ICSI

Alexandra · Post by **Alexandra** » Thu Dec 29, 2005 10:16 am

Hello - this is the first time I have ever posted on a message board, but I thought the time had come to seek others' help and advice on my situation.

We have been ttc for two years and it became clear after an HSG test and a lap that I had a bilateral block of the fallopian tubes (probably due to an infection after the birth of my first child 11 years ago). It was only recently that we fully understood that my partner (not father of my first child) has low sperm motility which would require ICSI rather than 'conventional' IVF. We do also have another option which is to attempt to recanulate my fallopian tubes and see what happens, though the Consultant was pretty adamant that he expected nothing would. On a funding point, we are ineligible for IVF funding and will become completely inelegible for any type of treatment (including the decanulation) after April 06 when the health authority rules change to exclude couples either one of whom has a child already.

I am intersted in the first instance to know more about how to go about selecting a clinic. The hospital where I have had the investigations done so far can offer the treatment but I can find little about its success rates other than what I was told (1 in 4) - it's not listed as far as I can tell in the HFEA literature. There is continuity in going to the same place but I feel I ought to be sure they are the best place for us.

I'd also be interested to know if anyone is in a similar situation??

souris · Post by **souris** » Thu Dec 29, 2005 7:19 pm

Hi Alexandra and welcome!

I am sorry i cannot help with your questions but i am wishing you the best for this new year! I am not in the Uk myself so i dont really know how it works... I am starting my 2nd ICSI in Jan and hoping for a BFP!

Take care
souris
xxx

Lis · Post by **Lis** » Fri Dec 30, 2005 1:03 pm

Hi Alexandra and welcome!

My DH and I will hopefully be going for ICSI in Edinburgh provided they can get sperm from dh during his biopsy in February (he has azoospermia due to testicular failure). I was able to use this site (see headings opposite under IVF and ICSI) to access all ivf clinics in Scotland via their respective websites. They detailed all their pregnancy rates per cycle etc on their sites. We are self funding in Edinburgh - ie NHS staff but like a private clinic, ie. we are paying to get up the waiting list. Edinburgh, for my age has a 40% success rate per cycle of ICSI. I was able to compare this with other Scottish centres and this appears to be the highest so this has reassured us we want tmt in Edinburgh.

Sorry for waffling on but I hope some of this helps.

Lisa xx

faith4 · Post by **faith4** » Sun Jan 01, 2006 9:31 pm

we have the icsi procedure. it seems for dh + me there is no point trying anything else. we get some rebate on the fees but pay most of them ourselves - useless private health cover.
where we live adoption is ridiculously difficult. some people say there is more chance of disability with ivf-icsi but other people say different things. what are the options anyway? if we want a child we are going to have to keep trying with icsi. i don't think too hard about it.
its really hard to choose a clinic. a friend who knew several ivf specialists professionally recommended one she thought was good and easy to get on with. he's fine - but its been 20 mths + very little success. that might have been the same anywhere we went.
1 in 4 is what i've been told too. that just gets you to the pregnant stage - not actually having the child. 40% in scotland sounds fantastic.
anyway, i would say if icsi is what your dr recommends + time is a factor, give it a go (hope i don't sound bossy). the treatment is inconvenient and expensive, but not unbearable + it is only money.
a lot of people get the result they are after very quickly! i'm sure the treatment seems insignificant when you have success.
good luck with your decision and good luck with the treatment you choose!

Lis · Post by **Lis** » Mon Jan 02, 2006 10:58 am

Hi Faith,

Happy New Year! Yes like you, icsi is our only hope - as dh is azoospermic there is zero chance we can get pregnant naturally so its icsi or nothing (and that's only if they can find sperm). I've heard adoption is very difficult in Scotland too - apparently its very hard to adopt a baby but more chance of adopting older children. Like you we're forking out all the cash for investigations and treatments but as the success rate decreases a lot as the female gets older we felt we had no choice but to go for it. Either that or wait 3 years on the Edinburgh nhs list. But as you said, success rate is for pregnancies not for live births per cycle although saying that I'm sure when I read up on our centre there was a ?30% birth rate per cycle aged 30. Anyway I'm waffling again.

All the very best with your treatment. Keep in touch

Lisaxxx

faith4 · Post by **faith4** » Thu Jan 05, 2006 6:37 pm

thanks lisa
interesting stats - 30% birth rate - excellent.
one thing with not being successful early on is i'm starting to worry about the time off work. i'm starting another stimulated cycle now - but might have to delay the transfer because of work. i guess i do have to fund this extravagnza so i should be responsible. there is a lot on in the next 3 months. i've 12 days off in the last 12 months for my 4 attempts. i never explain what is going on; just hand in the deliberately vague notes from my specialist. are other people are in the same position, once the number of attempts starts going up?
faith

Lis · Post by **Lis** » Sat Jan 07, 2006 12:00 pm

Hi Faith,

I'm also worried about the time off thing! Especially as I've had promotion at work and am now in charge of 12 staff - I feel so responsible. However, the way I look at it is - everyone else in my department has had time off for health things at some point - one colleague had a knee problem and had a few weeks off, another was off for three months with a shoulder injury, another has had ooodles of time off for multiple m/c's, another has been off for the last 3 months with personal circumstances and my old boss was off for 6 months + with illness!! I on the other hand have only had about 15 days sick in tha last 9 and half years of working with this employer ie less than 2 days a year so anytime I start fretting I just think that I have nothing to feel guilty about - work sure gets its money out of me! I think you should put yourself first and just see what happens. That's what I am going to try to do

God luck!

Lisa

faith4 · Post by **faith4** » Sun Jan 08, 2006 4:04 am

thanks lisa
you have certainly earned your time off! i was the same in all my other jobs - years went by without sick leave.
i changed jobs jan 04 and we got the fertility results soon after -> i felt stressed about the apts even though i didn't take much time for them - then i had a related operation + actually got the flu + had to go overseas for a family wedding + at the end of 04 the ivf started. looking flakey. : )
i changed jobs in july 05 again. it was a promotion + more money so i felt like should accept it. i haven't built up any credibility there yet. oh well, its my priority...
i feel that the bad news (from the ivf attempts) knocks my concentration at work. i feel i'm not doing my best at work now - though i try.

Lis · Post by **Lis** » Tue Jan 10, 2006 7:14 pm

Faith

I feel exactly the same. Promotion Sept 2005 but feel I haven't got 100% concentration but then heh, we are only human! This is the time we need work to be understanding. If you haven't already, you should come over to the general thread - you'll get heaps more support and more people to talk to.

Take care xx

ICSI

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