Carolinas Fertility Institute

I have not seen Dr. Yalcinkaya at every appointment because there have been several months that I just go in for additional bloodwork or in many cases an ultrasound for an IUI or timed intercourse. I scheduled many of those appointment on days he is at his other clinic. Every time I needed to talk to him or there was an issue with my treatment, I was scheduled on a Monday or Wednesday so that I could see him. He has a staff that is very knowledgable and I did not feel like I had to see him each and every time. I could always contact him if needed - he makes himself available to his patients well after office hours. He is very kind and he will give his professional opinion and respect your ideas and plans as well. I never felt like I was being pushed into a decision that I was not comfortable with.

Please be patient when you are waiting to be seen. Dr. Y takes his time with each of his patients and sometimes that means that appointments get a bit delayed. Also, ask questions, don't be afraid to ask questions, he will answer all of your questions!

I started with timed intercourse with Letrozole and Metformin. I have PCOS so this is a very typical pathway. The Letrozole helps ovulation and the Metformin helps get a period - both of these are very hard to accomplish with PCOS without medication. My perscriptions were increased in strength when I started at Carolinas Fertility Insitute. After a couple of months, he suggested having a sperm analysis done on my husband. After the sperm analysis it was found that my husband had lower than perferred sperm motility so we talked about options. My husband was perscribed medicine that helps with sperm molitity which did help. We continued with timed intercourse and added Ovidrel shots to help mature follicles during ovulation. We then did 3 cycles of IUI within 5 months, using medication, and Ovidrel injections. Those were not successful for us. My husband and I decided to keep trying the timed intercourse with medication route because it was the most affordable route for us. We did get pregnant after about 12 cycles. However, he miscarried so after. Dr. Yalcinkaya talked to my husband and I about our thoughts on IVF. We had talked about IVF off and on throughout the year with and with Dr. Y but I am overweight and was trying to lose weight to give IVF more of a chance and it is also expensive and we will need to get it financed. My husband and I wanted to exhaust our other options before moving into IVF and Dr. Y has allowed us that time but is now suggesting that we start considering it more seriously. We were able to met with the anesthesiologist and get cleared to egg retrieval despite still being a bit over the BMI requirements. Once my cycle returns we will be able to start the journey down the IVF pathway. We are hopeful that this avenue will work for us. Dr. Y has said that our chances on success increases to 60-70% with IVF and that prior to implanting the fetus into the uterus they will be able to do gentic testing and see which eggs have the highest chances of success and by doing this we are hoping to avoid another miscarriage.

I paid for visiting a specialist at the first appointment, $80 after insurance. I had to pay for the sperm analysis $250 (not covered by insurance). Each month my Metformin and Letrozole is about $10 together, after insurance. Each month when I take Ovidrel, I order that through a fertility medication company for $107, I don't believe insurance covers any of it. When we did the IUIs, those cost $1,000 each and we did 3 cycles of IUIs. I had genetic testing on my bloodwork in the beginning which is sent to another company, Natera, I had to pay $250 for that but some insurances cover that but mine did not - depends of medical history according to my insurance company. I also had an after clinic hours phone conference with Dr. Y one evening beforewe started IUI to talk about the procedure then again to talk about IVF; I was only charged $45 for a lengthy phone conference at 6:30pm. I have not paid anything additional for each of my monthly visits or additional bloodwork. I have had approximately 12 ultrasounds and the dye test on my fallopian tubes and those most all be covered fully by my insurance company because I never saw a bill for those and I have asked for an update on my account; currently $0 balance. We are about to start IVF. I met with the anesthesiologist last weekfor a consultation and I was not charged for that meeting. I have been given some rough estimations for IVF but nothing concrete yet as we are just not starting this process. IVF does not appear to be something my insurance covers, at all so here are some estimations I have been given. The process is estimated to be $13,000 - $15,000; medication will be $3,000 - $6,000; implantation of embryo is about $2,800; genetic testing on embryos - know sure yet but national average is around $3,500 (this is a number I found online because I fotgot to ask during our consultation but I will). There is a program to help pay for medications that aren't cover by insurance; Compassionate Care Program - it is a quick process, I heard back within 3 days. This program covers between 10 - 75% of medication costs. Please keep in mind that these are just estimations that I was given at the end of last week - I am still in the beginning stages.

