Why IVF is the Best First-Time Treatment Option for Older Women
For women between the ages of 38 and 42 – I believe that placing them on the fast-track to In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) treatment is the best course of action. Why does this matter? Moving past other first-line alternative treatments – such as Timed Intercourse and Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) – and going straight to IVF has been proven to increase an older woman’s chances of conceiving faster. Look: IVF saves older couples from the financial, physical, and emotional stress of repeated failed infertility treatment cycles. Plus: IVF offers those couples suffering from male factor infertility the benefits of Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) – the direct injection of healthy sperm into an egg for fertilization in vitro. Double Plus: IVF is a means of having an older couple’s embryos graded for health through genetic screening, such as PGD and/or PGS/NGS technology.
Recent IVF Research
In the case of older couples – between 38 and 42 – with unexplained infertility, a recent study favored going straight to IVF treatment. What does this recent research show?
- IVF is the most cost-efficient treatment
- IVF results in fewer treatment cycles
- IVF results in less multiple pregnancies
- IVF results in higher live birth rates
Researchers have found that older women were more than twice as likely to become pregnant through IVF within the first two cycles of treatment. The best part? They were twice as likely to have a healthy baby from their IVF pregnancy.Read more: Why IVF is the Best First-Time Treatment Option for Older Women
Dr. Zhang’s One Good Egg Policy
I focus my skills as a fertility specialist on designing a fertility treatment protocol producing one high quality egg for every patient. One good egg fertilized by healthy sperm has the best chance of successfully achieving a pregnancy through IVF. Why is this important? Large quantities of eggs are no longer pivotal in the practice of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF). Bottom line: You can now opt for the One Good Egg Policy at New Hope Fertility NYC.
The Doctor’s One Good Egg Policy
When multiple eggs are produced, many are not suitable for fertilization in vitro. A heavy regimen of ovarian hyperstimulation hormone medications are very hard on a woman – physically and financially. It’s an evidence-based policy. One healthy, quality egg is capable of achieving IVF pregnancy success for those difficult patients who have been turned away by other fertility clinics.
My One Good Egg Policy is:
- Patient-friendly
- FSH-friendly
- Age-friendly
I can’t emphasize enough: We do not boost our high IVF pregnancy success data results by rejecting patients based on strict criteria. Taking on very difficult patients and helping them overcome their infertility encompasses the overall goal of my One Good Egg policy. Here, we are committed to treating all patients suffering from infertility – regardless of their diagnosed difficulty. Know this: To get pregnant successfully through IVF at New Hope Fertility NYC, only one good egg and one healthy sperm is needed.Read more: Dr. Zhang’s One Good Egg Policy
How Gender Selection is Accomplished Through PGS
At the request of parents undergoing In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), gender selection is accomplished through a medical technology known as Preimplantation Genetic Screening (PGS/NGS). The PGS process takes place in conjunction with a fresh IVF cycle by an experienced embryologist while the embryos are developing in vitro. After several days of embryo development in vitro, all embryos undergo PGS to determine each embryo’s gender before transfer to the woman’s uterus for implantation into her uterine lining.
Family Balancing Through PGS
Family balancing is available to New Hope Fertility NYC patients through PGS in conjunction with IVF because gender identification of embryos is an inevitable by-product of the technology. Gender selection through PGS allows parents to select the sex of their child with more than 99 percent accuracy.Read more: How Gender Selection is Accomplished Through PGS
How Acupuncture and IVF Can Help You Get Pregnant This Summer
Without a doubt, beginning acupuncture treatment three months before your IVF transfer will enhance your chances of a successful pregnancy. Studies have shown that women who underwent acupuncture before, during and after IVF embryo transfer increased their chances of pregnancy by up to 42 percent. Why is this important? The pregnancy success rate of those who did not undergo acupuncture was only 26 percent.
In-House Acupuncture Therapy and IVF
These phenomenal IVF success rates are why New Hope Fertility NYC is set to unveil its in-house acupuncture therapy treatment program in July of 2017! Our acupuncturists are specially trained in acupuncture therapy with a focus on treating women’s infertility. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the National Institutes for Health have found that acupuncture is a viable and accepted method of treating female infertility.
