Case Study #1 Our collaboration in action!
For obvious reasons, the names and some details are changed to protect our patient’s identities, but we strive to bring you real life stories!
Western Perspective:
Patient “Sarah” presented to our clinic at age 38 with 4 years of infertility. Prior to initiating care with CCRM NY, the patient and her partner had sought treatment at another fertility clinic and had previously done several rounds of fertility treatment. Most notably they did 2 IVF cycles; in both cycles the embryo development was slow and poor. Although she made a modest number of eggs in her previous IVF cycles, there were no high quality, chromosomally normal embryos for transfer.
A Western evaluation suggested that the reason for the couples’ infertility was the result of diminished ovarian reserve (reduced AMH/borderline FSH), female age and endometriosis (painful periods, damaged fallopian tube).
Our treatment protocol included an evaluation with our Eastern colleagues as well as modifications in both the IVF stimulation protocol and laboratory techniques.
Once the patient established care with CCRM NY she was referred for an Eastern medicine evaluation with Mary Sabo.
Eastern Perspective:
Sarah came to see me (Mary) for fertility support after several rounds of failed IVF cycles. She had chronic pelvic pain, especially during her periods, which were dark and clotty, but not very heavy. When she came to see me, she had already switched IVF clinics and her doctor suggested she try Chinese medicine for a few months and then try another IVF cycle.
Sarah came in for weekly acupuncture sessions and she switched to an anti-inflammatory diet. She also took supplements such as Pycnogenol, CoQ10, Vitamin E and L-Arginine to improve circulation in the ovaries and uterus and help support egg quality. I made her a customized herbal formula to target the underlying patterns I saw in her according to Chinese medical theory, in her case, to “move and nourish the blood”. After 2 months, she did another IVF and was able to produce a normal embryo.
The first frozen embryo transfer attempt was cancelled as her uterine lining did not get thick enough. After discussion with her doctor, we added a (different) customized Chinese herbal formula to her hormone protocol to help thicken her lining and also increased to twice weekly acupuncture (including immediately before and after) the transfer. She discontinued the herbs after the transfer and dropped back to once a week acupuncture.
Following modifications in both the Eastern and Western treatment strategies the patient and her partner went on to have success. They delivered a healthy baby girl!