Infertility Treatment Options
Reproductive Medicine involves treating patients' physical condition as well as meeting their emotional needs during the process. At Fertility C.A.R.E, we strive to educate our patients extensively about their particular diagnosis and the treatment options available to them. We believe that knowledge empowers the patient, allows them to take more control over their fertility, thereby being proactive in their treatment. We always include the patient in the decision involving all aspects of their treatment. We find this approach reduces their anxiety while increasing their well-being.
Today, a wide range of treatments is available to address even the most complex causes of male and female infertility. The doctors at Fertility C.A.R.E will develop a customized treatment plan for you. Depending on your diagnosis, the plan may include one or more treatment options below:
* Ovulation Induction and Intrauterine Insemination
* Reproductive Surgery
* Artificial Insemination
* Donor Insemination
* IVF (In Vitro Fertilization)
Ever wonder if you would experience menopause sooner if you use fertility medications? The short answer is No. In fact, each month, hundreds of follicles in the ovary are stimulated to grow, but only one achieves full maturity and ovulation.
Those other follicles undergo a natural cell death (apoptosis). Since fertility medications stimulate follicles that would have otherwise not developed to maturity, then these medications do not accelerate the onset of menopause.
Ovulation Induction and Intrauterine Insemination (IUI)
Intrauterine insemination (IUI) is a minor office procedure that places sperm with a small catheter directly into a woman's uterus when she is ovulating. A large concentration of sperm is deposited into the upper uterus so they are closer to the fallopian tubes, where they travel to fertilize an egg. This process, called insemination, uses a thin flexible tube (catheter) that is passed through vagina and cervix into the uterus. Most women experience little or no discomfort. IUI can be done with sperm from the male partner or a donor, and is often combined with ovulation induction (OI) or controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH).
Prior to insemination, the sperm usually are washed and concentrated (Placing unwashed sperm directly into the uterus can cause severe cramps). Concentration is accomplished by selectively choosing highly active, healthy sperm that are more capable of fertilizing an egg. Donor sperm are used if the male partner is sterile, has an extremely low sperm count, or carries a risk of genetic disease. A woman planning to conceive without a male partner can also use donor sperm.
OI uses fertility medication to develop a single follicular cyst (follicle) on the ovary for ovulation. COH is offered in ovulatory women and stimulates the ovary to produce more than the usual one follicle per month, so an increased number of eggs are exposed to sperm thereby increasing the chances for pregnancy. Photo of multiple follicles after stimulation at ultrasound.
Reproductive Surgery
Reproductive surgery treats anatomical abnormalities interfering with normal reproductive function. For women, reproductive surgery treats tubal obstruction, endometriosis, uterine fibroids, and scarring of the ovaries or other pelvic structures resulting from pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). For men, surgery might address conditions such as varicocele (varicose veins of the testes) and obstruction along the reproductive tract.
Donor Insemination
If donor sperm is necessary, you may choose an anonymous donor or a friend or relative who is willing to provide sperm. Anonymous donor sperm must remain frozen for at least 6 months before it can be used. This is done so that the donor can be tested to ensure that he does not have an infectious disease, including the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Frozen sperm are less effective than fresh sperm and are not recommended for use due to the concerns of infectious disease transmission. A couple often may choose to use sperm from a donor who resembles the male partner. Learn more about ICSI, an alternative to Donor Sperm.
Invitro Fertilization (IVF)
In-vitro Fertilization is the Assisted Reproduction Technology (ART) advancement that revolutionized the fertility treatment of women following the first baby born from this process in 1978. IVF literally means 'outside the body fertilization.'
After stimulating a woman's ovaries to produce multiple follicular cysts, each containing an egg, a minor procedure called egg retrieval is scheduled. This procedure is performed in our office and involves intravenous sedation while ultrasound is used to guide a needle through the woman's vagina into the ovary to puncture the cysts, aspirate the fluid and collect the eggs to be immediately analyzed in the laboratory and eventually inseminated later that day for fertilization.
This procedure takes less than 30 minutes and you may return to work the next day. Originally developed to assist women with damaged fallopian tubes, IVF has now emerged as the highest monthly chance for a successful pregnancy above all other treatment options regardless of diagnosis. Read more about IVF, medications and Fertility C.A.R.E.'s IVF program.