Fertility Preservation

Fertility preservation is a medical specialty focused on saving or protecting eggs and/or reproductive organs in women at risk of infertility. The experienced team at University Reproductive Associates specializes in fertility preservation and offers counseling and treatment options to increase your chances of having children in the future.

The specialists at University Reproductive Associates determine if you’re a good candidate for fertility preservation during your consultation. You may want to contact the office to schedule a consultation if you’ve been diagnosed with a condition that may affect your fertility, such as:

• Endometriosis or uterine fibroids
• Autoimmune disorder such as lupus
• Genetic disorder that affects future fertility

Women of childbearing age diagnosed with cancer often seek fertility preservation consultations. In fact, the team at University Reproductive Associates specializes in fertility preservation for cancer patients. Though many cancer treatments used today are less damaging to your reproductive organs, traditional cancer treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy, and/or radiation treatments may affect your fertility. The team recommends women of childbearing age diagnosed with cancer who want to have children in the future contact the office to schedule a fertility preservation consultation before starting treatment. The team reviews the effects cancer treatment may have on your fertility and your fertility preservation options, as well as childbearing after cancer treatment. You may also consider fertility preservation if you want to delay childbearing for personal reasons.

The specialists at University Reproductive Associates review all your fertility preservation options with you during your consultation. Some of the methods offered include:

• Embryo freezing: The most effective fertility preservation method. During the procedure, several eggs are removed from your ovaries and fertilized. The fertilized eggs are then cryopreserved (frozen) for future use.
• Egg freezing: If you don’t have a male partner, the team at University Reproductive Associates offers egg freezing. The procedure is similar to embryo freezing, however, the egg is cryopreserved without fertilization.
• In-vitro maturation (IVM): Both embryo and egg freezing require hormone injections to stimulate the production of eggs. IVM is an experimental fertility preservation method that avoids the use of medications prior to egg retrieval. During this procedure, immature eggs are extracted from your ovaries and matured in a lab and then cryopreserved.
• Ovarian tissue freezing: For women undergoing chemotherapy and/or radiation treatment to the pelvis, ovarian tissue freezing may be discussed. However, this procedure is an experimental option.

To schedule a consultation to learn more about fertility preservation and if it’s an option for you, contact University Reproductive Associates by phone or online today.