Assisted Reproductive Technology for Male and Female Infertility: Our Beverly Hills and Los Angeles-area Clinics
Take advantage of the state-of-the-art assisted reproductive technology procedures for male infertility and female infertility at the Beverly Hills, Santa Barbara, Valencia, and Ventura offices of the Southern California Reproductive Center. The term "assisted reproductive technology" is defined as the set of procedures that involve the direct manipulation of oocytes (eggs), sperm, and embryos. This includes in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET), intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), and assisted hatching (AH) of embryos. Newer developments in assisted reproductive technology include embryo biopsy and preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) for chromosomal and genetic evaluation.
In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)
In Vitro Fertilization and Embryo Transfer (IVF-ET)
Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)
Egg Donation Program
IVF Surrogacy Program – Third Party
Semen and Embryo Cryopreservation
Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD)
In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)
In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a very widely used assisted reproductive technology, at our Los Angeles-area clinics. IVF provides a controlled environment that significantly enhances the opportunity for fertilization of the oocyte, or egg. In the Southern California Reproductive Center’s IVF treatment program, eggs and sperm are combined together in a dish ("in vitro" means "in glass") containing a culture solution, which provides nutrients to support the fertilization and development of the egg. Monitored microscopically, successfully fertilized eggs develop over a three-day period into embryos. Then, our team of embryologists conducts a qualitative assessment of the embryos to determine which embryos will be selected for embryo transfer, cryopreservation, or further culturing and development.
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In Vitro Fertilization and Embryo Transfer (IVF-ET)
IVF and embryo transfer (ET) requires the female partner to receive a series of injections of potent fertility drugs, which cause her ovaries to produce several mature oocytes at the same time as opposed to just one in a normal, unmedicated menstrual cycle. The oocytes are removed from the ovaries under light sedation by an intravaginal aspiration process that takes just a few minutes to perform. A semen specimen is obtained from the male partner, and eggs and sperm are combined in the IVF laboratory. Within three to six days, embryos developing from this process are evaluated, and some are selected for embryo transfer.
Embryo transfer (ET) involves loading selected embryos into a thin, flexible plastic tube, which is gently passed through the opening in the cervix leading to the interior of the uterus. The embryos are expelled into the uterus, and the plastic tube withdrawn. In about 12 days, a blood test for pregnancy is performed to determine whether the transfer resulted in a pregnancy. ET is just one of many facets of the assisted reproductive technology used at our offices in Beverly Hills, Santa Barbara, Valencia, and Ventura to help patients conceive a healthy child.
Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)
Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is another assisted reproductive technology that directly introduces an individual sperm cell into each of the eggs obtained during the IVF process. It's an appropriate procedure for infertile couples undergoing IVF due to male infertility factors. The Beverly Hills-area fertility specialists of the Southern California Reproductive Center have performed many ICSI procedures, with great success.
When sperm are unable to fertilize eggs on their own, ICSI dramatically increases the potential for fertilization. ICSI is used when semen values (such as count and motility) fall into the subnormal range and when sperm are obtained directly from the testes or epididymis. Once fertilization occurs, the normal IVF procedure is resumed.
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Male Infertility
A number of different problems with the sperm can contribute to male infertility:
- Azoospermia – Sperm is totally absent in the ejaculate fluid
- Oligospermia – Sperm is present in concentrations too low to be effective in conception
- Asthenospermia – The sperm has poor motility (ability to move)
- Teratospermia – The shape and form (morphology) of the sperm are abnormal
Additional problems can occur if there are abnormalities during the steps the sperm must go through for fertilization, such as sperm binding to and penetrating the egg. When any of these important characteristics of sperm function are deficient, fertilization will generally be inhibited.
ICSI has proven to be an effective assisted reproductive technology for male infertility when any of these conditions are present, but ICSI is generally not effective when used to treat infertility that is due primarily to poor egg quality, a possible cause of female infertility. Contact the Beverly Hills office of the Southern California Reproductive Center to discuss these matters with our fertility specialists.
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Indications for ICSI
The following conditions may make a patient eligible for ICSI treatment:
- Very low numbers of motile sperm with normal appearance
- Problems with sperm binding to and penetrating the egg
- Anti-sperm antibodies (immune or protective proteins which attach to and destroy sperm) of sufficient quality to prevent fertilization
- Prior or repeated fertilization failure with standard IVF culture and fertilization methods
- Frozen sperm collected prior to cancer treatment that may be limited in number and quality
- Absence of sperm secondary to blockage or abnormality of the ejaculatory ducts that allow sperm to move from the testes. In this situation, sperm are obtained from the epididymis by a procedure called microsurgical epididymal sperm aspiration (MESA) or from the testes by testicular sperm aspiration (TESA).
