How was your experience with Rami Kaldas at Kaldas Center for Fertility, Surgery, & Pregnancy?
Dr. Kaldas is extremely intelligent when it comes to fertility treatment. He definitely meets you where you are at as far as how aggressive you want to get with treatment, etc. while also cautioning on the risks and providing recommendations. He has the interest of his patients at the forefront. He is beyond knowledgeable in this field, and his experience in the field and his successes are really comforting. He is all business, meaning he isn't very personable, however I'd take professionalism and expertise over being personable anytime. He is absolutely great.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Rami Kaldas at Kaldas Center for Fertility, Surgery, & Pregnancy?
Have an idea of what your limits are - he will assist in any way he can based on how aggressive you want to approach fertility. Research treatment options, etc. and be prepared to talk to him about what you view this journey to be and how aggressive you want to approach it. Do you want to do IUI right away, pills, injectables, etc.? He's great at trying new approaches when one doesn't work, so be prepared on what you are willing to do.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Rami Kaldas at Kaldas Center for Fertility, Surgery, & Pregnancy?
The Kaldas Center has an excellent staff - from the girl at the front desk to the ultrasound techs that scan me to the nurses who meet with me afterwards. The staff is amazing - they know me by name, call to check in with me and see how I'm doing, and they are sensitive to the disappointments we've experienced with not being able to conceive. They are also very current on where I am at in this journey, which makes it so much easier to meet with them. Not having to explain my history, what happened in past cycles, what happened at last week's ultrasound, etc. is so incredible helpful and important. The doctors there are incredible - very, very knowledgeable and willing to try different treatments/paths to help us achieve a healthy pregnancy.
Describe the protocols Rami Kaldas used in your cycles at Kaldas Center for Fertility, Surgery, & Pregnancy and their degree of success.
At our initial visit, he did an evaluation and blood tests to understand what our starting point was. From there, we discovered I had polycystic ovaries. We started on metformin (from 1 pill a day up to 3 pills a day, currently) and clomid (1 pill a day to 2 pills a day, currently, for cycle days 3-7) and progesterone 3 days after ovulation for 3 cycles. When that didn't work, we started using the ovadril trigger shot to force ovulation. We did one month of that, along with the metformin, clomid, and progesterone. When that didn't work, we started doing injections with follistim. I've done 3 cycles with follistim (along with metformin, clomid, & projesterone) and a trigger shot and an IUI. This is my 3rd cycle with follisitim, clomid, progesterone, and metformin, while also doing the trigger shot and IUI. For the follistim, this cycle I did 4 days with 225 IU.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Kaldas Center for Fertility, Surgery, & Pregnancy.
Jodi and Kelsey are amazing nurses at the Kaldas Center. Both are very involved with my treatment and are very personable. It's so helpful and reassuring that they are current with where I am with my treatments and what the history of my treatments looked like and what the outcome was. They offer a lot of advice and truly care about the emotions of this entire process. They have also called to check up on me during cycles, which was amazing. They also know us by name and are extremely helpful.
Describe your experience with Kaldas Center for Fertility, Surgery, & Pregnancy.
This clinic is cutting edge. It's a beautiful facility, from the gorgeous waiting rooms, filled with beverages, cookies, etc. to the restrooms. It's very modern and peaceful. It is also very clean and well maintained.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Rami Kaldas at Kaldas Center for Fertility, Surgery, & Pregnancy.
I had met my deductible by the time I started seeing him, so the costs of my visits, with ultrasound, were about $35 each. The HSG was a little more expensive, after deductible, but the Kaldas Center worked with me on the coding to help with billing.
Describe Rami Kaldas's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Kaldas Center for Fertility, Surgery, & Pregnancy.
Dr. Kaldas always stressed the risk of multiples, and it was made clear to me that the goal was always a singleton.