Natural cycle and mild IVF - Fertility Treatment without the drugs

Natural Cycle IVF and Mild IVF are two forms of IVF which require no, or very little, use of the ovary stimulating drugs normally associated with this form of treatment and which can add to the stress and risks of treatment. Professor Geeta Nargund, Medical Director of CREATE Fertility, explains how it works and whether it’s right for you.

Travelling to the USA for egg donor treatment – the patient’s perspective and the clinic that treated them

After several unsuccessful IVF cycles in the UK, Sarah Esdaile and her partner begun a programme of treatment at Shady Grove Fertility, a clinic based in the USA, using an egg donor. In this talk Sarah explains what happened in her earlier treatment, why that lead to the decision to look for a donor, and, having made that decision, the reasons and thought processes behind opting for a clinic in the States - for whom she has recently become an advocate - whilst Dr Michael Levy, Director of the Donor egg programme at Shady Grove, explains the processes involved and what he believes are the advantages US clinics offer UK patients.

Folic Acid vs Folate

In this talk Marianne will focus on the key differences between folate and folic acid covering the following aspects:
> - Natural vs synthetic nutrient, difference in absorption.
> - What do we need folate for and importance in fertility and pregnancy
> - Methylation and it’s role in fertility.

Newlife Georgia – Global surrogacy options for UK patients.

In just a few years, Ukraine and Georgia have become leading providers of egg donor and surrogacy services for couples struggling with infertility. Sophie Ukleba, New life representative, will discuss surrogacy destinations, for heterosexual, single and same-sex couples.

Sophie will introduce the audience to the surrogacy process in Ukraine. She will explain the  requirements to enroll for programs, as well as discuss the legal sides for married heterosexual couples. For unmarried couples, she will cover Georgia as an alternative surrogacy destination, where marriage certificate is not mandatory. Together with these 2 countries, other options will be also be discussed specifically for single and same-sex couples. Additionally, we will welcome one of our previous, successful UK parents, who is kind enough to share her journey with everyone. 

Fertility treatment for older women

Tarek outlines the issues related to compromised ovarian reserve and discusses the options and new techniques that can boost fertility and improve success rates for women over 40.

How to manage difficult cases in IVF - Combining latest technologies with experience

Although success rates steadily increase over the years in the UK, considerable number of couples that are cosidered as “easy” to get benefit from IVF, unfortunatelly end up in multiple failed cycles. These so called “difficult” cases require personalized diagnostic and therapeutic approaches, challenging combinations of experience and technology to solve the puzzle. In this talk, Dr. Karlikaya will be the voice of such cases by showing real case examples and how the Group’s experience with >60.000 live births can help them to achieve their dreams

Underlying Health and Fertility: How Can Diet & Lifestyle Help?

Often, with fertility problems, underlying biological factors contribute to difficulties conceiving, aside from known medical problems.  This talk offers evidence-based information on health and lifestyle factors that can affect male and female fertility.  It includes general information on preparing for a healthy pregnancy and the importance of preconception care for the lifetime health of your child.

IVF Treatment Abroad - Are the popular destinations in Europe safe enough? How to check the clinic before the trip

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Egg Donation and IVF Abroad - are the popular destinations in Europe safe enough? How to check the clinic before the trip?

Comprehensive comparison of the most popular destinations in Europe including law, success rates, treatment options and costs.  During the seminar, we'll discuss how patients can check the IVF Clinic before they go abroad - where to look for the information, how to check if the clinic is allowed to treat patients. 

Decision-making, openness and family building

If you use donated sperm, eggs or embryos to start your family then the issues of what, when and how to tell the child about their genetic origin becomes crucial. Nina, who is Director of Donor Conception Network and Gill Pearson discuss the importance of being open with children.

Dealing with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)

PCOS is a common cause of infertility in women and particularly common among women with ovulation problems. Adam Balen, Professor of Reproductive Medicine and Surgery at Leeds NHS Centre for Reproductive Medicine, talks about what is known about PCOS and the most effective ways of investigating and treating it.

Visitor Quote: 'The information was amazing and extremely helpful. Thank you so much and god bless.'

Solving the mystery of implantation

An exciting and interesting dive into implantation where Dr. Hausken will be highlighting the following topics during his talk:

• Cross talking between the Embryo and Endometrium

• Immunology

• Implications affecting implantation

• Endometrial Receptive Analysis

• Cell communication

• How vaginal and cervical microbiota affect implantation

• Patient involvement

50,000 consultations: What I’ve learnt in 30 years of helping people to have babies

Professor Charles Kingsland is a  World Renowned Practitioner in Fertility Therapy and is the Group Clinical Director at CARE Fertility. He has 30 years experience in treating patients particularly in the Northwest of England.  He has brought many innovations to the speciality in his own unique, enthusiastic and passionate style. He will be available to talk individually to patients at the show.

