Sherman Silber

Last updated
Sherman J. Silber
Sherman Silber.jpg
Born
Chicago, Illinois
NationalityAmerican
EducationMD University of Michigan, Internship at Stanford University
Medical career
ProfessionDoctor
FieldMicrosurgery
InstitutionsInfertility Center of St. Louis at St. Luke's Hospital; Public Health Service, Alaska
Sub-specialtiesInfertility
ResearchIVF, Ovarian Transplantation, Male Factor Infertility, Vasectomy Reversal

Sherman J. Silber is physician specializing in the field of infertility. He invented many of the infertility treatments in use today in the domain of IVF, sperm retrieval, ICSI, vasectomy reversal, tubal ligation reversal, egg and embryo freezing, ovary transplantation, and the reproductive biological clock. [1] He performed the world's first ovary and testicle transplants, created and popularized the microsurgical vasectomy reversal, and popularized ovarian tissue freezing to preserve female fertility. [2] He was the first to research the genetic causes of infertility in men, and developed the TESE-ICSI technique for extracting sperm from men with low or nonexistent sperm counts and direct injection of the sperm into the egg. Additionally, Silber has studied fertility in animals and performed microscopic surgery on chimpanzees, South American bush dogs, Przewalski's horse, gorillas, wolves, and other endangered species. [1] [3] [4]

Contents

Education

Silber graduated medical school from the University of Michigan in 1966, and thereafter completed post-graduate training in cardiac surgery at both Stanford University and University of Michigan. [1] [5]

Career

Before completing his residency, Silber worked as a gynecologist for the U.S. Public Health Service in Alaska. [6] He served as a village urologist for two years before returning the University of Michigan to study urology and transplantation. [5] Silber became interested in microsurgical techniques for kidney transplantation. He took academic posts at the university of Melbourne Medical School in Australia and then the University of California Medical School in San Francisco.

While in Australia in 1975, Silber performed the world's first microsurgical vasectomy reversal and popularized the microscopic vasovasostomy. [5] [7] [8] In 1976, Silber moved to St. Louis, Missouri, his wife's hometown, and joined St. Luke's Hospital. In 1978, he reported the first testicle transplant between two twin brothers. [9] [10]

In the 1990s, Silber and his colleagues at St. Luke's worked with a team at Brussels University to develop intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) in which a single sperm is selected to be microscopically injected into an egg. This procedure is coupled with the sperm retrieval method developed by Silber, which involves a single sperm retrieved by microsurgery directly from a patient's epidycimus. [10] [11]

Beginning in 1996, Silber began experimenting with freezing ovarian tissue to regraft into the ovaries of cancer patients who have compromised fertility after chemotherapy and radiation. In 2004, he successfully transplanted frozen ovarian tissue. [10] In 2007, Silber completed the first successful whole ovary transplant. The surgery was performed at his clinic in St. Louis, Missouri. [12]

As of 2014, Silber had removed, frozen, and replaced ovarian tissue in twelve women and done a series of ovarian tissue transplants in nine sets of identical twins. That year, he also traveled to China to complete China's first ovarian-tissue transplant. [8]

In 2013, Silber became the medical director of the Infertility Center of St. Louis at St. Luke's Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri, where he has used his expertise to treat patients from around the world. [13] Over his career, Silber has collaborated with medical research teams from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Amsterdam, and the Kato Clinic in Tokyo, [1] and has published more than 250 scientific papers and more than 50 teaching videos. [13]

Awards

In 1965, while at University of Michigan, Silber won the Hopwood Literary Award for Short Stories and Essays. [14] Silber received the 2008 James B. Eads Award for innovation in engineering, technology, or an outstanding project with major impact. [15] In 2009, he won the Tenth Royan International Research Award for his research in female fertility. [16]

Books

Silber has authored four medical textbooks and five best-sellers on infertility and reproduction, [1] [17] including the book How to Get Pregnant, [18] which has been reprinted in several different languages. His other books include How Not to Get Pregnant, [19] How to Get Pregnant with the New Technology, [20] and The Male: From Infancy to Old Age. [21]

Media Appearances

He has appeared on the Donahue Show eight times since 1980, Good Morning America , the Today Show, The Oprah Winfrey Show , Gary Collins, Peter Jennings’ ABC Nightly News, and Ted Koppel’s Nightline . He has been a consultant numerous times on the Joan Rivers Show and ABC News, and has been a regular contributor many times on KMOX, WOR, and NPR radio. He was one of four physicians picked to be on the U.S. Congress Office of Technology Assessment study to help infertile couples in the United States. [2]

In 2013, he completed the first IVF performed on live television as a Today Show segment. [22]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">In vitro fertilisation</span> Assisted reproductive technology procedure

In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is a process of fertilisation where an egg is combined with sperm in vitro. The process involves monitoring and stimulating a woman's ovulatory process, removing an ovum or ova from her ovaries and letting sperm fertilise them in a culture medium in a laboratory. After the fertilised egg (zygote) undergoes embryo culture for 2–6 days, it is transferred by catheter into the uterus, with the intention of establishing a successful pregnancy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Intracytoplasmic sperm injection</span> In vitro fertilization procedure

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection is an in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedure in which a single sperm cell is injected directly into the cytoplasm of an egg. This technique is used in order to prepare the gametes for the obtention of embryos that may be transferred to a maternal uterus. With this method, the acrosome reaction is skipped.