Dr. Mesen has gone above and beyond to provide excellent care to my husband and I. He even provided me with his cell phone number so I could reach him after hours. This was a Godsend when I was roughly 6 weeks pregnant and began spotting. I reached out to him for assurance and he was there to tell me what to do. It was determined that I had an SCH and he monitored us every week until we ultimately lost our baby at 9 weeks. The compassion he showed during this time was amazing. He scheduled me for a D&C and when he assured me he would be performing it himself, I was so relieved. I have come to trust him more than any other provider I've seen and even somewhat dread the day we "graduate" from his clinic and I have to begin seeing someone else for prenatal care. Of course it will be very bittersweet because it will mean we finally have our miracle baby on the way.

I would advise them to be open and honest about questions that you have and what your goals are. He is easy to talk to and if there is something you don't understand, he will make sure you do before he leaves the room.

Our first 2 attempts were with IUI with Letrozole. We had originally planned to do a third course of IUI in which he had prescribed Clomid, to see if we could get better results. At this point, my husband and I inquired whether we could move forward with IVF instead, which we ended up doing, so we only did the 2 IUI's. For my retrieval, I was on Leuprolide, Menopur and Gonal-F which I understood was a pretty normal treatment protocol. I also had a dose of HGH for a trigger shot before retrieval. Leading up to retrieval, my husband and I were both on an antibiotic for roughly 4 days to ensure we remained healthy. We had decided on genetic testing and freeze-all. Our clinic does ICSI for all of their IVF protocol options. After the retrieval, they gave us the results of our 5 day embryos, then sent the best 8 off for genetic testing. (Our package only included payment for 8 embryos to be tested, but we could have done more if we wanted). We had retrieved 28 total embryos and had 21 make it to day 5. Of our 8 that were tested, we had 5 come back normal, 2 were mosaic and one was abnormal. Once we were ready for transfer, we moved forward with a genetically normal male 5AB graded embryo. 8 days after transfer, I went in to have the beta test done. My levels came back at 85. I went back 2 days later and they were 163 so I was officially pregnant.

Each round of IUI was $1,000 plus the cost of the Letrozole which I believe was minimal. The cost of our IVF which included retrieval, freezing embryos, a year of storage and genetic testing of 8 embryos was $14,025. They did end up giving us a discount since we wrote a check so it ended up being about $200 cheaper. The total cost of the stimulation meds was about $4,600. All labs that we had done prior to retrieval were not included in our package so we had to pay for them separately. We also did a screening for Cystic Fibrosis which was about $250. My results came back and stated I was a carrier so my husband then had to be tested for another $250. When it came time for transfer, that cost was $3,000. There have been many many lab appointments which usually run anywhere from $20-$60 each.

Because our embryos were genetically tested, we understood that there really was no need to transfer more than one embryo. I think it was as much our decision as it was Dr. Mesen's because we did not want a multiples pregnancy and with genetically tested embryos, we felt sure that transferring only one would yield the results we wanted.

My experience was amazing! He was very flexible with my treatments if I needed some thing adjusted or changed he done so, he explained everything in great detail. The only negative thing I had to say was that it took him a little while to get back to you if you texted or called after hours or on the weekend.

Ask questions and have a list prepared of what you want to ask before hand

My first round was Lupron and estrogen priming every thing looked good til day 5 of stims which were menopur and GonalF ...I stopped having follicle growth so my cycle was paused and I went in 5 days later and had great follicle growth, so my cycle was restarted. I ended up with 9 mature follicles with 3 blasts. 2nd round I was on omnitrope and estrogen for priming, menopur and GonalF along with omnitrope for stims. Retrieved 4 follicles with 1 blast from that cycle. Was able to go straight through this cycle without any pausing of medication.

My monitoring was done in the Sister clinic in my state and was absolutely wonderful! They are the best! Dr Patton and his whole staff are wonderful!

$22,450 for the IVF and $12,500 for the medications

I don’t have any ...I would transfer what they recommend.

Dr Mesen is great! He shares facts, doesn't sugarcoat anything, and is obviously really working hard to help you. He's very accessible and I felt confident that he was always on top of my case and next steps throughout treatment. He's always very efficient. I rarely had to wait for more than 10 mins and was in and out of appointments within 15 mins. He may not be warm and fuzzy as first, but he genuinely wants you to succeed and achieves great results, so his bedside manner (which is great and fact-based regardless) was less important for us.

