Carolinas Fertility Institute

Dr. Mesen is "no nonsense", which can be hard for patients who care a lot about their doctor being warm. He always makes sure he listens and explains everything in detail. He always responds to my emails and has called me back to go through questions I had several times. I trust that he knows what he's doing.

If you're looking for someone warm and fuzzy, Dr. Mesen is not the right doctor for you, but if you like straightforward information and a no nonsense attitude, he's the right guy. I appreciate the direct approach, but I know not everyone is in the same boat.

We're in the early stages of treatment with having attempted 2 IUIs (one was canceled as the ultrasound only showed one ripe follicle). The second IUI went ahead but was unsuccessful. We then moved to a medicated cycle because the COVID-19 pandemic started and we weren't able to start a new IUI cycle. He recommended 3 IUI cycles before considering IVF, as the overall success rate of IUI for women with endometriosis is around 40%. We are paying out of pocket, so he was very cognizant of using the more affordable types of treatments first before moving to IVF. So far, I have not gotten pregnant on two medicated cycles (the canceled IUI turned into a medicated cycle with timed intercourse) and one IUI cycle.

So far, I've had diagnostic procedures that were covered by my insurance, a diagnostic test for my husband ($150), medication ($150), and one cycle of IUI ($1,000). We're planning on doing a laparoscopy with a specialist next and then up to two more cycles of IUI ($1,000 each) before moving on to IVF ($13,000 per cycle plus genetic testing, $4,000).

As someone with endometriosis, I have a much higher risk of unsuccessful implantation as well as miscarriage. Accordingly, I'd absolutely prefer a multiple embryo transfer. I know this is more risky, as it could lead to multiples, but it should be the patient's decision ultimately.

There were times where he was very blunt about what we were going through, but over time I really appreciated and looked forward to the bluntness because I felt like I was getting accurate advice and information. He has a good bed side manor and was able to offer comfort when needed. He was willing to think outside the box and never once gave us any indication to give up hope. He kept us going and hopeful throughout the whole process. He is very educated and stays up to date on the most up to date research and treatment for infertility.

To be patient with his staff who may not always have the best communication and bedside manner, and to give Dr. Messen and chance as a provider. Also, don't get taken aback if he is really blunt, it's not always, but when it is, it's to make sure you're aware of the risks/limitations of a situation or treatment.

In the beginning it looked like we were faced with unexplained infertility. So we were doing 3 cycles (if needed) of clomid, trigger shot, and IUI. We became pregnant on the first IUI, but miscarried at 9 weeks. He had us do a D&C and test the fetus to gain insights to the loss. Too many of my cells were pulled with the sample so the results were inconclusive. Prior to starting treatment with Dr. Messen I had fibroids and one hysteroscopy. With Dr. Messen I ended up needing several other hysterocopy procedures spaced out between all of our IUI attempts. Our second IUI protocol had no positive pregnancy, we got pregnant again on the 3rd IUI and miscarried again at 7 weeks. Once again we tested the fetus, the cells determined it was normal, so he order genetic testing. Found out I had a blood clotting issue only when pregnant so wanted me to do do heparin injections when I did get pregnant. We did a 4th IUI with no pregnancy and on the 5th IUI I had a positive pregnancy. I'm at 28 weeks and still on blood thinners, also discovered a thyroid issue and am treated for that.

it was significantly more reasonable than other options in our area, which is why we chose CFI in the beginning.

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Mesen has not been in communication since the initial consult or exam. The initial consult he explained stats show woman my age cannot bear children and that he repeated asked if I still have a period. I expressed every 26 days faithfully. He was then asked if I was sure, implying I'm lying. It was very uncomfortable to be challenged by my responses. Then he expressed that my obgyn doctor did not leave notes in my file and he could not find any information on me. However, I was able to login to my portal and share her findings stating that 5 small fibroids were found not prohibiting pregnancy or implantation . Then he expressed during the exam he found a fibroid on my uterus and inside and no explanation of lab results, no follow up. Since then my new fertility specialist has identified the same fibroids my obgyn did and expressed that they were not in a detrimental location and inside the uterus which is common Visiting mesen was a horrible experience.

Don't go if over 40 and black

I was never contacted back by anyone. My visit was April 5th and today is April 26. I sent my lab results to another facility to get an explanation and followup appointment.

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I never met Dr Mesen I worked with his nurse practitioner each time. They were all different each time. I wish I would have at least spoken with him at my consultation but he was in another city. I believe the Charlotte office just had the nurses running it.

