Massachusetts General Hospital

The clinic is organized and for as busy as it is, you can get moving with treatment pretty quickly. We called in January 2019 and were going through our first IUI cycle by early May. (First consult was February, followed by all sorts of testing for both of us, followed by an additional consult to review the treatment plan). The only issue is how busy the clinic is - when coming in for blood and ultrasounds, I’d always recommend getting the earliest possible appointments, as the waiting room can fill up! But I was never there for more than an hour.

While Dr. Souter is an extremely busy professional, we always felt like she made quality time for us during our visits. She reviewed any new results, was clear about our expectations, and patiently addressed any questions or concerns we had. We felt very well taken care of under her treatment.

The nursing staff were consistently pleasant and understanding. I felt extremely comfortable with them.

As discussed earlier, Dr. Souter’s manner while meeting with her was consistently supportive, educational, and clear. We felt we always understood what our next steps would be, what risks were involved, and what chances we had of success. The only minor issue was how long we needed to wait between appointments to see her, but that’s just a product of how busy she is providing all of her patients with the same quality treatment.

Be proactive in scheduling any future consults. When our second IUI wasn’t successful, we preemptively scheduled our IVF consult to coincide with the third cycle of IUI, just to keep the ball in motion if the third cycle wasn’t successful.

All of our tests came back pretty normal, with the exception of some mild male factor issues (which improved with diet changes). Because everything appeared relatively normal, Dr. Souter suggested 3 courses of IUI with Gonal-F before moving on to IVF. The first IUI resulted in me getting my period before the two week wait was up. The second course was a little odd - my body didn’t respond as quickly to the Gonal-F and appeared to wind up ovulating on its own, so we did an IUI without a trigger shot. I didn’t get my period for 26 days after the IUI, but tested negative for pregnancy. The third cycle went smoothly and I received a positive pregnancy beta test 16 days after the transfer. I’m now 13 weeks along with a healthy baby!

Our insurance is excellent - we only paid copays of $30/visit, including transfers and testing. The medicines were most expensive, at about $300/cycle.

We didn’t get to this point, but because I’m still under 35, with IVF we would have done just a single embryo transfer per IVF cycle.

Super friendly and personable staff. Everyone makes you feel super comfortable even when you’re being poked and prodded. Early ultrasound and blood work hours (6:45am is the earliest). Very lean facility. Quick results uploaded to the patient online portal. Always on time with appointments.

I felt like Dr. Rein and his staff were always on top of everything. The team of doctors and nurses were always available for questions and always kept you updated right away on plans and treatments. His nurse Johanne was able to move my husbands urology and endocrinology appointments up for us because she know how important time was for infertility treatments

Johanne was always on top of everything! She communicated with me and made sure i understood everything. She was always available to answer any questions i had (even if some where probably ridiculous)

He immediately made me feel comfortable and was very compassionate. He was honest with me about everything but didn’t make me feel bad about anything. He’s always very good at explaining everything and takes the time to answer any and all questions i May have.

The wait to see him for a consultation is worth it! You will love him!

We did one IVF with icsi cycle so far. It included: birth control for 3 weeks, lupron 10u to prevent ovulation and then dropped to 5u after a week. Started menopur 75u and gonalf 150u for stimulation. I stimmed for 8 days total and was watched very carefully to avoid OHSS. I had 6 ultrasounds in 8 days. I triggered with HcG and retrieved 20 eggs. 19 of which were mature. 15 were fertilized and we ended up with 4 embryos

Not much besides copays

Dr. Rein only transfers 1 embryo unless you’re over the age of 35.

The clinic had a lot of strengths: they were very flexible schedule, on time for all my appointments, really great communication and made themselves available for all my questions, and they made the process as a good as it could be. One thing to note is that the first appointment is very long. Expect to be there for at least 2 hours.

Listened to our history, walked through each step with us

The nursing staff was fantastic. Reassuring, positive and warm, they all made the process as good as it could be.

She was very thorough at intake and checked in after every treatment. She made us feel very comfortable and met with us after each treatment to make sure that we knew what the next steps would be. She explained any and all risks when going through IUI and what the next steps would be if we did not conceive after the third IUI.

She can be a little tough in the beginning, but so very thorough and we felt like she listened to all of our concerns.

Based on my age and how long we had been trying, she recommended that my husband get tested since I had a normal period. His tests came back normal so we decided to go through IUI as it was less Invasive and a good starting point. If after three cycles we did not conceive, we would have moved to IVF. She stressed that she works hard to not have patients become pregnant with multiples as it’s a high risk pregnancy, but we became pregnant with twins. Come to find out we have twins on both sides of the family so that could have been the luck of the draw.

