Fertility Talk with RSC NJ

Unexplained Infertility

RadioMD — Tue, 20 Jun 2017 00:50:58 +0000

Many couples are told that they have unexplained or idiopathic infertility, meaning doctors cannot seem to find anything wrong with either the male or female after analysis of sperm and fallopian tubes or uterus.

In this segment, Dr William Ziegler discusses some possible causes of unexplained infertility and what the options might be for a couple trying to conceive.

Donor Eggs: Fresh vs Frozen

RadioMD — Mon, 22 May 2017 14:50:20 +0000

If a woman cannot become pregnant using her own eggs, either by sexual intercourse, artificial insemination or IVF, she may choose to use eggs donated by another woman.

A women has the choice between fresh or frozen eggs. Frozen eggs eliminate the need for cycle coordination, as the egg retrieval process is already complete. Fresh and frozen donor eggs have about the same pregnancy success rate of 55-63%. Listen as Dr Martinez discusses donor eggs, fresh vs frozen.

What to Expect From Infertility Counseling

RadioMD — Tue, 18 Apr 2017 22:38:35 +0000

Infertility is a medical condition not unlike other medical conditions – it can affect all aspects of your life.

Everyone undergoes emotional stressors as they pursue infertility treatment. Feeling overwhelmed, sad, exhausted, frustrated, angry, ashamed, among many others, at times are perfectly normal responses. But if you are experiencing these feelings persistently or are having difficulty managing other emotions related to your infertility, you might benefit from infertility counseling.

In this segment, Dr. William Ziegler discusses the primary goal of infertility counseling is to help individuals and couples learn how to cope with the physical and emotional changes associated with infertility, and some signs that infertility counseling would be helpful to you.

What is an IU? Clomid vs Superovulation

RadioMD — Sun, 19 Mar 2017 17:22:18 +0000

Ovulation disorders are one of the most common causes of female infertility. Drug therapies are often used to treat infertility caused by ovulatory disorders.

Listen as Hina Ahmed, MS discusses Clomid vs Superovulation to help increase a womens chance of becoming pregnant.

Acupuncture and Fertility

RadioMD — Wed, 22 Feb 2017 00:11:41 +0000

The intent of acupuncture therapy is to promote health and alleviate pain and suffering. The method by which this is accomplished, though it may seem strange and mysterious to many, it has been time tested over thousands of years and continues to be validated today.

Listen in as Alan Martinez, MD discusses how acupuncture, when combined with IVF treatments, can significantly increase your chance of conception.

Can Exercise Affect Fertility?

RadioMD — Tue, 21 Feb 2017 01:04:42 +0000

While exercise and maintaining a healthy weight are important, physical activity should be done in moderation. Excessive physical activity can inhibit ovulation and reduce production of progesterone, which are essential in becoming pregnant. Doctors recommend that women who are trying to become pregnant should not exercise more than five hours weekly.

In this segment, William Ziegler, DO discusses exercise and how it can affect a womens fertility and her ability to become pregnant.

Fertility Preservation and Elective Egg Freezing

RadioMD — Mon, 16 Jan 2017 19:04:39 +0000

The Reproductive Science Center of New Jersey (RSCNJ) provides several options of fertility preservation for women, either through freezing eggs or embryos. This technology can give a woman the potential to conceive in the future should she be unable to become pregnant naturally.

Listen as Dr. William Ziegler explains the Elective Egg Freezing process at The Reproductive Science Center of New Jersey.

The Role of a Gestational Carrier

RadioMD — Sun, 15 Jan 2017 18:52:46 +0000

When a woman cannot carry a healthy pregnancy, she can turn to a gestational carrier, a surrogate who carries the fetus created from the egg and sperm of the parents.

“Gestational carrier” is a term used to describe a surrogate who carries a pregnancy created from the egg and sperm of the parents. The eggs (oocytes) of the biological mother are inseminated with sperm of her partner, fertilized, grown to embryos in a Petri dish and then placed into the gestational carrier in a process similar to IVF.

Listen as Hina Ahmed, MS explains how The Reproductive Science Center of NJ will coordinate the care of the biological parents and gestational carrier for a couple wishing to have children.

The Role of Reproductive Surgery in the Era of Assisted Reproductive Technology

RadioMD — Wed, 28 Dec 2016 00:03:03 +0000

According to the National Institutes of Health, reproductive surgery could be divided into surgery as a primary treatment for infertility, surgery to enhance in-vitro fertilisation outcome, and surgery for fertility preservation. A shift has occurred away from surgery as a primary treatment of infertility to surgery playing a crucial part in enhancing in-vitro fertilisation outcome and for fertility preservation.