Come prepared with questions, and follow his recommendations.

Three rounds of femara for IUI (did not work), followed by IVF and FET (Gonal F + Menopur)

~10K out of pocket, and ~15K through insurance

Under 35, so he recommended single FET

He's amazing. He is definitely always late so, you're gonna have to get over it if punctuality is "your thing". When he arrives you have his FULL ATTENTION. I appreciate that he speaks in common terms not just medical jargon.

Write down your questions/ concerns because sometimes the appointment can be overwhelming and you may leave without a piece of info.

We didn't know I had endometriosis until in surgery to clear a blocked tube. He removed one and explained why. He is very detailed with all explanations and will repeat several times if you need it.

IUI $1,000.00 + Ovidrel shot around $160.00 through their pharmacy connection since my normal pharmacy was over $200.00 + Femara $7.00 copay. IVF is around $28,000.00 including medication.

N/A I haven't done ivf yet

At the initial consulation I found Dr Mesen to be a little too direct and to the point. It was all very medically explained. I had never had an interuteran ultrasound before so he said that’s the first thing I needed and then proceeded to walk me to the room to have it done right then. I did appreciate the urgency though after trying naturally for 2 years. During my follow ups he did soften his demeanor and after my first IUI answered the list of questions I had before he left the room and told us he wanted to hear good news in two weeks which I appreciated. He really does want us to be successful. After the first two IUI’s failed, he agreed that a change in medication would hopefully help for the third IUI so he does listen to his patients and take into consideration their thoughts on the process.

If you have questions for Dr Mesen, come prepared with them at time of ultrasound/treatment. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or have him clarify things. Sometimes he not very detailed.

At the initial consult, Dr. Mesen recommended starting with 3 IUI’s and then reassessing if needed. I kept taking all of the vitamins I was currently taking. He prescribed my husband a male fertility vitamin as his semen analysis was not great and on the low side of normal. IUI 1 and 2 Femara 5mg cycle days 3-7. He told us he thought I would respond better to Femara than Clomid. IUI 3 (in progress) Clomid 100mg cycle days 3-7. Since I only had one mature follicle for the last two treatments, I wanted to increase the dosage and he agreed I would do better with Clomid. That is yet to be determined as of this review.

$1000 per IUI- included all ultrasounds and the procedure. Trigger shot- $112- by pharmacy Dr Mesen referred me to for lower cost Clomid- $25- from neighborhood pharmacy.

I felt this MD was treating me based on my insurance. during our first consultation, he literally insulted my insurance in front of me! Called them "such a pain". I don't think he was invested in me as a patient because my insurance was not the VA. To all Veterans, when the VA recommends this office first, please ask for their second. If he doesn't think he can treat veterans fairly or want to deal with the VA, he should have himself removed from their list. Infertility is heartbreaking enough without having to deal with MD's worried about insurance compensations determining level of treatment.

Veterans, when the VA recommends this MD to you. Please ask for second on their list. To him, dealing with the VA is a pain. So who wants a MD that sees you as "a pain" to them. Also, you will be in a billing battle. They put me down as self pay and I have received all the bills for outside facilities (labs and ultrasounds). Ironically, his office visit bills made their way to the VA for processing and not to me and collections.

I am in collections because of this office. This MD cost me my first experience with a fertility specialist. I'll never get it back.

Strengths: articulate, descriptive, considers preferences of patient rather than just what he professionally thinks, quick to answer questions via phone or email, available at each appointment, realistic Weaknesses: not particularly warm, hasn't shown much compassion, doesn't have a bad bedside manner but also doesn't have the greatest, sometimes have to ask specific questions to get the information you want

He will give you as much information as you ask for but isn't always forthcoming so be prepared with questions.

IUI- Letrozole- 3 pills of 2.5 mg each 1x/day for days 3-7, ultrasound on day 11 or 12 of cycle, trigger shot based on ultrasound and then IUI (done by him). IVF- agonist protocol I believe, Estrogen patch after ovulation of prior cycle until day 2 of current cycle, ultrasound day 2 or 3 for baseline, menopur mixed with gonal F 262 units for 2 days then 225 for 1 day then ultrasound, then 225 one day and then reduced to 187 the next day with followup ultrasound the day after. That's as far as I've gotten but I know at some point Cetrotide will be added and then HCG will be used as trigger prior to egg retrieval.

