Welcome to Firm Hospitals, South India’s Leading Specialists in Reproductive Medicine and one of the Best Fertility Hospitals in Chennai, equipped with state-of-the-art technology and the strong experience of renowned doctors and fertility specialists who will assist you to reach your full fertility potential with the best advice, suitable medications and treatments.
Firm Hospitals deals with both male and female infertility problems, which seems to be a matter of grave concern for couples trying to conceive in the digital era. What makes Firm one of the Best Fertility Hospitals in Chennai is the fact that here patients receive personalized care, and walk right in and feel at home, consult at ease, and receive individualistic treatments that suit their specific lifestyle needs at affordable costs.
Firm Foundation adopts a series of complex procedures to solve fertility issues and prevent genetic problems, to assist with the conception of a child.
Firm Hospitals, rated as the best fertility centre in Chennai, has created a private, comforting & compassionate treatment facility where patients receive individualized care from the best fertility doctors in Chennai and can feel at ease.
“A Place where dreams of Parenthood become a reality!”
The inability to conceive is a difficult time for any couple. However, standing apart from other fertility hospitals in Chennai, at Firm Fertility Center we have come up with spectacular IVF & ICSI techniques, which could fulfill your heartfelt desire to have a baby of your own. Rated as one of the best fertility hospital in Chennai, we understand the pain infertility can cause and we ensure that every treatment and our support are personalized to your needs. Dr. Mala raj one of the best fertility doctors in Chennai offers personal care for everyone. Patients come to us with hope for their infertility treatments and get the best treatment that works for them with proven success rates.
The main resource in Firm’s Fertility Centre is our chief doctor Dr. Mala Raj.
Being an advanced laparoscopic surgeon and fertility specialist, she is able to resolve all your minor problems by laparoscopy itself, so that you can get pregnant naturally. If any advanced fertility treatments are needed, then we are equipped with the latest fertility options likely improving your chances of conceiving. At the first visit to the doctor, we expect both the husband and wife to be available, as we need to evaluate the cause of infertility by evaluating both the partners. The various treatment options available are
Here the woman is given ovulation induction tablets from Day 2 of the menstrual cycle and Gonadotropin injections are given if necessary and follicular tracking (study the growth of eggs) is done on alternate days from day 9/10 of the menstrual cycle till ovulation. Once the leading follicle is 18 – 20 mm, Injection HCG is given to trigger the follicles to rupture and release the eggs and the couples are advised to have timed coitus. Normally, most couples are able to conceive within 3-6 months of this simple treatment. If they do not conceive, then we advise them to go for IUI (Intra Uterine Insemination). Meanwhile, if we find out the tubes are blocked, then none of these treatments will work and they have to go for IVF/ICSI.
Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) is a common procedure performed in cases of cervical hostility, erectile dysfunction and unexplained infertility. In this procedure, sperms are placed inside the uterine cavity after preparation of the sample. It is mandatory to have the tubes open for this particular procedure. If the tubes are blocked, then the patient has to resort to the ‘test tube’ baby only. This procedure does not require hospitalization.
Insemination procedures can improve your chances of becoming pregnant, especially when combined with superovulation treatment. Treatment success is strongly influenced by a woman’s age (an aging egg supply decreases the pregnancy rate, and miscarriage risk increases with age).
For mild male infertility, one cycle of IUI has produced double the pregnancy rate (6.5%) of that of well-timed intercourse (3%). Superovulation is reported to only slightly increase the chance of conception when using IUI for mild male infertility.
It is the most common procedure performed for tubal problems. IVF / ICSI success depends upon the quality of the egg and sperm.
In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) commonly known as test tube baby is a method of assisted reproductive technology in which the man’s sperm and the woman’s eggs are fertilized in a laboratory dish and the resulting embryo is transferred in to the uterus for normal development and delivery.
During this period, Dr. Mala Raj will explain the treatment plan and the proposed medications, financial implications, etc., You may also the doctor if you have any questions. The patients are also advised to give consent forms separately for IVF, embryo freezing and micro manipulation before starting IVF treatment.
After initial counseling and preliminary investigations the patient will be asked to report to the hospital for starting the treatment. The patients have to come between 18th and 21st day of their cycle. An ultrasound examination will be done to evaluate mid cycle development of the uterine lining and a trial embryo transfer to determine the direction and length of the uterine cavity.
Hormonal drugs are given over a period of ten to twelve days from day 2 by Dr. Mala Raj. During this procedure, the growth of the ovarian follicles is assessed by means of ultrasound scanning. Blood samples are also drawn to measure the estrogen and LH levels. If estrogen and LH levels are not satisfactory and the follicular growth is not optimum, then treatment will be stopped. During the process of super ovulation, transvaginal ultrasound examination will be done.This procedure is not painful and the patient may experience some vaginal discharge as transmission gel is used on the vaginal probe. It is very important for patients to come to the hospital on time in the morning so that the lab results will be available for the doctor to review the results early in the afternoon.
By this the exact date and time will be determined for harvesting the eggs. When the ovarian follicles mature to the maximum size, the patient is given an HCG injection for maturing the eggs. Before ovulation takes place, the eggs will be retrieved.
On the day of egg retrieval, the husband should provide a semen sample by masturbation, the sperms are separated from the seminal plasma and are washed to inseminate the eggs. An optimum number of spermatozoa are placed with each egg in a separate dish containing IVF media. In the case of ICSI, the sperm is injected inside the egg. The eggs and the sperms are kept in the incubator at 37 degree Celsius in a Co2 incubator. Normally it takes about 18 hours for fertilization. Later, the embryo divides into two cells. The embryo further divides into four and eight-cells stages. After 48 hours of incubation, the embryos will be ready for transfer into the uterus.
