Get Started on Your Fertility Journey

A fertility evaluation is the first step on one’s fertility journey and may include a medical history, physical exam, specialized fertility tests, lab work, and ultrasounds.

Let’s discover your fertility potential together and chart a treatment plan that is evidence-based and aligned with your personal values. Then, you can embark on your journey to parenthood with the reassurance that you will have access to the latest technologies in fertility health while working with a caring team dedicated to helping you build the family of your dreams.

Fertility preservation involves the cryopreservation of sperm or eggs for future use. Fertility preservation is typically done in cases when natural fertility is threatened, such as with ovarian or testicular cancer or due to aging.

Ovulation induction is the use of fertility medications to stimulate the ovaries to produce and release an egg. This treatment is especially helpful for patients with infrequent or absent ovulation, such as those with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) or other hormonal imbalances.

Intrauterine insemination (IUI) is a fertility treatment that places sperm directly into the uterus using a catheter to improve the chances of fertilization and pregnancy. IUI is a simple outpatient procedure performed at peak ovulation that enhances fertilization chances by increasing sperm-egg contact.

Many patients throughout the Raleigh area turn to in vitro fertilization to make their dreams of growing their family a reality — and when they need premier doctors capable of handling this procedure with care and experience, they choose our fertility clinic in Raleigh, NC: Atlantic Reproductive Medicine.

One out of every eight couples struggles with infertility, and for most infertile couples, there are multiple causes. A common misconception is that an infertility problem usually lies with the female. The reality is that half of all infertile couples have a contributing male factor. If a couple has been trying to conceive without success for one year (six months if both are over 35), there are likely to be treatable fertility issues. It is most helpful for both individuals to be evaluated in parallel.

“No-scalpel, no-needle vasectomy is the least invasive form of vasectomy. My patients experience minimal pain as the anesthesia is delivered by a spray rather than a needle. Patients are able to drive themselves home after this 20-minute procedure. I am proud to be the only fellowship-trained specialist in the region offering a true no-scalpel, no-needle vasectomy. I have been doing this procedure for over 10 years and have the utmost confidence in it. I can recommend it unequivocally to my patients.” – Matt Coward, MD

Vasectomy reversal is a surgical procedure to undo a vasectomy. Male fertility is restored by reconnecting the tubes through which sperm travel from the testicles to the semen. About 15% of men who undergo a vasectomy regret it, and about 5% will pursue a reversal. Reversal success rates are highest when an experienced, fellowship-trained urologist does the surgery.

Microdissection testicular sperm extraction (microTESE) is the gold standard surgical approach for sperm retrieval for men with non-obstructive azoospermia (sperm production so low that no sperm is visible in the ejaculate). MicroTESE is ideally performed on-site in a reproductive medicine center of excellence by an experienced, fellowship-trained urologist. In this surgical procedure, a urologic microsurgeon retrieves sperm from the seminiferous tubules of a male’s testes using a surgical microscope. The sperm are either frozen for future use or can be used fresh during an IVF cycle.

A semen analysis evaluates the quality and volume of a man’s sperm in his semen. It is the first step to detecting male infertility issues. The semen sample is viewed under a high-powered microscope and manually assessed by a specialized andrologist. The analysis is done by examining how many sperm are released in an ejaculate of semen (count), how well they move (motility), and how the sperm are shaped (morphology), among other factors.

During the assisted reproduction process for intrauterine insemination (IUI) or in vitro fertilization (IVF), sperm preparation separates highly motile, normal sperm from those of lower quality. This process can be completed through different methods. Sperm selection using microfluidic technology can be utilized for male factor infertility, such as high sperm DNA fragmentation rates.

Sperm harvesting is most often done to find and retrieve sperm for men who have no sperm in their ejaculate due to either non-obstructive azoospermia or obstructive azoospermia. Sperm can be retrieved directly from the testis or epididymis using different techniques depending on the underlying cause. Having the sperm retrieved on-site in the same reproductive medicine center as the IVF cycle offers numerous benefits for couples. For couples with male factor infertility and prior failed IVF due to poor fertilization or poor embryo development, the use of IVF with surgically retrieved testicular sperm can provide improved outcomes with a subsequent IVF cycle.

Azoospermia is the medical term for the absence of sperm in the ejaculate. Approximately 10% of infertile men and 1% of all men have azoospermia. Sperm production problems can cause azoospermia, called non-obstructive azoospermia, or a blockage called obstructive azoospermia. Contrary to what many believe, azoospermia is often treatable with some combination of medication, surgery, and/or assisted reproductive technology like IVF.

Varicocele is a common disorder, affecting 15-20% of all males. It is the most common cause of an abnormal semen analysis. Varicoceles often form during puberty. They most often have no symptoms other than infertility. Varicocele repair can improve sperm quality for over two-thirds of men, and one-third of couples conceive naturally after varicocele treatment. With repair, assisted reproductive technology (ART), such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) and intrauterine insemination (IUI), is more likely to be effective due to improved sperm quality.

Ejaculatory dysfunction is surprisingly one of the more common causes of male infertility. The complete absence of ejaculation may be due to obstruction, retrograde ejaculation, or anejaculation. With a careful evaluation from an experienced male fertility specialist, treatment of ejaculatory dysfunction affords options to couples attempting to achieve pregnancy. Medications, assistive neurostimulatory methods for ejaculation, and even surgical sperm retrieval are available.

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disorder that affects both females and males. It can often impact their fertility. While some individuals with CF can conceive naturally, others may need assisted reproductive technologies (ART), such as in vitro fertilization (IVF), to have biological children.