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Pacific Fertility Center’s IVF Laboratory Statistics for 2007
Pacific Fertility Center (PFC) is pleased to share our in vitro fertilization (IVF) pregnancy rates for 2007. Our outstanding IVF pregnancy rates are made possible thanks to our team of ABOG* board certified specialists in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, as well as, highly trained embryologists. *American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology
* Pregnancy rates are reported as clinical pregnancies per transfer. Delivery rates per transfer will be available near the end of 2008 when all babies have been born. More information is available by contacting Pacific Fertility Center.
For Pacific Fertility Center's 2006 statistics, click here.
2007 IVF HIGHLIGHTS:
Single Embryo Transfer (SET)
Of the patients using donor eggs, 66% (24 of 36) became pregnant with a SET. Of the patients using their own eggs, 48% (12 of 25), became pregnant with the transfer of a single embryo.
Improved Frozen Embryo Success:
Pregnancy rates with frozen embryos have never been better. This program requires the utmost skill and quality control in the laboratory to keep embryos viable using the new vitrification process. In women under 40 years old using their own eggs frozen on day 5, 43% became pregnant (49 of 113). We expect these pregnancy rates to continue to improve as the vitrification process is used to freeze more of our embryos.
Day 5 (Blastocyst Transfers)
Selecting day 5 fresh embryo transfers, we achieved a 52% pregnancy rate per transfer for women under age 35 and 58% for women 35 - 37 using their own oocytes (eggs). Also, remarkably, we achieved a 49% pregnancy rate per transfer (135 of 277) for women of all ages using their own oocytes (eggs).
Outstanding Oocyte Donation Pregnancy Rates:
Oocyte donation pregnancy rates are one of the best indicators of an outstanding IVF program. Last year we achieved a 69% pregnancy rate per transfer in women using donated oocytes. This is especially impressive since 23% of all fresh egg donor embryo transfers were single-embryo transfers.
PFC's investment in enhanced methods of embryo culture has improved outcomes with IVF. New incubators, culture media, and procedures have increased embryo quality and embryo implantation rates.
These improvements have lead to excellent success with single embryo transfers and have significantly reduced the risk of multiples. Frozen embryo success rates also improved in 2007. We attribute this success to the new method of freezing day 5 embryos called vitrification. This is the same process that has resulted in the birth of our first baby conceived from a frozen egg.
Pacific Fertility Center’s IVF Laboratory Statistics for 2006
2006 IVF Pregnancy Rates
Pacific Fertility Center is pleased to share our in vitro fertilization (IVF) pregnancy rates for 2006. Our outstanding in vitro fertilization pregnancy rates are made possible thanks to our team of ABOG board certified specialists in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility and highly trained embryologists.
Pacific Fertility Center’s investment in enhanced methods of embryo culture has improved outcomes with in vitro fertilization. New incubators, culture media, and procedures have increased embryo quality and embryo implantation rates. Each embryo has a higher potential to produce a pregnancy, which allows us to transfer fewer embryos, reducing the risk of higher order multiples.
Our technology offers better pregnancy rates with fewer numbers of embryos transferred. Based on this improvement we are instituting a new emphasis on single embryo transfers and expect to significantly reduce the risk of multiples and achieve our goal of “optimal” pregnancy outcomes.
2006 Highlights:
• High Pregnancy Rates with Day 5 (Blastocyst Transfers)
Selecting day 5 (blastocyst) fresh embryo transfers, we achieved a 59% pregnancy rate per transfer for women under age 35 using their own oocytes. As remarkably we achieved a 49% pregnancy rate per transfer for all women under age 43 using their own eggs.
• Outstanding Oocyte Donation Pregnancy Rates
Oocyte donation pregnancy rates are one of the best indicators of an outstanding IVF laboratory. Last year we achieved a 73% pregnancy rate per transfer for fresh day 5 transfers in women using donated oocytes. As not all donor oocyte recipients used a day 5 transfer, the combined pregnancy rate for all Day 3 or Day 5 fresh embryo transfers was an outstanding 66%.
