Monthly Archives: November 2018
New Hope’s Division of Fertility Preservation
My mission continues to ensure that everyone has a pathway to future family planning – regardless of their life circumstance. I founded the New Hope Division of Fertility Preservation with the mission of providing comprehensive, cutting-edge, and reliable 21st Century solutions for your fertility preservation.
Fertility Preservation
You want to save your ability to have biological children in the future. A woman only releases one egg per month during her natural cycle. Remember: It only takes one good quality egg to have a healthy baby.
Look: Men and women must know all options available for preserving their fertility for future family planning. Freeze now and preserve your fertility for the future.
Here’s the deal: You must locate a fertility preservation clinic having earned a world renowned reputation as a pioneer in the field of fertility preservation.
Division of Fertility Preservation
Our Division of Fertility Preservation provides all-encompassing in cryopreservation technology.
- Egg Freezing – Oocyte Cryopreservation
- Embryo Freezing and the Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET) process
- Ovarian Tissue Freezing
- Sperm Freezing
There are many females who should consider ovarian tissue freezing.
- Female children who do not have fully developed ovaries
- Female children or teenage girls who have been diagnosed with cancer
- Women in their prime reproductive years who have been diagnosed with cancer
- Women wanting to postpone motherhood past their prime reproductive years
- Women wanting to donate their ovarian tissue to help women who are unable to produce good eggs
Fertility Preservation in Cases of Cancer
New Hope Fertility Center is a world renowned provider of egg freezing treatment for women diagnosed with ovarian cancer. We have partnered with Fertility Preservation – an organization founded by leading onco-fertility specialist – Dr. Kutluk Oktay.
We are one of the world’s leading providers of:
- Ovarian Tissue Freezing
- Ovarian Transplants
- Ovarian Stimulation for Cancer Patients
- Fertility Preservation for children and teenagers diagnosed with cancer and Turner Syndrome
- Fertility Preservation for teenage girls thrown into premature menopause due to an auto-immune disease in which antibodies attack the ovaries and destroy stored egg follicles
Comprehensive Fertility Preservation
Our all-encompassing technology solutions for fertility preservation are increasing in popularity.
- Ovarian Tissue Freezing and Transplantation
- In Vitro Maturation
- Infertility Treatments After Chemotherapy
- Post-Mortem Emergency Fertility Preservation
- Medically Indicated Oocyte (Egg) Freezing
- Random Start Ovarian Stimulation
- Pregnancy After Cancer
Egg Freezing
Egg freezing is the most common type of fertility preservation treatment for women diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Through Conventional IVF, a woman’s natural egg production is stimulated with fertility drugs into producing several eggs. Typically, 10 to 15 eggs are produced per fresh IVF cycle. These eggs are then surgically retrieved and cryopreserved using an advanced technique known as vitrification.
Vitrification – Flash Freezing Method
New Hope Fertility Center’s founder – Dr. John Zhang – was one of the first doctors in the United States to implement vitrification as a method of cryopreservation. The Doctor was one of the first doctors in New York to facilitate a live birth using egg freezing fertility preservation.
Vitrification is a flash-freezing method preventing the formation of ice crystals between the cells forming an egg. Ice crystals can damage an egg’s cells. By surgically retrieving and cryopreserving a woman’s eggs through vitrification for future fertilization, the eggs are protected from the adverse effects of ovarian cancer treatments, such as chemo and radiation.
Embryo Cryopreservation and Future FET Procedures
When egg freezing is not recommended by a patient’s oncologist, or it is not the preferred option by the patient herself – embryo cryopreservation – is commonly used to preserve a couple’s future fertility through IVF and FET technology.
- Embryo cryopreservation is the process of surgically retrieving eggs, fertilizing them in vitro (in a laboratory setting), and then freezing high quality embryos for future transfer.
- A couple can increase their chances of conceiving a child biologically related to both the mother and father.
