Clinic - Flow Fertility

Why go with Flow

We’re innovative: we bring you up-to-date treatment and advice

We make it our mission to stay on top of the latest in infertility research, and to contribute our own research to the field. This commitment to research allows us to bring you the latest evidence-based treatments.

We’re collaborative: we work with you to tailor our treatment to your needs

We don’t believe in a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach. Instead, we take care to understand your unique needs, preferences and goals – and tailor your treatment accordingly.

We’re supportive: we help you navigate the ebbs and flows of fertility treatment with compassion

We believe compassionate fertility care can help you weather the ups and downs of your fertility journey.

Get into the Flow

At Flow Fertility, we first offer a comprehensive fertility assessment with our Sydney fertility specialist, Dr Gavin Sacks, to identify the problems and associated fertility issues that need to be addressed. A range of specialist fertility treatments, including both IVF and non-IVF options, are available and the treatment approach recommended for you will be specifically tailored to your needs.

We can also assist with fertility preservation (e.g. egg freezing) and provide a second opinion on your fertility treatment so far, particularly if you are yet to conceive despite one or more cycles of IVF.

You will need a referral from your GP or another doctor to become a patient at Flow Fertility.

Step 1: Comprehensive fertility assessment

At your first visit, Dr Sacks will take the time to understand your fertility journey to date and conduct a thorough fertility assessment.

He will ask you about any problems you have experienced trying to conceive and listen to your story with compassion. He will also ask about any previous fertility testing or treatments you have had.

Next, he may request further investigations to help develop a clearer picture of your case. These may include special X-rays, ultrasounds, blood tests, ovulation testing and an assessment of ovarian reserve. Specific investigations related to recurrent implantation failure and recurrent miscarriage may also be recommended. In some cases, surgery such as a hysteroscopy or laparoscopy may also be recommended (to look inside your womb or pelvis).

Dr Sacks will also conduct a thorough male partner assessment (where relevant), which may include blood tests and other investigations such as semen analysis. Male fertility testing will identify if sperm abnormalities or medical conditions related to the male sex may be contributing to your fertility challenges, and whether these need to be addressed as part of your fertility treatment as a couple.

Step 2: Specialist fertility treatment

Once your fertility assessment is complete, Dr Sacks will consider your unique case, preferences and goals in order to recommend the most appropriate treatment options for you and your partner. There will be plenty of time to discuss these treatment options and address any queries you may have at your follow-up fertility consultation.

The following fertility treatments are available through Flow Fertility in association with the specialist facilities and amenities offered by IVF Australia:

Fertility treatment

Description

Fertility optimisation

Lifestyle and other strategies to improve fertility and the chances of conceiving naturally

Ovulation induction (OI)

Specialised fertility medication to induce ovulation (the release of a mature egg from the ovary), timed with sexual intercourse or IUI to aid fertilisation of an egg by sperm

Intrauterine insemination (IUI)

Placement of sperm directly in the woman’s womb (uterus) to assist in getting sperm closer to the egg

In vitro fertilisation (IVF)

A step-by-step process that begins with hormone injections to mature a woman’s eggs. This is followed by egg collection. In the IVF lab, each mature egg is placed in a specially-designed petri dish with around 50,000 sperm to allow natural fertilisation to occur (the process by which a single egg and sperm come together and unite). Any fertilised eggs are placed in a special incubator to aid their growth and development into an embryo. The highest-quality embryo will be selected for embryo transfer – placement into the woman’s womb (uterus). An embryo that successfully implants in the wall of the uterus following transfer and continues to grow, results in pregnancy

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)

Precise injection of a single, high-quality sperm into a mature egg to aid fertilisation, as part of the IVF process

Preimplantation genetic testing (PGT-M, PGT-SR, PGT-A)

A suite of genetic tests that may be performed on one or more of your embryos prior to embryo transfer to ensure use of the highest-quality embryo available and avoid transferring embryos with a higher likelihood of implantation failure

Donor conception + surrogacy

Assisted conception via donor eggs or donor sperm, or with the help of a surrogate

Our medical and fertility assessments may also identify specific medical conditions that may be affecting your gynaecological health and fertility. In this case, medical treatments other than IVF may be offered prior to or instead of IVF, to increase your chances of conceiving:

PCOS
Endometriosis
Adenomyosis
Uterine fibroids
Irregular periods
Premature menopause
Blocked tubes
Anatomical issues (e.g. uterine septum, bicornuate uterus, double uterus, blocked or absent fallopian tubes).

In some cases, treatment of these conditions may involve laparoscopic surgery, e.g. to remove endometrial growths that may be affecting your fertility and ability to become pregnant. Dr Sacks is a proficient and extremely experienced gynaecological surgeon and will be able to perform these surgical procedures, if required.

The Bondi Protocol

Developed by Flow’s founder, Dr Gavin Sacks

The Bondi Protocol is an innovative treatment based on Dr Gavin Sacks’ research into recurrent miscarriage and repeated IVF failure. A combination of two medicines that target the immune system, The Bondi Protocol may help improve pregnancy success rates in women whose immune system is affecting their fertility.

Other services at Flow Fertility

Investigation of recurrent miscarriage

Recurrent miscarriage can be terribly frustrating. We are adept at managing challenging cases, including women who are experiencing recurrent miscarriage for no discernible reason. We will work through the potential causes and address any modifiable factors we can to improve the likelihood of future pregnancies progressing to full term.

IVF second opinion

We are happy to provide a second opinion on your previous fertility and IVF treatments, to make sure that no diagnostic or treatment avenue has been left unexplored.

We can:

help you gain a deeper understanding of what may be affecting your fertility (including your ovarian reserve status)
discuss whether additional tests or investigations might be beneficial
assess your current fertility treatment, and
propose the most appropriate way forward for you given your specific circumstances.

Sometimes our advice may be similar to advice you’ve already received. However, at other times, we may see a new way forward. Either way, a second opinion can offer you peace of mind that all appropriate fertility treatment options have been considered.

Fertility preservation

For people looking to preserve their fertility, we offer a range of options. These include egg freezing, as well as the freezing of embryos, ovarian tissue, sperm and testicular tissue, where appropriate.

You may be considering fertility preservation if you wish to delay having children but want to safeguard your fertility as you age. Alternatively, you may be about to start medical treatment that has the potential to affect your fertility, such as chemotherapy and other cancer treatments. In this setting, we can expedite your procedure to align with upcoming treatment timelines, particularly where timely medical care is paramount.