MUHS recognizes city hospital for ART fellowship

Nagpur: The Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS) has recognized Shrikhande IVF and Surrogacy Centre for one-year fellowship on assisted reproductive techniques (ART) for MD students in gynaecology. This will bring two post graduate students to the centre every year.

Dr Laxmi Shrikhande, director, Shrikhande IVF and Surrogacy Centre, told TOI that the full-time course will include both theory and practical and is aimed at teaching and training the PG students in six major ART techniques. These techniques include IVF or in-vitro-fertilization (test tube baby), intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), egg donor cycle, the embryo donor cycle and surgical sperm retrieval techniques like percutaneous epididymal sperm aspiration (PESA) and the testicular sperm aspiration (TESA). All these include testicular fine needle aspiration (TFNA) -- another ART technique that is now gaining ground is surrogacy.

"Generally of the entire population 10% couples suffer from infertility. Of these 3-4% require ART methods for conceiving. Students will be taught and trained in all the ART techniques during the course," said Dr Shrikhande.

In the last decade, infertility in men has increased from 30% to 50% due to changed lifestyle, change in job profiles which includes working in night shifts, stress of work, consumption of tobacco and alcohol. In women the infertility has increased due to polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and late marriages.

"Every girl is born with a certain number of eggs (1-2million). These eggs go on depleting with increase in age. In fact with increase in age the quality of the eggs also falls. Hence when women marry at around 35 as is the trend today they are not left with very good quality eggs which affects their fertility status. Hence women need to marry early to avoid infertility problems," said Dr Shrikhande.

Today's gynaecology students need to thoroughly understand these issues as well as identify the technique which will address a particular problem. During the fellowship, students will also be trained in handling infertility patients, their counselling methods etc as counselling plays a major role in dealing with these patients.

"It is matter of pride for me that only my centre has been chosen for the fellowship in the city," said Dr Shrikhande.