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Fertility doctor and Rolling Stones fan Lawrence Werlin has attended nearly 100 Stones concerts over the years. He helps childless couples who ‘can’t get no satisfaction.’
Patients and friends call the award-winning reproductive endocrinologist with shoulder-length gray hair “The Werl.” He treats about 45 patients a day at Corona and Irvine facilities where he serves as medical director. Werlin has garnered national acclaim for his research and successes helping infertile couples have babies.
The Stones are part of his hipster style. He plays the rock band’s music in his clinics and owns “a lot” of Stones memorabilia. “I am an old rocker, just like them,” Werlin said in an e-mail.
During an annual meeting next month of the Pacific Coast Reproductive Society, Werlin will present findings from a study of high-risk groups using preimplantation genetic diagnosis, or PGD. The conference will be held April 18-22 in Rancho Mirage.
“PGD is an advanced technique that involves checking the cells through biopsy of a developing embryo for chromosomal abnormalities such as Down’s syndrome, or to identify specific single gene defects such as cystic fibrosis, Huntington’s disease, and sickle cell anemia,” Werlin said in the e-mail.
High-risk groups are older female patients, patients who experience male infertility, recurring miscarriages, or two or more failed in-vitro fertilization cycles. Werlin served as principal investigator for the PGD study of high-risk groups.
Researchers with the GENESIS Network for Reproductive Health conducted the studies. Werlin founded the network, a group of fertility centers and researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles, Stanford University, University of Southern California and other organizations. He is recipient of the National Fellowship in Reproductive Medicine and served as National Fellow in Reproductive Medicine at the National Institutes of Health.
In January, Werlin launched a reproductive information blog called WerlsFertilityWorld.com. Werlin hosts the online interaction that has included discussions on preimplantation genetic diagnosis, simple surgery for male infertility, effects of smoking on infertility and use of embryonic stem cells in research.
“I think that stem cell research offers new insights into potential therapies that can be beneficial to everyone,” Werlin said. His clinic’s lab does not sell stem cells, he said. Patients undergoing PGD to find abnormal embryos choose whether to donate the embryos to research or discard them, he said.
During preimplantation genetic diagnosis, couples may also choose to select a baby’s gender. Technology does not yet allow eye and hair color and height to be accurately selected, Werlin said. Nearly 300 patients at the Coastal Fertility Medical Center in Irvine, where Werlin is medical director, have used PGD to screen for gene and chromosomal abnormalities in embryos. None have used PGD to determine a baby’s gender, he said.
A consortium of researchers and the American Society for Reproductive Medicine are establishing ethical guidelines for the use of preimplantation genetic diagnosis. “My top concern about the future of reproductive medicine is that we continue to develop and utilize methods that will benefit out patients in a humane and ethical way,” Werlin said.
Female patients at the Coastal Fertility Medical Center in Irvine, where Werlin is medical director, underwent 242 treatment cycles involving fresh embryos created from the patient’s own eggs. Of women patients undergoing this treatment, 34.9% age 35 and younger gave birth; 30.6% of women age 35 to 37 gave birth; 30.5% of women age 38 to 40 gave birth; and 13.2% of women age 41 to 42 gave birth.
The Loma Linda University Center for Fertility and IVF, or in-vitro fertilization, reported birth rates for the same treatment cycles in the same age categories as 50.7%, 27.3%, 22.2% and 0/10, respectively. The university center is the only Inland Empire fertility clinic listed on the 2004 report.
In February 2006 Werlin and Paul C. Magarelli, a long-time friend and reproductive endocrinologist, opened the Corona Institute for Reproductive Medicine & Fertility. The offices are housed in the Corona Medical Plaza on Fullerton Avenue.
The clinic in September announced that five patients had achieved pregnancy, three through in-vitro fertilization and two through artificial insemination. The earliest delivery is expected next month, a release said. The Corona practice has treated about 145 couples since opening, Werlin said.
Werlin and Magarelli share ownership of the institute and used their own funds to establish the practice. Magarelli is also medical director of the Reproductive Medicine and Fertility Centers in Colorado and New Mexico. Werlin declined to reveal their funding sources. The Corona center employs 10 people, including nurse practitioner Elaine Ishida, who has worked with Werlin 30 years.
For a price that ranges between $300,000 and $500,000, Magarelli and Werlin are building a lab in the Corona facility that is expected to open in May. Staff will use the lab to perform egg removals and in-vitro fertilization. Currently, patients needing such treatments travel to the Coastal Fertility Medical Center. Prices start at about $700 to $1,000 for insemination procedures. In-vitro fertilization, the process of uniting eggs and sperm outside the uterus and transferring an embryo back into the womb, can average $8,000 per cycle not including medications. Preimplantation genetic diagnosis, conducted in concert with in-vitro fertilization, can average $4,000 per cycle.
The Irvine center treats about 500 new patients a year. Approximately 10% of the center’s patients travel from the Corona area, Werlin said.
Werlin and Magarelli founded the Corona enterprise after market studies determined there was enough demand in the area. “We found a young, growing population and they were just underserved,” Werlin said.
