IVF Phoenix

our experience with IVF Phoenix was so bad, I don't have and kind things to say about them. I wish I did, but I don't and that is why we are so happy to be with our new physician. Their billing person is so hard to communicate with and get straight answers from, you are not assigned to a specific coordinator, ultrasounds are performed by a different person everytime.

This office was never honest with us about their pricing. They gave me "cash" prices and then billed my insurance three times as much. an egg retrieval should have cost us around $8,000 and it ended up costing over $15,000. It's been five months since my egg retrieval we are still dealing with incorrect filing of claims because we were billed for procedures that were not performed. Total nightmare dealing with this office and their staff.

There are so many patients at the office per day that the staff just treated you like a number.

Dr Couvaras is a very outside of the box thinker which is not necessarily bad but he is not great at breaking down the theories behind his protocols and why he wants you to take medications he prescribes. I was taking a cholesterol medication and Reglan and had no idea why he wanted me to take them for IVF.

Review your billing with a fine tooth comb and make sure you have the quoted pricing agreed upon and signed before paying anything to them.

I was on growth hormone, Gonal-F, menopur, provera, ganirelix, lupron, heparin, and hcg for my egg retrieval stim cycle. Prior to that my prep protocol was vitamin D3, vitamin B6, GABA, antiviral 1-3 times daily, plaquinel, heparin twice a day, and multi vitamin, folinic acid, l-arginine, decreased carbs, increased protein.

Never given a cost estimate. cash price for egg retrieval cycle was $6750. My insurance paid out at 100% and they attempted to bill my insurance over $30,000 just for an egg retrieval, as an insurance patient. This completely wiped out my $15,000 lifetime max infertility benefit. They are completely unethical and will charge insurance patients way more than cash patients so they can collect as much money as they can ans sometime more money than a person paying cash.

If you have PGS testing done and the embryo is normal he will transfer 1 or 2, he gives you a choice. if the embryos are not PGS tested he prefers to transfer 2

Infertility is very complex, sensitive, and stressful as it is, but having a clinic where we felt lost, unheard, and unimportant just added to the stress. The lack of communication and organization was a huge red flag for us. I could tell Dr. Couvaras is smart, but his protocols for every patient that walked in the door were the same, and he wasn't willing to listen to our concerns. I think he works with a very particular demographic of patients, and I know he has helped patients in the past. However, I feel like in the world of fertility and growing your family it is important to have a doctor who is willing to be a guide and work WITH you to understand the full picture rather than treating you like every other patient.

The office was often chaotic and interactions with him felt like a rehearsed speech. After several months of treatments and talking with other patients, I realized that we were all being given the exact same protocol regardless of medical history, diagnosis, weight, age, etc. I felt like I wasn't heard and my questions were brushed off.

Every time we came in for an appointment, we saw someone different. The communication within the office as well as over the phone or email was inconsistent, and I felt like I was constantly starting over and having to catch people up to where we were in our treatment. During one appointment, I went in for an ultrasound and then we were going to receive updated protocol. Not only did the ultrasound tech admit that she didn't know what she was looking for, but after the fact, she said she didn't know what doses of medication I was supposed to be on moving forward. Dr. Couvaras was "busy" and couldn't see us. She said she would give us what she thought was the right protocol sheet, and then we should call later and figure it out. Given the time sensitive nature of fertility drugs, I said I was willing to wait until someone could make sure we were taking the right medications. When another nurse finally came in, she gave us a completely different protocol sheet and told us the one the other nurse had given us was incorrect. Imagine if I would have gone home and not questioned, I don't think they would have corrected the problem. Another instance was when they started diagnosing and prescribing medications, and I felt something was off, when I questioned it, they then realized they had the wrong chart! That was very typical of how we felt about the communication, and was ultimately the reason we stopped pursuing treatment there.

I felt like Dr. Couvaras is an extremely intelligent person. However, that created a false sense of hope in the beginning because he talked so confidently, but the follow-up in treatments did not mirror that confidence. There was an overall lack of empathy and consideration for patient questions and emotions. I felt like he gave us the same speech every time, and he wasn't willing to answer questions. After years of trying to conceive, doing several rounds of medicated cycles, and having experienced several early miscarriages, I knew there was more going on than what he was willing to explore. He absolutely refused to do any testing on my husband, and just continued to medicate me. When we switched doctors we found out that my husband not only had extremely low morphology, but also has a balanced chromosomal translocation. As you can imagine, this was extremely frustrating and heartbreaking for us, and we felt that we had been completely misguided and mistreated, and it was an issue that could have been handled very differently.

Do not allow him to make you feel like your questions are invalid. You as the patient, and as a woman, know your body. If you feel like you're not being heard, and like what he is telling you is not working, do not be afraid to get a second opinion. Nobody can advocate for your journey better than you can!

