LABORATORY
Andrology Consulting offers a number of of services to suit a variety of clients. Whether your in the private sector or NHS, in the field of reproductive science/medicine or pathology or perhaps need advice for a legal case, we can help. We can provide advice, troubleshooting and practical help on both diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of andrology, specialist sperm banking (for patients and donors) and regulations. Get in touch with us today to learn more about our services and what we can do for you.
Diagnostics
We can help to ensure that your diagnostics are first and foremost evidence-based, offer practical solutions for benchwork, hands-on training, reviewing procedures and associated records as well as audit and research projects. At Andrology Consulting, we combine our experience of 30 years in the business with a record of training for both professional bodies and the University sector. Our aim will be to help you to provide a cost-effective diagnostic service and which has an emphasis on making a difference to the management of the infertile couple. An understanding of the basic uncertainty (biological and procedural) associated with semen analysis test results and focusing on those parameters that have most bearing on outcome (natural conception or ART) is key to ensuring that service users have confidence in your end-product. For more information of diagnostic semen analysis - please read on.
Fertility preservation and Donor Banking
Sperm cryopreservation is the area of the service with the highest level of associated risk and for this reason we discuss this aspect on a separate page - see cryogenics risk management. In most cases sperm are typically frozen for:
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Patients who are about to embark on therapy (e.g. surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy) that could render them infertile
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Sperm donors - ensuring that samples can be quarantined whilst being screened for infectious diseases
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Surrogacy arrangements
Processes/procedures must be optimised from: acceptance of the sample from the patient/donor, through processing and cooling and through long term storage and follow-up. Particular attention should be given to compliance with regulation and prevention of error throughout the process - For further information read 'Cryo-governance'.
Therapeutic Andrology
Therapeutic andrology essentially refers to sperm processing for use in assisted conception. Although there is clearly some overlap with cryopreservation, this is dealt with separately because of its unique requirements and associated risk. We can provide advice on procedural review, methodology, optimisation and how to performance-test media and consumables that come into contact with sperm . Although the success of insemination procedures is highly influenced by female factors and especially age, the inseminate must contain sperm that are not only progressively motile but also have high velocity. In other words its not just important to have sperm that swim forward but also swim fast.
Financial and workforce analysis
With years of experience, we can help you in costing your andrology service, from simple diagnostics, through to more complex treatment planning and cryopreservation. We have experience in manpower analysis, budgeting developing ideas for providing a more cost-effective service, whilst ensuring risk exposure is kept to a minimum. We can provide analysis and advice on treatment success rates, the factors which influence outcome and provide cost-benefit analysis of individual treatments.
