728x90
my iParenting
From Our Sponsors
e-newsletters
Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters

new terms of use
new privacy policy
award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
Home › Articles › Conditions Affecting Conception and Pregnancy › From Tragedy to Triumph

From Tragedy to Triumph

Fighting for Fertility During Serious Health Issues

By Teri Brown

Pages:  1  2  3  

The experience was so lonely and isolating that Beck founded Fertile Hope as a support organization for those in similar circumstances. Fertile Hope is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to providing reproductive information, support and hope to cancer patients whose medical treatments present the risk of infertility.

"Many patients call us complaining about their friends, family and healthcare professionals' reactions to their concern over fertility," Beck says. "Many people feel like I did – it is worse than the cancer; however, their support network is telling them to be thankful they are alive and move on. It is hard not to be angry, overwhelmed and very isolated."

Radiation and chemotherapy are not the only health issues that can affect fertility. According to Dr. Mark Leondires, medical director of the Center for Advanced Reproductive Medicine in Connecticut, any operation of the abdomen runs the potential of damaging the very fragile fallopian tubes.

"This would include surgery for an appendix or ovarian cyst," Dr. Leondires says. "A pelvic infection in the past could damage the fallopian tubes, as well."

Any traumatic abdominal injury that led to peritonitis or bleeding in the abdomen could damage the fallopian tubes. Cancer with treatments such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy can also cause damage to the ovaries or fallopian tubes.

There are several different options for women that can be performed before fertility-endangering procedures or treatments. Which procedure you choose depends on many factors, and you should speak to your medical team and fertility experts to help you choose the one that is best for your situation.

  • Embryo Freezing: Mature or immature eggs are removed, fertilized using standard in vitro fertilization (IVF) techniques, frozen and stored.
  • Egg Freezing: Mature eggs are removed, frozen without being fertilized with sperm and stored. Stimulation options are similar to those noted above for embryo freezing. This procedure is still in the experimental stages. Dr. Leondires says that while there is limited data on the success from freezing eggs and or ovarian tissue, there are many excellent researchers working on this.
  • Ovarian Tissue Freezing: The ovary or ovaries are removed laparoscopically, divided into small strips, frozen and stored for later transplantation back into the woman's body or used for in vitro maturation.
  • Ovarian Transposition: Ovaries surgically moved away from the radiation field to minimize exposure and damage. Ovarian function success rates are approximately 50 percent.

Pages:  1  2  3  

Want to see more?

Comments

There are no comments for this article yet.Be the first to add a comment.

Post As:
Enter your comment below:
Title
Comment Text
CAPTCHA
Please note that any comments submitted become the property of Disney Family / iParenting and can be edited and posted at our discrection.