When we first met with him, he told us that his "typical" protocol was a "cocktail" of antivirals, anti-inflammatories, and the stimming medications. He prescribed Losartan, Heparin, Plaquenil (which is an anti-malarial drug), Femara, FSH, Acyclovir (antiviral), Lovastatin. We did home OPKs and came in for occasional ultrasounds to monitor follicles before doing hCG trigger and timed intercourse. He then tried a protocol with FSH medication: I was instructed to do home ovulation tests, and to begin protocol which came on a sheet that looked like this: Omnitrope am (30), Heparin am/pm (32), Prednisone am (10), and FSH pm (150iu). Come in for U/S and bloodwork. Instructions were vague at best, there were rarely nurses to answer questions, which left us feeling very confused and on our own to connect the dots. I was given a different nurse every time I called or went in for appointments, so there wasn't much continuity of care. One thing I was also very concerned about was the high doses of Heparin he prescribed to his patients. For several months of my treatments with him, I was giving myself Heparin injections 3 times a day. When I switched doctors, they ran all of the clotting factor labs and told me that there was no reason for me to have ever been on Heparin in the first place.

In total we spent around $8,000 during our 9 months with Dr. Couvaras. That doesn't include all of the outsourced labs or prescriptions. We are really fortunate to have pretty good insurance that covered partial costs of office visits and prescriptions, however, most of what we did treatment wise through him wasn't fully covered.

Strengths: Excellent care and communication. Tons of package pricing options. Very responsive to questions via phone and text. Clear instructions. Weaknesses: two separate offices that you have to drive to

Dr. Couvaras has a very personalized approach and listened to me very closely each appointment. I feel like he is a brilliant doctor who helped me understand more than just my fertility but my overall health. We did a ton of testing before we jumped to any conclusions and treatments.

They were a few ladies who would explain the treatment plans and next steps and were always willing to assist with questions any day/time.

I had seen two fertility doctors prior to dr. Couvaras and didn’t feel comfortable with them at all. Dr. Couvaras team is so responsive to my many questions and are just a text or phone call away. He listens carefully and transcribes each appt in front of you. As he examines you he educates you on what he is looking at. Dr. C even personalized my diet/exercise routine.

Listen and ask any question you have. Trust and follow Dr. C’s recommendations.

Dr. Couvaras is a very smart man and wants to prevent miscarriage or any problems before any treatment is done. I was told to follow a low histamine diet to clean up inflammation I had. We did a intralipid infusion a few days before my procedure since I had high killer cells. With each recommendation in his treatment he had a very good explanation of how it would beneficial.

There are a ton of package pricing that are very competitive with other clinics out in Arizona.

They are great at scheduling and you always leave with your visit notes in your hand that have your plan. At the end of the visit the nurse sits down and goes back over the plan with you ( so you hear it twice before you leave the office ). They all totally get everyone is at a different point in the journey. Some people come in after 6 months of ttc and some people wait years or like us we waited 4 years and tried several other treatment plans before going to Dr Couvaras.

The office and Dr Couvaras is so great at communicating threw calling, texting, their portal and just in general when your at the office. your always able to schedule an appt quickly. After doing an HSG in their office the nurse was so kind and of course Dr Couvaras is always so great and making sense of what is going on and explaining it.

First I adore that his sweet wife works with him, and the rest of the staff is sweet but sometimes a little unorganized. The Dr does quite a bit himself it seams but it feels like he almost prefers it, it feels like he is taking care of you.

We weren’t sure what to expect but Dr Couvaras is a genius in my book, he is so knowledgeable. He was so willing to do an extra ultra sound even when it wasnt planned to see how close I was to ovulation. I love that he, himself does the ultrasound with us, in the past at other offices we’ve had poor experiences with ultrasound technicians. I love that his sweet wife works in the office with him. I have been beyond blown away by his care these last 3 months.

Dont be afraid to ask questions! Sometimes he will explain using medical terms I don’t recognize even with my medical experience. He is so willing to explain, just ask!

We are still in progress. The acyclovir I am still taking and the plaquenil was short term. Dr Couvaras focuses a lot on inflammation especially with me. He instructed me to read and learn about SIGHI diet, also to take Vitamin D, Gaba, B6 and Methyl Folate. i hadn’t had a period in 18 months trying so many other things (metformin, clomid and holistic medicine) and this worked within 20 days!!!!! It blew us away. Now we’ve had two cycles. We have planned for this next cycle to do haprin shots/clomid and IUI. Dr Couvaras immediately recommended that we do the genetic carrier tests, which I was grateful for. I just want to do things right, we feel we’ve had too many doctors try to shortcut out of seeing me. Dr Couvaras gets that and is willing to go at our pace to get that baby into our arms.

Mostly Co pays we haven’t gotten the visits back from both insurances. The genetic testing was cash and the supplements was cash. It has not been as bad as I expected. IUI will be about $400 with the lipids another few hundred then with mediations and another month of supplements. I bet it will be about $1,500 by the end of March.

i haven’t had an experience with this yet. Maybe it won’t be necessary but maybe it will.

