New York, NY – Rejuvenating Fertility Center (RFC) is now offering a revolutionary series of services designed to customize in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment, minimize invasiveness, and increase patients’ chances of conception using their own eggs. These newer approaches to IVF are something the providers at RFC carefully considered prior to implementation, and the decision to move forward with these novel treatment options was a result of the extensive research of Dr. Zaher Merhi, M.D., HCLD, board-certified Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility specialist. Dr. Merhi is the founder and medical director of RFC and opened his clinics in New York and Connecticut to provide, in addition to the conventional IVF, non-conventional fertility methods previously unavailable.

These services include 10 types of IVF:

1) Conventional IVF 

RFC does offer conventional (traditional) IVF which is usually the only IVF offered in 99% of fertility clinics worldwide and typically produces a larger number of eggs in response to several daily injectable medications. However, many women, especially those with low ovarian reserve and low egg quality, experience even poorer egg quality with the traditional IVF. Research done by RFC providers showed that the eggs produced (often too many) via traditional IVF could be compromised due to exposure to aggressively high doses of fertility medications. Oocyte cells (eggs) are very delicate and sensitive to the high doses of injection medications used in the traditional IVF route, which is what led RFC to develop several other different approaches to fertility treatments.

2) Natural IVF

An alternate treatment now being offered at RFC is Natural IVF. This treatment option is cost-effective and drug-free and has proven safe and effective. Indeed, the first IVF baby was born by Natural IVF. Advantages of Natural IVF include a decreased risk of complications associated with fertility drugs, lower cost, and lower stress.

In this process, only one egg is collected – that which the patient naturally produces during her monthly cycle. Research showed that the egg produced monthly by the body could be the best egg and more likely to result in conception. When the egg is mature, it is retrieved from the body and then fertilized. Afterward, the embryo is placed into the uterus.

Women may be a candidate for Natural IVF if they:

• Ovulate on their own
• Respond poorly to fertility medications
• Have had multiple failed traditional IVF cycles
• Have low ovarian reserve
• Are at risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS)
• Wish to avoid producing multiple unused embryos (this is typically seen for religious and/or ethical reasons)

3) Gentle IVF (most popular at RFC)

Gentle IVF, which other clinics call Minimal Stimulation IVF (Mini-IVF™), is holistic and considered significantly safer than traditional IVF. Conventional fertility treatment includes a barrage of fertility medications, whereas Gentle IVF uses a minimal amount of medications to stimulate the ovaries in order to produce a lower number of healthy, high quality eggs. After all, it only takes one healthy egg to conceive a baby!

Dr. Merhi and his team create individualized and customized treatments when providing Gentle IVF to patients and consider various factors such as age, ovarian reserve, medical history, and previous fertility treatments. 

Women may be candidates for Gentle IVF if they:

• Would like to minimize the chemicals put into their body
• Have low ovarian reserve
• Have a history of responding poorly to the high stimulation of traditional IVF protocols
• Have produced poor quality eggs and/or embryos after traditional IVF
• Have had multiple failed traditional IVF cycles
• Are at risk of OHSS, such as women with PCOS
• Wish to minimize the cost of fertility treatments
• Wish to minimize the stress of the traditional IVF
• Have religious/ethical reasons for wanting to avoid traditional IVF that produces large number of surplus frozen embryos that might not be used in the future

4) IVF +

IVF + is RFC’s guaranteed program. If a woman is eligible, she pays a fixed amount for three (3) IVF cycles to be completed within 9 months of commencing treatment, with the goal of becoming pregnant with a fetal heartbeat seen and heard on ultrasound. If it does not happen after enrollment, RFC will refund most of the amount of money paid so that the patient can pursue alternative treatments.

5) IVF without injections

This type of treatment, also called Needle-Free IVF, is similar to Gentle IVF but does not include any injections. It is pain-free and perfect for women who are afraid of taking injections. Women above 40 years old and women with low ovarian reserve are the perfect candidates for this protocol since their eggs are fragile and very sensitive (in a bad way) to the injectable medications. 

6) At-Home IVF Kit (patented by RFC)

The other services offered by RFC include a unique patented At-Home IVF kit for patients who want only one single visit to the clinic, which is on the day of the egg retrieval procedure. The kit includes everything, solely in oral pill form, that a woman needs for an IVF treatment without coming to the office for the repeated monitoring visits for blood draws and ultrasounds.

