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Interview with
Mrs. Tida
Ruttanajit,
Director of
Embryology at
the
IVFMiraclebaby
Clinic, Srisiam
Hospital in
Bangkok,
Thailand.
November 2008
Interviewer:
Firstly,
what does an
Embryologist do?
Mrs. Tida:
Embryology is
the medical
science behind
the whole
assisted
reproduction
process. It
provides the
technology and
science to
implement the
Doctor's
treatment plan
for the patient.
Interviewer: I'm
told that the
embryology lab
is the heart of
and soul of a
fertility
clinic- is this
true?
Mrs. Tida: Well,
we like to think
so! Ha Ha! But
Doctor Wiwat and
I are a team.
We've worked
together for
over ten years
and have a very
good
relationship. He
works with the
Patients
directly and I
support him with
my lab. We need
each other just
as much!
Interviewer: So
in which
procedures is an
embryologist
involved in?
Mrs. Tida: All
IVF procedures
require an
embryologist to
help create new
life from the
patients' egg
and sperm. We
put them
together in the
lab to fertilize
naturally or use
procedures such
as ICSI where we
are able to
fertilize an egg
with a single
sperm. ICSI is
done when there
are motility
problems with
the male
partner's sperm
and it has made
a tremendous
difference to
the chances of a
couple achieving
pregnancy. We
also assess the
embryos as they
develop and
choose the
healthiest for
transfer to the
mother. We also
store the
embryos using a
method called
Cryopreservation.
Of course, there
is much, much
more.
Embryology is a
very precise
science because
we are dealing
such delicate
organisms that
the slightest
error can be
fatal.
Interviewer: So-
you literally
hold life in
your hands?
Mrs.Tida: Yes-
you could say
that but I
prefer to see it
as helping
nature to do its
job.
Interviewer: How
many people have
you helped get
pregnant?
Mrs. Tida: I
cannot tell you
exactly without
checking- but it
is in the
thousands.
Patients come to
us from all over
the world and it
is a real joy
when we hear
news of their
new born babies.
Interviewer: Do
you have direct
contact with
Patients?
Mrs. Tida: Oh
yes, I feel it
is an important
part of my job
to make patients
feel comfortable
and relaxed
about the
procedure they
are about to
receive. They
quickly become
part of our
family at
ivfMiraclebaby
and I am so
happy when they
become pregnant.
Many of our
International
patients keep in
touch with us
when they return
home and it is
wonderful when
we receive
photos of the
new born babies
whose life began
in our
laboratory.
Interviewer: How
do you deal with
people who have
obviously had
such a long and
difficult
journey trying
to have a
family?
Mrs. Tida: It
can be heart
rending but part
of our Buddhist
philosophy is to
be as
compassionate
and supportive
as possible and
to care for each
individual.
Because we are a
small clinic we
can give the
individual
attention that
is often missing
from the larger
hospitals. That
really makes a
difference.
Interviewer:
What does it
feel like when
your patients
get a positive
result?
Mrs. Tida: We're
so happy for
them! We still
get excited
every time we
find out a
patient has
become pregnant.
We have a party!
Interviewer: Do
you have any
idea beforehand
if a procedure
will be
successful?
Mrs.Tida: If I
knew that I
would be famous!
But we can tell
if the eggs or
sperm are not
viable. In these
cases there are
other options
such as donor
eggs and donor
sperm. And in
cases where the
woman is unable
to carry a baby,
Surrogacy. But
our laboratory
process is
essentially the
same.
Interviewer: How
important is the
laboratory
equipment in
Embryology?
Mrs. Tida: Very.
We have invested
a lot of money
and time
creating a
laboratory which
is one of the
most advanced in
SE Asia. We're
very proud of
it. Having the
latest
technology and
methods is vital
in IVF treatment
and allows us to
offer the same
level of service
and procedures
as IVF
laboratories in
places like the
USA and Europe.
Interviewer: How
about your
staff- it must
be hard to find
qualified people
in such a fast
developing area
of medicine?
Mrs. Tida: We
are very lucky
in that we have
a dedicated
embryology team-
many of whom I
have trained
myself. Our
success is
always linked to
the number of
pregnancies we
achieve. In that
we have been
very fortunate.
Interviewer:
Have you
anything you'd
like to say to
people who may
be reading this?
Mrs. Tida: We
have helped many
people achieve
their dream and
would like the
opportunity to
help you too.
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