 Investigate sperm and treat the man - What do we do about poor quality sperm and unexplained Infertility?

Jonathan Ramsay and colleagues at Imperial and at the Lister Hospital have been looking at the relevance of measuring the DNA quality of a man’s sperm since original research on this topic, published more than 10-years ago. More recently, we have begun to appreciate that sperm can be damaged, as it travels through the genital tract – a long journey for a tiny sperm.  This damage is often caused by ‘oxidative stress’, and now we can measure this phenomenon to help us to direct and choose antioxidant treatments.  However, there are different types of DNA damage, and some of these are not so easy to treat – we are beginning to understand these differences, so that we can decide whether interventions (such as varicocele treatment) will be effective. We are also working to refine our approach to surgical sperm retrieval, to provide ‘better’ sperm for ICSI. It is a rapidly developing field, which I am looking forward to sharing with all at the Fertility Show this year.

Your chances in IVF

Couples seeking fertility treatment would like to choose options that will provide them with the highest chance of success. Fertility clinics would also like to accomplish the maximum pregnancy rate, however, sometimes the two do not aline. Patients are continously recieving conflicting messages on different approaches to IVF treatment based on their ovarian reserve or age. Mr Faris will particularly target this issue in his talk using the Lister Fertility clinic data of around 23,000 cycles as well as external data. The objectives of the talk is to provide patients with clear explanation and guidance on their chances in an already challenging journey.

What can we do after failed IVF?

Repeated failed cycles can be physically, emotionally and financially exhausting. Offering a comprehensive approach is key before changing the treatment strategy. Before embarking on a new IVF treatment, Fertility Specialists must first identify the causes of previous failure. During this seminar, Dr Szlarb will cover the potential causes and will offer information on the different solutions available to overcome recurrent failure and improve treatment outcome. 

Fertility Assessment - When is a good time to seek help?

Difficulty to conceive affects one in six couples in the UK. This causes significant stress and anxiety. Long waiting periods for appointments as well as protracted investigations further compound the distress. Appropriate investigations and fertility advice as part of a timely, discrete and sensitive process is of the utmost importance to couples. In this talk, Mr Ogutu discusses when and where to seek answers, as well as a thorough and efficient one–stop fertility assessment service.

IVF in patients beyond their 40’s

Dr. Olivares will talk about the possibility of patients over the age of 40 who want a baby using their own eggs. He will talk about IVF and how they can improve their chances of this happening.

Boost fertility and prevent miscarriage with nutrition

Find out how nutrition can help you get pregnant and also prevent miscarriages. Come to this talk to discover the best diet, supplements and lifestyle factors to maximise your chances of getting, and staying, pregnant. Also learn how to improve your chances for a successful IVF and how nutrition can help if you have been diagnosed with an immunological problem

What is stress doing to your hormones? How balance in our lives creates balance with our hormones

Henrietta will be exploring the influence that stress has on our hormonal system and fertility.  This workshop will explain Henrietta's 360 mind-body approach to wellbeing and stress management, combining evidence-based principles of functional medicine with the inherent wisdom found in more natural nutrition practices. You will be given the opportunity to find out which natural approaches will support you and your body during preconception. 

Natural cycle and mild IVF - Fertility Treatment without the drugs

Natural Cycle IVF and Mild IVF are two forms of IVF which require no, or very little, use of the ovary stimulating drugs normally associated with this form of treatment and which can add to the stress and risks of treatment. Professor Geeta Nargund, Medical Director of CREATE Fertility, explains how it works and whether it’s right for you.

Blastocyst transfer - does it really matter?

An embryo has the ability to be implanted in the uterus only if it reaches the blastocyst stage, which usually occurs on day 5 of its development. Theoretically, these embryos carry a high implantation potential. This lecture will help answer the question if the routine adoption of this policy will improve success rates in IVF."

Surrogacy a bespoke service - why finding the right clinic is important

Surrogacy is often the only course of action available to intended parents who are unable to carry a baby themselves. Surrogacy can be a long and complex journey as there are so many elements to consider. It’s therefore crucial to find an experienced clinic with ethical values and excellent service, who is empathetic and flexible to ensure the best possible outcome for you and your future family. As National Surrogacy Awards Winners 2018, we are supporting the UK Law Commission to review the existing surrogacy law, by advising, influencing and educating the decision-makers.

