Fertility specialists are typically gynecologists or urologists who've had additional training to deal with issues surrounding the reproductive organs.
Doctors at MOGA who Specialize in Fertility
Reproductive endocrinologists (sometimes referred to as REs) are what most people think of as fertility specialists. A reproductive endocrinologist is a gynecologist who has additional training in infertility and fertility treatment; they treat both male and female fertility issues.2
Reproductive endocrinologists manage, carry out, and prescribe a variety of fertility tests and treatments, including IUI and IVF. When outside specialists are needed in a particular case, the reproductive endocrinologist is usually the primary consultant.
There are a many of reasons you may need to see a fertility specialist:
Difficulty conceiving for more than six months if you're age 35 or older, or for more than a year if you're younger.
Having had two or more miscarriages.
Just starting to try to conceive with known risk factors or symptoms of infertility, such as irregular cycles, genetic conditions, or prior sexually transmitted infections (even if already treated).
Men or women with a cancer diagnosis needing guidance on how to preserve fertility before treatments, or those ready to conceive after treatments.
Men or women interested in permanent birth control options, like tubal ligation or vasectomy.
While your primary care physician or gynecologist may be able to begin the process of evaluation, and even prescribe basic treatments , you may need to see a fertility specialist for beyond-the-basics testing and treatment.
They can also help cancer patients with fertility preservation, working with an oncologist to coordinate fertility preservation prior to the start of fertility-threatening cancer treatments.
An andrologist can also perform a testicular biopsy for use in testicular sperm extraction (TESE). She or he also treats reproductive infections, erectile dysfunction, testicular torsion, and undescended testes.
Andrologists are urologists who have completed additional training in male fertility. Andrologists may evaluate and treat male fertility issues alone, or along with a reproductive endocrinologist. They may look further to find the cause for low or absent sperm counts and—if possible—treat the problem, so the couple can conceive without IVF.
Another kind of fertility specialist is a reproductive surgeon. While reproductive endocrinologists also perform surgery, reproductive surgeons have even further training in surgical procedures and may treat patients for issues beyond trying to have a baby.
For example, reproductive surgeons may remove fibroids or surgically treat endometriosis.3 A reproductive surgeon may also perform or reverse vasectomies and tubal ligations, and his/her primary training may be in gynecology or urology.
Reproductive immunologists combine the knowledge of immunology and reproductive medicine. A reproductive immunologist may be consulted in cases of recurrent miscarriage, unexplained infertility, or unexplained repeated IVF failure.
They may also be consulted if the woman has endometriosis or an autoimmune disease, like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis. Reproductive immunologists may be physicians or scientists and usually, work with a reproductive endocrinologist to treat infertile couples.
Fertility Specialists and Clinics
Know the odds.
In the United States, approximately 9 percent of men and 11 percent of women of child-bearing age have experienced infertility, according to the National Institutes of Health. Several factors contribute to a risk of infertility. In both men and women, these include:
Being overweight or underweight
Strenuous physical labor or excessive exercise
Body-building supplements that contain androgen hormones such as testosterone
Substance use: heavy smoking, tobacco use, heavy drinking or the use of cocaine or heroin
Radiation therapy and chemotherapy
Thyroid disease, diabetes or other endocrine disorders
Certain genetic conditions, such as cystic fibrosis or Klinefelter’s syndrome
In men, high blood pressure can change the shape of sperm, and the regular use of hot tubs or saunas can reduce sperm survival because of high temperatures. As of now, clinicians don’t see a cause-and-effect link between cellphone radiation and a man’s fertility, according to Dr. Michael Eisenberg, M.D., director of male reproductive medicine and surgery at Stanford University.
Women’s risk is increased by:
Increasing age — the greatest risk factor for a woman
Polycystic ovarian syndrome, endometriosis and other reproductive conditions that cause irregular periods or a failure to ovulate
Uterine fibroids
Pelvic infections that cause fallopian tube blockages
A family history of early menopause
Sperm cells are produced continually over the course of a man’s life. But a woman is born with all the eggs she will ever have — every egg cell grows old with her. Just as bodies accumulate lingering aches that might affect your ability to run a marathon late in life, aging egg cells may build up chromosomal defects that decrease their ability to form a healthy baby.
If you would like to speak with our staff about our treatments Call MOGA today.