Bourn Hall Conference to address latest progress in improving fertility odds

Fertility experts will highlight benefits of pre-implantation genetic screening, endoscopy as the key to reducing infertility, causes of repeated IVF failure and ways of raising IVF success rate 

• Pre-implantation genetic testing significantly improve IVF success rates 20 times
• Treatment of gynaecologic disorders with endoscopy can improve fertility potential
• Steady decline in UAE fertility rate; expected to fall further from the current 2.37 children per woman to 1.63 by 2030. Men make up almost 30 percent of the 150,000 cases of infertility in the UAE.

Dubai, UAE, May 12, 2016:  To highlight the latest advancements and breakthroughs in reproductive health and maximising the chances of success in an IVF treatment, Bourn Hall Fertility Clinic, Dubai, is holding a fertility conference on Friday May, 13th 2016 at InterContinental Hotel, Dubai Festival City. Gynaecologists and Fertility Experts from across the region will converge at the upcoming conference and address the various health issues that can affect fertility, new technologies to counter them and investigate different ways of improving fertility potential while reducing the risks involved. 

Specialists at the conference will touch upon subjects such as the role of endoscopy in infertility, pre-implantation genetic screening, recurrent implantation failure and its genetic aspects, recurrent pregnancy loss, hysteroscopy, management of uterine endometriosis and the use of laparoscopy in removing uterine fibroids – also known as myomectomy. 

Dr David Robertson, Group Medical Director at Bourn Hall Fertility Clinic Dubai, said: “Every effort must be made to maximize the chances of success in an IVF treatment. Failure of IVF treatment is a mental, physical and financial disaster. Implantation dysfunction is a common cause of repeated ‘unexplained’ IVF failure with good embryos. This is especially the case in young ovulating women who have normal ovarian reserve and have fertile partners. Through the upcoming conference we would like to highlight such issues and causes of repeated IVF failure.

“With the use of new PGD tools the chances of producing a healthy pregnancy has significantly increased by twenty times. Recent advances have shown that embryos receiving the highest ratings from scientists based on their ‘normal’ or ‘excellent’ appearance under the microscope may, in fact be highly abnormal and totally incapable of ever producing a pregnancy. This discovery was brought about by the addition of preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) to the tools available to scientists in the IVF laboratory. PGD has offered physicians and scientists, for the first time ever, the ability to examine far beyond the superficial appearance of an embryo,” further explained Dr. David.

A recent study has revealed that fertility rate in the UAE has been declining steadily, from 3.2 children per woman to 2.37 over the span of a single generation and is expected to reduce to 1.63 before 2030. The UN has identified UAE for its sharp decline in fertility rates among older women (within 40 to 45 years) in particular. Cases of infertility among men have also risen; as per a news report published last year, out of the approximate 150,000 cases of infertility in the UAE, 45,000 are male related. In the UAE, women aged 40-44 have a 29 per cent risk of being infertile, while women aged 35 to 39 have 22 per cent chances. Even women between the ages of 30 to 34 can face up to 15 per cent chances of infertility.

Dr Robertson will be discussing the clinical aspect of recurrent implantation failure. His presentation will focus on identifying possible causes of early pregnancy loss, outlining the basic evaluation for recurrent pregnancy loss and reviewing the current treatment approaches for such patients. The topic will be further examined by other doctors who will explore the virtues and the methods of preimplantation besides assessing the related biopsy techniques and financial cost.

Discussion will also explore the latest developments in the role of endoscopy to eliminate infertility. Doctors will also focus on the significant role of hysteroscopy in eliminating risks prior to IVF, as well as the virtues of laparoscopy particularly with reference to removing transvaginal cerclage and uterine fibroids. As per the experts, in certain cases such as polycystic ovaries and where tubes are found infected, laparoscopy is in fact a necessary procedure. 

The event is open to obstetricians, urologists, fertility specialists, embryologists, lab personnel, nurses and trainees besides other members of medical profession.