ABAYOMI AJAYI FROM PUNCH
Esther was 38 years old and her husband, Kunle, was 40 when they began investigating the cause of their infertility. They were married for four years and longing for a child when they finally opted to visit a fertility centre in Lagos.
Following a series of basic and routine tests, some issues were discovered that were preventing conception, so the couple was recommended to undergo in vitro fertilisation (IVF).
Under the supervision of their specialist, Esther had the IVF procedure. She was monitored and stimulated to produce eggs, as sperm collected from Kunle fertilised the eggs in a laboratory.
Two embryos were implanted in her uterus, and the other two were frozen. Unfortunately, the goal of establishing a successful pregnancy was not attained.
With the failure of IVF, the couple was advised to better pursue intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). In the ICSI process, a single sperm was injected into the centre of the egg. The fertilised egg (embryo) grew in the laboratory for up to five days before it was transferred to Esther’s uterus (womb), but surprisingly, there was no positive result the second time around. Esther and Kunle dumped that fertility clinic and changed their specialist.
At the new clinic, they went for a series of counselling and in the end, the IVF and ICSI process was repeated but with no success. The specialist carried out more laboratory tests and then recommended that Esther was to have new five-day embryo transfers. The couple agreed and proceeded with the recommended method, but that one too failed. Esther did not conceive.
Following the series of disappointments, the couple visited yet another fertility centre. They had a consultation with another specialist who investigated their history and advised that they did a comprehensive reassessment. After an investigation of all the clinical findings, another cycle of IVF/ICSI and embryo transfer was recommended. As soon as the eggs were recovered, they were fertilised with the appropriate sperms.
But this time, another procedure was introduced. After eight eggs were retrieved from Esther’s ovaries, then fertilised with fresh sperm from Kunle, six embryos were created. Two of the eggs did not fertilise.
