MicroIVF
You’ve already crossed the bridge from “We’re going to get pregnant!” to “We need help…” But this other side looks filled with more obstacles, including expensive and risky fertility medications.
How far do you have to go just to have a baby?
MicroIVF (sometimes called MiniIVF) may be your answer.
The primary point of MicroIVF: fewer fertility drugs, less cost.
Plus you get additional benefits: decreased chances of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome and of multiple pregnancy.
Additionally, East Coast Fertility patients who choose MicroIVF can increase their savings if they also use our Single Embryo Transfer Program -- embryo freezing, storage, and future frozen embryo transfers are free.
Why go Micro?
East Coast Fertility’s Medical Director, Dr. David Kreiner, learned long ago that pregnancies of twins, triplets, and more can bring heartache to what should be a joyous journey for fertility patients. So he and the rest of the ECF team have dedicated their practice to the achievement of safe, healthy pregnancies.
IUI or IVF?
Intrauterine insemination (IUI) is often considered the first order of business for many infertility patients.
Sometimes called “artificial insemination,” the usual protocol -- oral and injectable fertility medications to induce superovulation (of more than one egg in a cycle), followed by insemination via exam room procedure -- is believed to be simpler and, therefore, less costly than IVF.
That’s just not true any longer.
The facts now are that success rates can be far better for IVF than for IUI, depending on the individual’s or couple’s cause of infertility. Many women undergo several IUI’s before achieving conception.
Some infertility causes -- pelvic adhesions/scarring, blocked fallopian tubes, endometriosis, and severe male factor issues -- will not respond to IUI but are treatable with IVF.
Even patients who would otherwise try IUI to get pregnant will find that choosing MicroIVF can result in cost savings and greater safety:
MicroIVF fee (current as of July 2009): $3900
ICSI (if required): $1000
Anesthesia (as requested): $550
IUI with hormone injections: $3500 to $4500
The Real Costs of IUI
Injectable fertility medications are a big chunk of the cost for fertility treatment. Medication can also be a primary culprit in creating dangerous multiple pregnancies when used with IUI.
IUI treatments can be canceled in mid-cycle when a woman has ovulated too many eggs. Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome can become a serious, emergency medical condition. Also, caring physicians will not use artificial insemination when there is a high likelihood that high-order multiple conception will occur.
Canceled cycles could mean repeat attempts and the related costs all over again.
Patients with good prognosis can choose MicroIVF and use less expensive oral medications with minimal injectable drugs. The rest of the treatment cycle is identical to standard IVF -- eggs are retrieved and fertilized, then embryos are transferred back or frozen for future use, and the patient is monitored through the first few weeks of pregnancy.
The following risks are virtually eliminated for MicroIVF patients:
Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome
High-order multiple pregnancy
Canceled treatment cycles
Is MicroIVF right for you?
Each patient’s case is considered carefully and individually. The following are conditions that might respond best to MicroIVF:
- Young healthy women with PCOS or who otherwise produce many follicles
- Women with pelvic adhesions or scarring, blocked fallopian tubes, or endometriosis
- Couples with severe male factor infertility
MicroIVF really is a case of a little treatment going a long way! With it, you can access the world’s most successful assisted reproductive technology at far less cost.
