As one of the premiere reproductive medicine centers in Long Island, our Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART, IVF) program continues to provide the entire scope of cutting edge technologies in the treatment of male and female infertility. ART refers to fertility treatments and procedures requiring advanced technologies including in vitro fertilization (IVF), intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), assisted hatching (AH), Donor Egg IVF, and others. Sometimes the term "ART" is used as a synonym for IVF.

IVF

When Louise Brown, the first IVF baby, was born in 1978, IVF was an experimental procedure that resulted in an occasional pregnancy. Over the last two decades, however, IVF has emerged as a mainstay—a highly successful fertility treatment resulting in over three million babies worldwide. The Center for Human Reproduction at North Shore Jewish Long Island Fertility Center has remained at the forefront of the advances in ART therapies and consistently produced IVF success rates among the highest. (SART has severely restricted what all member fertility centers can say regarding IVF success rates and most program comparisons are prohibited. Please review our program's IVF success rates).

Our Long Island fertility center is staffed by 5 board certified infertility specialists. In order to earn board certification, the infertility specialist must complete a 2-3 year Fellowship program after completing her/his OB/GYN training. The Fellowship program focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of infertility using the latest tests and technologies which includes extensive experience managing IVF cycles and fertility drug administration. Infertility specialists also gain experience in performing delicate microsurgical techniques using the laparoscope.

IVF has opened the doors for many childless couples and has extended the horizons of infertility treatment from the exclusive treatment of female infertility to including the equally important treatment of male infertility.

We also offer embryo cryopreservation freezing/thawing in association with our IVF program. Oftentimes couples will have too many embryos to transfer safely during one cycle. Embryo cryopreservation allows these extra embryos to be used in future IVF cycles. This means drug stimulation with FSH to produce eggs will not be necessary thus reducing the price of the cycle. Success rates for cryopreserved embryos are slightly less than fresh embryos.

ICSI

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) enables the creation of a pregnancy from a single sperm bringing new hope to infertile men. Using ICSI, a single sperm is isolated and injected directly into the egg facilitating fertilization. Even men with no sperm in their ejaculate can often father genetically related children. Sperm can often be retrieved directly from the testicles (TESE) or other segments of the reproductive tract (MESA).

Assisted Hatching

We offer assisted hatching (AH) which is employed in select appropriate cases. Using AH, a “hole” is etched in the membrane surrounding the embryo using chemicals, mechanically with microscopic tools, or using a laser. This “hole” makes it easier for the embryo to “hatch out” of the membrane and attach to the endometrium.

Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) & Screening

Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is a procedure performed in conjunction with In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) to test embryos for genetic abnormalities. PGD allows us to test embryos from patients at high risk for genetic diseases prior to conception, and thus significantly increase their chances of having a normal baby.

Preimplantation genetic screening (PGS) involves testing individual cells removed from embryos before their placement into the uterus, with the intention of selecting chromosomally normal embryos.

Blastocyst Transfer

We offer blastocyst transfer in appropriate cases. A blastocyst is an embryo that has been cultured beyond the normal 3 days to 5 days or until it has differentiated into two distinct cell types. Blastocysts are heartier than day three embryos and have a higher implantation rate usually meaning fewer can be transferred. This usually results in a lower incidence of high order multiple births. Blastocyst transfer is not appropriate for all IVF cycles. There must be enough viable embryos present on day 3 to risk culturing further. Our fertility specialists discuss all ART options with their patients.

Long Island New York Donor Egg Program

We have a very active successful donor egg program at our Long Island New York Center. Donor egg is appropriate when a woman cannot use her own eggs to create a pregnancy. This is often due to advanced maternal age resulting in reduced ovarian reserve or ovarian failure.

Our ART Services Include:

What are ART Technologies?

IVF

ICSI

Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) & Screening

Blastocyst Transfer

Long Island New York Donor Egg Program