Fertility

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Infertility can be a frustrating and difficult experience. Dr Suvi Hyytinen in conjunction with the Cairns Fertility centre is able to provide individualised and supportive care during the fertility journey. Many couples can be assisted with non-interventional treatments (read more below).Dr Suvi Hyytinen at Evelyn & Rose Women’s Health has completed a Masters degree in Reproductive Medicine with excellence and work in partnership with Cairns fertility clinic (www.cairnsfertility.com) and as a result is able to offer the full spectrum of assisted reproduction options.

Evelyn & Rose Women’s Health is able to provide detailed assessment of both female and male fertility. If you have a referral from your general practitioner, an appointment will be made prior to the expected time of ovulation for an ultrasound to assess the best time to try to conceive. This is a more accurate way of assessing the fertile time in the cycle than home ovulation tests. There will be no out of pocket cost for this ultrasound. Your specialist will review all results with you. 

It is routine to assess the fallopian tubes after the initial blood tests and semen analysis have been performed. HyCoSy does not require an anaesthetic and can be performed in  our consultation rooms, occasionally with some minor sedation. Other tubal patency tests include hysterosalpingogram (x-ray test) and laparoscopic tubal assessment (keyhole surgery). Your specialist will discuss tubal patency testing with you during the evaluation process. 

There are a number of ways of improving the chance of natural conception.Natural cycles can be monitored by ultrasound. A scan is performed on day 10-12 of a monthly cycle to look for a leading follicle (containing the egg). The lining of the womb is assessed also. The optimal time to try to conceive in the cycle can be identified.Weight loss (as little as 5% of body weight) can significantly improve natural fertility. Tubal “flushing” can improve the chance of natural conception in younger couples with unexplained infertility or mild endometriosis. A test of fallopian tube patency can be performed at the same time as tubal flushing. 

Women with conditions such as Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome can consider medical treatments such as metformin (a diabetes tablet) to regulate their cycles. Other tablet therapies can be prescribed to induce regular ovulation (letrozole and clomiphene). Hormone disorders including high prolactin levels and hypothyroidism can be treated with medical therapies also. 

Polycystic ovarian syndrome is a common hormone disorder that leads to irregular periods. Women can have difficulties in conceiving due to infrequent ovulation. Associated features include acne, weight gain and excessive hair growth. Fertility treatments for PCOS include tablet treatments (letrozole and clomiphene), supported weight loss, ovarian drilling and IVF.

Endometriosis is a condition that leads to painful periods, pelvic pain and infertility. Endometriosis is diagnosed by laparoscopy (keyhole surgery). The Specialists at Evelyn & Rose Women’s Health are able to assess and treat endometriosis related infertility. Treatment options include tubal flushing, surgical removal of endometriosis deposits and IVF. 

Intrauterine insemination (IUI) involves placing a prepared semen sample in the womb prior to ovulation. Ovulation timing is determined by ultrasound, urine LH testing and hormone blood tests. IUI is commonly performed in donor sperm assisted conception. Intrauterine insemination with frozen-thawed sperm is a treatment that can be considered for couples where the male travels away to work (FIFO workers) to provide couples with more frequent attempts to conceive. 

IVF is a treatment in which fertilisation of an egg by sperm takes place outside the human body. It is used to treat many fertility issues including tubal infertility, unexplained infertility, age related infertility and endometriosis. Injections are usually required to produce eggs for collection. Eggs are collected by a procedure under ultrasound guidance. After 3-5 days an embryo is transferred to the womb. Excess embryos are frozen and can be transferred to the womb in later cycles. 

Male factor issues are involved in half of presentations for infertility. Male fertility is routinely evaluated by semen analysis. Additional tests include analysis of sperm DNA quality, hormone blood tests, chromosome testing and ultrasound. Dr Suvi able to provide detailed evaluation of male fertility as well as the full range of treatments including intrauterine insemination, intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection, surgical sperm extraction and donor sperm. 

Recurrent early pregnancy loss is a distressing experience for couples. Pregnancy after recurrent loss is often associated with high levels of anxiety rather than the joy and excitement that many couples experience in early pregnancy. At Evelyn & Rose Women’s Health we are able to provide detailed evaluation and supportive care for women and couples after recurrent pregnancy loss. We offer flexible access to ultrasound scans and consultations during early pregnancy. Grief counselling via our experienced fertility counsellor is also available. 

Evelyn & Rose Women’s Health is able to provide urgent consultation for women with a diagnosis of cancer to discuss fertility preservation options. Evelyn & Rose Women’s Health is able to provide the full spectrum of fertility preservation options including egg and embryo freezing in partnership with cairns fertility clinic.

In partnership with Cairns fertility Clinic, Evelyn & Rose Women’s Health is able to provide the full spectrum of donor assisted conception including donor sperm, donor oocytes and embryos. Contact us on 13000ROSE2.