I had great insurance so it was all covered.

Well, if Johanne isn’t in the office I feel like the office doesn’t run as smoothly. And maybe they don’t communicate as well as they should. They may want to work a little bit better at that. Rather than that, everyone and everything is great!

I felt more than a human. I felt like a member of his family. Him and his nurse were very attentive and responded to my patient portal messages very quickly. They are very prompt. Dr Rein was even nice enough to contact me over the weekend on his person cell phone to check up on me. He comes highly recommended and I would be gladly to refer him to anyone!

Johanne is Dr. reins nurse. She’s amazing. Very attentive, prompt and organized

I have absolutely nothing bad to say about Dr Rein. I have nothing but good experiences at the clinic. He is very attentive and always answers any questions I have and is very patient. He is very compassionate and even goes above and beyond to check on your well being after a failed cycle or miscarriage.

He is the best doctor to see for your fertility issues. He is everything you would need and want in a fertility doctor.

First cycle he went with the traditional cycle for my egg retrieval and transfer. I ended up having a failed cycle. My second cycle was the same but resulted in a miscarriage. The only thing that could have been done a little different on my second cycle was to make sure my lining was optimal. But, he made the call and it worked. But ended in early miscarriage. For cycle number three which I’ll be starting in Novemeber of 2018 is to make sure my uterine lining is at its best.

Very quick! I would go in at 6:45 am every few days and I would be out at least by 7:05 which worked great with my work schedule!

I only had a deductible with my insurance

My RE will not transfer multiple embryos until I have had two miscarriages per MGH protocol

We were very pleased with our Dr but were not impressed with how the overall clinic was run. We had several issues with scheduling appointments, long wait times between appointments, oftentimes could not communicate directly with our doctor, and clinic staff was not as responsive as we would have liked.

Dr. Sabatini seemed very kind and appeared genuinely invested in our outcome, however, we had limited visits with her. Many of the procedures/appointments were with other members of the MGH staff and we were not pleased with the level of patient care with the other staff. We often left appointments where we felt uninformed about the next step and procedures we not explained. Again, we truly felt Dr. Sabatini was caring but as an MGH fertility patient, you are not always seen by your primary doctor.

We worked with various nurses throughout the process. During the monitoring phase, speaking to multiple nurses was not an issue. However, when we started experiencing issues after miscarriage it was challenging because we had to recap our situation each time we spoke to someone.

We found Dr. Sabatini very caring and knowledgable. At our first several visits, she explained in detail our issues and advised of next steps (IVF) and the process. As we progressed further into the cycle, we were seen by various drs on the staff and that is where we ran into issues. We often left these appts feeling confused/uninformed and that no-one was "managing" our care.

Schedule all appointments directly with Dr. Sabatini if at all possible

Our treatment was IVF with ICSI and PGS testing. We went straight to this treatment due to advanced age and male factor infertility (morphology). Treatment resulted in pregnancy but subsequent miscarriage. Reason for miscarriage unknown.

Traffic, parking, and tardiness were a constant with MGH for me. At the time we were living in Brookline so not too far away but I came to despise going to the hospital in the mornings. The earlier appointment the better as less people have been given the chance to be late and push back appointments. I always felt that the person working behind the desk (there was some turnover) was not always the friendliest and sometimes not organized. I often had to inquire if they had forgotten me because they were running so late.

Dr Souter was always very upfront and positive with us. We had had lots of frustration before (a failed pregnancy and multiple failed IUIs, one failed IVF) and were grateful to start anew with her.

You do not see the same nurse, although all were compassionate. Often MGH is running late and getting there with traffic and work is a stressful experience.

We had been utilizing Dr Styer and I moved to Dr Souter. Personality wise, I just cliqued with Irene better. My husband liked both. After multiple failed IUIs, I just needed to change something up and moving clinics felt like a huge undertaking. Irene was like a breath of fresh air I needed.

Stay positive!

I don't remember exactly but this was our final IVF shot before I moved clinics. The retrieval went well this time and I knew that the transfer was good, the doctor who did it exclaimed it went really well and felt it had a great chance. This positivity helped me as well thinking things went well.

Our insurance didn't cover any treatments.

MGH had recommendations on how many to use given how many times we had tried and my age. We elected for one both times.

The doctors and nursing staff are AMAZING. Because the clinic is through MGH and they have such a high volume of patients, wait times can be brutal, but they do try to move along as fast as they can to get you in for your appointment. One day, when the wait was egregiously long, they gave out free parking stickers (a little treat in a place like Boston, ha!) and free coffee gift cards for the hospital cafeterias. It doesn't solve the annoyance of having to wait for a long time, but it is something and I know they try hard. I do think they're worth waiting for, though!

