As I was exploring the Internet for fertility-related news the other day, I came up with this link to a psychologist's thoughts on single women and their biological clocks.
In "Tick-tock goes your biological clock" on Examiner.com, Dr. Paulette Kouffman Sherman makes some insightful comments on how single women might approach their natural drive to have a baby. I was frankly surprised to see that she included egg freezing as one of the alternatives to quickly tracking down a mate. Apparently, word is really getting out beyond the infertility world that we have turned a bend in family planning.
If you're single and wondering about whether fertility treatments might be your answer to quiet a clanging clock, please feel free to inquire. Don't lose precious time simply by failing to educate yourself.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Friday, January 9, 2009
Upcoming Seminar on Fertility Preservation
On Monday, January 19th, I will be speaking to a public audience on the topic of egg freezing for fertility preservation.
Hosted by the Young Survivors Coalition, a non-profit breast cancer support and advocacy group, my primary focus will be on the potential for women who are newly diagnosed with cancer to protect their eggs from sterilizing effects of chemo or radiation therapy.
Our primary goal is to continue getting the word out there, so that pre-cancer treatment fertility preservation considerations are standard of care in the oncology field. I welcome attendance at these presentations by patients and professionals alike.
I like to present in a casual Q&A style, so please feel free to come with your questions.
The location will be one of the facilities of The Rose, an organization committed to helping all women be adequately screened for breast cancer.
When: Monday, Jan 19th, 6:30 PM
Where: The Rose, 12700
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This presentation is made possible in part by Fertile Hope and Organon, a part of Schering-Plough Corporation.
Monday, December 15, 2008
The Embryo Dilemma
Recent news reports brought up again the ongoing questions surrounding embryo creation via IVF. Actually, the questions aren't so much about the creation side of things as they are about disposition of extra embryos.
As reproductive medicine specialists, we have focused mostly on the best ways to help individuals and couples conceive biological children. Success is very often a matter of numbers: the more eggs a woman ovulates, the more sperm a man has available, the more embryos created... the greater their chances at getting pregnant.
For years now, we specialists have been boiling down the science and finely tuning the techniques toward the ultimate goal: how best to unite only as many eggs and sperm necessary to create only as many embryos needed to make one healthy baby.
Single embryo transfer is a true possibility for some patients, but almost a pointless, expensive protocol for others.
At this point, it remains common for IVF patients to wind up with at least some "extra" embryos -- that is, too many embryos to transfer within the same treatment cycle -- so the question of what to do with the surplus continues to be answered.
In the study recently published in Fertility & Sterility, more than 1,000 infertility patients were surveyed about the choices they've pondered and made to address their own embryo surpluses.
Among other things, the survey results reveal a broad consensus of disappointment -- with the options offered at various clinics and with the level of pre-IVF information made available to them.
Fertility treatment centers are like any medical practice: filled with professionals who are people first. Different practices have varying policies based on many factors, including the personal beliefs of the professionals. Another component that steers clinic policies is the availability of resources.
Patients and professionals need not have all their beliefs in common, but there are sometimes "bottom lines" that patients use to make their choices about which fertility practice to turn to for assistance with getting pregnant and about which treatments to use. In the past, some practices were so results-driven, so focused on success rates, that even crucial issues like the disposition of surplus embryos were side-stepped or, at least, addressed with as much brevity as possible. The dilemma of extra embryos is very real and can no longer be seen as ancillary.
I'll discuss specific related options for patients of Houston Infertility Clinic in a follow-up blogpost.
As reproductive medicine specialists, we have focused mostly on the best ways to help individuals and couples conceive biological children. Success is very often a matter of numbers: the more eggs a woman ovulates, the more sperm a man has available, the more embryos created... the greater their chances at getting pregnant.
For years now, we specialists have been boiling down the science and finely tuning the techniques toward the ultimate goal: how best to unite only as many eggs and sperm necessary to create only as many embryos needed to make one healthy baby.
Single embryo transfer is a true possibility for some patients, but almost a pointless, expensive protocol for others.
At this point, it remains common for IVF patients to wind up with at least some "extra" embryos -- that is, too many embryos to transfer within the same treatment cycle -- so the question of what to do with the surplus continues to be answered.
In the study recently published in Fertility & Sterility, more than 1,000 infertility patients were surveyed about the choices they've pondered and made to address their own embryo surpluses.
Among other things, the survey results reveal a broad consensus of disappointment -- with the options offered at various clinics and with the level of pre-IVF information made available to them.
Fertility treatment centers are like any medical practice: filled with professionals who are people first. Different practices have varying policies based on many factors, including the personal beliefs of the professionals. Another component that steers clinic policies is the availability of resources.
Patients and professionals need not have all their beliefs in common, but there are sometimes "bottom lines" that patients use to make their choices about which fertility practice to turn to for assistance with getting pregnant and about which treatments to use. In the past, some practices were so results-driven, so focused on success rates, that even crucial issues like the disposition of surplus embryos were side-stepped or, at least, addressed with as much brevity as possible. The dilemma of extra embryos is very real and can no longer be seen as ancillary.
I'll discuss specific related options for patients of Houston Infertility Clinic in a follow-up blogpost.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Finding Gratitude
With understanding of your struggles to achieve one of life's simplest joys, my Thanksgiving wish for all of you is to find treasure in the smallest things. Some of my staff and I will be hopefully helping a few patients do just that as we transfer some embryos to hopeful mothers on Thanksgiving morning.
