Xtra
ONE OF
THE FIRST:
N
INE years after the fi rst IVF baby Louise Brown was born, a
similar level of success was achieved by one of our very own.
Reproductive Medicine specialist at Ramsay Sime Darby
Healthcare Dr Haris Hamzah had managed to achieve the fi rst ever
pregnancy through IVF in Malaysia in 1986.
What started as just a mere discussion of a possibility in achieving
the fi rst pregnancy through IVF, went on to become a collaboration
between him and a couple other doctors in Australia for him to better
understand the procedure.
According to Haris, the methods were diff erent back in the day.
Egg collection had to be done through laparoscopy surgery, when in
present day, an egg collection can be done through a more minimal
invasive method.
He pointed out that science had changed so much over the years
that it had transformed the method of transferring eggs and success
rates had since spiked way above.
CHALLENGES FACED IN SETTING UP
TREATMENT IN MALAYSIA
“Setting up a laboratory and bringing in the technology to train per-
sonnel over here was not the challenge. However, what was diffi cult
was establishing the scientifi c part of the procedure,” Haris said.
“Having to understand the process and undergoing the proce-
dures step by step at that point of time proved to be a challenge to
my team and me.”
Another form of challenge he faced while performing IVF treat-
ment in Malaysia was getting people to believe that the treatment
could increase chances of pregnancy and provide a second chance
to couples facing fertility issues.
Haris confessed that people still have a hard time trusting the
process, and the trust issue may prove to worsen the overall problem
as patients with tubal blockages also shows the need for an IVF
treatment.
He went on to say that IVF treatment in the country is becoming
more common as more and more people are going to centres where
they can get the best results in achieving pregnancy. He also urged
people to realise that the country possesses not only the top science
and technology but also clinical skills that are beyond reach at other
places in the world.
Professor Simon Fishel.
“The process of
IVF has since then
not only aided
couples facing
infertility but also
those who face
the risk of passing
on their genetic
disorders onto
their children.”
“The process of IVF has since then not
only aided couples facing infertility but also
those who face the risk of passing on their
genetic disorders onto their children,” said
Fishel.
With possible enhancements made to the
procedures involved in an IVF treatment,
Simon said that more robotics and artifi cial
intelligence (AI) will be incorporated into the
fertility fi eld in years to come.
The possibility of correcting gene disor-
ders will also be on the rise to help increase
the success rate of producing healthy babies
through treatment.
According to Simon, IVF procedures have
helped redefi ne the way people approach the
idea of making a family.
“Families now has the option to produce
an embryo that would not carry any type of
pre-emptive conditions ,” he said.
3
Malaysia Records First
IVF Pregnancy in 1986
Dr Haris
Hamzah