It’s a busy clinic but over all runs very smooth. I’ve hardly ever had to wait to be seen for blood work, IVs, ultrasound etc. it is very clean and welcoming. I think a weakness would also be how busy it is, sometimes it’s a tad over overwhelming how many people are going in a out while you are waiting for info.

This lastbcucle I haven’t even seen him, I’ve only had encounters with the nurses and sometimes when the nurses text me they have the wrong information about what I’m suppose to be doing in this cycle.

One nurse is very friendly and sweet and the other not so much. Sometimes when Dr is out of town I feel like they can’t get it together. They text me the wrong info on occasion or asking me questions that don’t pertain to my treatment at that time. For instance I did a trigger shot last Sunday and then on Thursday one nurse text me to ask what my OPKs were looking like. It was irrelevant after the shot and kind of freaked me out that maybe they had me do something wrong.

After seeing another fertility dr that treated everyone as a one size fits all, Dr. Couvaras was a breath of fresh air. He had testing done on me that I had never even heard of and put me on a diet and supplements along with medication. I really felt as though he was fixing the problem from the inside out, instead of attempting to get an unhealthy person pregnant. I had just had my third miscarriage when I went to see him and I needed to feel like my body was being fixed to carry a baby.

He’s a little crazy, but there is a method to his madness d he gets results. I’ve had friends who were told they would need IVF with others drs end up being able to conceive naturally after doing Couvaras course.

First round I did acyclovir to reduce virus that I carry, heparin for blood clotting and tons of vitamins including high doses of vitamin D. That cycle we also did a trigger shot. Unfortunately that round wasn’t successful. This round (in two week wait) we did the same as above and added chlomid on days 3 to 7 of my cycle. Did that followed by a trigger shot with timed intercourse again. During this cycle we had a semen analysis done on my husband, had the first one done with first fertility dr and his results came back normal, Couvaras does different in house testing and my husbands did come back low this time. We opted to try naturally one more time and if unsuccessful this round we will try IUI.

So far I believe we are at about 5000$. Mostly just for testing, HSG, sono with oil, and the intralipid IVs. If we move to IUI next cycle the cost will increase significantly.

The clinic has two locations which is convenient. You are able to text them if you have a simple question and they reply promptly. The clinic is nice and feels professional yet welcoming. For the initial consultation the wait was a little bit, but following appointments I only waited about 10 minutes at the most.

He took the time to talk about me individually and not generalize my infertility. He sat down and went over my history from when I started my cycle. He really got to know me to see what was causing ME infertility

They are good in person, but struggle to explain everything in depth. Sometimes I wasn’t supposed to be taking a medication anymore yet I was never told until I had to ask. They didn’t tell me to bring the mix for my trigger shot so I had to mix it on my own and hope I did it correctly.

Dr Couvaras is very helpful and looking for underlying issues that are causing infertility. He tested many different deficiencies, genetics, and problems that could be affecting my ability to get pregnant. He did this before starting any treatments, making me feel like I didn’t have a cookie cutter plan for me. Once test results were back he sat down with my husband and I and explained everything at a level we could understand. He used metaphors to explain how the ovulation process works and why mine wasn’t. He truly treats you individually! We don’t have results from our first TIC with clomid yet, but we feel positive.

Clomid-50 mg for 3 days and 25 mg for 2 days. Heparin injections twice a day from day 3 to ovulation. Vitamin D, Folic Acid, B6, L-arginine Steroid medication after trigger shot Trigger shot on day 15 with a low dose of trigger 2 days leading up to trigger

$175 for doctors visit Original consultation cost? Blood work? $375 intralipid infusion

It's too soon in process for me to give any detail here. We have not started the process of ivf yet have just started compettign the tests required before ivf procedure. So far what we have experienced is good. Everyone seems knowledgeable and friendly

Dr kavouras took the time to dig in and ask pertinent questions that the other doctor did not ask. My first meeting at IVF Phoenix was with the actual doctor at dr. Troche that was not the case. Dr kaporis took time and explaining why this system could or could not work but also gave us some hope for the future. he spent a considerable amount of time with us at our first consultation which we had not received with the doctor prior.

She has been good at getting everything scheduled.however I do feel and sometimes with her email she could be a little bit more detailed

Dr kavouris definitely speaks more medically than he does in layman's terms but only seems confused he had a good way of explaining it. He's very straightforward and to the point. Was very detailed in his questions starting from back to when I received my very first period.we were very surprised to have met with dr. Kavouras himself on our very first consultation and the amount of time that he spent with us was incredible. he really felt like he was trying to get to know our particular situation instead of just treating us like he would treat every other IVF patient.we feel he's very revolutionary and his approach to IVF and his understanding of endocrinology and the woman's body made us feel extremely comfortable. when trying to have a baby you want your IVF doctor to be compassionate and understanding of the struggle.this is not the type of doctor you want to go to that is not compassionate considering the type of medical issue this is.this type of treatment is very emotional and personal to each and every family and to have a doctor that understands that and truly cares makes a huge difference. And in the same respect you want a doctor that really knows his stuff. The amount of knowledge he had was great

if you've been struggling and looking for that second option someone to actually give you hope and not just shut the door on you as if you don't matter then Dr kavouras Who you want to see

Extremely reasonable compared to other doctors

I haven't noticed any weaknesses with the clinic since arriving to IVF Phoenix. The staff is very welcoming, professional, and timely. They make sure my husband and I are comfortable, aware if there is any wait time and will double check on any concerns, or questions I have for Dr. Couvaras

At each appointment we are warmly welcomed by Dr C, and he gives us as much time as we need to discuss our plan. We never feel rushed and we certainly don't feel like a number.

