Unmasking Your Solutions
Dear Friends,
Chodesh tov! As Adar reins in, so do all of our Purim preparations – both physical and spiritual. A major theme for Purim is how ‘masked’ we can be in daily life, and the holiday provides us the opportunity to ponder our masks in both fun and deep ways.
At Tahareinu, we have taken upon ourselves to ‘unmask’ on two levels:
- To remove the need to suffer in silence. You can remove your mask of secrecy and find out about medical solutions for issues previously taboo.
- To reveal new medical solutions. We find out about the newest innovations, and also recommend innovations across multiple specialties. Medical solutions, unmasked.
We wish you a freilichen PURim, unmasking for the good of your PURe family.
Yours,
Rabbi Yitzchok and Mrs. Chaya Melber
Tahareinu Founders
A Doctor’s Testimonial: Tahareinu Referrals Lead to Personalized Care
“A woman was referred to me by Tahareinu. She already had children, and then had a miscarriage which was handled by D&C. Consequently, she was unable to become pregnant. Her gynecologist followed a particular protocol, prescribing Clomid to stimulate ovulation in the hopes of addressing her infertility. The woman then called Tahareinu for advice, and they suggested she receive a second opinion from a fertility expert before she used Clomid, and they referred her to me.
Considering she had had a D&C, I performed a hysteroscopy to view her reproductive organs internally. It turns out she had uterine adhesions, so I removed them during the hysteroscopy. B”H she became pregnant the next month.” – A Fertility Specialist*
The above story illustrates how Tahareinu connects community members with medical practitioners in order to attain the most efficient care.
*In order to maintain patient anonymity, i dentifying details are not included.
Do you, or does someone you know, need a solution for fertility, taharas hamishpacha, or another reproductive health issue? Call the Tahareinu hotline today.
Medical Updates
Breakthrough for Male Factor
When infertility is due to male factor, one solution is to surgically remove the cells in question, and then activate them chemically. Meanwhile, in Japan, an electric-activation procedure was developed which does not require any surgical removal.
The procedure is available at Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem, under Dr. Aharon Peretz. At the same time, more
research is needed, and we are thrilled to announce that Dr. Shlomi Barak, of Assuta Hospital in Tel Aviv, has received clearance to compare electric activation versus chemical activation for male-factor infertility. We look forward to more research about the benefits of the non-surgical, and therefore less invasive option for the male fertility activation treatment.
Pictured: Dr. Shlomi Barak
Combating Recurrent Pregnancy Loss: More Solutions Presented at Recent Conference
This month, we bring you even more innovations for RPL from the 4th World Congress on Recurrent Pregnancy Loss (WCRPL), held at the Jerusalem Inbal in early December. Here are solutions presented at the conference.
1) View Embryo Genetics Via Maternal Blood
Sounds like science fiction, but it’s not. If a pregnancy is ending in miscarriage, the woman can take a cfDNA blood test which reveals the genetic mapping (karyotype) of the embryo. This data might indicate the cause of the miscarriage, enabling possible preventative measures in the future. The key is to have the blood test before the miscarriage takes place in order that the karyotype will still be viewable in the mother’s blood. This method, innovated by Prof. Yuval Yaron (Lis Maternity and Women’s Hospital, Tel Aviv), is in the development stage.
2) Embryoscopy
Embryoscopy allows for both viewing the embryo directly, and extracting cells for chromosomal testing. The results might indicate the cause of miscarriage, which also might lead to solutions for healthy pregnancies. The procedure is done along with hysteroscopy.
3) Estimated Placental Volume (EPV): Preventing Risk of Stillborn
Small placentas can lead to IUGR (intrauterine growth restriction), or even fetal demise. Now there’s a way to assess this potential risk by measuring estimated placental volume, or EPV. Yale School of Medicine’s Dr. Harvey Kliman, in conjunction with his father, mathematician Merwin Kliman, developed the technique by using ultrasound measurements of placental height, width, and thickness. If placental volume is estimated to be abnormal, this might be an indication for pre-term induction or pre-term surgical birth. EPV is available in the US, and possibly other countries.
Pictured: Rav Melber with RPL Experts Professor Howard Karp and Professor Asher Bashiri at the 4th World Congress on Recurrent Pregnancy Loss (WCRPL)
FEATURED: Gynecology and Fertility Specialist Professor Ariel Ravel
Professor Ravel is Director of the Fertility Clinic at Yitzhak Shamir Medical Center in Beer Yakov, Israel (formerly Assaf HaRofeh), the senior endoscopic surgeon at Misgav Ladach in Jerusalem, and the fertility specialist at the Topaz private medical clinic in the Jerusalem suburb of Mevasseret Zion.
His expertise is especially helpful for Tahareinu callers and Israel fertility case management. In particular, he works to help women with infertility or tahara problems due to POI – premature ovarian insufficiency – a condition whose symptoms include short cycles or no menstruation, along with a low AMH, determined by blood test.
At present, medication might help for tahara problems associated with POI. As for fertility, Prof. Ravel performs a laparascopic procedure originating in Japan, which can enable a healthy pregnancy for women with POI. He is one of the only physicians performing this procedure in Israel.
Professor Ravel also performs endoscopic diagnosis, and hysteroscopy a few days a week. Of particular interest is that he utilizes a disposable hysteroscopy device, which lowers the cost of the procedure considerably.
If you live in Israel, or are considering medical tourism in Israel,contact Tahareinu for more information.
News: Israeli HMO Maccabi To Collaborate with Tahareinu
Maccabi’s Charedi Outreach Director Reb Moshe Shlesinger invited Tahareinu to begin joint initiatives involving Maccabi practitioners. Tahareinu looks forward to this collaboration with one of the largest Israeli kupot (HMOs).
Campaign 2020 Report
Baruch Hashem, we are happy to report successful campaigns, held in Montreal and New York, in January/February of this year. This year’s campaign, called “PURE Family,” focuses on medical solutions for taharat hamishpacha.
Tahareinu is a non-profit, helping over 20,000 callers and couples via case management annually, at no cost. Donations are critical year-round in order to enable to us to help you or someone you know, with tahara, women’s reproductive health, and fertility. To donate, click here.
Recent Educational Events
Rabbi Melber educated Rav Weiner’s kehilah on available treatments and costs in Israel versus the US for tahara, contraception, fertility, recurrent pregnancy loss, and intimacy dysfunction. Over seventy men attended. Ramat Eshkol, Jerusalem, February 2020.
Rabbi David Bartfeld of Tahareinu New York partnered with Mikveh.org to train over forty rebbetzins, kallah teachers and other leaders. Crown Heights, Brooklyn, February 2020.
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January 2020
December 2019
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