Ask Our Doctors – Archive
Our Medical Directors are outstanding physicians that you will find to be very personable and compassionate, who take care to ensure that you have the most cutting-edge fertility treatments at your disposal. This is your outlet to ask your questions to the doctors.
Hi Dr. Sher,
I went through my first IVF cycle a few months ago. The doctor failed retrieve 5 of the 6 oocytes present, despite changing needles during the procedure and extensive flushing. All bloodwork and ultrasounds pointed to there being eggs in those follicles, and the trigger shot (hCG) was administered correctly (although they didn’t think to check that with bloodwork until 2 days after the procedure). Ironically, the smallest follicle in the right ovary is the one they found the egg in…they failed to find any eggs in all of the nicely sized follicles in the left ovary.
The doctors at the facility are baffled and have no explanation. This fertility company is large – it has 37 locations on the east coast. My doctor reached out to her partners at these locations and no one responded that they had seen this before and knew what to do. My doctor recommends trying IVF again with dual trigger shots (hCG and Lupron).
In case it is useful, I am 38 and have low ovarian reserve. My partner and I were able to conceive using IUI, but I had a miscarriage and my doctor recommended IVF to help select genetically viable embryos and speed things along.
My questions for you:
(1) Should I be worried that my fertility clinic is so dumbfounded by the failure to retrieve my eggs ? Or is this really a rare event?
(2) Are there fertility clinics that specialize in cases like mine, where the generic protocols that work for most women do not work on me? If so, how do I go about finding one? Google searching isn’t returning many results…
Thank you!
Hi Dr Sher,
I just cancelled my FET cycle because progesterone was too high before beginning supplementation. Do you have a protocol for FET that will keep progesterone from creeping up too early? I was taking estrogen 2mg vaginally twice a day and 10ml Lupron. Thank you so much!
WE would need to talk!
I suggest you call my assistant, Patti at 702-533-2691 and set up a Skype/FaceTime consultation with me.
Geoff Sher
I have a question? I had 2 embryos , pgs tested graded as 4ab and 4bb. I transfered 4ab and it was negative. So should I transfer 4bb , being poor than 4ab? Is 4bb a good grade to transfer or should I repeat the cycle?
The grading is not that reliable. As long as it is an expanded blastocyst, I would transfer it!
Good luck!
Geoff Sher
Hi doctor
I have primary infertility and did IVF but failed, I have subclinical hypothyroidism and my anti TPO was high 717 and thyroglobin was 200,TSh was 5 with thyroxine 25 I’m now dong IVF again, what do you recommend
You often refer to a minimum endometrial thickness on the day of trigger or administration of progesterone. What if the endometrium is thin at that time but thickens substantially after the administration of progesterone? What should be the thickness of the endometrium on the day of transfer? Thank you.
I would like to point out that once progesterone is in circulation, all multiplication (“proliferation”) of endometrial cells ceases. Subsequent thickening is due to a build-up of glandular secretions in the endometrium, not an increase in cell numbers. Thus thickness of endometrium after progesterone (endogenous or exogenous) will vary widely and has no bearing on the implantation potential of the progestinzed endometrium.Measurements taken of the endometrial thickness and perhaps blood flow prior to progesterone is all that matters and in my opinion, anything less than 8mm is not likely to support the implanting embryo adequately while 8-9mm is a “gray zone”.
Geoff Sher