Gift of motherhood for Kolhapur woman

A 26-year-old woman suffering from endometrial damage was blessed with a baby on December 22 with the combined usage of embryo vitrification and surrogacy at Sushrut Assisted Conception Clinic in Kolhapur.

Vitrification is the latest in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) embryo freezing technology used by doctors instead of the traditional slow freezing process. The 18-month-old technology in the country was used for the first time in the district, as well as in Maharashtra, after
Mumbai and Pune.

“Vitrification eliminates the drawbacks of the conventional slow embryo freezing process,” the clinic’s fertility specialist, Dr Padma Rekha Jirge told DNA.

The patient, who was married four years ago, had three miscarriages, including an unsuccessful IVF procedure. She was diagnosed with a damaged endometrium, which led to miscarriages.

Jirge had trained in vitrification under embryologist Igolf Neilson from Denmark. Neilson had been in Mumbai 18 months ago.

“The vitrification was carried out on a three-day old embryo and it was kept at -196 degree Celsius for two-and-a-half months in liquid nitrogen,” Jirge said.

In this case, the patient’s sister-in-law agreed to be the surrogate mother. “The vitrification of the embryo was essential for making the surrogate mother’s uterus ready for pregnancy,” she said.

The surrogate mother’s husband and two sons (aged 10 and 12) also underwent counselling regarding the surrogacy. The surrogate mother delivered a healthy baby boy on December 22.

“We are absolutely delighted as we could become parents after four years. The new technology has proved to be a boon for us,” the patient said.