1,000 per IUI, 13,095 for IVF, and then other fees associated with procedures like a hysteroscopy and bloodwork which I can't remember the totals for

He highly recommends 1 embryo for my age (31) and health but says in the end the decision is ours to make.

He was caring and took time with every single patient (I understand I may need to wait a little longer because he is taking time with another patient, I appreciate it when he does that with me). He is completely on-board with moving as slowly or quickly we want to move with treatments and isn't afraid to take an aggressive approach, but seems to try to be as realistic as he can along the way. I also appreciate that he was available off hours if there was an emergency, I didn't have to go through a nurse to speak to him.

Don't forget to do your own research as well and be your own advocate (I would give this advice for any doctor), but there is only so much he can remember with how many patients he is seeing and it is up to you do ask questions and advocate for yourself.

I'm not sure what protocol, but seemed standard. He preferred to go off of my natural cycle instead of starting me on birth control. My IVF meds were gonal-f, cetrotide, and menopur for retrieval, I also started my cycle using estrogen patches and estradiol pills. For FET I started on the patches and pills and started PIO shots 5 days before transfer.

It was around $14,000 for the IVF cycle (with ICSI), that included 1 FET. Each FET after that was $2900. PGS testing was around $4000 for 8 embryos, but I might be off on that amount though, but it was around that.

He didn't have a preference, answered our questions about it, but left it completely up to us, which I appreciated.

Tamer M Yalcinkaya was always very honest and informative. Also, he was very friendly. The only problem i had with Tamer was that he told us that they would not bill my insurance for any IUI treatments even though we had the code and spoke to the insurace company prior.

To make sure you will be seen at the time of your appointment, and be firm with the support staff. It seems like the support staff does not care about why you are there. its stressful enough to have trouble getting pregnant, so you should not have to deal with bad service.

First he wanted to do an ultra-sound to make sure everything was clear. He wanted to do an HCG, however i didnt need to at the time, because i had just recently had one done. After that he started me on Chlomid on the 3rd to 5th day of my cycle. Around day 10 of my cycle he did another ultra-sound to check the size of my folicles and egg quantity. After a second positive ovulation test i went for the IUI treatment. My husband went that morning to drop off his sample, then i showed up 30 minutes after he was done. Once the IUI was completed i was instructed to test for pegnancy 2 weeks after. This was not successful.

1000 dollars up front

Dr. Mesen is great. His bedside manner can use some work, but I think it’s because he’s just somewhat of an awkward person. The more times I’ve got to see him and talk to him he has warmed up a lot. He’s very straightforward, and he gives you the facts and tells you exactly what is best. He try’s to also explain to you why something might work better than something else. I felt relief when I walked out of his office in the consultation, I felt like I was taken seriously and that if anyone could get me pregnant it would be him. You just have to give him a little time to warm up to you.

Don’t take his quietness for rudeness., also be ready to got for whatever treatment, he wastes no time.

I am on 7.5 mg of femara because clomid doesn’t work as well in patients with PCOS. I also do an ovidrel trigger shot when my follicles are mature enough, then 4 days after I take the shot I start with progesterone. Because I’ve had two miscarriages. This is only my second cycle on this protocol and I haven’t got to test to see if I’m pregnant yet, fingers crossed.

Self pay ultrasounds are $165 you’re not required to have blood work done as part of your monitoring. I know IUI self pay package is $1000.

I have not had to do IVF yet so I’m not sure.

He’s very knowledgeable and explained treatment in a way I could understand. I didn’t ask a lot of questions because IUI was simple to understand, but I appreciated his willingness to break down what was going to happen.

Manage expectations since IUI has a much lower success rate than IVF. I thought IUI would be successful even though Dr. Yalcinkaya told me it was only about a 40-45% cumulative success rate, and I was surprised that I did not get pregnant because the procedures went well- I responded well to Femara and my husband produced good samples.

After tests revealed our only problem was his motility initially he was given a vitamin regimen and we tried on our own for 3 months following my normal HSG test. We then tried IUI 3 times in back to back cycles because at that point his sperm was looking normal. The protocol included 7.5 mg of Femara CD 3-7, an ultrasound day 10-12 to check follicles, and a trigger shot 36 hours prior to IUI with my husband’s samples at about 20 million each time. We took a break for 7 months and tried IUI one more time last month and it failed again.

