Because fertility decreases with advancing age it is imperative that the most effective therapies be offered to couples as early in the treatment process as possible.  Physicians who care for infertile couples must make the most of each month to assure that fertility potential is maximized.  Toward this end, data evaluating age specific expectation for successful pregnancy for the various commonly used treatments is essential.  An article in press at this time suggests that in-vitro fertilization is far superior to ovarian stimulation combined with intrauterine insemination.  Live birth rates in this study were more than five times greater for IVF versus ovarian stimulation with intrauterine insemination. 

There have been several publications in recent years suggesting that minor trauma to the uterine lining in the menstrual cycle preceding an IVF treatment cycle results in a significant improvement in embryo implantation.  A recent study suggests that obtaining a biopsy from a precise location within the uterine cavity during the IVF treatment cycle significantly improved the prospect of embryo implantation. This study is the first to indicate that location and timing of the biopsy may impact favorably the chances for pregnancy in patients who have had repeated failure of healthy appearing embryos to implant.