Innovations
Santa Monica Fertility Specialists has pioneered many innovations.
Embryo ICUTM
Our Embryo ICU embodies a unifying principle governing our facility:
The value of individualized care. In our labs, the conditions under
which each embryo develops are individually customized to optimize
health and development. This is in contrast to most contemporary IVF
practice in which all embryos are grown under identical conditions,
resulting in the loss of 70%-80% of embryos.
Lyan Institute of Fertility Research
(LIFE Research)
At our sister foundation, the Lyan Institute of Fertility
Research (LIFE Research), we are seeking new ways to enhance normal
embryo development. Much of our work focuses on understanding the
mechanism by which human embryos fail to develop. These innovations are
directly applied to our work in the Embryo ICU to further increase the
success of IVF, lower the chance of miscarriage and provide insight into
early embryo development. Our advanced molecular techniques enable us to
search for genetic errors by scanning the genome of embryos
that fail to survive. This highly relevant research may have
far-reaching implications for disease prevention and stem cell research.
The resources at LIFE are utilized in our research and in our
collaborations with important academic institutions in the United States
and abroad.
Egg Freezing and Fertility Preservation
Our expertise in the field of egg freezing is unmatched. Dr. Jain
conducted the largest prospective egg freezing study in North America,
yielding the highest pregnancy rate in the country (56%). He created the
egg freezing program at USC, and he brings that resource to SMFS.
We also work closely with cancer specialists on a comprehensive program
of fertility preservation. This technology is truly life-changing for
women who are diagnosed with cancer and facing sterilizing chemotherapy
and radiation treatments.
Review our Egg Freezing
page for further information.
The Donor Egg Bank
Dr. Jain helped pioneer the next generation of egg donation in which
frozen donor eggs are used. In his role as medical consultant for the
frozen donor egg program, Dr. Jain achieved a pregnancy rate of 75%,
representing the first eight couples to finish the program. This is the highest reported pregnancy rate from frozen donor
eggs in the world. He was also instrumental in creating
The Donor Egg Bank, one of
only two egg donor agencies in the world to provide frozen donor eggs to
couples seeking a pregnancy. Frozen donor eggs alleviate many of the
difficulties associated with traditional egg donation including
immediate availability of desired donors, and issues of cost, travel and
scheduling (since donor and recipient must synchronize menstrual
periods). Frozen eggs can be donated at a time convenient to the donor,
obtained at a time convenient to the recipient and shipped anywhere in
the country.
MindBodyWellness at SMFS
Because fertility treatment impacts our patients both physically and
emotionally, we have established our
MindBodyWellness center
and we encourage patients to utilize this empowering resource. The
on-site retreat offers a program of counseling, coping strategies,
acupuncture, massage, fitness and nutritional services, proven to both
significantly reduce the physical symptoms associated with stress and
anxiety and to increase the likelihood of conception.
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