Diagnosing Infertility

Overview

There are many factors that lead to infertility. There are also many factors that can affect chances for successful treatment. Age, diagnosis, previous treatments, and the number of previous unsuccessful treatment attempts all have bearing on your potential success in bringing home your baby. AFC's medical and laboratory teams work closely together and draw from our wealth of clinical experience in order to develop a treatment plan optimized specifically for you. Dr. Zoneraich personally monitors your progress, ensuring the overall direction of care. Whether you have seen other fertility specialists or this is your first time, you will receive a personalized comprehensive approach to diagnosis and treatment. At Advanced Fertility Care, you the patient are an essential and integral part of the treatment plan, and we are relying on you to provide us with complete and accurate information and to communicate with us openly while under our care. In order to facilitate this relationship, we encourage both partners to attend the first step to this sometimes stressful journey – the initial consultation.

Initial Consultation

Usually lasting forty-five minutes to one hour, this meeting allows Dr. Zoneraich to gather all the pertinent information regarding your circumstances, medical condition, and previous care in order to provide the direction for your future care at AFC. Before you leave the office, you will have a clear understanding of what the next steps are to be. Dr. Zoneraich will offer a plan of care which will include appropriate diagnostic testing as well as an explanation of potential options for treatment as it relates to your individual situation.

The Infertility Evaluation

The first step in overcoming infertility is an accurate diagnosis of your infertility. In many cases, there is more than one cause, so a complete and thorough evaluation is essential. In order to recommend which treatment option is best suited for your specific problem, we must first identify the source of your problem. Current reports show that problems are female related in approximately 35% of cases, male related in approximately 35% of cases, and combined in 20% of cases. About 10% of cases fall into the category of unexplained infertility because all of the diagnostic testing turns out to be normal.

The physician performs a complete review of each partner’s medical history and medical records at the initial consultation as described above. A physical examination will also be performed during the course of evaluation and additional diagnostic testing will be ordered based on the initial evaluation. Our individual approach to your care means that only the appropriate tests are performed, saving you both time and expense. By furnishing our new state-of-the-art facility with the most advanced diagnostic equipment, Dr. Zoneraich will be able to personally perform every aspect of the diagnostic testing required assuring continuity of care and the highest standard in medical care. In cases where male infertility is suspected, additional testing and a consultation with an urologist may be recommended.

Given that most patients who walk through our doors are very anxious to get pregnant and have been trying for a significant amount of time; our goal is to complete the entire male and/or female diagnostic evaluation within one menstrual cycle.

Follow-up Consultation

Based on feedback from our patients and our years of experience, we realize that the infertility process and the diagnostic evaluation can be overwhelming and confusing at times. It is for this reason that every patient will be scheduled for an individual consultation with Dr. Zoneraich after completion of the diagnostic testing. At this visit, Dr. Zoneraich will review in detail all of your findings and answer any lingering questions. At this point, Dr. Zoneraich will provide you with all the available treatment options as it pertains to your diagnosis. Based on your input, concerns, and limitations, together you and Dr. Zoneraich will then decide on the best course of fertility treatment for you and your partner.