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Prenatal diagnosis of fetal chromosomal abnormalities has evolved significantly over the last 30 years. In the early days of fetal testing, amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling (CVS) was used to obtain fetal cells to determine the genetic make-up of the fetus and more recently small amounts of DNA can now be examined for the diagnosis […]

Diethylstilbestrol (DES) was developed in the late 1930s and prescribed to women at risk for having miscarriages and preterm labor. DES is a synthetic estrogen and acts biologically similar to currently available estrogenic compounds. It was initially reported to improve pregnancy outcome, but later studies did not report any difference, but despite such evidence, its […]

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 […]

In the era of assisted reproductive technology (ART), there are two reasons for the treatment of endometriosis. The first is to alleviate symptoms of pain. The second is in preparation for In Vitro Fertilization (IVF). Conventional surgical treatment of ovarian endometriosis involves either an abdominal incision or laparoscopic drainage of the cyst contents with subsequent […]

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 […]

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 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 […]

I am excited to announce the birth of the first baby in Southern California early this week as a result of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) using a genetically tested and frozen egg by comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) (See the announcement at www.prnewswire.com) After treating the first CGH cases in Southern California with IVF for infertility, I […]

We frequently treat patients who are either out of state or country at our IVF centers. We are very accustomed to working closely with these couples/patients so that in spite of distance, we are able to provide them with optimal treatment. We achieve this through a system that involves working closely with the couple/patient’s local […]

There has been confusion over the years about testing for clotting disorders in infertility patients, especially those undergoing IVF treatment. Routine testing for these disorders is not recommended as a part of the initial work up for infertility and prior to or during pregnancy. Unfortunately, there have been overutilization and overinterpretation of these tests (thrombophilia […]