The Stages of a Woman's Life

The stages of a woman’s life create special health needs that require a special kind of care. Whether a woman is experiencing the natural changes that accompany growth and maturation, or if she has specific health problems, the Alliance Center for Reproductive Health can provide the best treatment available.

Because we realize that reproductive health care requires specialized knowledge and sensitivity to a variety of circumstances, experts that staff the Center for Reproductive Health include specialists trained in the treatment of reproductive disorders.

Our services range from caring for specific gynecologic problems in adolescent women, to assessing and treating the symptoms associated with menopause. Our in vitro fertilization program has brought together experts from around the country who use the latest technology and methods to help infertile couples conceive and bear children.

Infertility Evaluation and Treatments

The Alliance Center for Reproductive Health specializes in evaluating and treating infertility. Careful assessment of both partners is critical, because nearly half of all cases of infertility can be linked to the male partner. A thorough evaluation is also crucial because fertility can often be restored with fairly simple treatment and a minimum of disruption to a couple's life and emotional well-being. At the Center for Reproductive Health, we make every effort to treat infertility with relatively simple methods. But in those cases where this proves unsuccessful, we can also draw upon the latest advances and the most sophisticated methods available in infertility treatment.

Male Partner Evaluation

Nearly half of all cases of infertility can be attributed to the male partner. While the male reproductive system is not as well understood as that of the female, the Alliance Center for Reproductive Health has experts who can evaluate the causes of male infertility such as low sperm count, reduced motility (movement) of sperm and even possible sperm antibodies that can reduce the effectiveness of the sperm. We can treat the causes of infertility that do not require surgery, and can refer those needing surgical treatment to the appropriate physician. We also have laboratories that can freeze and store semen samples from male partners for later use.

Specialized Techniques

• Ovulation Induction

  Ovulation induction is used for women who wish to become pregnant, but do not ovulate or ovulate infrequently. Several drugs can be used to induce ovulation, that is, to artificially stimulate the ovaries to produce and release eggs. Treatment with these drugs can be highly successful, but they are potent drugs that must be administered by experts who know how to tailor them to each individual and how to monitor for safe and successful results. 

• In Vitro Fertilization

  This is the process by which a woman’s eggs are removed from her ovaries, fertilized with her partner’s sperm outside the body, and then replaced into the uterus. In vitro fertilization can be a successful means of achieving pregnancy, but requires a significant investment of time, money and energy from a couple. It is recommended only when all other methods have failed. The specialists at the Alliance Center for Reproductive Health have had tremendous success in programs around the country helping couples conceive using the in vitro procedure. 

• ICSI

  This is a new technique used in in vitro fertilization that involves the injection of a single sperm into an oocyte (egg). This technique is effective in the treatment of male causes of infertility. Sperm can be retrieved from an ejaculated specimen or any part of the male reproductive tract.

• Assisted Hatching

  This new technique is a microscopic procedure to chemically thin the shell of the embryo (zona pellucida) to enhance the possibility that the developing embryo can “hatch” through the zona pellucida and implant into the uterine lining.

Donor Oocyte

The use of donor eggs from young, fertile women allows many previously infertile women the opportunity to successfully carry a pregnancy. Initially, oocyte donation was developed for women who undergo premature menopause, but this technique can be used for women who are carriers of a known genetic defect or those women who have a very low expected success with their own eggs.

The Alliance Center for Reproductive Health is seeking healthy women who are 18-34 years old with proven fertility to become egg donors. For more information about becoming an egg donor, please call 859-212-4687 .

Embryo Cryopreservation

Embryo cryopreservation refers to the procedure of freezing embryos that are not transferred during an active assisted reproductive technologies (ART) cycle. Embryos are frozen with controlled-rate freezing equipment using a cooling program specifically designed for increased survivability. Frozen embryos are stored in liquid nitrogen tanks set at negative 196 degrees Celsius and equipped with automatic fill detectors and alarm systems. At this storage temperature, embryos can be preserved for decades. The replacement of frozen human embryos has resulted in the birth of thousands of children worldwide.

There are many advantages of freezing and storing embryos. Embryo cryopreservation provides patients the ability:

• To reduce the risk of a multiple gestation by replacing a few fresh embryos and freezing the excess
• To have future replacement cycles at much lower cost without additional egg retrievals if pregnancy does not occur after the initial fresh embryo replacement
• To permit additional pregnancies and children without additional IVF or ICSI cycles.

An additional advantage of cryopreserving embryos is that many patients move to different living locations and desire to have their frozen embryos transferred to a facility in their new location. Patients with frozen embryos can have them safely shipped in liquid nitrogen tanks specifically designed for transportation purposes. It is common practice to transport a patient's frozen embryos to a new living location for storage and future use.