The nursing staff seems to be very sweet, organized and knowledable.

Dr Couvaras is the most knowledgeable doctor I have ever met. He doesn't immediately jump to IVF, he is determined to find the underlying problem and fix our issue before wasting our time and finances. We enjoy each appointment we have with him, he's straightforward and hopeful, we can hear the hope in his voice that he has for us.

Give him your time. Dr Couvaras thinks outside of the box and runs any and all necessary tests to find the underlying problem as to why you're not conceiving naturally. He will not toss IUI/IVF your way if he believes there's a chance you will conceive naturally with his help.

Pirmella 1/35 vagionally cycle day 3 thru 10. Prenatal with DHA Vitamin D 20,000IU for 30 days then 15,000IU for 30 days then 5,000IU for 30 days L-Arginine 500mg Vitamin B6 50mg GABA 1800mg Folinic Acid 800mcg Acyclovir 800mg three times per day Heparin 20,000 IU (line 41) two times per day My growth hormone is under producing and he would like to try and correct naturally, my Vitamin D level was only okay, that he would like to increase, and my D-Dimer was very high. Before starting his plan he wants to see my clotting time regulated and has prescribed an antiviral to clear out any toxins that may be in my uterus.

We have not gotten that far in our process. Currently our insurance covers speciality visits with a copay. We will then pay out of pocket for medications and procedures.

IVF Phoenix is full of kind, caring and helpful people. They do their best to accommodate all of your needs and answer all of your questions. I felt extremely comfortable every time I went to an appointment. I think it's encouraging to know that Dr. Couvaras and his team are dedicated to getting to the root of the cause of why you aren't getting pregnant. I would recommend any of my friends and family to see him when they are trying to conceive.

I never felt rushed or like my questions were stupid. Dr. Couvaras took the time to explain everything in detail to us.

Everyone I encountered at IVF Phoenix was helpful and compassionate.

Dr. Couvaras was always kind and courteous. We also answered our questions and we never felt rushed when we were in the office. He always made sure to ask us if we had any other questions before we left.

Be patient but know that Dr. Couvaras has your best interest at heart.

I had a low white blood cell count and Dr. Couvaras put me on a cleanse of vitamins, medications and Heparin shots to increase my count. I was on it for a month and my number went up drastically after the cleanse. All of my other tests came back normal but unfortunately, my husband suffers from male factor infertility and we were told that IVF is our only option.

My co-pay for each visit was $60 through my insurance. The HSG test I had done was around $300. My husband's semen analysis tests were each around $180. All of the expenses added up which is why we haven't started IVF yet since we simply can't afford it. We're trying, by the grace of God, to start a family naturally while we save money to afford IVF.

I love how Dr. Couvaras gets to the root of the cause. The only complaint I would ever have, if any, is that I wish he could do more to help my husband's male factor.

They have 2 offices to help work around your schedule and theirs. Very clean and quiet. There is definitely privacy during your appointments. There is room for your spouse/SO and yourself in each room I've been in. I never felt uncomfortable at either office.

Dr. C spends a lot of time working with his patients as individuals and developing specific treatment plans for specific problems. He tries to find the underlying issue instead of masking the symptoms of the issues.

The nursing staff is very patient and knowledgeable. They try to work with you as much as the schedule allows and help walk you thru the process when you're struggling. I was impressed by their knowledge and skills.

Dr. C spends a lot of time working with his patients as individuals and developing specific treatment plans for specific problems. He tries to find the underlying issue instead of masking the symptoms of the issues. When things didn't go the way we had hoped he spend his valuable time researching a solution to the problem and offered it as something to try. He is VERY knowledgeable in his field of work and makes sure you understand everything he has you doing before you even leave the office and start treatment. By far the best fertility specialist I have worked with.

Be patient. Follow his advice and don't get frustrated right off the bat. Give time for the treatments to work. Have faith in the process.

Dr. C performs lots of blood work and diagnostics to find root causes of fertility issues. He uses supplements based on blood levels and then rechecks to make sure you're in the proper range. He digs deep into your medical history to put the whole picture together. Not just pieces here and there.

For IVF cycle we paid $6750. This does not include FET, medications, or emergency weekend appointments. However it does include the first year of storage for frozen embryos.

The clinic is very caring and Dr. Couvaras and his wife are dedicated to helping others achieve their dream of a baby in their arms. The clinic does struggle with detail and some organization, but it is a very nice office and then do respond in a timely manner.