- When thawed, embryos can be transferred to the mother’s uterus – or – to the uterus of a gestational surrogate should the mother’s uterus be unamenable to transfer and implantation.
- Frozen embryos can give a couple the best chances of pregnancy after recovery from ovarian cancer.
Ovarian Tissue Transplant
The outer membrane of an ovary is where a woman’s eggs are located. Ovarian tissue freezing is accomplished in an outpatient surgical procedure by removing a thin piece of the outer membrane of one of the woman’s ovary – the preserved ovary. This ovarian tissue is cryopreserved for later transplant to the woman’s other ovary – the non-preserved ovary.
According to a 2015 study published in the journal of Human Reproduction, 10 out of 32 women facing chemotherapy were able to conceive naturally after undergoing ovarian tissue freezing before cancer treatment.
Natural Fertility Restored
At some determined time in her future, a woman’s fertility can be readily restored and she can naturally have a baby.
- The woman’s frozen ovarian tissue is retrieved from cryopreservation and thawed
- The ovarian tissue is transplanted to the patient’s ovary through simple stitching in an outpatient procedure involving minimal pain
- The ovarian tissue comes to life and begins to function normally – as though it were never removed
- The woman can then conceive naturally without the need for IVF
Convenient Conception Options Post-Ovarian Tissue Transplant
To help along the natural conception of a baby for women who have undergone an ovarian tissue transplant, we offer:
- Timed Intercourse
- Intrauterine Insemination (IUI)
World Renowned Fertility Preservation Expert
It is important to work with a fertility preservation expert having the research and clinical experience required to design a customized plan meeting your personal needs. To schedule your initial consultation with Dr. John Zhang at New Hope Fertility Center, click the icon below – or – call 917.525.5496.
World Renowned Doctor Offering State-of-the-Art LGBTQ Family Planning Options
Only a worldwide renowned fertility doctor offers state-of-the-art family planning options for LGBTQ couples. Since 2004, Dr. John Zhang has consistently and evenly shared his fertility treatment counsel and expertise with the LGBTQ community. The Doctor offers revolutionary Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) fertility treatment customized for every LGBTQ couple’s personal needs.
LGBTQ Family Planning Options With No Judgment
The Doctor offers no religious or societal judgment in serving the LGBTQ community. He strongly believes that every person – regardless of sexual orientation – deserves the right to have a family of their own. Under the Doctor’s supervision and care, same sex couples have realized their dream of becoming parents.
Fertility Treatment Options
Dr. Zhang has steadfastly maintained his mission of reducing the physical, emotional, and financial toll of every LGBTQ patient during their quest to have a baby.
- No sexual orientation judgments
- No gender or transgender bias
- No personal or religious judgments
- No judgments toward interracial couples
- No judgments about marital status
Fertility Treatment Options for Female Couples
- Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) – artificial insemination using donor sperm
- In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) – the fertilization of one partner’s eggs with donor sperm
IUI Procedure
- One of the partner’s monthly cycle is regulated with oral medication
- Oral fertility medications are then prescribed to stimulate multiple egg follicle production
- The growth of egg follicles are monitored through regular vaginal ultrasound imaging and blood tests
- Once the egg follicles have reached a mature stage, ovulation is induced using a trigger medication – hCG – human chorionic gonadotropin
- Ovulation triggered by hCG is timed with the insemination of a highly concentrated amount of motile donor sperm into the cervix using a very thin catheter – similar to a pap smear procedure
IVF Protocol Options:
Fertility Treatment Options for Male Couples
Gestational Surrogacy – using donor eggs to be fertilized with the sperm from one of the partners
Egg Donation – acquiring donor eggs to accomplish gestational surrogacy
Gestational surrogacy may be used to achieve a pregnancy and birth through IVF using a variety of protocols:
- Donor eggs
- Intended father’s sperm
A surrogate match is selected by the Intended Parents through an agency specializing in gestational surrogacy – New Beginnings Surrogacy
- Once the perfect surrogate match has been located, her cycle is regulated in preparation for embryo transfer timing
- In sync with the surrogate’s cycle, the donor eggs thawed and fertilized with the intended father’s sperm in vitro through an intricate procedure known as Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)
- ICSI is a procedure in which a single sperm is injected directly into the donor’s eggs
- Once fertilization is achieved, the resulting embryos are monitored regularly for growth and development quality
- Only a quality embryo is transferred to the surrogate’s uterus
- Excess quality embryos can be cryopreserved for future Frozen Embryo Transfers (FET) procedures
World Renowned Fertility Doctor Serving the LGBTQ Community
It is important to work with a fertility specialist having the research and clinical experience required to design a customized IVF treatment plan meeting your personal LGBTQ needs. To schedule your initial consultation with Dr. John Zhang at New Hope Fertility Center – call 917.525.5496.
