Your Care Team

Shana Perman, an accomplished physician assistant at Shady Grove Fertility’s K-Street, Washington, D.C.  office, was featured in her grad school alma mater’s magazine, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, where she talked about her own experience with infertility and how this led her to change careers.

“When I started my job as a physician assistant at Shady Grove Fertility, I was 13 weeks pregnant with my son. I was blissful, nervous, nauseated and ever cognizant of my growing baby bump. The truth is, it is somewhat awkward to be pregnant when you work in the field of infertility. When I first meet patients, many have endured countless negative pregnancy tests, miscarriages or failed treatment cycles. Many are struggling with feelings of isolation, battling their biological clocks, believing that they arrived late to the fertility party or that they were forced into infertility for reasons beyond their control. Some are single women, same-sex couples, couples with cancer or genetic abnormalities. The last person they want to meet is a healthcare provider whose round belly represents that which seems unreachable. . . . But, like my patients, I personally have a profound understanding of the crazy human experience that is fertility treatment. Professionally, I have in-depth knowledge about what actually happens in a fertility practice to make it work—from the office to the embryology lab, to all the amazing staff behind the scenes who help make each patient’s journey come to life. I am part of the one in eight [couples]—or more than seven million people—affected by infertility. . . . My husband and I faced various unexpected struggles in our journey to build a family, but finally met success (twice) with IVF. IVF was life-altering for us; it made us parents and it led me to change professional specialties—from neonatal intensive care to infertility. I love being part of a collaborative healthcare team that provides personalized medical care to those facing infertility. Daily, I perform baseline ultrasound monitoring, early OB ultrasounds, intrauterine inseminations and mock embryo transfers, among other services. I counsel and care for patients. I share my story with my patients, offering hope and possibility. Modern medicine has made possible treatments to help most people achieve their goal of parenthood.”

Today, Shana performs baseline ultrasound monitoring, early OB ultrasounds, intrauterine inseminations (IUI), mock embryo transfers, and much more. She has a special relationship with her patients because she knows what it’s like to walk in their shoes.

In addition, Shana has expanded her services and will be offering egg freezing consultations to patients at the SGF K Street office. For those patients who are looking to freeze their eggs for future family building, during your consult Shana can review your ovarian reserve testing and determine if egg freezing is a good option for you.

To schedule an Egg Freezing appointment with Shana Perman, please contact our New Patient Center at 1-877-971-7755 or click here to complete this brief online form.

Congratulations to our very own Mark Perloe, M.D., from SGF Atlanta, formerly Georgia Reproductive Specialists, who was recently honored with the 2017 Ricardo Azziz PCOS Challenge Advocacy Leadership Award at the fifth annual Southern Regional PCOS Awareness Symposium in Atlanta, Georgia.

The award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary dedication to advocacy and public policy efforts that expand access to resources and support for women and girls with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), one of the most neglected, underfunded, and underdiagnosed areas of health.

PCOS is one of the leading causes of female infertility. It is caused by hormonal imbalances that curtail or prevent ovulation—the body’s process of producing and releasing eggs from the ovary. Essentially, women with PCOS have an inappropriate production of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) that results in limited egg development and an increase in testosterone and other typically male hormones (androgens). Women with PCOS also have abnormal insulin metabolism, which worsens with anovulation (no ovulation), increases androgens, and can lead to obesity.

“Dr. Perloe is one of the country’s leading physician-advocates for women and girls with PCOS and a shining example for other healthcare providers. He has been our champion and a true supporter since PCOS Challenge expanded to Atlanta,” says Sasha Ottey, PCOS Challenge Executive Director.
“I’ve had the distinct privilege of working with women and girls with PCOS throughout my career, as well as many people and organizations who have worked equally hard or harder to raise awareness within the community. I am deeply honored to receive this recognition and share this award with all of the men and women who advocate on behalf of those with PCOS. I look forward to continuing our efforts on behalf of those affected by PCOS to help them achieve a better quality of life and, for many, to help them conceive,” remarks Dr. Perloe.

In addition to being honored with the 2017 Ricardo Azziz PCOS Challenge Advocacy Leadership Award, Dr. Perloe was also voted top Reproductive Endocrinologist in Georgia by HealthTap, a global health practice that provides immediate access to top doctors via video, text, or audio. This award recognizes Dr. Perloe for providing help and resources to engaged users on the app and represents the highest distinction for his area of expertise.

To schedule an appointment with Dr. Mark Perloe or any of our Reproductive Endocrinologists, please contact our New Patient Center at 1-877-971-7755 or fill out this brief form.

Dr. Cori Tanrikut joins SGF as a full-time reproductive urologist and male fertility specialist and will be bringing expanded in-house male fertility services to the Baltimore Metro Region.

“I am thrilled to join Shady Grove Fertility and look forward to making male infertility services more accessible for the surrounding Baltimore metro community. Our expanded services allow us to treat both partners simultaneously, which enhances the patient experience by helping to make the fertility journey as comprehensive and individualized as possible,” says Dr. Tanrikut.

