Dr. Zaher Merhi, reproductive endocrinologist and founder of Rejuvenating Fertility Center, discusses cutting-edge fertility treatments including PRP ovarian rejuvenation, ozone therapy, and upcoming stem cell treatments. He emphasizes individualized protocols over conventional IVF approaches and the crucial role of stress management in fertility outcomes.
Reproductive Endocrinology and Fertility Rejuvenation
Key Insights
Actionable Advice
Dr. Merhi explains how conventional IVF protocols haven't evolved in 46 years and fail 50% of patients. His clinic takes a 'Whole Foods of IVF' approach, offering ten different treatment types and customizing protocols based on individual patient responses rather than using one-size-fits-all methods.
PRP ovarian rejuvenation uses concentrated platelets from the patient's own blood to temporarily restore ovarian function for several months. Ozone therapy addresses inflammation that damages egg quality, using the same anti-inflammatory technology employed for decades in treating various medical conditions.
Dr. Merhi shares that three women over 50 have conceived with their own eggs in the past year using rejuvenation techniques. He argues that arbitrary age cutoffs prevent scientific advancement and ignore individual variations in ovarian function, emphasizing the importance of treating people rather than statistics.
Through a compelling case study of a divorcing lawyer whose egg production increased from 2-3 to 15 eggs after stress relief, Dr. Merhi demonstrates how stress affects FSH regulation and fertility outcomes. Both he and Rosanne emphasize the importance of positive belief systems and stress-free clinic environments for treatment success.
“PRP is platelet rich plasma. It's your own platelet rich plasma. We just take it out of your blood by regular blood sugar and multiple centrifugations with kits and all that. And then we concentrate this platelets and plasma and then put them directly in your ovaries.”
— Dr. Zaher Merhi▶ 16:49
PRP (platelet rich plasma) ovarian rejuvenation takes your own concentrated platelets from blood and injects them directly into the ovaries to temporarily restore ovarian function and improve egg quality for several months.
“We've helped fifty year olds, three of them in the last twelve months pregnant with their own eggs. One of them delivered healthy baby, two are now ongoing pregnancies.”
— Dr. Zaher Merhi▶ 32:15
Yes, Dr. Zaher Merhi reports three women over 50 have gotten pregnant with their own eggs in the last 12 months using fertility rejuvenation techniques, with one delivering a healthy baby and two having ongoing pregnancies.
“She was a lawyer and her husband is a lawyer. They were divorcing, bad divorce... We're getting two, three eggs per cycle. Divorce finished. She went on vacation, came back. We got fifteen eggs.”
— Dr. Zaher Merhi▶ 27:07
Stress significantly impacts fertility through FSH regulation in the brain. Dr. Merhi shares the example of a divorcing lawyer who produced only 2-3 eggs during stress but 15 eggs after her divorce was resolved and she vacationed.
“Ozone is the most holistic anti inflammatory things. Ozone is layer covers the earth. Ozone, when you give it to the body, it also it lowers body inflammation.”
— Dr. Zaher Merhi▶ 22:26
Ozone therapy is a holistic anti-inflammatory treatment that addresses inflammation affecting egg quality. Patients sit in an ozone sauna while ozone is also delivered vaginally to reach the ovaries, helping reduce body inflammation from endometriosis, toxins, and aging.
“Someone could be forty two, and their ovaries is, like, at twenty five. And I have people in their twenty five, in their twenties who are in a proposal order with premature awareness of.”
— Dr. Zaher Merhi▶ 14:16
Age cutoffs like 42 for IVF are arbitrary clinic policies that don't reflect individual ovarian function. Dr. Merhi argues these cutoffs prevent scientific advancement and ignore that some 42-year-olds have ovaries functioning like 25-year-olds.
“Studies have been incredible showing that, you know, even postmenopausal women had a new egg and start to ovulate on their own up to one year.”
— Dr. Zaher Merhi▶ 44:57
Stem cell ovarian rejuvenation uses fat stem cells extracted through mini-liposuction and injected into ovaries where they become new eggs. Studies show postmenopausal women can ovulate naturally for up to one year after this treatment.