Aaron is very warm, hopeful, straightforward about diagnosis/options and clear about expectations. He is completely focused on the patient and is happy to either sit and answer questions/talk through things or get started with the treatment plan.

The nursing staff was kind. During my first two rounds of treatment that did not result in pregnancy, they acknowledged the disappointment and encouraged moving forward with another month, if I was comfortable and ready. Once I became pregnant, they were encouraging and friendly, very knowledgable and eager to support me in the early weeks before I was transferred to the OB/Midwife team.

He is an ideal choice for MD. He is kind, warm, patient, willing to sit and talk through options. He is super straightforward and clear with facts and comprehensive in the workup he prescribes to get a full picture of a couple's fertility. We never felt rushed with Aaron, but we were eager to move forward with a treatment plan and he was happy to oblige. He was hopeful and positive and even encouraging when I became pregnant and didn't want to get my hopes up. I would recommend him to anyone--he was really wonderful.

Feel free to be honest with him about your hopes and expectations. Because he is very straightforward and thorough in his explanations he will help to adjust expectations if necessary (I was not optimistic, and he encouraged my optimism) and fully explain the results of a workup to back up his opinions about treatment plans.

I have PCOS, but I ovulate regularly. When my husband and I wanted to try to conceive, knowing I had the PCOS diagnosis, I proactively went to Aaron Styer for a workup as soon as I had my IUD removed. Aaron offered to let my husband and I try to conceive naturally for a while, but mentioned that we might derive some benefit from the use of Clomid (to help guarantee well matured eggs and time ovulation) and a trigger shot to help with timing. We were eager to conceive, so we wanted to start with that. He said that we would try that protocol for 6 months. Before the third cycle of Clomid and the trigger shot, I mentioned that my luteal phases seemed short (~10 days), so he suggested trying progesterone vaginal inserts which I would use every night after ovulation was confirmed 2-3 days after the trigger shot. On our third cycle of Clomid + trigger shot and the first cycle in which I used progesterone, we conceived our daughter. That pregnancy resulted in a live birth.

A few $15 co-pays for MD visits and some small prescription medication co-pays. My treatment and all medication was covered by my insurance.

We never got to IVF, but Aaron Styer had a strong preference for transferring a single embryo for several transfers in women under 35--which he discussed with me, should we have gone the IVF route. He was more open to multiple embryo transfer after subsequent IVF failure or in women over 35.

MGH was professional, organized, clean, new. It was also busy, the phlebotomists were occasionally surly as was the front desk staff (some were great though), and it's in downtown Boston, which presents its own challenges.

Dr. Styer was great at in-person meetings. His demeanor was warm and inviting and he asked multiple times if I had any questions about any of the results he discussed with me and my husband.

Cheryl was great during in-person meetings and setting up cycle calendars. She was not easy to get hold of any other time, as she didn't email. It was usually an on-call nurse that would get back to me when I called with questions, unless it was something directly related to my treatment plan.

Dr. Styer always seemed genuinely pleased to see me/us. Even if I was just there for blood work or an ultrasound and he saw me in the waiting room he'd come by to say hello. He was thorough and his explanations and thoughts on treatment seemed to be thoughtful and based on research.

MGH is a busy clinic and you won't always get to see Dr. Styer for ultrasounds or routine visits, or even perhaps your transfer. If it's important to you that you stick with one doctor, a smaller clinic might be the way to go.

We used an antagonist protocol. After a failed fresh transfer and an FET that ended at 8 weeks in a miscarriage, we asked Dr. Styer about PGS testing for the remaining two frozen embryos. He agreed, and the next PGS-tested FET embryo was a success.

My insurance luckily covered everything except the deductible and the co-pay for the pharmacy costs.

Strengths: Top success rates in Boston, part of one of the country's best hospitals. Weaknesses: It doesn't always feel very personal.

The MGH Fertility Center is part of a large hospital and sees many patients, so they have many systems and routines for patients. For IUIs, I never saw my doctor (the nurses did the IUIs), but they were all warm and pleasant. For ultrasounds, I would see the fertility doctor on call (there are several). So far, I don't have anything negative to say about any of the doctors that i have seen. When you call the fertility center about something, they take your number and you have to wait for a call back from a nurse.

In general, the nursing staff at the MGH Fertility Center have been pleasant. They have done all my IUIs, and I have interacted with them the most throughout my course of treatment. I have had a few negative experiences with Pam, Dr. Souter's primary nurse. She seems a bit scatter-brained, and once left me a voicemail about someone else's test results! She also never remembers my situation or course of treatment, so I always have to explain it to her each time we talk. Perhaps that's part of being seen at a larger hospital-based clinic.

