Does Caffeine Affect Fertility?
For most couples, deciding to conceive a child is a conscious decision. You’ve daydreamed about your little one, possible even thought about names, taken a look at your finances, and maybe you’ve even shared your decision with a few close family members, or friends. As the possibility of becoming pregnant takes shape, you very likely […]
Surgical Treatment Options for Tubal Disease
Tubal disease is a fairly common cause of infertility, according to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. The ASRM reports tubal disease accounts for up to 35% of all infertility cases. When a woman experiences tubal disease, it’s often undiagnosed until fertility becomes an issue. At that point the cause of an inability to become […]
Zika Virus & Pregnancy
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 […]
Should I test my embryos for BRCA gene mutation during my IVF cycle?
A recent announcement by Angelina Jolie has brought attention to BRCA gene mutation again and the increased risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer. She announced her “double mastectomy” to minimize the risk of developing breast cancer in the future. In the near future, she will also announce removal of her ovaries to minimize the […]
Is amniocentesis becoming obsolete for Down’s syndrome screening?
A recently developed test called the Materni21 allows non-invasive screening for Down’s syndrome during early pregnancy simply from a blood draw from the mother. The test is being evaluated further by clinical trials for its reliability and accuracy, but the initial studies report promising results. It appears that fetal DNA is detectable in the maternal […]
Prevention of OHSS in patients with PCOS undergoing IVF
Patients with ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) typically present with ovarian distention, pelvic pressure and fluid build-up in the pelvic area commonly associated with ovarian stimulation or In Vitro Fertilization (IVF). Whereas most cases of OHSS are mild in nature, 1-2% of the time symptoms can be severe, limiting activity, requiring pain management and even hospitalization. […]
Tubal Reversal: One or Both Tubes?
It is considered ideal if both tubes are re-connected (bilateral re-anastomosis) during tubal reversal surgery, but in some cases this may not be possible. Patients with a history of unilateral salpingectomy (removal of one of the fallopian tubes), one sided tubal damage or with a blocked tube, very short tubal segment, unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (removal of […]
Dilatation and Curettage
Dilation and curettage (D and C or D&C) is a minor gynecological procedure commonly used to diagnose and treat abnormal bleeding from the uterus or to remove unhealthy tissue if a woman has a miscarriage. It can also be used to diagnose uterine cancer or precancerous cells (endometrial hyperplasia) by removing the endometrial cells for […]
Immunological Implantation Failure and Immune Treatment for Infertility and IVF
Currently, with few exceptions, practitioners of assisted reproduction tend to attribute “unexplained and/or repeated” IVF failure(s), almost exclusively to poor embryo quality, advocating adjusted protocols for ovarian stimulation and/or gamete and embryo preparation as a potential remedy. The idea that having failed IVF, all that it takes to ultimately succeed is to keep trying over […]
Thrombophilias or Clotting Disorders
Thrombophilias are inherited or acquired conditions, which predispose an individual to thromboembolism (blood clots). This is due to an imbalance between certain blood clotting factors and anti-clotting proteins in the blood. As many as one in five people in the United States is a carrier of a type of thrombophilia. There is limited information in […]
