PCOS & Fertility
Dr. Mark Surrey Discusses Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) & Your Fertility
A PCOS diagnosis does not equal game over.
September is Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) Awareness Month.
PCOS is a hormonal condition that impacts millions of women. It is also a leading cause of infertility.
Dr. Mark Surrey, Co-Founder of SCRC, is an expert in PCOS and has helped countless patients with PCOS to reach their fertility goals.
Here’s what a leading fertility doctor wants you to know.
What Is PCOS?
PCOS stands for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome.
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a hormonal disorder and the most common cause of ovulatory-based infertility in reproductive-aged women.
PCOS is diagnosed in 5 to 10 percent of women in this age group.
Who is at risk for PCOS?
According to Dr. Mark Surrey, in addition to causing infertility, PCOS also impacts other aspects of a woman’s reproductive health.
Early diagnosis and treatment can improve the health and quality of life of a woman diagnosed with PCOS and can significantly increase her chances of getting pregnant.
Fertility disorders: PCOS represents disorders of ovulation and unfortunately, many women cannot conceive unless it is treated by a specialist. PCOS is an indication that you may need medical help with ovulation.
Health issues: PCOS can relate to disorders of reproductive hormones as well as blood sugar metabolism issues.
Polycystic ovary syndrome is a health condition that affects 1 in 10 women of childbearing age.
(Source): Office On Women’s Health
Infertility affects 1 in 6 women
PCOS is one of the most common hormonal disturbances affecting women of reproductive age.
PCOS can cause hormonal imbalances, irregular periods, excess androgen levels, and/or cysts in the ovaries.
Other common signs of PCOS include weight gain, trouble losing weight, excessive facial and body hair, thinning hair on the head, acne, fatigue, depression, and insulin resistance.
Oral contraceptives are commonly prescribed for women with PCOS. They contain estrogen and progestin (a synthetic version of progesterone). However, oral contraceptives can often mask the symptoms of PCOS.
The oral contraceptives will present a treatment for it by giving the person who is normally on ovulatory progesterone.
How does PCOS hurt your chance of getting pregnant?
It presents with anovulatory state.
Anovulation is the lack or absence of ovulation (the release of an egg). If a woman doesn’t ovulate, she can’t conceive.
Infertility Statistics:
Infertility is on the rise
· 1 in 6 women struggle to conceive
· Every year the infertility rate increases
· One of the leading causes of infertility is PCOS
What can you do to increase the chance of getting pregnant if you have PCOS?
While PCOS can make it more difficult to get pregnant, various fertility treatments like ovulation induction and IVF can improve chances of conception for women who have been diagnosed with PCOS.
There are medical treatments, surgical treatments, assisted reproductive technology, or IVF.
The treatment plan is based on the individual’s condition. With proper treatment, many women with PCOS may be able to conceive, though it may require more time and medical assistance.
Every person is different as to what the most effective recommended treatment is for PCOS.
This is why you should be seen and evaluated by a professional in reproductive endocrinology to assess the best treatment for you as an individual.
If you suspect you have PCOS, it is a good idea to have a clinic evaluation.
Fertility Expert Dr. Mark Surrey discusses Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS).
If you are actively trying to get pregnant, you know how hard it can be.
According to Beverly Hills fertility expert Dr. Mark Surrey, having PCOS or endometriosis can make it that much harder to conceive.
IUI vs. IVF: Which is better for PCOS?
What is the success rate difference between IVF and IUI for polycystic ovarian patients?
The success rates between IVF and IUI for polycystic ovarian syndrome patients is very significant in that the IUI success is contingent upon a lot of variables, including your ability to ovulate, which many patients with PCOS struggle with.
Patients with this condition also have potential issues and/or some compromise in egg quality and the ability of the eggs to produce normal embryos.
With IVF, you can differentiate between normal and abnormal embryos and as such, it’s going to give you a much higher success rate than IUI.
How is PCOS diagnosed?
PCOS is the most commonly treated condition in infertility.
To diagnose PCOS, the following is done:
Step 1: Test hormone levels.
Step 2: Ultrasound imaging.
Step 3: Based upon the findings or the hormone level, establish a treatment plan.
A physician at SCRC can diagnose PCOS by conducting a comprehensive assessment of your medical history, performing a physical examination, utilizing pelvic ultrasound, and conducting blood tests.
How does PCOS impact fertility?
The effect that PCOS has on fertility: Patients with this condition frequently will not spontaneously ovulate and sometimes they are actually refractory to normal types of stimulation for ovulation. When they do respond to some of the stronger stimulants, they frequently over respond. That is called ovarian hyperstimulation.