Dr. Souter is direct, no-nonsense and matter-of-fact, which I liked. She's pleasant enough, but not super warm and fuzzy if that's what you're looking for. I saw her a couple times before starting my IUIs, but will not see her again until I have done six unsuccessful IUIs (at which time I am eligible for IVF).

If you want a straight shooter, you'll probably like Dr. Souter.

So far, I have done four unsuccessful IUIs. Given my situation, I have to do six IUIs unsuccessfully before my insurance will cover IVF -- so that is the treatment plan I am currently on. I am doing natural cycle IUIs (no medication) with ultrasound monitoring and a trigger shot.

IUIs are $880 each. My medications and ultrasounds were covered by my insurance, as were my office visits.

often running late

I think MGH is very poor for treating diminished ovarian reserve. I had a very strange situation happen, which is that I responded well to clomid and low doses of Gonal F (eg 75 and 112), like getting 3 eggs, but at high doses (eg 450)--which is what they insisted i needed for IVF--my body shut down and I had 0 follicles grow. My IVF cycle was cancelled. I suggested perhaps I just can't tolerate high levels of gonadotropins but Dr P insisted this is "impossible" and said my next cycle should be flare not antagonist with again 450 Gonal F. I got no sense that he wanted to figure out what went wrong. i was clearly a number. and btw, he has a very bad bedside manner. Delivers things like "IVF just might not work for you" with absolutely no sympathy ... bear in mind my AMH is over 2, I naturally conceived a child 2 years ago, etc. Again, no desire to problem solve. they want you in and out. If you are an easy/textbook case, that's fine. But if you are a puzzling case, I see no indication you're going to get attention at MGH.

As stated earlier, he has a very blunt bedside manner. Generally, I want a competent not nice doctor. I'm not sure he is either, at least if you have DOR. Zero sympathy, zero optimism (even when docs at other clinics were like "I don't even know that you have DOR") .... also, after that first appointment, he disappears

Go with him if you have a straightforward case and not DOR.... do not expect him to have a "hmmm how interesting let's see why this odd response happened" approach

antagonist protocol IVF with no suppression

insurance co=pays only

They get you in, the process is set up but you're a number and it's a business to them.

I barely saw my Dr during the process, which I guess is not unusual when there are several Dr's in a practice and they rotate days. The one issue I had with him is that he sat on my genetic testing results for 2 weeks before giving them to me. It was the longest two weeks of my life. And then zero empathy when he relayed that no embryos were viable and all had genetic issues.

My main point of contact was Carol. If I called I had to leave a message for her and she would call me back. It was frustrating because the entire process was never really explained to us, we dealt with insurance issues which never got resolved and everything frustrated me. I'm a fairly smart human being and they made me feel stupid for asking questions. When I said I wanted a class on injections they told me to keep watching the videos until I got it.

As the head of the clinic I thought he was fabulous and he was also great to us in the beginning of our process. He explained our issues in detail, explained the risks, and really understood our goals. But as soon as the process started he fell off the radar. I never saw him for any of my check in ultrasounds, he didn't do my retrieval, and then sat on genetic test results for two weeks. I felt like we got sold a personable bill of goods and then was just another number in the pile.

Be aware that you won't see him during the process and that you'll be dealing with his assistant and other Dr's throughout.

ivf with ICSI. I'm sorry I don't remember the details

10000+ with genetic testing

We go to MGH in the Danvers office after doing some initial testing at BostonIVF. One thing that we really like about MGH is that they convene a panel discussion before every protocol is released to the patient. I believe the panel has eight REs on it and we like that more eyes are able to offer opinions on what might be best for us. The downside of this is that the REs take weeks where they do retrievals/transfers, so I didn't have my RE do either of mine. The good thing with this is that the doctor who did my actual transfer is the same doctor who did my mock transfer; and the doctor who did my retrieval is the same one who did my last ultrasound beforehand, so I was already familiar with them before the procedures. MGH does all of their bloodwork and ultrasound monitoring in the early mornings before work, which was helpful; and they deliver the results via the portal once they've been released as well as through a phonecall by the nurse the same afternoon. Communication is a strength, as we never wondered what might/might not be happening that day. While we were able to do all of our monitoring at a satellite location, both the retrieval and transfer were done at the hospital in Boston. The staff there, as well, were pleasant.

Dr. Rein took the time to answer all of my questions; when I'd meet with his nurse, he'd brief her on what was discussed as well, so we were all on the same page. He also didn't try to make light of our situation; infertility is frustrating, anger-inducing, emotional, and a number of other feelings; our first RE used try to make jokes, which always made me feel like my feelings weren't legitimate. Dr. Rein has always acknowledged the hardships of infertility. He has also provided me with statistics, examples, and conversation around anything that's come up. Additionally, after our failed IVF cycle, his nurse sent our information to his social worker, who called to check-in and check-up with us to see how we were handling things.

