Renowned fertility specialist helps growing families have healthy babies
ENCINITAS — The decision to start a family is one of the biggest you will make. For some prospective parents, it is a matter of choice. But for approximately one in 10 women, fertility is an issue. Factors such as advanced maternal age and risk for inherited genetic disorders can weigh heavily on the minds of those with these issues.
Dr. Lori Arnold of California Center for Reproductive Medicine, or CACRM, has been helping parents-to-be for more than 20 years. “I believe that everyone who hopes to have a healthy family should have that opportunity,” Dr. Arnold said.
Planning a family is a special time, and the ability for fertility patients to eliminate some of the added worries and stresses is paramount. Whether you are choosing to start your family later in life, or you are concerned about your family’s medical history, genetic screening can help maximize the potential to bring a healthy baby into the world.
Pre-implantation genetic screening, or PGS, is one option CACRM offers. Genetic testing can be performed on the pre-implantation embryo to determine whether it’s affected by chromosomal abnormality. This screening greatly increases the chances of conceiving a healthy baby.
Pre-implantation diagnosis, or PGD, is another option at CACRM. PGD is a technique used in conjunction with in vitro fertilization, or IVF, to test embryos for specific hereditary disorders prior to their transfer to the uterus. A couple’s racial or ethnic background and family and medical history can be factors in the prevalence of specific genetic diseases.
Patients can find peace of mind with a simple blood test to screen for their carrier status. “Genetic testing has come to the forefront to prevent such genes from being inherited,” Dr. Arnold said.
Common inherited genetic disorders include cystic fibrosis, Tay Sachs, Sickle Cell Disease, breast cancer and recurrent miscarriage. “For patients who test positive for any number of disorders, genetic studies can be done to screen the embryos before they are implanted into the patient or surrogate,” Dr. Arnold said.
In addition to genetic testing, CACRM offers a full array of infertility diagnosis and treatment options of both low- and high-tech varieties. In-vitro fertilization (IVF), intacytoplasmic sperm injection, cryoperservation of embryos, egg donation, gestational or traditional surrogacy, sex selection, and sperm and egg freezing are among the treatments offered.
Patients at CACRM not only include local residents, but also travel from Asia, Europe, Australia
and South America to have Dr. Arnold and her team assist them with their dream of having a family. “We have many international patients who choose our practice for their personalized and customized fertility treatments,” Dr. Arnold said. “Patients search us out due to our extraordinary patient care and superb success rates.”
More than 90 percent of her patients, regardless of their prognosis, are successful. Dr. Arnold said that CACRM offers a compassionate and supportive environment to assist patients in growing their family. Dr. Arnold recognizes that there are misconceptions regarding the affordability of fertility treatments. “They can be both physically and emotionally challenging — and even more so when you count the additional stress about the cost of treatment,” she said. “At CACRM we understand and want to offer guidance. We are committed to helping you understand what financial options are available to you.”
CACRM is dedicated to offering patients the highest level of quality care. “Our team takes pride in providing you with the utmost compassionate care, respect and understanding in a personal setting allowing your journey to parenthood to be successful and stress-free,” Dr. Arnold said. “Our goal is to exceed your expectations.”
California Center for Reproductive Medicine is located at 477 N. El Camino Real, Suite C-208 and Suite C-310 in Encinitas. For more information or to schedule a consultation, visit cacrm.com or call (760) 274-2000.