Fady Sharara MD makes breakthroughs in IVF
Dr. Sharara has dedicated his professional life to helping individuals and couples overcome infertility. Our Northern Virginia IVF provider’s research within the past year has laid the foundations for breakthroughs in IVF.
Non-invasive embryo selection before transfer
Our Northern Virginia IVF provider and other researchers examined the pregnancy success rates of transferred embryos. Using mass spectrometry to analyze the material left in the culture media after embryo transfer, the researchers attempted to predict which embryos would successfully result in pregnancy. They found that this analysis was more accurate than conventional methods in identifying optimal embryos. Using this type of analysis to choose which embryos to transfer could give hopeful parents a greater chance of achieving pregnancy through IVF.
Using the Cap-Score Test to determine whether IVF is the right choice
The Cap-Score Sperm Function Test helps fertility specialists determine whether a man’s sperm functions properly. Dr. Sharara participated in a 2017 study in which the Cap-Score Test helped researchers identify patients who could achieve success with intrauterine insemination, rather than IVF. Patients who underwent timed intrauterine insemination after the Cap-Score Test had a higher chance of pregnancy than under other treatment regimens for unexplained infertility.
Laser-assisted hatching improves pregnancy outcomes
After an egg is fertilized, the embryo develops in a thick membrane called the zona pellucida. To continue developing into a blastocyst ready for transfer, the embryo needs to break through this membrane, in a process called hatching. Laser-assisted hatching describes a process where fertility specialists use a laser to open a hole in the zona and allow the embryo to hatch. Dr. Sharara and his colleagues studied whether laser-assisted hatching results in more viable blastocysts than unassisted hatching. The researchers found that laser-assisted hatching on either Day 2 or Day 3 resulted in significantly more usable blastocysts and a greater chance of pregnancy.
Dr. Sharara is ready to help your family achieve its own breakthroughs in IVF. Contact our Northern Virginia IVF center for an appointment.