Dr. Héctor Izquierdo

When I was still in high school I had the opportunity to do an internship with a gynaecologist at the hospital and it was love at first sight. Obstetrics and women’s care was something I felt so passionate about that I started medical school with the absolute conviction to become a gynaecologist later on. Once in residency I had the opportunity to rotate through the fertility department very early on and in those first experiences it was clear what my path would be. The idea of helping families to have children gave me such a wonderful feeling that made it very easy to make the decision to follow this path. Today, many years later, I am convinced that it was the best choice, and I still feel the same passion I felt the first day.

When the decision to undergo fertility treatment is made, patients are in a very fragile position and want to have a team on hand to help them overcome those fears and uncertainties. In this context, Tambre, with more than 40 years of experience and such a thoroughly trained team, provides patients with the security they need. Tambre is the perfect blend of tradition, experience and innovation, which translates into many years of know-how and a shared vocation to provide the latest technologies at the service of families who want to have children.

I remember it as if it were yesterday and what’s more, in my medical practice I like to have a very close relationship with my patients, which leads me to keep in touch with them for a long time. In the end, along with my team, I have the privilege of changing the lives of families and that is super rewarding. I never get used to it and every positive beta, every achievement in each family’s journey, still generates the same illusion in me. I never tire of being a vehicle to bring so much happiness to so many people.

First, a healthcare system that does not prioritise fertility and family in its interventions, which makes it very difficult for patients to even obtain information about it. Secondly, the financial effort involved, as we do not have the health system helping us. Third, not all centres and specialists have the training or equipment to adequately assist patients. Finally, and this is a personal belief, not all professionals in the sector provide the close and humane treatment that patients need on this arduous journey.

A story that has marked me is that of a very young couple, 26 and 30 years old, who had been trying to do a treatment for 5 years. She had PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) and he had azoospermia (no sperm). They were patients who had been declared sterile in their country of origin. And we, with treatment and a lot of effort, managed to generate a single embryo that we transferred and today she is a beautiful baby girl.

Every Christmas, when I receive their card and see their baby girl, our great fighter, I get very excited because in this job the hardest roads are the most satisfying.

Seeing them return to the clinic with a baby boy or girl in their arms is such an overwhelming and beautiful feeling that I will never get used to, seeing them so full with the love of their lives in their arms overwhelms me with joy.

Doing a lot of therapy myself, trying to free myself from ego and narcissism, and understanding myself as a vehicle for a greater good. Giving one hundred percent of myself to each patient and accepting that setbacks are as worthwhile as achievements. In conclusion, remembering every day that we are human and that we cannot do everything, but being immensely grateful for what we do achieve.

I am the father of a little girl, who was also born from fertility treatment. I dedicate my free time entirely to her, as she is my greatest motivation and she reminds me that family is the most important thing for me.