South Jersey Fertility Center

The doctors at South Jersey Fertility Center provide the highest quality fertility care available anywhere.  We have more board certified Reproductive Endocrinologists than all of the other fertility centers in South Jersey combined.  Our physicians have been recognized as Top Doctors by either South Jersey Magazine or SJ Magazine every year since 2005.  In fact, South Jersey Fertility Center has more Top Doctor awards than any other fertility provider in South Jersey. These awards are important because they recognize quality physicians by asking local doctors who they would refer family members to, and they ask patients who they believe are the best doctors in the area.

In 2011, South Jersey Magazine awarded the following honors to SJFC physicians:

Dr Skaf: “Top Physician” as rated by “Best Doctors in America”; Dr Van Deerlin: “Top Physician” Readers’ Choice Award; Dr Sawin: “Top Physicians for Women”  and “Top Physician” Readers’ Choice Award; Dr Packin: “Top Physicians for Women”  and “Top Physician” Readers’ Choice Award. 

Also, SJ Magazine awarded “Top Doc” awards to Dr Van Deerlin and Dr Sawin based on a poll of local physicians asking who they would recommend to a family member.

Dr Skaf has been awarded “Best Doctor” in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility by the Courier Post, “Top Physician” by South Jersey Magazine in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2011,  Best Women’s Doctor by South Jersey Magazine in 2010, and a “Top Doc” by SJ magazine in 2005, 2006 and 2008.

Dr. Van Deerlin was selected as a “Top Doc” by SJ Magazine in 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2011 and “Top Physician” by South Jersey Magazine in 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2011.

Dr. Sawin was selected as a “Top Physician” by South Jersey Magazine in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011, “Top Physician for Women” by South Jersey Magazine in 2011, and as a “Top Doc” by SJ Magazine in 2009, 2010 and 2011.

Dr. Packin has been awarded “Top Doc”  honors by SJ Magazine in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2010.  He has also been named a “Top Physician” by South Jersey Magazine in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 and “Top Physician for Women” by South Jersey Magazine in 2011.

“Permanent” sterilization by tubal ligation is the most common form of contraception in women age 30 and older. In women, the tubal ligation involves obstructing the mid-portion of the fallopian tube (the duct through which the egg must travel to reach the uterus). Once the tube is obstructed, the sperm cannot reach the egg to fertilize it. Various methods have been used to ligate (tie) tubes, such as elastic bands, small metal clips, suturing, and burning with electrical cautery.

Fortunately this form of contraception can often be reversed by a procedure called Tubal Reversal. Another option  is In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF). Each of these two options has its advantages and disadvantages. It is up to the individual or couple to decide which option best fits their lifestyle once they understand the medical pros and cons.

Sterilization reversal surgery for women is highly successful if a sufficient length of tube remains on both sides of the ligation. Often the operative report from the tubal ligation procedure is useful in identifying candidates who do not have a good chance for successful reversal. In approximately 5% of cases, the tubal reversal surgery cannot be performed due to unexpected findings in the pelvis at the time of the intended reversal surgery. These findings include scarring of the fimbriated end of the tubes or absence of the fimbria. The fimbria are the tiny finger-like structures that sweep the egg into the tube from the ovary.  If the fimbria are damaged or absent, reconnecting the tubes will still not result in a pregnancy.

We perform the tubal reversal surgery by the laparoscopic approach (through small key-hole incisions) with general anesthesia (the patient is completely asleep) at the Surgical Center of South Jersey, Mt. Laurel, NJ.  The two ends of the tubes are reconnected using very fine suture material to reduce the chance of scar formation.  The patient goes home the same day as the surgery, and can return to work  one week later.

The tubal reversal surgery requires a high level of expertise; therefore, you should choose a reproductive surgeon who has completed a fellowship in Infertility and  is board certified in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility.  Our tubal reversals are performed by Dr. Peter Van Deerlin, who is Board Certified in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, and has been doing tubal reversal regularly since 1997.  Dr. Van Deerlin has also completed a course on Advanced Laparoscopic Surgical Skills for Tubal Anastomosis at the MOET Institute (Microsurgery and Operative Endoscopy Training).

