Coming to Houston for Treatment

Dr. Sonja B. Kristiansen, MD and Houston Fertility Center often provide infertility care for patients outside the Houston area. The infertility clinic is centrally located in Houston, Texas off Interstate 10, just outside the 610 loop near the Galleria area, with a variety of hotels, shopping, and restaurants nearby in a broad price range. Houston has many cultural venues to enjoy while visiting such as, theater, opera, ballet, museums, and NASA’s Space Center Houston. Galveston Island is a short drive from Houston and offers several resort hotels.

For patients traveling or living outside the Houston area Dr. Kristiansen offers a call back service for scheduling appointments, answering medical questions and coordinating your care with your OB/GYN for all Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) and In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF) procedures. Extensive written and video instructions which she has personally prepared are also provided to you. Your initial consultation may occur over the phone or in person, however, your medical records must be provided in advance in either case.

At the end of the consultation, Dr. Kristiansen will advise you of testing that must be done before treatment can begin. A calendar will be provided instructing you what tests are required and the day of your menstrual cycle on which these tests must be performed. You may then opt to have these tests performed in your hometown with your local OB/GYN or make arrangements to come to Houston.

Upon receiving the diagnostic test results, your treatment plan will be determined. Again, a calendar with daily instructions will be provided stating when to begin administering your medications, when blood tests and vaginal ultrasounds that monitor follicle growth should be done and an approximate date that the IUI or IVF procedure would be done. Once again, you may opt to come to Houston for the entire treatment cycle or coordinate the early blood test and vaginal ultrasound exams with your local OB/GYN and return to Houston two to six days prior to the IUI or IVF procedure.

Once it is determined that your follicles have matured, your procedure will be scheduled. Male partners must be present the day of the Intrauterine Insemination or In-Vitro Fertilization procedure to provide a semen specimen. It is strongly recommended that a semen specimen be frozen prior to the date of the procedure in the event of illness or difficulties traveling at the last minute, and to decrease the pressure of producing a specimen on demand.

Patients undergoing the IVF procedure will need to return for the embryo transfer three to five days after the egg retrieval. A pregnancy test from a blood sample will be done fourteen days after the IUI or IVF by your local physician. Dr. Kristiansen will continue to coordinate with your local OB/GYN advising what medications, ultrasounds and blood work is needed if your test is positive.