- Enhances IVF success rates
- Reduces stress during IVF treatment
- Enhance ovarian function
- Increase blood supply to reproductive organs – especially the uterus
Acupuncture Therapy Basics
Acupuncture points are located on meridians through which gi vital energy runs. The procedure involves the insertion of very thin needles through the patient’s skin in targeted areas of the head, torso, limbs and extremities. These needles are inserted at various depths, depending upon the patient’s diagnosed medical condition.
A healthy body is the result of a harmonious balance of the life force known by traditional Chinese medicine as gi or chi – energies flowing through pathways within the body. There are 350 acupuncture points in the human body. The body’s energy pathways are accessed through the insertion of small, thin needles in targeted areas of discomfort to release or redirect the body’s energy. Through acupuncture therapy, the body is brought back into its proper balance.
The acupuncture points chosen for treatment of female infertility result in:
- Better blood perfusion and energy in the uterus
- Relaxation of the patient
- Stabilization of the endocrine system
The IVF Embryo Transfer Acupuncture Plan
Acupuncture can begin at any time during your fertility treatment – but this is the best plan of action:
- Plan an acupuncture treatment on the morning of your transfer
- Plan another in the afternoon following your transfer
- Book an acupuncture session five days after your transfer
- Book a follow up acupuncture session 5 to 7 days later
That’s not all the good news. Other holistic therapies have proved to help IVF pregnancy success rates. These therapies can be used in conjunction with acupuncture to enhance your IVF pregnancy success rate.
- Reflexology
- Hypnotherapy
- Yoga
- Massage
Beginning acupuncture therapy before you start a fertility drug regimen will help to prepare your body for the physical stress it is about to undergo. Turning to acupuncture during your fertility drug regimen will help with unpleasant side effects:
- Nausea
- Moodiness
- Fatigue
- Stress
Insurance Coverage for Acupuncture Therapy
Although coverage varies according to providers and states, your insurance policy may cover the cost of acupuncture treatment. The insurance experts at New Hope Fertility NYC will help you to explore all possible insurance coverage for acupuncture and assist in processing your claims.
The IVF SURE™ Program
Prepare for your IVF treatment by getting as much assistance as possible to reduce your financial stress. The cost of conventional IVF ranges between $7,500 and $12,000 – depending on the patient’s medical needs and personal desires. The cost of fertility medications for single fresh IVF cycle ranges between $2,500 and $5,000. Introducing IVF SURE™ by New Hope Fertility NYC – a revolutionary IVF refund guarantee program. IVF SURE™ is principled on outcome-based pricing minimizing the financial risk of IVF.
Why is this important? No hidden IVF fees or costs. Our patients pay a fixed fee for three (3) IVF cycles. If a viable pregnancy is not achieve, the patient is refunded the fixed amount of money invested in three (3) IVF cycles. Patients pay a fixed fee of $25,000 for three (3) fresh cycles of conventional IVF treatment within a 9-month period. If a viable pregnancy is not achieved within this 9 month period, patients are refunded the fixed fee. With IVF SURE™, patients typically only incur the cost of fertility medications. IVF SURE™ pricing does not include the cost of in-house acupuncture therapy.
Acupuncture and IVF Can Help You Get Pregnant
The fertility specialists at New Hope Fertility NYC want to do everything possible to treat your infertility. Whether you are exploring IVF – or a less invasive procedure – it is important to work with a fertility care team having the experience to accurately diagnose the underlying cause of your infertility. Then, a customized fertility treatment plan meeting your medical and personal needs can be designed specifically for you.
- Timed Intercourse with medical assistance
- Intrauterine Insemination (IUI)
- Conventional IVF
- Mini-IVF™
- Natural IVF
To schedule your initial consultation with Dr. John Zhang – call 917.525.5496.
Preventing Genetic Disease Through PGD – Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis
Genetic screening of embryos – Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) – allows fertility specialists to test and identify those embryos having a genetic defect. PGD prevents hereditary diseases from being passed from parents to their children. Dr. John Zhang recommends PGD in conjunction with IVF for couples who are known carriers of a single gene disorder (genetic disease).