I am grateful for the opportunities to play a role in the creation of families.
I am grateful for the opportunities to play a role in the creation of families.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Our Presentation at ASRM: More Pieces of the Pregnancy Puzzle
We were pleased to have our poster presentation accepted into this year's meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. The title -- Differential Relationship Between the Total Number of Oocytes Retrieved and the Implantation Rate in IVF and ICSI Patients -- may sound dry, but our results were positive news for patients who need IVF to have a baby.
The Houston Infertility Clinic staff, in conjunction with the Department of OB/Gyn at the University of Sydney in Australia, examined 351 IVF cycles. In each case, patients were using their own eggs and non-frozen embryos. We looked at:
the number of eggs retrieved
number of embryos transferred
results of clinical pregnancy tests
Next we compared those cycles that included ICSI and those that used "conventional" IVF for insemination. These two groups were then split up into three sub-groups, based on the number of eggs that were retrieved (either 1-10 eggs, 11-20 eggs, or 21-40 eggs.)
It might seem a simple question of statistical odds that the more eggs you produce, the better your chances, but...
Here's the good news: We concluded that, at least in our hands, patients using ICSI who were in the 11-20 egg group had the highest implantation rate. Patients using "conventional" IVF w/o ICSI had higher implantation rates when they were in the subgroup producing the most eggs (21-40 eggs).
It's important to note that quality of eggs -- rather than quantity -- is the more important measure. Patients shouldn't be discouraged if their bodies aren't producing a high number of eggs. As our study indicates, the use of ICSI seems to make a noticeable difference in outcome.
On a related note -- in some cases, women's ovaries will produce far fewer eggs than everyone hoped for in an IVF cycle. Different clinics have different policies; many are, frankly, guided by heavy concern about success rate statistics.
Our policy is that if a patient wants to move forward and retrieve the one follicle that her ovary brought forth, we will respect her wishes and do our best to render highest quality care toward the best possible outcome.
We want every patient to have a fighting chance at getting pregnant.
The Houston Infertility Clinic staff, in conjunction with the Department of OB/Gyn at the University of Sydney in Australia, examined 351 IVF cycles. In each case, patients were using their own eggs and non-frozen embryos. We looked at:
the number of eggs retrieved
number of embryos transferred
results of clinical pregnancy tests
Next we compared those cycles that included ICSI and those that used "conventional" IVF for insemination. These two groups were then split up into three sub-groups, based on the number of eggs that were retrieved (either 1-10 eggs, 11-20 eggs, or 21-40 eggs.)
It might seem a simple question of statistical odds that the more eggs you produce, the better your chances, but...
Here's the good news: We concluded that, at least in our hands, patients using ICSI who were in the 11-20 egg group had the highest implantation rate. Patients using "conventional" IVF w/o ICSI had higher implantation rates when they were in the subgroup producing the most eggs (21-40 eggs).
It's important to note that quality of eggs -- rather than quantity -- is the more important measure. Patients shouldn't be discouraged if their bodies aren't producing a high number of eggs. As our study indicates, the use of ICSI seems to make a noticeable difference in outcome.
On a related note -- in some cases, women's ovaries will produce far fewer eggs than everyone hoped for in an IVF cycle. Different clinics have different policies; many are, frankly, guided by heavy concern about success rate statistics.
Our policy is that if a patient wants to move forward and retrieve the one follicle that her ovary brought forth, we will respect her wishes and do our best to render highest quality care toward the best possible outcome.
We want every patient to have a fighting chance at getting pregnant.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Write About Your Experience: Infertility Haiku Contest
The new business called My Fertility Plan has started something unique - a poetry contest about infertility.
They're inviting everyone to submit haiku poetry until November 24, 2008. Entries will be judged by a panel of people in the infertility treatment business and some who blog about it. Your haiku can fall into either a serious or humorous category, but must be in the proper format, syllable-length-wise. For details, see their related webpage.
My Fertility Plan Blog: Your Conception Action Plan
They're inviting everyone to submit haiku poetry until November 24, 2008. Entries will be judged by a panel of people in the infertility treatment business and some who blog about it. Your haiku can fall into either a serious or humorous category, but must be in the proper format, syllable-length-wise. For details, see their related webpage.
My Fertility Plan Blog: Your Conception Action Plan
Monday, November 3, 2008
Article in Houston B.A.B.Y. Magazine
[Edited 11/26/08: We now have a copy of the article in PDF format on our BabyLater.com site. Read it here...]
I'm featured in an article for Houston B.A.B.Y. Magazine, a publication of Houston Family Magazine. The October issue is available in digital format here (click on the cute baby face cover), and you can find print issues at Krogers, and in OB/Gyn and pediatrician offices.
The article is called "From Cancer to Parenthood: Reproductive Expert Helps Survivors Create New Life" and includes a pretty interesting photo of Dr. Stoddart in the lab.
I'm glad the feature highlights my efforts at bridging the gaps between oncologists and reproductive specialists. Patients are the prospective losers if the facts about fertility preservation aren't immediately available at that very first discussion about cancer treatment. Making those physician-to-physician connections well in advance of patient need will be the key to enabling more survivors to become parents later.
Please feel free to share this article with your physicians and friends.
For easy sharing by email and for printing, I recommend this: find the article on page 16, click on the article title words "From Cancer to Parenthood" to display the article in easy-print format. From there, you also have options to post the article on your Facebook, MySpace, and other favorites. (Technology is great, but tricky at times...)
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