We also find that in patients who have polycystic ovarian syndrome — the quality of the eggs they create can sometimes be compromised. That is another situation that may frequently require assisted reproductive technology.
With younger patients, there is an alternative option for people who don’t respond well to stimulants. That is a procedure involving a laparoscopy called ovarian drilling, where the ovaries can be changed in regard to their structural integrity by a laparoscopic outpatient procedure, which will then enable the patient to respond better to the stimulants.
How can I increase fertility with PCOS?
While PCOS can make conceiving more difficult, it does not automatically mean you are unable to have children.
Dr. Surrey has worked with thousands of patients diagnosed with PCOS who were able to have healthy pregnancies until they were treated by him.
According to Dr. Mark Surrey, there are other options to consider such as an egg donor or surrogate.
What can you do for women with PCOS that has resulted in pregnancy?
We can treat the ovulatory disorder with medication to force ovulation.
Simultaneously, you can also treat the blood sugar metabolism disorder with an additional medication, which can result in pregnancy.
Dr. Mark Surrey on PCOS: It is common but not fatal.
PCOS often requires fertility treatment to improve chances of conception.
Ovulation induction medications are often used as first-line treatment to induce ovulation in women with PCOS who are trying to conceive.
If ovulation induction fails, in vitro fertilization is another option to consider.
PCOS Treatment:
To diagnose and treat PCOS, have an evaluation done by a reproductive specialist.
If you are considering conception, ask your gynecologist to do imaging with ultrasounds and hormone levels.
PCOS Treatment Options:
If you have PCOS, there are fertility treatment options that may improve your chance of pregnancy.
Treatment Option 1: Medication.
Treatment Option 2: Laparoscopic surgery on the ovaries.
Treatment Option 3: In vitro fertilization (IVF).
Alternative treatment options like acupuncture are another option for those suffering with PCOS. This can be used as an adjunctive therapy, but not in place of traditional medical assisted or surgical technology.
Living with PCOS: What you need to know
While there is no one-size-fits-all cure for PCOS, there are ways to manage the condition and live a happy & healthy life.
This includes daily exercise, eating a balanced diet rich in nutrients, managing stress, taking specific supplements and medications and working with a fertility specialist to uncover what works best for your body.
Whether it’s acupuncture or mindfulness techniques for stress reduction, alternative approaches can be added to your fertility plan to optimize your chance of a successful and healthy pregnancy.
Having Trouble Conceiving?
You are never alone on your PCOS journey
Diagnosed with PCOS and struggling to conceive? If you are ready to take control of your health & fertility, contact Dr. Surrey today. Dr. Surrey has helped thousands of women with PCOS understand their condition and reach their personal fertility goals.
Southern California Reproductive Center (SCRC) has been dedicated to building families for over 25 years. Deploying the most innovative technology, Dr. Mark Surrey optimizes the best chances for fertility success. We would love to help you on your road to fertility.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Dr. Mark Surrey is the Co-Founder of Southern California Reproductive Center. Dr. Surrey is a leader in the field of fertility and reproductive medicine, including reproductive surgery and in vitro fertilization (IVF).
Dr. Surrey is a board-certified reproductive and endoscopic surgeon and serves as clinical professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. He is also associate director for advanced technologies at SCRC, providing IVF services to UCLA and Cedars Sinai Medical Center. He has been in practice for more than 25 years.
Dr. Surrey has authored numerous publications for leading peer-reviewed journals including Fertility and Sterility and the Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics. An active leader in this field, he is a former president of the American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists (AAGL), the largest association of minimally invasive gynecologists in the United States, and the leading organization of its kind worldwide.
He is also a former president of the Pacific Coast Reproductive Society, the premier society of IVF specialists in the Western United States. Dr. Surrey continues to pursue the most advanced training in IVF, preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), pelvic reconstructive surgery, microsurgery, and laparoscopic surgery, as one of the principal investigators of laparoscopic reconstructive surgery.
Dr. Surrey earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh and his M.D. from George Washington University. Following an internship and residency at UCLA Medical Center, he completed a research fellowship in reproductive endocrinology and an infertility fellowship at the University of London, Hammersmith Hospital. He then continued his training in preimplantation genetic diagnosis at the University of London and Monash University, Melbourne.
Dr. Surrey has been voted one of the “Top 100 Health Professionals” and listed in “Best Doctors in America,” and his expertise has also been featured nationally and internationally on media outlets including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Glamour, Parents, CNN, Fox, CBS, ABC, NBC, and dozens of other media outlets. For more information about Dr. Surrey, visit https://www.surreyivf.com/