I paid 480 out of pocket for the first three IUIs when my insurance was in network and offered partial coverage- my Ovidrel trigger shot was 50 dollars at that time and Femara was covered as well as bloodwork, HSG, and ultrasounds. We switched insurance last summer and are now out of network so my 4th IUI was a 1000 dollar package for the ultrasound and wash/insemination.

N/a

I felt Dr. Yalcinkaya was very educated in his field. He is very knowledgeable and has up to date research to back up his recommendations. I do however feel that sometimes I was leading my own care, and would have liked some stronger opinions from Dr. Yalcinkaya, however on the same token I liked that he would allow me to have blood tests and procedures performed that I thought necessary for my treatment.

Be open minded. Also be prepared to wait to see Dr. Y, but know that when it is your turn he will spend the same amount of time with you as he does with every other patient.

Hysteroscopy to help remove scar tissue. Blood work for recurrent miscarriage. Femara and "trigger shot" for IUI.

Appointments & US- around $400. Hysteroscopy- around 2,000 IVF cycle around 24,000

unknown

Dr. Yalcinkaya is a wonderful doctor. It was very clear from our first meeting that he cares deeply about his patients and his work. He is very intelligent and is a leader in his field but can explain complex scientific techniques in a way that is easy to understand. He always made me feel comfortable with my treatment and made sure to tell us at every appointment that we could call him anytime if we had any questions or concerns. He is a little quirky and for a couple times during our first appointments we had to remind him of our situation (I think this comes from the clinic having a TON of patients), but once he got to know us, he could remember small things we had said or asked about months prior.

I would say be prepared to be patient not only with Dr. Yalcinkaya but also with the process itself.

I did an agonist IVF protocol. We began with a uterine biopsy (endometrial scratch), bloodwork and mock transfer (same as a SHG) about a week prior to my protocol starting. All of Dr. Y's IVF patients start this way and it is to rule out any potential problems (and to treat them if they are found) prior to the start of IVF. I began my protocol with Synarel instead of Lupron because Synarel also helps control endometriosis flare ups which I do have a history of. I did Synarel twice a day for 14 days and then continued with Menopur (1 vial), Gonal F (225), Doxycline (twice a day) and baby aspirin for another 9 days. During that time I had 4 ultrasounds. At my last ultrasound before retrieval, I had 29 mature follicles (and several more immature). Because of the number of follicles I had and because my estrogen level was elevated, Dr. Y recommend that we do a frozen transfer instead of a fresh because he was concerned about overstimulation. At first I was disappointed but later was thankful because I was somewhat overstimulated after my retrieval and I wasn't in a condition to successfully transfer at that time. The procedure itself went smoothly and I felt very comfortable. We retrieved 29 eggs, of that 12 were mature and 9 fertilized normally. We ended up with 3 day 6 blasts that were frozen. Dr. Y was a little concerned with my numbers since we had expected a lot more higher quality blasts based on my AMH/blood work and age. Before moving on to our transfer he recommend more extensive genetic testing for my husband and I. We are currently awaiting those results.

For a single IVF cycle including retrieval, monitoring and a fresh transfer my cost with insurance coverage was $5500. I paid an additional $800 or so for meds. This did not include any additional testing/procedures prior to the start of my cycle or additional non-routine blood work requested during my cycle.

Dr.Yalcinkaya is a compassionate doctor who goes out of his way to help his patients. He really wants what is best and is positive in nature while also explaining what may realistically happen. He has never given up on us and continues to remind us every visit that we WILL have our miracle baby. I have secondary infertility and he immediately tackled my personal needs at the pace that we were comfortable with.

Ask questions! He is very open to answer all questions you have. Be honest and candid with what is realistic for your family.

We started out by getting the diagnosis of PCOS and secondary infertility. He put me on metformin (2,000 mg per day). After 2 cycles of timed intercourse with the use of femara, we began IUI treatments. I did 2 of those without injections (Menopur and Ovidrel) and one with injections. I then developed an ovarian cyst that needed to be treated with Sprintec birth control for 2 weeks. We will be having our 4th IUI next week using menopur and Ovidrel along with femara.

I set up a payment plan from the beginning. The IUI was roughly $500 not including the cost for my husbands sample analysis and medications needed.

N/a

I think Dr Yalcinkaya is fanstastic. He has an amazing ability to calm my nerves when I see him. He is also confident and gives me hope during my visits. When the first IVF cycle was canceled he immediately had a plan to change my protocol. I can easily reach him by text or phone with questions. Where else can you find that ?!

