~ City-based IVF clinic helps couple conceive and deliver a healthy after 20 years of being married ~
Dehradun, January 04, 2021 ( Odisha Samachar )- : Seema, 37 and Anuj (names changed)were blessed with a healthy child after 20 long years of marriage and six unsuccessful IVF attempts. Longing to have a child, the couplefound that Seema had two pathways or tracts to enter her womb. Of those, the larger opening was the false tract, and the other, a small and hidden true tract.
Emotionally distraught by their inability to have a child naturally and via assisted reproduction, the couple approached the Indira IVF clinic located in the city for help. Through initial examination, it was found that Seema had a normal ovarian reserve with a good number of eggs despite her age. Her husband, Anuj, exhibited a normal semen count. Their treatment history reinstated the same, however, the specialists at the IVF clinic were bewildered by one point – an unsuccessful hysteroscopy. Hysteroscopy is a routine procedure which is performed with the help of a scope attached to a camera to visualise the inside of the womb.
Elaborating on what happened thereafter, Dr Reema Sircar, Centre Head and IVF Specialist at Indira IVF Dehradun said, “There is no reason for a hysteroscopy to be unsuccessful. We performed the procedure again with Seema in our clinic. It would be safe to say that the team was perplexed with our findings. We observed that the uterus was of normal size, however, the walls were sticking to each other at various points. This is highly unusual and we were in a fix because our findings through two round of ultrasound showed a normal uterus.”
After a lot of brainstorming, the team at Indira IVF Dehradun considered the possibility of a false tract. In the female anatomy, the vagina leads to the passage called cervix which then goes into the uterus with a single opening. The existence of a false tract would mean that there are two openings – only the true tract would lead to the uterus where pregnancy can take place.
“After explaining the possibility and taking proper consent to perform the procedure, a simultaneous hysteroscopy and ultrasound was planned with anaesthesia.With a lot of manoeuvring, we found a smaller, underdeveloped alternate opening into the actual uterus. This is what we were visualising with the ultrasounds earlier. We were overjoyed to find the hidden true tract!It is possible that all the previous attempts at a natural pregnancy and IVF failed due to the false tract being larger,” said Dr Sircar.
Multiple mock trials were performed to master the hand movements required to enter the hidden true tract instead of the better developed false tract. Seema then underwent embryo transfer and 15 days later, a beta-HCG test declared her clinically pregnant. She underwent routine checks ever since, but delivered pre-term at 8 months. The baby was monitored in the NICU, and is now a healthy 6-month old bundle of happiness for their parents.
Dr Sircar said that the disappointing journey of a distraught couple was met with a happy note due to perseverance and positive attitude of the couple, efficient team work, and the practice of an individualised patient approach.