Meet Dr. Sher

Over the last 40 years, Dr. Sher has helped fashion the entire field of ART. After training under “The Fathers of IVF” Dr. Patrick Steptoe and Robert Edwards, Dr. Sher established the first private IVF program in the United States in 1982. He later expanded his practice to include a number of centers throughout California before founding the first SIRM – in Las Vegas. Currently more than 60% of the patients/couples seeking treatment by Dr. Sher have previously experienced numerous IVF failures and most travel from out of state/country for treatment by him. In one record-setting case, a couple journeyed from Melbourne, Australia, after experiencing 22 consecutive IVF failures. After a single IVF attempt, the couple finally had a baby! Over the past 40 years, Dr. Geoffrey Sher and his medical team have been on the leading edge of IVF research. Each significant breakthrough has been incorporated into SIRM treatment protocols – lending the benefit of those many years of IVF experience to every SIRM office. Some of Dr Sher’s most notable breakthroughs include:

• 1982: First to recommend the exclusive use of gonadotropins to stimulate follicular development for IVF.
• 1983: First to introduce Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) of washed sperm for treating certain forms of infertility.
• 1989: First to report on ultrasound appearance and thickness of the uterine lining (endometrium) as a predictor of IVF success.
• 1993: First to introduce the technique of “Prolonged Coasting” for cases of Severe Ovarian Hyperstimulation. This treatment protocol has virtually eliminated the life-endangering effects of this condition as well as eliminating the need to cancel the patient’s IVF cycle.
• 1994: First to identify and treat immune factors affecting implantation potential of embryos in certain women.
• 1997: First to introduce Viagra to enhance the thickness of the uterine lining in IVF patients.
• 1998: First to recommend the selective use of intravenous gammaglobulin for the treatment of certain forms of Immunologic Implantation Dysfunction (IID) in IVF.
• 2000: First to introduce a new protocol of ovarian stimulation, the agonist/antagonist conversion protocol (A/ACP) to improve egg/embryo quality in response to gonadotropin stimulation. This also led to the addition of advanced “priming” with estradiol valerate (A/ACP-E2V) to further augment the response of women with reduced ovarian reserve (“poor responders”).
• 2003: First to measure soluble Human Leukocyte Antigen-G (sHLA-G) in the media surrounding early individual embryos and use this genetic marker to identify the “best individual embryos” (the ones that are most likely to implant and produce a viable pregnancy) for transfer to the uterus.
• 2005: First to show, by using Pre-Implantation Genetic Testing (PGT) with Comparative Genomic Hybridization (CGH), that an embryo resulting from fertilization of a chromosomally normal (euploid egg), has a much improved ability to implant successfully and produce a normal baby. This method which tests egg/embryo “competence” is likely to vastly improve IVF results and lead to single embryo transfers, thereby minimizing the risk of multiple pregnancies.
• 2007: First to show, by using PGT with CGH that an embryo resulting from fertilization of a euploid egg (i.e. an egg that has all of its chromosomes present), has a much improved ability to implant successfully and produce a normal baby. To date more than 400 babies have been born using this technique.
• 2008: First to apply PGT with metaphase CGH to the selection of chromosomally intact eggs for cryobanking, leading to a four to six-fold improvement in the birth rate per frozen egg over that which had been previously reported. To date, many babies have been born from his use of CGH tested eggs.
• 2014: Supplanted CGH embryo testing with a new PGT method known as Next Generation Gene Sequencing (NGS) for testing the competency of embryos and eggs.

Dr. Sher has garnered extensive coverage on television and has received media and public recognition as an outspoken consumer advocate. Dr. Sher has more than 200 scientific papers and abstracts to his credit. He has authored one of the most widely read books on IVF, In Vitro Fertilization, the A.R.T. of Making Babies. The completely revised third edition was released in 2005 and is available at most bookstores as well as through Amazon.com (Click here). He is currently working on a new edition of the book that covers the new technology and techniques in the field of reproductive medicine. Dr. Sher continues to “push the envelope” always looking for new ways to improve the IVF field – thus helping couples to fulfill their dreams of becoming parents.  He consistently provides the utmost personal, compassionate and state-of-the-art care and was recently recognized as Physician of the Year by several Las Vegas publications.

Awards & Accomplishments

• 40 years’ experience with In Vitro Fertilization
• Founder of the first private IVF Clinic in the US
• Influential in the births of more than 17,000 babies
• Trained under Patrick Steptoe and Robert Edwards, the “Fathers of IVF”
• Internationally renowned authority on immunologic causes of infertility
• Pioneer of many “firsts” in the field of IVF

Patients Say…

“We’ll never be able to thank you enough for our little miracle boy – we will never forget your genius, as well as your genuine dedication, support and kindness. Our needs we’re very special & specific, our road was long, winding and at times very bumpy. You are one incredible man Dr Sher, and always so humble.” “I have a beautiful five-year-old boy who starts Kindergarten next Monday, thanks to Dr. Sher!! I got pregnant on my first IVF try in Vegas! I count my blessing every day that I have my guy! I think of Dr. Sher often – he made my dream of being a Mom come true!!” “Dr. Sher is amazing! The best there is. Brilliant and compassionate.!” “A woman could not be in better hands than Dr. Sher’s!”