MINIMAL STIMULATION IVF

Minimal Stimulation IVF (MS-IVF) is a new and very popular option of IVF.  It differs from Natural Cycle IVF in its use of some oral medication that stimulates ovaries to produce 2-5 follicles. In general, we will have 2-3 high quality embryos. MS-IVF differs from Conventional IVF by the number of injections used.  The typical amount of injections is 2-3 during one treatment cycle.

Patients using the MS-IVF treatment will use an oral medication called Clomid, which will be taken once a day starting cycle day 3. We may add 2-3 injections of fertility drugs (Gonadotropins) depending on the patient’s response to Clomid. Some patients may not need the Gonadotropin injection.  We will be using the GnRH agonist (Synarel) nasal spray or Lupron injection to trigger final egg maturation instead of hCG injections. Compared to hCG, GnRH agonist is more physiological and reduces the risk of ovarian cysts formation. Most importantly, it will reduce the risk of Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS)

The procedure time for MS-IVF is much shorter because there are fewer follicles.  For egg retrieval we typically use local anesthesia, which is much safer than IV sedation or general anesthesia. However, if patient prefer to do egg retrieval with I.V. sedation, it is available. We also use a much smaller needle for egg retrieval. This is safer, less painful, and causes less bleeding. Patients are able to walk in, walk out, and drive home after procedure.

Women who choose the MS-IVF treatment prefer a more holistic and natural approach. They often minimize use of chemicals and drugs in their lifestyle. The advantages of MS-IVF in comparison to Natural Cycle IVF are that it will obtain a few more high quality eggs in each cycle, increase their chance of pregnancy per egg retrieval, and have the potential to freeze surplus embryos each cycle.

Patients favor MS-IVF over Conventional IVF is because it reduces side effects and health risks from high dose fertility medications. In conventional IVF, due to the use of high dose fertility drugs, it frequently produces large amount of follicles, it causes bloating and abdominal pain due to enlarged ovaries. Some patients may develop ovarian hyper-stimulation syndrome (OHSS), a very serious medical condition. It causes weight gain, shortness breath, and often results in hospitalization for 1-2 weeks.  With MS-IVF, it avoids risk of OHSS and it also significantly reduces the cost of fertility drugs. The medication cost for MS-IVF is about $600 - $800 comparing to conventional IVF of $3,000 - $4000 each cycle.

Our fee for one cycle of MS-IVF treatment is $5,950. We also offer a 2-cycle package for $8,500.