Reproductive Medicine | Specialists and Information

Reproductive medicine is a medical specialty that deals with natural reproduction as well as the diagnosis and treatment of reproductive disorders, known as fertility problems.

Specialists in reproductive medicine focus on assisted reproduction; by addressing the causes of infertility, they are able to help patients achieve pregnancy.

When trying to start a family encounters obstacles, there may be various underlying causes in either the man or the woman.

Modern medicine has therefore developed methods for diagnosing fertility disorders and for assisted or artificial insemination to help couples fulfill their long-held desire to have children. At clinics, fertility centers, and specialized practices, the underlying causes are first thoroughly investigated. Subsequently, an appropriate treatment is selected, such as

• hormone therapy,
• in vitro fertilization,
• insemination (intrauterine insemination), or
• intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).

Reproductive medicine is an interdisciplinary field that encompasses not only gynecology but also andrology (“men’s health”), urology, and genetics.

Fertility specialists are typically board-certified physicians in obstetrics and gynecology with a focus on gynecological endocrinology and reproductive medicine. To qualify, these specialists have completed specialized training in this field.

Through the variety and number of specific examinations and treatments they perform, fertility specialists gain extensive experience in the diagnosis and treatment of various disorders and diseases in 

• gender-specific endocrine, neuroendocrine, and fertility-related areas, as well as 
• congenital anomalies of the internal genitalia during puberty, adolescence, and the reproductive years.

For example, reproductive medicine specialists must have performed at least 100 assisted reproduction procedures, including methods such as

• hormonal stimulation,
• insemination (intrauterine insemination),
• in vitro fertilization (IVF), and
• intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)

.

The diagnostic process begins with a medical history and determining whether infertility or a fertility disorder is actually present. Reproductive medicine specialists only diagnose infertility if pregnancy does not occur after two years of regular sexual intercourse without contraception.

Since the causes of infertility can be equally common in men and women—or even in both partners at the same time—both partners are evaluated as part of what is known as fertility testing:

For men, for example, a semen analysis with functional tests is performed to detect any abnormalities in sperm production and function.
For women, several diagnostic procedures are used:

• assessment of hormone levels
• ultrasound examinations (e.g., hysterosalpingography)
• endoscopic procedures (such as chromopertubation) 

This allows for the identification of the most common causes of unintended childlessness or infertility, namely

• ovulation disorders,
• fallopian tube blockage, and
• endometriosis

.

In addition to physical causes of infertility, there are also psychological causes, such as erectile dysfunction in men or frigidity in women, which can be identified through a medical history.

The causes of infertility are diverse, so various procedures are used in clinics or fertility centers. For some conditions, hormone therapy alone during stimulation treatment can, for example, stimulate egg maturation or trigger ovulation, thereby leading to pregnancy.

However, there are also situations in which more or less complex procedures are used as part of artificial insemination (eggs and sperm are brought together outside the body) or assisted reproduction (eggs and sperm are brought together inside the body).

Important fertility treatment procedures in this context include:

• Insemination: In this procedure, sperm capable of fertilization are introduced into the woman’s reproductive tract, usually into the uterus (intrauterine insemination).
• In-vitro fertilization (IVF): Eggs and sperm, which have been previously retrieved from the woman and the man and tested for viability, are brought together in a “test tube,” where fertilization either occurs spontaneously or is induced through intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI, injection of sperm into the egg). Intracytoplasmic sperm injection is used in particular in cases of impaired sperm motility, the presence of antibodies against sperm, or a very low sperm count.
• Assisted Hatching: In this procedure, the protective shell surrounding the embryo is slightly thinned with a laser to facilitate the embryo’s “hatching” and subsequent implantation into the uterine lining.
• Cryopreservation (freezing of eggs or sperm): As part of in vitro fertilization, several eggs are fertilized, but not all of them are transferred to the uterus. The remaining fertilized eggs are deep-frozen for potential future fertility treatments. In addition to fertilized eggs, sperm can also be frozen and thawed later. Cryopreservation is not only important for assisted reproduction but can also play a significant role in certain medical treatments (e.g., cancer treatment).

It is not possible to designate a single clinic as the “best clinic” or “top clinic” for reproductive medicine. However, there are certainly doctors and clinics that specialize in fertility treatment and have extensive experience. You can find these experts in reproductive medicine in the Leading Medicine Guide.

The Leading Medicine Guide features only select, highly qualified medical experts and specialists from Switzerland. All listed doctors possess a high level of professional expertise, have extensive experience in the field of reproductive medicine, and meet the Leading Medicine Guide’s strict admission criteria.