Lauded as one of the most groundbreaking medical achievements of the 20th century, World Embryologist Day is celebrated annually on the same date to honour medical professionals who help create new life.
What you may not know is that Malaysia was not far behind the rest of the world. In 1986, the country saw the establishment of its first IVF unit at Subang Jaya Medical Centre (SJMC), in collaboration with J L Yovich of Pivet Laboratories in Western Australia.
Dr Haris Hamzah, a specialist in this field since 1982, was at the forefront of this initiative. His expertise and dedication culminated in Malaysia’s first successful IVF pregnancy and the birth of a healthy baby in March 1987.
Born in Muar, Johor, Haris followed in the footsteps of his father, who had been the first Malay general practitioner in the town. Haris is now a consultant obstetrician, gynaecologist, and fertility specialist at Alpha IVF & Women’s Specialists centre in Kota Damansara,
“I happened to visit Perth, where my brother worked as an anaesthetist. He was employed by Dr John Yovich, an IVF pioneer in Western Australia who had opened the first private IVF centre in Australia in 1980,” Haris told FMT Lifestyle.
Intrigued by the then-nascent field of in vitro fertilisation, Haris spent a year travelling back and forth to learn from Yovich. “We eventually decided we were ready to bring the IVF setup to KL.”
In early 1986, they began operations. One of their first patients had severe endometriosis, which had cost her an ovary. “She was in her late 20s, and we were in a quandary about how to help her get pregnant. We brought her in as one of our first IVF patients,” Haris recalled.
“Towards the middle of that year, she got pregnant with twins. Unfortunately, we lost one twin at six months, but the second twin continued to grow, and we delivered her by C-section in March 1987. That was the very first IVF pregnancy in Malaysia.”
That milestone remains special to Haris to this day. “It was her only pregnancy, and she kept in touch with us regularly. Sadly, she passed away about two months ago.”
Today, the child born from that historic IVF procedure is 37 years old and, having learnt about her origins, met recently with Haris.
Rapid technological advancements
Reflecting on the early days, Haris said the technological landscape then had been vastly different.
“Compared to today, it was like the Stone Age. We had CO2 incubators – large, bulky items that were hard to control. We didn’t have freezing facilities or a proper laboratory.”
Despite these challenges, they achieved a 25% pregnancy rate, comparable to global standards at the time. “Our patients had severe conditions -endometriosis, pelvic problems – whose potentials were generally not that good,” Haris outlined.
Public perception was another hurdle. “People wondered what we were trying to do and if we were just making up stories.”
Today, the landscape has shifted dramatically, with rapid tech advancements having played a crucial role in evolving the field. For instance, egg freezing helps with fertility preservation.
“We also introduced freezing that allows us to store excess embryos. By the 2000s, this increased our pregnancy rates to 40-45%, sometimes even 50% depending on patient quality.”
According to Haris, cultural perceptions around fertility treatment have also evolved. “In the early days, it was mostly the wives who came for treatment, with men often refusing to believe they could be the issue. Today, that has mostly changed.”
Indeed, the IVF unit at SJMC has continued to make strides, addressing severe male infertility by achieving Malaysia’s first intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) pregnancy in 2004. With ICSI, a single healthy sperm is injected directly into each mature egg.
With countless IVF centres across the country these days, Haris remains optimistic about the future. “Advancements will continue, especially with the technology we use now,” he noted.
Haris’ contributions have not only transformed fertility treatment in Malaysia but also brought hope to countless families. As we look back on these milestones, it’s clear his work will continue to impact generations to come.