If we perform your surgery, the chance that you will have a normal pregnancy within one year of the surgery is 70%, assuming that you are under the age of 40. Women between the ages of 40 and 44, who demonstrate on a blood test that they have adequate ovarian reserve, have a pregnancy rate that is half of that. An advantage of the surgical approach is that if you successfully conceive a pregnancy, you can usually go on to have more pregnancies if your desire. Of course this could also be a disadvantage if you want to have only one more child and don’t want to have to worry about subsequent contraception. Another disadvantage is that there is a 5% incidence of tubal pregnancy following a surgical reversal. If your medical insurance doesn’t cover the tubal reversal procedure, the total cost to you is approximately $6850, which includes the procedure, anesthesia and surgical center fees.

For a comparison of tubal reversal versus IVF, see the table below.

We’re excited to announce that we have been recognized and welcomed by OptumHealth into its Reproductive Resource Services (RRS) Centers of Excellence network program. OptumHealth has provided access to clinically superior, cost-effective health care for complex medical conditions since 1986. It’s RRS Centers of Excellence network is built through quality measurement and value-driven contracting that is unique in the health care industry. Through integrated, personally-relevant health guidance, technology and services, RRS consumers are more likely to experience superior outcomes at medical centers that meet strict network criteria.

• One of SJFC’s patients with recurrent pregnancy loss, who successfully delivered a healthy baby girl after being treated for a clotting disorder, had her story featured in SJ magazine in April, 2011.  Dr Sawin, who diagnosed and managed her clotting disorder was interviewed for the article.
• Dr. Sawin was quoted in an article on Secondary Infertilty in the Health section of South Jersey Magazine in December, 2010.
• Dr Noorhasan was interviewed in the November 2010 edition of SJ Magazine on how the economy and health care reform affect fertility care, as well as her opinions about medicine in general.
• Dr Van Deerlin was quoted extensively in the November 2010 edition of SJ Magazine in an article entitled: “A Good Start: Couples rely on donor eggs to start a family.”
• Dr Sawin was interviewed for an article in SJ Magazine entitled “Trying to Get Pregnant? Here are the Facts on Fertility.”  The article focused on separating facts from myths about infertility.
• Barbara Alice, RN, APN-C, MSN  and the SJFC nursing staff were featured in an article in The Infertility Nurse, which is a national specialty magazine for nurses working in the Fertility field.  The focus of the article was on SJFC’s “Balanced Approach to Fertility” program which encompasses counseling, nutrition, accupuncture, and relaxation and medication techniques.  Pamela Pressman MEd, LPC and Barbara “Ted” Piotrowski, RN, BA, HNB-BC were also interviewed regarding the use of counseling and relaxation techniques for patients.
• South Jersey Magazine featured SJFC in an article about Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) in the November, 2009 issue.  Dr. Sawin, as director of PGD at SJFC, was interviewed for the article.
• Dr. Sawin was interviewed in the November, 2008 issue of South Jersey Magazine on the effects of body weight and stress on fertility outcomes.
• Dr. Packin was interviewed in November, 2008 by Virtua Health System’s “Health Savvy” magazine regarding Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.
• Dr Van Deerlin had a featured article in the Courier Post’s “Health Tip” section in June, 2008 entitled “Information and treatments exist to address infertility” which highlighted all of the current approaches to fertility treatment.
• Dr Sawin was featured in a 2008 article in the American College of Ob/Gyn’s Annual Clinical Meeting Newsletter on a national lecture he gave on the use of Clomid with intrauterine insemination for the treatment of infertility.
• Dr Skaf was quoted in the December, 2007 issue of South Jersey Magazine, in an article chronicling a patient’s journey through the infertility process.  Dr Skaf highlighted South Jersey Fertility Center’s balanced approach to fertility care that incorporates healthy diet, stress reduction, and acupuncture.
• Dr. Sawin was quoted in the fall 2006 edition of South Jersey Magazine in an article on fertility options for patients with breast cancer.
• Drs. Sawin and Van Deerlin were featured in Virtua’s Patient Newsletter “Health Savvy” regarding Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis in 2006.  This article highlighted a couple at South Jersey Fertility Center who successfully delivered a baby utilizing PGD.  South Jersey Fertility Center is one of the first, if not the first center in South Jersey to have a baby born through the use of PGD.