The infertility program at UCSD Medical Center is based on an affiliation with the Reproductive Partners Medical Group, which offers the most up-to-date services in assisted reproductive technology (ART).

We work closely with each couple to develop treatment protocols that are carefully individualized for them. These include:

• In vitro fertilization - embryo transfer (IVF-ET) - This procedure is the most commonly used technique of ART, in which an egg is removed from a ripe follicle in the woman's ovary and fertilized by sperm in a dish. The fertilized egg is then allowed to develop into an embryo in the laboratory before being transferred back into the uterus of the woman through the cervix.
• Gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT) - A procedure whereby sperm and unfertilized eggs are transferred by laparoscopy directly into the fallopian tube. They then move naturally down the tube and into the uterus, where natural fertilization may occur.
• Embryo cryopreservation - A procedure where embryos frozen during a previous treatment cycle are thawed and transferred into the uterus for transplantation.
• Egg donation - Eggs are removed from the ovaries of a fertile donor for use in an infertile patient.
• Gestational Surrogacy - Performed when it is the only option for some couples, where the female partner's uterus has been removed or is abnormal. In vitro fertilization is performed with the egg and sperm of the couple. The resulting embryo is then transferred to the uterus of a surrogate who then carries the pregnancy to term.
• Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) - In cases where the male partner has abnormal or few sperm, mature sperm may be injected directly into the egg in the laboratory to achieve a normal pregnancy. A microscope and microsurgical equipment are used to insert the sperm into an egg.
• Assisted hatching (AH) - A microsurgical procedure which helps the embryo to release itself from its surrounding shell (zona pellucida) by creating a small opening in the shell. This is called "hatching" and helps the embryo implant itself in the uterus when the female partner is 35 years or older.

We see patients daily at the Perlman Ambulatory Care Center adjacent to UCSD Thornton Hospital.

Appointments for consultation, diagnosis and treatment are available by referral through your primary care physician or gynecologist/obstetrician.