Gestational Surrogacy

Our surrogacy success rates are the highest in the area (see success rates below). We specialize in blastocyst transfers (BT) to increase the success rates and keep the multiple pregnancy at a minimum.

Gestational Carrier (GC)

A gestational carrier is a woman who becomes pregnant, carries a fetus throughout a pregnancy and delivers the child for another couple. The gestational carrier has no genetic link to the fetus that she is carrying. VCRM coordinates gestational carrier cycles for parents who have a clinical indication for this service. Our Medical Director will determine if a clinical indication exists for the gestational carrier service. Upon the determination for the need for this service, VCRM will coordinate the care of the patient, as well as any potential gestational carriers identified. If an ovum donor is being used, her care and cycle protocol will also be coordinated by our team.

Who is a candidate for GC (gestational carrier)?

Basically any women who cannot successfully carry a pregnancy to term:*

• Women who have had their uterus removed
• Women whose uterus does not function normally
• Women who have had recurrent unexplained pregnancy loss
• Women who have had multiple poor pregnancy outcomes such as second trimester losses and/or very premature births
• Women who have medical conditions for which a pregnancy would put their lives at substantial risk and some have had severe complications resulting from a pregnancy.
  

How does a GC cycle work?

Candidates for gestational carriers either use the eggs of the intended mother or the eggs of an egg donor. The woman supplying the eggs in a gestational carrier case must be stimulated with fertility drugs to produce multiple eggs just like a regular IVF (in vitro fertilization) cycle. These eggs are then removed to undergo IVF at which time the eggs will be fertilized with the intended father's sperm or the sperm of a donor. The developing embryo will be transferred into the Gestational Carrier 3-6 days after the eggs have been retrieved. In the following weeks, the gestational carrier will self-administer hormone shots to help establish and support a pregnancy. If a pregnancy is confirmed, it will be followed weekly with blood work and ultrasounds. Typically the Gestational Carrier will be followed until 9 weeks of pregnancy, at which time she will be discharged to her obstetrician. This entire process will be explained to you in much greater detail before this process is initiated. We have a specialized team that handles all of our Gestational Carrier cases to provide the most individualized care possible.

At VCRM, we have worked with a few attorney-owned agencies to locate qualified GCs and to draft the necessary legal documents that prospective parents will need before a treatment cycle is initiated. A legal agreement between the prospective parent(s) and the GC is required and is meant to protect both the GC and the prospective parent(s). We have been working closely with Diane Hinson, Esq and Linda ReVeal, Esq. Of Creactive Family Connections in Chevy Chase, MD, to find a carrier, organize the GC screening, negotiate, and draft the necessary contracts. Attorney Hinson is admitted to practice in Virginia and Maryland, and attorneys Hinson and ReVeal are both admitted to practice in DC. Their clients come from both the metro DC area and internationally. For more information about their practice and services provided, please check their website at www.creativefamilyconnections.com or call (240) 235-6006. We  also work closely with Meryl Rosenberg, Esq in Potomac, MD. For more information about her practice, please visit www.artparenting.com, or call (301) 217-0074.

Why choose VCRM?

VCRM offers quality care in a small, boutique setting. The result is that everyone-the prospective parents, the GC, and the donors- are in the best of hands. You are treated with respect and sensitivity, while being provided the benefits of the latest technological advances. Each time, you will see the same doctor and the same nurses. VCRM is truly a place where everyone knows your name and, significantly, your medical case.

The doctor, a leader in his field, will perform all your examinations and all the procedures, including each ultrasound monitoring, as well as the egg retrieval and the embryo transfer (compared to other clinics where the nurses or technician performs the ultrasounds and whichever doctor is on duty performs your egg retrieval and/or the embryo transfer procedure). It is not just your comfort level that benefits. This continuity of care contributes to the high success rate of our clinic.

VCRM also offers the most competitive prices in the DC area. When comparing fees at other clinics, ask what is included in the fee. VCRM's fees include many procedures that are "extras" at many other clinics. For example, we do not charge extra for ICSI, extended cultures, assisted hatching, or embryo freezing and storage (for the first year). If these are necessary (and most of them are), you will not be billed extra.

Finally, at VCRM, we not only offer all the above-quality care in a caring, hands-on setting at competitive prices-you have the highest likelihood in the entire DC area of taking home a healthy baby after your first cycle. And that, of course, is what this is all about (see our GC rates below), or for our IVF rates at www.vcrmed.com/ivf_reston_va/vcrm_art_results.html, and our donor egg rates at www.vcrmed.com/egg_donor_reston_va/donor_results.html.

Gestational Carrier Success Rates

We are proud to share with you our results for the 2005 year-to-date results for our Gestational Carrier (GC) program (1/1/05-10/15/09):

VCRM's Surrogacy Refund Plan:

Similar to our IVF and Donor Egg Refund Plans, we have recently introduced our Surrogacy Refund Plan, which for a set fee, will cover up to 6 attempts (this fee does not include any precycle testing, surrogate testing, donor egg testing or compensation, anesthesia fee, or FDA-mandated labs) but, unlike other centers, includes ICSI, extrended culture and/or assisted hatching, embryo freezing and storage fee for the first year (a saving of over $5,000). Certain restrictions apply for this innovative plan, and patients need to qualify to be accepted in the plan. Please contact our financial representative for more details at 703-437-7722.

Publications:

One of our successful patients wrote a book to talk about Surrogacy with children. It is an excellent book and nicely illustrated. It is witty and perfect for children. You can order the book on www.amazon.com, then go to Books, and then "Why I'm so special, a book about surrogacy". We are delighted that finally there is a decent illustrated book about the subject.

News:

We have performed 3 cycles on 2 patients with Mullerian agenesis (Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser syndrome); the first cycle in the first patient resulted in a biochemical pregnancy, and the second cycle resulted in a healthy pregnancy and delivery of a baby girl. The second patient's surrogate conceived on her first attempt (and is carrying twins). Dr Sharara used a novel egg retrieval technique that will be hopefully published in one of the leading Fertility Journals.

For our prospective patients who speak French, please read the following note:

Bienvenue au centre de la Virginie pour la Médecine Reproductrice (VCRM)

Plusieurs de nos patients viennent de France et des régions du monde ou le français est la première langue. Nous avions aidé des couples, traditionnel ou non traditionnel, réalisez leur rêve de devenir des parents. Nous avons un des taux de grossesse les plus élevés dans le monde, tout en remplaçant le plus bas nombre possible d’embryons. Plusieurs de nos patients sont des couples gais qui voudraient exécuter un « double transfert », qui signifie transférer un embryon à partir de chaque mâle (employant les oeufs d’une doneuse). Nous avons été des pionniers en exécutant les transferts d'embryon de blastocyst (ou jour 5), qui nous permettent de sélectionner les meilleurs embryons (et par conséquent le plus bas nombre) pour transférer. Dr Sharara parle français couramment et votre consultation est donc exécutée en français. Il vous mettra en rapport également avec un avocat qui va trouver votre substitut, votre donneuse d'œufs, et a tous documents juridiques prêts ainsi quand le moment vient pour la livraison de votre bébé (ou de bébés), tout ce que vous devez faire est être présent pour la naissance.

Nous vous souhaitons la bienvenue à VCRM, et nous espérons pouvoir vous aider à réaliser vos rêves.

Vous pouvez nous contacter à info@vcrmed.com ou nous appeler à 703-437-7722.