Is it possible for me to get pregnant if I only have one fallopian tube? What if I have neither of them?

The uterine tubes (or fallopian tubes) are muscular tubes leading from the ovaries into the uterus. The uterine tubes are responsible for collecting the egg each month. Fusion between the egg and the sperm (fertilisation) also takes place inside them. The resulting embryo is taken to the uterus where the pregnancy will evolve. Evidently, the fallopian tubes fulfil essential roles in natural reproduction linked to ovulation, fertilisation and pregnancy. In fact, diseases or abnormalities in the uterine tubes are the cause of up to 30% of all cases of sterility. […]

By |2017-05-26T09:20:09+00:0026 de May de 2017|Assisted reproduction, Fertility, Gynaecology, In vitro fertilisation (IVF), News, Pregnancy, Women’s health, Women’s health|0 Comments
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The advantages and disadvantages of pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD)

Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) consists of studying chromosomal abnormalities and genetic abnormalities in the embryo prior to transfer to the mother. Its purpose is to ensure that children are healthy and put an end to the transmission of a specific condition.
There are two types of PGD: the PGD aimed at selecting embryos that are free of a genetic disorder affecting a single gene (PGD) and the PGD that analyses genetic diseases affecting one or more chromosomes (CCS or PGS). Their names are sometimes a cause for confusion. The post entitled Are PGD, PGS and CCS all one and the same? clarifies the differences between them. […]

By |2017-05-17T09:18:15+00:0019 de May de 2017|Assisted reproduction, Fertility, Genetics, Pregnancy, Women’s health, Women’s health|0 Comments
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A less invasive, simpler technique: SOFT IVF or MINI IVF

Having a sufficient number of mature egg cells is one of the key steps to obtaining excellent results in a cycle of in vitro fertilisation (IVF). In order to achieve this, the ovaries need to be stimulated and, contrary to what happens during a natural cycle, the ovaries need to simultaneously mature an appropriate number of eggs.
The most commonly used stimulation protocols are based on the use of doses of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). These may or may not be administered along with other drugs and vary between 150 and 300 IU/day. The response will be somewhere between 7 and 15 follicles. […]

By |2017-05-11T09:56:07+00:0012 de May de 2017|Artificial insemination, Assisted reproduction, Fertility, Gynaecology, In vitro fertilisation (IVF), News, Poor Ovarian Response Unit, Pregnancy, Women’s health, Women’s health|0 Comments
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Should IVF (in vitro fertilisation) be carried out using sedation or under anaesthetic?

Follicular puncture, or ovarian puncture, is one of the fundamental stages of in vitro fertilisation (IVF). It consists of surgery in order to retrieve eggs from inside follicles in the ovary. Excellent patient satisfaction and well-being when using these techniques reduce the emotional stress that they generate.
Huge progress has been made in the field of assisted reproduction and these steps forward will always be thought of as historical milestones in medicine. Comfort and safety are some of the most significant improvements that have been made. During the early days of IVF, eggs were retrieved by means of ovarian puncture under general anaesthetic delivered by inhalation. This technique was relatively cumbersome and egg retrieval results were low in comparison with the technique used nowadays. Patients were required to stay overnight at the clinic. […]

By |2017-05-04T09:13:50+00:005 de May de 2017|Assisted reproduction, Egg donation, In vitro fertilisation (IVF), News, Women’s health, Women’s health|0 Comments
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The adventure of deciding to become a single mother: maternity alone

If becoming a parent is an adventure in itself, taking the step to become a single mother by choice is undoubtedly a challenge. Nowadays, nobody is surprised when a woman decides to have children by herself. It is a decision she takes after having thought long and hard about it. The future mother needs to feel that she is in no way alone during the process. Instituto Bernabeu has been helping women who decide to become single mothers using assisted reproduction treatment for years. The clinic has a team of specialists who, as well as having an in-depth scientific understanding of the situation, bring a very human touch to the sensitive issue of choosing to be a single parent. […]

By |2017-04-28T13:04:36+00:0028 de April de 2017|Artificial insemination, Assisted reproduction, Fertility, Gynaecology, In vitro fertilisation (IVF), News, Pregnancy, Women’s health, Women’s health|0 Comments
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In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF). What are the potential complications?