The role of meditation, spirituality and communication in the success of fertility treatment.

Fertility problems are on the rise.  Treatment methods can cause immense mental, emotional and physical pain and suffering.  Over decades, science and technology has evolved to help many couples, but human life changed very rapidly and we were ill equipped to cope with the pressures.  This resulted in stress, which led to enormous negative consequences.   Our mind started playing a bigger role and challenged the capability of science.  How can we make science better equipped to work on the body?  Spirituality and Meditation are tools that can help science to help humanity in a better way. This seminar will not only give you the strength to cope with fertility issues, but also make your life joyful and happy.  It can transform your life completely.

This seminar will beautifully present the fusion of science with spirituality.

The Basics. What you need to know to get pregnant and how to prepare for pregnancy

For many people getting pregnant can be harder than they anticipate. It can be a stressful time for couples, and given the myriad of advice from friends, family, the lay and medical press, its often hard to distinguish good evidence based information from old-wives’ tales. Mr Lavery will cover the essential information you need to know about how long should it take, frequency and timing of intercourse, the impact of stress, diet, smoking and alcohol.  The role of sophisticated placebos will also be considered.

Past Visitor Quote  "No nonsense, no selling. The most useful seminar so far."

A day in the life of an Embryologist

IVF is about teamwork. A number of disciplines are needed to join together to provide the necessary patient care in helping to create a baby. From a patient perspective, the infertility journey involves close interaction with three of those teams; Clinical, Nursing and Administration staff are frequently in contact with patients during their treatment. But hiding in the shadows of the laboratory is a fourth team with less patient interaction but enormous responsibilities: the Embryology Team. Embryologists are highly specialised scientists that are in charge of creating and looking after the gametes and embryos. The aim of this talk is to throw some light on the sometimes concealed work of the embryologists and their critical role during the IVF journey.

Latest Advances in IVF and Reproductive medicine

The presentation aims at engaging and enlightening the audience to the latest advances in the field. A brief summary informing the patients and couples attending the show about what they need to know before embarking on treatment so they can make an informed decision. The presentation is nonbiased and submitting an evidence based medicine in a scientific way, at the same time not going into too much details which could lead to more confusion to the patients

The aim of the talk is to provide couple with the latest in the field without dictating or suggesting any form or modality of treatment nor expressing favouritism towards any clinic in particular .

The advantage of this talk is to raise awareness to lay people also not to bombard them with statistics and too much medical jargon that leave them more confused. I will be focused on what is available on the market and what is agreeable with the HFEA as acceptable

Improving the odds of IVF working for you

Yacoub explains what is understood to influence the success or failure of an IVF cycle including some of those factors within a patient’s control.

IVF Treatment Abroad - How to choose the IVF Clinic abroad? What you should ask differently before you go?

How to choose the IVF Clinic abroad? What you should ask differently before you go?
During the seminar, we'll discuss statistics regarding the most often asked questions by patients before choosing the IVF clinic. We'll show if these questions are asked in the right way and share how to ask to not to fall into common "IVF" traps.

Which way now? Your fertility options if you respond poorly to IVF

When IVF doesn’t work as expected, an important issue to consider is the response to stimulation. This talk will focus on the current evidence for IVF stimulation protocols and expected response. For those cycles where the response is suboptimal, we will consider what options and modifications are likely to help. We will also consider alternative ART treatments to IVF.

Unexplained Infertility

In my talk I would like to cover following key points:

·       What is unexplained infertility?

·       Is it truly unexplained? What are the potential contributing factors?

·       What investigations are recommended?

·       What are the treatment options?

·       How to optimize the chances of natural conception with unexplained infertility?

Miscarriages are highly affected by male infertility but there is a solution

Approximately one in four pregnancies will end in a miscarriage. This heart-breaking result could be a single sporadic event, however some will experience repeated pregnancy losses. Whilst miscarriages can occur for many reasons, there is an increasing awareness of the significance of sperm DNA quality in miscarriage. At Herts and Essex Fertility Centre, we endeavour to ensure that the individual sperm selected for your treatment within ICSI is of optimal quality and in this talk, Dr Lucy Richardson will present exciting evidence supporting the use of new technology to reduce male-factor influenced miscarriage.

