What You Should Look for When Choosing an IVF Specialist

After speaking to the top authorities, Conceive Online has put together an article on what you should look for when choosing a fertility specialist.

Owen K. Davis, M.D., associate director of IVF at The Center for Reproductive Medicine and Infertility, and chief of the division of gynecology at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University in New York City, states that a couple should look to a fertility specialist after unsuccessfully trying to have a baby on their own for one year, if the woman is under 35 years of age, and six months if the woman is over 35 years of age. At that point, it is time to have an infertility workup done by a fertility specialist.

You can get referrals from friends who have seen a fertility specialist or look to a national medical society such as The American Society of Reproductive Medicine, www.ASRM.org, or the Society for Reproductive Technology, www.SART.org. You can also look to patient organizations like the American Infertility Association, www.americaninfertility.org or RESOLVE, www.resolve.org.

Look for a specialist that does it all. “Look for a reproductive endocrinologist who offers a full range of services—from the basic evaluation and diagnosis of your problem to treating it,” says Dr. Davis. “A good one can do the whole gamut.”

After you choose a specialist, set up an initial consultation for you and your partner. It will be a thorough appointment. The doctor will review your medical history and records looking for factors that might explain your infertility and you’ll be given a physical exam. After this you, your partner and your specialist will talk about a game plan for your treatment and where you should go from there.

Be sure the chemistry is right. You may end up working with the physician for months—or longer. “Infertility treatment is emotionally difficult and physically taxing,” says Dr. Davis. “You need a doctor with whom you feel comfortable.” Also be sure to determine how accessible your chosen specialist is. “Ask ‘if I have a question or problem, can I talk to you? Will you communicate with me by email?’” advises Dr. Davis.

If your tests indicate that you will need IVF treatment make sure to do your research in choosing which clinic to get your treatment at. The reproductive endocrinologist you saw for your infertility workup is most likely affiliated with an IVF clinic, and if you like your doctor, you’ll want to check out the facility he or she works with. If you choose to go with a different clinic than the one associated with your reproductive endocrinologist you can get referrals from RESOLVE and the American Infertility Association.

When choosing an IVF clinic you will also want to look at the clinic’s success rates. By law, IVF clinics have to report their success rates. The information is published at www.SART.org. The statistics will tell you how many patients the clinic has treated and in what age groups. Dr. Davis suggests that you look for live birth rate. “What you want to know is not how many women got pregnant at the clinic, but how many took home a baby.” Under age 35, the live birth rate at the top clinics nationwide is 50 percent or above. At age 40, the most successful programs have a live birth rate in the high 20s to 30 percent.

You want to be sure that the clinic is open seven days a week with doctors on call around the clock. The specialists on staff should include a urologist who has treated male infertility, a reproductive surgeon, and psychologists, psychiatrists, or social workers who specialize in infertility issues. Also, make sure the clinic you choose has a lab that is certified by the state as well as by a national organization like the American College of Pathologists and the ASRM. Finally, find out if your health insurance covers infertility treatment. If not, ask how the clinic will bill you for their services.

This information should help you be able to choose the best IVF clinic for you and your partner.

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