Dr. Zhang in the News: Frozen Embryo Adoption is Trending Upward
As reported by PIX 11 TV News, Dr. John Zhang explains how embryo adoption has become a successful path for helping infertile couples build their families when other fertility treatments fail. The success rate of IVF has led to an increase in the number of excess frozen embryos available to childless couples. There are a reported 60,000 embryos available for adoption.
Frozen Embryo Adoption
Many couples who have successfully built their family have decided to donate their embryos to one in six couples in America who cannot conceive a biological child of their own.
Freezing excess, quality embryos after a fresh IVF cycle will increase a couple’s chances of conceiving in the future. This is not even the best part. Through embryo cryopreservation technology, couples can avoid the financial and physical strain of undergoing multiple fresh IVF cycles. That’s not all. Pregnancy success rates for a Frozen Embryo Transfers (FET) are higher than a fresh transfer because a woman has the opportunity to wait until her uterine lining returns to an ideal state for embryo implantation.
Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET)
Through FET, couples can repeatedly try to get pregnant using adopted frozen embryos. If the FET cycle is successful, couples can undergo another procedure at a Couples can plan their family through gender selection
- Couples increase their chances for a healthy singleton pregnancy
- Healthy pregnancies have been achieved after an embryo has been frozen for up to 10 years
Through world class laboratory technology, our pregnancy success rates through FET has increased substantially in recent years. That’s not all. Only high quality embryos are cryopreserve to be later transferred in future FET procedures. This success has made FETs an increasingly popular option to consider before considering a subsequent fresh IVF cycle. Bottom Line: With FET, couples can increase their chance of pregnancy per fresh egg retrieval and ultimately save money by avoiding the expense of another fresh IVF cycle.
FET Procedure
To begin the FET procedure, hormone medication is administered to suppress the woman’s pituitary gland and reduce the chances of unexpected ovulation. Estrogen acts to thicken and mature the uterine lining – like the natural estrogen produced by a developing egg follicle during a normal menstrual cycle.
During estrogen administration, monitoring of the uterine lining is required.
- Transvaginal ultrasound for the doctor to evaluate the thickness of the uterine lining
- Blood tests for the doctor to evaluate the level of estrogen in the blood
Double Benefit of FET:
- Monitoring for timing of transfer during a FET cycle is more flexible than in a fresh IVF cycle
- The FET procedure is much less stressful on patients because the transfer date can be adjusted
Progesterone is a medication administered in preparation for the FET to make the uterine lining receptive to the implantation of the embryo.
- Progesterone matures the uterine lining
- Progesterone creates a window of implantation in anticipation of a set FET date
- Lupron injections are ceased upon the beginning of progesterone administration
- Embryos are scheduled for thaw in the laboratory
- FET is scheduled on a set date
- Progesterone is continued daily to help prepare the patient’s uterine lining for implantation of the fertilized egg – the embryo
- After the embryo transfer, a pregnancy test is scheduled on a date prescribed by the doctor through a blood draw
Healthy pregnancies have been achieved after an embryo has been frozen for up to 10 years. Pregnancy success through FETs is determined by the quality of the frozen embryo.
