Welcome to the Infertility Center of St. Louis

Vasectomy Reversal and Tubal Ligation Reversal:

Microscopic vasectomy reversal allows men who have had a vasectomy to become fertile again. Tubal ligation reversal does the same for previously sterilized women. Vasectomy reversal is performed under a microscope with very high magnification, using delicate instruments and suture that Dr. Silber designed specifically for this surgery. Dr. Silber re-operates on many men who have had unsuccessful vasectomy reversals elsewhere. Dr. Silber was the first in the US to perform microsurgical tubal ligation reversal, and was the first in the world to develop microsurgical vasectomy reversal. He has a success rate over 98% and has performed over 8,000 procedures, dwarfing all other centers in the world.

 

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IVF and ICSI:

In vitro fertilization (IVF) means that fertilization takes place outside the body, in a small glass dish, and the fertilized eggs, i.e., embryos, are then placed directly into the uterus. IVF was originally used in cases where the fallopian tubes are damaged preventing natural pregnancy, but now it is successful for virtually all types of infertility. Intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is recommended for fertilization to make sure the sperm (even poor quality sperm) fertilizes the egg properly. In ICSI, the eggs and the sperm are fertilized in the laboratory, by direct injection of a single sperm into each egg. The resulting embryos are then simply placed into the uterus with no surgery, just as with IVF. Dr. Silber and colleagues in Brussels were the original developers of intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection for the severest cases of male infertility, even azoospermia. Dr. Silber and Japanese collaborators have recently developed a new “mini-IVF” technique that saves money, eliminates complications of IVF, and is useful for older women and women with low ovarian reserve.

 

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Egg and Ovary Banking to Preserve Fertility:

There are now techniques to literally freeze your biological clock and preserve your fertility so that you can have children later, when you are older and ready to have children. Egg, ovarian tissue, embryo, and sperm can all be preserved indefinitely, and furthermore we have perfected our freeze/thaw procedures to achieve success rates which are just as high as with “fresh” eggs. We even have the ability now to determine precisely where you are on your biological clock , so that you will know exactly how long your fertility can be expected to last. Egg and ovary freezing are remarkable for preserving fertility in young cancer patients who otherwise would become sterile as a result of their curative chemotherapy and radiation.

 

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Ovary Transplantation:

First with identical twins, now with non-identical sisters. Using the same technique to freeze the ovary before cancer treatment, we can hold your biological clock so you can have children at a later time. Click the links below to learn more about ovary transplantation:

 

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Other procedures:

There are many other procedures that a couple battling with infertility can utilize. GIFT (Gamete Intra-Fallopian Transfer) is a reproductive technique for couples with religious objections to IVF whereby the husband’s sperm and the wife’s eggs are placed directly into her fallopian tube. Sperm aspiration is the technique for retrieving sperm directly from the testicles of men who have no sperm in the ejaculate. With advanced cryogenic technology, sperm, eggs, embryos, and ovarian tissue can be stored indefinitely to better ensure one’s future fertility. This website contains detailed information on embryo freezing and sperm aspiration, as well as sperm and egg freezing, and uterine reconstructive surgery breakthroughs for adenomyosis.

 

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The Infertility Center of St. Louis also offers pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) of embryos. This reduces the risk for miscarriages and multiple pregnancies, and provides screening for birth defects such as cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy, Tay-Sachs, and Down’s syndrome, etc.

 

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Learn more about:

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Other information:

Dr. Silber also answers some common questions about infertility in our Frequently Asked Questions section, and in transcripts from his guest appearances in an online chat at TalkCity.com and an online chat at Mom.com.

In the News focuses on important developments in the science of infertility treatment, with articles of general interest and a selection of some of Dr. Silber’s scientific research papers. Also take a look at our selection of online video and audio (Media Library), optimized for downloading. Dr. Sherman Silber’s detailed book, completely revised and updated in 2007, is summarized in the How to Get Pregnant section, as is a complete bibliography, for those who wish to study the field more deeply. About Dr. Silber gives you a closer look at the biography of this renowned pioneer in microsurgery and infertility.

A Special Message From Dr. Silber About Your Biological Clock and Preserving Your Fertility

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