My husband and I both liked the nurses with whom we worked. They were really great about delivering information to us each afternoon after bloodwork/US and were willing and able to answer all of our questions stemming from those calls and any others we placed. We never felt like we were inconveniencing them or that our questions were being brushed off. When our cycle failed, one of the nurses made sure the social worker reached out to check-in/up on us, which we thought showed a commitment to full-circle care. Both nurses aren't particularly chatty or 'warm' but they were honest and straightforward with answers. We like them a lot and trust them completely.

Dr. Rein met with me after my husband and I decided to change to a new clinic. We talked about the history, concerns, and he answered any and all questions I had. My husband and I had a follow-up appointment with him after all of the preliminary testing; he gave us statistics, his professional opinion/recommendation, and then the decision was ours to make. We left knowing what to expect both in terms of the procedures and with the risks associated/potential outcomes. We didn't meet with him during the IVF cycle (another doctor did both my retrieval and transfer, which is common at our clinic); but they scheduled an appointment me with us just after the negative beta came in. There, he discussed with me what happened and the next plan to help us bring a baby into our family.

His personality can seem dry and stand-offish; he does not strike me as a 'hand-holder', so if that's what you need then he will not be a good fit. Personally, we really like him because he delivers information in a very straightforward manner, but it's not for everyone.

I started with 3 weeks of birth control; then Lupron injections for 20 days/Gonal F & Menopur for 11. Then I had my trigger and retrieval. He told us originally that most embryos do not make it to day 5 and to expect a 3-day transfer, but ours did make it to day 5. He was clear that due to my age and the unexplianed infertility diagnosis, that he would not put more than one embryo back, so one was transfered. Beta testing was 13 days later. Everything mostly went as planned, except that they had to increase the dosage for the GonalF/Menopur (doubled both, we think) because I wasn't responding quickly.

The IVF fresh cycle (without meds) was about $10k; the frozen transfer was $3000+. Meds for my first cycle were $3600 (insurance covered about $1600); meds for the frozen transfer are TBD.

I honestly felt very comfortable with the clinic. Initial wait times were long, but I called back and lucked into a cancellation within 2 weeks. Dr Lippincott and Judy Adams were both very available and I felt very much that I was in good hands. Only limitation--and thankfully I did not have to deal with this much--the MGH lab is incredibly slow, and I have sat for more than an hour's wait to get blood drawn. Thankfully they very rarely asked bloodwork except right at the beginning of my workup and at the end, when confirming pregnancy.

Dr Lippincott was always thorough and detail-oriented, but warm. I always felt like she wanted me to understand all of the possibilities and pros/cons of our decisions, but it really felt like I was a partner in the decision making. She was very accessible (although of course I tried not to abuse this!) and answered any questions fully. I never felt rushed by her.

I did not actually work with any nursing staff. My primary point person was Judy Adams, the ultrasonographer, who was great--warm and very responsive, and also very good.

Dr Lippencott was always thorough and detail-oriented, but warm. I always felt like she wanted me to understand all of the possibilities and pros/cons of our decisions, but it really felt like I was a partner in the decision making. She was very accessible (although of course I tried not to abuse this!) and answered any questions fully. I never felt rushed by her. I worked more directly with the ultrasound technologist, but Dr Lippencott would always be available for consultation regarding the plan.

She is conservative--I consider this a good thing in her approach, but it may be something that some people are concerned about. Personally, I felt very comfortable with her--she was not cavalier about risks to either my health or that of my potential children. I'm in the medical field, and have seen severe side effects of fertility treatment, as well as bad outcomes in premature multiples--because of all of this, I felt much more comfortable with someone who tends towards the conservative end. It's also possible that I did not see the full range of what she would be willing to do, as my fertility issues were (thankfully!) resolved with treatments that were on the simpler end.

I had previously done 3 cycles of unmonitored Clomid (1 cycle on 50mg and 2 on 100mg), and only ovulated on the last cycle (2 follicles). Dr Lippincott diagnosed me with PCOS based on my US and confirmed that I probably had not ovulated in the prior year (I had been using urine ovulation tests without ever getting a positive line, until the last cycle of Clomid). With Dr Lippincott, she had me come in for ultrasounds on day 3 (confirm ovulation and how many follicles ovulated) and day 12-13 (confirm if a dominant follicle present). Based on the size of the dominant follicle, I would either come back in on day 16-17 (if it was not large enough to be able to confirm what day it would be mature), or they would estimate the date of follicle maturity from the day 12-13 scan. I would then administer HCG and do timed intercourse. I did this for two cycles. On my 3rd cycle with Dr Lippincott, we decided to add on an IUI; again, I did US on day 3 and day 12-13; because my follicle was still too small, we repeated an US on day 16, did HCG injection on day 16, then did an IUI on day 18. Thankfully this was enough for us!

