Infertility is defined as failure to conceive after one year of unprotected sexual intercourse. Infertility can be due to male factor (40%), female factor (40%), combination of both male and female factors(10%) or unexplained infertility. In vitro fertilization (IVF), simply put, is the union of the male gamete (sperm) and female gamete (egg) in the laboratory (outside the body). IVF can be broadly classified into 2 distinct types: 1. Conventional IVF and 2. Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI). In the Conventional IVF procedure the egg and the sperm are mixed together and incubated. Whereas in ICSI, a single sperm is injected directly into the egg. IVF is carried out in cases of female factor infertility, whereas ICSI is the treatment of choice for male factor infertility.

The world’s first test tube baby was born in United Kingdom, in the year 1978. In India, the first documented test tube baby was born in Bombay, in 1986. The state of Kerala has the highest literacy rate in the country. There are more than 2000 gynaecologists in active practice. However, there was not a single ART centre in Kerala, which could treat infertility patients at the level of IVF and ICSI. Patients with infertility problems had to undergo treatment, either abroad, where the cost of treatment was exorbitant, or go to IVF centres in other states of the country, where the success rate was low. It was not until 1996, with the establishment of Vijaya Fertility IVF and Endoscopy Centre, in Ernakulam, that a world class IVF centre which could cater specifically to patients with infertility, came into being in Kerala.

The Vijaya Fertility IVf and Endoscopy centre, founded by Dr.N.P.Vijayalakshmy, MD, DGO, FASRM; has the distinction of achieving the first test tube baby of Kerala state, in May 1997. This centre is among the first few centres in India to successfully setup and achieve pregnancies using the ICSI technique. This centre has till today carried out more than 2600 treatment cyclesof IVF and ICSI, with a high success rate of 35%. Also, more than 2000 Intrauterine insemination cycles have been carried out. This centre can proudly boast of having a high take home baby rate of 28 to 30%, comparable to any of the best centres in the world. Vijaya Fertility IVF and Endoscopy Centre, also, has an equally active Endoscopy centre and has, so far, carried out more than 2600 endoscopic procedures.

Vijaya Fertility and IVF centre has a modern state of the art laboratory with a team of highly competent doctors and embryologists headed by Dr.Vijayalakshmy and offers complete ART procedures under one roof. These include basic male and female evaluation, counselling, detailed semen analysis, IUI, IVF, ICSI, PESA, TESA, etc. The latest state of the art equipment used include laminar air flows, to maintain aseptic conditions, CO2 incubators, stereo zoom microscope and micromanipulator. The disposables used for IVF are from USA and high quality culture media is obtained from Sweden.

Both partners are examined the same day, precise diagnosis is made, and immediately treatment is prescribed. For the male, the infertility may be due to any of these reasons:- Inadequate or abnormal sperm production and delivery (which is checked with a semenogram), genital aabnormalities, hormonal evaluation (to rule out any imbalances), varicocele (which can be confirmed with a Doppler study and varicocele surgery is done where indicated), sexual dysfunction and impotence and chromosomal anomaly.

For the female, the causes are primarily ovulatory dysfunction, fallopian tube dysfunction and uterine or pelvic pathologies. The diagnostic tools used are:- Pelvic Ultrasonography (to rule out any pelvic pathology), hormonal evaluation (to rule out endocrinopathy), Hysteroscopy and Laparoscopy (to correct pelvic pathology).

The Vijaya Fertility IVF & Endoscopic Centre was conceived as a pioneering institution by Dr.N.P.Vijayalakshmy MD, DGO, FASRM and she has received accolades both from within and outside the country, including Singapore for the treatment of infertility. It is the first centre to offer ART in Kerala and the first IVF babies in Kerala were born at this centre. Before she started this super specialty centre, she was a faculty with Medical College Service, Kerala.

Vijaya Fertility Clinic IVf & Endoscopic Centre, now known as Vijaya Institute of Medical Sciences, has started new departments, the main department is Obstetrics and gynaecology. We have the most modern labour room and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit- which is functional since July 2004. The other departs are as follows.