PGD Detects Single Cell Genetic Diseases
The most common single cell genetic diseases tested for through PGD are:
- Hemophilia
- Cystic Fibrosis
- Sickel Cell Anemia
- Tay Saches Disease
- Spinal Muscular Atrophy
- Duchennes Muscular Dystrophy
- Thalassemia
Read more: Preventing Genetic Disease Through PGD – Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis
How to Read IVF Success Rates and Locate a Top Clinic
All fertility specialists in the United States report and verify data on the outcomes of Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) procedures performed in their clinics over the calendar year. According to the success rates report by the Center for Disease Control (CDC), there were 231,936 ART cycles performed by 464 clinics in the U.S. during the last reporting period. The demand for the practice of ART has doubled over the past 10 years and 1.6 of all babies born in the U.S. were conceived using ART.
IVF Success Rates
The most sought-after ART procedure is In Vitro Fertilization (IVF). IVF involves the surgical extraction of a woman’s egg to be fertilized in laboratory – in vitro. After an embryo has cultured in vitro to a prime stage of development, it is transferred to the woman’s uterus through her cervix.
Yearly ART data on IVF success rates is a rich source of information for potential IVF patients. This data gives patients an idea of their average chances of pregnancy success through IVF. Read more: How to Read IVF Success Rates and Locate a Top Clinic
How ICSI Enhances IVF Pregnancy Success
Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) is a method of addressing male-factor infertility during In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) treatment. Rather than allowing fertilization to happen by combining eggs and sperm in a lab dish, ICSI entails the injection of a single sperm directly into an egg in order to facilitate fertilization. Knowing more about the ICSI process, and its effectiveness, can help you decide if this ancillary treatment in conjunction with IVF is an option for you.
ICSI in Conjunction with IVF
In order to be considered fertile, a man’s sperm must:
- Be present in sufficient quantities
- Be shaped normally
- Swim in the correct direction
- Swim at the right speed
Should any of these functions be diagnosed as abnormal, a man may not be able to impregnate a woman because his sperm cannot penetrate her egg. A man may be infertile even if he produces adequate quantities of sperm in ejaculate. Should his sperm be misshaped or not move correctly, fertilization will be difficult, if not impossible.Read more: How ICSI Enhances IVF Pregnancy Success
Key Roles of Embryology in the IVF Process
Embryology is key to pregnancy success through In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) technology because it is the study of an embryo from the first stage of fertilization through fetal development. High quality embryos have the highest chance of implantation into a woman’s uterine lining resulting in a successful pregnancy. After egg retrieval, one or two healthy embryos are transferred after a fresh IVF cycle. Excess embryos culturing in vitro are cryopreserved for future pregnancies through Frozen Embryo Transfers (FET).
Embryology Roles in the IVF Process
- HRSS – High Resolution Sperm Selection
- ICSI – Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection
- Assisted Hatching
- In Vitro Maturation
- EmbryoScope
What Are the Chances My Eggs Can Make a Baby?
A woman in her prime reproductive years – 20s – has as 26 percent chance of getting pregnant with the one natural egg her body produces each month. Don’t despair if you are in your 30s or early 40s. Your quality eggs can still make a healthy baby. A woman is born with between 1 and 2 million eggs – however – she only releases 300 to 400 eggs through each natural ovulation cycle during her lifetime. Typically, a woman only releases one egg per month during her natural cycle. New Hope Fertility NYC’s policy: It only takes one good quality egg to have a healthy baby.
A Synopsis of the Decline in Fertility Levels for Women
- Most women reach their peak fertility years between the ages of 23 and 31
- After age 31, a woman’s quality of eggs begins to decline
- 30 years = 20 percent chance of conceiving
- 31 years = fertility levels drop by three percent every year
- 35 years = fertility levels significantly declines
- 40 years = five percent chance of conceiving
Dr. John Zhang: Featured Speaker at the Fortune Brainstorm Health Conference 2017
It is my distinct pleasure to be invited to partake in two panels at this year’s Fortune Brainstorm Health Conference in San Diego, CA. They focus on the biggest and brightest ideas in the digital healthcare revolution. I am privileged to sit with titans of health care, tech, telecom, and investment arenas to debate recent breakthroughs like our 3-Parent IVF technology and what impacts they may have moving forward.
Read more: Dr. John Zhang: Featured Speaker at the Fortune Brainstorm Health Conference 2017