We were lucky- covered by insurance. We have a high-deductible plan; after the discount from the insurance, we paid ~$200 per US (so $400 per cycle) plus $500 for the IUI. (With the high-deductible plan, until we meet our out of pocket, we expect to pay $150-$200 per doctor's appointment--so don't take this as the amount you would pay if you had a more conventional plan.) Clomid is pretty cheap.

I really liked Dr. Sabatini. She could be brusque, as she was seeing a lot of people, so at times I felt like our conversations were hurried, and I would be out the door and into the nurse's office before I knew what had hit me. I went to her largely for a diagnosis after 2 1/2 years of not getting pregnant on my own. I have out of state insurance, however, so for actual treatment I will have to see someone else. But I thought Dr. Sabatini was brilliant, friendly, nonjudgmental, was easily reachable by email, and had great ideas for how to proceed. I'm sorry not to be working with her the whole way through.

Truthfully, I kind of wish Dr. Sabatini would be my friend. She's smart, funny, and was respectful about my feelings of ambivalence, worry, hesitation about invasive procedures, and other wimpishness on my part. I saw her at every visit. I underwent a few different diagnostic procedures, including imaging in which Dr. Sabatini pronounced my ovaries and uterus "beautiful," which I thought was hilarious. She diagnosed me in the end with unexplained in fertility and a not serious fibroid, and her suggestion was that we stimulate me and rather than try IUI that we have timed intercourse at home, very respectful of my desire to be as minimally interfered with as possible. If I lived full time in Massachusetts, and MGH Danvers were in-network for my insurance, I absolutely would have continued seeing her.

Do your homework ahead of time so that you can ask questions and really retain the answers. In retrospect I wish I had made my partner come along to most of the appointments with me, so that there were two of us listening to what she told us and not just me.

I wound up just seeing her for diagnosis, and she diagnosed me as unexplained. I wasn't ready for IVF, and so she suggested we first stimulate my ovulation and time intercourse, seeing how that went before moving on to something more advanced. At every stage she was respectful of my wanting a conservative, noninvasive approach, and honest with me about the odds of success. I did not do stimulation with her in the end, instead opting to try to conceive naturally for a little while longer (I was unsuccessful).

Overall I spent about $3K out of pocket for all the testing and diagnostic work. I forget how much insurance paid, but it wasn't much, as the clinic was out of network.

MGH IVF was an all inclusive practice with everything from your appts, lab work, and surgery procedures happening right at Yawkey which made it extremely convenient.

Dr Styer always took the time to explain or options, how and why treatments went the way they did and provided a recommendation on what he would do next if he was in our situation. We had seen a female dr in the practice initially and struggled with her overly coddling personality. We were recommended to Dr Styer for his bedside manner and direct personality and were exceptionally pleased.

Dr Styers team is a pod you consistently seen by at your appts. Cheryl is the primary nurse and Amazing. She felt like my mom was with me at my appts. Extremely warm and attentive.

As per my previous comment, Dr Styer provided an exceptional experience for my husband and myself. He always took the time to explain the procedures, options and provide a recommendation. He was compassionate to the situation but not overly coddling. I 100% would recommend him to anyone needing fertility treatments.

Take notes in your initial appt. he provides many options and details on what can be done. It is quite overwhelming in nature and in hindsight I should have taken notes vs remembering from memory.

I had two potential ectopic pregnancies before seeking fertility treatment. Dr styer started with a round of clomid, then two iuis with different drug doses and ultimately moved to Ivf.

I was very fortunate to have insurance cover my entire procedure with the exception of my deductible.

My care team was wonderful, even the receptionist remembered my name. They were always current on my case, got excited when news was good, and called to check on me when news was bad. I received hugs and tender touches when I needed them. My personal circumstances aside, almost every interaction I had with team members was extremely positive.

Their compassion and genuine interest in your success!

I will say, my first interaction with Dr. Souter was not ideal. She talked too fast, used lots of jargon, and because I had come to her from another clinic (for IUIs) I think she thought I knew more than I did about IVFs, which can be very different. Occasionally her accent was hard to understand. I am in healthcare and was a little lost. My husband was totally overwhelmed! My second meeting with her one-on-one went much more smoothly and she even turned her computer monitor to show me actual numbers and details, something I very much appreciated. Dr. Souter leans more towards pragmatic and blunt and could improve her bedside manner, but I have not doubted her decisions, protocols or care.

