How was your experience with Albert El-Roeiy at Crozer Chester Medical Center?
Dr. El-Roeiy is a very experienced and intelligent clinician. As such, he takes a very scientific and calculated approach to his treatment, and tailors it to your specific needs - always stressing that patient safety was the most important factor. For me specifically, he knew from the get-go that I would be at risk for ovarian hyperstimulation, and adjusted his protocol to keep me as safe as possible. Dr. E does not beat around the bush - he calls it like it is. I very much appreciate this, because when your desire to have a baby is so strong, you want to know exactly what is going on and what to expect. That being said, he will fight for you to achieve your goals.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Albert El-Roeiy at Crozer Chester Medical Center?
Be informed about your diagnosis and your care - be an active part of your treatment. Ask as many questions as it takes to fully understand what is going on - not only will it not "annoy" Dr. El-Roeiy, but it will encourage him to help you learn even more about your treatment.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Albert El-Roeiy at Crozer Chester Medical Center?
Dr. El-Roeiy not only treats me as a human, but he goes above and beyond in doing so. You will see him at every visit, where he will greet you with a smile and a hug. If he sees that you are anxious or worried (as I think every woman who goes through IVF is), he does his very best to calm your nerves and explain his reasoning to help you through everything. He has always made sure to show and explain each and every ultrasound to me, making me feel that I was truly a part of my care, that I was a partner rather than back-seat passenger. On days that he felt I needed a little extra support, he would even call me himself and tell me unimportant results that generally a nurse would call for. When my husband was not able to join me for appointments, Dr. E would directly call him and discuss anything that I felt I would not be able to adequately explain. Before surgery, Dr. E will quite literally hold your hand as you are administered anesthesia, and when one of my retrievals did not have the yield that we had hoped, he actually wiped away my tears. He has always made me feel that I was special, not just one of a thousand other patients.
Describe the protocols Albert El-Roeiy used in your cycles at Crozer Chester Medical Center and their degree of success.
IVF cycle #1- was suppressed with lupron for three months prior to stimulation, with additional suppression with Letrozole for third month - suppression was prioritized in order to get rid of the many ovarian cysts in order to optimize egg quality and to avoid overstimulation. Was slowly stimulated with an extended course of very low dose gonal-F, menopur + ganirelex. Triggered with lupron to avoid OHSS. Frozen cycle determined at retrieval due to elevated estrogen (non-ideal environment for transfer). Frozen transfer of 1 embryo, negative pregnancy test.
IVF cycle #2 - brief suppression with letrozole + birth control pills. More quick stimulation with gonal F, menopur + ganirelex. Triggered with lupron. No mature eggs retrieved - LH levels tested during retrieval were revealed to be extremely low, determining that Lupron trigger did not work (most likely defective bottle).
IVF cycle #3- Suppression with two weeks letrozole. Stimulation with gonal-F and ganirelex (no menopur due to ovaries reacting strongly to a F). Awaiting frozen transfer due to elevated estrogen levels at retrieval. TBD!
Describe your experience with your nurse at Crozer Chester Medical Center. (Assigned nurse: Brooke)
Brooke is an amazing nurse - not only is she caring, warm and friendly, but she is also very knowledgeable in her field. She is well-versed in the mechanisms behind medications, as well as the steps of each procedure - making you feel very safe when discussing your care with her. She works very hard, always calling you with updates and results within a very timely manner. She has even given me her cell phone number to call in case I had any trouble with administering medication over the weekend.
Describe your experience with Crozer Chester Medical Center.
This clinic is beautiful. There is a spacious waiting room that can always accommodate the amount of patients scheduled. There are 3 single bathrooms available for patients, which is always nice to have prior to a fertility appointment. The wait time is generally very reasonable, usually not more than 15 minutes. Another huge plus is that there is a very large private parking lot.