Couples having difficulty conceiving will no longer be forced to go overseas for expert consultation thanks to an agreement worked out with the Diamond Institute in New Jersey.

And two local women have already become pregnant as a result of treatment they received in Bermuda in May.

Local gynaecologists teamed up and approached the institute about providing direct care in Bermuda. The result is that every three months a locum will be on Island to see patients and discuss their options.

?All the gynaecologists as a team decided to bring them in,? said local gynaecologist Dr. Dale Wilmot. ?We all send our patients to the Diamond Institute. It is the leader in this field.?

While no statistics are kept on the numbers of infertile couples in Bermuda, Dr. Wilmot said the numbers are ? significant?.

Last month marked the first time local patients were able to take advantage of the new service. Dr. Jesse Hade, a reproductive endocrinologist, saw 30 patients in the four days he was here, several of them on a Saturday and even on the Queen?s Birthday holiday.

Dr. Wilmot said two women who had been trying for several years to conceive are now happily pregnant.

The women had each tried the fertility pill Clomis but never the more potent option ? an injection of gonadatropin. No one locally was authorised to administer the injection but Dr. Wilmot under supervision of the Diamond Institute is now allowed to do so.

Dr. Hade worked out of Dr. Wilmot?s Point Finger Road office and Dr. Wilmot worked alongside him in each case to deepen his experience.

?He (Dr. Hade) only sees infertile couples,? said Dr. Wilmot. Both the man and the woman are usually examined and if needed the man is referred to a urologist.

?It is important for him to see them both, because the problem may not be with the woman,? said Dr. Wilmot.

There is an ultrasound unit at Dr. Wilmot?s practice and where necessary Dr. Hade conducted ultrasounds himself to get a clearer picture of what might be wrong.

?You cannot get as clear an indication by reading an ultrasound report,? Dr. Wilmot explained. ?It is an ideal situation to have the doctor actually perform them.?

Fibroid tumours appeared to be the problem in many of the cases Dr. Hade saw here. In such cases ultrasound is a very important diagnostic tool. It shows exactly where the tumour is and its size.

Apart from the convenience of seeing a specialist locally, the new service also saves local patients a considerable amount of money. Infertility consultations and treatment are not covered by most health insurers so all local patients pay directly for these services.

This can be very expensive especially when you factor in airfares and hotel nights.

One patient said in her last treatment overseas she spent over $4,000 just for the prescription drugs.

Patients that saw Dr. Hade locally paid a consultation fee of $280. If other testing was done the final bill was higher.

A locum from the Diamond Institute will next be in Bermuda in October. Call your gynaecologist for more information or to book an appointment.