Do your homework. Learn about IVF terminology and the process. Bring a notebook to take notes and go prepared with questions since your time with her is limited. Also, do not be afraid to ask for further clarification if you don't understand something. She is very straightforward. If you are overly sensitive (not that I am not...because who isn't?) then maybe think about another doctor, though I don't know who would be best, maybe Dr. Sabatini. Call to ask the clinic.

Cycle #1: OCP/Low Dose Lupron. 21 days of Apri birth control. Lupron injection 10 units x 10 days. Lupron injection 5 units x 10 days. Gonal-f 150 IU and Menopur 150 IU injections x 10 days. HCG injection. Ampicillin, Cefoxitin, Methylprednisolone, baby aspirin (81mg), 50 mg IM injection Progesterone. Valium for transfer. Vivelle dots 2 patches every other day. Personally, I did not respond well to this protocol. I only had 5 eggs, 4 were mature, and only 1 fertilized normally. This was transferred and the cycle was not successful. Cycle #2: OCP/Antagonist. 21 days of Apri birth control. Gonal-f 300 IU and Menopur 150 IU injections x 11 days. Ganirelix Acetate pre-filled syringe 250 mcg x 6 days. HCG injection. Ampicillin, Cefoxitin, Methylprednisolone, baby aspirin (81mg), 50 mg IM injection Progesterone. Valium for transfer. Vivelle dots 2 patches every other day. I had a drastically improved response on this protocol . 18 eggs retrieved (even from my quiet ovary), 9 went on to ICSI, 7 fertilized normally, 4 made it to day 5. 1 was transferred and 3 were frozen. I became pregnant, but unfortunately it was ectopic and I had to have surgery to remove my tube. There is a slight increased risk of ectopics with IVF. Cycle #3: Cryopreserved Blastocyst Transfer. 21 days of Apri birth control. Lupron injection 10 units x 28 days. Vivelle dots varying patches every other day x 24+ days. Endometrin tabs 100mg. Ampicillin, Methylprednisolone, baby aspirin (81mg), 50 mg IM injection Progesterone. Valium for transfer. "Textbook cycle and transfer" with 1 frozen embryo, results TBD.

The MGH clinic was one of the best run healthcare offices I have worked with. They really have their operations down. I never had an issue getting an appointment when I needed one. I never had to wait too long.

I felt like a human because she built such a nice relationship with my husband and I.

I don't recall having any poor experiences. The clinic runs really well and I always received calls when expected and with the appropriate level of compassion.

Dr. Sabatini was incredibly caring when we were under her care. from the moment we met her we felt confident in her abilities and process. In our first consultation visit she explained everything so well to us. She really took the time to understand what our goals were, What we were willing to go through, and then break down our options. I recommended her to another friend who also loved her. Dr. Sabatini is one of the best doctors I have ever had. Fertility treatment is hard and she was incredibly understanding of that and helped make it as smooth as possible.

Trust her!

It has been so long now since my first fresh cycle. I don't know if doctors that their own protocol but I know the clinic has specific protocols that they use. I reacted very well to their standard protocols. For my fresh cycle, I used Lupron, Follistim or gonal-F, menopur, ovidrel trigger I believe, steroids and antibiotics before transfer as well as injectable progesterone and an estrogen patch. My two fresh cycles were pretty long to start which initiated with lupron and estrogen patches. As we neared transfer, I used estrogen patches, progesterone suppositories and progesterone injections.

I had incredible health insurance and only needed to pay a copay for medication. I don't think I ever spend more than $140 per cycle out of pocket.

Due to my age and my reasons for infertility, she recommended eSET which we completely agreed with.

Our overall experience at the MGH Fertility Center was exceptional. The doctors are professional, caring, and highly skilled. The support team (nurses, embryologists, fellows, MAs, etc...) are excellent as well. The hardest part for us to trust them on was the IVF doctor rotation. At MGH, your primary doctor develops your treatment plan, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they will perform/monitor your IVF cycle. The doctors at the center rotate as the “IVF doctor” (each week I believe). We were a little uncomfortable with this at first, however it worked out perfectly fine. We needed multiple IVF cycles before we had our baby, so we ended up meeting quite a few of the doctors in the center. Each of them demonstrated the highest level of commitment, care, and professionalism in their interactions with us.

Dr. Tanrikut brought the right level of frankness balanced with compassion. She never rushed an appointment and always made certain we had a full understanding of what we had discussed.

The nursing staff at MGH is exceptional. Caring and highly skilled.