Single Embryo Transfers
Our fertility specialists promote the practice of Single Embryo Transfer (SET) to reduce health risks associated with multiple pregnancies and births. Cryopreservation of surplus embryos for future FET procedures is encouraged by the fertility specialists at New Hope Fertility NYC – in lieu of repeated, expensive fresh IVF cycles.
Pioneering Vitrification Method of Freezing Embryos
The flash-freezing technique of vitrification makes it possible to ready fresh embryos rapidly for cryopreservation. Using the vitrification method, embryos freeze quickly and damaging ice crystals do not form between cells. We are leaders in embryo cryopreservation. Dr. John Zhang was one of the first doctors in the United States to implement the vitrification method of embryo freezing.
Embryo Adoption Expertise
To schedule your initial consultation about embryo adoption with embryo adoption expert, Dr. John Zhang at New Hope Fertility Center, call 917.525.5496.
How to Reduce Ectopic Pregnancy Risk Through a Frozen Embryo Transfer
According to Dr. John Zhang – as quoted in a professional press release – Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET) cycles have an almost ZERO risk rate for an ectopic pregnancy. This is because a woman’s estrogen levels are much lower during a FET procedure than in a fresh IVF cycle. A FET reduces the risk of an ectopic pregnancy because less medication and stimulation are required than in a fresh cycle.
How an Ectopic Pregnancy Occurs
An ectopic pregnancy occurs when a fertilized egg implants outside the uterine cavity – typically within the Fallopian tubes. An ectopic pregnancy can also occur when a fertilized egg implants in the cervix or outside of the uterus. A woman’s life can be threatened by an ectopic pregnancy because internal bleeding occurs as the embryo thrives – leading to hemorrhaging.
Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET)
Women who are at risk for an ectopic pregnancy during IVF can avoid complications by foregoing a fresh embryo transfer and electing to undergo future FET procedures when their estrogen level is reduced. Pregnancy success rates for a FET are higher than a fresh IVF transfer because a woman has the opportunity to wait until her uterine lining returns to an ideal state for embryo implantation.
Through FET, couples can repeatedly try to get pregnant using their cryopreserved embryos. If the FET cycle is successful, couples can undergo another procedure and plan their family through gender selection
- Couples increase their chances for a healthy singleton pregnancy
- Healthy pregnancies have been achieved after an embryo has been frozen for up to 10 years
Through world class laboratory technology, our pregnancy success rates through FET has increased substantially in recent years. That’s not all. Only high quality embryos are cryopreserve to be later transferred in future FET procedures. This success has made FETs an increasingly popular option to consider before considering a subsequent fresh IVF cycle. Bottom Line: With FET, couples can increase their chance of pregnancy per fresh egg retrieval and ultimately save money by avoiding the expense of another fresh IVF cycle.
FET Procedure
To begin the FET procedure, hormone medication is administered to suppress the woman’s pituitary gland and reduce the chances of unexpected ovulation. Estrogen acts to thicken and mature the uterine lining – like the natural estrogen produced by a developing egg follicle during a normal menstrual cycle.
During estrogen administration, monitoring of the uterine lining is required.
- Transvaginal ultrasound for the doctor to evaluate the thickness of the uterine lining
- Blood tests for the doctor to evaluate the level of estrogen in the blood
Double Benefit of FET: Monitoring for timing of transfer during a FET cycle is more flexible than in a fresh IVF cycle. The FET procedure is much less stressful on patients because the transfer date can be adjusted.
Progesterone is a medication administered in preparation for the FET to make the uterine lining receptive to the implantation of the embryo.
