Dr. Akerman will provide you the most comprehensive guidance and assistance to identify the main cause’s infertility and appropriate treatment according to diagnosis.
Dr. Akerman specializes in the hallmark of Assisted Conception: In Vitro Fertilization (IVF). Ovulation Induction with Gonadotropin or Clomiphene Therapy. In addition, the Center have an active Gamete Donation Program (Egg Donor).
Dr. Akerman offer the most advanced surgical techniques with particular expertise in reconstructive surgery for the treatment of tubal disease, endometriosis, myomas, and reversal of tubal ligation surgery. He performs open, laparoscopic, and robotic (Da Vinci) surgeries depending on the patient’s needs.
Beyond his clinical expertise, he is dedicated to your holistic care, including working closely with psychologists for emotional support, urologists for evaluation of the male, and even acupuncturists for those seeking alternative treatments.
Range of Treatments
- Sperm cryopreservation (Sperm Freezing)
- Intrauterine Insemination (IUI)
- In-Vitro-Fertilization (IVF)
- Intra-Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)
- Assisted Hatching (AH)
- Percutaneous Epididymal Sperm Aspiration (PESA)
- Testicular Sperm Aspiration (TESA)
- Embryo Biopsy for PGD and PGS
- Pre-implantation Genetic Screening (PGS) for Aneuploidy (adequate number of chromosomes) and Sex Selection
- Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) for diagnosis of specific genetic diseases (i.e., FragileX, Sickle Cell, Cystic Fibrosis)
- Embryo Cryopreservation
- Oocyte Cryopreservation (Egg Freezing)
- Fertility Preservation for Cancer Patients
- Tubal Reanastomosis (reversal of sterilization)
- Donor Egg Program
- Donor Sperm Program
- Gestational Surrogacy Program
- Same-Sex Couples and Non-Traditional Families
- Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery
- Laparoscopic Surgery
- Hysteroscopic Surgery
- Microscopic Surgery
In-Vitro-Fertilization (IVF)
The IVF process begins with harvesting mature eggs (oocytes). While a woman would naturally produce only one egg monthly, the use of fertility hormones (gonadotropins) makes it possible to obtain many. The eggs are extracted directly from the ovaries in our surgical suite under intravenous sedation administered by an anesthesiologist.The eggs are fertilized with sperm in the controlled environment of our lab. The resulting embryo(s) are kept in culture for further growth and development for several days. Ideally, at the blastocyst stage day 5, they are transferred into the uterus.
Advances in genetic testing provide our physicians with more information about the quality of the embryos. Embryos can be screened for an adequate number of chromosomes or screened for specific inherited diseases. This allows for the selection of the healthiest embryos.
Single Parenting
Have you always pictured yourself as a mom or dad? Why wait?
Increasingly more single women and men are choosing to start families without a partner.
Through access to sperm and/or egg donors, gestational surrogacy and assisted reproductive technology single women and men can fulfill their dream of starting their own family.
Dr. Akerman has helped countless individuals, both women and men, achieve parenthood. Whatever your reasons may be, if you are considering the possibility of becoming a single parent, there are many treatment options available.
Same-Sex Couples
Dr. Akerman provided for same-sex couples.
His practice is committed to gay couples with an equal opportunity for reproductive choice. We understand the importance of genetic and biological lineage. We help couples achieve their dreams through high quality, personalized, and compassionate care. The LGBT community has fertility options and needs that differ from those of heterosexuals. The Fertility & IVF Center of Miami is here to help all individuals have a family, regardless of their sexual orientation.
Gestational Surrogacy Program
As leaders in third party reproduction services, the Fertility & IVF Center of Miami offers gestational surrogacy programs that have pregnancy rates exceeding the national average.
This treatment is indicated for:
- Repetitive IVF failure.
- Absence of or abnormal uterus.
- Medical contraindication to pregnancy.
- Previous high-risk pregnancy.
- Men who want a biological child with an egg donor.
- This procedure is allowed and legal in Florida, United States.
Egg Donor
Donors are admitted into the donor pool based on evaluations. Once in the pool, donors await to be selected by a recipient couple. The length of time between admission into the pool and an egg donation can be just a couple of weeks or one year or more depending on the donor’s characteristics and the type of donor the recipient couple are searching for.
Once a recipient couple chooses a donor, further blood tests are performed on the donor for infectious diseases and genetic abnormalities. The egg donor is taught to self-administer injections and is fully counseled on the donation process.
Donors are given an honorarium for a completed egg donation as compensation for the time and effort invested during the treatment.
Egg Freezing
Egg freezing (oocyte cryopreservation) is an innovative technology in which a woman’s eggs are extracted, frozen and stored for future use. Egg freezing allows a woman to take control of her own biological clock and bank her eggs for use in the future, preserving her fertility.
When it comes to issues of fertility, it is a fact that the age of the egg, not the age of the woman matters most. Women are born with approximately 2 million eggs but over time the quantity and quality of healthy eggs decline. This directly impacts the monthly chance of conception. Fertility peaks in a woman’s twenties and by age 30, only about one eighth of her original eggs remain.
Fertility Preservation
Most of us dream of having a family, but few of us everanticipate life handing us the diagnosis of cancer. When patients are diagnosed with cancer, survival is foremost on the patient’s mind; however, many cancer treatments have devastating effects on the reproductive system.
The Fertility and IVF Center of Miami with its team of reproductive endocrinology physicians and laboratory personnel, is committed to helping you preserve your dream of having a family even in the face of an overwhelming diagnosis. Established in 1991 on the campus of Baptist Hospital of Miami, the Center has been a continued innovator and leader in the field of infertility and assisted reproduction. It is our privilege to work in collaboration with the oncologists, psychologists and other specialists at Miami Cancer Institute to provide you with a comprehensive approach to cancer treatment.
Male Factor Infertility
Since male infertility accounts for approximately 40% of all cases, evaluation and optimization of a man’s reproductive health are very important. Certain cases of male infertility are due to a varicocele (dilation of scrotal vein), obstruction of ejaculatory duct or ejaculatory disorders. Up to 90% of male infertility is due to deficient sperm production.
Spermatogenesis (sperm production): Takes place in tiny ducts in the testicles. It takes approximately 72 days of cell division and maturation to have a mature sperm cell. Therefore, sperm ejaculated today is affected by your diet, exposureto toxins, medications,and illnesses from the previous 3 months.
Pregnancy after vasectomy: Sperm may be aspirated from the epididymis (PESA)or testes (TESA) and injected directly into the eggs (ICSI).
