Other treatment options

​The board-certified physicians at Northwestern Medicine Center for Fertility and Reproductive Medicine offer innovative, effective fertility options, including:

Therapeutic Donor Insemination (TDI)

Controlled Ovarian Hyperstimulation (COH)

​Reproductive Surgery

 

Therapeutic Donor Insemination (TDI)

• This infertility treatment option involves placing sperm from an anonymous donor through a woman’s cervix and into the uterus at the time of ovulation. The use of frozen semen to prevent sexually transmitted disease is recommended by the Food and Drug Administration and the Center for Disease Control. At commercial sperm banks, donors are tested for sexually transmitted diseases. 
  
  
• Commercial sperm banks are most commonly used. The sperm banks provide information about the physical characteristics, medical history, education, and ethnic or racial background of the donors. More recently, some donors have given permission to sperm banks to reveal their identities if requested by the child at some point in the future.
  
  
• Who uses Therapeutic Donor Insemination? This treatment is often used by couples when the male partner has no sperm, by women without partners, and by same-sex female couples.
  
  
• Northwestern Medicine performs TDI seven days a week.

 

Controlled Ovarian Hyperstimulation (COH)

• The patient is treated with a medication to enable her to release several eggs at the time of ovulation. Increasing the number of eggs the woman releases may increase the probability of conception.
  
  
• This type of therapy is generally used for couples who have unexplained infertility, have mild male factor infertility, or have failed less aggressive treatment strategies.
  
  
• COH is often coupled with intrauterine insemination (IUI).
  
  
• Northwestern Medicine Center for Fertility and Reproductive Medicine offers COH with oral medications (e.g., Clomid or Letrozole) or injectable medications (e.g., Bravelle, Follistim, or GonalF).

 

​Reproductive Surgery 

Minimally Invasive Surgery

Laparoscopic and hysteroscopic procedures are among the options available to treat various reproductive disorders, including:
​

• Tubal disease and tubal-ligation reversal
• Reconstruction and repair of intrauterine abnormalities, both congenital and acquired disorders
• Uterine fibroids
• Endometriosis
• Pelvic pain
• Abnormal uterine bleeding
• Ovarian cysts
• Ectopic pregnancy
• Pelvic adhesions
• Uterine polyps
  
  

Most of these procedures can be performed on an outpatient basis. 

Reproductive surgeons are specifically skilled at minimally invasive surgical techniques such as laparoscopy, hysteroscopy and robotic-assisted surgery, and aim to minimize any negative impact of surgery on reproduction. These same minimally invasive techniques are available to treat women with gynecologic problems who do not wish future fertility. When a minimally invasive approach is not appropriate, traditional open surgeries are also performed.

Possible treatments include:

• Laparoscopy
• Excision of endometriosis
• Management of ectopic pregnancy
• Excision of ovarian cysts
• Lysis (destruction) of pelvic adhesions
• Laparoscopic or robotic assisted
• Reversal of tubal sterilization
• Excision of fibroids (myomectomy)
• Hysteroscopy
• Excision of fibroids (myomectomy)
• Excision of polyps (polypectomy)
• Lysis (destruction) of uterine adhesions
• Correction of uterine malformations

To Request an Appointment

Northwestern Medicine Fertility Center is now conveniently located in four locations: Chicago, Geneva, Highland Park, and Oakbrook Terrace.

Visit our Locations & Appointments page for more information.

REQUEST APPOINTMENT

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LGBTQ FAMILY OPTIONS
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Our faculty and staff provide an inclusive and supportive environment for all patients undergoing fertility treatment, regardless of gender, sexual orientation or marital status. ​​