UNDERSTANDING YOUR LAB TEST RESULTS
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PATIENT PORTAL INSTRUCTIONS
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WHAT DOES IVF MEAN?
IVF is an acronym that stands for in vitro fertilization. This means that the egg is fertilized by the sperm in a laboratory instead of the female reproductive tract.
WHAT FINANCING OPTIONS DO YOU HAVE FOR MY FERTILITY TREATMENTS?
Many people delay seeking evaluation because they automatically assume that fertility treatment is expensive and not covered by insurance. Thankfully, New Jersey is a “mandated” state, meaning most patients with private insurance will have at least some level of fertility benefits.
Our financial department will review your particular insurance benefits and inform you of what services are included, and which are not. Patients without insurance coverage for a particular treatment will be offered discounted self-pay packages as well as financing options. Our financial counselors will discuss all the options with you. To the best of our ability, we try to make sure that all couples, regardless of their circumstances, are able to afford the help they need to give birth to a healthy child.
DO I HAVE TO DO THE INJECTIONS MYSELF FOR IVF?
Yes, the patients and their partners perform most of the injections used during IVF. Our nurses provide a medication administration class to teach you how to prepare and inject the fertility medications so you feel comfortable administering these injections.
ARE FERTILITY MEDICATIONS SAFE?
Fertility medications have been around for a long time and generally are safe to use in a monitored setting. Like any medication, they do have possible side effects, most of which are mild and very temporary. The most common side effects associated with fertility medications are bloating, cramping and multiple pregnancies (more than one baby at a time). Other, more rare side effects include ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome and ovarian torsion. During treatment with fertility medications, all of our patients are closely monitored to watch for any of these complications.
WHAT ARE YOUR IVF SUCCESS RATES?
We are proud of our outstanding results, but we would never sacrifice patient care in the interest of artificially boosting our success rates. We believe all couples deserve a chance at a successful pregnancy, and we try to help them achieve that goal by practicing honest, evidence-based medicine.
WHAT DOES THE IVF PROCESS ENTAIL?
IVF involves the stimulation of the ovaries to produce multiple eggs at one time. These eggs are removed from the ovaries during a minor surgical procedure then fertilized in a laboratory where they grow into embryos. The embryos are returned to the uterus 3 to 5 days later.
WHAT ARE THE AVAILABLE TREATMENTS?
There is no universal infertility treatment because treatments work only if they are addressing your specific problems. If the issue is poor sperm quality, for example, fertility drugs alone will not help the female partner.
Many of our couples need and/or choose to use IVF as a method of achieving pregnancy quickly. We have an outstanding embryology laboratory that uses the latest technology to deliver the best possible pregnancy rates. Our IVF Program is unique, however, because we prioritize safety as well as success. A major complication of IVF is multiple pregnancies, which deters many couples from pursuing this extremely effective treatment. We have made it our mission to maintain outstanding IVF pregnancy rates while keeping the chances of multiple births to an absolute minimum.
Although we are very proud of our IVF success rates, we also take pride in the fact that more than half of our pregnancies result from treatments other than IVF. We perform minimally invasive surgery (hysteroscopy and laparoscopy), along with traditional open surgery for removal of fibroids and for microscopic tubal sterilization reversal. When possible, our couples are also offered simpler treatments, such as artificial insemination (intrauterine insemination or IUI), in natural cycles or with oral and injectable fertility drugs. Some couples with more severe problems take advantage of our extremely successful egg and sperm donor programs, or utilize the services of a gestational carrier, if the female partner is unable to carry a pregnancy.
WHY AM I HAVING TROUBLE GETTING PREGNANT?
There are many reasons conception may not be occurring, including anatomical issues (fallopian tubes blocked by scar tissue or endometriosis, distortion of the uterine cavity by fibroids and endometrial polyps), lack of ovulation, hormone imbalances and poor sperm quality. A complete workup is usually needed to determine the exact problem. The participation of BOTH partners is vital because more than one problem is often identified.
HOW COMMON IS IT FOR WOMEN TO SEEK AND RECEIVE FERTILITY TREATMENT?
Approximately 44% of women with infertility have sought medical assistance. In their lifetime 7.4 million women—or 11.9% of women—have received infertility services.
WHEN IS THE RIGHT TIME TO SEE A FERTILITY SPECIALIST?
If you’re younger than 35 and haven’t become pregnant after one year of unprotected intercourse, you should consider speaking with one of our fertility doctors. If you’re 35 or older, you should consult a specialist after about 6 months of trying to conceive.
