IUI

Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) may be a good starting point for women without any known or-ganic problems, such as endometriosis. Once semen is collected and prepared in a laboratory, it is directly injected into the uterus through the cervix in order to get the egg and sperm as close together as possible. The entire process typically takes only minutes to perform and is relatively painless.

IVF

While in vitro fertilization (IVF) is a more advanced form of fertility treatment, it is particularly successful as it can bypass the many possible causes of infertility. It also allows for gender se-lection and can prevent the transfer of genetically abnormal embryos.

The process begins with the suppression of the monthly hormone cycle and subsequent intro-duction of the fertility hormone (FSH) to produce multiple eggs. Once the eggs are mature, they are collected from the ovary in a simple, painless procedure with local or light anesthesia, and with only minimal side effects.

From there, the eggs are fertilized in a laboratory with specially washed and treated sperm. The final step in the process is to implant a select number of fertilized eggs, or embryos, into the uterus, which has been prepared by the careful administration of estrogen and progester-one.

While the process may seem straightforward, each stage in the procedure-from inducing the production of eggs to subsequent retrieval and culturing in the lab-depends on careful moni-toring, skill and experience.

Due to the expertise of Dr. Kolb and his advanced team of nurses and embryologists, along with state-of-the-art equipment, the pregnancy success rate for IVF at Kolb Fertility is much higher than the national average.

 

Genetic Screening

Comprehensive Genetic Screening

Before any infertility treatment, Dr. Kolb considers individual risk factors for specific heritable diseases, including the medical history, age and ethnicity of potential parents.

When both parents are carriers of an abnormal gene responsible for a particular disease, there is a one-in-four chance of producing an affected embryo. For this reason, additional testing may be performed during the embryonic stage.

PGS / PGD

Comprehensive genetic screening for single gene mutations or abnormalities in the number of chromosomes, such as Down’s Syndrome, can be initially performed on intended parents or carriers. Preimplantation genetic screening (PGS) / diagnosis (PGD) can then be performed on developing embryos before they are transferred to the uterus to test for single-gene diseases transmitted from the intended partner or donor.

Such single-gene diseases include cystic fibrosis, type-A hemophilia and Tay-Sachs, among others. More commonly, recent advances help identify embryos that contain abnormal num-bers of chromosomes and thus allow for only the healthiest embryos to be transferred. By ap-plying this technology, Dr. Kolb is able to increase pregnancy rates while minimizing the risk for Down’s syndrome and the possibility of a miscarriage.

Egg Freezing

Women are born with a limited number of eggs and begin to lose their fertility in their early thirties. Egg freezing is the only mechanism to offset this natural loss.

With over ten years of experience, Dr. Kolb is an early adopter of the best protocols for fertility preservation and continues to use the latest advances in technology.

Egg Donation/Surrogacy

Dr. Kolb is one of the most experienced clinicians working with egg donation and surrogacy. His pregnancy rates for egg donation are much higher than the national average in the US.