Clinics in Cape Town that Offer AI, IVF and ICSI
If you are looking for fertility clinics in Cape Town, South Africa, that offer advanced ARTs (assisted reproductive therapies) such as AI (artificial insemination), IVF (in vitro fertilisation) and ICSI (Intra Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection), you will be glad to know that the City of Cape Town is home to world-class fertility clinics, including our own Cape Fertility, where we achieve great success with these – and many other – fertility treatments.
In this article, we admire the beautiful city of Cape Town and introduce our Cape Fertility facilities; briefly explain the three reproductive therapies: AI, IVF and ICSI; and share how you can find out which one is best for you.
In Cape Town
Nestled at the foot of the iconic Table Mountain – one of the New7Wonders of Nature and a Unesco World Heritage Site – Cape Town is a destination to experience! It was just recently named “Leading City Destination for 2021” in the 28th annual World Travel Awards, which also named Table Mountain as “Africa’s Leading Tourist Attraction”. In fact, Cape Town is regularly voted by international travellers as the greatest city in the world and for good reason.
With spectacular beaches, magnificent mountains, unique floral kingdoms, some of the world’s finest wine routes, the iconic Robben Island and the famous V&A Waterfront, the accolades Cape Town receives are not over-stated.
Clinics in Cape Town
Cape Town is home to many advanced medical facilities, ranging from private specialist clinics to the world-famous Groote Schuur Hospital – probably one of South Africa’s premier hospitals – known worldwide as the location of the world’s first successful human heart transplant. Locally, it is renowned as the training ground for some of South Africa’s best doctors, surgeons and nurses.
In the Claremont Medical Village at the back of Table Mountain, under the eaves of the picturesque Constantia Mountains, you will find Cape Fertility, one of the top fertility clinics not only in Cape Town, but also in South Africa and in the world.
Our team comprises four reproductive specialists: all with impressive qualifications and extensive experience, who are supported by a full team of fertility experts to offer a range of advanced fertility treatments at our purpose-built premises. These facilities include procedure rooms and a modern sophisticated laboratory adjacent to our Main Reception and Staff Offices. This ensures all the latest assisted conception techniques, including AI, IVF and ICSI, are used with great success at Cape Fertility.
Treatments: AI
Artificial insemination refers to a process in which semen is placed in a woman’s vagina or cervix by a means other than sexual intercourse. It is a widely used form of assisted reproductive technology (ART) that has proven safe and effective over time.
Artificial insemination is a non-invasive procedure, and it entails very little medical risk for the women undergoing this treatment. It is also a relatively quick and easy procedure, compared to other fertility treatments such as in vitro fertilisation (IVF). Artificial insemination and not as expensive as other fertility treatments, but it offers a good success rate.
Although the pregnancy rates achieved with artificial insemination are lower than those achieved with in vitro fertilisation (IVF), artificial insemination is both less expensive and less invasive, so it is often recommended as a first fertility treatment.
Artificial insemination is usually recommended for women who are physically capable of conceiving and carrying a baby, but cannot fall pregnant through sexual intercourse, for a number of reasons, such male partner infertility or a same-sex partner. It is also recommended for women with minimal or mild endometriosis, and for those with ovulation problems, in combination with ovulation induction, and it may be recommended for unexplained infertility, when the cause of infertility cannot be identified.
Treatments: IVF
In vitro fertilization or IVF has been practiced for more than three decades across the world. It is a safe and trusted medical treatment, and its success rate is impressive.
Very simply stated, during in vitro fertilization, the female partner’s eggs (ovum) are collected and fertilized with sperm in a laboratory. The embryo is then implanted into the uterus. While the process sounds relatively simple, IVF is not a single medical procedure or event, but a series of procedures completed over several weeks.
When you have your IVF treatment at Cape Fertility, you will enjoy the support of your own IVF co-ordinator, who has a 4-year University Degree as Bachelor of Nursing (or equivalent) and is very experienced in fertility treatment and IVF. Your IVF co-ordinator will guide you through every one of the various steps of the IVF cycle, while also answering the practical questions you may have and offering advice and support.
While IVF treatment was originally created for women with damaged or blocked fallopian tubes, it is a safe and trusted standard treatment for many causes of infertility today.
Some of the fertility challenges IVF is normally recommended for include severe endometriosis, advanced maternal age, decreased ovarian function, low ovarian reserve, severe male infertility including impaired sperm function or production, and unexplained infertility.
At Cape Fertility, we achieve some of the best IVF success rates in the world.
Treatments: ICSI
ICSI stands for “Intra Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection” and it is a revolutionary medical process that makes it possible for nearly every man to have his own biological child, even in the case of severe sperm problems. Practised safely around the world, ICSI has helped thousands of couples to have their own biological offspring.
ICSI is a medical procedure used in specific circumstances when the fertilization of the eggs takes place in the lab during IVF treatment, and it is very effective. Instead of the eggs and sperm being mixed and left to fertilise as with traditional IVF treatment, during ICSI, one sperm is injected into the egg using a micromanipulation microscope.
The embryologist will choose a single sperm cell – the best and strongest available – and inject it directly into the egg. This circumvents any possible problems with the sperm penetrating the egg.
At Cape Fertility, our state of the art laboratory is equipped with the newest high-magnification ICSI microscope. This helps our embryologists in selecting the best sperm. High-magnification ICSI can also improve the clinical outcomes in couples with previous repeated conventional ICSI failures.
At Cape Fertility, we are very proud of our success rate of 45% with IVF with ICSI.
Which one is right for you?
These three treatments – AI, IVF and ICSI – are just three of many medical treatments available to assist those couples struggling with infertility. In many cases, one, two or all of these treatments may be the right one for a number of different fertility challenges.
There is only one way to find out for certain which one, or combination, of the many fertility treatments available is right for you and your partner, and that is to have a proper check up by a fertility specialist.
Arranging your initial consultation with one of our fertility specialists is as simple as contacting us here…
At Cape Fertility, we offer world-class facilities and expertise, and we believe in making quality fertility treatment affordable, while always striving for higher success rates.
We value each individual patient and we look forward to providing you with our signature individualised and personalised care.