Have a list of questions you want to ask. Ask about your plan of care (protocol). Ask him his thoughts on any other factors (male factor, endometriosis, etc). Be prepared to leave hopeful that you have a plan in place :)

The first cycle we did miniIVF: Gonal F 150 Units, Menopur 75 Units, Lupron, micronized: 2 injections daily. Also took Doxycycline 100mg twice daily, aspirin, extra folic acid and a prenatal vitamin. He used this rationale for lower dosing based on my DOR - he felt I would produce the same amount of follicles regardless so opted for lower doses. This time he added Cetrotide instead of Lupron, and increased the Gonal to 225Units.

The cost for miniIVF with meds was around 10k. This is far less than traditional IVF and less than most clinics

Dr Y said we could transfer 2-3 embryos and we are ok with that. He thinks at my age 1 in 3 will be normal

Dr. Y is such a down to earth person who happens to be a fertility genius. You can tell off the bat he is passionate about his work. He brings you in his personal office to discuss your options and you don't leave until all your questions are answered. He always offers up a story of hope and you leave feeling like he wants a baby for you as bad as you do.

Don't be afraid to ask questions and don't let money stop you from going. I am a cash pay patient as my insurance doesn't cover fertility treatments and I have always been well informed of cost in advance and shared with opportunities to save money. They empathize that my family has saved for a long time to make this a reality. They have never treated me like I can't afford their treatments.

Well firstly he was listening to my history and he said I want to see your ovaries today if that's ok with you. This was surpring to me but I was overjoyed that something was going to happen that day and the ball would begin rolling. I had follicles that looked perfect and he was excited about that which also made me excited. He said go home and have intercourse and maybe you won't even need to come back. I was shocked that he had hope and it sent me home walking on clouds. He said if this doesn't work, I have back up options. He told me my body does what it needs to do by making eggs and that he would like to perform an hsg to make sure the eggs have a way to release. He told me in detail what that consisted of including out the door cost. He shared even some success stories about hsg tests resulting in pregnancy in other patients. He answered my questions and talked with my until 15 mins after the office closed. That just doesn't exist in the world of medicine these days.

As I said earlier my costs are strictly out of pocket, from savings that have been a long process to get/keep. They knew that going in and kept me informed of all my fees before any services were decided on. They told me ways to cut costs and what to do if any hidden fees appeared and who to call directly if I got any bills in the mail that I didn't understand. People hear fertility treatments and think 10s of thousands of dollars but don't let that intimidate you. It's very affordable to sit down with Dr. Y and hear your options.

Dr. Yalcinkaya is an excellent listener, he put my husband and I at ease and gave us confidence in the process. He made himself available, so if I left an appointment and had a follow-up question, I could send him an email and he was prompt to respond. He was very understanding of the emotions surrounding infertility and gave me the time I needed to ask many questions or even cry if I needed to (and did).

Be knowledgeable about the process and ask as many questions as you need to.

I don’t remember in detail (I took a break from treatments but will be going back this month). He performed the HSG test & ultrasound. I continued to take femara (prescribed initially by my gyno) and before the IUI I gave myself a shot of Ovidrel in my abdomen.

I don’t remember the exact costs but the one IUI procedure (including the sperm wash, IUI, doctor visit, Ovidrel shot) was a bit over $800.

N/a

He is very knowledgeable on what he is doing and does it specifically to meet my medical needs and takes time to explain everything to where I can understand! My husband was diagnosed with azoospermia and after testing they could not determine the reason of his infetility and they suggested sperm donation but I really wanted a child that was mine and his. That is when Dr Yalcinkaya trialed him in Clomid for about three months sure enough he had about 18 sperm! He never gave up on us and respected my wishes! I will forever be thankful that because of him I have my sweet munchkin!

You have to be very patient and trust his recommendations!

He prescribed metformin on me as I was diagnosed with PCOS. This would help with the insemination and he kept me on this medication until about 10-12 weeks of pregnancy to maintain the pregnancy.

At the time I had Cigna insurance and honestly my insurance took care and covered most of my costs but they did have an option of financing.

At the time he suggested I only transfer one embryo because of my young age at the time but we ended up using transferring two embryos. Only on stayed!

