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Fertility treatments

Hospitals providing treatment:

Clínica Vistahermosa - Alicante

A wide variety of techniques and procedures are offered in Clinic Vistahermosa, Alicante.

• Directed Coitus
• Artificial insemination (AI)
• In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)
• Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)
• Embryo cryopreservation
• Sperm bank
• Egg and ovarian tissue cryopreservation
• Sperm recovery techniques
• Ovum donation
• Embryo donation
• Embryo co-cultivation
• Ovum maturation
• Assisted hatching
• Genetic Studies

Our Reproduction Unit achieves one of the best pregnancy rates: 70% of the couples we treat become parents

Directed Coitus
It is the simplest Assisted Reproduction Technique known and consists in informing the couple of the most appropriate time to have sexual relations.
A young couple, with an apparently normal diagnosis but who have been unable to conceive for some time, may try to resolve the problem with this method.

Artificial insemination (AI)
Artificial insemination basically consists in placing semen within the uterus following appropriate treatment in the laboratory. This procedure is one of simplest and generally a maximum of four insemination cycles are performed before employing other more complex methods.
AI is no more troublesome than undergoing a simple routine gynaecological examination and the results are dependent on the diagnosis and the characteristics of the semen.
Artificial insemination may be 'by husband' (AIH) if the sperm come from the husband, or 'by donor' (AID) in the case of a single woman or an infertile partner. All semen donors are adults, anonymous and are continuously studied to avoid congenital problems or malformations and sexually transmitted diseases. The donor semen is selected depending on the blood group and the physical characteristics requested by the couple.
Our accumulated pregnancy rates after 4 cycles are 60% for AIH and 80% for AID, and vary depending on the diagnosis and progress of each patient.

In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)
In order to have a successful pregnancy, the ovary must produce a mature egg and this must combine successfully with the spermatozoid. This union, called fertilisation, takes place physiologically inside the fallopian tubes. During the process of in vitro fertilisation, this union occurs in the laboratory after obtaining as many eggs as the ovary is capable of developing. Once in vitro fertilisation has taken place, a maximum of three embryos are deposited in the uterus so that they may continue their development. The excess embryos are cryopreserved for subsequent transfer in another cycle, donated to another couple or given to research with the consent of their owners.
The success of the in vitro fertilisation technique depends largely on the age of the woman, the ovarian response and the quality of the embryos. In general, the pregnancy rate per cycle is between 55% and 65%. In patients under 35, this rate exceeds 70%.

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)
ICSI or intracytoplasmic sperm injection is a variation of in vitro fertilisation that consists in the direct injection of a single spermatozoid into the interior of the egg.
It is the procedure performed in cases of poor quality sperm or where there have been previous fertilisation failures. In cases where there is an absence of spermatozoids in the ejaculate, they are obtained from the testicles or the epididymis. Intracytoplasmic sperm injection is the recommended assisted reproduction technique for these cases.
This is the currently most successful assisted reproduction technique and has been the solution to many male sterility problems that have not been resolved by in vitro fertilisation. The pregnancy rate per cycle is between 55% and 65%. In patients under 35, this rate exceeds 70%.

Embryo cryopreservation
In some cases, after performing in vitro fertilisation or intracytoplasmic sperm injection, the number of embryos obtained is higher than the number that can be transferred. When this occurs, the excess embryos are frozen and cryopreserved in an embryo bank in order to perform subsequent transfer attempts.
Cryopreservation of embryos can benefit couples who have not achieved pregnancy at the first attempt and also those who later wish to try for a second gestation.
Despite the fact that freezing embryos may reduce embryo viability to some extent, the percentage success rate using frozen embryos is similar to that of fresh embryos, currently about 40%.

Sperm bank
The Unit also includes a sperm bank for the storage of spermatozoids from patients that wish to preserve their fertility (cancer, vasectomy, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, testicular biopsy…) Additionally, there is a section for the preservation of samples from anonymous donors to be used in reproduction techniques that require sperm donations.
All sperm donors are of legal age, anonymous and subject to constant studies to detect congenital problems and malformations, and sexually transmitted diseases. Donated sperm is selected according to blood group and requests made by couples with regard to physical characteristics.

