Common Treatment Options

Ovulation Disorders:

The treatment for ovulation disorder is corrected with the use of fertility medications to stimulate oocyte recruitment and promote adequate ovulation. Clomid is a common fertility medication that corrects the majority of ovulation problems. If Clomid is not successful, the next medications used for ovulation induction are known as gonadotropin and are administered subcutaneously. Patients would be instructed on self administration of the medications which are given daily and can be administered at home rather than in the office. The success of these medicines combine cure 90% of all ovulation disorders.

IntraUterine Inseminations (IUI)

Intrauterine Insemination, or artificial insemination, is a process where a prepared sperm sample is concentrated and sterilized before being inserted through the cervix and placed directly into the uterine cavity. This treatment is very success for problems with the cervical mucus issues, such as previous cervical cone biopsy and for cases of sub-optimal sperm parameters.

This sperm processing takes about one hour and the insemination procedure takes about 5 minutes and is similar to a pap test. This process may be used alone or in conjunction with ovulation induction.

External Resources

VIDEO: 3D animation of how IUI works

Laparoscopy

Minimally invasive surgery or laparoscopy used to open and fix blocked or damaged fallopian tubes. Laparoscopy can also be used for endometriosis and pelvic pain causing infertility with excellent results

Assisted Reproductive Technology:

Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) also known as IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) is typically used when a woman’s fallopian tubes are blocked and are unrepairable , if a man’s sperm is unable the reach or fertilized his partners eggs. The first step is to recruit and stimulate the woman’s available eggs using fertility medications. Once the eggs are matured, they are retrieved under sedation in the office. The retrieved eggs are then be fertilized in the IVF lab. Fertilized eggs, now embryos, are grown in environmentally controlled, highly monitored, sterile conditions for 5 days. Typically only up to two embryos are transferred. Any untransferred embryos are cryopreserved, or frozen, and stored for future use.