Make sure you ask a lot of questions and you are able to advocate for yourself.

We did timed intercourse because my husbands sperm numbers were excellent. I took letrozal on cycle days 3-7 and then was checked mid cycle. One of the 4 times we did a trigger shot. This was because if I was ovulating on my blocked side we didn’t want to spend the money on that.

For each mid cycle ultrasound after insurance I paid around 160. I also had an HSG which after insurance was around 300. My trigger shot was $100 and the letrozal was $5 after insurance at CVS

What I liked about Dr. Mesen is that he would do any testing that would be needed to make sure there isn’t an issue. He would also be very honest in everything I asked or had concerns about. He is very knowledgeable in his work. Since he doesn’t do the actually egg retrievals and embryo transfers, I sometimes wonder if that can cause any drift in the whole process from start to finish.

I would let the prospective patient know that there are thousands of other people in the same situation and as much as you’d want that outcome to be in your favor, every individual has their own timing and plans that will happen according to how it should.

07/11/18 - CFI Appt. - 1st Cons/US/Bloodwork 08/17/18 - BloodTest for my spouse (Alpha Thalsemia) 08/31/18 - CFI Appt. - Saline US 09/10/18 - Started Vivelle Patches till 9/18 09/18/18 - CFI Appt. - Baseline US/Med Cons 09/19/19 - Start STEM meds 09/21/18 - CFI Appt. - Blood work 4 both & US 09/24/18 - CFI Appt. - US/Sample/Bloodwork 09/24/18 - Increase Gonal to 300 09/25/18 - Start Cetrotide Meds 09/26/18 - CFI Appt. - US & Bloodwork 09/26/18 - Decrease Gonal to 262 09/27/19 - Take Trigger shot & stop STEM med 09/29/18 - Egg Retrieval 10/12/18 - Start Patch & Estradiol Pill 10/22/18 - CFI Appt. - US & Bloodwork 10/25/18 - Start Progesterone Shots 10/28/18 - Start Methlyprednisolone Pill (4) 10/30/18 - Embryo Transfer 11/7/18 - CFI Appt. - 1st Pregnancy Test🚫 11/13/18 - Start Patch & Estradiol Pills 11/20/18 - CFI Appt. US 11/28/18 - CFI Appt. - ERA Biopsy (normal) 1/7/19 - Start Birth Control Pills 1/16/19 - CFI Appt. - SHG US 1/30/19 - Hysteroscopy Surgery 1/31/19 - Stop taking B.C Pills 1/31/19 - Start taking Estradiol Pills (30 days) 2/7/19 - HSG X-Ray on Follicle Tubes 2/21/19 - Start taking Provera Pills (10 days) 3/2/19 - Last day to take Estradiol & Provera 3/3-3/9: Accidentally took 1 week of Estradiol do it the nurse not notifying me when to stop. 3/10/19 - Stopped Estradiol pills 3/11/19 - Start Estradiol pills & Patch 3/13/19 - CFI Appt. - Follow up US on uterus 3/20/19 - Hysteroscopy @9am 3/21/19 - Start Provera Pills (5 days) 3/22/19 - Stopped Estradiol pills & Patches 3/28/19 - Start Estradiol pills & Patches 4/8/19 - CFI Appt. - Follow up US on uterus 4/12/19 - Start Progesterone Shots @8am 4/15/19 - Start Medrol pills (2x/day for 4 days) 4/17/19 - Embryo Transfer @11am 4/25/19 - Pregnancy Test😊 (40) 4/29/19 - Pregnancy Test😞 (17) 4/30/19 - Stopped all meds 4/6/22 - Consultation Appt. to do IVF again.

I could go for monitoring as long as it was during business hours they were open.

Since this was covered under my husbands insurance, I paid around $3K to $3,500 out of pocket. Every time I was told to do any type of testing, I would get a prior authorization.

The first time I did IVF, I wanted twins. I didn’t do the genetic testing because I was younger at the time so they transferred two embryos for the first abs second transfer. Now that I’m going to do IVF again I will definitely do the genetic testing and if I have any good quality embryos out if that, I plan to inky have one embryo transferred at a time since the health risk and pregnancy is lower than transferring multiples.