The patient will be informed about the time and date of embryo transfer. The embryo transfer is a simple procedure and no anaesthesia is used normally. The embryos are transferred with a catheter along with a few drops of culture media. The entire procedure takes about 10-20 minutes. During the procedure, a speculum is introduced into the vagina and a catheter is passed into the cervical canal and the embryos are placed into the uterus. The embryologist then examines the catheter under a microscope to make sure that all the embryos were transferred. Following the embryo transfer, we keep the patient in the hospital for 24 hours for extra safety. At home, the patient has to take rest for the next 2 weeks, and should get up only to use the bathroom. Following the transfer, some patients may experience a small quantity of blood like fluid or air from the vagina. There is nothing to be worried about this. The Progesterone tablets should be continued until the pregnancy test is done. These tablets should be introduced deeply into the vagina. They dissolve and absorption takes place.
In such cases, a second test will be carried out to determine whether or not the pregnancy is progressing. If the pregnancy is positive, usage of Progesterone tablets should be continued. After 14 days of pregnancy tests, ultrasound scanning will be done to determine the status of the pregnancy. (Single or twin pregnancy, etc.)
In patients suffering from obstructive azoospermia, sperms can be obtained directly from the testes by doing an epididymal sperm aspiration or biopsy and the sperms can be used for fertilizing the oocytes. The biopsy material can also be preserved in liquid nitrogen for subsequent use.
Firm Hospitals boasts facilities for conducting testicular biopsy and semen banking for such patients. We generally take 3-4 biopsy samples and preserve them in liquid nitrogen for long term storage. This means that patients can undergo ICSI, a second time if they want to have a second child.
Assisted hatching is performed in Firm Hospitals. In this method, a hole is made in zonapellucida of the embryo using laser.
Sometimes when you undergo IVF/ ICSI treatment, more than the required embryos will be produced. The excess embryos can be preserved in liquid nitrogen for long periods. Such embryos can be used for future transfer either to have another child or if the cycle fails for any reasons. These Cryo preserved embryos can be conveniently utilized without any hyper stimulation again. Therefore, embryo Cryo preservation reduces the cost of treatment and it can be used as and when required.
But one must know that all the Cryo preserved embryos cannot be preserved with life. Pregnancy can be achieved only with embryos with life. However, it is a convenient procedure to the patients who get more number of oocytes(more than required for a single transfer).
In patients suffering from with obstructive Azoospermia, sperms can be obtained directly from the testes by doing an epididymal sperm aspiration or biopsy and the sperms can be used for fertilizing the oocytes.
In ICSI, the entire process is the same as IVF till egg collection. Once the eggs are retrieved, the sperm is directly injected into the egg.
Each ovary is about the size of an unshelled almond. It releases eggs, called the ovum every month. It also produces female sex hormones, controls the menstrual cycle as well and produces and maintains the secondary sexual characteristic such as breasts. The ovaries contain 2 million immature eggs at birth itself. One immature egg matures every month after a female child reaches 12 years. It takes around a thousand tail strokes to drive a sperm forward by a centimeter.
Sperms are helped on their way by contraction of the uterus, which forces them upwards into the body. The contractions are stimulated by prostaglandins (hormones) contained in the semen. At most times of the monthly cycle, sperms may not reach the uterus at all, as it is kept out by a plug of impenetrable mucus around the cervix. Only at the time of ovulation, does the cervical mucus become loose, allowing the sperm to pass through. Once in the vicinity of the egg, the sperm is chemically attracted to it. When they reach their destination, they must first penetrate the corona radiata. The sperm release an enzyme that dissolves the corona radiata. This allows the head of the sperm to burrow downwards towards the egg cell. This journey takes about 30 minutes. Once the sperm is inside, it releases a chemical signal that activates the egg. The sperm head is drawn towards the nucleus of the egg, and their genetic material fuses.
The egg and the sperm meet in the fallopian tubes. For normal conception, the tubes should not be blocked.
The inner lining of the uterus should be conducive for implantation of the embryo. If it is thin, or there is any hindrance like septa, polyp, fibroid or adhesion, then the embryo will not implant. So, before starting treatment, hysteroscopy is mandatory to check the uterine cavity.
The cervix is the entrance to the uterus. It is the “gate way” for the sperm to enter the uterus.
It is a muscular tube about 3” – 4” in length. It is an exit route for the discarded endometrium during menstrual periods, and for the baby during birth.
Menstruation is the natural loss of blood and cellular debris from the uterus. It usually occurs at monthly intervals throughout the reproductive life of a woman. It is commonly referred to as the period. Each month, there are 2 events taking place: ovarian and menstrual events. Both these events are responsible, respectively, for the release of an egg from an ovary, and preparation of the uterus to receive the egg. Both the cycles last on an average, for 28 days.
The ovarian cycle is controlled by two pituitary gland hormones: Luteinizing hormones (LH) and follicle stimulating hormones (FSH).
FSH stimulates some follicles (Sacs) containing the immature egg to grow and mature. Eventually one follicle and its egg become larger than the others. In the mid cycle, LH levels rise and cause ovulation. The follicle bursts, releasing its egg into the uterine tube. If the egg is not fertilized, then a new ovarian cycle starts 14 days after ovulation.
The menstrual cycle causes a thickening of the endometrium, the inner lining of the uterus, in readiness to receive the fertilized egg.
FSH stimulates the ovary to release estrogen, which stimulates endometrial thickening.
Both estrogen and progesterone together stimulate further thickening of the endometrium. If fertilization does not happen, then progesterone and estrogen levels drop, the endometrium fragments shed and a woman gets her period.
