You may have infertility if you do not conceive after one year of regular intercourse without the use of contraceptives. It is important to seek medical attention as quickly as possible. Infertility can often be treated. It is a common problem, affecting at least one in 8 couples at some time in their lives.

In 1983, KK Hospital produced Asia's first in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) baby. However, it was not until April 1993 that the KKIVF Centre (KKIVF) was officially set up. Through the years, the centre has grown and developed to become one of Singapore's largest infertility centres.

It aims to be the one-stop centre of choice for infertility services that offer a wide range of testing, diagnostic and treatment procedures.

KKIVF believes in utilising the least invasive treatment for the best possible outcome for each individual patient. We also pride ourselves in striving to provide personal care of the highest standard. The cost of treatment, compared to other local infertility centres, is also very competitive.

The centre is run by a multi-disciplinary team of dedicated staff consisting of doctors, embryologists, nurses, a clinical coordinator, a counsellor psychologist and administration staff.

The KKIVF Centre has helped many people, both locals and foreigners, experiencing various infertility problems and these include:

a) Couples with reproductive problems

• Unexplained infertility • Genetic problems • Recurrent pregnancy loss • Sexual dysfunction

b) Women with reproductive problems

• Ovulatory dysfunction • Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) • Ovarian cysts • Blocked fallopian tubes • Endometriosis • Fibroids • Previous tubal ligation / sterilisation • Uterine abnormalities

c) Men with reproductive problems

• Low sperm count • Absence of sperms (azoospermia) • Previous vasectomy • Sperm storage prior to cancer treatment • Sperm storage for other reasons

a) In-Vitro Fertilisation (IVF)

b) Intra-Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)

c) Superovulation & Intrauterine Insemination (SO-IUI)

d) Embryo & Sperm Cryopreservation

e) Donor Sperm / Egg / Embryo Programmes

f) Microsurgical Epididymal Sperm Aspiration (MESA)

A process of harvesting sperm from the epididymis in men who have no sperms in their ejaculate due to an obstruction in the ejaculatory passage or absence of the ejaculatory passage.

g) Testicular Sperm Aspiration (TESA)

A process of obtaining sperm directly from the testis.

h) Electroejaculation Programme

For men with ejaculatory disorders or spinal cord injury / disease.

i) Blastocyst Culture

Involves extending the culture of the embryos for 3 more days with a separate medium. It mimics more closely the natural stage of the embryo (i.e. blastocyst stage) during implantation. This programme aims to help patients who have many eggs and yet cannot conceive to increase their chances of implantation and hence achieve pregnancy. KKIVF has started this programme selectively on suitable patients.

j) In-Vitro Maturation of Oocytes (IVM)

As the term IVM implies, in this treatment, immature oocytes are retrieved from the ovary and are matured in the laboratory. Once they mature, IVF or ICSI is then performed to assist in fertilising these oocytes.

k) Laser Assisted Hatching

Involves breaching the outer layer of an embryo by piercing a hole to facilitate its hatching out and implantation. The hatching process can be impaired by the increased thickness of the outer layer and advanced age of the woman. This programme aims to increase the chances of implantation for the older woman.

Our Results

Since its inception, KKIVF has performed more than 3,800 fresh assisted reproductive technique (ART) treatment cycles and more than 2,000 thaw ART treatment cycles. In the year 2006, the ART treatment cycles exceeded 550 fresh cycles and 280 thaw cycles.

KKIVF Centre has achieved a consistently good clinical pregnancy rate over the past 6 years, comparable to international fertility centres.

The success rates in KKIVF are expressed as the percentage of embryo transfer procedures which result in a clinical pregnancy. A clinical pregnancy is determined when a pregnancy sac with a heartbeat is visible on ultrasound at around 4 weeks after the embryo transfer procedure.

In general, the most critical factor in determining a couple's fertility is female age. At KKIVF, the clinical pregnancy rate per fresh transfer in the years 2006 was:

Women's Age	Clinical Pregnancy Rate
< 30 years	60.3%
30 - 39 years	45.3%
40 - 44 years	14.9%

Women are born with all their eggs for their lifetime already formed (unlike men, who produce sperm constantly for most of their lives). By the time women approach the age of 40, the eggs tend to lack the energy they need for the early stages of development. Also the chance of producing abnormalities such as Down Syndrome increases with age.

These can result in failed fertilisation, failure of the embryo to implant, and early miscarriage. In addition to age, results will depend on the condition of the uterus, the number of eggs obtained, the number of eggs fertilised, and the number of eggs or embryos transferred. If spare eggs are fertilised and stored, the overall chance of pregnancy from one stimulation will be higher.

Introduction to Infertility | KKIVF Centre | Our Staff | Our Clients | Clinical Services |

Our Results | KKIVF Centre Milestones | Counselling | Education | Training |

Research | Thinking about Fertility Treatment |  Problems Conceiving  |  Reproductive Medicine doctors | Women's Clinic | Women's Support Groups | Fees & Charges for Women |