Listen as Dr. William Ziegler, a specialist in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility and the Medical Director of the Reproductive Science Center of New Jersey, comes on to discuss the role of reproductive surgery in the era of assisted reproductive technology.

Ectopic Pregnancy

RadioMD — Mon, 26 Dec 2016 22:12:44 +0000

A common cause of female infertility is a blockage of the fallopian tubes, which can prevent sperm from meeting and fertilizing an egg. Blocked fallopian tubes can also cause ectopic pregnancy, in which a fertilized egg is unable to move to the uterus for implantation and starts to grow within the tiny fallopian tube, ovary or abdominal cavity.

There are several possible causes of fallopian blockage. Fortunately, there are also several treatment options.

Listen as Alan Martinez, MD explains ectopic pregnancy and the steps necessary to help insure future pregnancies.

Zika Virus and Fertility Planning

RadioMD — Tue, 29 Nov 2016 02:31:18 +0000

If you have been ignoring the news about Zika virus, maybe this will gain your attention. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, five of nine pregnancies among U.S. women who were infected with the Zika virus have resulted in tragic outcomes.

If you are traveling to an area where the Zika virus has been reported, precautions must be taken. Insect repellents containing DEET won’t harm a pregnant woman or her fetus when used as instructed to prevent infection with the Zika virus, a new research analysis suggests.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) supports the guidelines and is urging pregnant women and those planning a pregnancy to follow them.

Listen as Alan Martinez, MD discusses the Zika virus and the risks of travel for women that are pregnant or planning a pregnancy.

The Role of Stress in Fertility

RadioMD — Mon, 28 Nov 2016 01:31:50 +0000

Researchers do not yet understand the role stress plays in the ability of a women to get pregnant. Many times you hear the phrase just relax and it will happen. There might be more to this statement than previously thought.

Listen as Hina Ahmed, MS, Physician Assistant at The Reproductive Science Center of New Jersey, offers up some practical ways women trying to get pregnant can reduce their stress levels.

Management of Diabetes and Infertility

RadioMD — Mon, 24 Oct 2016 02:39:05 +0000

As the rates of Type II diabetes are rising every year in the U.S., there are many infertility specialists that are are beginning to look toward this health issue as a main cause of some otherwise unexplained infertility cases that they see. Management of Diabetes and the symptoms associated with it are crucial to fertility treatment success and a healthy pregnancy.

Listen in as Alan Martinez, MD discusses the correlation between fertility and diabetes.

Healthy Eating For Fertility

RadioMD — Sun, 23 Oct 2016 16:16:01 +0000

It's been established that women with gestational diabetes are at greater risk of developing high blood pressure later in life. However, a healthy diet may significantly reduce that risk, according to new research in the American Heart Association journal Hypertension.

In addition, researchers found that women who continually adhered to a healthy diet were 20 percent less likely to develop high blood pressure in the first place than were those who did not maintain a healthy diet.

U.S. News and World Report recently evaluated popular diets to determine the best eating plan to support overall health, including fertility. The winner, and still champion, is the heart-healthy DASH diet.

Listen as Hina Ahmed, physician assistant at The Reproductive Science Center of New Jersey, explains how maintaining a healthy diet can not only increase your ability to aid in fertility, but can help you have a healthier pregnancy.

Infectious Disease Testing and How it Relates to Infertility

RadioMD — Sun, 25 Sep 2016 20:25:56 +0000

Very often, when conducting a diagnostic work-up of both male and female infertility, there may need to be various blood tests in order to verify the presence or absence of various infectious diseases.

The reason for these tests is that if a couple is found to have one of these infections, this very well might be a contributing factor to a couple's infertility. The infection might also affect the outcome of fertility treatments.

Another important reason for these tests that is underestimated, is that the fact that many of these infections can be passed along to the baby, potentially jeopardizing their health and the pregnancy.

Listen today as Dr. Alan Martinez discusses the reasons for infectious disease testing prior to fertility treatments and how they can affect the outcome of treatments.

Tubal Reversal and Fertility Treatments

RadioMD — Sun, 25 Sep 2016 20:22:58 +0000

Women who have had tubal ligations may at some point come to regret their decision and desire fertility in the future. Pregnancy rates are influenced by both age and tubal ligation method. The highest pregnancy rate (87%) was reported by women age 29 or less who underwent reversal of a previous ring or clip method of sterilization.

