Consider for a moment that 15-20% of all people of reproductive age will face a fertility issue. It affects men and women almost equally. This makes infertility a global issue!

Until you are ready to start a family, your fertility may not be a daily consideration. You hear about infertility in news stories, a magazine article here and there or even in movies, such as; Baby Mama or the The Back Up Plan. For the most part our fertility isn’t often top of mind. As a matter of fact, many believe that because of medical advances and fertility treatments, they will be able to have a child whenever they choose. At the Fertility Center of Las Vegas, our medical staff encourages people to protect their fertility now and know their options for the future.

Protecting your fertility begins with good preventative healthcare. You’ve heard this before, but it bears repeating: eat a healthy diet, maintain normal weight, exercise, take medications only as prescribed, get regular medical check ups, drink in moderation, don’t smoke. A factor in infertility can be ignoring the signs and symptoms of sexually transmitted diseases. Some sexually transmitted diseases often go unnoticed as they present few signs or symptoms. For women & men it is imperative to have regular, gynecological or urological, check ups. Whether you are ready to begin a family or not maintaining good health is imperative.

We’ve discussed the concepts of good health. Now, let’s look at other options in fertility preservation. Cryopreservation is the technological side of fertility preservation. Through the freezing of eggs, sperm and/or embryo we can preserve fertility until you are ready to begin or complete your family. Cryopreservation technology is often used to assist patients undergoing cancer treatment. Before they begin radiation or chemo, their healthy sperm or oocyte can be retrieved and stored safely. In addition, cryopreservation has been utilized by a wide variety of people for a wide variety of reasons. Anyone who is certain they want a family, but now is not the time, can take advantage of cryopreservation.

Even under the best circumstances we are not fertile forever. Cryopreservation can, in effect, freeze time. At The Fertility Center of Las Vegas we have over 20 years of cryopreservation experience and we are dedicated to advancing the science to help those who want families.

May 28, 2010

DearReaders,

The Fertility Center of Las Vegas is proud to announce that we have just achieved pregnancy in 25 consecutive IVF cycles using transferred blastocysts derived from thawed embryos.  This achievement is even more remarkable because it includes all age groups, including 3 women over 40 years of age using their own eggs. 

The key to these successes at The Fertility Center is post-thaw extended culture (PTEC).  Worldwide, most embryos are frozen at later stages and transferred shortly after thaw, with no verification of resumed embryo development. With PTEC, we freeze at an early stage and therefore have 4-5 days after thaw to confirm the embryos are vigorously developing.

Another important feature is the optimal uterine environment into which the embryos are transferred.  Worldwide, most embryos are transferred fresh, following a cycle of ovarian stimulation.  Ovarian stimulation is necessary to collect many mature eggs, but is known to disturb the uterine structure and chemistry.  Cycles using frozen embryos avoid that pitfall, so the embryos may be transferred into a more receptive uterine environment.

The combination of PTEC and the ideally prepared endometrium yields impressive success rates.
Out of the 72 PTEC cycles so far this year, 67 (93%) have achieved pregnancy, as indicated by rising serum hCG levels, and we anticipate a live birth rate of about 70-75% in these patients.

Only one of these 25 cycles required genetic testing. The bulk of the Fertility Center’s successes are achieved without expensive genetic testing.  We reserve genetic testing for patients with a clear indication and do not require/rely on them to increase pregnancy rates.

The Fertility Center of Las Vegas is dedicated to providing patients with the best fertility treatment as we work towards improving success rates in the field of infertility.  If you should have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us anytime.

Warmest Regards,

Bruce S. Shapiro, MD, FACOG Sub-specialty Board Certified Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility

Said T. Daneshmand, MD Sub-specialty Board Certified Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility