Shady Grove Fertility's 2009 IVF Success Rates Released

Nation's Largest Fertility Center Exceeds National Averages for Fresh IVF Cycles

ROCKVILLE, Md., May 20, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Shady Grove Fertility Center is pleased to announce that its 2009 IVF Success Rates were recently published on the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology's (SART) website.  Shady Grove Fertility exceeded the national averages in nearly every category for fresh IVF cycles.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110520/DC05929)

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090203/DC66439LOGO)

According to SART, Shady Grove Fertility is the largest fertility center in the country based on the number of treatment cycles performed. In 2009, Shady Grove Fertility performed a total of 3,673 fresh IVF cycles, resulting in an average pregnancy rate across all age groups (<35 to >42) of 43% compared to the national average of 37%.

Eric Widra, M.D., Board Certified Reproductive Endocrinologist at Shady Grove Fertility explains, "We know how important these success rates are to patients undergoing treatment and to those just beginning to explore their options for treatment. We also know that sorting through IVF statistics can be a challenge."

Fertility center websites and other online forums present a wide array of statistics in many different formats. "For success rates to be a truly useful tool for patients, they must know who the trusted sources of data are, what the different reporting categories mean, and what the data reveals about individual fertility centers," says Dr. Widra.

SART and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) are considered the most trusted sources for IVF statistics, and their websites provide extensive information on assisted reproductive technology.  According to the CDC, nearly all of the 436 fertility centers in the U.S., both SART and non-SART members, report their yearly data. Centers that do not report their data are listed on the CDC website as "nonreporters," as required by law. Over 85% of all fertility centers are members of SART, and thus report to both organizations.

Some common questions fertility patients may have when reading these reports:

1. What are my chances of having a baby if I start a cycle? For this answer, patients would look at Live Births per Cycle, which may vary by age. Patients at Shady Grove Fertility age 35 and younger, have a live birth rate of 47.8% While live birth rates slowly decline as the patient's age increases, a patient's chance of success cumulates with each treatment cycle attempted. 

2. What is the difference between Pregnancy Rate and Live Birth Rate? A pregnancy is determined after a positive pregnancy test (HCG) is received and confirmed by an ultrasound. The live birth rate is determined by the number of patients who deliver a baby. Because some pregnancies end in a miscarriage, the percentage of cycles resulting in pregnancies is higher than the percentage of cycles resulting in live births.

3. Does Implantation Rate Matter?  This number demonstrates the quality of our Center's clinical and laboratory work. A Center with good implantation rates should be able to transfer fewer embryos and still achieve high pregnancy success rates. If they don't, this can be seen in the percentage of twin and triplet pregnancies. As desirable as a twin birth may sound after struggling with infertility, it is a riskier pregnancy.

4. What is the rate of Twins and Triplets Plus? Multiples pregnancies are higher risk and can result in higher rates of disabilities and other challenges for the child. Shady Grove Fertility is proud to have rates lower than the national average in both categories.

"While the numbers presented in our reports are critically important to us and to our patients, our success at providing high quality ethical and personalized care to our patients is equally important," says Dr. Widra. "Our physicians, nurses and staff are dedicated to helping our patients achieve their goal of a healthy pregnancy and thus a healthy baby."

To learn more about how Shady Grove Fertility's success compared to the national average, please visit our website. To schedule an appointment, please speak with one of our friendly patient specialist by calling 888-761-1967.

About Shady Grove Fertility

Shady Grove Fertility Center is the largest and one of the most progressive fertility and IVF Centers in the United States.  Twenty-three reproductive endocrinologists, as well as Ph.D. scientists, geneticists, and 420 highly specialized staff care for patients in 13 full-service offices throughout the Washington and Baltimore metropolitan areas. Shady Grove Fertility conducts clinical research in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health and is part of their subspecialty training Fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology.  Shady Grove Fertility has pioneered a number of nationally and internationally recognized programs, such as Shared Risk 100% Refund Program, Shared Donor Egg, International Donor Egg, and Shared Help, among others. Since Shady Grove Fertility's inception in 1991, more than 27,000 babies have been born. Shady Grove Fertility is a member of the Attain Fertility Network.

SOURCE Shady Grove Fertility Centers