INVOCell: Breakthrough Technology for an Affordable Fertility Solution at RMA of Texas
SAN ANTONIO, Sept. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The world's first test-tube baby, was born in July of 1978. Since then, countless efforts have been made to mimic, in a laboratory setting, the ideal environment present in the female's uterus for effective egg and sperm fertilization. In the last 40 years, success rates of achieving a live birth with IVF have increased from 1 in 12 to approximately 1 in 2 attempts. There is no debating that the science of fertility has come a long way--ultimately improving a couple's odds of conceiving and making the dream of a family become a magnificent reality.
Unfortunately, even with the advancements in fertility care, fertility doctors, scientists, and the IVF industry have not been able to make these services universally affordable. The price tag is substantial: investments for an IVF cycle range from $12,000 to $20,000. Most women who fail to receive adequate fertility care are burdened by financial constraints of traditional IVF.
Fortunately, for these women their luck is changing thanks to the invention of the intravaginal chamber device, INVOCell(TM). The technology associated with INVOCell(TM) is substantially more accessible to patients; and costs for many candidates will drop by as much as 50-70% from the original price. Rather than relying on expensive and sophisticated machinery in an attempt to replicate a woman's internal conditions, INVOCell(TM) allows the patient to act as her own incubator capitalizing on the fact that she has the right environmental conditions. Cycles using the INVOCell(TM) device also include less monitoring appointments and blood draws.
During an INVOCell(TM) cycle we perform a gentle egg stimulation with medications that allow us to mature and obtain anywhere between 4 and 10 eggs while the patient is under sedation. The INVOCell(TM) device is used as a meeting place for the sperm and egg. The device is then placed transvaginally. Finally, after a few days we remove the device and identify the best embryo to transfer inside the uterus. Our experience at Reproductive Medicine Associates (RMA) of Texas and SMART IVF has yielded the same encouraging results as FDA studies have. For the appropriate patient, the clinical pregnancy rate is around 45% after the first attempt. For example, patients that have had previous tubal ligation and are looking to have cumbersome and expensive surgery to reconnect their tubes now can use INVOCell(TM) in a more simple and inexpensive manner. While not every couple is a candidate for this innovative system, and IVF will continue to be the gold standard for difficult cases, many scientists are very excited about the opportunities for providing the marvel of parenthood for couples who were previously unable to afford it. INVOCell(TM) is certainly the right step towards more accessible fertility treatments and helping individuals achieve the dream of having a family. Dr. Francisco Arredondo, founder and CEO of RMA of Texas and SMART IVF is pleased to offer this innovative technology to patients at his facilities in San Antonio, Austin and McAllen, TX.
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SOURCE RMA of Texas