The physicians at the Reproductive Science Center of New Jersey have all had extensive training in tubal reanastamosis. Listen in as Dr. William Ziegler, specialist in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility and the Medical Director of the Reproductive Science Center of New Jersey, shares his expertise when a couple decide to try to have a baby after Tubal ligation procedure.

Fertility Insurance

RadioMD — Mon, 29 Aug 2016 00:02:51 +0000

When a patient or couple is considering using assisted reproduction technologies (ART) to have a baby, there are many things to consider.

In addition to the physical, mental and emotional tolls that infertility treatment can cause, there is the financial aspect to consider. Insurance coverage may be limited or non-existent and in vitro fertilization (IVF), and other fertility treatments can be costly.

The Reproductive Science Center of New Jersey accepts most major insurances including Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey.

Listen in as William Ziegler, DO explains your insurance options at The Reproductive Science Center of New Jersey.

The Role of Reproductive Surgery in Treating Infertility

RadioMD — Sun, 28 Aug 2016 23:31:51 +0000

Infertility is defined as the failure to conceive after one year of unprotected sexual intercourse. But a diagnosis of infertility does not mean that becoming pregnant is impossible.

Nearly 90 percent of infertility cases are treatable with medical therapies ranging from drug treatment and surgery to advanced reproductive technologies such as in vitro fertilization (IVF).

Reproductive Science Center of New Jersey offers many surgical treatment options. Robotic myomectomy: the surgical technique that removes uterine fibroids that can contribute to pelvic pain, vaginal bleeding, or infertility.

Robotic Surgery for Infertility: RSCNJ fertility specialists use minimally invasive Da Vinci robotic surgery & laparoscopy for women with infertility as effective uterine fibroid treatment.

Listen in as Dr. Alan Martinez discusses these and other surgical techniques to help women conceive and carry a pregnancy to term.

What You Need to Know About IVF and Single Embryo Transfer

RadioMD — Thu, 28 Jul 2016 15:29:23 +0000

Fertility treatments can be complex and often require patients to make many decisions along the way.

One of the toughest decisions for patients undergoing IVF & Donor Egg treatment is how many embryos should I transfer? This is an important decision and we understand the reasons why patients might struggle for the right answer.

The IVF process is complex and consists of several steps, including: ovulation induction, egg retrieval, fertilization of the eggs and embryo culture, embryo grading, and embryo transfer.

Listen in as Alan Martinez, MD discusses your options when considering IVF and if single embryo transfer is the right choice for you.

How Weight Can Affect Fertility

RadioMD — Tue, 26 Jul 2016 15:05:55 +0000

If you’re trying to get pregnant, or intend to start trying, being overweight can affect your chances of conceiving and having a healthy baby.

Interestingly, being underweight can also reduce a woman’s fertility. If you're planning to get pregnant in the next year or so, healthy eating and regular exercise can help boost your fertility.

Listen in as Dr. William Ziegler how your weight can affect your ability to get pregnant.

Preimplantation Genetic Testing

RadioMD — Thu, 26 May 2016 03:38:51 +0000

Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) allows for the detection of life-altering genetic abnormalities prior to embryo transfer during IVF.

The procedure can also help patients suffering from certain fertility challenges as well.

The PGD procedure is an evaluation of chromosomes, thread-like structures found in all human cells except red blood cells.

The PGD process starts after the embryo is fertilized and allowed to grow, when an embryo biopsy is performed.

This procedure involves removing either a polar body, which is half of the maternal DNA, or a blastomere, which is a cell from the embryo that contains its DNA.

Alan Martinez, MD, is here to help you better understand Preimplantation genetic testing to identify genetic defects in embryos created through in vitro fertilization (IVF) before pregnancy.

Male Infertility: Help at RSCNJ

RadioMD — Thu, 26 May 2016 02:46:58 +0000

In the United States approximately 15-20 percent of married couples will experience some degree of infertility.

The male role in fertility by itself affects up to 40 percent of couples. An additional 20 percent of infertile couples have combined male-female factor infertility.

The most important goal in male infertility is to establish the correct diagnosis.

Hina Ahmed, MS, is here to explain the treatment options for male infertility available at The Reproductive Science Center of New Jersey.

