Believe it or not, infertility is a very common problem that affects more than 7 million Americans. In fact, one out of every six couples will experience problems with infertility sometime during their reproductive lives. However, with the advanced testing and treatment options available today, fertility specialists and reproductive endocrinologists such as Dr. James Douglas are able to effectively increase an individual's or couple's chances of successfully conceiving and raising a healthy family. Dr. Douglas and his team of trained medical professionals utilize state-of-the-art diagnostic technology to determine the precise cause of female or male factor infertility at their Plano and Frisco offices near Dallas and utilize Presbyterian Hospital of Plano ARTS Department. We are dedicated to helping our patients understand infertility and providing them with high-quality services that enable them to fulfill their dreams of becoming parents.
Infertility is defined as the inability to conceive or carry a pregnancy to term after at least one year of trying. The condition can be either a male or female problem and can occur at any age. Most cases of infertility cannot be prevented; however, treatments at our Plano-, Frisco-, and Dallas-area practice can help individuals and couples suffering from male and/or female factor infertility to become pregnant and achieve their dreams of having a baby.
There are many causes for male factor infertility, including abnormal semen and sperm, germ-cell aplasia, and varicocele. However, most causes for male infertility can be treated with the advanced infertility treatments offered at our Plano and Frisco offices, which serve Dallas, McKinney, and Allen.
Abnormal semen is a common cause of male factor infertility. Semen that is yellowish, greenish, reddish, or brownish, as well as semen that is too thick or watery or carries a foul odor, can prevent sperm from achieving fertilization. Abnormal semen can be caused by infections, diseases, and other causes. Our practice offers a variety of male infertility treatments for individuals with abnormal semen.
Also known as oligospermia, low sperm count is a very common cause of male factor infertility. A low sperm count is characterized as less than 20 million sperm per milliliter of semen, with less than 60 percent of those having normal motility and shape. Male factor infertility due to oligospermia can be caused by a variety of factors, including stress, smoking, drug use, obesity, and nutritional deficiencies. However, oligospermia is usually temporary and can often be resolved simply through lifestyle changes.
Low sperm motility is a male infertility condition in which sperm's ability to swim or penetrate an egg is diminished. In normal semen, nearly two-thirds of the sperm move straight through the cervical mucus and reach the egg. However, in men with low sperm motility, fewer than 8 million sperm per milliliter show normal movement. Couples demonstrating this type of male factor infertility can receive advanced treatment such as intrauterine insemination or intracytoplasmic sperm injection.
Male factor infertility can be caused by sperm with an abnormal shape or size. Abnormally shaped sperm can prevent normal motility, which results in infertility. Common sperm abnormalities include sperm with an overly large or too-small, tapered, or crooked head, two heads, or a tail with kinks. Abnormally shaped sperm have a greater effect on male infertility than sperm motility does; however, treatments such as in vitro fertilization offered at our Frisco-area practice can help couples with this problem achieve successful pregnancy.
Varicocele is a common male factor infertility condition in which the varicose veins connected to the spermatic cord, which runs between the testes and scrotum, become enlarged. This causes blood to flow improperly and back up, causing swelling in the testes and scrotum. Varicocele is easily treated by tying off the enlarged veins.
One of the rarest but most serious causes of male factor infertility is germ-cell aplasia. The condition is characterized by the inability to produce sperm, resulting in azoospermic semen, or semen with no sperm. The cause of germ-cell aplasia is not known; however, some researchers believe the condition develops from hormonal therapy, irradiation, gonadotropin deficiencies, environmental toxins, and other factors. Fertility is impossible for most patients with germ-cell aplasia.
Female infertility is characterized by the inability to conceive or carry a pregnancy to term. Causes for female infertility include endometriosis, polycystic ovarian syndrome, diminished ovarian reserve, tubal blockage, uterine abnormalities, hostile cervical mucus, and more.
