Archive: Author: LA IVF

Being told you have low motility (sperm that struggle to make their way through the female reproductive system) may sound like it’s the end of the road when you’re actively trying to conceive; though, while low motility makes it more difficult to conceive, it does not mean it’s impossible. If you and your partner are […]

1. CONTROLLED OVARIAN HYPERSTIMULATION (COH) IVF success rates are dependent upon the number of the mature eggs and healthy embryos available for transfer. A patient undergoing IVF is given fertility drugs for two reasons: (1) to improve the growth and development of her ovarian follicles in order to produce as many healthy eggs as possible […]

Are my frozen embryos, eggs and sperm safe? A common question of the week: The short answer is “yes” in most fertility clinics and storage facilities despite the recent major problems in two separate facilities regarding their storage tanks. Apparently, in both occasions, the storage tanks failed somehow or liquid nitrogen used to keep them […]

Endometriosis affects one in ten women in the general population and up to 50% of women with infertility may have endometriosis. It can be difficult to diagnose endometriosis clinically and in some women it can be present with minimal symptoms, but yet it can cause significant inflammation of the pelvic organs which can lead to […]

I felt like I have to write another article about the mysterious diagnosis called “unexplained infertility” after seeing a number of patients in their early 30s with this diagnosis recently. I often hear from patients that “everything is normal” or “nobody could identify any problems”. It’s also not uncommon to hear “I went to different […]

Can Endometriosis Cause Infertility? Endometriosis, as discussed in a prior blog, is a condition found in women of reproductive age which commonly causes symptoms of pelvic pain and difficulty conceiving. According to the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), up to 50% of women with endometriosis may have subfertility, reducing the probability of having a […]

What is the Zika Virus and how can you get infected? The Zika virus was first reported in South America in 2015, and has since spread to many parts of the world. Like other viruses in the same “family”, it is mainly spread through the bite of an infected mosquito. Infected mosquitos now found in […]

  An article was published this month in Fertility and Sterility which focused on new developments in the medical treatment of endometriosis1. Before understanding the new developments, let’s discuss some of the traditional treatment strategies and their limitations. As discussed in the blog reviewing endometriosis causes, we know that it is an estrogen-dependent disease and […]

What is it? Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent disease characterized by the presence of endometrial tissue located outside of the uterus. It has been estimated to affect up to 10% of reproductive aged women and as high as 25-50% of women with pelvic pain and/or unexplained infertility1,2. Endometrial implants can range from 1 mm superficial peritoneal […]

What is Pre-implantation Genetic Screening? Chromosomal abnormalities are the most common cause of miscarriage in the first trimester and a leading cause of congenital abnormalities in live born infants. Unfortunately, rates of chromosomally abnormal embryos increase with maternal age, correlating with increased risk of miscarriage, genetic diseases, and infertility. For women between the ages 35-39 […]