Boost fertility and prevent miscarriage with nutrition

Find out how nutrition can help you get pregnant and also prevent miscarriages. Come to this talk to discover the best diet, supplements and lifestyle factors to maximise your chances of getting, and staying, pregnant. Also learn how to improve your chances for a successful IVF and how nutrition can help if you have been diagnosed with an immunological problem

Egg Donation and Surrogacy in the US

In order to start or grow their families, egg donation and gestational surrogacy provide a means to do so. Egg donation can help single men, same sex male couples, and couples in which a female partner does not have healthy eggs or who carries a genetic condition that could be passed to their offspring.  Gestational surrogacy is an option for same-sex couples or single males and anyone who has struggled with infertility or who may be unable to safely carry a pregnancy. The Idaho Center for Reproductive Medicine specializes in egg donor and gestational surrogacy treatment cycles, and offers high success rates at some of the most affordable costs in the USA.

Recurrent pregnancy loss and recurrent implantation failure - what are our current strategies to solve the riddle?

Two different diagnoses with a common denominator - increased incidence in patients after 35, and the huge toil they pose on the couple AND the treating physician.

Both recurrent implantation failure (RIF) and recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) can have a wide array of underlying causes and contributing factors - from advanced maternal/faternal age & genetic factors; through uterine pathologies, inflammation & immunological factors; to defects in early embryo development or improper synchronisation of the embryo and the endometrium -- it can all be quite a complex riddle, puzzling both medical teams and couples.

What means do we currently have as Reproductive specialists to find a way out of the maze? Can we really count on immunotherapy? When do we go for minimally invasive surgery? How to best pinpoint the root of the problem and tailor the best solution?

At Nadezhda Women's Health Hospital we have some exciting success stories that point to new horizons for couples with RIF or RPL, and we are eager to share these!

Dealing with and treating endometriosis

Endometriosis is a common condition in which the cells which normally line the uterus implant around the outside of the uterus and/or ovaries, causing internal bleeding and pain. It’s affects up to 2 million women in the UK and can substantially reduce fertility. Whilst there is no “cure”, there are different treatments.

IVF and cutting edge technologies - do they make a difference and the evidence for them

The need to evolve IVF is the imperative to make IVF even more efficient than it is today. Since the early days of IVF live birth rates, in the best clinics, have improved 3-fold due in part to evolved practice and technology – most of which had little or no evidence before introduction to clinical practice. We will explore some of the latest technologies already bringing changing practice in some clinics, such as Time-Lapse Imaging and Chromosome Assessment, we shall examine the opportunity for the ‘personalised medicine’ approach, the value of natural cycle IVF and is it really ‘back to the future’, and some interesting potential opportunities for the ‘Next Generation IVF’ such as ‘AI’ and ‘PIV’!    

10 myths surrounding fertility

This talks aims to explore the common misconceptions about fertility and the role of assisted reproduction technologies in improvement of fertility outcome. It can help you to understand:

- About the role of Assisted Reproductive Technologies at different age groups including above 40;

- The main reason for failed IVF,

- The role of “Freeze all” cycles on chances of success,

- Lifestyle and gametes quality;

- Immune testing

- Genetic testing for embryos

- How the success rate of the clinics is measured

Maternal age and Fertility

It is well known that fertility decreases with maternal age. However, nowadays there are different approaches to overtake the difficulties that can be found in some situations because of the age. We will talk about the different methods to measure the possibilities of reproductive success, the differences in the stimulation protocols and treatments that can benefit those patients with advanced maternal age, and also the possibility of using PGT (pre-implantation Genetic testing) in the embryos before transferring them. In some situations, egg donation will be the only possibility to conceive and we will explain why and what does it involve. Last but not least, we will talk about how to make your pregnancy at an advanced maternal age safer for you and your baby.

Testing your fertility and the value of your ovarian reserve

James Nicopoullos explains what medical investigations there are to test a woman’s ovarian reserve and what can (and can’t) be done about their fertility.

Egg Donation - A comparison of the success rates of donor and patient eggs    

In April 2019 Sally Cheshire, the Chair of the HFEA, highlighted that the success rates for women aged over 40 IVF were low if they use their own eggs.  Specifically, just over 1% for those aged over 44, 3.3% for women aged 43 to 44 and 9.1% for women aged 40-42. The HFEA data indicates that success rates for all ages when using donor eggs, including the over 44s, were over 30% per treatment cycle in 2016. The HFEA 2016 data indicates that success rates are linked to the age of the women when her eggs were collected and frozen.  Therefore, where possible, donor eggs from younger patients should be sought. Opting for donor rather than own eggs is a difficult decision for many and needs to be considered carefully with appropriate support.  However egg donation is becoming increasingly common and is worthy of consideration because of the higher success rates.

Egg donation in Spain - How it can improve your chances of a successful pregnancy

If you are not producing eggs of your own, the quality of your eggs are unlikely to result in a pregnancy or if you have suffered repeated miscarriage or implantation failures - egg donation may be the solution for you.