Fertility Center Marks Tenth Birthday of first IVF birth
By Megan Horsington
When Dr. Robert Kiltz of Skaneateles began practicing medicine in the central New York area in 1997, he began alone. Without a single staff member, the doctor opened the area’s first fertility medical center in a 1500 square foot space at Community General Hospital.
By the time CNY Fertility Center celebrated its tenth anniversary last year, it had grown to include a staff of over 60 people, thousands of patients, and several thousand square feet of office space. Staff, patients and families gathered in huge numbers at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo to observe the anniversary.
Saturday, March 29 marked another, quieter anniversary for Dr. Kiltz and his thriving practice. It was the tenth birthday of Matthew, the child born from the first successful In-vitro fertilization (IVF) procedure performed at CNY Fertility Center. The child and his parents have chosen to remain anonymous throughout the years, but their story shares similarities to thousands of other people across the country who turn to IVF as their last hope for having a child.
Most would agree that it is not an easy process. It can often take years and multiple attempts to achieve a successful pregnancy. Physically and mentally taxing, it tends to put a great strain on a couple’s relationship. IVF can also be extraordinarily expensive, and is rarely covered by insurance. Additionally, the controversy surrounding the practice of artificial insemination is pervasive and complex.
Central New York was fortunate to gain a reputable expert in the field of fertility science when Dr. Kiltz established his practice here. He has a reputation for being accommodating and knowledgeable about the complex factors that contribute to and help to reverse infertility. In 1997, twenty-five In-vitro fertilization procedures were completed at his clinic. Last year, that number had grown to 1400. In those ten years, CNY Fertility opened a practice in Albany and moved from its original location to a new, larger office on Intrepid Lane in Syracuse. They’ve expanded to include CNY Healing Arts Wellness Center and Spa, where women can go for acupuncture, yoga, and other proven stress-relief techniques.
“Stress contributes to all different medical conditions,” claims Dr. Kiltz. This includes fertility. CNY Healing Arts also offers a number of different support groups, such as “Fertile Friends,” which was created to connect women experiencing similar challenges in their pursuit to conceive.
Dr. Kiltz cites a number of critical medical advancements that improved Assisted Reproductive Technology in the years since he began his practice. “Advancements to the culture media have allowed us to grow embryos to the blastocyst stage more effectively,” Dr. Kiltz points out. “This improves outcomes for many couples by producing more quality embryos and increases overall success rates.” Additionally, the emergence of Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) has enabled Dr. Kiltz to perform biopsies on embryos to identify genetic abnormalities, which, once implanted, can contribute to higher risks of miscarriage.
One factor that distinguishes Dr. Kiltz’s practice from others in the field is the cost of his medical service. He offers IVF and other procedures for about half the price of comparable clinics, and for nearly a quarter of the price of fertility centers in New York City. He also offers financing options so that the entire cost does not have to be paid up front, which can be crucial to a patient who may be unable to pay several thousand dollars at once.
A Local Woman’s Quest for a Child
According to the Yale Medical Group, infertility is generally diagnosed in a woman after a year of unprotected sexual intercourse without conception. Causes for the condition can vary greatly, and according to the CNY Fertility Center, 25 percent of infertility cases have causes that are classified simply as unexplained. Once infertility is diagnosed, different fertility treatment options are available for both men and women. The types of treatment chosen often depend on factors such as age, medical history and the specific cause of the infertility. Treatment options include medication, intrauterine insemination, and assisted reproductive technology (ART). In-vitro fertilization is by far the most frequently used form of ART, and like others in the category, it is often initiated when other simpler and less invasive methods fail.
Still, the implementation of an ART procedure does not ensure pregnancy. CNY Fertility Center’s most recent posted statistics are divided into categories by age of the recipient, and show a success rate of 30.9% for women under the age of 35. This refers to the percentage of the total number of IFV cycles performed that resulted in the birth of a healthy child. Success rates decrease considerably for women over 35.
Estelle Price and her husband Frederick spent eleven years trying to have the daughter they’d hoped for since shortly after marrying in 1985. She was tested repeatedly for physical causes of infertility, including an invasive procedure called a laparoscopy. This refers to an examination of the female reproductive system using a tiny telescope-like instrument. The results did not indicate any problems that might hinder Estelle’s ability to get pregnant. Yet she continued to wait, and continued to attempt to conceive, without any luck.
The Prices began the first cycle of IVF in the early 1990s. Their local specialist referred them to a clinic in Rochester, because no doctors performed the procedure in the Syracuse area at the time. The couple sadly watched the years pass by as the first, second, and third arduous cycles failed. Finally, after ten years of unsuccessful attempts to get pregnant, both naturally and with the help of science and medicine, the Prices decided it was time to seriously consider alternative options.
“My husband had a 12-year-old son when we were married, so I was lucky enough to have a wonderful relationship with my stepson,” says Estelle. “But we had always wanted to add a daughter to our family, so we decided to research adopting a child from China.” The couple had already spent more than $20,000 on different fertility treatments, none of which were even partially covered by insurance. The fertility testing was the only procedure covered by insurance.
Not long after they began making inquiries into adoption, Estelle heard about a clinic that had been showing very promising results. Despite the fact that she and her husband had agreed, at least for the moment, to put a hold on IVF, Estelle said she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was meant to try this one more time. “I had a sense about this clinic. I told my husband I felt like I had to try the procedure one more time.” Frederick Price agreed, and Estelle’s local physician referred her to the clinic where she would endure her final cycle of IVF. She soon discovered that her intuition had been correct – times two. Following a watchful pregnancy, Estelle gave birth to twin girls in 1997. By the time she became pregnant, she had been attempting to conceive for eleven years.
Estelle remembers that one of the most difficult things she went through during that time was attending baby showers for her friends. “You want to be happy for your friends,” she recalls, “but it was painful to see these women who seemed to get pregnant effortlessly, when I just continued to try and to fail.”
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), of the approximately 7.3 million people in the United States suffering from infertility, about 1.2 million sought medical assistance in conceiving. The vast discrepancy is likely due in part to different factors that continue to make ART inaccessible – and highly controversial – for many hopeful couples.
CNY Infertility Center:
195 Intrepid Lane
Syracuse, NY 13205
800-539-9870
315-469-8700
www.cnyfertility.com
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