For Immediate Release: January 9^th, 2012

 Merrion Fertility Clinic confirmed as first Irish Fertility Clinic licensed to perform Embryo and Blastocyst  VITRIFICATION               

 

DUBLIN – The freezing of embryos created through the in-vitro fertilization (IVF) process has become an integral part of assisted reproduction treatment. It provides individuals with the best possible opportunity to store embryos for potential future use to achieve pregnancy. While the freezing of embryos has been routine for many years the survival rate post thaw has never consistently exceeded 75% of embryos. Merrion Fertility Clinic is announcing an amendment to its Irish Medicines Board license to allow for the VITRIFICATION process to be used to cryopreserve embryos and blastocyst stage embryos.

Merrion Fertility Clinic is the first Irish Clinic to have been approved to hold such a license.

Vitrification is a specialized rapid freezing technique which is currently recognized internationally as the optimum technique for freezing embryos & eggs. This process results in better survival of embryos and eggs following thawing and, consequently, improved success in assisted reproduction treatments thereafter. Embryo post -thaw survival rates are typically 95% and resultant pregnancy rates are on a par with those achieved using fresh embryos.

Merrion Fertility Clinic Founder and Clinical Director Dr. Mary Wingfield said of vitrification ‘this is a new cryopreservation process to Ireland which offers a major leap forward in patient treatment opportunities. It supports our single embryo transfer programme which can improve overall outcome successes, reducing IVF twin rates. We are delighted to be the first Irish clinic to be licensed to offer vitrification for embryos and blastocysts and we intend to expand the vitrification process to include patient eggs (oocytes) later this year’

Merrion Fertility Clinic, located at the National Maternity Hospital, Holles Street, is now announcing its intention to establish an EGG FREEZING PROGRAM later in 2012. This will require a further Irish Medicines Board license variation.      

Women may consider egg freezing under two principal circumstances: (1) for medical reasons where part or all of the ovaries must be removed (e.g. endometriosis) or where treatments such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy can cause early ovarian failure (menopause) or (2) under circumstances where a woman is not in a position to conceive and is concerned about age related fertility loss.               

The ability to conceive begins to decline as a woman reaches her early thirties. After age 40, conception becomes very difficult and after age 42, is improbable. While the optimal and strongly recommended course of action is to plan a family before the age of 35, egg freezing represents an option to prolong reproductive capacity for women.

Dr. Wingfield said “we intend to offer oocyte freezing to young women who are at risk of early ovarian failure. I run an endometriosis clinic at the National Maternity Hospital and, for some women with severe disease, oocyte freezing offers a chance of preserving fertility. These women currently need to travel to the UK to avail of this service”.

Dr. Wingfield does not promote oocyte freezing for all – “Mother Nature is still much better than technological means of conceiving and oocyte freezing is still a new technique. So my advice to all women is ‘plan early, don’t leave it too late’ – but where there is a medically proven risk of ovarian failure, oocyte freezing should be available. We also need to be doing research into ovarian aging – and this is something we hope to commence next year.”

ENDS

 

Contact Donal Buggy

Tel: 01 6635011

E-mail: dbuggy@merrionfertility.ie