Dr. Merhi's approach to finding providers who individualize treatment rather than using one-size-fits-all protocols
Look for individualized protocols
Find clinics that create custom treatment plans based on your specific body and history rather than standard protocols
Seek multiple treatment options
Choose providers offering various approaches like PRP, ozone therapy, natural IVF, and conventional IVF rather than just one method
Ensure positive clinic environment
Visit clinics where the atmosphere feels supportive and stress-free from front desk to doctor interactions
Find doctors who listen
Work with providers who value your knowledge of your own body and incorporate your feedback into treatment decisions
Check for cutting-edge options
Look for clinics researching and offering newer technologies like fertility rejuvenation techniques
Conventional IVF protocols haven't changed in 46 years and fail 50% of patients because they use the same approach for everyone instead of individualized treatment
Dr. Merhi notes that nationwide IVF pregnancy rates are only 50%, with conventional protocols unchanged since IVF began 46 years ago, leading him to create individualized treatment plans at Rejuvenating Fertility Center.
PRP (platelet rich plasma) ovarian rejuvenation can temporarily restore ovarian function for several months by injecting concentrated platelets directly into the ovaries
Dr. Merhi explains PRP uses the same technology as hair restoration and athletic injury recovery, with Greek researchers pioneering its use in ovaries to grow ovarian follicles like hair follicles in the scalp.
Three women over 50 have gotten pregnant with their own eggs in the last 12 months using rejuvenation techniques, with one delivering a healthy baby
Dr. Merhi reports three 50+ year old patients achieved pregnancy with own eggs in past year - one delivered healthy baby, two have ongoing pregnancies - proving age cutoffs are arbitrary.
Stress dramatically impacts fertility through FSH regulation in the brain, as evidenced by a divorcing lawyer who went from 2-3 eggs to 15 eggs per cycle after stress relief
Dr. Merhi describes a lawyer patient who produced only 2-3 eggs during her stressful divorce, but produced 15 eggs after the divorce was finalized and she went on vacation, despite being 6 months older.
Inflammation from endometriosis, toxins, and aging reduces egg quality, which ozone therapy can address as a holistic anti-inflammatory treatment
Dr. Merhi has published two papers showing ozone therapy improves both endometriosis and poor egg quality, using the same technology used for sterilization since World War I and treatment of HIV, AIDS, and inflammatory conditions.
Hand sanitizers contain chemicals like triclosan that are harmful to egg and sperm quality, contributing to rising infertility rates from 5% to 20%
Dr. Merhi notes inactive ingredients in hand sanitizers damage reproductive health, contributing to infertility rates rising from 5% to 20%, leading his clinic to develop the first fertility-friendly hand sanitizer.
Fat stem cell ovarian rejuvenation in the Bahamas can help postmenopausal women develop new eggs and ovulate for up to one year
Dr. Merhi explains the upcoming stem cell treatment uses adipose stem cells that become new eggs when placed in ovaries, with studies showing postmenopausal women can ovulate naturally for up to one year after treatment.
Patients often know their bodies better than doctors and should be partners in treatment decisions rather than passive recipients
Dr. Merhi describes patients who accurately predict having ovarian cysts before ultrasounds and know which medications work for them, emphasizing that women understand their own reproductive patterns and responses.
Age cutoffs like 42 for IVF are arbitrary and prevent scientific advancement in treating older women who could benefit from new technologies
Dr. Merhi recounts a patient kicked out of another clinic one day after turning 42, arguing that rigid cutoffs prevent research progress and ignore individual variations in ovarian function.
Diet quality affects egg quality regardless of weight, with studies showing mice eating poor diets had worse eggs even without weight gain
Dr. Merhi cites published research showing mice fed poor quality diets had compromised egg quality compared to those on normal diets, even when body weight remained the same.
Success requires belief in three things: that you can do it, your doctor can do it, and the clinic can do it - without all three, find a different provider
Dr. Merhi tells patients who don't believe he can help them to go elsewhere, emphasizing that positivity and teamwork between patient and provider are essential for treatment success.
