Tubal Reversal vs. IVF: What are the best treatment options for couples who desire fertility or pregnancy after tubal sterilization?
By: Vinita Alexander, MD / aid of ChatGPT The answers depend on many factors, including the type of original surgery performed at the time of original sterilization and remaining tubal length post-surgery, age of the female, and comorbidities in the female (For example, cases in which significant scarring of the tube may be present, like […]
Role of Sperm DNA Fragmentation in Male Infertility
By Peter M. Ahlering, MD Sperm DNA fragmentation is an advanced parameter measuring semen quality and refers to the percentage of sperm showing breaks in the genetic material. It has been shown that 25% of men visiting fertility clinics that have normal semen parameters by the conventional testing, will have considerably high DNA fragmentation compared […]
Diminished Ovarian Reserve (DOR): Possible Treatments to Lead to Successful Outcomes
By: Mira Aubuchon, MD Frequently, we care for patients with diminished ovarian reserve (DOR), low egg numbers, with IVF. This is a challenging situation because the egg supply does not increase, and eventually over the years the supply will be exhausted. A number of approaches have been described to treat diminished ovarian reserve with varying […]
Should you consider the ERA test prior to your embryo transfer?
The egg retrieval is done, the embryos have been created and are frozen. A patient may now ask, “Should we postpone an embryo transfer to do an ERA?” To best answer that question one must understand the processes related to this test and weigh the benefits. The Endometrial Receptivity Assay (ERA) test involves three weeks […]
Can Low-Dose Aspirin Affect Pregnancy Outcomes?
According to the results of a recent study, (LDA) or low-dose aspirin therapy before conception may enhance pregnancy outcomes for women who have experienced miscarriage. Reproduction can be a clumsy process, with the chance of conception thought to be about 25% per menstrual cycle. Nearly 30% of clinically recognized pregnancies end in loss. Additionally, the […]
An Egg and Sperm Crisis
This is an interesting story recently published by some local media. The subject is one we had long known is a concern, that sperm counts over the last 30 years have been declining tremendously. The World Health Organization (WHO) does periodic studies that sets the standard for what is “normal” and the “normal range” for […]
Could supplementation help slow the age-related fertility decline?
This is an interesting article, obviously it is done in aged mice, as opposed to humans. That said, many people utilize supplementation with antioxidant supplements such as Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), Resveratrol. There are many others that people feel may be beneficial to ovarian function, sperm function and/or egg and sperm “quality.” While no direct evidence […]
Should you be considering sperm cryopreservation?
Sperm cryopreservation is a technique which is a recommended strategy to preserve male fertility for men who have low sperm count, low testosterone and/or is in need for cancer care treatment. The purpose is to cryopreserve sperm, which can last for many years, preserving one’s future fertility potential. When there is existing low sperm count […]
Myth: Miscarriages arising from chromosomally abnormal (aneuploid) embryos occur only in older women
Although increased age is a risk factor for embryo aneuploidy (abnormality) and miscarriages, younger women (<35) are at substantial risk for producing aneuploid embryos particularly when they have a history of recurrent miscarriages. It may be that in these women the uterine lining is too selective. In other words, the uterine lining is inappropriately allowing […]
MYTH: More than (2) Growing Follicles During IUI Therapy Provides a Higher Pregnancy Rate
A recently published study in Obstetrics and Gynecology (Vol. 135, No. 5, May 2020), “Mature Follicle Count and Multiple Gestation Risk Based on Patient Age in Intrauterine Insemination Cycles with Ovarian Stimulation” (Evans et al) evaluated the risk of multiple level pregnancies by age group and the number of mature follicles obtained related to the […]