New comments on 'What is Micro IVF also known as Mini IVF?'

New comment from Citlally

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:00:48 -0600

thank you very much for answering so soon. I've tried to find a doctor in Georgia but they only do the conventional IVF, which I can not afford and I'm 39, I think is time...

Citlally

New comment from Veronica

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:47:20 -0600

Hi Citlally and welcome to FertilityTies.com

you can use our Doctor's Directory:

http://www.fertilityties.com/clinics

enter your zipcode and you can contact from there Fertility Centers and ask them about Mini-IVF, we'll also put you in contact with Fertility Centers in the same area that can provide those services, once you fill out a contact form.

good luck!

Veronica

New comment from Citlally

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:43:39 -0600

Hi, I'd like to try Mini-IVF, does anyone know if there's a good doctor in Florida, Georgia, North or South Carolina? I have found many clinics but they only do the conventional IVF. Thanks..

Citlally

New comment from Veronica

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:00:45 -0600

Hi Ashly, you can enter your zipcode here:

http://www.fertilityties.com/clinics

and each clinic in your area has a Contact Button where you can ask them if they offer Micro-IVF. good luck!

Veronica

New comment from Ashly Unger

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 14:13:09 -0600

Does anyone know a dr in san antonio that offers micro ivf?

Ashly Unger

New comment from Future Hawkeye

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 09:49:20 -0500

Why are the chances of multiples so much less for a micro vs. a regular IVF? Is it simply due to transferring fewer eggs on average?

Future Hawkeye

New comment from kee

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 23:13:06 -0500

hello ladies, i wanted to get back and note that I have officially signed up for an oct micro-ivf cycle here in dallas.. i am loaded with more info and thankful that I qualified...per what was explained by my re micro is ideal for candidates 35 or under whom IUI would be viable, no male factor infertility and have regular cycles etc...I am very hopeful, yet at the same time just as anxious as ever & will attempt to keep u posted on my results.

kee

New comment from Rose1968(waiting on donor egg ivf)

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 08:54:50 -0500

Micro are mini ivf is for less better quality eggs it's just not for cost wise.... I myself 41 yes old and responded low to very high stim meds anyway! So I am opting for mini ivf which depending on how many I make I may have to do more than 1 mini ivf cycle anyways.. Hope this helps

Rose1968(waiting on donor egg ivf)

New comment from kee

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 07:21:51 -0500

hi natnatsha,

im in dallas as well...i found the sher institute for repro meds(sirm)..they offer micro-ivf for $4,950 includes meds..their site is www.haveababy.com.

also, i found advanced repro care center (arcc) located in irving & ft worth which offers conventional ivf for $4,800...this doesnt include your meds, but this clinic has the lowest cost that i found for conventional ivf in dfw. their site is: www.ivfmd.net.

i was contemplating arcc, then i recvd an email from sirm indicating they were now offering micro ivf thus i was contemplating going with sirm...however, after reading this article and dr comments posted on fertilityties, I am more confused and hesistant on going thru with micro seems my chances may not be as high..and that l will produce less eggs...i wouldnt really save much money with micro considerg arcc conv ivf is comparative in costs to the micro ivf offered by sher! decisions decisions decisions...

any input??

kee

New comment from natnatasha

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 17:41:54 -0500

I am located in TX.I wanted to check if Micro IVF facility is available in Dallas TX?If i produce 2 good size eggs on clomid,Could i consider micro IVF with Clomid itself?

natnatasha

New comment from Rose1968(waiting on donor egg ivf)

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 15:23:58 -0500

i would defiantely speak with your re to see if this could be an option for you yes it cant hurt right?and this ivf in all places but where i am doing it at is way cheaper than regular ivf in general.i paid 11,700 for conventinal ivf they charge 9200 for mini.but ive read places that do the regular ivf protocl for 6200 for everything ugh!!!

Rose1968(waiting on donor egg ivf)

New comment from Waiting for baby #4

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 12:47:34 -0500

Very interesting! I wish my RE had presented this as an option for us.I think we are perfect for it. I am 32 had an ectopic and one tube removed in May. My DH sperm is great. I have had 6 pregnancies 3 successes and the last 3 losses, later to find out from tube damage. I have not started meds yet and am wondering if I should speak to my RE about it. As I don't have an extra $2,000 to freeze any extra embryos but have a BIG problem destroying them!! Any advice.

Waiting for baby #4

New comment from Rose1968(waiting on donor egg ivf)

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 05:49:21 -0500

I am going through the mini-ivf as i was explained that because of my age and my elevated fsh that i would do best with the mini ivf procedure .instead of getting the 5 follicles i got with the antagonist protocol and ovulating all them out before egg retrieval i would be getting fewer more good quality eggs to possibly fertilize?

instead of giving me movarel to ovulate them out in 36 hrs there giving me ganirelx and lupron dose 36 hrs before retrieval.

i just am not understanding why there giving me 50mg of clomid instead of the 100mg of clomid in the recruitment stage of the cycle since they know my history of clomid.

i would get 3 follicles off of 100mg of clomid days3-7 and bravelle150 8-11 .

in this case wouldnt you give the patient 100mg of clomid just in the recruitment phase then lower to the 50mg?

