Fertility Treatments

We offer fertility treatments tailored to your individual circumstances and chances. Many couples do not wish or need to move ahead to in vitro fertilization straight away and often all that is required is simple ovulation induction with cycle monitoring to enable conception. Unless there is a clear indication (e.g. blocked tubes, or absent eggs or sperm) that IVF is required, it is usually advised to start with the simplest methods first without delay and move through each stage to enable you to have the best chance of conceiving before moving ahead to IVF. Our consultants will advice you as to your suitability for being treated here or at their IVF unit separately if required.

Treatments Offered:

• Natural Cycle Tracking. (Ovulation induction with ultrasound scan monitoring and timed intercourse)


• Simple ovulation induction with Clomiphene. This is a well established medication which improves the development of the egg improving the quality and number of eggs produced. This is usually advised in conjunction with ultrasound scan monitoring towards the middle of the cycle to ensure that not too many eggs are produced to reduce your chance of multiple pregnancy.


• Ovulation induction with gonadotrophin releasing analogues (Menopur). We teach you how to give daily injections at the beginning of your cycle to stimulate production of the eggs and these will be monitored from around day 7 to the middle of your cycle.


• HCG Injections. You will be advised with all the above treatments to use ovulation predictor kits and if on ultrasound scan you are found to produce adequate number and size of follicles without evidence of an LH surge on your predictor kit, you are then given HCG (human chorionic gonadotrophin) 5000 units or 10000 units subcutaneously to encourage ovulation. It is usually advised that a day 21 progesterone level is checked around 7-8 days later to ensure that ovulation has indeed occurred.

Other Treatments:

• Cyclogest (Progesterone): is often given from ovulation to first mid period or 14 weeks gestation. This can help implantation until the placenta starts to take over production of progesterone at 12 to 14 weeks. This can be particularly helpful in women with PCOS who tend to have lower levels of progesterone produced which is essential for maintaining the pregnancy.


• Aspirin (low dose) -75 mg daily: This is often advised to help improve blood supply and implantation and has been shown in some studies to reduce pregnancy loss. It can be taken up to 28 weeks gestation and has also been shown to reduce the risk or pre-eclampsia, help growth and reduce small vessel disease. Unlike high dose Aspirin this does not cause bleeding problems.


• Clexane: This may be given in some circumstances (previous pregnancy loss or auto-immune or coagulation problems) and has been shown to improve implantation and maintain the pregnancy reducing pregnancy loss.


• Steroids: These may be given if there has been suggestion of an autoimmune cause or if there is a repeated pregnancy loss for no obvious cause, or if there has been a suggestion of an increased number of natural killer cells. As steroids do not cause problems in early pregnancy (they are often used in high dose for severe vomiting in pregnancy) it is better to treat if those conditions are a factor, rather than wait for positive testing which can be spurious.


• Metformin and Dietary Changes: Insulin resistance has been shown to induce metabolic changes which can result in polycystic ovaries, poor quality ovulation and reduced implantation. Studies have shown that Metformin and Clomiphene are more effective than Clomiphene alone in achieving a full term pregnancy in women with known PCOS or other evidence of metabolic changes (central weight gain, recurrent miscarriage etc). Metformin alone is not thought to be as beneficial as Metformin with dietary changes as high carbohydrate diets worsen insulin resistance and can negate any benefit intended by the addition of Metformin.


• Dietary Advice. The increase tendency to a high carbohydrate diet and hidden sugars in the UK is thought to impact on the risk of developing insulin resistance and PCOS and reducing ovulation quality and implantation. Dietary changes may be key to improving your chances and can also provide a very different approach where couples have tried other avenues previously and have either got evidence of metabolic syndrome (central weight gain, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or PCOS) as well as previous failure to stimulate or failure to implant at traditional assisted reproduction attempts may benefit. Our specialists dieticians are skilled in tailoring your diet and helping you to make essential changes to optimize your chances of conception. See link dietary advice.

IVF / ICSI / DONOR

If more involved treatment is required your consultant will guide you with this and discuss your best chances according to your wishes and circumstances. Both our consultants undertake IVF at the Woking IVF unit which is an extremely reputable clinic with an excellent success rate and consistently acknowledged as of a very high standard by the HFEA. Unfortunately, even if you have been seen and assessed or received treatment at the Surrey Park Fertility Clinic, on referral onwards you will still require a preliminary assessment visit to the Woking IVF or any other IVF unit in accordance with the HFEA regulations of each individual unit. Your investigations will however not need to be repeated.