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)

RadioMD — Tue, 26 Apr 2016 01:53:46 +0000

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a common hormone disorder in women that is also a leading cause of infertility.

According to WomensHealth.gov, 10 to 20 percent of women of childbearing age suffer from PCOS.

PCOS is one of the most under-diagnosed diseases in the world, with less than 25 percent of women with PCOS being diagnosed.

PCOS is characterized by seemingly unrelated symptoms and may include irregular or absent periods, lack of ovulation, weight gain, acne, excessive facial hair and infertility.

There is no cure for PCOS yet, but medications used to induce ovulation may help women with PCOS get pregnant.

Alan Martinez, MD., is here to help answer questions relating to Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

Recurring Pregnancy Loss

RadioMD — Sat, 23 Apr 2016 14:33:43 +0000

Recurrent miscarriage, also known as recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL), is defined as two or more consecutive miscarriages.

A miscarriage is defined as the spontaneous loss of a clinically-recognized pregnancy before the 20th week.

Clinically recognized means the fetus has been identified with ultrasound or through tissue after the pregnancy loss.

About two-thirds of women who have suffered recurrent pregnancy loss have a successful pregnancy in subsequent efforts.

William Ziegler, DO, FACOG, is here to explain how a healthy lifestyle can help improve your odds: getting moderate exercise, controlling weight, quitting smoking and reducing alcohol and caffeine intake may be beneficial in avoiding RPL.

The Role of a Physician Assistant

RadioMD — Mon, 21 Mar 2016 14:37:52 +0000

Physician assistants (PAs) make up a small, but rapidly expanding part of the health care workforce.

Their training and education produce a flexible medical professional who can function in many specialty areas and within many practice
structures.

Hina Ahmed, MS, PA-C, is here to explain how as a physician assistant, she is involved in all aspects of patient care.

Utilizing an Egg Donor

RadioMD — Mon, 21 Mar 2016 14:19:40 +0000

Egg donation is when one woman donates her eggs in the in vitro fertilization (IFV) process to another woman who cannot become pregnant using her own eggs.

Women who suffer from premature ovarian failure, are carriers of a genetic disease, or have had a poor response to IVF using their own eggs might contemplate using an egg donor.

Egg donors complete a detailed questionnaire concerning past medical history.

Each donor has a physical examination and must provide a list of any genetic diseases that have appeared in her family and is required to undergo a psychological evaluation by a clinical psychologist.

Hina Ahmed, MS, PA-C, is here to help answer any questions you might have when considering using an egg donor.

Biological Age vs. Chronological Age

RadioMD — Wed, 24 Feb 2016 00:36:36 +0000

Just because you're getting older doesn't mean you can no longer conceive.

Women are having babies at older ages than ever before.

But if you’ve been trying to conceive unsuccessfully for 6 months, or have experienced several miscarriages, our Physicians may be able to help you carry and deliver a child successfully.

William Ziegler, DO is here to help you determine if your age will be a factor when trying to become pregnant.

Current Approaches to Fertility Treatment, "What is Best for You".

RadioMD — Wed, 24 Feb 2016 00:20:11 +0000

Infertility is defined as the failure to conceive after one year of unprotected sexual intercourse.

In the United States approximately 15-20 percent of married couples will experience some degree of infertility.

This means that one in six couples will need professional assistance.

A diagnosis of infertility, however, does not mean that becoming pregnant is impossible.

To completely evaluate the reproductive potential of a couple, the physician must see the couple together to facilitate treatment.

Infertility can be a multi-factor problem, where several conditions when presented alone are not so important but when added together could markedly influence the reproductive potential of a couple.

Therefore, a systematic, simultaneous basic evaluation should be implemented on both spouses.

Alan Martinez, MD is here to discuss your fertility options and what is best for your individual situation.

Endometriosis: Symptoms and Treatments

RadioMD — Wed, 27 Jan 2016 20:16:19 +0000

Endometriosis is a condition where endometrial tissue that normally lines the inside of the uterus, grows outside the uterus and attaches to other organs in the abdominal cavity, such as the ovaries and fallopian tubes.

Endometriosis is a progressive disease that tends to get worse over time and can recur after treatment.

Symptoms include painful menstrual periods, abnormal menstrual bleeding, pain during or after sexual intercourse, and infertility.

The cause of endometriosis is unknown, though there are a few theories that suggest possible causes.

Alan Martinez, MD is here to discuss what an endometriosis diagnoses means to you.