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Success Rates

How Do We Measure Success?

♥  Building Healthy Families


Sample ImageThe Octomom story a couple of years ago cast a spotlight on two important issues associated with assisted reproduction; 1. Transferring large numbers of embryos can result in a multiple gestation pregnancy that can put Mom and babies at risk; and, 2. Not every doctor places a priority on the health of their patients and the babies they may deliver.


RSC New England is an accredited healthcare practice. We specialize in treating women and men challenged by infertility with the very best treatment available in the field of reproductive medicine. We do not sacrifice ethical and medically appropriate care for the marketing advantage of high pregnancy success rates.


RSC New England is proud to be a leader in national efforts to follow American Society for Reproductive Medicine guidelines regarding embryo transfer numbers. In fact, for several years our elective single embryo transfer rates have been the highest in New England. Consequently, we have also had the lowest percentage of multiple births (twins or more). We are fiercely committed to doing everything that is best for Moms and babies -- using assisted reproductive technologies to help women have healthy pregnancies.


♥  Taking-On Challenging Cases


Our physicians provide patients with an open, honest evaluation of the degree of difficulty in successfully treating their particular condition(s).  With that information, we assure patients that we will do everything medically and safely possible. Proceeding with treatment is the patient’s decision. We do not screen-out patients whose condition(s) might unfavorably affect our success rates; we welcome the opportunity to help as many couples as possible realize their dream.

RSC New England Pregnancies, Live Births and other Data

The Society for Assisted Reproduction (SART) is affiliated with the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. SART is the primary organization of professionals dedicated to the practice of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) in the United States. ART includes the practive of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF). The SART mission is to set up and help maintain the standards for ART in an effort to better serve fertility professionals and patients.  Since 1985, SART has been actively involved in the collection of data outcomes from our member programs. We have worked closely with the Centers for Disease Control in compliance with the Fertility Clinic Success Rate and Certification Act of 1992 (Wyden Act) in an effort to accurately reflect outcomes of the procedures in which we are involved. SART collects de-identified birth outcome data from its member clinics through the internet which facilitates direct transfer to the CDC and allows earlier dissemination of outcome reports to physicians, embryologists, and patients.

Most Recent SART Success Rates Report for RSC New England

SART Success Rate Reports for all Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Hamsphire Fertility Centers

 Understanding SART Success Rates

There are many ways to measure and compare  fertility treatment success. Often, published success rates are misunderstood and, sometimes, misleading. For couples entering ART, the percentage of patients who take home a baby is most important. However, there are three stages to assisted reproductive technology ART and , for a variety of reasons, not every couple reaches each stage of treatment.  The national standard, therefore, is to report and measure success in three categories.

  • Clinical Pregnancy Rate per Cycle Initiated - is the number of clinical pregnancies divided by the total number of women who initiated treatment.
  • Clinical Pregnancy Rate per Retrieval - is the number of clinical pregnancies divided by the number of egg retrievals. Not all women who initiate a cycle have a retrieval. Some ART cycles initiated are canceled, mostly due to a poor response to fertility drugs.
  • Clinical Pregnancy Rate per Transfer - is the number of clinical pregnancies divided by the number of women who had an embryo transfer. Not all women who have an egg retrieval have an embryo transfer.

Note: A clinical pregnancy is defined as the presence of one or more gestational sacs (with a beating heart) in the woman's uterus, confirmed by ultrasound examination. A comparison of clinical success rates may not be meaningful because patient medical characteristics and treatment approaches may vary from clinic to clinic.

Success Stories from RSC New England Patients