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Supporting Your Journey

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.

Dear Patients,

I created this forum to welcome any questions you have on the topic of infertility, IVF, conception, testing, evaluation, or any related topics. I do my best to answer all questions in less than 24 hours. I know your question is important and, in many cases, I will answer within just a few hours. Thank you for taking the time to trust me with your concern.

– Geoffrey Sher, MD

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Page 57 of 68

Egg Health & Ovarian Reserve Feb 7, 2023

Empty follicle sybdrome

Hello, I have had 3 rounds of ivf and twice had 6/7 follicles and only 3 eggs. Now I had 9 follicles and 1 egg. I am 37 and AMH around 7 pmol. I have been having several false peaks… — Angharad B.

Dr. Geoffrey Sher answered

Frequently, when following vigorous and often repeated flushing of follicles at egg retrieval they fail to yield eggs, it is ascribed to “Empty Follicle Syndrome.” This is a gross misnomer, because all follicles contain eggs. So why were no eggs retrieved from the follicles? Most likely it was…
Age & Fertility Feb 5, 2023

Risk of fertility meds

Hello Dr, I have pcos and I am 40 years old. I have an 8 year old and over the years, I’ve been through 7 rounds of timed intercourse with ovidrel with no success. My doctor is recommending a round… — Marcella J.

Dr. Geoffrey Sher answered

Ever since January 1993 when a study was reported by researchers at Stanford University suggesting that the use of fertility agents increased the risk of ovarian cancer, there has been tremendous concern and anxiety among women who use fertility drugs. At first the findings seemed well founded because…
Hormones & Ovulation Feb 3, 2023

BMI limit

Is there a bmi limit for IVF treatment? — Christie C.

Dr. Geoffrey Sher answered

Not really! ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: I am attaching online links to two E-books which I recently co-authored with my partner at SFS-NY (Drew Tortoriello MD)....... for your reading pleasure: 1.From In Vitro Fertilization to Family: A Journey with Sher Fertility Solutions (SFS) “ http://sherfertilitysolutions.com/sher-fertility-solutions-ebook.pdf “Recurrent Pregnancy Loss and Unexplained…
Hormones & Ovulation Feb 2, 2023

Fertility Inducing Medications

Hello! Do you use BMI as a metric for prescribing fertility inducing medication (Clomid/letrozole)? If so, what is the maximum BMI allowed? Thank you! — Audrey V.

Dr. Geoffrey Sher answered

No! By and large, I do not! Geoff Sher ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: I am attaching online links to two E-books which I recently co-authored with my partner at SFS-NY (Drew Tortoriello MD)....... for your reading pleasure: 1.From In Vitro Fertilization to Family: A Journey with Sher Fertility Solutions (SFS)…
Ovarian Stimulation & OHSS Feb 1, 2023

BCP Timing before IVF

I have short (25 day) cycles with early recruitment of follicles, and a history of lead follicles and asynchronous growth during previous IVF. My dr instructed me to take 21 days BC before beginning my IVF cycle with 3 days… — Liza A.

Dr. Geoffrey Sher answered

I do not think that starting the BCP on Day-6will have any adverse effects on your treatment. One often hears the expressed opinion that the BCP suppresses response to ovarian stimulation. This is not the case, provided that the BCP is overlapped with administration of an agonist (e.g.…
Immunology & Implantation Jan 30, 2023

Partial DQ Alpha & elevated NK cells

Hello Dr Sher, thanks for your reply, I made an error in my last message to you. Please read amended below: I have elevated NK cells and even after completing a full immune protocol (ivig, intrallipids, dex, nupogen) my NK… — Melissa K.

Dr. Geoffrey Sher answered

Unfortunately, this is not a sperm: egg matching issue. It has to do with genotypic matching between the fertilizing sperm and the host....... So using donor egg will likely not help matters. Geoff Sher Geoff Sher
Male Infertility Jan 30, 2023

Semen analysis

Does this clinic do semen analysis for infertility? I've been trying to find somewhere that does semen analysis but all the places I've contacted only do it for post vasectomy patients. — Jorge S.

Dr. Geoffrey Sher answered

Absolutely we do.Simply call the clinic (contact info is on website). Good luck! Geoff Sher
IVF Failure & Pregnancy Loss Jan 28, 2023

Yudy

Tengo ligadura de trompa y tengo 36 años podría reverser mis trompas ya que me gustaría tener otro bebe — Yudy D.