Thanks its just my theory on this but i want my best chances for at least more than 1 ya know!!

Rose1968(waiting on donor egg ivf)

New comment from Dr. Eva Littman

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 16:17:50 -0500

IVF usually ranges from $8000-$13000 depending on what services are included. This does not include cost of medication which can range anywhere from $1500-$4500. Most centers offering Micro-IVF charge around $5000 and the medication costs probably around $500-$1500. These are estimates of course.

Dr. Eva Littman

New comment from Veronica

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 23:36:56 -0500

Hi Katrina: in which city do you live?

Veronica

New comment from katrina_ashi

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 23:11:56 -0500

thanx,but would like to ask IVF charges or fees

katrina_ashi

New comment from Katie822 is doing my 1st IVF cycle

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 22:08:45 -0500

Thanks Veronica. I have learned alot and now I am more confused on what to do then I was be4. LMAO!

I think that I will read this to my DH and see what he thinks and see if he wants to do the regular IVF or Mini.

HMM so many options now.

Have to say that its very educational tho. Thanks to all of the drs that gave their thoughts on this.

Katie822 is doing my 1st IVF cycle

New comment from Caryn 10/9/09

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 11:48:29 -0500

Very interesting!! Thanks Veronica :)

Caryn 10/9/09

What is Micro IVF also known as Mini IVF?

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 22:29:00 -0500

Hi everyone:

FertilityTies.com decided to put together information on Micro-IVF. Many of our members have been inquiring about it and we wanted to provide you with information from all perspectives on this new procedure being offered by some Clinic throughout the country. Please note that FertilityTies.com does NOT promote any specific fertility treatment. Our goal is to provide you information from all perspectives so that you can be informed and make the right decision for you along with your own physicians.

Micro IVF in general can be described as taking either solely oral fertility meds with or without minimal use or injectable gonadotropins when going through InVitro fertilization. The process is the same as doing conventional IVF which entails egg retrieval, fertilization, embryo culture and embryo transfer. This process can diminish the risk of multiple births. Some center offer this procedure at a lower cost than conventional IVF plus there are additional savings from having to purchase less fertility meds.

Here we have 4 quotes from different REs (Reproductive Endocrinologist) who gives us their views on this procedure:

Dr. Rudy Quintero, M.D., F.A.C.O.G. Founder and Medical Director of C.A.R.E. Fertility in Los Angeles, CA.

He earned his medical degree at the UCLA School of Medicine, and completed a fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at Stanford University Medical Center.

Minimal Stimulation IVF. IVF over the past twenty years has evolved and been optimized from a point where pregnancy rates were at best quoted to be 10% to about 50% today. We have become better with our stimulation protocols and techniques over this time period and are continuing this trend. Nevertheless, this success has its unintended consequences being the possibility of an overproduction of embryos along with multiple embryos being transferred.

Minimal Stimulation IVF is currently being touted as a solution for this, and we all hope that it soon will. However, we currently lack good data from proper clinical trials to support its use without adequate patient consent when gonadotropins/IUI cycle may be appropriate for sub-fertility. In one of the better trials to date from Pelinck et al (Netherlands), they noted an 8% pregnancy rate, with a 20.8% pregnancy rate after three attempts with Minimal Stimulation IVF. It is well accepted that couples with Unexplained Infertility, the pregnancy rate for gonadotropins/IUI is 17%. Some authors have published success rates of up to 40% using Minimal Stimulation IVF, but these percentages may be influenced by bias and other study errors due to their retrospective design.

I welcome the use of Minimal Stimulation so long as the patient is fully aware of the option to use conventional dosing for IVF to achieve accepted pregnancy rates. Centers are touting the diminished cost when providing this service, but the patient should be aware that if this particular treatment it’s not right for them they could end up spending money on a treatment that won’t increase their chances of pregnancy. There will also be a significantly increased possibility of having frozen embryos for future use when undergoing conventional stimulation. With the use of gonadotropins agonists for an ovulatory trigger, the risk of OHSS development has been shown to be significantly diminished without compromising pregnancy rates.

More data needs to become available to truly assess the success of this procedure for different types of patients and all Fertility Specialists should follow this closely to assess whether or not it could be a solution for some of their patients while clearly providing all their available options with associated costs.

One should consider that it is generally accepted that IVF does slightly increase the risk of birth defects since our synthetic culture media and incubators may never be as good as the environment provided by a maternal womb. These are some considerations that should be taken before performing IVF routinely and without indication when other options are readily available.

