NEW SART data - 2012

The Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART) posted the most recent IVF success rates from 2012. The data is reported by each RE practice and then eventually it gets posted on the website found here. The rates are important to me because while I don't plan on doing IVF right now, if I ever needed IVF, I would want to go to the best practice in the area. Or at least a good practice. It also gives you an idea of how good their embryology techniques are.

For my area, there are several RE offices available - at least 4 are in the Triangle. I won't post names here, but you can easily find them out by doing a search in NC. I had previously decided to use a practice that's near my house, but their IVF rates aren't the best in the area. I actually had to dig around to find the 2011 stats. I eventually found their data on a CDC website. Pregnancy rates/live births hover around in the 30th percentiles for women my age.

Not bad, but not the best either. Because they're affiliated with a university, I have heard that their rates are a bit cheaper than the next-closest RE practice, which is private. They also have residents/medical students that rotate through the practice. While I'm all about education, I'm not sure I want a resident doing my insemination. I'd rather have my RE do it.

The other practice that I'm investigating is a private RE practice that has an excellent reputation. It's the best within a 90 mile radius. And has fairly great pregnancy & live birth rates. Granted, it's not as good as my alma mater 1.5 hrs west of here, but they have excellent rates for women under 35. They also (from what I hear) are more expensive. However, the expense may be justified if they get better results from year to year.

Check them out:

You can see that their rates hover in the upper 40s.

Now check out my alma mater 90 miles away:

Comparable and not too shabby!

Now look at CCRM, one of the best (if not the top) RE practice in the United States:

You can clearly see that not only do they get women <35 pregnant, women 35-40 have excellent rates as well. Again, this only tells part of the story. From what I can tell RE practices, particularly the more successful ones can sometimes pick and choose which women they accept as patients. This inserts a bit of bias into the data. CCRM has an extensive (and expensive) interview/consultation process. Women from all over the US go to CCRM as a last ditch effort to get pregnant with their OE, DE, DS, the list goes on and on.

Anyway. I now have some choices to make regarding a RE. Of course, I need to schedule a consult and find out the details on prices. But after thinking some more on whether I want a midwife to do my insemination or a RE, I've decided to let the professionals take a stab at it. The saying goes, "It's the RE's job to get you pregnant; it's the OB's (or midwife's) job when you already are!"