The initial consultation was almost an hour. Dr Couvaras was very detailed in our initial consultation. Since the first consultation there have been some mistakes that have made us feel less human and like we didn’t matter as much because we are not doing IVF right away.

The staff have all been very nice; however, I did notice that after the one month of treatment when we were preparing for our IUI mistakes were made. I was told to take several medications when I needed to stop them. Another big example is a prior authorization that was supposed to be started so I could take medication on a specific date after our IUI. It was never started and there were no answers as to why.

Dr. Couvaras is very detailed and looks into way more then just the basics my other RE looked at. He looks at inflammation and immune response for a well rounded approach. I do feel like he could have more of a warm bedside manner especially when explaining set backs.

Be prepared for a detailed regimen including exercise and diet and do everything he tells you to a T.

Dr. Couvaras initially started me on Heaparin injections twice daily do to a small clotting factor he found. I also showed a marker for HSV6 virus that he was concerned about so I was taking high doses of Acyclovir in addition to lovestatin and other vitamin supplements. He believed that my immune system was trying to fight something off. I was also out on an anti-histamine diet and specific excercise regimen (between 3-7pm heat rate 140’s). This was for two months leading up to our IUI. We are still pending IUI results.

Our insurance is contracted with this office so after we hit our deductible it was covered by 95%!

I’ve never had a single issue. They are very prompt to respond and I can typically make my apt early in the day so it doesn’t interfere with work. They can be very busy because it’s a small office and has one ultrasound room so there is a wait sometimes. Never more than maybe 10 minuets but they have water and snack so I never mind!

Dr.C is truly amazing. He actually spent the time to understand my history and reassure me I still had options. He is incredibly passionate about his clinic and make sure his staff is the same way. They k is you by name and are just as invested in this process as you.

The nursing staff is so caring you feel like they are there just for you! They have a dedicated number you can text including after hours. I had an issue with a medication and working a few minuets the pharmacy had a call and it was all straightened out. That was 7pm and I never had to worry because I k ew they were there to help. After my retrieval I had daily texts and calls to see how I was doing. This process even for someone experienced can be stressful and overwhelming but the nursing h staff was so amazing I’ve never been so relaxed during a cycle.

Dr.C is just a fountain of knowledge! He makes sure you fully understand all the medical parts. I leave every appointment with a written care summary and plan so I can always look back at what we discussed and what my next step is. Dr.C takes an individual approach to every patient and is willing to try new procedures or approaches based on your need. I have a particularly difficult diagnosis and he reassured me that even though this might be a rough road he believes he will be able to help me have my dream baby. He never makes you feel like you are out of options and will keep trying new things as long as you are willing. That is what what really makes him so amazing!

It took me a few months to get ready for my first IVF cycle with Dr.C I have immune issues so we spent the time to ensure that every thing was as good as can be before we proceeded. He used heparin and antiviral meds to get my immune system in check and increase the blood flow to help with egg quality. That resulted in my best round yet with 17 egg retrieved and 15 mature! Before my transfer we continued with blood thinners, antivirals and intralipids to help calm my immune system.

Dr.C has some of the most reasonable prices around! He know not everybody has unlimited funds or Medicsl coverage. In totalmeds cost about $1700 and the rest of the cycle including ICSI, testing and transfer was about $8,000.

The clinic has two separate locations which is great to be able to accommodate many women in the Phoenix area. There was a time when there were quite a few new nurses on staff which made it frustrating seeing as though I would get incorrect answers to my questions or no answer at all. I'm hoping this is no longer the case and that they have grown their knowledge to help answer simple questions that don't require the Drs input.

I feel like he took the time to help me understand the process of fertility treatments, but with unexplained infertility diagnosis it's hard to feel like he truly knows what will get us pregnant but that's due to the unknown.

Courtney is absolutely amazing to work with and no matter how busy the office is she would always be on top of her game and make you feel comfortable with all the ultrasounds and next steps you might have. Even after taking months off from treatments she remembered me the moment I called back in. Fertility treatments are one of the most stressful things to go through and having someone like Courtney gave me the confidence and courage that I was on the right path to conceiving.

Dr Couvaras is very open to trying new things and keeping updated with new fertility treatments. Before putting me on clomid he tried to naturally get all my levels on track with supplements and a light carb diet. It did help to get many things back to normal, but when it didn't lead to pregnancy he had me start clomid with timed intercourse. That didn't lead to pregnancy so my next cycle we will try clomid with IUI before moving on to IVF.

To give the process time and even though all the check ups and blood work seems like too much to handle, it's all worth it for them to have further knowledge on what might work better the next cycle.

I was on 50mg of clomid days 3-7 along with shots of heparin twice a day from cycle day 1 up to ovulation to increase blood flow to my uterus. I had 2-3 vaginal ultrasounds the first two weeks of my cycle to check follicular development and once 1 or 2 follicles were large enough they would have me do an HCG trigger shot and have intercourse twice that day and once the next day, we had done timed intercourse rather than IUI as my husband SA came back with flying colors . I had done that protocol for 3 cycles which none resulted in a pregnancy.

