FROM NEW JERSEY WITH LOVE
Advances in Reproductive Medicine Tech Improve Pregnancy Rates
Compiled by John Joseph Parker Contributing Editor
Thanks to technological advancements made in the last decade surrounding in vitro fertilization ( IVF ), thousands of patients have achieved their dream of parenthood faster and with fewer IVF cycles . According to Shady Grove Fertility ( SGF ) Chief Medical Officer Eric A . Widra , M . D ., the following advancements provide every advantage to patients wishing to start or grow their family .
Advanced freezing technology allows more patients to have multiple children as a result of one IVF cycle , thereby reducing the cost and easing the process for patients .
The ability to freeze unused embryos following a fresh IVF cycle has existed for many years , but earlier techniques were associated with undesirable , often damaging ice crystal formation . Vitrification , a flash or fast-freeze technology that ’ s used today , has greatly improved pregnancy rates seen during cycles using a frozen embryo .
In the event a fresh transfer is unsuccessful , frozen embryos can provide the possibility of trying again without having to take ovarian stimulation medication . Plus , using a frozen embryo makes it possible to correct for hormone levels that might not be as supportive as necessary of a healthy pregnancy .
Egg freezing keeps future family building options open .
Photo : Getty Images / iStockphoto / bluecinema
Genetic testing of embryos lowers miscarriage rate and increases the likelihood of pregnancy with a healthy baby .
Among the numerous advancements in reproductive medicine , physicians can now effectively screen an embryo for chromosomal abnormalities and test for specific genetic conditions that might normally cause miscarriage or an inherited disease . Once the embryos reach the blastocyst stage , usually on day five or six of embryo development , an embryologist can take a few cells from the embryo for chromosomal analysis . Then , during a frozen embryo cycle , the embryologist will only thaw an embryo that tested normal for the correct number of chromosomes and the physician can transfer it to the woman ’ s uterus .
Egg freezing keeps future family building options open .
Thousands of women have decided to freeze their eggs , giving them the power to have children when the timing is right , not when their biological clock dictates that they should have them . Given the advances made in egg freezing technology , SGF has grown to be one of the top five egg freezing programs in the United States , and the number of women choosing this option continues to rise .
SGF ‘ s predictive analytics tool , PRISM , helps forecast IVF success rates , making treatment decisions easier for patients .
“ Will IVF work for me ?” is often among the first questions patients ask of their reproductive endocrinologist . However , how SGF physicians answer this question is different than how physicians from other centers would answer , as SGF created a customized predictive model , known as PRISM ( Predictive Response to IVF Success Model ) to help patients make more-informed decisions about their care . Based on 15,000 treatment cycles from 10,000 SGF patients since 2009 , PRISM leverages its own IVF success data to determine pregnancy probability , offering patients insight when making difficult treatment decisions .
Sperm injection and extraction techniques have nearly eliminated infertility among couples with a severe male factor .
Commonly used in cases of male factor infertility , especially when there is a problem with sperm movement , shape or number that impairs the sperm ’ s ability to penetrate the egg
Shady Grove Fertility Chief Medical Officer Eric A . Widra , M . D .
on its own , intracytoplasmic sperm injection is a technique in which an embryologist injects a single healthy sperm into an egg . Once fertilization occurs and the embryo matures properly , a physician can transfer it into the uterus .
Shady Grove Fertility ( SGF ) is a leading fertility and IVF center of excellence with more than 50,000 babies born and counting .
Sperm injection and extraction techniques have nearly eliminated infertility among couples with a severe male factor .
Photo : Getty Images / iStockphoto / iLexx
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