- Progesterone matures the uterine lining
- Progesterone creates a window of implantation in anticipation of a set FET date
- Lupron injections are ceased upon the beginning of progesterone administration
- Embryos are scheduled for thaw in the laboratory
- FET is scheduled on a set date
- Progesterone is continued daily to help prepare the patient’s uterine lining for implantation of the fertilized egg – the embryo
- After the embryo transfer, a pregnancy test is scheduled on a date prescribed by the doctor through a blood draw
Healthy pregnancies have been achieved after an embryo has been frozen for up to 10 years. Pregnancy success through FETs is determined by the quality of the frozen embryo.
Single Embryo Transfers
Dr. John Zhang promotes the practice of Single Embryo Transfer (SET) to reduce health risks associated with multiple pregnancies and births. Cryopreservation of surplus embryos for future FET procedures is encouraged by the fertility specialists at New Hope Fertility Center – in lieu of repeated, expensive fresh IVF cycles.
Pioneering Vitrification Method of Freezing Embryos
The flash-freezing technique of vitrification makes it possible to ready fresh embryos rapidly for cryopreservation. Using the vitrification method, embryos freeze quickly and damaging ice crystals do not form between cells. We are leaders in embryo cryopreservation. Dr. Zhang was one of the first doctors in the United States to implement the vitrification method of embryo freezing.
FET Expertise
If you have a history of ectopic pregnancy and are having difficulty getting pregnant, schedule your initial consultation with Dr. John Zhang at New Hope Fertility Center by calling 917.525.5496 today!
How Our New Needle-Free IVF Works
Needle-Free IVF Benefits
- No more high cost of fertility medication injections
- No more daily blood draws
- No more painful shots
Dr. Zaher Merhi, Director of IVF Technology Research and Development, specializes in the revolutionary Needle-Free IVF protocol. New Hope Fertility Center is the first program in the world to offer Needle-Free IVF.
The Holistic Needle-Free IVF Protocol
Our Needle-Free IVF protocol stimulates a woman’s ovaries into producing multiple egg follicles through the use of oral fertility medications. This revolutionary holistic IVF protocol eliminates the fear, pain, and anxiety many patients experience with injections and blood draws. Needle-Free IVF also lowers the patient’s cost of fertility medications.
Needle-Free IVF Benefits
Through Needle-Free IVF, patients are able to administer hormone stimulation in a less-invasive manner. That’s not all. Hormone levels are measured through urine and saliva tests during a Needle-Free IVF cycle.
- No shots
- No needles
- No injections
- No blood draws
How is Needle-Free IVF patient-friendly?
- Improves patient safety
- Improves patient compliance with medication regimen
- Reduces possibility of error in medication administration
- Eliminates the risk of accidental needle sticks
This gentle and effective IVF protocol is designed to be more patient-friendly to women who:
- Have a fear of needles
- Have problems self-administering injectable fertility medications
- Experience bruising and discomfort due to injections
- Want a more natural and holistic treatment option
- Have PCOS
- Have a high risk of OHSS
- Want to increase chance of insurance coverage for the cost of medications
Needle-Free IVF Fertility Medications
Depending on the woman’s medical needs, an oral fertility medication – typically Clomid and/or Letrozole– are prescribed to gently stimulate her ovaries into producing multiple eggs. Synarel is administered nasally for 3 days at the beginning of the cycle and then again 36 hours prior to surgical egg retrieval to trigger ovulation.
- Clomid and/or Femara to stimulate egg production
- Synarel to trigger ovulation
- Oral progesterone tablets
- Vaginal progesterone suppositories
Pregnancy Success Rates
Our Needle-Free IVF protocol has resulted in comparable egg collection results as that of the Conventional IVF protocol. We are – on average – able to retrieve at least 10 eggs from patients who have undergone our Needle-Free IVF protocol. These results are reassuringly comparable with other IVF protocols in terms of number of eggs collected and pregnancy success rates.
Needle-Free IVF Expertise
It is important to work with fertility doctor having the research and clinical experience required to design a customized IVF treatment plan meeting your personal medical needs. To schedule your initial consultation with Dr. Zaher Merhi at New Hope Fertility Center – call 917.525.5496.