I had lipids every cycle with clomid which was around $375. I don't recall any other specifics other than spending roughly $8k in total with supplements, appointments, prescriptions and injectables in about 6 months.

We have not gone through IVF at this point, but with my age of 31 he highly suggested just one embryo transfer.

Never saw a weakness. Education is evident in the ENTIRE staff. Compassion and empathy are present as well. They knew my name when I arrived. Not many offices do. They were personable, friendly and always had a smile on their faces

He knew me, knew my name, always knew my history and made me feel confident in him, his team and the decisions in my care.

Educated, alert, compassionate, available.

From the first visit and consultation, I knew he would figure out why I could not get pregnant. He was very thorough, and put me at ease. His bedside manner is amazing and his staff was equally wonderful. His communications are detailed and I always left my appointments knowing what was going on. Our result was not what we wanted, but I fully understand why and know that there is a plan going forward. He treated me like a human being when everyone else treated my like a patient. There is a difference and not many doctors know it.

Give him the chance to make things happen. There is a method to his madness and you will be so grateful you did.

I suffer from inflammatory issues, immune issues and severe respiratory disease. His treatment was specifically tailored to me. I was on vitamins and supplements that had me feeling the best I had felt in years. I had great communications if there were any developments or changes in me or the way I was feeling. I was on an anti-inflammatory course to help settle my body down and see if I could get my follicles to develop.

Our costs were off set by some insurance coverage. We paid copays and then additional monies for "non-covered" medications and services. Our first round of injectables was about $1500.00 and I would say we spent about $7000.00 over the course of my treatment.

Dr. Couvaras and his staff were readily available and happy to answer all of our questions. We never felt like an inconvenience.

Everyone at IVF Phoenix is a pleasure to work with. Always friendly, helpful, and available.

I cannot say enough good things about Dr. Couvaras. Before seeing him, our infertility was not linked to any of the common problems (low sperm count or morphology, endometriosis, PCOS, etc.). My husband's analysis was normal, I seemed to be ovulating regularly, and had no obvious issues. I conceived once unassisted but miscarried early on. We then moved on to IUI and underwent 6 unsuccessful IUI treatments. When none of those treatments worked, we decided to consult with Dr. Couvaras. Dr. Couvaras performed a whole battery of tests and determined that we were likely having repeated implantation failures. Dr. Couvaras takes a holistic and more non-traditional view of infertility. I could only find a few doctors around the country who even address similar issues. He started me on a protocol which addressed many issues including high histamine levels, issues in the methylation pathway, low vitamin D, and others, which may have been affecting my ability to implant. I went on a low histamine diet, began daily doses of heparin, and took various supplements and medications. We completed the protocol in 7-8 months. On the second month after completing the protocol we conceived with the use of clomid and timed intercourse alone. I firmly believe that if we had gone to a different specialist, we would have been advised to proceed to IVF without further research. I also believe that since most doctors are not looking at the same immunological and metabolic processes that Dr. Couvaras addresses, that IVF would have been unsuccessful and we would have been left thinking that there were no other options. I am grateful that we ended up under his care and I am 28 weeks along right now thanks entirely up to his groundbreaking research in this field.

Sometimes the protocol doesn't make sense. Sometimes you cannot find a ton of backing for the protocol online. And many times, other specialists will brush off this type of treatment. But those specialists are wrong. Just stick with the protocol exactly, because it works.

Fantastic, personalized attention that is untraditional and outside the box in terms of identifying and treating a patients underlying conditions, so that they can get pregnant on their own.

Dr Couvaras created a customized treatment plan for us. He was very thorough during my evaluation and testing, and identifying all underlying health issues.

The staff was good but could be better. Dr C and his wife are fantastic. I felt at times the staff was not very patient with all my questions on dosing and were short with me during some of my visits. The nurse confused some important info in my chart and had difficulty getting my infusion done. She seemed to be in a hurry to get me out as soon as possible.

From the first consulation, Dr Couvaras spent a lot of time reviewing my health history and creating a custom treatment plan. He uncovered several underlying health concerns and adjusted my treatment accordingly. I did not follow his exact protocol and as a result, we did not get pregnant on our first IUI. However, I committed to the protocol and meds and we were able to get pregnant on our own under his care.

I never went to any other fertility specialists. I spent a lot of time researching infertility doctors and wanted to see the best doctor in AZ. Dr Couvaras is an exceptional doctor that is able to identify underlying health issues that complicate and prevent women's ability to get pregnant. Instead of using a cookie cutter, one size fits all approach, he customizes a treatment plan specific to the individual and does not insist on aggressive treatments like IVF from day one.

