Amidst Its Highest-Ever Success Rates, CT Fertility Adds Next Generation DNA Sequencing as a Standard Feature of Its Unlimited IVF and Egg Donation Package
Bridgeport, CT (PRWEB) March 10, 2015 -- CT Fertility has announced pregnancy rates for 2014 that place it among the most successful fertility centers in the United States. In 2014 84% of fresh IVF transfers involving egg donors and gestational carriers resulted in clinical pregnancies, an increase from 81% in 2013, and 78% in 2012 (see chart). This was also recently reported by the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technologies (SART) in their official IVF success rates data for 2013, which ranks CT Fertility as the 12th most successful fertility clinic in the USA. However since SART does not track cases which combine egg donation and surrogacy, CT Fertility's Top 12 ranking is shown for fresh embryo transfers with an egg donor.
The improved results are in part due to the growing use of Preimplantation Genetic Screening (PGS) which is being increasingly used to exclude chromosome abnormalities that lead to reduced implantation rates and/or increase the likelihood of miscarriages. To help more of their clients take advantage of this technology, and staying true to their desire to put a strict ceiling on potential costs, CT Fertility announced an enhanced unlimited IVF package that now includes as a standard feature the use of Next Generation DNA Sequencing, the most advanced PGS technique.
CT Fertility is one of the first among a small group of pioneering fertility centers to use Next Gen Sequencing to distinguish chromosomally normal embryos from nonviable and diseased ones. “Previously, decisions regarding which embryos to transfer were either based on crude visual progress assessment, or less evolved PGS techniques that presented undesirable trade-offs,” said Dr. Michael Doyle, the medical director of CT Fertility. “For example, those techniques were associated with some risk of harming the embryos, the risk of false-positive results that lead to discarding usable embryos, or the need to forgo fresh embryo transfers due to the long time required get the DNA test result,” he said. “Now we can consider those risks insignificant, especially when our highly experienced embryologists are performing the biopsy using technology that allows us to take a sample cell from the shell of the embryo, and not the fetal component. Furthermore, since CT Fertility is one of very few clinics performing same day Next Gen Sequencing and getting the results back within 24 hours, we never have to unnecessarily freeze all the embryos before the transfer.”
In addition to reducing the risks and compromises previously associated with PGS, CT Fertility reduced the associated costs by discounting the entire process by 20% (from $6250 to $5000) starting March 1, 2015. In addition, by adding Next Gen Sequencing as a standard feature to its popular unlimited surrogacy and egg donation package for only $3000 (which is less than 50% of the previous PGS fee), clients are paying less for enhanced services. Specifically, in the unlimited plan prospective parents pay a one-time, transparent fee that includes all associated costs for an unlimited number of IVF and embryo transfers (fresh or frozen) until they are successful. The $47,900 package is comprised of a $26,500 fee for all medical and FDA screenings and IVF treatments (as many as needed for a successful pregnancy) and now includes Next Gen PGS; $11,450 for the egg donor including her stipend, screening, clinical services, matching and associated fees; and $9,950 for all third party costs, including medications needed for both the donor and surrogate during the process and into the first trimester of the pregnancy. “We know that even with our highly promising pregnancy rates, there are still inherent uncertainties in the IVF and egg donation process, and we would like to give our clients full peace of mind and protection from those often hidden associated costs,” said Dr. Doyle. “The way we do this is by disclosing all costs up-front, with complete transparency, and not adding extra medical or IVF costs later on should additional treatments be required.”
Unlike most packages of this type offered by other clinics, CT Fertility imposes no restrictions on people who wish to only transfer one embryo at a time, so that parents who choose to be conservative because they wish to avoid twins are not penalized. Indeed CT Fertility has seen a growing number of intended parents who are opting to transfer only one embryo at a time, either on their first journey, or when they come back for a sibling. For these parents the combinations of PGS and an unlimited IVF plan can be especially beneficial since pregnancy rates for a single embryo transfer are lower compared to the rates when two embryos are transferred.
“These announcements are in step with our motto of ‘your family, your way’ – the commitment to give prospective parents who need IVF, donated eggs and/or surrogacy-related services more choice and control in creating the family that is right for them, at the lowest possible financial and emotional costs,” said Dr. Doyle.
Along the new enhanced unlimited IVF package, the clinic will continue to provide several of its unique program features. These include the wide availability of fully screened known egg donors, a guarantee for a minimum number of eggs across all applicable options, as well as automatic access to back-up eggs when needed (at no additional cost) —features which CT Fertility is uniquely positioned to offer due to its advanced egg-freezing capabilities. For prospective parents who do not opt for the unlimited plan, and are not successful on their first try, the clinic will continue with the policy of discounting subsequent frozen embryo transfers until they have a baby or run out of embryos.
• For more information about CT Fertility’s success rates please visit: http://www.ctfertility.com/pregnancy-rates
• For more information on Preimplantation Genetic Screening and Diagnosis (PGS / PGD) please visit: http://www.ctfertility.com/pgd
• For a full list of CT Fertility’s Surrogacy with Egg or Embryo Donation programs see: http://www.ctfertility.com/surrogacy-treatment-plans
Dr. Michael Doyle, CT Fertility, http://www.ctfertility.com, +1 (203) 373-1200, [email protected]
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