The Unit has an active research programme, working closely with the University of Hull and the Hull-York Medical School, and has developed a research programme over the past 5 years looking at uterine contractions.
Why are ectopic tubal pregnancies more common after IVF/ET cycles than after natural conception? This seems illogical at first because the embryos are placed directly through the cervix into the uterus during IVF/ET and do not go through the fallopian tubes at all. So how can they end up lodged in the fallopian tubes as an ectopic?
Our research has shown that at the time the embryos are transferred to the uterine cavity in an IVF cycle the uterus is undergoing rhythmical contractions. These contractions are slow and can only be demonstrated by time-lapse ultrasound recordings. Our video recordings have demonstrated how embryos can be pushed up into the fallopian tubes by these contractions, explaining why about 4% of IVF pregnancies are ectopic. In fact the first ever IVF pregnancy was an ectopic, which must have amazed Doctors Steptoe and Edwards.
Our research has also shown that if these contractions are too strong they can expel the embryos from the cervix. We are now trying to discover drugs that can reduce the contractions and therefore increase the chance of pregnancy. We can also minimise the contractions by making the embryo transfer as gentle as possible. We are currently the only IVF unit with experience with the audio-visual techniques necessary for research into uterine contractions.