Female Fertility Investigations
What is involved in the Fertility Evaluation?
Would you like to know how to increase your chances of starting a family of your own? If so, we offer male and female fertility tests, with our specialist teams. There are no waiting lists and we aim to have your results back within four weeks.
Firstly, your fertility specialist will take a detailed medical and fertility history and ask you questions about your lifestyle. Your doctor may ask you many of the following questions: How long have you been trying to get pregnant? How often are you having intercourse? Do you have pain with menstrual periods or intercourse? Have you been pregnant before and what happened with your prior pregnancies? Have you had any sexually transmitted infections or abnormal pap smears? How often do you have menstrual cycles? Do you have any medical problems or prior surgeries? Do you have a family history of medical problems? Are you a smoker? Do you drink alcohol, and if yes how many units per week?
These and many other questions will help our Consultant to design a specific evaluation and potential treatment for you.
These and many other questions will help our Consultant to design a specific evaluation and potential treatment for you.
Hormonal Investigations –Your Fertility Consultant may request specific blood tests. The most common of these tests include measurements of blood levels of certain hormones such as:
• AMH (Anti-Mullerian Hormone) is produced only in small ovarian follicles ( egg sacs). The higher the number of eggs remaining in the ovaries, the higher the level of AMH in the bloodstream. AMH does not change during your menstrual cycle, so the blood sample can be taken at any time of the month.• TSH, which assesses thyroid function. There is sometimes a link between hypothyroidism (an underactive thyroid gland) and infertility in women. Low levels of thyroid hormone can interfere with the release of an egg from your ovary (ovulation), which impairs fertility. In addition, some of the underlying causes of hypothyroidism, such as certain autoimmune or pituitary disorders, may impair fertility; • Prolactin, a hormone that can affect menstrual function, if elevated.
Transvaginal ultrasound scan– is one of the key components of a full fertility assessment. By performing a scan we can assess the pelvis for signs of any underlying gynecological conditions that may impact on fertility and IVF success rates. Ultrasound can detect uterine abnormalities such as fibroids and polyps, distal fallopian tube occlusion (Hydrosalpinx), and ovarian abnormalities including ovarian cysts as well as assessing the ovarian reserve by measuring the antral follicle count (one of the most sensitive tests available). Alongside a semen analysis a pelvic ultrasound scan can often be done just prior to an initial consultation to allow a one-stop approach where results will be available to discuss with your doctor.
Saline Infusion Scan (SIS)/ Hysterosalpingo Foam Sonography (HyFoSy) Either prior to, or during treatment, a polyp or fibroid may be suspected on pelvic scan within the lining of the womb. These are benign growths but they can reduce fertility and the chances of a treatment being successful.A SIS is a fertility test to assess the uterine cavity in more detail and to confirm or exclude the presence of a polyp or fibroid and determine whether surgery is recommended to remove them. A small amount of fluid is gently injected through the cervix into the uterus and this fluid separates the walls of the lining of the uterus and makes it easier to see abnormalities such as fibroids or polyps within the uterine cavity. A HyFoSy is an internal ultrasound scan to show your fallopian tubes. Fallopian tubes aren’t usually visible on an ultrasound scan but are visible if a contrast solution of sterile water and sterile inert gel, mixed together to create foamy liquid that reflects the ultrasound beam, are injected in the womb. You are awake and don’t need any anaesthetic during the procedure. SIS and HyFoSy are usually combined at the same time so this will require only a single visit in our clinic.
Transvaginal ultrasound scan– is one of the key components of a full fertility assessment. By performing a scan we can assess the pelvis for signs of any underlying gynecological conditions that may impact on fertility and IVF success rates. Ultrasound can detect uterine abnormalities such as fibroids and polyps, distal fallopian tube occlusion (Hydrosalpinx), and ovarian abnormalities including ovarian cysts as well as assessing the ovarian reserve by measuring the antral follicle count (one of the most sensitive tests available). Alongside a semen analysis a pelvic ultrasound scan can often be done just prior to an initial consultation to allow a one-stop approach where results will be available to discuss with your doctor.
Saline Infusion Scan (SIS)/ Hysterosalpingo Foam Sonography (HyFoSy) Either prior to, or during treatment, a polyp or fibroid may be suspected on pelvic scan within the lining of the womb. These are benign growths but they can reduce fertility and the chances of a treatment being successful.A SIS is a fertility test to assess the uterine cavity in more detail and to confirm or exclude the presence of a polyp or fibroid and determine whether surgery is recommended to remove them. A small amount of fluid is gently injected through the cervix into the uterus and this fluid separates the walls of the lining of the uterus and makes it easier to see abnormalities such as fibroids or polyps within the uterine cavity. A HyFoSy is an internal ultrasound scan to show your fallopian tubes. Fallopian tubes aren’t usually visible on an ultrasound scan but are visible if a contrast solution of sterile water and sterile inert gel, mixed together to create foamy liquid that reflects the ultrasound beam, are injected in the womb. You are awake and don’t need any anaesthetic during the procedure. SIS and HyFoSy are usually combined at the same time so this will require only a single visit in our clinic.