I was diagnosed with unexplained infertility and my husbands sperm was normal in count and morphology. He suspected a vasospasm issue; therefore, I wasn't getting proper blood flow to my reproductive organs. I was started on supplementation for that, as well as low-dose lovenox injections twice daily. He suspected activated NK cells and had me do IVIL infusions prior to my medicated IUI. I had low growth hormone levels, so supplementation was added to my therapy. Dr. Couvaras also had me on a strict diet and exercise routine. I also tested positive for some viral and immunological issues, and as put on an antiviral therapy. Due to my age (over 35) my drug treatment protocol was aggressive. I took growth hormone injections, clomid, FSH and then a trigger shot. After the IUI I was on progesterone supplements. The first IUI did not work. The second cycle I cancelled half way through due to a job change. We decided to try Dr Couvaras antiviral protocol, strict diet and exercise, and consistency with vitamins, arginine, and lovenox injections for 3 months and I got pregnant on my own. I strongly believe I would not have been able to get pregnant on my own without his guidance and protocol.

Everything was covered under my insurance until I was diagnosed with infertility. Then almost everything was cash pay until we got pregnant

Amazing clinic! Can't recommend it enough. Compassionate doctor who truly knows infertility and how to tailor his program to each patient. I never felt like I was a number while going there.

Dr. Couvaras and Rhoda his wife are very involved. They both took time to listen to my concerns throughout the process. They were also very good at explaining everything and following up. Dr. Couvaras is definitely a doctor with compassion that takes interest in his patients.

Amazing doctor, he identified the shortcomings in my body that other fertility endcrinokogista never found after years of working with other fertility doctors. His immune balancing protocol helped me conceive my first and seemed to help trigger something within my body that helped me become pregnant with my second child, even though I wasn't under his care for the second child. Both pregnancies he followed me through my first trimester and put me on a special protocol since my condition makes me more likely to conceive. My daughter is extremely healthy, and with my second pregnancy and being over 35, everything looks great and I will be delivering soon.

Just see him!!! Follow the protocol, he will talk about things you have never heard of in the infertility community...but trust him, he really knows his stuff.

The immune balancing protocol that was tailored to my body, I followed it and found out I was pregnant immediately after following the protocol for two months. (Spontaneous pregnancy, we weren't even trying and were about to do an IUI when I discovered I was actually pregnant.). With the second child I followed his immune balancing protocol for several month but did not get pregnant. While on a fertility break but still following most of his recommendations I became pregnant.

As our infertility procedures were 18 years ago, I cannot speak to the current operation of the clinic. When we saw dr. John, he ran a pretty shoestring operation and had a fair amount of turnover amongst the staff.

Dr. Couvaras built a custom plan just for us, based on our medical conditions and our desire for a child.

As our infertility treatments or 18 years ago, I cannot speak to the specifics of the nursing staff.

I have been known to describe John Guevara says that used car salesman of infertility doctors. He is extremely Cocky and Confident, and unafraid to try crazy and untested things in his pursuit of your pregnancy. He's a little unconventional, but he gets results.

Dr. Couvares will recommend you use Heparin to build better uterine lining using this blood thinner. Be aware that it is a calcium robber and we ended up with 22% bone loss at the end of two years of treatment. So in my early 30s, I had osteopenia at a time when I should have had the highest bone density a young person should have.

I remember being treated for antisperm antibodies and using another man's DNA to desensitize me in what I thought was a crazy scheme. We completed 3 fresh Cycles in a year. All or IVF with ICSI. He threw a lot of spaghetti at the wall trying various techniques after our first cycle was unsuccessful. we were able to freeze a number of embryos from the star cycle, but because we had purchased a package plan, we continued with the remaining two fresh Cycles before attempting any Frozen's.The next two Fresh Cycles resulted in a miscarriage and negative pregnancy test. What worked for us was the Frozen transfer of the embryos left over from the first successful retrieval.

18 years ago, we bought a package of three fresh cycles and all the frozen's we could complete until our frozen embryos were used up. The catch was the three fresh Cycles had to be used in the first 12 months. My recollection is we spent about $25, 000.

Small office and you learn the staffs names. I think he puts every patient on heparin daily so don’t be surprised if you get it too. This office will assess issues no one else will and is closest to seeing a reproductive immunologist.

Always saw and spoke with the doctor. The office staff knows your name and is willing to talk to you.

They were nice. Did not spend a lot of time with them as you typically see the doctor.

He is overly sensitive and got upset I went to a second opinion elsewhere. But he spent a lot of time with us at each visit and explained things completely. He answered all of our questions and drew diagrams of what he was trying to explain.

Don’t be surprised if your diagnosis changes. I was UN-diagnosed with diminished ovarian reserve.

He used vaginal birth control to suppress ovaries and then vaginal estrace to build lining.. added IM progesterone and suppositories for the 6 days before transfer and then again after. We did one intralipid transfusion before the transfer as well and several months “clean up” with immunosuppressants and antivirals before we started.

FET was 3500 for the cycle. Costs were straightforward and you knew about them in advance. They charged my regular copay for a 10 minute phone call which was the only thing I disagreed with.

Strengths - great method for addressing the “why” of infertility. Love the Facebook posts. The doctor is awesome. Weaknesses -FMLA process was a bit confusing. My FMLA ended up not getting approved but my employer is pretty particular about the info that was needed.

