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The Muasher Center
for Fertility and IVF
8501 Arlington Boulevard, Suite 500
Fairfax, Virginia 22031
Ph. 703.542.3610
Fx. 703.876.6317
Minimal Stimulation IVF Program
The Muasher Center for Fertility and IVF is pleased to announce the Minimal Stimulation IVF Protocol which could be an option specifically tailored to those patients (who meet certain clinical criteria) and do not have insurance coverage.
Dr. Muasher was one of the originators of the Minimal Stimulation IVF Protocol while he was the Director of the In Vitro Fertilization Program and Director of the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the prestigious Jones Institute. He is one of a very few fertility experts who have achieved viable success rates using this innovative protocol.
In a standard IVF cycle, the patient receives FSH (Gonal-F®, Follistim®, Bravelle®, and Menopur) for the entire stimulation period. Using the Minimal Stimulation IVF Protocol, Clomid is administered on Days 3-7 of the cycle followed by FSH starting on Day 8 until the follicles reach maturity and are ready for retrieval. Since FSH is not used during the first days of stimulation, medication costs are greatly reduced. In fact, the standard estimated drugs cost is only $600- $800 versus $3,000 to $5,000 with standard IVF.
The global fee for physician and laboratory services is $5,500.00; which includes all labs, ultrasounds, office visits during the course of stimulation, IVF retrieval, and insemination of eggs, embryo transfer, and assisted hatching, if necessary. There will be an additional fee of $1,000.00, if ICSI is necessary. This is a highly discounted fee for IVF that we hope will enable more couples to realize their dreams of having children.
The major disadvantage of the minimal stimulation protocol is that the pregnancy rate per started cycle can be lower than standard IVF stimulation regimens (Fertility Sterility 2002;78:1068-721 ).
This lower rate is primarily due to the fact that fewer eggs (3-4) are produced than in standard IVF (8 -10 eggs). There is also a higher cycle cancellation rate due to “too few eggs” and there is a reduced chance of producing extra embryos for freezing and use in a future cycle.
However, for those who cannot afford standard IVF, the Minimal Stimulation IVF Program provides an acceptable, proven alternative therapy.
Not every patient is a candidate for minimal stimulation; those excluded include:
- Age > 42 years
- Day 3 FSH Level > 15 miu / ml
- Azospermia (sperm count = 0)
- Uterine abnormalities or the presence of a hydrosalpinx
- Patients with insurance coverage for IVF
Please contact us for more information about the program or to schedule an initial evaluation to find out if you might be a candidate for a Minimal Stimulation IVF Protocol.
1Success Rates Minimal Stimulation
(A) All patients, Mean Age =34, pregnancy per transfer=37% (16/43)
(B) Age less than 35, mean age= 31, pregnancy per transfer= 41% (9/22)
(C) Age over 35, mean age=37, pregnancy per transfer=33%(7/21)