CCRM Fertility Houston Main Center is part of the CCRM Fertility network. CCRM Fertility is a global
pioneer in fertility science, research and treatment, offering access to a network of award-winning
fertility doctors, a full suite of fertility services, innovative technologies and cutting-edge
labs. CCRM specializes in the most advanced fertility treatments, with deep expertise in in vitro
fertilization (IVF), fertility assessment, fertility preservation, LGBTQ family building, genetic
testing, third party reproduction and egg donation.
Keywords
reproductive clinic,
ivf doctor,
fertility clinics houston,
in vitro fertilization,
egg donation,
reproductive endocrinology,
LGBTQ Family Building,
ivf.
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Opening hours
Weekends and holidays by appointment only.
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Dr. Hickman is the Medical Director and Co-Founder of Houston IVF. He holds Clinical Associate Professor Appointments at both the University of Texas Medical School-Houston and Baylor College of Medicine. He is a Board-Certified Reproductive Endocrinologist by American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and served on the Executive Board of the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology from 2001 – 2011. Additionally, Dr. Hickman has been named a “Top Doctor in Reproductive Endocrinology” by U.S. News and World Report, a “Top Doctor” and “Top Doctor for Women” by H-Texas Magazine and a “Texas Super Doc” by Texas Monthly Magazine.
After graduating from Brigham Young University, he received his M.D. from St. Louis University School of Medicine. His residency in Gynecology and Obstetrics and subspecialty training in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility were performed at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Hickman then served as program director and medical director of the Air Force’s in vitro fertilization program at Wilford Hall Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas before co-founding Houston IVF with Dr. William Schoolcraft of the Colorado Center for Reproductive Medicine. At Houston IVF, he led the team that helped his patient become the first in Texas to achieve a pregnancy resulting in live birth using cryopreserved eggs.
Dr. Hickman is a Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, a Member of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, a Member of the Society for Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, and is the former Webmaster of the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology. He is the former American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Delegate to the American Medical Association-Resident Fellow Section and former ASRM delegate to the American Medical Association Young Physician Section. Additionally, Dr. Hickman serves as an Oral Board examiner for the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology where he examines doctors when they apply for board certification.
He is the author of articles on in vitro fertilization, endometriosis, uterine fibroids, progesterone supplementation, psychosocial aspects of infertility, and ovulation disorders and has shared his data at national and international medical conferences held on these subjects.
Dr. Hickman practices Monday-Friday at the Houston location.
Products And Services
In Vitro Fertilization
Here is a brief overview of how IVF works:
First, women may be given hormones to stimulate the ovaries to produce eggs prior to the in vitro process. A needle is inserted through the vagina into the ovary to remove eggs, and the fluid that is removed is examined carefully to ensure there are eggs present. The male provides a semen sample, and the sperm are separated from the semen in a laboratory. The active sperm are then combined with the eggs in a laboratory dish. After 18 hours or so, it can be determined if the IVF process worked. Viable embryos are incubated and observed over the next couple of days. Finally, the embryos are transferred to the woman’s uterus. If the in vitro process worked, the woman will test positive for pregnancy.
CCS testing is performed on a few cells biopsied from a day 5 embryo called a blastocyst. The genetic material of the embryo is not altered in any way during CCS. During the time it takes to perform CCS, blastocysts are cryopreserved using a quick freezing method called vitrification. Embryo survival after vitrification is extremely high at 98%.
PGD can be performed for any preexisting known inherited, single gene disorder including autosomal recessive (eg, cystic fibrosis), autosomal dominant (eg, Huntington disease) and X-linked (eg, fragile X) disorders. PGD involves molecular testing of biopsied embryonic cells with only the embryos identified to be free of the indicated genetic disorder selected for transfer to the patient’s uterus. Thousands of unaffected children have been born worldwide from PGD for over 100 different single gene disorders.
CCRM’s elective fertility preservation program assists women who wish to freeze eggs or embryos in order to have children later in life. CCRM has already had many patients with successful pregnancies resulting from eggs they froze years earlier.
The CCRM is proud to help gay, lesbian and transgender individuals create the family of their dreams. Same-sex and transgender couples face different fertility options and issues than heterosexual couples who can attempt conception without any medical help. Typically, Lesbian couples require an outside source of sperm while gay men require both eggs and a carrier for the pregnancy.
All patients will have an initial consultation with their physician to discuss their medical history, potential treatment and financial options. The next step is diagnostic testing to discover the level of fertility in either partner. Once testing is complete, our medical team will develop a protocol and treatment can begin.
Many of CCRM’s patients are helped through basic infertility treatments. If you and your partner are having difficulty conceiving, then you may want to consider learning more about infertility treatment such as Intrauterine Insemination (IUI), which is often referred to as “artificial insemination.” In addition to IUI, there are other methods that have allowed couples to enjoy the joy of pregnancy and childbirth after months, even years, of failed attempts to get pregnant.
Donors may be a family member or friend of the woman desiring a pregnancy or an anonymous volunteer screened by our staff. The egg donor must use fertility drugs to stimulate the development of multiple mature eggs, whereas the recipient woman takes estrogen and progesterone to prepare the uterus for embryos derived through egg donation. Ninety percent of our egg donor cycles include the use of an anonymous young, female donor. Our donor egg IVF pregnancy rate has consistently ranged between 75 – 88% per treatment cycle over the past few years. The sperm of the husband, partner, or sperm donor is used to fertilize the eggs. All egg donors are screened before they are accepted into the program.