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Fertility treatments
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At TFP Belfast Fertility, we offer many different kinds of treatment, from conventional IVF to fertility preservation and egg and sperm donation.
This section describes the treatments, outlining when you might use them and what will happen if you do.
IVF
IVF treatment requires more eggs than in a natural cycle so that the ovaries are stimulated to increase the number of mature eggs available for fertilisation. The eggs are then collected from the ovaries using ultrasound guidance. Sperm from the partner or a donor are specially prepared and mixed with the eggs in the laboratory to allow fertilisation to occur.
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Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)
ICSI treatment involves the injection of a single sperm directly into each egg. The treatment before and after ICSI is identical to the conventional IVF cycle. As only a small number of sperm are required for ICSI it is appropriate where the man has low numbers of normal, motile sperm.
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Frozen embryo transfer
Additional embryos from your IVF treatment can be frozen for future use. Frozen cycles allow you to use these previously stored embryos.
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Freezing – vitrification
Vitrification involves much more rapid cooling than other less advanced methods of freezing, and it prevents ice crystals from forming. This preserves the quality of the cells and improves the chances of success when they are thawed.
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Intra Uterine Insemination (IUI)
Artificial insemination requires a fresh or frozen sample of sperm to be available on the day of insemination. The semen is prepared and concentrated prior to placement in the uterus using a fine catheter (intra-uterine insemination).
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Fertility preservation
There are many reasons why people may want to preserve their fertility. Here at Belfast Fertility we give you the option to freeze your eggs, sperm and embryos.
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Surgical Sperm Retrieval (SSR)
Before IVF treatment begins, we carry out a semen analysis. Some men have sperm being manufactured in their testes, but it is not present in ejaculate during semen analysis. The problem can be caused by a blockage, or reduced sperm production. In these cases, we can collect sperm via surgical sperm retrieval. We can also use this method to collect sperm for men who have previously had a vasectomy, or a failed vasectomy reversal.
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EmbryoScope / TimeLapse
At TFP Belfast Fertility we can offer cutting-edge time-lapse EmbryoScope+ monitoring as part of your treatment cycle. The EmbryoScope+ is a special incubator that has a 15 built-in cameras, capable of taking pictures of your embryo several times an hour. These pictures are then combined to create a time-lapse video showing the embryo’s development right up to the blastocyst stage. From there, our embryology team uses specialised software to assess which embryos possess the highest implantation potential.
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Sperm donation
People struggle to have children for many different reasons. By donating your sperm, you’ll be giving them the chance to conceive the child they’ve always wanted.
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We offer additional services
Below are different options that can be added onto your treatment cycle. Add-ons are optional extras that can be added on top of your standard IVF or ICSI cycle at an additional cost. None of which have any detrimental impact, however, proven clinical benefit is yet to be statistically confirmed. For further information on their effectiveness please refer to the HFEA’s online guide and if you are considering using any of these please discuss with our clinical team for further guidance.
EmbryoGlue
Hyaluronon is a naturally occurring substance present in follicles, tubes and cavity of the womb. Its effect is to make the fluid in these areas more viscous (sticky) and to encourage the implantation of embryos. Therefore embryoglue can be used for ET to improve the implantation potential of embryos transferred. Embryoglue is standard included in treatment at TFP Belfast Fertility.
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Endometrial scratch
It is shown in recent studies that an ‘endometrial scratch’ may improve implantation rates in patients who have had multiple failed IVF cycles, despite good quality embryos. Embryo implantation can often fail due to poor ‘endometrial receptivity’, and an endometrial scratch may help to improve the womb lining’s receptivity to an embryo.
It’s a straightforward appointment. There is an ultrasound scan, and then a procedure similar to a smear test, where a catheter is inserted into the womb through the cervix and used to lightly mark the womb lining. It’s suitable for patients trying to conceive in a natural cycle, as well as patients going through IVF cycles.
Please discuss endometrial scratch with our clinical team at your initial consultation
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Blastocyst culture
At TFP Belfast Fertility, embryos are transferred on day 5. Blastocyst transfer is a selection tool which helps us to identify the strongest embryo/s for transfer and is a good technique to use where more good quality embryos have developed by day 3 than are needed for transfer.
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