Dr Cain has exceeded our expectations! After 2 failed IUI's, within 2 years; at another fertility institute, I felt pretty defeated. At my initial consultation with Dr. Cain, I thought she expressed sympathy and listened to what I had to say, and took my feelings and frustrations to heart. My Journey has been 3 years in the process, and she definitely took that into consideration, I feel like now I have options. We both basically got down to it, and she expressed a clear and cognitive plan. At the end of the consultation, she provided me her email, after hours phone number, and I feel she has done more at her first initial visit than what was done for 2 years at another fertility office. I have unexplained infertility. I had an HSG, both tubes were good. I had a hysteroscopy to remove 2 polyps at my first fertility clinic. Dr Cain and I decided to move forward with an IUI w/ femara 5 mg and trigger shot, all which I was pretty familiar with. She rec'd to immediately begin treatment, as long as I was ready. I loved that. Why waste time? Dr Cain did all my ultrasounds to measure my follicle size and to determine when I will ovulate, and trigger. I saw the same lab tech that drew my blood. At each appointment I left pretty content, encouraged, and pretty realistic that my time will come. On the day of my last ultrasound on cycle day 16, I had a pretty good follicle size on my right side, she instructed me to go ahead and trigger and than come in 36 hrs later for my IUI. My husband and I were pretty happy as we have never achieved a follicle size that big! On the day of my IUI, my husband provided his sperm and my IUI was performed an hour later. Dr Cain was very encouraging, while leaving the office everyone expressed positive vibes. Two weeks later I had a positive test result! we were ecstatic, but also optimistic due to failed IUI's. I had blood work done my hcg #'s were pretty low, and I would go in every 2-4 days for blood work, and than on my 6 week pregnant mark, I went in for my ultrasound, and sadly a sac was not visible, Dr Cain was very upfront about her concerns with the pregnancy, she expressed such sympathy, I felt she was very concerned with my mental, and physical well being, as I will be experiencing my first miscarriage. I knew she was going to do whatever she can to help us get pregnant! I was told it was a biochemical pregnancy. She followed up with e-mails, and called me personally to walk me through what I may experience in the days ahead. With this being said, Dr Cain is not just my fertility Dr, she is my friend. I know I can always e-mail or call her anytime of the day and she answers in a timely matter. She has given my husband and I HOPE that we CAN get pregnant, as we did! even though it ended in a miscarriage, we developed new connections with people that I know are on our side. We are definitely going to continue with treatments at CFI and I know one day, our Journey will be reached.

She is not only going to be your Dr, you will also gain a friend. Very easily accessible, and willing to listen and help.

With my IUI, she prescribed femara 5 mg. The rationale for using femara is I was previously on Clomid and had a bad experience (with my 2 IUIS).. I had hot flashes, acne, and over stimulated ovaries. With Femara I had little to no side affects.

My insurance did not cover my IUI, or ultrasounds. So my out of pocket cost was $1000, which also covered my husbands sperm analysis, bloodwork, and medication.

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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.

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.

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.

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.

He is knowledgeable, and understanding of my diagnosis. He was honest by giving us the best treatment plan. He explained what IVF looks like by drawing things out for us. Very helpful. He understood that my endometriosis causes pain during ultrasound. He was kind and forthcoming when first meeting. We appreciated that he listened ti our concerns and gave us honest recommendations and statistics on success.

Have questions ready for all possible treatment options and your diagnosis.

I have not started any of this yet.

We have an estimate of 20,400 without medication and extra labs.

Not applicable as we have not done this yet.

Dr. Mesen is a doctor who truly cares about giving you the baby you’ve longed for. He’s very matter-of-fact but to me it was more important to have someone tell the truth and state facts rather than sugar coat things. I fully trusted him with my care after just going through a very traumatic experience with another clinic. He made me feel so comfortable and I think the world of him. I am eternally grateful to him.

I would tell them that they’re in really good hands and to trust him. He really knows what he is doing and has your best interests in mind. This is a passion for him and not about the money.

It was around $13,000

CFI transfers 1 PGT embryo at a time

My experience with Dr. Mesen has been great. He had to perform a surgery, and he knew my insurance wouldn't cover it at his coincidentally, so he reserves time at a local hospital. He doesn't sugarcoat things, which I appreciate. While he gives his professional input, he also let's you decide your next steps!

I would suggest to get your preliminary paperwork in quickly, so that you will be put on a wait-list, otherwise, your initial appointment could take months.

Dr. Mesen mentioned that he does not prefer multiple embryo transfer.

Dr. Y was brilliant. He was able to relate to our emotional concerns and my fragility at the time we met with him. This was very important after a very poor experience with another clinic. He explained the risks, showed us charts/studies we could refer to, and let us know that he would do his best to provide us with the outcome that we desired. At no time did we feel like we didn't know the challenges that we were facing but we did know we had someone in our corner actively working with us to help improve our chances of success.

