Welcome to ProFaM
What ProFaM Offers
ProFaM offers the opportunity for women to store their own ovarian tissue. The first step is the surgical removal of a small portion of one of the ovaries. This small amount of tissue is then processed in a specialised, high-tech facility to make tiny strips of only a few millimetres. These strips can be frozen (cryopreserved) for use later in life.
The strips, once thawed, even decades later, can provide eggs for fertility or for the natural production of necessary hormones to postpone the menopause. For more on how this is done, the implications and what this may mean for you please see our FAQ.
About
ProFaM was founded to enable women to preserve fertility and to provide the option to postpone naturally the menopause and its symptoms.
ProFaM has been established by world-leading authorities in fertility, laparoscopy and ovarian cryobiology, in partnership with the CARE Fertility group and the University of Birmingham through its Advanced Therapies Facility. It is licensed by the Human Tissue Authority (HTA), and operates to the highest of standards.
Is ProFaM for everyone?
ProFaM is not for everyone, and not for those who are already in or close to the menopause. The reason is that when a woman reaches menopause, the ovaries are ceasing to function and we will not have functioning ovarian tissues for storage.
As a general rule, ProFaM patients will be under 40 years of age. However, we accept that all personal circumstances vary and offering our ProFaM procedures will depend on certain tests and the outcome of a consultation. For more information please see our FAQ.
Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust will be working with ProFaM to offer ovarian tissue storage for children with cancer, before they receive cancer therapy that may permanently damage their ovaries and leave them infertile.
What Makes Our Fertility & Menopause Technology Pioneering
ProFaM has several teams of highly skilled laparoscopic surgeons, cryobiologists and scientific researchers. The process is based on decades of research and many years of clinical work with cancer patients by Professor Amorim’s team. Professor Amorim leads the training and oversight of the ProFaM cryobiologists (click to view evidence).
The tissue is processed in the state-of-the-art world-class laboratory provided by the Advanced Tissue Therapy unit of the University of Birmingham. We have medical scientists researching improvement opportunities, and the highest level of scientific and clinical governance.
ProFaM is the first organisation in the world to offer young women the prospect of preserving some of their ovarian tissue for the purpose of preserving their natural hormones for use later in life, which will effectively provide natural HRT, not just by delivering their own natural hormones, but in the daily, rhythmical manner that occurs in the body.
ProFaM is a collaboration between industry, the NHS, the University of Birmingham and is licensed by the UK’s Human Tissue Authority (HTA).
ProFaM Research and Patient Experience
Transplanting ovarian tissue: Dr Khattak describes the purpose of her research
Hear what Dixi, a patient who has had an ovarian tissue auto-graft, has to say about her experience
Will you be ready?
You never know what the future holds, so freeze the biological clock and prepare for the future
ProFaM Consultation
A comprehensive consultation will be undertaken with one of our highly qualified consultants. At the consultation we conduct is full assessment of ovarian reserve, which includes scanning the ovary and a blood test. All your relevant details will be considered and necessary tests will be arranged. Following the consultation, you will be given an appointment to see a specialist nurse. Click to view ProFaM Consultation details.
Click here to book a ProFaM Consultation.
