We are pleased to announce the delivery of healthy twins conceived using frozen eggs. Egg Freezing is successfully performed in women who prefer to bank eggs for later use, face treatment for cancer, or do not want to have excess frozen embryos after in vitro fertilization.
Another delivery from frozen eggs
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The Livestrong Foundation
We at Carolina Conceptions are pleased to announce our new partnership with Fertile Hope through the Livestrong Foundation. Fertile Hope will help us fulfill our mission to increase access to fertility services after the diagnosis of cancer. Fertile Hope provides education on cancer related infertility and provides grants to patients seeking fertility treatment after cancer which often involves costly therapies such as in vitro fertilization and oocyte (egg) cryopreservation. We are actively involved with cancer patients currently but hope our new partnership will make the care even more affordable.
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Semen Analyses and HSG’s Now Available on the Weekends!
Carolina Conceptions is excited to announce that we will be offering Semen Analysis appointments on the 1st weekend of every month and HSG appointments every Saturday and Sunday. Please contact one of our scheduling coordinators at 919-782-5911 to schedule your appointment today!
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Carolina Conceptions passes CAP inspection!
The goal of the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Laboratory Accreditation Program is to improve patient safety by advancing the quality of pathology and laboratory services through education, standard setting, and ensuring laboratories meet or exceed regulatory requirements. Since opening in 2006, Carolina Conceptions has been awarded CAP accreditation and becomes part of an exclusive group of laboratories worldwide that have met the highest standards of excellence.
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Free Seminar PGD: Asking Embryos The Right Questions
Join us on Wednesday, September 11th for a free patient seminar on
Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis: Asking Embryos the Right Questions. The
Seminar will be presented by Sushma Singh PhD HCLD. Please RSVP to
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Now Offering IVF Lab Round Table Discussions
Every 2nd Wednesday of the month, starting at 5pm, Carolina Conceptions will be offering a round table discussion for anyone who is interested in what is “going on in the lab.” There will be an embryologist present to answer any questions about embryos, sperm, embryo biopsy, the lab in general, or anything else that you wish to discuss. This is a great way to stay informed and learn about the latest technologies and how our lab operates. Please RSVP to these discussions via email to sushma.singh@carolinaconceptions.com
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Carolina Conceptions receives 2013 NC Excellence Award
Carolina Conceptions has been selected for the 2013 North Carolina Excellence Award amongst all its peers and competitors by the US Institute for Excellence in Commerce (USIEC).
Each year the USIEC conducts business surveys and industry research to identify companies that have achieved demonstrable success in their local business environment and industry category. They are recognized as having enhanced the commitment and contribution of small businesses through service to their customers and community. Small businesses of this caliber enhance the consumer driven stature that North Carolina is renowned for.
Carolina Conceptions has consistently demonstrated a high regard for upholding business ethics and company values. This recognition by USIEC marks a significant achievement as an emerging leader within various competitors and is setting benchmarks that the industry should follow.
As part of the industry research and business surveys, various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the selected companies in each category. This research is part of an exhaustive process that encapsulates a year long immersion in the business climate of North Carolina.
About USIEC
The USIEC is a leading authority on researching, evaluating and recognizing companies across a wide spectrum of industries that meet its stringent standards of excellence. It has spearheaded the idea of independent enterprise and entrepreneurial growth allowing businesses of all sizes to be recognized locally and encouraged globally.
Particular emphasis is given to meeting and exceeding industry benchmarks for customer service, product quality and ethical practices. Industry leading standards and practices have been developed and implementation of the same has been pioneered by the dedicated efforts of the business community and commerce leadership.
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FREE Upcoming Seminars
July 16, 5:30 pm.
“Everything you wanted to know about using a gestational carrier”
Presented by Tammy Enders, Gestational Carrier Coordinator
Please RSVP to elisa.miller@carolinaconceptions.
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Enter the 2014 “Heart to Heart” Contest
Enter for a chance to win up to $10,000 towards your child’s education. Click on www.hearttoheartcontest.com for all of the details.
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Congratulations to the Winner of our Free IVF Cycle!
Congratulations to Christa Vick! She is the winner of the IVF cycle that we gave away for Infertility Awareness Week. We wish her and her husband the best and are hoping for a healthy baby!
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IVF Discount for Teachers
We are offering an IVF discount for all active K-12 teachers. The $6500 cost is for one IVF cycle during the months of June and July 2014. This promotion does not apply to administrative personnel, teaching assistants, or any other school personnel. The cycle must be completed by the end of July 2014. You must show current proof of current employment. Please call 919-782-5911 to schedule your initial consultation or contact one of our financial coordinators for details.
