History  IVF in Armenia

To begin, perhaps, follows that method of  IVF - in vitro fertilization - has initially been offered for women with the uterine tube form of unfertility at which pregnancy has been absolutely excluded. In due course it began to be apply at the absence of the ovaries and even a uterus, and also at the unfertility caused by the male factor.

The history of development  of IVF soared in air from the XX-th century middle. And in 1978 in England girl Liza Brown - the first " IVF baby" was born. In spite of the fact that the history of  IVF development makes more than 30 years, today in the world live over 3 millions babies conceived in vitro.

The method in vitro fertilizations wa introduced for the first time in 1985 in scientific research institute of obstetrics and gynecology  of the Ministry of Health of the USSR ­ under the direction of B.V. Leonov and V.I. Kulakov. The first child was born in 1986 in Moscow, in the Center of maternal and child health protection after N.Kalinina. In 1995 in Minsk with the assistance of the American colleagues of the Chicago institute of reproductive genetics and one of leading European geneticist the centre has been created which soon has taken the leading position among similar medical institutions in the CIS has been created, and also on the 1^st of July, 2001 in Minsk has opened the Center of an auxiliary reproduction "Embrio".

The of history of the development of in vitro fertilisations in Armenia originates since 1996 when the group of the French doctors from the Institute of Reproductive Medicine, Marseilles (IMR) has visited Armenia. Visit has been organised with the assistance of the director of National institute of Public Health RA after academician S.H.Avdalbekjan prof. G.A.Nikogosjan and the armenian-french society "Azatagroutyun" under the direction of Andranik Hakobyan. From the french party leading experts took part: the obstetrician-gynecologist - Jean Pierre Frankenbalm and embryologist - Phillip Terju and Jean Lui Spak. From Armenia work has been headed under the direction of prof. G. G. Okoev, and embryological aspects of the work have been made by the manager of laboratory diagnostics, candidate of science K.H. Dzhinanjan.

In 1998 and 2005 years within the framework of the program of introduction and development  of IVF in Armenia the group of doctors of the scientific research centre of maternal and child health protection passed training and worked on an exchange of experience in France at institute of Reproductive Medicine (Marseilles).

And since 2001 until 2003 years colleagues from France organised and carried out trainings with doctors of the RCMCHP in Yerevan. Workers of the centre were trained in new methods and technologies of an auxiliary reproduction by leading experts of the institute of Reproductive Medicine.

The first successes of the RCMCHP have been reached by experts in 2003 year: 2 effective results of  IVF which pregnancies were completed by cesarean sections.  One of them is made on 5^th  of February, 2004 - triplets: the girl - weight 2250 g, height  45 сm; the boy - weight 2550 g, growth  47 сm; the girl - weight 1890 g, height 43 сm. And the second - on 3^rd of March, 2004: the girl - weight 2850 g, height 49 сm.

Introduction and development of  IVF in the centre did not stand on a place, for years of professional work there were new versions of the treatment. As the subsequent stage of IVF development was introduction of the intracitoplazmatic sperm injection (ICSI), that reached the big successes. The first pregnancy came as a result of  ICSI method  was in 2006, and on 8^th of February, 2007 was born the boy  with the weight 3530 g, height 54 cm.

Parallel perfection of the treatment methods of male unfertility - oligozoospermia, asthenozoospermia, azoospermia - was done. Techniques of   sperm reception by microsurgical epididymal sperm aspiration (MESA) and testicular sperm extraction (TESE ) have been introduced. The first childbirth after carrying out TESE has took place on 29^th of  April, 2007 year. Twins were born: the boy weight is 1350 g, height 40 cm and the girl weight - 1160g , height 39 cm.

Since 2006 year in the centre we actively provide to our patients a reliable method cryopreservation of embryos. So in 2007 children were born  after a transfer of defrozen embryos in the uterine cavity.

According to the accepted in 2002 decision of  RA legislation "Reproductive health and reproductive human rights" a new direction  of IVF method  - the program “Surrogate moternity” received development in RCMCHP. In 2006 as a result of carrying over of surrogate mother impregnated oocyte to the biological mother, suffering by absence a uterus, owing to congenital developmental anomaly of reproductive system (Mayer-Kjustnera-Rokitansky syndrome), has developed the pregnancy which has come to complete prematur delivery by twins: girls weight-3130 g and 3380 g and height 50 cm each.

The method of donor oocyte is also successfully applied in our centre. Impregnated donor oocytes are transferred to women, who because of any reasons (age, a premature exhaustion of ovary, surgical castration) do not developed oocyte.

Today RCMCHP is the unique centre in Armenia where thanks to the most perfect and effective technique of the treatment  of unfertility - IVF, more than 300 children were born.

In our centre treatment of the different kinds of unfertility  is possible, all kinds of reproductive technologies are successfully applied. Since the first days of daily work of experts the centre has achieved notable results, and efficiency in approaching the pregnancy  by IVF method has reached 30 %. This success was completely not casual. To make the centre such what it appears now at our patients, employees of the centre worked many years. In the centre equipped with the advanced equipment, leading experts in the field of unfertility treatment   and an auxiliary reproduction work. It is important that there is created a team of qualified specialist in the RCMCHP, and their goal is to achieve the greatest possible percent of IVF – induced pregnancies.