Infertility is the inability of a person, animal or plant to reproduce by natural means. It is usually not the natural state of a healthy adult, except notably among certain eusocial species. It is the normal state of a human child or other young offspring, because they have not undergone puberty, which is the body's start of reproductive capacity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Assisted reproductive technology</span> Methods to achieve pregnancy by artificial or partially artificial means

Assisted reproductive technology (ART) includes medical procedures used primarily to address infertility. This subject involves procedures such as in vitro fertilization (IVF), intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), cryopreservation of gametes or embryos, and/or the use of fertility medication. When used to address infertility, ART may also be referred to as fertility treatment. ART mainly belongs to the field of reproductive endocrinology and infertility. Some forms of ART may be used with regard to fertile couples for genetic purpose. ART may also be used in surrogacy arrangements, although not all surrogacy arrangements involve ART. The existence of sterility will not always require ART to be the first option to consider, as there are occasions when its cause is a mild disorder that can be solved with more conventional treatments or with behaviors based on promoting health and reproductive habits.

Vasovasostomy is a surgery by which vasectomies are partially reversed. Another surgery for vasectomy reversal is vasoepididymostomy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reproductive medicine</span> Gynaecology

Reproductive medicine is a branch of medicine concerning the male and female reproductive systems. It encompasses a variety of reproductive conditions, their prevention and assessment, as well as their subsequent treatment and prognosis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fertility clinic</span>

Fertility clinics are medical clinics that assist couples, and sometimes individuals, who want to become parents but for medical reasons have been unable to achieve this goal via the natural course. Clinics apply a number of diagnosis tests and sometimes very advanced medical treatments to achieve conceptions and pregnancies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oocyte cryopreservation</span> Procedure to preserve a womans eggs (oocytes)

Oocyte cryopreservation is a procedure to preserve a woman's eggs (oocytes). This technique has been used to enable women to postpone pregnancy to a later date – whether for medical or social reasons. Several studies have shown that most infertility problems are due to germ cell deterioration related to aging. The intention of the procedure is that the woman may choose to have the eggs thawed, fertilized, and transferred to the uterus as embryos to facilitate a pregnancy in the future. The procedure's success rate varies depending on the age of the woman, with odds being higher in younger, adult women.

Poor ovarian reserve is a condition of low fertility characterized by 1): low numbers of remaining oocytes in the ovaries or 2) possibly impaired preantral oocyte development or recruitment. Recent research suggests that premature ovarian aging and premature ovarian failure may represent a continuum of premature ovarian senescence. It is usually accompanied by high FSH levels.

Fertility preservation is the effort to help cancer patients retain their fertility, or ability to procreate. Research into how cancer, ageing and other health conditions effect reproductive health and preservation options are growing. Specifically sparked in part by the increase in the survival rate of cancer patients.

The Genetics & IVF Institute (GIVF) is an international provider of infertility and genetics services and products, and also engages in biomedical research in these fields. The Institute was founded in 1984 by Dr. Joseph D. Schulman and associates. GIVF headquarters are in Fairfax, VA, US, and its facilities include locations in Pennsylvania, Minnesota, California, and Texas in the United States, as well as in China, Mexico, and several other countries.

Vasectomy reversal is a term used for surgical procedures that reconnect the male reproductive tract after interruption by a vasectomy. Two procedures are possible at the time of vasectomy reversal: vasovasostomy and vasoepididymostomy. Although vasectomy is considered a permanent form of contraception, advances in microsurgery have improved the success of vasectomy reversal procedures. The procedures remain technically demanding and may not restore the pre-vasectomy condition.

Reproductive surgery is surgery in the field of reproductive medicine. It can be used for contraception, e.g. in vasectomy, wherein the vasa deferentia of a male are severed, but is also used plentifully in assisted reproductive technology. Reproductive surgery is generally divided into three categories: surgery for infertility, in vitro fertilization, and fertility preservation.

FNA mapping is an application of fine-needle aspiration (FNA) to the testis for the diagnosis of male infertility. FNA cytology has been used to examine pathological human tissue from various organs for over 100 years. As an alternative to open testicular biopsy for the last 40 years, FNA mapping has helped to characterize states of human male infertility due to defective spermatogenesis. Although recognized as a reliable, and informative technique, testis FNA has not been widely used in U.S. to evaluate male infertility. Recently, however, testicular FNA has gained popularity as both a diagnostic and therapeutic tool for the management of clinical male infertility for several reasons:

  1. The testis is an ideal organ for evaluation by FNA because of its uniform cellularity and easy accessibility.
  2. The trend toward minimally invasive procedures and cost-containment views FNA favorably compared to surgical testis biopsy.
  3. The realization that the specific histologic abnormality observed on testis biopsy has no definite correlation to either the etiology of infertility or to the ability to find sperm for assisted reproduction.
  4. Assisted reproduction has undergone dramatic advances such that testis sperm are routinely used for biological pregnancies, thus fueling the development of novel FNA techniques to both locate and procure sperm.

