The Future of IVF
Earlier in this series, we spoke about the Corporate world of IVF and how clinics around the world were consolidating, and what that meant for you the patient. In this episode, we’re looking at the future of IVF and our first conversation is with Stuart Lavery, a senior consultant gynaecologist, a well-respected member of the global human fertility community, and a founding director of Aria Fertility, our second guest is Professor Nick Macklon, Medical Director of The London Women’s clinic and Medical Advisor at Verso.
What we discussed:
- IVF Changed over the last 10 years
- The biggest provider of IVF in the UK is a private equity
- What we can learn from the US
- Fertility is an illness becoming demedicalised
- How his clinic Aria - competes with the big chains
- Most of the big groups had the same success rates, same treatments - but mediocre customer experiences
- Using technology to enhance the patient experience.
- How important it is for a patient to feel confident and comfortable
- Tech changes that are here now and a huge amount coming tomorrow
- Tech companies who believe tech will trump biology
- Developments in the lab are around automation and minimization
- IVF at Home - saliva test at home replacing coming into the clinic for blood, e- consenting, and home ultrasound
- Important not to exacerbate inequalities in access to treatment
- There’s no reason that the NHS can’t be at cutting edge of technology given the patient volume it has coming through.
- NHS clinics shouldn’t access less, it should be the same standard whether you pay or access the NHS.
- The decline in ‘Gentle IVF’
- Automated robotic ICSI
- The decline of IUI - need to make sure the right treatment goes to the right patient
- Professor Nick Macklon explains how the incubator or the Uterine environment hasn’t really been studied until now
- What is device monitoring?
- How research shows how much it fluctuates between women
- How does it impact embryo transfer
- How oxygen levels can change which can affect implantation
- How Secretions can also affect implantation
- What this means for the future of IVF treatment
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