Random controlled ovarian stimulation prior to cancer treatments in women of reproductive age who are diagnosed with cancer
Until several years ago, the prevailing thought was that only one “wave” of follicles is available for growth per monthly menstrual cycle; therefore, controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) for fertility preservation would require waiting for a woman’s period to start prior to her starting fertility medications for COS leading up to oocyte retrieval for fertility preservation […]
Hydrosalpinx – How Blocked Fallopian Tubes affect Female Fertility
You may have heard people talking about ‘blocked tubes’ when they explain their female fertility problems. If a fallopian tube blockage is located at the distal end of the fallopian tube, which is located furthest from the uterus, and if the fallopian tube is distended by fluid that has accumulated within the tube as a […]
Infertility Jargon: Acronyms You Should Know
If you are seeking fertility treatment you’ll find that there are unfamiliar terms and jargon used. While there are treatment related terms such as IVF, IUI and ICSI that patients commonly come across, what are other terms that are important for patients to know and to learn about? Here are some of the most important […]
NIAW 2018: Change the Conversation About Infertility
National Infertility Awareness Week (NIAW) is later this month from April 22nd to 28th! This year’s theme is #FliptheScript to help change the conversations so that the community understands how far reaching the issue is and how factors such as insurance, laws, costs, sexual orientation, and religion play in the ability to build a family. […]
The Skinny on the Impact of Weight and Fitness on Fertility
When a couple is trying to become pregnant, maintaining a healthy lifestyle is a key component of reproductive success. Studies show that women who control their weight with diet and exercise have a greater likelihood of getting and staying pregnant. For men, the benefits of proper weight include higher sperm counts and sperm with greater […]
FAQ: Is it typical to perform ICSI for IVF?
ICSI is recommended in cases of frozen oocytes that are thawed, due to the hardening of the zona pellucida (the cover or “shell” that surrounds the oocyte) when oocytes are frozen. “Standard insemination” for IVF (also known as “conventional” insemination for IVF) does not result in good fertilization rates in the case of frozen-thawed oocytes; […]
FAQ: What is the waiting period between each IVF cycle?
According to our clinical experience as well as the existing medical literature, there is no difference in a patient’s IVF success rate whether or not there is a waiting period between IVF cycles. This applies to fresh IVF cycles as well as FET cycles
FAQ: What happens post-IVF? What should a woman do to improve the chances of IVF success?
After embryo transfer (and prior to), it is best for the female patient to minimize daily caffeine intake as well as food rich in mercury. Although there are no reliable data to support bed rest after embryo transfer in order to improve IVF success rates, many medical practices ask that the patient consider bed rest for […]
Embryo Freezing has Improved Significantly Over the Years
The main goal of embryo freezing is to cryopreserve the embryo for later use. The first successful pregnancy that resulted from freezing a woman’s embryos was in the early 1980s. Since then, the factors in the IVF laboratory, including culture media, the ability to grow embryos in vitro to the blastocyst stage at day 5 […]
FAQ: How is the “best” embryo selected for transfer?
The “best” embryo for transfer is typically selected based on morphology (grading) and/or preimplantation genetic screening (PGS). Morphologic grading of cleavage-stage embryos (Day 2 and 3 embryos) involves the cell count and “fragmentation” rate of cells. Morphologic grading of blastocyst-stage embryos (Day 5 and 6 embryos) involves assessment of a group of cells that line the […]
