Treatments

St. Louis fertility clinic, Fertility Partnership, uses the latest technologies and treatments to help you build your family. Once you’ve completed your initial workup, our medical staff will consult with you to determine a course of action to help you achieve your goal. This plan may include any one or several of the following:

Diagnostic and Therapeutic Procedures

If, after your initial workup, further exploration is needed to determine next steps, Dr. Simckes may recommend a diagnostic procedure or surgery, which may be performed by your own physician or by Dr Simckes. It may be completed at a surgery center or possibly at our own facility. These procedures may include:

• Hysterosalpingogram – an x-ray procedure used to determine whether the fallopian tubes are open and capable of functioning properly; can also reveal the configuration of the uterus, irregularities, and the presence of fibroids.
• Laparoscopy –a surgical procedure in which a telescope-like device is inserted through a small incision near the navel to view the pelvic cavity, the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and the uterus.
• Hysteroscopy – a surgical procedure in which a telescope-like device is inserted through the cervix to view the inside of the uterus; sometimes performed in conjunction with a laparoscopy.
• Removal of uterine fibroids – benign, non-cancerous tumors in the uterus that may interfere with conception or pregnancy.
• Destruction of Endometriosis – accomplished through the laparoscope.

Treatments

This may include one or both of the following: Ovulation induction – using medication, such as Clomid, Letrizole, or injectable medications, to stimulate egg development and release; or Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) – performed by threading a very thin flexible catheter through the vaginal wall and injecting concentrated sperm directly into the uterus within a few hours of ovulation to give the concentrated sperm the best possible access to an egg.

In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)

In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) is an infertility treatment procedure in which one or more eggs, each removed from a ripe follicle, is fertilized by sperm outside the human body before being placed in a woman’s uterus to implant and result in pregnancy. This may include:

• Testicular Fine Needle Aspiration (TEFNA) – a procedure in which sperm are obtained directly from the testicle with a very thin needle after anesthetizing the area. This is a very successful procedure for men with azoospermia- no sperm in the ejaculated semen when there are sperm in the testicle.
• Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) – the sperm cell is injected directly into the egg. This process increases the percent of harvested eggs that actually become fertilized. At the Fertility Partnership, this is done at no additional cost to the patient.
• Assisted Zonal Hatching (AZH) – thinning or making a small hole in the protective layer that surrounds the embryo. This procedure significantly improves the chances that an embryo will attach to the wall and implant. At the Fertility Partnership, a microscopic laser is used and this is done at no additional cost to the patient.
• Cryopreservation of Oocytes, Sperm, and Embryos – a procedure used to preserve and store embryos or sperm by deep freezing; embryos or sperm can be thawed at a later date and used in infertility treatments.

Alternatives

• Donor eggs or sperm – increasingly, donor eggs or sperm are being used to help patients struggling with infertility. The Fertility Partnership has carefully evaluated and established relationships with several donor banks across the country. We can discuss each with you and put them in touch with you so you may make an informed decision about their services. We are dedicated to keeping the cost of donor cycles as low as possible.
• Surrogacy/Gestational Carrier – if you are able to create viable embryos but are unable to carry the pregnancy to term, you may wish to consider surrogacy. As with donor banks, the Fertility Partnership has made connections with several highly respected surrogacy centers, and we encourage you to thoroughly examine each surrogacy center to find the right fit for you.
• Adoption – there are many children, both in the U.S. and around the world, who desperately need loving homes. If adoption becomes an option for you, the Fertility Partnership has established relationships with several adoption providers, including Lutheran Family and Children’s Services of Missouri, and we will be happy to connect you with an adoption specialist who can help.