Yes, it’s not just high fashion that dictates trends.
Reproductive medicine also determines modern trends and opportunities in the treatment of infertility.
The main task of reproductive medicine is to ensure the health of the next generation and prevent hereditary diseases. We adhere to the basic principle of medicine ‘Do no harm!’ so that children born through ART can become parents on their own in the future.
The focus is on the patient as a unique individual. Therefore, it is necessary to take into account the seemingly insignificant details that can be a decisive factor in success.
Obtaining the optimal number of embryos of optimal quality is not as easy as it seems at first glance. The birth of one healthy child or several babies, depending on the reproductive plans of a particular couple and their health status, and the use of all the embryos obtained, can become an equation with several unknowns.
Every seemingly small detail matters. The cleanliness of the air in the embryology unit or the quality of the medicines, even if it is only by a few percent, increase the success of the programmes. And it is these few per cent that can bring the long-awaited result for a couple – ensuring a pregnancy.
Trends in reproductive medicine indicate possible global changes in the industry:
- In vitro folliculogenesis and gametogenesis – the production of eggs and sperm from one’s own stem cells, which will make it possible to abandon oocyte and sperm donation programmes in the future.
- Changing the work of the embryology department – robotics using artificial intelligence to select the most promising embryos.
- Developing non-invasive embryo testing methods, such as assessing cell-free DNA released by the embryo into the culture medium during the later stages of preimplantation development.
- Using bioengineering to create a uterus from autologous cells
- Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies for training students and medical staff with little practical experience. Virtual reality also helps not only in training but also in preparing for a specific operation.
Author of the article: Lubov Mykhailyshyn