Please note that these data have not yet been reported to CDC/SART and includes undelivered pregnancies. The pregnancies counted as positive include all pregnancies with a clear gestational sac on ultrasound examination. We urge caution when comparing statistics of one center with that of another. Be advised that a comparison of clinic success rates may not be meaningful because patient medical characteristics and treatment approaches may vary from clinic to clinic.
IVF Success Rates: What Do They Really Mean?
Couples and individuals facing fertility challenges deserve exceptional treatment. Our doctors provide excellent care and have access to the latest technology. Other physicians continue to recognize that our doctors treat patients who have challenging diagnoses with superior care. As an affirmation of our exceptional medical care, every one of Pacific Fertility Center's physicians have been selected as a "Best Doctor" (see www.BestDoctors.com)
Pacific Fertility Center is a member of the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART) and the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM). A unique quality of our clinic is that all of our physicians are Board Certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ABOG) as Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Specialists.
In addition, our IVF laboratory is fully certified by the laboratory accreditation program of the College of American Pathologists - American Society for Reproductive Medicine (CAP-ASRM). This rigorous certification program provides assurance to our patients that the highest IVF laboratory standards are being met.
It is thanks to the embryologists’ meticulous work that our IVF laboratory repeatedly receives CAP accreditations with “no deficiencies” in the many aspects of the on-site testing criteria. And of the more than 600 testing areas, the center was up to standard in each one!
The Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology or SART has developed a national database for reporting fertility treatment outcomes. The report is generated by SART and published by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). This system assures consistency in reporting clinic outcomes around the country.
Keep in mind that the SART report includes only data for IVF treatment, and does not include pregnancies from intrauterine insemination, ovulation induction, or surgery. Also, since all data undergoes a rigorous review process and takes over a year to publish, the CDC reporting usually lags behind the most current data.
We urge caution when comparing statistics of one center with that of another. Be advised that a comparison of clinic success rates may not be meaningful because patient medical characteristics and treatment approaches may vary from clinic to clinic.
"Many people considering ART will want to use this report to find the "best" clinic. However, comparisons between clinics must be made with caution. Many factors contribute to the success of an ART procedure. Some factors are related to the training and experience of the ART clinic and laboratory professionals and the quality of services they provide. Other factors are related to the patients themselves, such as their age and the cause of their infertility. Some clinics may be more willing than others to accept patients with low chances of success or may specialize in various ART treatments that attract particular types of patients." For the complete text of "Introduction to Fertility Clinic Tables," go to: http://www.cdc.gov/art/ART2005/ifct.htm
As previously stated, comparing IVF programs by published statistics requires some insight into why programs may or may not be different. We have listed some key points below to facilitate your understanding of our statistics.
At Pacific Fertility Center we review each patient’s individual situation. We believe that all patients should be given the necessary information to help them make decisions concerning treatment based on their goals, diagnosis, and expected outcome. Some centers turn away or discourage treatment for patients with a challenging diagnosis such as decreased ovarian reserve or severe endometriosis, in an effort to have higher pregnancy results. We believe that the decision to proceed with treatment is an individual one and we will provide an accurate assessment of your potential success rates.
Some factors associated with Pacific Fertility Center statistics:
- Pacific Fertility Center does not restrict IVF to only those patients most likely to succeed, (a practice which often leads to higher pregnancy rates). Our less restrictive approach is confirmed by our high percentage of Decreased Ovarian Reserve, DOR (a basal FSH level of 10 mIU/mL or higher). As reported by SART/CDC in 2005, 24% of PFC patients were diagnosed with DOR.
- PFC performs a substantial volume of IVF and oocyte donor cycles. This allows for better statistical accuracy of our data, (the fewer number of patients - the less statistically significant the rates become). We feel it keeps all of us well attuned to the practice of ART.
- Although we individualize treatment to each patient’s diagnosis and prognosis, our goal is to adhere to ASRM guidelines on the maximum number of embryos to transfer, in order to lower the risk of high order multiples.
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