Doctor Who Transferred Embryos For Octuplets Expelled From Fertility Organization

Main Category: Fertility
Also Included In: Primary Care / General Practice;  Women's Health / Gynecology
Article Date: 21 Oct 2009 - 3:00 PDT

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The doctor who performed the in vitro fertilization procedure that led to the birth of octuplets to a California woman in January has been expelled from the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, the nation's main professional organization for fertility specialists, USA Today reports. The woman, Nadya Suleman, had six other children, all conceived via IVF, prior to the pregnancy. She has said that physician Michael Kamrava of the West Coast IVF Clinic in Beverly Hills, Calif., transferred six embryos into her uterus. It is believed that two of those embryos split into identical twins, leading to the birth of eight infants.

ASRM guidelines call for transferring one or two embryos to patients younger than age 35 to lower the risk of multiple births. Data from 2007 posted online by the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology, an ASRM affiliate, show that Kamrava reported transferring 4.1 embryos on average to patients younger than age 35. The group decided to expel Kamrava late last month, according to Sean Tipton, an ASRM spokesperson. "We have a disciplinary committee that gathers information, we give people an opportunity to explain themselves, and then we take action if the committee thinks it's necessary," Tipton said. He added that only states have the power to revoke medical licenses but that some insurance plans cover treatments only if they are performed by ASRM members (Rubin, USA Today, 10/18).

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