With male factor infertility accounting for 40 to 50 percent of all infertility cases, there has become an increasing demand for expanded male fertility services. The addition of an in-house board certified reproductive urologist in SGF’s Baltimore metro region will provide patients in that region with easier, more convenient access to a suite of male infertility—services that previously required a referral to a urologist outside of the practice. Dr. Tanrikut’s services include no-needle, no-scalpel vasectomy, male infertility evaluations, and other surgical procedures.

About Dr. Cori Tanrikut

Cigdem (“Cori”) Tanrikut, MD, FACS, graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania and earned her medical degree from Georgetown University School of Medicine. She completed her urologic surgery residency training at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH)/Harvard Medical School, and then continued on to Weill Cornell Medical College in New York to pursue a fellowship in male infertility and microsurgery. Upon completing her fellowship training, she became the Director of Male Reproductive Medicine at the MGH Fertility Center.

Dr. Tanrikut has held numerous leadership positions in the male infertility and urology community and earned many honors through the years including Castle Connolly’s Exceptional Women in Medicine and Boston Magazine’s Top Doctor. While at Harvard, she was an Associate Professor in Surgery at Harvard Medical School. In 2015, she was named the Quality Chair for the MGH Department of Urology, and in 2017 she was named the President of the Society for Male Reproduction and Urology.
Dr. Tanrikut is the second urologist and male fertility specialist to join the practice full time.

Paul R. Shin, MD, joined Shady Grove Fertility in 2015 as the first in-house urologist and male fertility specialist in the Washington metro region.

Scheduling with Dr. Cori Tanrikut

Dr. Tanrikut is now seeing patients in the following locations: Towson, Bel Air, Waldorf, Columbia, Annapolis, and Baltimore Harbor.  To schedule an appointment, please call the SGF New Patient Center at 1-877-971-7755 or complete this brief online form.

To schedule an appointment with Dr. Cori Tanrikut or any other SGF physician, call 1-877-971-7755 or click to complete this simple form. 

We are honored to have thirteen of the practice’s physicians from the D.C.-metro area named Washingtonian’s Top Docs in the field of infertility and urology. This recognition is voted on by physician peers in various fields of medicine. As leaders in reproductive medicine, Shady Grove Fertility physicians are committed to providing exceptional fertility care at a practice that is at the forefront of cutting-edge fertility technology.

This year, the winners are…..

MARYLAND

Michael Levy, M.D. – Rockville, MD
Arthur Sagoskin, M.D. – Rockville, MD
Jeanne O’Brien, M.D. – Rockville, MD
Frank Chang, M.D. – Rockville, MD
Joseph Doyle, M.D. – Rockville, MD
Paul Shin, M.D. – Frederick, MD

WASHINGTON, D.C.

Anitha Nair, M.D. – Washington, D.C. – K Street
Eric A. Widra, M.D. – Washington, D.C. – K Street and Sibley Hospital Campus
Paul Shin, M.D. – Washington, D.C. K Street

VIRGINIA

Paulette Browne, M.D. – Fair Oaks, VA
Stephen Greenhouse, M.D. – Fair Oaks, VA and Haymarket, VA
Naveed Khan, M.D. – Leesburg, VA and Dulles-Aldie, VA
David Saffan, M.D. – Annandale, VA
Anitha Nair, M.D. – Arlington, VA
Paul Shin, M.D. – Fair Oaks, VA and Woodbridge, VA

Washingtonian surveyed nearly 12,000 physicians in the DMV area to nominate colleagues in each of the 39 specialties to determine the Washington region’s “Top Doctors.” This list is referred to as “the region’s very best,” as chosen by their peers and is intended to help readers find the best medical care in their communities.

Arthur Sagoskin, M.D., Co-Founder of Shady Grove Fertility commented, “I feel privileged to be a part of a practice that is committed to supporting the needs of our patients, and most importantly, helping them to achieve their dream of parenthood. We thank our patients, peers, and the Washingtonian for their recognition and continued support.”

By providing uncompromising service, creating better access to care with affordable financial options, and delivering truly personalized care, SGF has reached another significant milestone in 2017 and is celebrating 50,000 babies born since the center first opened its doors in 1991.

To schedule a consult with one of Shady Grove Fertility’s physicians, call 888-761-1967 or submit this brief form.

Many couples struggling to get pregnant have heard this from friends and family:

“If you stop worrying about it so much, it will happen.”

“If you could just relax more, you could get pregnant.”

“If only it were that simple!” says Dr. Jeanne O’Brien of Shady Grove Fertility’s Rockville, MD office. “This idea that stress causes infertility is such a pervasive misunderstanding in our society, and it can lead couples to blame themselves for something they have no control over.”

There is no evidence that stress causes infertility or that reducing stress will get you pregnant. “There may be some effect of stress on the outcomes of fertility treatment, but the research is very inconclusive,” says Dr. O’Brien.

