pregnancy loss (early or late).
• Unsuccessful IVF cycles.
• After investigation a plan of management for the next pregnancy is made

Close supervision and appropriate reassurance has been reported in several studies to be associated with an increased live birth rate amongst women with miscarriage. We ask all patients to contact us as soon as they become pregnant. All are offered early pregnancy scans on a fortnightly basis during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.

Please note, you may need to attend some appointments at Boston Place.

If you are looking into IVF, you can have all of your initial consultations done here in 92 Harley Street, and then have your procedures carried out at Boston Place.

Have a look at their Open Events if you would like more information on the process of IVF, and to look around the clinic.