Conventional IVF protocols haven't changed in 46 years and fail 50% of patients because they use the same approach for everyone instead of individualized treatment
▶ 7:15PRP (platelet rich plasma) ovarian rejuvenation can temporarily restore ovarian function for several months by injecting concentrated platelets directly into the ovaries
▶ 16:49Three women over 50 have gotten pregnant with their own eggs in the last 12 months using rejuvenation techniques, with one delivering a healthy baby
▶ 32:15Stress dramatically impacts fertility through FSH regulation in the brain, as evidenced by a divorcing lawyer who went from 2-3 eggs to 15 eggs per cycle after stress relief
▶ 27:07Inflammation from endometriosis, toxins, and aging reduces egg quality, which ozone therapy can address as a holistic anti-inflammatory treatment
▶ 23:24Hand sanitizers contain chemicals like triclosan that are harmful to egg and sperm quality, contributing to rising infertility rates from 5% to 20%
▶ 23:49Fat stem cell ovarian rejuvenation in the Bahamas can help postmenopausal women develop new eggs and ovulate for up to one year
▶ 44:05Patients often know their bodies better than doctors and should be partners in treatment decisions rather than passive recipients
▶ 9:49Age cutoffs like 42 for IVF are arbitrary and prevent scientific advancement in treating older women who could benefit from new technologies
▶ 13:55Diet quality affects egg quality regardless of weight, with studies showing mice eating poor diets had worse eggs even without weight gain
▶ 22:58Success requires belief in three things: that you can do it, your doctor can do it, and the clinic can do it - without all three, find a different provider
▶ 37:04Scroll for more
“Women over 40-42 should automatically use donor eggs”
CONSIDER: Age cutoffs are arbitrary and prevent women from exhausting all options with their own eggs using new rejuvenation technologies
“Stress doesn't significantly impact fertility outcomes”
CONSIDER: Stress dramatically affects FSH production and egg development through the brain-ovary connection
“Conventional IVF protocols are the gold standard for everyone”
CONSIDER: Individualized treatment protocols work better than one-size-fits-all approaches that haven't changed in 46 years
“We've helped fifty year olds, three of them in the last twelve months pregnant with their own eggs. One of them delivered healthy baby, two are now ongoing pregnancies.”
“We're treating people. We're not treating these numbers, in my opinion.”
“Either go somewhere else or you need to smile. And then it's important to, one, believe that you can do it. Two, believe that your doctor can do it. Three, believe the clinic can do it.”
“You can't just wholesale buy in to a statistic. That statistic probably did not include you. They didn't interview you. They weren't they didn't include you in that fucking trial or that study.”
“If there's a will, there's a way. You just have to be willing to be the woman who becomes the success before she's actually successful.”
“Patients do know their body, and I do believe in this. I have patient who tells me before they walk in, before an ultrasound, doctor Murray, I think I have a cyst. And you know what? I do an ultrasound. There's a cyst.”
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Frameworks & Methods
Common Beliefs
Conventional IVF has a 50% failure rate nationwide because doctors use the same protocols for everyone instead of individualizing treatment
Dr. Merhi notes that conventional IVF protocols haven't changed in 46 years and 50% of patients don't get pregnant with standard approaches
Stress plays a massive role in fertility success, with FSH controlled by the brain and stress directly impacting ovulation
Dr. Merhi shares case of lawyer going through divorce who produced only 2-3 eggs during stress, then 15 eggs after divorce was finalized and she went on vacation
Inflammation is one of the biggest triggers preventing fertility, manifesting in conditions like endometriosis and creating an unwelcoming environment for conception
Dr. Palevsky has observed that when women eliminate fibroids or endometriosis, they often get pregnant easily, and he's seen parents-to-be conceive after changing diet to reduce inflammation from dairy, gluten, and processed foods.
Fertility requires creating space spiritually and emotionally for a new spirit to enter, not just fixing physical problems
Dr. Palevsky has worked with families where relationships weren't emotionally connected, preventing pregnancy, and emphasizes that babies are new spirits requiring room to breathe without emotional pressure.
