Double stimulation in the same ovarian cycle (DuoStim) is a newly developed protocol for patients undergoing IVF designed to maximize the number of oocytes retrieved in the shortest possible time. Previously, this type of protocol was also known as the Shanghai Protocol.
Unlike traditional IVF protocols where patients undergo a single round of controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) and oocyte retrieval in one menstrual cycle in a DuoStim protocol patients undergo two rounds of COH and two oocyte retrievals in the same menstrual cycle.
The DuoStim protocol is designed to take advantage of the fact that the ovaries typically recruit multiple (2-5) waves […]
The most important factor that determines chances of success with IVF treatment is the prognosis of the patients (female and male) undergoing IVF. While this may seem obvious, it is unfortunately often overlooked when selecting the most effective and safe IVF protocol. The reason for this is that there is not one uniformly agreed upon criteria which is used to determine patient prognosis.
Here we describe patient factors associated with each treatment prognosis group and the type of treatments which may benefit each group.
Favorable Prognosis(live birth rate 40-65% per IVF cycle)
Female age <= 35 years
Previous live birth after an IVF cycle
Excess […]
Uterine fibroids (aka myomas) are benign tumors that grow in the uterus. The cause of fibroids is multifactorial with genetic, hormonal, and environmental factors. About 20% of all women have fibroids, they are somewhat more common among African-American women, affecting more than 50%. The location and size of fibroids determine whether they cause symptoms.
While most women who have fibroids will not have fertility problems, some fibroids can contribute to decreased fertility, pregnancy complications, and other symptoms.
Fibroid related problems:
Decreased fertility
Pregnancy complications
Heavy or prolonged menstrual bleeding
Anemia
Pelvic pressure & pain
Urinary Problems
Constipation
Backache & leg pain
The type of fibroids that most adversely affect fertility are […]
We are all allowed to change our minds. Some men, wanting permanent sterilization and undergoing vasectomy, ultimately want the procedure reversed. Undergoing surgical reversal can be a reasonable approach for the right candidate, according to fertility specialist Daniel Kort, MD, Associate Medical Director of Neway Fertility.
In simple terms, a vasectomy reversal reconnects each end of the vas deferens, the tube that carries sperm from a testicle into the penis. If the procedure is successful, sperm are again present in the man’s semen and pregnancies can be achieved naturally.
Only a small percentage of men who undergo vasectomies later change their mind, […]
Egg freezing promises to stop the biological clock for women who aren’t ready to start a family but who fear advancing age will make it difficult or impossible to become pregnant at some point in the future. “These women are right to be concerned,” says Dr. Ralf Zimmermann, medical director of Neway Fertility. “There are many reasons – both personal and medical – to delay starting a family and while a woman’s uterus is generally able to sustain a healthy pregnancy up to the age of fifty, her supply of viable eggs is likely to have been depleted years earlier. […]
Understanding infertility benefits with your insurance plan can be a daunting and confusing process. Although Neway Fertility verifies infertility coverage for all patients, it’s best to call your insurance company to re-verify coverage details and ask any specific questions regarding your benefits.
Below are some of the most important things to ask when obtaining information about your coverage for infertility.
1. Are there any specific requirements you need to meet before undergoing certain treatment cycles?
With some insurance companies, coverage for certain treatment cycles may not be immediate, even if your insurance provider tells you they cover that specific treatment.
For instance, in 2013 […]
Fertility specialist Dr. Ralf Zimmermann with Neway Fertility offers tips on this proven method to improve odds of conceiving.
The old adage, “Timing is everything” might not be truer than when applied to the time-honored pursuit of having a baby. In this context, however, managing timed intercourse for fertility may dramatically improve the odds of conception, according to fertility specialist Ralf Zimmermann, MD, Medical Director of Neway Fertility.
Timed intercourse for fertility is exactly what it sounds like: Carefully scheduling sexual intercourse or intrauterine insemination (IUI) – an assisted reproductive technique – around the most fertile days of a woman’s ovulation cycle. […]
Considering IVF (in vitro fertilization) as an option to expand your family, but daunted by all the medications traditionally used during the popular fertility treatment? Then natural IVF may be the right option for you, says fertility specialist Ralf Zimmermann, MD of Neway Fertility.
The very first IVF baby, born in 1978, was actually conceived using natural cycle IVF. This type of IVF cycle allows for a naturally selected, mature egg to be retrieved and fertilized using little to no medication, says Dr. Zimmermann, also on the faculty of Columbia University’s Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility.
A variation of the procedure, […]
The National Cancer Institute estimates that 1.7 million new cases of cancer will be diagnosed in 2018. While advancing age is the primary risk factor for cancer and we typically associate the disease with old age, about 9 percent of cancers are diagnosed in people under the age of 45. And with aggressive treatment and advanced therapies, increasing numbers of these patients survive their disease and face the consequences of treatment, including the possibility of infertility, sterility, and early menopause.
“A cancer diagnosis is devastating at any age,” says fertility specialist Dr. Daniel Kort. “While the primary focus of medical care […]
Dr. Daniel Kort with Neway Fertility offers tips to patients who want to preserve their fertility.
With rapid technological advances in the fertility field, increasing numbers of women are now choosing to freeze and store their eggs. Previously reserved for women facing a cancer diagnosis requiring chemotherapy or removal of an ovary, most women who freeze their eggs today are doing so to preserve their options. Simply put, they do not want to get pregnant now but may want to in the future.
While this procedure has been showed to be safe and effective, even endorsed the by American Society for Reproductive […]