Since 1990 Dr. Luis Martínez Navarro has focused his professional life on the exciting world of human reproduction. He has extensive experience of the many developments in the field resulting from innovation and research, and is implementing all the latest techniques that are practiced in the clinics where he has worked:
This has been and still is one of the most important professional challenges
The director of the RU HLA Inmaculada de Granada has achieved great success throughout his professional career. But as a healthcare professional he insists that, “nothing beats the emotion of seeing patients who have become pregnant after waiting for a long time”. The personal recognition that he has received from both institutions and colleagues is exceptional, and extends to the president of the Spanish Fertility Association. Martínez Navarro has advised that the birth boom of the 60s-70s has ended, and that Spain will see a reduction in the number of women born by around 30% in the next 10 years. And given that woman are now trying to get pregnant for the first time later in life, she maintains that “we will see older women, for whom it will be more difficult to get pregnant.”
In today’s society, women tend to put off motherhood until later in life, however age is a key factor that determines fertility. So it is advisable that any woman who reaches the age of 35 and is still thinking about having children, should preserve her oocytes in case they need them in the future. He goes on to emphasize that “the age of 35 is already too late, since the best results are achieved when the woman is under 35.”
Apart from the social considerations that force women to have the first child when they are aged over 31-32, the complications increase when they want to expand their family. This is because the second pregnancy is attempted around the age of 35 to 37, and this presents serious difficulties. “It is essential to preserve oocytes to complete the family later on. This must be taken into account by both women and institutions, and fertility centers have a duty of care to make the process accessible to all women.”
Improving pregnancy rates
With an increase in infertility, due mainly to the delay of maternity, the specialist highlights the remarkable advances made in the field of reproductive genetics, “which will soon allow us to achieve greater genetic security of the embryos being transferred, thanks to innovative DNA studies of the embryo. These will facilitate more selective transfers with better results.”
“The most biggest challenge facing assisted reproduction is to improve the rate of single births of healthy children, with less risk for the patient and the baby, and within the shortest possible timeframe,” says Dr. Luis Martínez. Hormone testing during stimulation, and morphokinetic or endometrial tests, which enable transfers to be individualized, providing an improvement in clinical results. Nowadays genetics is the field which has achieved the greatest advances in assisted reproduction, “the search for the security of using gametes without hereditary diseases, selecting embryos without genetic abnormalities, selecting the best endometrium, or which type of hormone is best for each woman, are areas that are developing and will allow us to improve the rate of healthy born children.”
Spain, at the forefront of assisted reproduction in Europe
“Spain has some of the world’s best assisted reproduction clinics that offer a very broad portfolio of services. Any type of technique and procedure can be carried in our country with all the necessary safeguards,” affirms Dr. Martínez. In addition, “our legislation is very progressive and egalitarian in regards to the treatment of women without a male partner. This is something that does not exist everywhere, making us an attractive option to women from other countries, allowing them to get all the reproduction techniques they need here.”
“Patients come to our reproduction clinics for professionalism, empathy and better prices. We provide a comprehensive service and achieve great results, meaning that we continue to experience a high volume of patients as well as a high rate of pregnancies,” he states.
“Infertility has a psychological cost and impacts lives, and we need a team that understands this issue,” says the expert. This is where the important work of a good team can be seen, focused above all on caring for their patients with empathy, along with the support of special units and professionals such as geneticists or andrologists, they apply effective solutions to the problems that can arise on any given day.
The director of the Reproduction Unit HLA Inmaculada of Granada highlights the characteristics that differentiate the UR International Group fertility centers, “the development of their programs within a hospital setting, providing maximum patient safety, bringing together recognized professionals with national prestige and experience in reproductive medicine, and having leading support units such as the semen bank or their genetics services.