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Older Women Should Move More Quickly to IVF
ASRM Bulletin
Volume 16, Number 25
May 6, 2014
Highlights from Fertility and Sterility
Older Women Should Move More Quickly to IVF
A new study demonstrates that, for couples of older reproductive age with unexplained infertility, immediate IVF is the most efficient treatment, resulting in fewer treatment cycles and a higher live birth rate.
In an NIH-funded, randomized clinical trial, 154 couples receiving infertility treatment at Boston IVF and Brigham and Women’s Hospital were randomly assigned to one of three groups to receive a specific type of treatment for their first two cycles. One group was assigned to have IVF. The other two groups were assigned to have intrauterine inseminations (IUIs) with the female partner receiving either an oral medication to induce ovulation (clomiphene citrate- CC) or injectable ovulation drugs (follicle stimulating hormone-FSH).
If patients in the two insemination groups did not achieve an on-going pregnancy after two cycles, they were switched to IVF for their subsequent cycles.
The participating couples were required to have been trying to conceive for at least six months and to not have previously tried any of the treatments being used in the study. The female partner had to be between 38 and 42 years old, with regular menstrual cycles, at least one ovary and fallopian tube, acceptable ovarian reserve, no disorders of the reproductive organs and no history of ectopic pregnancy. The male partner had to have enough motile sperm.
After two cycles of the assigned treatment, differences were observed in pregnancy rates and live births between the groups. Of patients who went straight to IVF, 49% became pregnant and 31% gave birth. Of those taking oral medications and having inseminations, 22% became pregnant and 16% gave birth. For the injectable medication/insemination group, 17% became pregnant and 14% gave birth.
All couples who had not been successful in their first two cycles of any treatment used IVF in their subsequent treatment cycles, but the couples in the immediate IVF group of the study went through 36% fewer total cycles than the couples who began their treatment in either of the ovulation drug/IUI groups.
By the end of the treatment, of all the couples in the study, 71% had conceived a clinical pregnancy and 46% delivered at least one live-born baby. 84% of all live births in the study came about as a result of IVF. For those couples having a live birth, those who started with IVF took an average of two cycles to conceive, while those who started with ovulation drugs and IUI averaged three to four cycles. Of the 154 couples enrolled, 140 started and 115 completed treatment.
While the major finding of this study is that immediately starting infertility treatment with IVF in older couples is the most effective treatment, it also showed that, if a couple chooses to try ovulation drugs with insemination first, oral fertility drugs (clomiphene citrate) are as effective as injectables (FSH).
Richard Reindollar, MD, Executive Director of the American Society for Reproductive medicine (ASRM) was the study’s principal investigator when he was at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC), prior to ASRM. He described how the study came about. “Previously, in the Fast Track and Standard Treatment (FAST-T) trial, we found that for young couples with unexplained infertility, proceeding to IVF after three cycles of clomiphene with IUI was more cost-effective than the standard approach at the time- which required them to go through several additional cycles of injectable ovulation drugs with insemination before allowing them to try IVF. We suspected that immediate IVF without any prior cycles with IUI would be more effective in an older age group but needed to demonstrate that through a rigorous trial.” Marlene Goldman, ScD, Professor at DHMC and first author of the paper stated, “While we recognize that not all patients might choose to start treatment with IVF, the results of this trial will give reproductively older patients with unexplained infertility the evidence they need to skip less effective treatments and start their families more quickly if they wish to do so.”
Goldman et al, A randomized clinical trial to determine optimal infertility treatment in older couples: the Forty and Over Treatment Trial (FORT-T), Fertility and Sterility, in press.
Editor’s Note: This article is the basis of a continuing education module through ASRM eLearn® which will be available in the coming weeks. For more information on this and other CME/CE activities, go to https://www.asrm.org/eLearn/.
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10 Things Fertility Clinics Won’t Tell You
….Fertility Clinics Won’t Tell You (paraphrased by Dr Meyer from article as printed in the Wall St Journal, Sunday June 8, 2014)
- We can’t change basic biology : While American women are becoming moms later than ever before, the stubborn truth remains that mid 20s is the best time for women to conceive and a subtle drop occurs in early 30s, more pronounced at 37 and drops sharply after age 40
- You might be using the wrong drug: Some would be mothers wait too long to seek the right treatment. Proceeding immediately to IVF at age 38 to 42 may be best treatment.
