Authors: Jerome H. Check, Brooke Neumann, Ava Therese Karnish.
Reproductive Endocrinology/Infertility, programs today emphasize in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET), intracytoplasmic sperm injection, and pre-implantation genetic diagnosis. When the infertility specialist begins his/ her career, unfortunately, most are not trained to solve infertility problems by non-expensive means without assisted reproductive technology. Thus, today it becomes more important for the generalist in obstetrics and gynecology to learn the principles of treating infertility using methods that are best suited for most patients which are methods generally reimbursed by third party insurance carriers that will not financially deplete the patients. Unfortunately, during OB-GYN residency the teaching of methods for treating infertility is by rotation through REI practices where the emphasis is on IVF-ET. This review is written for the purpose of providing a basis for those OB-GYN physicians who want to know more about diagnosis and treating infertility, to help their patients conceive without expensive procedures e.g., IVF-ET. The “expert” opinion is not only based on 50 years of extensive clinical experience but will provide the published research studies by the authors that provide at least a good starting point for learning methods of treating infertility. Nevertheless, these suggestions need to be modified by the OB-GYN generalist to conform to their patient population, their findings based on their own experience, and based on the nature of their own practice to determine how much time can be dedicated to treat infertility problems themselves.
View/Download pdf