Ovarian tissue cryopreservation is cryopreservation of tissue of the ovary of a female.

Jacques Cohen is a Dutch embryologist based in New York, U.S. He is currently Director at Reprogenetics LLC, Laboratory Director at ART Institute of Washington at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, and Scientific Director of R & D at IVF-online.

Endometriosis and its complications are a major cause of female infertility. Endometriosis is a dysfunction characterized by the migration of endometrial tissue to areas outside of the endometrium of the uterus. The most common places to find stray tissue are on ovaries and fallopian tubes, followed by other organs in the lower abdominal cavity such as the bladder and intestines. Typically, the endometrial tissue adheres to the exteriors of the organs, and then creates attachments of scar tissue called adhesions that can join adjacent organs together. The endometrial tissue and the adhesions can block a fallopian tube and prevent the meeting of ovum and sperm cells, or otherwise interfere with fertilization, implantation and, rarely, the carrying of the fetus to term.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Natarajan Pandiyan</span> Indian physician and academic (born 1953)

N. Pandiyan is an Indian physician and academic who is the Chief consultant of Andrology and Reproductive Medicine, Head of the Department of Reproductive Medicine at Chettinad Health City, in Kelambakkam, Tamil Nadu, in India.

Marc Goldstein, MD, DSc (hon), FACS is an American urologist and the Matthew P. Hardy Distinguished Professor of Reproductive Medicine, and Urology at Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University; Surgeon-in-Chief, Male Reproductive Medicine and Surgery; and Director of the Center of Male Reproductive Medicine and Microsurgery at the New York Presbyterian Hospital Weill Cornell Medical Center. He is Adjunct Senior Scientist with the Population Council's Center for Biomedical Research, located on the campus of Rockefeller University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roger Gosden</span>

Roger Gordon Gosden is a British-American physiologist in the field of female reproductive medicine. His scientific research focused on understanding the basic biology of development and senescence of ovaries in women, including mathematically modeling those processes. He did important translational research on ovarian tissue cryopreservation and transplantation.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 http://www.infertile.com/closlook/biograph.htm
  2. 1 2 http://www.newhopefertility.com/dr-sherman-silber_dr-silber.shtml Archived 2010-01-29 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ↑ http://stlouis.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2007/10/08/focus20.html
  4. ↑ "Endangered Species." Infertile.com
  5. 1 2 3 Britt, Sue. "The Miracle Worker." Archived 2010-09-30 at the Wayback Machine St. Louis Commerce Magazine. Nov. 2004
  6. ↑ Garrison, Chad. "The Egg Man." River Front Times. Oct. 3, 2007
  7. ↑ Bowins, Brad. The Cruelest Cut of All (the Modern Medical Nightmare of Post-Vasectomy Pain Syndrome) Infinity Publishing. 2006. pg. 53
  8. 1 2 Cooperman, Jeannette. “Dr. Sherman Silber Takes His Reproductive Technology to China.” St. Louis Magazine. Aug. 2012
  9. ↑ Silber, Sherman J. (1 August 1978). "Transplantation of a Human Testis for Anorchia*". Fertility and Sterility. 30 (2): 181–187. doi:10.1016/S0015-0282(16)43457-6. PMID   680196.
  10. 1 2 3 Lambert, Victoria. “Fertility: stop all the clocks.” The Telegraph. Nov. 26, 2009
  11. ↑ Lambert, Victoria. “The great fertility revolution.” The Telegraph via The Calgary Herald. Oct. 7, 2013
  12. ↑ Smith, Rebecca. “Complex surgery involved in first successful whole ovary transplant.” The Telegraph. Nov. 14, 2008
  13. 1 2 http://www.aish.com/ci/be/48880577.html
  14. ↑ Editors Nicholas Delbanco, Andrea Beauchamp, Michael Barrett. The Hopwood Awards: 75 Years of Prized Writing pg. 222
  15. ↑ Marquis, Cate. [“Science Group to Honor Silber, Israel.”] St. Louis Jewish Light. Mar. 26, 2008
  16. ↑ Royan Institute. Sept. 2009. Website accessed Dec. 4, 2013
  17. ↑ http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/authors_Sherman-J-Silber-MD-(1014069).htm
  18. ↑ Silber, Sherman J. (1998). How to Get Pregnant. ISBN   0446386421.
  19. ↑ Silber, Sherman J. Scribner. Oct. 1987
  20. ↑ Silber, Sherman J. Grand Central Publishing; Rev Sub ed. Aug. 1998
  21. ↑ Silber, Sherman J. Scribner. June 1983. ISBN   0684173077
  22. ↑ Menkhausen, Jessica. “Why I’m doing IVF on live TV: One woman’s fertility journey.” Today Moms. Sept. 24, 2013
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