Infertility Treatment and Services

Microsurgical epididymal sperm aspiration (MESA) and percutaneous epididymal sperm aspiration (PESA) are available for men with obstructed or absent ejaculatory ducts (i.e. unsuccessful vasectomy reversal, congenital absence of the vas deferens). Sperm are aspirated directly from the epididymis (the tiny collecting tubules next to the testes) for use in the ICSI procedure. The few drops of fluid may contain sufficient sperm to be frozen for several ICSI procedures. Testicular sperm extraction (TESE) is available for men with obstructions or ejaculatory problems that cannot be treated by any other method. Small samples of testicular tissue are obtained by needle biopsy and a few sperm are painstakingly dissected out of the tissue for use in the ICSI procedure.

Preimplantation Genetic Testing (PGT) is a technique that can be used during in vitro fertilization (IVF) to test embryos for a variety of genetic disorders. This procedure gives couples a chance to have a child unaffected by a genetic condition, without the uncertainty involved in becoming pregnant and using prenatal diagnosis. PGT involves harvesting cells from very early embryos after IVF or removing a polar body from an oocyte for analysis. This procedure is also used for gender selection.

ICSI is a procedure used in conjunction with IVF in which a single sperm is inserted with a micro-needle into the cytoplasm of a mature egg. ICSI is often used if the male partner has very low sperm count, low sperm motility, or poor quality sperm. If fertilization occurs after ICSI, the embryo may then be transferred into the uterus.

These are the most common ART procedures. They are used to treat infertility problems caused by adhesions, endometriosis, sperm antibodies, low sperm count, and unexplained infertility. The eggs are retrieved and then processed by the laboratory. They are isolated and mixed with properly processed sperm, and are then placed in an incubator where fertilization takes place. After oocyte fertilization, embryos that have developed satisfactorily are transferred into the uterus four days after egg retrieval.

Our successful Gestational Carrier Program at Fertility Treatment Center was established for women who are unable to safely carry a pregnancy, women without a uterus, single men or gay men who want to build a family, or individuals/couples who are unsuccessful with other infertility treatments.

FET is a cutting-edge infertility treatment. During FET, fertility specialists take frozen embryos and implant them in the patient’s uterus after the embryos have thawed. Reasons that couples choose FET include failed IUI procedures or the presence of extra embryos from an initial IVF cycle. In addition, any couple receiving donated embryos must undergo FET because all donor embryos are frozen for at least six months. A relatively non-invasive procedure, FET can be performed on women who have either controlled or natural menstrual cycles.

Upon completion of your IVF treatment, any remaining embryos will need to be stored for your possible future use (or donation once your family building has completed). Cryopreserved or frozen embryos can potentially remain for an indefinite period of time at FTC’s cryobank.

Embryo Freezing (Cryopreservation) is the process of freezing embryos at a very low temperature so that they can be thawed and used later. IVF success rates with frozen embryos are very high at FTC because of our Day 4 ET (embryo transfer) protocol, which may allow couples multiple chances to achieve pregnancy from a single oocyte retrieval cycle. During a traditional cycle of IVF, we usually transfer 2 embryos to the uterus to maximize the chance of conception while minimizing the likelihood of multiple births. If pregnancy does not occur during the stimulated cycle, the frozen embryos may be thawed and transferred to the uterus during a spontaneous menstrual cycle. If conception does result from the initial stimulated cycle, cryopreserved embryos can be used later in an attempt to achieve another pregnancy.

Egg freezing (oocyte cryopreservation) is a process where a woman’s eggs are extracted, frozen, and stored for future use. This fertility preservation technique is often used by women who want to delay childbirth for personal or medical reasons, such as undergoing treatments like chemotherapy. The process involves stimulating the ovaries to produce multiple eggs, retrieving and freezing them through vitrification, and storing them for potential fertilization later via in vitro fertilization (IVF). While success rates vary, especially with age, egg freezing offers an option to preserve reproductive potential for the future.

The Donor Embryo Adoption Program at Fertility Treatment Center is a method for you to achieve pregnancy at a much lower cost than In Vitro Fertilization.

Seeking pregnancy through egg donation is an option for women who are over the age of 38 (advanced age increases the likelihood of egg abnormalities), suffer from premature menopause and/or poor ovarian function.
Egg donation involves a woman (a donor) “donating” her eggs so that another woman (a recipient) might be able to conceive. In egg donation, in vitro fertilization (IVF) is performed in the usual manner, except that the donor may receive fertility medications to stimulate the production of multiple eggs in her ovaries. At the same time, the recipient may also receive medications so that her cycle mirrors the cycle of the donor and her body is prepared to receive the embryo. The egg is then fertilized in a laboratory and the embryos are implanted in the recipient’s uterus. The success rate for couples undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) with egg donation — even when a woman is over age 40 — is approximately the same as the success rate of IVF in young women.

Generally, egg donation may be an option for a woman if she:

• Is older and has not succeeded with other therapies.
• Has reached menopause prematurely.
• May carry a genetic disorder that may have been determined through blood testing.
• Has experienced unexplained and repeated miscarriages.

Assisted Hatching is a process used to aide the embryo to emerge from its covering prior to implantation in the uterus. In some cases, particularly as women age, the membrane hardens which can interfere with the natural hatching process.