Working life: Hans Arce, reproductive medicine consultant, Sims IVF, Cork

Not everyone is aware of egg donation, says Hans Arce.

6.20am

A coffee sets me up for a 10-minute meditation followed by a walk in the park with the dog before leaving for work.

We offer a range of hi-tech fertility treatments at our clinic in Mahon. The most recent addition is an egg-donation programme.

We are the first clinic in Ireland where patients will be able to avail of egg donation without having to leave the country for part of their treatment.

8am

The morning is spent in theatre carrying out a variety of procedures from egg collection to embryo transfer.

The average age of women we see is 38/39 and most are part of a couple. However, the number of single women coming to the clinic is increasing.

So too is the number of older couples on their second marriage who would like children in their new relationship.

Noon

Patient consultations get underway. I try to make everything as personalised as I can. IVF is the main treatment that people opt for.

Not everyone is aware of egg donation which may only arise when all other options have been exhausted.

It does, however, offer a much higher chance of successful conception than performing IVF with the woman’s own eggs, especially if they are of poor quality which is often the case with older women.

12.45pm

We take a short break for lunch at the clinic.

2pm

The afternoon starts with a consultation with patients interested in egg donation.

We have approval from the Health Products Regulatory Authority for our programme and everything will be in place shortly so that patients who walk through our doors will be able to choose this option.

We can freeze the sperm in Cork. Previously patients had to drive to our Dublin clinic.

The donor egg is then fertilised with the male partner’s sperm and matured to embryonic stage. Embryonic transfer takes place in Cork or Dublin, where fertilised eggs are placed in the woman’s uterus.

The clinical pregnancy rate is about 65% per embryo transfer.

4pm

I discuss infertility issues with a couple and we decide on a treatment plan. It usually takes just one or two visits to the clinic before treatment can begin.

4.30pm

I finish up for the day and head for the gym. Then it’s home for another walk with the dog.

* Hans Arce, reproductive medicine consultant, Sims IVF, Citygate, Cork, with twins Lily and Leon O’Brien