Indian fertility services have come a long way since their early days, with more assisted reproductive technologies (ART) such as IVF and IUI becoming more accessible to more couples. Despite this, infertility remains an issue. The National Family Health Survey (NFHS) puts the figure of infertile couples in India at around 10-15 percent, with the rate being higher in urban areas. This has led to a growing demand for fertility treatment, but still, many couples, especially in rural and semi-urban areas, are faced with distance, cost, and the lack of specialist care.

Santasa Fertility Center, started in 2008 in Hassan, Karnataka, was established to fill this void and provide world-class fertility services closer to home. Located about three hours from Bangalore, Santasa has been a beacon of hope for infertile couples in the region. Before Santasa, rural couples, particularly those who lived on coffee plantations, traveled long distances to cities like Bangalore or Mumbai to access IVF procedures. Dr Sowmya Dinesh, the founder of Santasa, saw firsthand these challenges and decided to provide advanced fertility treatments to rural communities, revolutionizing access to care.

Expert Fertility Care with Ethical & Transparent Approach

Santasa IVF and Endosurgery Institute, established by Dr Sowmya Dinesh in Hassan, Karnataka, provides professional fertility care based on ethics, transparency, and empathy. Santasa IVF and Endosurgery Institute’s strength is in its absolute commitment to personalized, transparent treatment. She shapes every plan keeping in consideration the couple’s medical condition, emotional comfort, and financial resources, steering clear of undesired procedures. This patient-centric strategy helps couples feel cared for and informed, many times as if they are part of a large family.

Providing a full spectrum of services from simple ovulation induction and IUI to sophisticated IVF, ICSI, genetic testing, and surgical procedures it merges state-ofthe-art technology with tender concern. Recognizing that the problems of fertility are highly emotional and social, it takes extensive histories involving family relationships and sources of stress. Counseling and including family members, as needed, assist in resolving societal pressures, particularly on women who tend to carry the burden of stigma for infertility.

Financial transparency is fundamental to the philosophy of Santasa IVF and Endosurgery Institute. Accurate success rates and potential outcomes are discussed upfront, enabling couples to make emotional and financial preparations. Dr Sowmya Dinesh wholeheartedly believes, “Stress is inversely proportional to the depth and honesty of counseling”. Santasa’s facilities are state of- the-art, with Class 10,000 IVF laboratories boasting top-of-the-range incubators, micromanipulators, and AI based semen analysis. The clinical team applies superior reproductive endocrinology coupled with cutting-edge laparoscopic and hysteroscopic surgeries not common in such regional institutions.

Innovation also flourishes here. She developed a world-first platelet-rich fibrin therapy to maintain pregnancies following early amniotic sac rupture, successfully treating high-risk patients and giving birth to healthy children. Awarded regionally and globally, Santasa demonstrates how specialist fertility treatment combined with ethical, open procedures can change lives offering hope and dignity to Indian heartland families.

Our mission is to bring the best possible care to every family, no matter where they are

Transforming Fertility Care with Leadership, Innovation & Excellence

Dr Sowmya Dinesh leads a multidisciplinary team of experts at Santasa Fertility Center, and all the team members have their crucial role to play to help couples achieve their goal of parenthood. The team includes fertility specialists, ultrasound specialists, and counselors who specialize in reproductive health. They work together to deliver a wide range of services from simple fertility advice to complicated treatments like IVF, IUI, and surgery. At Santasa, the staff uses stateof- the-art technology to realize the best success rates in their treatments. The clinic is equipped with the latest machines, including precise ultrasound scans and genetic testing. These technologies help diagnose fertility issues more precisely, allowing the team to develop effective, targeted treatment plans. Automated semen analysis is also used to determine male fertility, further boosting the chances of successful treatment. “Technology matters, but it must be used responsibly. I only use new techniques if they have a proven track record of success”, she says.

One of Santasa’s showpiece incidents in the past is a case first-hand where the team helped a female patient who had premature rupture of the amniotic sac during pregnancy. Normal practices were a failure, but the team, under the leadership of her, came up with a new approach where they used the components of the patient’s own blood to repair the rupture. This innovative method effectively sealed the leak, and the woman was able to be carried to term, resulting in a healthy infant. Success has since been shared with the global medical community through peer-reviewed literature, suggesting the potential to revolutionize the care of women who present with such an issue. This case study is just one of the many ways that Dr Sowmya Dinesh and her team are continuously pushing the frontiers of reproductive medicine, introducing new, life-changing therapies to patients in need.

Future Vision

Planning ahead, Dr Sowmya Dinesh also has a vision for the center’s future development. She is dedicated to expanding the center’s services to more rural and semi-urban areas, so that high-quality, low-cost fertility treatment is within the range of families who would otherwise be unable to afford it. Her vision is to constantly innovate in the field while remaining compassionate, accessible, and ethical for everyone. Her leadership at Santasa has already revolutionized the fertility landscape in Karnataka. Her commitment to developing services and improving access to fertility care for underprivileged populations is setting the stage for an even brighter horizon for Santasa Fertility Center.