Be open and honest about your challenges and concerns. Be prepared to follow the protocol to a T.

I only ended up with one genetically sound embryo to transfer.

He just didn't seem too interested and nonchalant, but he is polite. I never felt rushed when asking a question. He made the procedure quick and I was comfortable throughout both intrauterine inseminations.

I would not go to him for iui's

I would take femara 2.5mg twice a day cycle days 3-7 and ovidrel trigger around cycle day 14.

Very candid and straightforward, which I appreciated. Felt comfortable with him and he took the time to answer any questions or concerns each visit and would also check in on my emotional health. Felt like there wasn't enough of an explanation the first visit that we would start with IUI before completing any testing (HSG, semen analysis, etc).

Ask any questions you have and make sure you fully understand what will happen when you leave.

50 mg of Clomid and IUI 36 hrs after trigger. Performed twice as both times I had a good response to Clomid with 2-3 follicles and sperm count was high. Third IUI was scheduled, but I opted to move on to IVF instead.

$1100 per IUI, including meds

Weve suffered through 3 miscarriages now. All 3 he has been there for. He showed compassion with each one and offered a plan moving forward. He remained optimistic for us even when I had given up hope.

Listen to his advice and follow through.

I don’t remember the specifics but whatever they were they worked on our first round of ivf.

Our insurance was actually quite helpful so I don’t know much about the costs.

I wanted to transfer 2 but was told the chances of 1 was very good. I am thankful we only transferred one.

Dr. Mesen is very candid in how he presents you the available options and diagnosis. I originally was very concerned with how harsh he seemed, but the longer I've been a patient, the more he has softened and made the appointments feel more personable.

Give him a chance. Dr. Mesen definitely takes several appointments to warm-up to you, and your situation, but once he does I have really appreciated the way my care has been provided.

We started seeing Dr. Mesen in January of 2019 after working with 2 other clinics. Knowing our history, he got started with a plan immediately and took the time to discuss each step with us. After 2 IUIs we moved right to IVF. He performed every ultrasound himself and is cautious in his recommendations. I've had many setbacks all in the interest of setting us up for success. We've developed a relationship and he's given me his personal cell phone number for questions. He has called me personally with all of my beta results and I appreciate the personal attention.

Be prepared for a longer journey than you may have anticipated. Come to the table with questions and research. Dr. Mesen will answer all of your questions, but may not offer them up without asking.

For IUI, we did medicated cycles with Clomid. For stims we did Follistim and Menopur with estrogen patches and Ganorelix. For transfer protocol we did oral estrogen, estrogen patches, 1ml daily of progesterone in oil (IM), and 2x daily Heparin (for blood clotting disorder). Two IUIs were unsuccessful. Egg retrieval produced 23 eggs retrieved, 9 5-day blasts, 5 PGT normal frozen embryos. We've had 1 FET and it resulted in a miscarriage at 6 weeks. COVID-19 has postponed our second FET.

I have only had to wait more than 30 min for my appt once or twice. Once I started IVF with CFI, I felt like I was seen almost immediately at every visit (sometimes wait 15 min for Dr. Mesen in the ultrasound room). Dr. Mesen always performed the monitoring and I never felt like he was rushing me.

I believe an IUI cycle was around $1,200-1,400 (no insurance coverage). Our IVF plan was about $23,000 - but was part of a program that included all bloodwork and ultrasounds, egg retrieval, genetic testing of embryos, and as many frozen embryo transfers required to achieve a live birth.

The primary recommendation is single embryo transfer and we haven't really explored other options yet.

Going through this journey, I learned that trust is one of the most important aspects of choosing the right doctor and clinic. After feeling like I'd wasted a year of precious time under the wrong doctor's care, I was relieved to learn of a new option in my area. I called and made an appointment, the first available being a couple of months away. In the meantime, I attended an educational presentation that CFI and Dr. Tamer Yalcinkaya hosted. I was able to meet Dr. Tamer Yalcinkaya personally, and my husband and I learned about how CFI performs IVF, the benefits to their chosen methods, and an overall understanding of what IVF would look like for us. At my initial appointment, I met with Dr. Tamer Yalcinkaya and Caitlyn Coates. They went over my health history and the process began. I left feeling like I was in much better hands and had hope. Each time I saw Dr. Tamer Yalcinkaya, I felt comfortable around him and confident in the decisions he made for my protocol. From office visits, to the retrieval, and transfer, he was always professional and optimistic.

