Reproductive specialists in Kansas City
At HCA Midwest Health, we recognize that facing infertility can often take a huge toll emotionally and physically, and, sometimes, financially. Our Kansas City-area fertility specialists help couples who are trying to conceive, providing high-quality medical care in a sensitive, caring and safe environment.
We offer fertility counseling using the latest technology to diagnose and treat conditions that can interfere with plans to become pregnant. We work with our patients to provide comprehensive treatment options and advanced assisted reproductive technology, including in-vitro fertilization (IVF), while monitoring the cost and effectiveness of each option.
For more information about our fertility services, call us at (800) 386-9355.
Fertility and reproductive medicine
Studies suggest that up to 15 percent of couples have problems with infertility after one year of having unprotected sex. Advances in technology and treatment are helping these people add to their families—even if they previously believed they could not conceive.
The standard recommendation to seek infertility treatment is if you’re 35 years old or younger and have been trying unsuccessfully for a year to conceive. At this point, it’s a good idea to get a fertility workup. There are also many conditions that may warrant an evaluation. If you have a pre-existing condition that may affect your fertility, talk to your doctor to see if scheduling an appointment with a fertility specialist is right for you.
Facing infertility can take a huge toll emotionally, physically and financially. We work to help control infertility treatment costs, always offering the procedure most likely to succeed, while taking care of our patients.
What to expect during your first fertility appointment
During the first visit with a fertility specialist, patients and their partners are evaluated. The doctor will ask about symptoms and medical history and will look for any physical problems that could affect fertility.
Fertility tests
Many factors can cause fertility issues and contribute to a high-risk pregnancy in the future. To avoid these concerns and detect issues as early as possible, doctors may perform:
- Basal body temperature tests
- Blood tests
- Hysterosalpingograms (x-ray procedures to determine if the fallopian tubes are open)
- Hysteroscopies (examining the uterus with a thin lighted tube)
- Laparoscopies (examining fallopian tubes or other organs with a thin lighted tube through a small incision)
- Urine tests
- Semen tests
- Transvaginal ultrasounds
Infertility treatment options
Treatment for fertility issues depends on the cause of the condition. For example, if the fallopian tubes are blocked, patients may need minimally invasive surgery to treat issues such as:
- Fibroids
- Ovarian cysts
- Scar tissue
Your fertility doctor may also recommend lifestyle changes that can help with conception, such as:
- Avoiding tobacco, alcohol or excessive exercise
- Changing the timing of sexual activity
- Maintaining a healthy weight
- Managing stress and getting help for depression
If lifestyle changes don’t bring results, more aggressive or advanced treatment may be necessary. The doctor may recommend:
- Medications that cause ovulation
- Surgery to open fallopian tubes, remove blockages or repair other issues
- Surgery and treatment for endometriosis (a condition where tissue that normally grows inside the uterus spreads outside the uterus)
Assisted reproductive technology (ART)
When other treatments aren’t successful, doctors may recommend using assisted reproductive technology (ART). ART involves using human sperm and eggs or embryos in a lab to help with conception. The eggs and sperm can be from the patient and their partner or donated. ART includes:
- Pre-implantation genetic screening/diagnosis (genetic testing performed on embryos before transfer into the uterus)
- Intrauterine insemination (inserting sperm into the uterus)
- In-vitro fertilization, or IVF (manually combining an egg and sperm in a laboratory dish and then transferring the embryo to the uterus)
- Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (injecting a single sperm into an egg and implanting the resulting embryo into the uterus or freezing it for later use)
- Assisted hatching (treating embryos with a special solution to increase IVF success)
- Embryo cryopreservation by vitrification (a method of freezing embryos that has shown better results than slow freezing)