In July, Werlin and Magarelli acquired the 15-year practice of Upland reproductive specialist Bert J. Hans Davidson, who retired.
The “Werl” continues to roll after 25 years in the reproductive industry.
Werlin attended medical school at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. He completed an internship and residency at Harbor UCLA Medical Center.
Werlin chose reproductive medicine because “it’s something that has reasonable predictability. … And the outcome you look for is the best outcome you could possibly have.”
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Coastal Fertility Medical Center offers one of the most affordable fertility treatments and is completely transparent regarding the costs of procedures and any other expenses that you may have to pay before commencing your treatment. This differentiates us from some fertility clinics that reduce prices before the signing of the contract but charge you extra later on. We make sure our patients are well aware of any possible extra pricing that may occur over the course of their treatment.
Following the Preimplantation Genetic Screening process, which helps ensure there are normal chromosome numbers and detects possible genetic disorders, the most healthy embryo(s) are selected to be implanted into your or your chosen surrogate’s womb. 2 weeks after the transfer of the embryo, your physician will conduct a final blood test to determine the level of hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) in your body. Increased hCG levels usually indicate a positive pregnancy test.
For fertilization to take place, the collected egg and sperm are combined in a petri dish and cultured in an embryo incubator. This dish is closely watched to check whether any of the eggs have been fertilized. Once the egg is fertilized, it is referred to as an embryo or a blastocyst on the 5th day of development. Our in-house embryologist carefully nurtures every embryo to the right time, even if it means working outside the standard business operating hours. For instance: If an oocyte is not mature, our laboratory will wait for it to mature and then ICSI it at the right time.
The egg retrieval is a slightly invasive medical procedure that takes about 20 to 30 minutes. You will be given an anesthetic to make you sleep for the duration of the procedure. Using ultrasound technology, your doctor will harvest your eggs transvaginally with a small, hollow needle connected to an ultrasound probe. Once your eggs are collected, your partner’s semen or donor sperm you have pre-selected is used for fertilization. The sperm are washed and prepared, and the top-quality sperm extracted is used to fertilize the eggs.
Your doctor will create a customized medication schedule that contains information about the fertility medications and hormone injections you have to take. Medication and injections are taken to encourage your ovaries to mature a large number of eggs for fertilization. Since women don’t respond to fertility drugs and hormones the same way, personalized protocols are crucial to the IVF cycle success. At Coastal Fertility, we will monitor you closely, letting you understand the changes occurring in your body and keeping track of how your egg follicles are growing.
On-site consultations typicallyinclude a standard fertility evaluation, consisting of a physical examination, complementary follicular ultrasound, and testing to enable your doctor to know your present fertility status and draw up a treatment plan.
This consultation includes a detailed medical evaluation with a doctor. You and your physician will review your health records and have enough time to talk about your goals and get answers to your questions. We recommend that you jot down all your questions before the visit to allow you to make the best use of the time spent with your doctor.
Your Reproductive Endocrinologist will take all factors into consideration and create a comprehensive plan of care, otherwise known as the treatment plan. This plan will include treatment recommendations from the physician and enable your financial coordinator to make a precise quotation once you meet.
Our globally respected team of specialists are helping improve IVF technologies to enter into a generation of better outcomes for infertility. Although you’ll have a doctor guiding you, you are also going to benefit from the experience and insights of other doctors during case review collaboration meetings, which take place every week. So, you won’t just rely on the expertise of a specialist but benefit from the knowledge of many reputed fertility experts.
The infertility industry is currently segmented, with each service or treatment being handled by a different provider. Our all-inclusive model simplifies an otherwise complex and difficult process. We are here to revolutionize the infertility industry by offering a one-stop-service model to assist our patients through infertility challenges while reducing physical, emotional, and financial risks.
Our fertility clinic focuses on helping you build your family regardless of your sexual orientation or the gender you choose to identify with. We are even taking further steps to make LGTB people feel more welcome at our fertility clinic. Each of our patient-facing staff goes through LGTB training to let family-building clinicians provide necessary support and make you feel highly welcome.
We know that every situation is different and that everyone requires different treatments. Unlike facilities that take “a one-size-fits-all” approach for all cases, our fertility specialists use more than 40 customized protocols to raise the chances of success. The customized approach even extends to our fertility laboratory. Our on-site lab director and his highly-experienced team nurture every embryo and egg to increase the odds of success of each cycle.
Our team specializes in difficult cases and help patients who may have been considered “hopeless” at other fertility clinics. Thanks to our personalized solutions, expertise, and internal collaboration, weare able to maximize pregnancy success rates that are well above the industry average, even in difficult infertility cases.
Upon your arrival, you will check in with a Patient Care Coordinator. We will obtain your insurance information for benefits verification, a copy of your identification and take a picture for your electronic medical chart
Coastal Fertility is the leading provider of fertility solutions located in Orange County. Join us to get free updates on fertility news, treatments, infertility solutions and more.
Coastal Fertility is the leading provider of fertility solutions located in Orange County. Join us to get free updates on fertility news, treatments, infertility solutions and more.