Embryo Freezing

Some couples are fortunate enough to collect a large number of embryos from one egg collection. Any remaining viable embryos that are not transferred into the woman's uterus during the month of treatment may be frozen ("cryopreserved") in small tubes and kept in storage in the embryo laboratory for future use.

This allows the patient to limit the number of embryos transferred "fresh" without sacrificing the chance that the unused embryos could lead to a pregnancy. The embryos may be kept in storage for several years. By transferring frozen-thawed embryos into the uterus, some patients have achieved 2-3 pregnancies in different years from just one egg collection.

Sperm Storage
Sperm may be stored at the Unit for a variety of reasons, including as a back up for fertility treatments or prior to patients undergoing chemotherapy, radiotherapy or surgery that might lead to them becoming infertile. Very low sperm counts or sperm retrieved directly from the testes (MESE and TESE samples) can also be stored for future treatment at the  Unit.

We can also provide sperm freezing as a temporary backup in cases where the man finds it difficult to produce a sperm sample or has to be away at the time of treatment.

Assisted Hatching

Before implantation in the womb, embryos must hatch out of their shell (called the zona pellucida). Assisted Zona Hatching (AZH) is a technique designed to assist embryos to hatch successfully. It involves creating a small hole in the zona pellucida of the developing embryo following IVF or ICSI, through which the embryo can ‘hatch’. This is performed on the third day following egg collection, immediately prior to embryo transfer.

It is usually recommended in women who have had several unsuccessful IVF attempts despite producing good embryos. It is not usually recommended as a first-line treatment as the process can occasionally damage the embryo.

We are totally committed to providing the best medical and scientific services currently available within this field. We do so in an environment of genuine care, warmth and support for couples attending the clinic.

Women who are most likely to benefit from assisted hatching are those:

• Over 38 years of age
• With mild elevations in their day 3 FSH levels
• Having repeated failures of ART cycles
• With embryos that have abnormal appearing zonae, as determined through close inspection by the embryologists

If performed improperly, creating this window in the zona pellucida can harm rather than help the chance for establishment of a pregnancy. Our embryologists have performed this technique for many years and have found it to improve pregnancy and delivery rates in the poor prognosis patient.

Counselling

Failure to conceive and fertility treatment is well recognised to cause enormous emotional, and in many cases also physical and financial stress in couples. It can also generate feelings of conflict and put a great strain on relationships. The Finney Hospital has a dedicated, experienced fertility counsellor available to help you at all stages of your investigations or treatment who will offer you the chance to talk openly about your feelings and provide guidance and advice as needed.

Anything you discuss with our counsellor will be treated as strictly confidential and will not affect your treatment. We also provide counselling for  single women prior to their treatment.

What is counselling?
The difficulties associated with trying to conceive, and a diagnosis of infertility, can often be a major life crisis. Many conflicting feelings and strong emotions arise and often their strength and intensity are greater than those we are used to dealing with Counselling starts from addressing immediate issues in your life, including fertility that may cause you confusion, uncertainty or anxiety.

It is important to have the opportunity to ask questions, access information and generally feel prepared for whatever lies ahead. Counselling can provide you with time and a quiet space where you can explore and consider the things that are worrying you.

How can counselling help?
Essentially, the process of counselling enables you, either individually or as a couple, to explore your thoughts, feelings and beliefs in order to develop a better understanding of your present situation.  
You may discover ways of coping and living more satisfactorily and begin to feel more in control of your life and the direction in which it is going.   You may decide to make changes to your life or come to terms with things that cannot be changed.

Often such decisions are easier to make with clarity when the situation is talked through with an objective outsider.

Counsellors are not there to judge you or give advice.  What they do provide is a secure, confidential environment in which to explore any problems you feel you have and to help you to deal with situations.  
Your discussions with the counsellor will remain confidential at all times and they will only divulge what you have discussed with them if you give permission for them to do so.

How many embryos to transfer?

The number of embryos transferred is crucial to your risk of a triplet pregnancy or higher. In Ghana there are no restrictions or regulations with regard the number of embryos to be transferred. Recently, there has been a drive toward single embryo transfer (SET). It is the policy of the Assited Conception Unit at Finney Hospital to transfer a maximum of 3  embryos. This however depends on individual circumstances. In order to improve the effectiveness of SET, selecting the embryo with the highest potential for implantation is important.

General advice after embryo transfer

• Take it easy for a few days, avoid any strenuous exercise such as aerobics and jogging.
• Avoid douching, tampons and swimming in order to avoid undue contamination of the vagina.
• Avoid unnecessary exposure to solvents and paints containing lead.
• Avoid carrying or lifting heavy objects.
• You should eat sensible and healthy diet, avoid consumption of excess alcohol,
• Stop smoking.
• Continue taking folic acid tablet.
• Refrain from taking medication or drugs that are not necessary, and only after checking with your doctor. .
• Avoid intercourse for two weeks.
• Do not stop luteal phase support until you have both a negative pregnancy test and a period.

Pregnancy testing

Most IVF clinics will offer you a blood tests about two weeks after embryo transfer, to check the level of Beta hCG (pregnancy hormone) and may also check the level of blood progesterone. In the happy event that the pregnancy test is positive, the patient will be asked to repeat the blood tests at intervals between 2-5 days to check the rising levels of these hormones.
HCG levels are the only way of monitoring early pregnancy. HCG levels which do not increase as rapidly as they should may indicate that there is a problem with the pregnancy such as ectopic pregnancy.
An ultrasound scan is usually performed about 5 weeks after embryo transfer or earlier. The scan will check that the pregnancy is normally located, appears normal and viable, and to see if there is more than one fetus.
The patient may have some vaginal spotting or bleeding prior to the pregnancy test. She may think that her period has already started and decline having the pregnancy test however it is recommended that the pregnancy test is done as it is the only way to determine whether there is a pregnancy.