Viva Brighton Issue #58 December 2017

TRADE SECRETS
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The Agora
Fertility expert Carole Gilling-Smith
I opened The Agora Gynaecology
& Fertility Centre in
Hove in 2007 after becoming
interested in obstetrics and
gynaecology as a medical
student. I remember watching
a baby being born and being
absolutely blown away by the
sight of new life.
Until we opened, patients
couldn’t access fertility
treatment in Brighton.
Some went to The Lister in
London and some to The Esperance
in Eastbourne. I had
moved to Brighton with my
young family and saw it as the ideal opportunity to
set up my own unit.
I wanted to create an environment that
wouldn’t make patients feel more stressed. I
choose all of my staff and we share an understanding
that it’s the patient that comes first. Sometimes
that means we run late because if things aren’t going
smoothly we always take time to talk to people.
One in five people suffer from infertility yet
it remains a very taboo subject. In heterosexual
couples there is often a feeling of shame; that there’s
something wrong with them; that they’re not good
enough – and that’s especially true for men.
It’s different among same-sex couples because
they all have to go through some sort of fertility
treatment to have children. Most same-sex
couples we see come to us through word-ofmouth
recommendations, well informed, because
they’ve discussed this with friends over coffee.
My experience, from the patients that come to
me, is that you can’t underestimate the impact
of infertility. It is well recognised as a cause of
depression, relationship breakdown and people
disconnecting from friends
and family. It can be isolating
and incredibly painful.
It’s really disappointing
that NHS funding for
IVF is being cut at the
moment. We’re lucky to still
have funding for two cycles
per patient here in Sussex. It
should be three though [according
to NICE guidelines]
and it’s not funded at all for
same-sex couples, which in
my eyes is discrimination.
IVF is usually the most
effective treatment for heterosexual
couples unless it’s an ovulation issue,
which can be treated differently. But success is far
from guaranteed [at The Agora, which has some
of the best success rates in the country, live births
range from 36% of patients under 35 to 13% of
43-44 year olds.] Still, rates are improving year on
year as we develop better culturing techniques and
learn more about when to put embryos back.
Another recent addition to our work involves
freezing eggs or sperm before a patient undergoes
cancer treatment. My husband has had
cancer so it’s an area that’s especially close to my
heart. It’s important that in those horrible days
after a diagnosis we can at least offer a means to
help preserve fertility.
My work has only made me more grateful
for what I have. Until I had my three children
I never realised how much you could love. I
recognise what a precious thing that is and I hope
it’s something we can help more of our patients to
experience for themselves.
Nione Meakin
agoraclinic.co.uk
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