- We’ll drain your savings : the average cost of IVF cycle is 12,400 dollars, and by the time she reaches that state she may have spent thousands of dollars
- Our money back guarantee isn’t a great deal: A number of fertility clinics offer risk sharing, for 20,000 you often get a package of six IVF cycles. Critics say that these are offered only to women who they feel will conceive quickly
- We’re not sure about the health risks: Multiple births account for nearly half of babies born through IVF in 2010. Preterm birth is probably not stressed enough as a risk in multiple gestations
- How much you pay may depend on where you live: Insurance mandated states exist where IVF is covered.
- You’re going to need some more help: Treatment can be extremely stressful. Some patients complain that clinics don’t offer enough information about support groups. ( a list can be obtained through www. Resolve.org )
- Our success rates paint a rosy picture : Some advocates argue that clinics should report their data emphasizing the risk of failure
- It’s time to stop treatment : Patients should ask their doctor how their experience compares with patients with similar profiles
- Preserving your eggs. Don’t bank on it: The American Society for Reproductive Medicine has cautioned that it is “not yet ready to endorse widespread use of egg freezing for elective use.”
These, and other issues, will be gladly addressed in consultation with new and current patients. While Carolina Conceptions does not always have all the answers we recognize that the above concerns are valid and worth reporting on our website.
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Promote your Business
Carolina Conceptions is giving you the opportunity to have your local business promoted on our website. If you are a patient and own a local business, email our Practice Manager at nikki.duncan@carolinaconceptions.com with your information to be added on our website.
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Carolina Conceptions is NOW OFFERING a Refund Program!
This program is offered to qualified patients. It allows patients up to 3 IVF cycles and all associated frozen embryo transfers (FET’s) for a fixed, discounted fee. If you do not take a baby home, 75% of the Program fee is refunded to you.
The program is also available for treatment using donor eggs.
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Carolina Conceptions to present research at ASRM in October
Carolina Conceptions had a research study accepted for an oral presentation at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine conference in October. Dr. Park will discuss how AMH levels do not predict the chances of finding euploid (normal) embryos when patients use Preimplantation Genetic Screening. AMH levels were found to predict the number of embryos that are available for biopsy and testing. The age of the patient was found to predict the chance of finding euploid embryos.
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Seminar: Getting Pregnant with Irregular Periods
Join us for free seminar Wednesday, August 13th. Getting Pregnant with Irregular Periods will be presented by
John Park, M.D. The seminar will begin at 5:30 pm. Please RSVP to elisa.miller@carolinaconceptions.com
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Preimplantation Genetic Screening (PGS) and the ONE Program
The ONE program continues to be a huge success. The program involves embryo biopsy with PGS at the blastocyst stage, with transfer of a single, euploid (genetically normal) embryo on day 6 of embryo culture. In 2013 we had performed 26 fresh transfers in women ranging from 28 to 41 years old. The pregnancy rate is 60.7%, which is the same as the pregnancy rate from transferring 2 embryos without PGS. If pregnancy isn’t achieved on the fresh cycle (and there are additional frozen embryos) through the ONE program, a frozen cycle is completed at 50% off the procedure price.
We have performed 10 frozen transfers with euploid embryos with a pregnancy rate of 60%. This is just as good as the frozen embryo transfer pregnancy rate with 2 unscreened embryos. We have had no multiple pregnancies through the ONE program in contrast to a >30% twinning rate with transfer of 2 unscreened embryos. PGS is proving to be a valuable tool for minimizing the risk of twins without compromising the chance of pregnancy.
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Some BCBS Plans are Now Offering IUI Coverage
Please check with your insurance provider to see if you now have IUI coverage for 2014. Many plans have changed their benefits and now cover this procedure! We will make every attempt to help you understand your benefits but it is ultimately up to you as the policy holder to verify these benefits are correct. Thanks!
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Wilmington, Greenville, Jacksonville, New Bern, North Carolina In-Vitro Fertilization
Carolina Conceptions is reaching out to infertile patients in Eastern North Carolina with the recent closings of East Carolina University’s IVF program in Greenville, NC and Dr. Pasquarette’ s retirement in Wilmington, NC. Patients can be seen in our Raleigh office for their initial physician consultation and nursing class and then be monitored with ultrasounds and hormone testing at our satellite offices of Carteret Ob Gyn in New Bern and Dr William Cooper in Wilmington, North Carolina. Once a month Carolina Conceptions doctors can see you for a consultation in Dr. Cooper’s office. Phone consultations are also available for patients who are out of town. Please email us or contact us at Carolina Conceptions if you would be interested in bringing a highly successful IVF program to your North Carolina town or city. Making Families a Reality is what we do best. Financial counselors can be contacted with insurance questions at: kelly.moege@carolinaconceptions.com
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More Pages to Explore .....