Dr. David Kreiner, M.D., F.A.C.O.G, Medical Director of East Coast Fertility in NYC.

Dr. David Kreiner completed his Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility fellowship in 1987 at the Jones Institute for Reproductive Medicine.

MiniIVF is a low cost minimal stimulation form of IVF that is the ideal alternative to lesser aggressive fertility therapies such as intrauterine insemination. Today, IVF, even with a single embryo transfer has become more successful than IVF was 10 years ago with the more risky three embryo transfer. MiniIVF is a great way to assist our patients with achieving their goal of having a single baby while minimizing their risk of complications such as multiple pregnancy, hyperstimulation syndrome or producing financial hardship.

MiniIVF is most appealing to patients who are uncomfortable with taking large doses of gonadotropins with the associated risk of hyperstimulation syndrome. Since there are not as many eggs produced, patients interested in only one baby and not having excess frozen embryos will also find this option appealling. Of course, the lower cost will be an added benefit all uninsured will appreciate. As its appeal and popularity to potential patients grows, other doctors and fertility centers will be motivated to offer it. Their hesitancy would be mostly a concern that pregnancy rates may not be quite as high as that seen with fully stimulated IVF cycles. However, its lower cost and risk should outweigh this diminished pregnancy rate which for young high responders and older poor responders will be minimal.

The reason these groups would see a minimal decrease in success is that the younger high responders have a higher implantation rate per embryo and do not need as many embryos to produce the healthy embryo that will result in a baby. The older poor responders do not make extra embryos with aggressive stimulation and have nothing to gain by adding gonadotropins.

Dr. Eva Littman, M.D., F.A.C.O.G. Founder & Medical Director of Red Rock Fertility in Las Vegas.

She earned her medical degree from Duke University and completed a fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at Stanford University Medical Center.

The Micro Ivf procedure has received a lot of press recently. This procedure consist of using gonadotropins to stimulate multiple eggs on the ovary during the follicular phase and then performing an egg retrieval, incubating the embryos for 3-5 days then placing them back inside the uterus.

My biggest fear is that this procedure will be misused by couples and patients who really need regular IVF but because of the economy they opt for the lower price and subsequently lower chance at success. The basic ideology behind micro IVF is to stimulate less eggs than regular IVF, which requires less medication costs and less monitoring. However, at each stage of the IVF process there is some drop off. If you are only starting with 4 eggs and only 3 of those eggs are mature, even if you get 60% fertilization you have 2 eggs left and both eggs may not continue to develop and there may be nothing to transfer. Hence, for $5000 you have no chance. Whereas with regular IVF, which usually cost about $3500 more, this very same patient may have generated 16 eggs, 12 of which were mature and 9 or 10 of those fertilize and she not only gets a transfer, she may have some left to freeze and try again if unsuccessful.

Unfortunately, most patients might not be aware of these two scenarios and when you are just looking at price and the way it is described, micro IVF may sound just as good as regular IVF when in reality it is far from it. It worries me that in order to try to conserve money, that patients may fall for this gimmick and use up the money that they could have spent on a real chance at success and have no take home baby.

Dr. Vicken Sepilian, M.D. F.A.C.O.G., Medical Director of CHA Fertility in Los Angeles.

Dr. Sepilian completed his residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia, then he attended the University of Texas Medical Branch for his fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility

Micro-IVF or Mini-IVF as it is referred to is not much different than IVF. It requires administration of injectable gonadotropins, periodic ultrasounds and blood tests to monitor response, ultrasound guided egg retrieval and ultrasound guided embryo transfer. It is done in young patients with favorable prognosis, therefore there is no indication for ICSI or assisted hatching. Furthermore, lower doses of medications used will all result in lower costs and bigger savings for the patients. This is something we have been doing for many years in my practice. The difference is lately it is being reffered to as "Micro-IVF."

Patients who will benefit the most are the young patients, less than 35 years of age, with tubal factor infertility and normal semen analysis. The most appropriate patient for "Micro-IVF" is the less than 35 year old multiparous woman who had a tubal ligation and now desires to have another child and her partner has a normal semen analysis. Infertility patients have available to them a number of treatment options, including IUI and IVF. Each couple is unique and they must decide on the treatment that best suits them after taking into consideration their specific infertility factors, their age, the potential success rates for each treatment and cost.

I believe many fertility practices already do perform "Micro-IVF," they just don't call it that. I would advise that consumers should educate themselves as much as possible prior to making the informed decision to proceed with treatment. Indeed, the educated consumer may proceed with caution in the absence of data demonstrating its efficacy.

FertilityTies.com also want to hear from you, if you’ve gone through Micro-IVF we want to hear your experiences, positive and negative. The goal is to provide all our members with as much information from both medical perspectives but also from those who have experience on this procedure. If you’re thinking about doing this procedure also let us know your thoughts!

Veronica