Irregular ovulation is the leading cause for female factor infertility. Approximately 40 percent of women with fertility problems experience irregular ovulation. For these patients, the release of an unfertilized egg either does not occur or occurs sporadically during their cycle. Irregular ovulation can result in a complete lack of menses or having more than one menstrual cycle during a 28-day period and can be caused by premature ovarian failure, chemotherapy treatment, tumors within the reproductive system, infections, excess dieting or exercising, polycystic ovarian syndrome, thyroid or prolactin problems, and other factors. Irregular ovulation can be treated with fertility drugs or other advanced infertility treatments offered at our Plano practice near Dallas.
Another leading cause of female factor infertility is polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Affecting up to 10 percent of childbearing-aged women, the disorder is characterized by the presence of non-cancerous cysts on a woman's ovaries. Because the ovaries produce too much testosterone, eggs cannot mature, resulting in irregular menses and failure to ovulate. PCOS can be treated with fertility drugs or reproductive surgery procedures.
In addition to irregular ovulation and polycystic ovarian syndrome, endometriosis is a common cause of female factor infertility. Each year, this chronic disease affects approximately 5 million women in the nation. Women with endometriosis have tissue growing outside of their uterus, which can attach to the ovaries and fallopian tubes and cause a significant amount of pain. Endometriosis can also scar or otherwise damage the reproductive organs, resulting in female infertility. Fortunately, Dr. Douglas offers treatments for endometriosis, such as laparoscopy and medical therapy that work to slow progression of the disease.
Miscarriage can be a devastating event for a couple. However, repetitive miscarriages can be even more traumatic and distressing. Although most miscarriages occur when the embryo or fetus does not develop normally, doctors are unable to determine what exactly caused the pregnancy loss. However, there are common factors that increase the risk of a pregnancy loss, including abnormal hormones, autoimmune disease, chronic medical conditions, personal or family history of pregnancy loss, uterine abnormalities, toxic chemical exposure, infections, and cigarette or drug use. Dr. Douglas has particular expertise in treatment for repetitive miscarriages. He uses the latest techniques and technologies available to diagnose and treat recurrent pregnancy loss so that couples can successfully achieve pregnancy. If you are suffering from recurrent pregnancy loss, please contact our practice to schedule an appointment with infertility specialist, James Douglas. Our Plano practice serves patients from Dallas, Frisco, Allen, McKinney, and nearby areas.
A woman's fertility decreases as she gets older, a result of the natural aging process that can be seen even in women who maintained perfectly normal menstrual cycles throughout their lives. Because of this, the woman undergoes a decrease in both quantity and quality of her eggs up until menopause, when she has no more eggs. This decrease in fertility is called diminished ovarian reserve and can cause ovulation problems in women in their 30s and 40s.
For some women, decrease in fertility starts at an even younger age. Premature ovarian failure occurs when a woman's ovaries cease to work before the age of 40. Because of this, the woman exhibits symptoms similar to those of menopause, including increased infertility and the inability to ovulate.
Infertility testing and treatment options are available at our Plano or Frisco offices north of Dallas to women who are experiencing diminished ovarian reserve and premature ovarian failure.
A blocked fallopian tube that becomes filled with liquid, a condition called hydrosalpinx, not only causes infertility, but can also reduce the effectiveness of infertility treatments. The condition occurs when injury to the fallopian tube, usually from infection, causes the end of the tube to close. As a result, fluid collects in the tube and causes it to swell. The fluid prevents the meeting of egg and sperm, and if an embryo is implanted using an infertility treatment procedure, tubal backflow into the uterus can be toxic to embryo development. However, treatments such as laparoscopy and IVF enable Dr. Douglas to repair the tubal blockage and create a more favorable environment for a developing embryo. Contact our practice to learn more about treatment for tubal blockage.
Uterine abnormalities such as fibroids, uterine septums, or other congenital abnormalities can lower one's chances for conception. These abnormalities can make it difficult for an embryo to implant or be nurtured during pregnancy. However, uterine abnormalities can be remedied with the advanced treatments we offer at our practice, such as hysteroscopy and laparoscopy.
Some women experience infertility after a previous terminated pregnancy, which can be devastating for couples who are trying to conceive. Infertility after miscarriage can be caused by a variety of factors, including physiological, immunological, hormonal, and environmental problems. However, there is a possibility that fertility can be restored with one of the infertility treatments we offer at our Plano and Dallas practice.
