Created specifically to make fertility care as affordable and accessible as possible, Fertility Partnership offers the latest fertility treatments and services, including IVF, intrauterine insemination (IUI), preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) and Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), to maximize your ability to have a baby. By using the newest, most efficient and most effective fertility treatment options and technologies, we are able to make the cost of fertility procedures at our clinic approximately 30 percent lower than the national average. Learn more about Fertility Partnership’s full range of diagnostic and therapeutic fertility procedures and treatments below.

Diagnostic and Therapeutic Procedures

If, after your initial workup, further exploration is needed to determine next steps, Dr. Simckes may recommend a diagnostic procedure or surgery, which may be performed by your own physician or by Dr Simckes. It may be completed at a surgery center or possibly at our own facility. These procedures may include:

• Hysterosalpingogram – an x-ray procedure used to determine whether the fallopian tubes are open and capable of functioning properly; can also reveal the configuration of the uterus, irregularities, and the presence of fibroids.
• Laparoscopy –a surgical procedure in which a telescope-like device is inserted through a small incision near the navel to view the pelvic cavity, the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and the uterus.
• Hysteroscopy – a surgical procedure in which a telescope-like device is inserted through the cervix to view the inside of the uterus; sometimes performed in conjunction with a laparoscopy.
• Removal of uterine fibroids – benign, non-cancerous tumors in the uterus that may interfere with conception or pregnancy.
• Destruction of Endometriosis - during a laparoscopic surgery, the endometriosis is seen, assessed and most often treated at the same time. Alternative treatments such as a six-month course of leuprolide may be recommended.

Fertility Treatments

• Ovulation induction – using medication, such as Clomid, Letrizole, or injectable medications, to stimulate egg development and release.
• Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) - performed by threading a very thin flexible catheter through the vaginal wall and injecting concentrated sperm directly into the uterus within a few hours of ovulation to give the concentrated sperm the best possible access to an egg.
• Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) - a cell is carefully removed from an early (usually day 3) embryo and tested for genetically determined diseases. This technology can help a couple avoid giving birth to a baby with a severe genetic disorder.

In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)

IVF is an infertility treatment procedure in which one or more eggs, each removed from a ripe follicle, is fertilized by sperm outside the human body before being placed in a woman's uterus to implant and result in pregnancy. Your IVF experience may include:

• Testicular Sperm Aspiration (TESA) – if male infertility is an issue, TESA may be required. This is a procedure in which sperm are obtained directly from the testicles by either aspiration or surgical incision of the testicular tissue, done only in very severe cases of absent mobile sperm in the ejaculated specimen.
• Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) - the sperm cell is injected directly into the egg cell. This fertilized egg is then implanted in the mother’s uterus. At the Fertility Partnership, this is done at no additional cost to the patient.
• Assisted Zonal Hatching (AZH) - thinning or making a small hole in the protective layer that surrounds the embryo. Before an embryo implants into the uterus, it must hatch from the protective layer. Making a small hole in the protective layer using micromanipulation may make it easier for hatching to occur. At the Fertility Partnership, this is done at no additional cost to the patient.
• Cryopreservation of Oocytes, Sperm, and Embryos - a procedure used to preserve and store embryos or sperm by deep freezing; embryos or sperm can be thawed at a later date and used in infertility treatments

Alternatives to Conceiving a Baby

If, despite our best efforts, together in consultation with you we determine that extraordinary measures beyond traditional IVF are required to help build your family, the Fertility Partnership stands ready to help you consider and evaluate a variety of alternatives, including:

• Donor eggs or sperm – increasingly, donor eggs or sperm are being used to help patients struggling with infertility. The Fertility Partnership has carefully evaluated and established relationships with several donor banks across the country. We can discuss each with you and put them in touch with you so you may make an informed decision about their services. We are dedicated to keeping the cost of donor cycles as low as possible.
• Surrogacy/Gestational Carrier – if you are able to create viable embryos but are unable to carry the pregnancy to term, you may wish to consider surrogacy. As with donor banks, the Fertility Partnership has made connections with several highly respected surrogacy centers, and we encourage you to thoroughly examine each surrogacy center to find the right fit for you.
• Adoption – there are many children, both in the U.S. and around the world, who desperately need loving homes. If adoption becomes an option for you, the Fertility Partnership has established relationships with several adoption providers, including Lutheran Family and Children’s Services of Missouri, and we will be happy to connect you with an adoption specialist who can help.

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