A fertility specialist and treatment pioneer, Dr. Sami David has helped countless women conceive and give birth to healthy babies. Dr. Sami David has dedicated his entire career to endocrinology and fertility, choosing to specialize in this field during his medical residency. Throughout his career, he has explored a number of treatments for infertility and has developed a comprehensive method for approaching the problem. Earlier in his career, Dr. Sami David was part of the first team to perform a successful in-vitro fertilization (IVF) procedure in New York State. Below is an outline of the most common fertility treatments for women today.
Fertility Drugs: The most common fertility drugs include clomiphene and gonadotropins. Some women may take pills while others will receive injections. In short, the drugs are designed to increase ovulation. At the same time, women often experience a number of side effects that range from dryness and bloating to rashes and headaches. Dr. Sami David has found that fertility drugs merely increase the production of eggs without doing anything to address the fertilization of those eggs. His approach focuses on discerning the root cause of infertility.
IVF: The IVF process involves extracting an egg from the woman, fertilizing it in a lab, and implanting it in the uterus. When individuals choose IVF, they will require between seven and 10 office visits per implant attempt. Often, women who have been told they are “too old to conceive” resort to IVF, but Dr. Sami David looks at environmental and lifestyle factors that may affect fertility. Many physicians exaggerate the role that age plays in fertility. Dr. David worries that the IVF process may actually harm both the egg and the woman’s body.
Artificial Insemination: This procedure allows for the implantation of sperm directly into the uterus. For conception to occur, sperm must travel through the cervix and into the uterus. Only about 1 percent of sperm successfully enters the cervix and only 1 percent of that number will make it to the uterus. If men have low sperm counts or sperm with low mobility, conception becomes extremely difficult. Artificial insemination removes a layer of difficulty and makes conception much more likely. Dr. Sami David performs this procedure in his New York City office, Fifth Avenue Fertility Center.
Lifestyle Changes: Many couples perhaps underestimate the importance of lifestyle when trying to get pregnant. These lifestyle choices can affect both male and female fertility. When trying to conceive, couples should eat healthy, balanced diets; exercise regularly (but not excessively); and get an adequate amount of sleep. Other important changes include abstaining from drugs and alcohol and limiting caffeine intake, as well as quitting smoking. Dr. Sami David works closely with patients to determine potential causes of infertility and resolve them.
Alternative Treatments: Some women have embraced alternative forms of treatment for infertility, such as acupuncture, which increases blood flow to reproductive organs and helps regulate hormones while inducing ovulation. Other women have embraced yoga as part of their treatment plan, which can reduce stress and therefore improves chances of conception. Patients can speak with Dr. Sami David about the efficacy of these alternative approaches and how to best integrate them into their treatment plans.
Dr. Sami David 