By the time many couples reach the fertility treatment center, they are ready for a little hope; and according to many recent studies, there is good reason to have it. The traditional course of treatments most patients take may change as more options are offered.

Choosing the most Common Course of IVF Treatments
Patients come to the fertility treatment center because their greatest hope is to have a child. They are soon met with various treatment options, depending on their individual diagnosis. Very often, the course of treatment chosen is greatly impacted by the affordability of the treatment and whether or  not insurance will cover that particular treatment. Frequently, the less effective treatments are tried repeatedly before resorting to the treatments infrequently covered by insurance. While IVF has the highest success rates, it is often considered a last resort treatment because it is the most expensive.

Standard Protocol

•    3 cycles of clomiphene citrate/intrauterine insemination (CC/IUI)
•    3 cycles of gonadotropin/intrauterine insemination (FSH/IUI)
•    No more than 6 cycles of  in-vitro fertilization (IVF)

Accelerated Protocol

•    3 cycles of clomiphene citrate/intrauterine insemination (CC/IUI)
•    No more than 6 cycles of  in-vitro fertilization (IVF)

New Study  Offers a New Course for Hope
A major study recently found that an accelerated path to in-vitro fertilization (IVF) can offer couples beginning fertility treatments a shorter, more cost effective way to pregnancy. This is great news for fertility treatment centers wanting to offer patients as many options as possible. Elizabeth Ginsburg, President of the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology, commented in a July 2009 Science Daily article, “This is a very important study that will likely influence physicians to reduce the number of stimulated inseminations for patients with unexplained infertility. Adoption of such an accelerated course of treatment could result in many patients conceiving in less time with less expense.”

The accelerated treatment, know as FASTT for “fast track and standard treatment trial,” eliminates the gonadotropin-stimulated artificial insemination cycle that usually precedes assisted reproductive technology . In the study, 503 couples were divided in to two groups. One group underwent traditional therapy with an average of 11 months until pregnancy. The other, underwent the accelerated protocol resulting in an average 8 months until pregnancy.

Success Rates of Accelerated Infertility Treatments
Fertility treatment centers believe the treatment protocol has a huge potential for many patients. The study showed the results very favorable, with 55.4% of patients achieving pregnancy undergoing standard protocol and 65.4% achieving pregnancy undergoing the accelerated protocol.

Cost Effectiveness
With many patients faced with the economics of infertility treatments at fertility treatment centers, the new study has the potential to put IVF as first choice. The study concluded that the use of follicle stimulating hormones and intrauterine insemination treatment did not add value to the fertility process and therefore could be eliminated, also eliminating added cost. The average savings per delivery of treatment was nearly $10,000 lower than standard treatment, a savings which can open the doors to many patients.