Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago

Today, improved treatments of cancer and other diseases give patients the hope of long term survival. However, many of the treatments that increase survival may cause loss of fertility. New technologies in reproductive medicine are providing possibilities for preserving fertility.

Lurie Children’s is dedicated to working with families, patients and healthcare providers to guide them in deciding if fertility preservation is appropriate for their child.

As a member of the nationwide Oncofertility Consortium at Northwestern University, Lurie Children’s Fertility Preservation Program offers services to pediatric, adolescent and young adult patients. This consortium of fertility experts, oncologists, surgeons, urologists, endocrinologists and researchers are working together to provide fertility preservation options to patients who are seeking to preserve fertility due to cancer treatment, surgery, or a congenital condition.

Fertility preservation options

We have a comprehensive range of services for pre- and post-pubertal patients. These include:

For Males

• Testis shielding
• Sperm cryopreservation
• Testicular sperm extraction (TESE)
• Testicular tissue freezing (experimental)

For Females

• Ovarian shielding
• Oophoropexy/ovarian transposition
• Oocyte or embryo freezing
• Ovarian tissue freezing (experimental)
• Gonadotropin analogues (experimental)

The treatment team will work with you to determine the best options to suit your needs.

Each patient is unique, so fertility preservation must be tailored and carefully integrated with a patient’s treatment. Appropriate fertility preservation options depend on the age of the patient, as well as the treatment the patient is to receive. If treatment has been completed and there is a concern about the patient’s ability to have children, families are encouraged to seek a consultation with a fertility expert.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, please contact:

Program Coordinator, Jackie Searcy

312.227.4758

fertilitypreservation@luriechildrens.org

 Multidisciplinary team of specialists

Our multidisciplinary team works together to ensure that every patient receives the best fertility preservation care available. This team consists of:

Oncology

Barbara Lockart, DNP, APN/CNP, CPON

Pediatric Nurse Practitioner in Hematology/Oncology/Stem Cell Transplant; Patient Navigator for Fertility Preservation, , Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago

Pediatric Surgery 

Marleta Reynolds, MD

Head, Pediatric Surgery, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago; Professor of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine 

Erin Rowell, MD

Attending Physician, Pediatric Surgery and Director, Fertility  and Hormone Preservation and Restoration Program, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago; Assistant Professor of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

Endocrinology

Wendy Brickman, MD

Attending Physician, Endocrinology, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago; Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

Courtney Finlayson, MD

Attending Physician, Endocrinology, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago; Instructor in Pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

Jill Samis, MD

Attending Physician, Endocrinology, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago; Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

 Reema Habiby, MD

Attending Physician, Endocrinology, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago; Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

Urology 

Earl Cheng, MD

Division Head, Urology, Northwestern Medicine; Professor of Urology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine 

Robert Brannigan, MD

Attending Physician, Urology, Northwestern Medicine; Professor of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

Emilie Johnson, MD, MPH

Attending Physician, Urology, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago; Assistant Professor of Urology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

Elizabeth Yerkes, MD

Attending Physician, Urology, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago; Associate Professor of Urology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

Valerie Gillis, MMS, PA-C

Physicians Assistant, Urology, Northwestern Medicine

Obstetrics and Gynecology/Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility 

Mary Ellen Pavone, MD,

Attending Physician, Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility; Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

Kristin Smith

Patient Navigator for Fertility Preservation, Northwestern Memorial Hospital/Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center

Research