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30 Years of making babies with love & science

17th July 2019

30 Years of making babies with love & science

On 13 July 1989 Michael Ah-Moye, CEO, and Consultant Gynaecologist opened the doors to a new fertility clinic, now known as the Herts & Essex Fertility Centre.  And on Saturday 13 July 2019, we celebrated 30 years of successful IVF and fertility treatment at our clinic in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire. 

More than 400 parents, babies and children, in a poignant reunion, joined our 30 members of dedicated staff, to celebrate the fertility journey we have shared, over the past 30 years.

We celebrated this milestone with a joyous, fun filled garden party at the clinic where Michael welcomed families from the past 30 years.

Michael, “the gentle guiding father figure of Herts & Essex Fertility”, started his career in IVF in 1984, six years after the birth of the first successful IVF baby. He has witnessed all the major breakthroughs and developments in the field of IVF and Fertility treatment these past 35 years, which one takes for granted today.

Peter Brinsden (retired Director of Bourne Hall Clinic) who worked alongside Michael and spoke about their early years in an emerging speciality, had remarked “While we were out there shouting about it, Michael Ah-Moye was in his clinic in Essex doing it!

The first successful IVF baby was born in England in 1978.  In 1985, Michael Ah-Moye joined Professor Ian Craft, a renowned IVF pioneer, at his new IVF unit in London. Prof. Craft was the second person in the UK to produce an IVF baby and he was responsible for many breakthroughs that changed the practice of IVF forever.

In 1989, Michael founded the Essex Fertility Centre at Holly House Hospital in Essex.  18 years later, the team relocated to their current purpose built clinic in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, and was renamed the Herts & Essex Fertility Centre.

Our IVF treatment success rates are among the highest in the country, as confirmed by the Human Fertilisation & Embryology Authority (HFEA) database. Our dedicated team has helped to create thousands of happy new families with the successful delivery of over 6,000 babies since 1989.

In addition to IVF, we offer a range of treatments including fully funded IVF options with an Egg Donation scheme, in-house Sperm Bank, Egg, Sperm and Embryo freezing treatments, surgical sperm retrieval, award-winning Surrogacy with outstanding results and more. Fulfilling our promise to provide the most up to date treatments in a professional, caring and dedicated manner, we keep our patients’ best interest foremost.

The Fertility Journey:

1978 – First successful IVF baby born in the UK

1984 – Michael Ah-Moye, CEO and Consultant Gynaecologist at HEFC started his career in IVF

1984 – Introduction of Human Embryo Freezing

1985 – Michael joined IVF pioneer, Professor Ian Craft to open his new IVF unit in London

1985 – Buserelin, a drug to prevent premature release of eggs during IVF, approved for medical use

1986 – First egg donation treatment in the UK

1987 – Vaginal scanning and vaginal egg collection

1988 – Introduction of Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) to screen embryos for genetic abnormality

1989 – Founded Essex Fertility Centre at Holly House Hospital in Essex

1990 – Introduction of Anti Mullerian Hormone (AMH) test for checking egg reserve in women

1992 – ICSI breakthrough in Belgium

1999 – HEFC First IVF clinic to pioneer the use of a Blastocyst Transfer in the UK

2007 – Herts & Essex Fertility Centre in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire opened, following relocation

2014 – First live birth from Uterine transplant in Sweden

2019 – 30 years of making babies with love and science

 

“It is a brave new world, and undoubtedly science and technology will open up even more successful and safer frontiers in IVF & Fertility treatment” said Michael in his welcome speech.

If you would like to know more about IVF or other fertility treatments, do contact the HEFC and join us at one of our Open Days / Open Evenings which are held on a regular basis.

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