Face-to-face consultations

We are starting face-to-face consultations at the end of this week, but extensive precautions are still mandatory.

These include restricting the consultation and access to the building to one person at a time. This is not ideal for couples, but at least it means that I can undertake a physical examination for new patients.

I hope that the rules will become more flexible as time passes, but at present I think that consultations with three of us may still be better on the phone (both partners are usually important when as is often the case, it is a shared problem that is being discussed).

These phone consultations have been surprisingly successful because I can answer all of the questions from both partners, especially as I often find that the ladies know nearly as much about fertility as I do!

So please discuss your plans with Alison, but do bear in mind that my poor long-suffering assistant is drowning in emails before you send an email: she has been, and continues to work hard to reschedule so many treatments, whilst also explaining all the new and changing precautions.

Sperm Retrieval Operations

Sperm Retrieval Operations are now proceeding efficiently, but carefully at the Lister. All patients must quarantine for 14 days before admission and have Covid antigen testing…. it’s quite a considerable logistic exercise, but we have almost completed the backlog of postponed cases.

DNA Fragmentation tests

The TDL laboratories in London are back to near normal capacity, and standard DNA fragmentation tests are available. The “special” Neutral fragmentation tests which we sometimes use to decide whether Sperm Retrieval would be helpful, are not resuming until September, but this only affects a few cases.

Research

On the research front, there has been little disturbance, and my colleagues at Hammersmith have imminent publications. We are currently looking at the Live Birth rates after surgical Sperm Retrievals and the data are encouraging.

Finally, some of you may have seen the recent “IVF Babble” panel dedicated to Male fertility, there were so many questions which there was no time to answer, so I do apologise if you were disappointed because your question was not answered.

Wishing you the best of health. Stay safe,

Jonathan