40 YEARS OF IVF: A LEGACY OF FERTILITY INNOVATION
WashU Medicine and Barnes-Jewish Hospital established Missouri’s first IVF program in 1983, achieving the state’s first IVF live births just two years later, in 1985. Over four decades, this program has helped countless families grow through advanced fertility care. Each year, more than 2,000 families are evaluated and treated for infertility at WashU Medicine. Today, the center provides a full line of comprehensive fertility services, continuing a legacy of innovation that families across the region continue to trust today.
Recognized as a Center of Excellence
Centers of Excellence Clinical Criteria for Fertility Centers
- Successful clinical outcomes
- Comprehensive reproductive services
- Exceptional facility operations and staffing
- Continuous quality assurance
- Physician credentials and experience
- Industry accreditation and affiliations
The region’s most trusted clinic
We offer a full line of leading-edge medical and surgical services to both diagnose and treat the causes of infertility. The latest fertility drug therapies (both oral and injectable medications) are used in ovulation induction and intrauterine insemination is offered when appropriate. Our embryology and andrology labs are state-of-art, providing access to the latest genetic testing technologies and sperm retrieval/freezing options.
In 1983, the Washington University School of Medicine and Barnes-Jewish Hospital program became the first in the state of Missouri to offer in vitro fertilization (IVF) services. In 1985, the first babies in the state conceived through IVF were born to parents treated in the universities’ ART (Assisted Reproductive Technologies) program. We have been able to harness our vast experience and the data from it to better customize treatments to improve the likelihood of live birth for our patients.
The fertility specialists at Washington University School of Medicine are board-certified in both Obstetrics and Gynecology as well as Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility and all have completed advanced training through accredited fellowship programs.
We are full service
In vitro fertilization is recommended for families who are unable to achieve a pregnancy through less-invasive treatment. Depending upon the case, specialized IVF procedures offered include micromanipulation of eggs, sperm or embryo(s) including assisted hatching and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), microepididymal sperm aspiration (MESA), testicular sperm extraction (TESE), blastocyst culture, sperm banking and cryopreservation of excess embryos or eggs. Embryo biopsy and genetic testing is also offered.
Washington University reproductive endocrinologists are specialists in the use of sonohysterography, hysteroscopy and laparoscopy to diagnose and treat infertility.