A short introduction to the CRG
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The Fertility Clinic of UZ Brussel is located in the Children's Hospital |
The Centrum voor Reproductieve Geneeskunde (CRG or Centre for Reproductive Medicine) has been active within the Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel (UZ Brussel) since 1983.
As a specialized centre in reproductive health care, it has performed groundbreaking work in the development of reproductive techniques and their application. In the first 25 years of its existence more than 15,000 babies have been born as a result of treating their parents at the CRG.
The medical assistance is not limited to IVF or other fertility techniques such as hormone treatment, artificial insemination, treatment of male impotency, sperm extraction surgery, reversal of sterilization, etc. The research and treatments at the CRG also extend to related reproductive complications: repeated miscarriages, hereditary defects of the parents (or one parent), high incidence of twins or triplets, the need for donor material, etc.
Scientific
Since its creation in 1983, the CRG has played a pioneering role in the development and enhancement of reproductive techniques: in vitro fertilization, transfer of embryos, freezing of embryos, new schedules for controlled ovarian stimulation, egg donation and so on. For decades the Centre has been a major player on the international scene in its discipline.
This is on the one hand the result of medical practice which is based on a certified
quality management system, and of follow-up studies, where new fertility programmes always are checked against their results (effects on patients, success rates, ...).
On the other hand the success of the CRG is supported by continuing scientific research. Our Centre played a decisive role in the development of ICSI, the revolutionary fertilization technique whereby one sperm is injected into an egg. Thanks to ICSI, it is now possible to efficiently help couples with a severe form of diminished male fertility to conceive a child. In more recent years, the medical treatment of fertility problems has continued to make spectacular progress.
ICSI,
MESA, PESA,
TESE, FNA,
and on the genetic side PGS, PGD and
HLA – all these cryptic acronyms represent techniques to aid the conception of a (healthy) baby by medical means.
However, there is no guarantee that your desire for a child will be fulfilled. What we can guarantee however, is that the CRG will do everything within its power to assist you in the best, most correct and most efficient way. Iso-norm 15189 accredition
On April 5th, 2005, the ISO Norm 15189 Accreditation was awarded to the laboratory for Clinical Biology and to the care programme of reproductive medicine at UZ-Brussel (then still AZ-VUB).
The accreditation for the clinical biology laboratory encompasses all microbiological examinations, bacteriology, virology (including HIV), and serology. For the reproductive medicine care programme, all laboratory procedures in the following areas were included; sperm examinations, IVF, ICSI, up to and including embryo biopsy for pre implantation diagnosis (PGD).
The embryology and andrology labs at UZ Brussel are the first in the Benelux countries to be awarded this internationally recognized ISO Norm.
ISO Norm 15189 is a measurement of quality which was specifically developed for medical laboratories. In order to obtain it, a laboratory must prove to an external independent auditor, that it is competent and consistent in generating correct laboratory results. This competence must be coupled with a high level of patient care. It goes without saying that the laboratory must additionally reside over a formulated quality control system. In other words, the ISO Norm 15189 accreditation confirms that the laboratory also complies to all ISO Norm 9001-2000 requirements.
Our Centre chooses to communicate openly. Anyone who undergoes a fertility treatment is offered a comprehensive
printed brochure 'Assisted Fertilization. A Guide Through Your Treatment'. The brochure explains in clear and uncomplicated language all practical and scientific aspects of each type of treatment.
It includes
treatment schedules – a diary which allows you to keep track of every step in your treatment.
You can obtain the brochure on simple demand.
Providing information is not only an important aspect in the communication between the CRG and its patients. Accurate internal data transmission is also crucial to the success of your treatment. Our doctors, counsellors, nursing staff, lab technicians and administrative personnel are a close-knit and highly experienced team. Don't be alarmed if you are not always treated or advised by the same people. Infertility treatment requires a multi-disciplinary approach. Everyone you deal with at the CRG will either know your file or will be acting on the instructions of someone who does.
International, multilingual, pluralistic
UZ Brussel is associated with the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (or VUB) and this is a Dutch-speaking institution. Therefor, the language spoken in the hospital and the CRG is Dutch. Nevertheless all staff members speak either French or English (or both), the majority even fluently. A number of them also speak German and Spanish. Thanks to its excellent reputation – scientifically as well as practically, the CRG attracts a large number of patients from abroad.
UZ Brussel respects every religion or ideology. Don't hesitate to inform us of any religious or other factors that may affect your availability over the course of the treatment. The CRG is always willing to accommodate for Christian holidays, the Jewish Sabbath, the Islamic Ramadan, etc. Nevertheless IVF treatment could involve a number of medical or practical aspects which may burden you, but that you will nevertheless have to accept in order to keep the chances for success of your treatment acceptable.
The CRG is part of a continental network of research and treatment institutions. We work closely with the Universiteit van Rotterdam, the Aristotelean University of Thessaloniki, the Université Libre de Bruxelles, the Universidad Autonoma de Barcelona, the Universiteit van Maastricht, the University of Cambridge, the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, the Kings's College in London, the Institut Pasteur in Paris and the Hubrecht Laboratorium in Utrecht.
April 2005 saw the inception of our official collaboration with Clinica Alemana, one of the leading hospitals in South America. The Clinica Allemana is linked to the Universidad Del Desarrollo (Santiago de Chile) and has a tradition of setting up collaborations with other Centres of Excellence, which facilitates the fluent exchange of know-how, as well as the mutual training of medical specialists. They have chosen the CRG as Centre of Excellence in the field of Reproductive Medicine.
As a specialized centre for reproductive medicine, the CRG is also an active member of
ESHRE, the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology, an organization that in turn enjoys fruitful contacts with the scientific world in the United States.
Furthermore the CRG has built a solid reputation in the world of research and the treatment of male infertility, and become an recognized training centre of the
EAA, the European Academy of Andrology in 1997, acknowledgement that was renewed in 2005.
Fund Raising Reproductive Medicine
As mentioned before, progress in reproductive medicine is achieved through scientific, fundamental research. The most recent breakthrough realized in UZ Brussel led to the birth of the first two Belgian HLA babies, also called
donor babies. This breakthrough was the result of the cooperation between several departments of UZ Brussel, amongst which the
Centre for Medical Genetics and the CRG.
A medical breakthrough is not a matter of sudden discoveries or a single moment of inspiration. It is the result of years of sustained, daily scientific research. And this costs money, a whole lot of money.
That is the reason for the existence of the non-profit organization
Centrum Reproductieve Geneeskunde, with as sole purpose the gathering of funds for scientific research. The funds raised are used for instance to pay researchers and lab technicians, or to finance specific studies.
Would you like to make a tax deductible donation? Download the brochure
here.