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Bridge Clinic provides fertility options to women in anticipation

In its bid to provide answers to frequently-asked questions when couples are ready to have children, Bridge Clinic has presented specialized care options to patients.

In its bid to provide answers to frequently-asked questions when couples are ready to have children, Bridge Clinic has presented specialized care options to patients.

As an indigenous fertility health institution conceived to deliver medical care of uncompromising quality in Nigeria, the Clinic said when a decision is taken to seek medical care, questions like ‘how long is too late?’, ‘who do we talk to?’, ‘what facility should we visit?’ can be easily answered.

According to Dr. Rachael Opadiran, Consultant Gyanecologist and Fertility Specialist, Bridge Clinic Fertility Centre in a press release, the Clinic understands that every couple is unique and as such involved in all the decision making to help them understand each step of their treatment journey with ease.

Opadiran stressed that “Treatment ranges from basic interventions like lifestyle modifications such as weight loss, understanding the signs of ovulation, and mapping out the best time to have sexual intercourse to more specialized care which involves Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART).

The ART includes Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) which is used in treating unexplained infertility. Such infertility due to poor sperm quality or lack of consistent sexual intercourse due to psychological or physical reason. The sperms are treated and placed directly in the uterus around the time the ovary releases a maximum of two eggs to be fertilized. The expected outcome of IUI is for the sperm to swim into the fallopian tube and fertilise a waiting egg, resulting in a normal pregnancy.

The second one is Intra-cytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI), the most common and successful treatment for male infertility.

ICSI is recommended in cases of very low sperm count or abnormally shaped (poor morphology) sperm, or in sperm cells that do not move normally (poor motility). It has been found to be a suitable treatment option in couples who have had IVF previously and none or very few of the eggs were fertilised.

Preimplantation Genetic Testing (PGT) is the third and advanced care that prevents genetic abnormalities in parents from being transmitted to their baby by checking cells for genetic diseases such as Sickle Cell Disease and chromosomal disorders in embryos via In-Vitro Fertilisation (IVF). The benefits of PGT ranges from the ability to test more than 300 specific genetic diseases to its unique option of family balancing. Overall, it decreases miscarriage rates as screened embryos (chromosomally normal) are transferred into the woman’s uterus.”

The last of the Assisted Reproductive Technology is Cryopreservation – a process of egg freezing which gives women who are yet to decide when they want to have their babies a chance of bearing a child in the future (commonly known as “social freezing”). Cancer patients are also able to freeze their sperm or eggs prior to cancer treatment so as to save their genetic material from the potentially harmful effects of radiotherapy or chemotherapy. Eggs can be stored optimally for as long as 10 years. A thorough clinical assessment will determine the suitability of a woman for an egg freezing treatment cycle.

Meanwhile, concerning Third-Party Reproduction Options like Egg Donation, Opadiran disclosed that “Bridge Clinic services also extend to older women who wish to have children of their own but are experiencing a decline in their fertility which is a natural occurrence over the age of 35. This can be a tough time to accept that one may not be able to have their own genetic child, but with the help of our experienced counsellors and clinical team, we offer emotional support throughout the patient’s treatment journey. The process involves younger women donating their eggs under strict selection criteria and thorough evaluation to ensure only the most suitable is available for the egg donation process.

The other one is Surrogacy, where some women are unable to carry a pregnancy due to a medical condition or have experienced multiple failed IVF procedures and for them, surrogacy may be the answer. At Bridge Clinic, we have an ethical approach to this option to ensure the welfare of all involved, including the unborn child.”

Join us on Saturday, 20th February 2021 at our locations in Lagos, Abuja or Port Harcourt for more. website: Visit www.thebridgeclinic.com; email address enquiries@thebridgeclinic.com

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