ICSI is still not considered a perfect assisted reproductive technology. In fact, ICSI can damage some of the eggs used in the process. Also, the plasma membranes of some eggs can be difficult to pierce, and in some cases the fertilized egg may fail to divide or the embryo may stop developing at an early stage. Rates of 50 percent and cleavage rates of higher than 80 percent can be expected with the ICSI procedure, but only 15 percent to 20 percent of retrieved eggs with well-selected couples progress to the point where a full-term pregnancy and birth results. ICSI has been successful for many couples with male infertility at the Beverly Hills, Santa Barbara, Valencia, and Ventura offices of the Southern California Reproductive Center.
In Europe, perinatal outcome studies indicate that even though multiple pregnancies can be common with ICSI, at this time there is no evidence of increased incidence of congenital malformations or abnormal karyotypes. Also, there is no evidence that abnormalities will occur at a later time in babies born through ICSI assisted reproductive technology . However, there is also no guarantee that all babies born from ICSI will be normal. Furthermore, because certain causes of male infertility are not explainable and/or are related to other genetic conditions, male offspring may have reproductive problems as adults. In the general population, birth defects occur in approximately 1 in 20 individuals, and the risk is considered to be similar in babies born of the ICSI procedure.
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Egg Donation Program
Sometimes, due to a variety of causes, the potential of a woman’s oocytes (eggs) may be diminished, resulting in an inability to produce fertile embryos (an example of female infertility). In fact, many women cannot produce quality oocytes due to age or other medical conditions. Through our egg donation program, another aspect of assisted reproductive technology at our offices in Beverly Hills, Santa Barbara, Valencia, and Ventura, donor eggs can be fertilized in vitro with the partner’s sperm. This program is a healthy and viable alternative for creating a child with 50 percent genetic identity with the couple.
The Southern California Reproductive Center has several egg donation options that you can investigate, to determine whether this path to pregnancy is right for you. Based on your personal desires, you and your partner may choose either anonymity or knowledge of the donor. Thorough screening of donors is done for communicable diseases and (to the fullest extent known) heritable disorders. Please feel free to contact our fertility specialist physicians to discuss this and other female infertility options at our Beverly Hills, Ventura, Valencia, and Santa Barbara offices.
IVF Surrogacy Program – Third Party
IVF Surrogacy employs a third-party "gestational surrogate" to carry the pregnancy when a woman cannot carry a baby herself. A third-party surrogate mother agrees under contract to be implanted with the sperm and eggs from the male and female partners in order to achieve the pregnancy. IVF Surrogacy creates a child with 100 percent genetic identity with the donor couple and is yet another viable alternative for assistance in creating a family. At the Beverly Hills, Santa Barbara, Valencia, and Ventura offices of the Southern California Reproductive Center, IVF Surrogacy is achieved in conjunction with respected and highly professional surrogacy agencies.
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Semen and Embryo Cryopreservation
Cryopreservation can be done for sperm, oocytes (unfertilized or fertilized), or early embryos by placing them in a special freezing medium and freezing them at an extremely low temperature. They can remain frozen for months or even years, and can be thawed for use in IVF or embryo transfer. Sometimes, couples may have a need to store semen specimens in advance of the IVF procedure.
Our cryopreservation program allows semen to be ‘banked’ in a frozen state in advance of its actual use. Embryos either generated on-site at our facility or sent to us from other assisted reproductive technology facilities can be stored for immediate or future use. Long-term results of cryopreservation show no observable effects, even after years of storage.
Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD)
Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is a leading-edge assisted reproductive technology that allows screening of embryos for specific genetic traits prior to embryo transfer. Also know as "embryo biopsy," PGD allows couples at risk for certain genetic disorders to determine which of their embryos are affected, and which are not, prior to being used to establish a pregnancy.
Couples who have a family history of inherited disease or want gender determination to prevent a gender-linked disease can benefit greatly from PGD testing. In addition, PGD can greatly increase the chance of pregnancy because of the"more intensive" pre-screening of the embryos, and it reduces the risk of multiple pregnancies because fewer embryos are needed for implantation.
Contact Us About Assisted Reproductive Technology for Male and Female Infertility
You can look to the Southern California Reproductive Center for the latest and most effective treatments for male and female infertility, including assisted reproductive technology. Our Los Angeles-area clinics in Beverly Hills, Santa Barbara, Ventura, and Valencia each provide the level of care and commitment that can help you achieve your goal of becoming a parent. Contact our fertility specialists now to schedule a private consultation and begin your journey.
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