Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility
Established in 1981 and directed by Dr. Ewa Radwanska, Professor and Head of the Section of Reproductive Endocrinology in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the program offers state-of-the-art evaluation and treatment of female and male infertility problems. Advanced individualized care enabling infertile couples to conceive a child is the prime goal of the program. In addition, the Section faculty has been involved in academic research and in teaching medical students, residents and fellows. During the past twenty years, the Rush Section has trained twenty reproductive endocrinologists (the most ever trained in this field at any Chicago hospital) in an accredited Fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, published over 100 scientific reports and helped thousands of couples to have a baby. Many patients have returned to conceive second and third children.
Infertility is a growing problem, estimated to affect approximately 15% of couples. Fortunately, dramatic progress has been made in the treatment of both female and male infertility problems and success may be assured in most cases. Potent "fertility drugs" - gonadotropins, produced in bioreactors as recombinant hormones - and no longer from human sources - are highly purified, readily available and simplified for self-administration. Transvaginal ultrasound permits accurate diagnosis of problems affecting the uterus and ovaries. Minimally invasive endoscopic surgery (hysteroscopy and laparoscopy) is used to correct such disorders as adhesions, polyps, fibroids, endometriosis and ovarian cysts.
The most advanced and successful treatment is in vitro fertilization (IVF), where egg cells are aspirated from the ovaries under ultrasound guidance and fertilized in the IVF laboratory with the resulting embryo(s) placed in the uterus. The Rush fertility program started offering IVF in 1983. We are proud to be the oldest Program in Chicago and still run by the same team. Dr. Radwanska recalls with excitement the birth of Rush's first IVF baby. Recent advances in IVF are even more impressive. In particular, intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), introduced in 1996, is very successful when a man has very few sperm. ICSI may be used even in couples with azoospermia (no sperm in semen sample). In these men, direct sperm extraction from the testes often yields enough sperm for fertilization by ICSI. Our success rate for these most difficult procedures exceeds 70%! Overall results of IVF and related assisted reproduction procedures (GIFT, ZIFT) have steadily improved over the years because of these and other innovations. Currently, in women under age 40, 35-50% pregnancy rate per cycle may be expected.