Dr. Mesen is very detailed and treats each patient differently according to what their diagnosis is. He was very hands on during our treatments and made sure we understood what to expect. If there was a problem we were able to get answers in a quick and timely manner.

Expect to get started on treatment right away. At CFI they want to help you get pregnant so they will cover all bases before moving forward. They will do blood tests to rule out any issues and come up with an individualized plan to help you succeed. Dr. Mesen gives you direct and clinical answers in a way to help you understand possible reasons why you may be struggling with infertility.

For our IVF cycle we had a specific plan that worked with my PCOS. We stimmed with Menopur and Gonal F for about 8 days before retrieval. We did do a freeze all because of my estrogen level and then the next month we transferred two embryos.

We did mini IVF and it was around $6,500

We were able to transfer two embryos on our first transfer because we had a history of pregnancy loss. They do let most couples decide which they would like to transfer but it does depend on the history and diagnosis of the couple.

During my last round of IUI, Dr. Yalcinkaya did not see me at any point. His partner saw me and read my chart incorrectly, announcing that he was sure this would work because they had just cleared up some blockage in my tubes during the HSG test. Well, that test was a year prior to this visit. To have a different doctor who doesn’t even read the chart thoroughly before entering the room definitely left me feeling less than happy about the doctor or the clinic.

Ask if he will be providing your treatments at all appointments and if not to meet who will support him in your journey.

We used timed intercourse with fertility meds to try and get more mature eggs during my fertile period. When that was unsuccessful, we tried 3 rounds of IUI to increase chances. I took fertility meds and ovulation shots. With an unexplained infertility diagnosis this was an appropriate medical plan.

$450 per IUI and $80 for visits

I can't say enough good things about Dr. Mesen. He is easy to reach, kind, patient, and ready to explain all the minute details. On the few occasions I had a misunderstanding with a nurse or other issue, he always fixed the problem personally. His work ethic is impeccable.

Don't be afraid to ask lots of questions.

IVF with long lupron protocol, with a fresh 5d transfer, for unexplained infertility. I responded well to the protocol. Fresh transfer resulted in a CP, so an FET was scheduled. Due to failure of the first transfer, he recommended transferring 2 embryos, but I wasn't ready yet, and we transferred just one. Upcoming FET will transfer 2 embryos. FETs are done with medicated prep (estrace and vivelle).

$15,000 for IVF, which included ICSI, ER, all ultrasounds and monitoring, fresh transfer, freezing of all embryos for 1 year, unlimited FET of all embryos retrieved until viable pregnancy. If this does not result in a pregnancy, I will be refunded $12,000, which would pay for another IVF cycle.

We reviewed the statistics several times. He recommended a single transfer the first time due to my age, but 2 embryos for the 2nd transfer, though he allowed me to override that decision.

Dr. Yalcinkaya is a very good doctor. He takes the time to explain what he thinks is wrong and what he believes the best course of action is. He is flexible and gives options if you are not ready for a certain treatment. He is sympathetic to patients. He gives patients a way to reach him after hours for any questions or issues. He is often late to appointments and procedures, however, and it is hard to tell whether it is because he has a lot of responsibilities or whether it is because he is poor at time management.

Be prepared with questions you want to ask before your appointment. Be prepared to wait a long time for your appointments.

After determining that I was ovulating, that my tubes were open and that sperm counts were slightly low but within normal parameters, Dr Yalcinakya recommended IUI as our first course of treatment. He said I likely had endometriosis but he could not diagnose it for sure without surgery. We started with letrozole 7.5 mg on days 5-9 of my cycle. An ultrasound was done after completing the letrozole to check my response. Then IUI was scheduled. I was instructed to use Ovidrel trigger ~36 hours before the IUI. My first cycle resulted in a chemical pregnancy, so the doctor said we should try again. After 2 additional failed cycles with the same protocol, he recommended a change of strategy. He said he was sure I would get pregnant with IVF, but other options would be to do a laparoscopy to check for and remove endometriosis or to do IUI with injectable medications. Since we were reluctant to do IVF, we went with the surgery. Endometriosis was confirmed and the doctor removed what he found. We then did a 4th cycle of IUI. Letrozole 7.5 mg was used again but Menopur was added as well. I had an ultrasound after completing the meds to determine the response, and then IUI was scheduled. I was instructed to use a trigger shot ~24 hours before the IUI. This IUI was successful.

ultrasounds - $150, IUI - ~$400, Consultation ~$90