CCRM Fertility of Houston (Texas Medical Center)

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.

  Link: In Vitro Fertilization

• Comprehensive Chromosome Screening (CCS)

  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%.

  Link: Comprehensive Chromosome Screening (CCS)

• Single-Gene Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD)

  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.

  Link: Single-Gene Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD)

• Elective Egg Freezing

  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.

  Link: Elective Egg Freezing

• LGBTQ Family Building

  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.

  Link: LGBTQ Family Building

• Basic Fertility Treatment

  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.

  Link: Basic Fertility Treatment

• Donor Egg Program

  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.

  Link: Donor Egg Program