We never feel rushed in any of our appointments. We can feel his passion for making a difference and helping each family be successful.

Bless their hearts. They have to deal with a lot of hormonal women. A couple changes in staffing but primarily the same core ladies.

Dr. Courvaras has a unique method that I appreciate and have learned so much about my body and the fertility process. He is very knowledgeable. He won’t do anything if it’s a waste of time. He wants to be successful just as much as the patient. He also performed two uterine fibroids surgeries for me. I have had three prior surgeries and his were by far the best. Also, the best thing about those surgeries was how excited the staff at the surgerical center was that he was performing the surgeries. That was cool and I thought it said a lot about him.

Be committed. Be positive. Take notes and ask lots of questions so that you feel a part of the process.

He used different supplements and perscriptions to address inflammation. Having been going there for a year and a half, I can’t say off the top of my head what exactly each one entailed but I do know that he explained everything and I trust him.

$20,000

I have not been in this situation yet.

It is higher end, clean, with a nice modern interior. Large number of staff, big place both in Scottsdale and Gilbert.

Somewhere in between. He is good, and most of the time we felt fine with the Doctor himself, just sometimes felt like, I don't know. It's a big office, lots of patients, not sure that anyone is remembered. Warm and fuzzy staff? eh. Not bad, not awesome!

He is cutting edge as far as new, sometimes experimental treatment and just really being comprehensive, looking at things quite holistically. He found I was battling with an immune deficiency and helped me get my health and energy back. That alone made him worth it. Still, somewhat experimental I felt in some areas. That could be exactly what someone needs, but he is pricey!

If you have unexplained infertility he's probably the best to go to. He is considered one of the nation's best for a reason. If you are uncomfortable with unconventional approaches and want to stick with only more tried and true methods, or are just starting your journey then others may be better to start with.

After getting my immune system back to normal he worked on raising my tnf alpha levels. Used things like specific exercise goals, heparin, fish oil, couldn't tell you what else. Got my numbers to where we tried a round of IUI but didn't work. Couldn't get tnf alpha back up again, and had dried up health savings acct so we switched to another recommended doctor.

Pretty high end

The clinic is very knowledgeable! They are helpful in all the doctors protocols. If you have any questions they will find out right away! They do not have weaknesses! They are a great team! This doctor has a wonderful staff! His wife is amazing as well! I let them know when I would fly in and they got me in right away!

Dr takes the time to call me and talk about me. He is very caring and really knows the field! Has a heart bigger then this world! I’m from Indiana and seeking treatment in Az.

Kind and helpful

Dr Couvarus told me everything and did not cut corners! He has been the only doctor not to just take money from me and say see you next time. He cares. He studies your body to find out what is going on!

Listen and do what he says

Dr told me I have a clotting disorder and I am to scary to carry and I can put myself at risk. He said I can make beautiful embryos but I just can’t carry. I get blood clots and I have a clotting disorder that could end in death and he will not put me through it. We have to seek surrogacy.

So far not to bad. Consults are expensive and surrogate will be expensive as well as a transfer

He will do a single transfer only on my surrogate

It’s a lot of work, daily pills, injections, protein intake, etc. Sometimes you’re making multiple appointments weekly, for blood tests or ultrasounds. I always feel well taken care of, and since I’m on such a precise regimen, you are checked on super routinely

I was able to ask questions round the clock, via their patient portal and text

Super helpful when I have a million questions! I would email sometimes multiple times a day, and they would answer!

Super intelligent, clearly an expert in his field. Has a very unique methodology, lots of supplements and medications, but I always knew there was a reason behind it all. I saw him often and when I had questions, he scheduled an additional appointment just to talk

Be prepared to adjust your lifestyle!

I was on Heparin, a blood thinner, to help with blood flow and get things moving. All sorts of vitamins and supplements, to encourage healthy cells and oxygenation. Lower carb intake and increased protein intake daily

Most medications were covered, and appointments, by insurance. All labs and blood tests were covered as well. Supplements were out of pocket, and probably $150/Month. Clomid, trigger shot, and progesterone during IUI cycle we’re around $900, IUI was $395

The clinic is really good at communicating. They are always there for you whenever you have a question. I feel very confident in having switched over from another clinic. I feel much more at ease and feel as though there is a plan in place.

He really looks at you as a person, in order to develop an individualized plan to meet your needs.

The nursing staff is always available either by phone, text, ke the patient portal. They have always been nice and helpful in anything that I needed or any questions that I have had.

He really explains things to you so that you understand. He made me feel at ease and so much better about switching over from another clinic. He gives you a flowsheet each time you have a visit, so you always know what to expect or what the next step is.

Follow the plan set forth by him!

I am taking supplements and started Heparin injections. I was on Clomid for 5 days and am now in the process of getting ultrasounds done to check my follicles and bloodwork. We are planning for our IUI next week.

Unfortunately my insurance is not covering anything so we are all put of pocket cash pay.