Ep. 13 | Could Minimal Stimulation IVF Save You Thousands?

Fertility Health Podcast

Minimal stimulation IVF often referred to as, “mini IVF,” “soft IVF,” or “micro IVF,” has been a hot topic lately in the infertility world. The procedure is a relatively new advanced reproductive technology (ART) technique in the U.S. that offers a more holistic and gentler approach to ovarian stimulation compared to traditional IVF.

In this episode, Eric A. Widra, M.D., chief medical officer of Shady Grove Fertility and double board certified in obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN) and reproductive endocrinology and infertility (REI), joins host Mark P. Trolice, M.D., to break down minimal stimulation IVF, what patients can expect, and who could most benefit from the procedure.

Tune in to discover:

• What exactly is minimal stimulation IVF and how does it differ from conventional IVF
• How the procedure can potentially save patients thousands of dollars in medical costs
• Who is the ideal patient for minimal stimulation IVF
• What new oral medications, algorithms, and infertility data solutions are on the horizon

About Eric A. Widra, M.D.

Dr. Widra is the Chief Medical Officer of Shady Grove Fertility, with centers in Metropolitan Washington, DC, Baltimore, MD, Philadelphia, PA, Atlanta GA, and Santiago, Chile. He is the Associate Director of the Combined Federal Fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility – a post-graduate training program for future leaders in this sub-specialty operated through the NIH, Walter Reed Army Medical Center and Shady Grove Fertility. He is currently Professor and Director of the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Georgetown University.

At a national level, Dr. Widra is a member of the Resolve Board of Directors. He served as the Chair of the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART) Practice committee and member of the ASRM Practice Committee from 2009-2015 and served as SART Treasurer from 2015 – 2017. He is an examiner for the Division of REI, American Board of Ob/Gyn.

In addition to his clinical practice at Shady Grove, Dr. Widra supervises the extensive research activities and academic ventures of the practice. The program has successfully completed or participated in several RCT’s and has over 100 peer-reviewed publications to its credit. Dr. Widra’s particular research interests focus on the intersection of reproductive technologies, treatment optimization, predictors of outcomes, and genetics. He is board certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Endocrinology and a fellow of the American Academy of Wilderness Medicine.

About Mark P. Trolice, M.D.

Mark P. Trolice, M.D., FACOG, FACS, FACE is Director of Fertility CARE: The IVF Center in Winter Park, Florida and Associate Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology (OB/GYN) at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine in Orlando responsible for the medical education of OB/GYN residents and medical students as well as Medical Endocrinology fellows. He is past President of the Florida Society of Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility (REI) and past Division Director of REI at Winnie Palmer Hospital, part of Orlando Health.

He is double board certified in REI and OB/GYN, maintains annual recertification, and has been awarded the American Medical Association’s “Physicians’ Recognition Award” annually. He holds the unique distinction of being a Fellow in all three American Colleges of OB/GYN, of Surgeons, and of Endocrinology. His colleagues select him as Top Doctor in America® annually, one among the top 5% of doctors in the U.S. In 2018, he was awarded the “Social Responsibility Award” by the National Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Association. For ten years his foundation, Fertile Dreams, organized seminars to increase fertility awareness and granted national scholarships for those unable to afford in vitro fertilization (IVF)