Local Surgeon Fights For Vets Suffering Infertility - WMDT 47 News - Delmarva's Choice

SALISBURY, Md. - A local surgeon fights for our troops. Next week, Dr. Mark Edney, a Salisbury Urologist, heads to Washington D.C. as one of 3 experts giving testimony to support a bill requesting the VA system pay for treatments for veterans fighting infertility, from injuries suffered on the battlefield.

"I was very honored to have been asked to come and testify," admits Edney. "It's an important topic, and a topic close to my heart because one of the hats I wear is an army reservist."

Edney served a tour in Iraq as a combat support doctor. Because of his experience in the field and as a urology specialist, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) sought him out. She introduced the infertility treatment bill and heads the United States Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

"They got my name," Edney explains laughing. "And I got an e-mail last week, and they said, 'Hey, would you be willing to come up and testify?' And I said, 'Absolutely!'"

In terms of all the injuries soldiers suffer in battle, genitourinary trauma only accounts for about 5 to 10 percent. And an even smaller percentage of those injuries actually result in fertility problems. "It's not a huge widespread issue," confesses Edney, "but for those couples who are rendered infertile as a result of injuries sustained in battle, I think we as a nation owe it to them to provide them the fertility treatments necessary so they can enjoy the absolute pleasure of parenting and having children."

Advanced fertility techniques are not cheap. Doctor Edney tells WMDT It costs roughly 2 to 3 thousand dollars a cycle for intrauterine insemination and 20 to 30 thousand dollars a cycle for in vitro fertilization. And considering success rates are only about 30 to 40 percent, couples often do more than one cycle to conceive.

The Senate Committee Hearing will stream on www.veterans.senate.gov and will be archived there, as well.