Dr. Geoffrey Sher answered

Please re-post in English! Geoff Sher ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: I am attaching online links to two E-books which I recently co-authored with my partner at SFS-NY (Drew Tortoriello MD)....... for your reading pleasure: 1.From In Vitro Fertilization to Family: A Journey with Sher Fertility Solutions (SFS) “ http://sherfertilitysolutions.com/sher-fertility-solutions-ebook.pdf “Recurrent…
Hormones & Ovulation Jan 28, 2023

Laparoscopic Surgery or IVF?

I’m 31 with secondary infertility and been trying for 4 years with my husband. Three years ago I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism, hashimotos, pcos (before I was diagnosed I did 5 rounds of letrozle, and one IUI) and now endometriosis?… — Rachel B.

Dr. Geoffrey Sher answered

Unless the laparoscopy is intended to alleviate symptoms by ablating lesions, freeing pelvic adhesions or removing an ovarian endometrioma, I would NOT go that route. I would do IVF. When women with infertility due to endometriosis seek treatment, they are all too often advised to first try ovarian…
Embryos & Genetic Testing Jan 28, 2023

Follow up to last question- 3 miscarriages

Hi, to add on to my last question. 3 miscarriages (1 at 6 weeks before heartbeat, 2 measuring 9 weeks after strong heartbeat detected with one being a PGT normal embryo). The only thing that we have found is one… — Kaitlin M.

Dr. Geoffrey Sher answered

A heterozygous MTHFR mutation will in my opinion, not cause early pregnancy loss. When it comes to reproduction, humans are the poorest performers of all mammals. In fact we are so inefficient that up to 75% of fertilized eggs do not produce live births, and up to 30%…
Embryos & Genetic Testing Jan 28, 2023

Elevated Anticardiolipin

Hi Dr. Scher! I've been listening to a few of your interviews with Dr. Aimee on her podcast and am very grateful for the helpful information you provide. I am 34 years old and have an almost 3-year old daughter… — Susanne S.

Dr. Geoffrey Sher answered

It is highly unlikely the the elevated aCL alone would lead to secondary recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL). I would venture an educated guess that there is a non-immunologic cause for implantation dysfunction (perhaps the integrity of the uterine cavity or a thin uterine lining). More likely however is…
Ovarian Stimulation & OHSS Jan 28, 2023

Thin uterine lining after egg retrieval

Is it possible to have damaged the lining of my uterus during egg retrieval? My uterine lining went from 9.9mm 2 days before egg retrieval to 5mm after. Please advise. — Shernelle T.

Dr. Geoffrey Sher answered

That is highly unusual. The ER would not have caused this. Perhaps one of these measurements was not accurate. It was as far back as 1989, when I first published a study that examined the correlation between the thickness of a woman’s uterine lining (the endometrium), and the…
Immunology & Implantation Jan 28, 2023

High NK Cells & using donor egg

Hello Dr Sher, I have elevated NK cells and even after completing a full immune protocol (ivig, intrallipids) my NK cells went from 15.6 down to 14.9. My husband and I have a full DQ alpha match and no matter… — Melissa K.

Dr. Geoffrey Sher answered

In my opinion...you would face the same issues . It is not recommended! This is about your genotype and that of the sperm that fertilized the egg. It is not about egg and sperm. Read the additional information below! Geoff Sher ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: I am attaching online links…
Embryos & Genetic Testing Jan 28, 2023

3 miscarriages

Hi- I have had 3 miscarriages in the last 15 months. First happened at 6 weeks. No heartbeat/questionable fetal pole. Second and third happened after strong heartbeat- measuring 9 weeks. Third was through IVF and was a PGT normal embryo.… — Kaitlin M.

Dr. Geoffrey Sher answered

When it comes to reproduction, humans are the poorest performers of all mammals. In fact we are so inefficient that up to 75% of fertilized eggs do not produce live births, and up to 30% of pregnancies end up being lost within 10 weeks of conception (in the…
Embryos & Genetic Testing Jan 22, 2023

PGT embryos no implantation

Hi, Why would I get pregnant naturally twice (ended in 6 week miscarriages) within 6 months, but have had 2 good quality pgt embryos fail to implant? Why would it implant naturally and not with IVF? Thanks — Laura P.

Dr. Geoffrey Sher answered

This sounds like implantation dysfunction. Implantation dysfunction is unfortunately often overlooked as an important cause of IVF failure. This is especially relevant in cases of unexplained IVF failure, recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL), and in women with underlying endo-uterine surface lesions, thickness of the uterine lining (endometrium) and /or…

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Supporting Your Journey

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.

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