The Untapped Potential of Ultrasound in Reproductive Health: Interviews with Key Opinion Leaders

Abstract

Ultrasound (US) has been a frequently-used tool in the field of reproductive health since the mid-1950s. It has been hugely successful, especially during pregnancy, in helping to detect issues such as fetal abnormalities. It is also a non-invasive procedure, working by bouncing ultrasonic soundwaves at body structures or tissues and detecting the echoes that bounce back. The quality of US scans has continually improved over the years, and with emergent technologies, such as Doppler and three dimensional (3D) imaging, the ability for physicians to use US to accurately visualise organs and structures within the female pelvis is extensive. However, across the broad spectrum of reproductive health physicians, there appears to be significantly more scope for US to be utilised in daily clinical practice, particularly in treating infertility and increasing the success rates of procedures such as in vitro fertilisation (IVF). To better understand the extent to which US can be utilised, the European Medical Journal recently interviewed two leading figures in reproductive health who are particularly strong proponents of a broad use of US in clinical practice. These were Dr Nicholas Raine-Fenning, Clinical Associate Professor & Reader in Reproductive Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK, and Prof Michaël Grynberg, Head of the Department of Reproductive Medicine and Fertility Preservation at the University Hospital Antoine-Béclère, Clamart, France. As well as providing a general overview of US across reproductive health, each provided an analysis from the perspective of their main area of clinical expertise: Dr Raine-Fenning focussed primarily on the use of US in IVF, while Prof Grynberg gave insights on its role in diagnosing infertility. In addition, Mr Stephen Hussey, General Manager, Women’s Health Ultrasound, Europe & RCIS, GE Healthcare, Amersham Place, UK, was invited to share a commercial perspective on the use of US technology in reproductive medicine.