Microsurgery

In some cases of infertility, a woman’s reproductive organs have been damaged by infection, endometriosis or scarring from previous surgery. In such cases, microsurgery can repair and correct the intricate, fragile structures of the female reproductive system. Microsurgery uses fine instruments and microscopic techniques. It requires highly skilled surgeons with thorough knowledge of the female reproductive organs and expertise in microsurgical techniques.

Lasers

Lasers are used whenever possible in reproductive microsurgery because they can reach into small, confined areas of the body. Lasers offer precise control over the area on which is being operated, reducing the amount of tissue damaged during surgery and minimizing scarring and blood loss. Our surgeons are skilled in using the most sophisticated techniques available for this type of surgery.

Endometriosis

The Alliance Center for Reproductive Health offers comprehensive evaluation and treatment of endometriosis. Endometriosis is a painful and debilitating disorder of the reproductive system suffered by many women of childbearing age. It is characterized by the growth of tissue that resembles the endometrium, or lining of the uterus, in the abdominal and pelvic areas.

When this tissue is stimulated to grow and bleed each month by ovarian hormones, inflammation and scarring can result. Symptoms of endometriosis include extremely painful menstrual periods, as well as painful intercourse and bowel movements. Endometriosis can also cause infertility. Many women suffer this disorder without realizing it is treatable. Treatment with drugs can diminish the problems of endometriosis. In some cases, laser surgery is used to remove the tissue growths.

The experts at the Alliance Center for Reproductive Health have extensive experience in all methods of evaluating and treating endometriosis, using the most advanced and proven treatments available.

Specialized Laboratory Services

The specialized laboratory at the Alliance Center for Reproductive Health plays an important role in your infertility treatment. It provides a variety of services from diagnostic testing to assisted reproductive technologies. Just a few types of vital services the lab provides include: semen analysis, semen cryopreservation, microscopic sperm injection in the oocyte, blood testing to determine pregnancy and for treatment and monitoring.

All of the laboratory’s highly-trained staff and its procedures meet guidelines set forth by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. The lab is accredited by the College of American Pathologists.

Infertility Counseling Services

Counseling and Support

The Alliance Center for Reproductive Health understands how infertility affects your life.

Stress is a normal reaction to the demands of infertility. Our staff prides itself on creating an environment in which you are comfortable sharing your feelings and asking questions. We encourage you to discuss your fears and frustrations and share with us problems that may occur during infertility evaluation and treatment.

To help couples as they undergo this stressful time, we have two licensed psychosocial counselors available to our patients for one-on-one counseling, or we may refer you to a psychologist. Our program fosters a support network where our patients will gain hope and feel understood, not only by their treatment team, but also by each other. Because the well-being of your emotional health is an essential part of the treatment process, our program also offers the benefit of treatment support groups to help ease the discussion of these personal issues.

Financial Counseling

A realistic expectation of costs associated with the various infertility procedures is very important when considering your options. To assist our patients, we offer financial counseling to help guide you through the financial and insurance process. You may request more specific financial information by calling us at 859-212-4687 .

As an additional resource to help you become your own best insurance advocate, you may want to purchase the Infertility Insurance Advisor booklet for a nominal fee from Resolve, Inc., a national non-profit group for infertility information. The booklet offers tips for understanding your insurance, as well as offering a variety of payment tips. The booklet may be ordered by calling Resolve at 617-623-0744 or by visiting their web site.

Menopause

The Alliance Center for Reproductive Health believes a woman’s gynecologic health is just as important after her childbearing years. That’s why we pay special attention to the health concerns of women during and after menopause. The office of Drs. Thomas and Robins is studying alternatives to pharmacologic estrogen, such as soy-based estrogen, in treating symptoms of menopause. They also evaluate and treat osteoporosis, the increased brittleness of bones that can occur as a woman grows older, and we provide the very best in preventive gynecologic care that meets the special needs of the older woman and ensures productive good health and well-being throughout her life.

Research Makes a Difference 

All the treatments at the Alliance Center for Reproductive Health are enhanced by our commitment to research. Each of our physicians and specialists devotes time to patient care as well as to studying new and more effective treatments. Our patients benefit directly from these efforts. As a result of innovative studies that our doctors and scientists have undertaken, treatments unavailable elsewhere are currently being used in our center with proven success. Some of our studies include:

• Development of Innovative Contraceptive Methods
• Development of surgical devices to destroy or ablate the uterine lining as a treatment for excessive uterine bleeding

• Alternative methods of administering estrogen/progesterone to treat menopausal symptoms
• Study of the effects of stress on women’s reproductive cycles
• Studies of drugs to facilitate ovulation
• Studies of the perimenopause
• Studies for the treatment of male pattern hair growth and irregular menses in women.