Women may be candidates for At-Home IVF kit if they:

• Would like to avoid the pain and discomfort of the daily blood draw and ultrasounds
• Would like to save time traveling to the fertility clinic
• Would like to avoid social crowding 
• Would like to cut the cost of IVF treatment

7) IVF with outside monitoring 

This means patients living anywhere in the world can receive the revolutionary RFC protocols and RFC doctors will manage their IVF cycle remotely from beginning to end. Indeed, more than 40% of RFC patients are from outside the NY area. Patients come to RFC from all 50 states and from all over the world including Canada, the Caribbean Islands, Europe, India, and even Asia. Patients interested in IVF with outside monitoring just need to find a place near them that does the monitoring (blood draws and ultrasounds); then RFC doctors will review those results and plan accordingly. Patients will need to visit RFC only once, on the day of their procedure.

8) ORGANIC IVF (the newest protocol at RFC)

RFC also developed a unique system known as ORGANIC IVF, which combines multiple factors for fertility success. The acronym stands for:

● O: Organic food + Ozone Sauna Therapy to lower body inflammation

● R: Rejuvenation with PRP (platelet-rich plasma) to improve egg quality

● G: Glutathione to decrease damage by oxidative stress to the eggs

● A: Anxiety relief to improve ovulation and implantation

● N: N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC), an antioxidant to the ovaries

● I: Intralipids to lower NK (Natural Killer) cells for better implantation

● C: Chemical detox with a healthy lifestyle and intake of supplements such as Vitamin D and CoQ10

ORGANIC IVF, with PRP ovarian rejuvenation being its most crucial component, is designed to improve egg quality before starting any IVF treatment. Women above 40 years old, women with low ovarian reserve, and those who had multiple failed IVF treatments (and were told they need donor eggs) are the perfect candidates for this protocol.

9) Do-It-Yourself IVF (DIY-IVF)

The DIY-IVF system lets patients choose their own medications. Many women undergoing IVF, especially those who have done it a few times, know exactly what medications their body responds to. While many doctors require specific medications and do not offer the option of patient choice, RFC believes that everyone undergoing IVF should have control and autonomy over their IVF protocol and what chemicals they put into their body.

10) Portable IVF (recently approved by the Department of Health)

RFC created “Portable IVF” for local patients who live on Long Island, in Brooklyn, and in Westchester County and who do not wish to travel to major cities such as Manhattan to undergo egg retrieval or embryo transfer. During the pandemic, many patients wish to avoid the commute to big cities such as NYC. Thus, providing care to those patients became more critical than ever, especially for older women, when time is of the essence. With RFC’s newest technologies, staff can transport eggs and sperm using portable incubators from any RFC office to the central IVF lab, where the embryologists safely receive the eggs and sperm to perform fertilization. 

In summary, many women who have struggled with infertility hesitate to invest in IVF due to the high levels of stress and chemicals on their body and the high cost. However, with RFC’s variety of choices, these negatives are greatly reduced, making IVF more tolerated and more affordable. Patients can choose the system that works best for them, whether it is traditional IVF with high doses of medications or a more natural approach.

RFC believes that every woman deserves the chance to become a mother and has welcomed patients that other clinics have turned down due to various risk factors, such as a weight issue or advanced age. RFC also feels that every woman deserves a chance to become pregnant with her own eggs and so its providers always strive toward that goal first and foremost. The providers at RFC have configured these 10 revolutionary IVF treatments to improve upon the traditional IVF option (that has been unchanged for 45 years) for women facing specific infertility issues such as poor egg quality and low ovarian reserve.

Rejuvenating Fertility Clinic is the first IVF Center in the Northeast to offer non-conventional, holistic, and organic fertility methods. The clinic is currently accepting patients from all over the world via telemedicine and offers a variety of IVF options, egg donation and surrogacy as well as other fertility treatments such as PRP ovarian rejuvenation. 

Website: https://www.rejuvenatingfertility.com/

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (203) 557-9696

Dr. Merhi on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr_merhi/

Rejuvenating Fertility Center on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rejuvenatingfertilitycenter/