We want to help grow your family.

Fertility Evaluation

When you first meet with Dr. Borkowski for an initial consultation, she will ask you for a complete history. After getting to know you, she will schedule an infertility evaluation which includes exams and tests to try to find the reason why you and your partner have not gotten pregnant. The tests for infertility include blood work for hormones such as thyroid-stimulating hormone, prolactin level, follicle-stimulating hormone, estradiol, and antimullerian hormone. An imaging study of the uterus and tubes called a hysterosonogram will be scheduled to check the anatomy of the uterine cavity and patency of the fallopian tubes. Finally, a semen analysis will be ordered to check for any male factor issues.

Schedule your initial infertility evaluations with Dr. Borkowski today!

INVOCell

INVOCell is an intravaginal culture system that is used as an IVF alternative for the treatment of infertility. The treatment process using INVOcell is very similar to conventional IVF except that fertilization and early embryo development happens inside the device in the vaginal as opposed to in the laboratory. For those who want a more “natural approach” to IVF, this is a viable alternative. Because the lab is not used to incubate the embryos, INVOcell also can be done at a significantly lower price than conventional IVF.

If you are interested in hearing more about INVOcell, we’d love to answer your questions.

In Vitro Fertilization

In vitro fertilization is an assisted reproductive technology (ART) that begins with extracting multiple eggs from a woman’s ovaries. The eggs are then cleaned and either manually combined with sperm and allowed to fertilize on their own, or injected with sperm (intracytoplasmic sperm injection; ICSI). The intended result is the development of embryos which are then incubated to the blastocyst stage (5 days) in the laboratory. At the end of the 5 day period, all good quality embryos are graded and then either placed into the patient’s uterus or frozen for use in another cycle. IVF is the treatment of choice for many infertility problems such as tubal damage, ovulation disorders, male factor, endometriosis, previous sterilization, genetic disorders, LGBTQ family building, and when other procedures have failed. IVF is used extensively around the world and has the highest success rate of all ART procedures.

If you would like to hear more about how IVF may help you, we can help!

Preimplantation Genetic Testing

Preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) is a diagnostic test used during in vitro fertilization to screen embryos for genetic disorders that can cause infertility, miscarriages and birth defects. The genetic testing is preformed by removing a small group of cells from a developing embryo and then analyzing the DNA of those cells for genetic disorders. This allows for the transfer of prescreened, genetically normal embryos to be replaced into the uterus thus lowering the chances of implantation failure, miscarriages and birth defects. PGT is recommended for patients with a long history of unexplained infertility, patients who are carriers of known genetic disorders, patients with a history of multiple miscarriages, patients with a family history of genetic disorders, and patients who are over 35 years old.

If you are interested in learning more about PGT, get in touch with North Shore Fertility.

Donor Eggs

The primary indications for donor eggs are premature ovarian failure, diminished ovarian reserve, multiple failed IVF attempts, and women carrying transmittable genetic disorders which could affect their offspring. North Shore Fertility has a very close relationship with the most reputable egg donation agencies in the country and can help you through the process of choosing an egg donor. Although donor eggs can be retrieved from a live donor, the more recent development of frozen egg banks across the country has become a very attractive option to patients who have already gone through years of unsuccessful infertility treatments. These patients do not want to go through another lengthy process. Frozen donor eggs have already been retrieved from highly screened donors and are ready to be shipped and used immediately. Frozen donor eggs are also a much more affordable option for IVF compared to fresh eggs.

Do you think donor eggs may be an option for you?

Donor Sperm

Couples use donor sperm when the partner has no sperm, has very low semen parameters, or when a genetic problem carried on sperm could be transmitted to a child. Single women who want a biological child, as well as LGBTQ couples, also use donor sperm. Donor sperm can come from a man known to the recipient (known donor) or from an anonymous man (anonymous donor). Using anonymous donor sperm is a much quicker and more cost-effective process as the donor has already been screened medically. The sperm has also been analyzed, frozen, and is ready to be shipped. North Shore Fertility has a longstanding relationship with several frozen donor sperm banks across the country and can help you through the process of choosing and using donated sperm.

If this option is for you, we will help you get started.

LGBTQ Family Building

Same-sex and transgender couples face unique fertility circumstances and often must choose from a wide variety of infertility treatments. Amongst these options are IUI, IVF, donor eggs, donor sperm and fertility preservation. Dr. Borkowski has been helping gay, lesbian and transgender individuals for many ears and would be honored to help you also. At North Shore Fertility we offer IUI or IVF with donor sperm or eggs. Egg and sperm freezing is also available to preserve future fertility for those looking to delay pregnancy or undergo gender affirmation treatment. These procedures give our LGBTQ an excellent chance of building the family of their dreams.

To learn more about our LGBTQ fertility options, contact the staff of North Shore Fertility.

Egg Freezing

Egg freezing, also known as oocyte cryopreservation, is a method used to save a woman’s ability to get pregnant in the future. It is often used to delay childbearing as well as prior to radiation or chemotherapy for cancer. The process involves taking fertility medications for about a week to help with the growth of multiple eggs. The eggs are then retrieved from the ovaries, frozen, and stored for later use. Since the eggs have not been fertilized by sperm they can be thawed in the future and fertilized with known or anonymous, fresh or frozen sperm, allowing for multiple future options. Although the overall chance of becoming pregnant from frozen eggs is very good, the younger a woman is when she freezes her eggs, the higher the chance that those eggs will eventually result in a pregnancy.

If you would like to talk about freezing your eggs, we can help!

Anne Borkowski, MD

Reproductive Endocrinologist and Infertility Specialist

Dr. Borkowski was born and raised in Chicago and earned a scholarship to Northwestern University where she graduated with honors. She completed her medical training at Loyola University Medical School.

Dr. Borkowski completed a residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at St. Francis hospital of Evanston followed by a Fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. She is Board Certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology and has successfully completed her Fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology.

Dr. Borkowski is actively involved in teaching reproductive endocrinology throughout the country. Her numerous awards include “The Award for Professional Excellence,” “Rush-Presbyterian St. Luke’s First Place Research Award,” “Young Investigator Award,” and “Female MD of the Year.”

Her special areas of expertise are: Endometriosis, Male Infertility, Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis, Egg Donation, and Tubal Factor Infertility. Dr. Borkowski believes that patients should play an active role in their medical care.