In vitro fertilisation is the most common form of reproductive medicine and, since the issues which need to be solved are often complex, it is not always possible to get the desired result.
Over the last few decades, the risks associated with in vitro fertilisation (FIV) have gone down considerably. […]

By |2017-05-04T09:05:50+00:0021 de April de 2017|Assisted reproduction, Fertility, Gynaecology, In vitro fertilisation (IVF), News, Sterility, Women’s health, Women’s health|0 Comments
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How long should I wait following unsuccessful assisted reproduction treatment?

We are often asked this question at our clinic because, following an unsuccessful attempt at in vitro fertilisation there is always the hope of another go. The recommendation has always traditionally been to leave a space of 3 months between each ovarian stimulation, which can be stressful for patients whose age is against them.
Research has been carried out with the aim of determining whether or not a wait is necessary. The studies compare a wait of one month with a wait of three months and the results obtained are the same.
It is for this reason that we do not recommend putting off a new attempt for more than one month in patients who need to carry out treatment as soon as possible. […]

By |2017-05-04T09:05:59+00:006 de April de 2017|Assisted reproduction, Egg donation, Fertility, Gynaecology, In vitro fertilisation (IVF), News, Pregnancy, Reproductive biology, Women’s health, Women’s health|0 Comments
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The importance of the Fallopian tubes in fertility

The Fallopian tubes are two, very thin elongated structures measuring around 12 centimetres in length which connect the peritoneal cavity to the uterus. In this external abdominal part, they are in very close contact with the ovaries.
The Fallopian tubes play a vital role or function in human reproduction: in the first instance, they are responsible for suctioning the egg from the ovary each month and later for waiting 24-72 hours for fertilisation. Should this not happen, the egg is simply absorbed. If it is fertilised, the Fallopian tube allows the fertilised egg to travel to the uterus thanks to contractions and to the hair cells lining it. The fertilised egg (or zygote) remains in the Fallopian tube for around 48-72 hours on its journey to the uterus where it will eventually implant the embryo. […]

By |2017-03-30T19:11:01+00:0031 de March de 2017|Artificial insemination, Assisted reproduction, Fertility, Gynaecology, In vitro fertilisation (IVF), News, Pregnancy, Reproductive biology, Sterility, Women’s health|0 Comments
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Empty follicle syndrome

In vitro fertilisation (IVF) techniques aim to generate multiple follicles (ovarian stimulation) from which to obtain eggs which will later be fertilised. The ovarian stimulation process culminates with the use of a drug which induces the final stage of egg maturation. The most commonly used one is human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). This final step is essential in order to obtain eggs during ovarian puncture and it also indicates when the procedure should be carried out. The origin of empty follicle syndrome (EFS) is not fully understood and, when it occurs, no eggs are obtained following meticulous ovarian puncture, despite adequate follicle growth following ovarian stimulation and normal hormone results. […]

By |2017-01-27T10:21:21+00:0017 de March de 2017|Assisted reproduction, Fertility, Gynaecology, In vitro fertilisation (IVF), News, Women’s health, Women’s health|0 Comments
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Embryo transfer in natural cycles

In an in vitro fertilization, embryo transfer takes place in the same cycle in which the ovaries are stimulated and the embryos are generated. However, on many occasions, this is not ideal. The development of several follicles in the ovaries, upon receipt of various stimulus from different follicles, can deconstruct the endometrium and disrupt its implantation capacity. […]

By |2017-03-13T18:29:59+00:0013 de March de 2017|Assisted reproduction, Fertility, Implantation failure and recurrent miscarriage, In vitro fertilisation (IVF), News, Pregnancy, Women’s health, Women’s health|0 Comments
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