Egg and ovarian tissue cryopreservation
In order to achieve a future pregnancy in patients who need to delay maternity, this technique enables the freezing of eggs and ovarian tissue until the patient wants to use them.
This Assisted Reproduction Unit is the only one in the province of Alicante and one of the few in existence on the Spanish mainland that are authorised by the Ministry and Department of Health for the fertilisation of previously frozen eggs.
This technique is of great importance in cases that require surgical operations, radiotherapy or chemotherapy that may affect fertility, and in cases when maternity has been delayed due to medical or social reasons.
The vitrification process allows us to achieve pregnancy rates similar to those obtained using fresh ova.

Sperm recovery techniques
As a general rule, semen samples are obtained by masturbation. However in cases of aspermia, absence of spermatozoids in the ejaculate, immobile or dead spermatozoids, it is necessary to extract them from the epididymis or testicles.
This sperm recovery technique is a simple surgical intervention not requiring general anaesthesia.

Ovum donation
Egg donation is applied to patients that, for a variety of reasons, do not have ovocytes that are capable of producing embryos that develop healthily and satisfactorily. This technique consists of in vitro fertilisation with ova from a donor and sperm from the male and the subsequent transfer of the embryos to the recipient.
It is suitable for older patients, patients with occult ovarian failure, genetic anomalies, multiple abortions, menopause.
Egg donation requires an initial interview including a review of the patient’s clinical and analytical history and explorations required to ensure the transfer process. The recipient is subjected to hormonal treatment to prepare the uterus to receive the embryos. This requires major coordination with the donor in order to achieve positive results. It is not a painful process and does not involve a significant waiting period as the donation programme ensures transfer 3 to 4 weeks following uterine preparation.
Ovum donation is anonymous and legally regulated and it requires the written consent of both parties. The donors must be of legal age, young and healthy, have no genetic diseases and want to help other women to become mothers. Donors are selected according to blood group and requests made by couples with regard to physical characteristics. Currently, this technique is producing gestation in 90% of cases with two embryo transfer cycles and a level of multiple pregnancy below 15%. It is the technique that offers the best results per cycle given that the embryos have great implantation potential due to the age of the donors.

Embryo donation
When both partners in a couple are affected by an untreatable sterility problem, they may choose embryo donation as a solution.
Generally, these embryos come from IVF or ICSI couples being treated who have achieved pregnancy and who authorise donation of excess embryos to other patients. There are also cases of couples, or single women, who receive eggs and fertilise them with donated sperm, achieving in vitro embryos.
This technique is currently producing gestation in 90% of cases with two cycles.

Embryo co-cultivation
In those couples where several attempts at in vitro fertilisation or intracytoplasmic sperm injection have not achieved pregnancy, cultivation in vitro may be prolonged for a selection of embryos with a higher likelihood of implantation.
Embryo cocultivation enables us to synchronise the status of the embryo with the receptivity of the endometrium or womb lining in the most physiological way. With this technique, to term pregnancy rates of higher than 60% are achieved.

Ovum maturation
In patients that, following ovarian stimulation, only produce immature ova, the ova are cultivated in the laboratory until they are sufficiently mature to be subjected to the in vitro fertilisation process. This is a new technique that is only carried out in very special cases.

Assisted hatching
MAssisted hatching is an assisted reproduction technique that consists of making an artificial opening in the embryo to improve its implantation. It is generally applicable to women older than 38 with previous implantation failures and in transfers of previously frozen embryos.
For embryos with changed morphology, small imperfections that may alter their quality and development may be aspirated at the same time as assisted hatching.

Genetic Studies
The Clínica Vistahermosa Genetics Unit is a Medical Genetics Service with staff and equipment for clinical diagnosis and genetic counselling for hereditary diseases and also provides diagnostic assistance for other departments in cases of illnesses with a genetic component.
The Genetics Unit works closely with the Assisted Reproduction Unit in its laboratories, which are all equipped to perform cytogenetic and molecular biology investigation.