Some women experience infertility after they have already given birth to a child. This condition is called secondary infertility. Secondary infertility can be caused by a variety of factors, including irregular ovulation, hostile cervical mucus, endometriosis, age, uterine abnormalities, and tubal blockage. However, our practice offers a variety of treatments, including intrauterine insemination and in vitro fertilization, to help couples with secondary infertility problems achieve pregnancy. Contact our practice to learn more about secondary infertility testing and treatment.
Another cause of female infertility is hostile cervical mucus. Cervical mucus that is too thick can prevent sperm from passing through the cervix and into the uterine cavity. Hostile cervical mucus can occur due to the presence of antisperm antibodies, infection or damage that leads to abnormal cervical functioning, or abnormal sperm. Dr. Douglas can perform post-coital testing to determine whether hostile cervical mucus plays a role in a couple's infertility problem.
We offer the latest infertility testing methods to help determine the exact cause of male and female factor infertility in patients at our Plano and Frisco offices north of Dallas. Dr. Douglas and our medical staff have extensive training and experience in diagnosing infertility and are dedicated to providing patients with the most effective treatment methods available.
For couples who are suspect they are having difficulty conceiving due to male factor infertility, the Presbyterian of Plano ARTS Program offers semen analysis. Semen analysis infertility testing is used to evaluate the quality and quantity of sperm from the male by testing for sperm volume, morphology, motility, and concentration, as well as for the presence of antisperm antibodies. Because nearly half of all infertile couples are affected by some degree of male factor infertility, semen analysis testing is very important.
Hormones, such as follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), estradiol, and estrogen, are important factors in female fertility. Healthy follicles produce estrogen and low amounts of FSH. However, women with high amounts of FSH, LH, or estrogen may have diminished ovarian reserve. In other cases, low levels of thyroid hormones may cause irregular ovulation or miscarriage, and high levels may cause fetal abnormalities. In addition, high levels of androgens may be a sign that the woman has polycystic ovarian syndrome, another cause for infertility. Our Plano- and Dallas-area practice provides hormonal testing that measures the amounts of important hormones on day three of the menstrual cycle to help determine the cause of female factor infertility.
A hysterosalpingogram (HSG) X-ray test is used to evaluate the fallopian tubes for tubal blockage, one of the causes of female factor infertility. The test uses X-ray technology to evaluate abnormalities within the uterus or to determine whether there is a blockage in the fallopian tubes, which could prevent sperm from reaching the egg. HSG X-ray is a basic infertility test performed in the radiology department.
Post-coital testing can be performed to identify female factor infertility due to hostile cervical mucus in our Plano- and Dallas-area patients. The test evaluates sperm after it is exposed to cervical mucus in the uterus. If sperm is absent or not motile during the post-coital test, it may be a sign of poor or hostile cervical mucus quality. Post-coital testing is also effective at diagnosing other cervical factors of infertility.
A transvaginal ultrasound can be used to identify a variety of conditions in the uterus and ovaries that may contribute to female factor infertility. Using a probe, Dr. Douglas is able to visualize the uterine cavity and search for signs of polyps, fibroids, or other abnormalities. Transvaginal ultrasound is also used during the egg retrieval process in egg donation and in vitro fertilization.
Our practice offers laparoscopy and hysteroscopy infertility testing to determine whether there are any abnormalities in the uterine cavity that affect female fertility such as polyps, fibroids, ovarian cysts, damaged fallopian tubes, scar tissue, and endometriosis. These abnormalities could interfere with embryo implantation and even lead to miscarriage. Laparoscopy and hysteroscopy testing are unique in that the procedures allow Dr. Douglas to diagnose and treat the cause of infertility.
Dr. James Douglas is a reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist who can explain everything you need to know about female and male factor infertility and treatment options. Contact our Plano or Frisco offices near Dallas to schedule an appointment.
To learn more about male and female factor infertility and the treatment options available at our Plano-, Dallas-, and Frisco-area practice, contact Dr. James Douglas today.
James W. Douglas, M.D.
4001 West 15th Street, Suite
425
Plano, Texas 75093
Phone: (972) 612-2500