What is clear, however, is that couples under a lot of stress stop fertility treatment sooner than those who are managing their stress. “So, in that sense, stress does have an effect on success because a couple may quit before they become pregnant,” she adds.

The success rates show that if a couple is willing to keep trying and stay open-minded about adjusting their treatment protocol, fertility treatment can work. “Almost all our patients can become pregnant if they stick with it,” says Dr. O’Brien. “But starting treatment can add a whole new layer of stress to already stressful lives. So, it’s really important for patients to be aware of their stress level and do what they can to manage or reduce it,” she adds.

Persistence Pays Off

In European countries like the Netherlands, the government health service pays for all fertility treatment. Even though patients in these countries don’t have the financial burden of paying for treatment, a study showed that 62 percent dropped out of treatment after three cycles of IVF treatment. The reason is usually related to stress.

At Shady Grove Fertility, approximately 50 percent of couples who do IVF treatment will get pregnant on their first cycle. That’s an amazingly good success rate, but if you are not one of them, the negative result can feel devastating and prompt you to wonder why you went through it all.

“Treatment is time-consuming and emotionally draining. For patients who don’t have a support system or a strategy for managing their stress, the thought of doing another cycle can seem like too much to handle. Some of these patients will decide not to continue,” says Dr. O’Brien. “That’s disappointing for me because I know that if we were to keep trying, we would, most likely, have success in the end.”

Shady Grove Fertility’s success rates show that persistence with treatment does pay off. In women 35 years or younger who didn’t conceive on the first try, 50 percent of those will become pregnant with another cycle of IVF, and another 30 percent of those remaining will have success on the third cycle, making the cumulative results for women on their third IVF cycle 75 percent.

The small percentages of patients who are unsuccessful after several IVF cycles may move on to a more advanced treatment such as donor egg. We mostly find women of advanced reproductive age moving on to donor egg treatment, usually women in their very late 30s and early 40s. In most cases, their chances of becoming pregnant then jump back up to very high levels. Patients using donor eggs at Shady Grove Fertility can have a 65 percent chance of becoming pregnant per cycle.

“Since I know that managing stress can make the difference for my patients, in terms of helping them to stick with treatment until they reach their goal, it’s something I think about from our very first meeting,” says Dr. O’Brien. “If I think their stress level is high coming into treatment and I know treatment will add stress, I suggest a variety of resources that might help them control their stress levels.”

Managing Your Stress

We have all read numerous articles about the stress-reducing benefits of exercise, socializing with friends, and taking time for ourselves. These strategies can work for people in fertility treatment, but it can also be really helpful to get support that specifically addresses the challenges of treatment.

To this end, Shady Grove Fertility offers a number of options to provide support to our patients:
Facebook Community: Shady Grove Fertility’s Facebook page is a vibrant and active community of over 23,000 people supporting one another through treatment. The ease of accessing this supportive community, and the ability to participate on your own schedule and timeframe makes it an ideal place to get support.

Support Groups: Monthly support groups are offered to patients on a number of topics from General Infertility Support to our Donor Egg Recipient Support Group. These groups, which are run by counselors and social workers who specialize in the emotional aspects of infertility, are free-form discussions where patients can share what’s on their minds related to their treatment. They offer a chance to connect with other patients and hear what has worked for them. See the events calendar for all support group listings.

Individual and Couple’s Sessions: Counseling sessions for individuals and couples offer a more personalized experience where coping strategies can be tailored more closely to a patient’s needs. These sessions provide a safe and confidential space where you can talk about aspects of your experience you may feel uncomfortable sharing in a group setting.

Complementary (Holistic) Medicine: Shady Grove Fertility’s Wellness Center provides complementary (holistic) therapies such as acupuncture, massage, and nutrition counseling. Their services do not replace advanced reproductive technology, but rather support the patient before and during treatment. The Wellness Center staff are holistic practitioners who specialize in fertility therapies and have been trained by medical infertility specialists. Services vary by location and bundled pricing packages are available.

RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association: Shady Grove Fertility also partners with RESOLVE, a national advocacy and support organization for couples with infertility. While RESOLVE’s mission is to lead efforts to increase public education around infertility, they also provide free support programs in communities nationwide.

Online Resources: Shady Grove Fertility’s website and blog are valuable tools that provide patients with a variety of resources from blogs, articles, videos, and more. Our goal at Shady Grove Fertility is to provide our patients with the tools and resources to reduce the stress associated with infertility from a medical, emotional, and financial perspective.

Stay Focused on the Goal

Managing the stress that comes with infertility allows couples to experience the positive and hopeful aspects of fertility treatment and to stick with it. After all, every step in treatment is one step closer to your goal of having a baby.

“I want all of our patients to be aware of their stress level and to find support, because I want all of our patients to have success,” says Dr. O’Brien. “And I want them to feel hopeful about treatment, because there is a good reason to be hopeful.”

For more information about stress and infertility or to schedule an appointment with one of our physicians, call 888-761-1967 or complete this online form.