Every additional month that passed by on the calendar felt like we were getting farther and farther from our dream, but waiting for an appointment with Dr. Tamer Yalcinkaya at CFI was worth it. My advice is to trust him.

The first IVF protocol that I tried was the Lupron protocol. Two of my follicles "soaked up" the medications, causing them to develop faster than my other follicles. My retrieval was cancelled two days prior to the projected date, due to only have the chance of retrieving two eggs. Since we paid out of pocket, Dr. Yalcinkaya told us he believed I was capable of producing more than two mature follicles, and to wait and try again another cycle. The next attempt, I tried the Antagonist protocol. My follicles developed at an even rate, and I had a successful egg retrieval with 9 eggs. During both cycles, I had minimal symptoms from the medications and recovered quickly after the egg retrieval.

We started the IVF portion of my infertility journey in 2019 at CFI Asheville and paid the clinic $14,358. This did not include some lab work that wasn't covered in the package ($86.55), and all medications. My medications in 2019 totaled $5047. Because I had to do two stim cycles, my journey continued into 2020. The FET procedure was $2900, and medications in 2020 are currently up to $700. (Total paid so far - $23,092) Our insurance, United Healthcare, does not offer infertility coverage.

My age qualifies for a multiple embryo transfer, however, since we chose to do genetic testing, we were told that single embryo transfer is protocol. We were educated on the why behind this reasoning and comfortable with this decision. We also ended up with only one genetically normal embryo, so a single embryo transfer was our only option.

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.

I have absolutely nothing negative to say about Dr. Y. Without him and his team we would not have the best 8 month old sweet baby girl we could ever have prayed for. He is extremely knowledgeable about reproductive medicine and wants to help as many families as he can. You could literally text Dr. Y at all times and he will reply, he is extremely personable and an excellent Doctor.

Ask questions, he explains very well when he is discussing procedures but ask any and all questions you think are silly and irrelevant ( no question is it it is important to you and your health and reproductive journey) he will always answer truthfully!

For our infertility diagnosis of pcos and annovulation I ended up needing to do a full ivf cycle with icsi and freezing 5 eggs, with a successful transfer of one baby girl.

About 18,000 give or take

When my husband and I came for a consult we knew we would have to wait a while to be seen. Dr. Y met us in his office and looked over my pictures from my laparoscopic surgery due to ectopic pregnancy. He carefully explained to us that I indeed had tubal blockage. Dr. Y did not throw the idea of having to do IVF immediately, instead he suggested a procedure to open the remaining tube. Although that procedure was unsuccessful, he then suggested we try mini Ivf. Throughout this process, Dr. Y has been supportive and understanding.

You may have to wait a while to see Dr. Y, but he is definitely worth the wait. He takes his time with all of his patients, which is definitely appreciated.

Dr. Y felt like my remaining left tube could be open, so he recommended a procedure called tubal cannulation. During the procedure he made sure I was comfortable and relaxed. Unfortunately the wire was not able to get through the tube due to the blockage. He then recommended IVF.

Tubal Cannulation:$600 HSG: insurance covered Consultation: less than $200

He is really nice and gentile. I feel like he is sincere and wants a positive result for you. I don’t like the wait time to see him and his treatment plans are sometimes a little unclear. However, I trust his treatments so I don’t ask much questions.

Be prepared to wait.

I started seeing Dr. Mesen in a mid cycle while taking Letrozole 2.5mg. The last doctor never check if I was to ovulate that cycle or not. So thank goodness I started seeing Dr. Mesen. We did like 3 ultrasounds and days pass by on the day I was supposed to ovulate. So he finally added another dose of Letrozole 5.0mg to that cycle. I finally ovulated. After that initial cycle, I would take Letrozole 7.5mg starting at CD3 and coming in for an ultrasound at CD12. I felt better since Dr. Mesen was monitoring my ovulation. With all of the other doctors, I would tell them that I was not ovulating and they just brushed it off. 15 months went by and I finally switched to see Dr. Mesen. On my 2nd and 3rd cycle with Dr. Mesen we did the IUI procedure on CD 14 with a trigger shot the night of CD12. We had a consultation IVF after the 2 failed IUI cycles. Now we are just waiting for this pandemic to be over with.

Each ultrasound appt with my insurance was about $300 and each IUI treatment is around $1,000. The trigger shot was about $107.

At our ivf consultation, he said he prefers single embryo transfer.