Dr. Tanrikut is highly trained, great at communicating, and personable. When we left our appointments we understood the next steps, both the risks and possible outcomes. There were never any surprises. Further, when we thought of questions between appointments, she was always quick to respond to an e-mail through patient gateway. My diagnosis was unobstructed azoospermia (zero sperm count). My only chance at having children was to undergo MicroTESE surgery performed by Dr. Tanrikut. My anxiety was high on the day of my surgery, but I distinctly remember Dr. Tanrikut in the operating room before they administered the anesthesia; her demeanor, professionalism, and compassion toward me gave me the reassurance that I was in the best hands possible. When I woke up, Dr. Tanrikut was there to tell me the good news that she had found enough sperm for 4 cycles of IVF/ICSI. Though the fog of the anesthesia was still heavy, I distinctly remember tears of joy; a moment I will never forget. Dr. Tanrikut then left me and delivered the news personally to my wife as well. While the success of the surgery was ultimately a matter of whether or not my body was producing sperm or not, Dr. Tanrikut’s expertise in diagnosing the problem, having the technical skills to perform the surgery, and ultimately finding the best possible outcome cannot be understated. Beyond her technical skills, her demeanor and compassionate approach to our care was just as important. She demonstrated a true understanding of the emotional struggles we faced, both for myself and more importantly my wife. A phone call after the surgery, and a personal response to the thank you note we sent after the birth of our child are just two more examples of the long term commitment Dr. Tanrikut showed us. I cannot think of any weaknesses displayed by Dr. Tanrikut during our time under her care. She is truly an exceptional doctor.

I'd say to trust her.

MicroTESE surgery. This was the recommendation after four sperm analyses showed zero sperm.

I do not recall the exact costs. But I remember that they were in line with other providers.

Appointments with Dr. Souter sometimes seemed rushed and it was clear she didn't review my chart before my appointments. She was also late for several appointments. I distinctly remember one time we had an appointment with her and she was almost 45 minutes late even though we were the first appointment after lunch. The nurse told us she had car trouble and would be late. When we finally got into her office there was a piece of cake on a paper plate....aka she went to a party or lunch and failed to return on time. This was an appointment where we were supposed to discuss a failed IVF. It made me feel like our loss was unimportant and didn't matter. Another issue I had with Dr. Souter is that she didn't seem to listen to my opinion. We had 3 failed IVFs with her all using the same protocol. I suggested using a different protocol several times and she indicated that my current protocol was the one they always use for patients with PCOS. I later tried the other protocol with a different physician and my egg quality was amazing. One saving grace here is that the nurses were wonderful. While it's almost impossible to get a hold of them without having to leave a message, they are very compassionate and always on the ball.

The nurses are really on top of things. They are very knowledgble and able to answer just about any question you throw at them.

Strengths: MGH has a ton of experience with IVf and some of the best stats in the state. Dr. Souter works with a team of physicians who coordinate each patients care. Weaknesses: Dr. Souter sees a ton of patients so it can sometimes feel like you're just a number. She also seems to rely on standard MGH protocols so much so that she is unwilling to consider each individual patient's situation.

I think Dr. Souter is generally a good physician. I would just caution prospective patients to get a second opinion if you have several failed IVFs because she seems resitant to protocol change.

I did the long lupron protocol for both IVFs with Dr. Souter. I have PCOS and I kept inching towards overresponding with each IVF. I never had good egg quality and none of my embryos made it to blast.

The monitoring here was pretty efficient but there were times where you felt like cattle. Unfortunately I think this just illustrates the ebb and flow of a large IVF clinic.

I was very luck and my IVFs were covered 100% by insurance.

Every person that I worked with at MGH was a pleasure, be they support staff, nurse, or doctor. It is truly their desire to see your big pregnant belly in the future! The weakness of this clinic and I assume most clinics, is the time it takes from your first appointment to your first positive pregnancy test takes almost a year. The waiting is hard and their schedule for procedures is very full so it can take a while to get your cycle going for IVF.

Dr. Styer was sympathetic to our particular story and knew how urgently we wanted to be parents. He also personally called us after one of our miscarriages.

I was very close with my nurse and she always knew what was going on with my particular cycle. Whenever I called or emailed she got back to me quickly. She also worked with us out of state over the phone and she was a good communicator.

Dr. Styer was great at explaining our choices and supporting us in whatever direction we wanted to go. He was compassionate and professional. He never forced us into anything we were not comfortable with. He respected my decision to transfer 2 embryos. I chose to have him remain my RE after we moved across country and he was great at communicating even over the phone when I could not be there for an appointment. He also watched me very carefully during early pregnancy and made sure I felt taken care of, I had lots of ultrasounds for reassurance.

I would tell them to trust that Dr. Styer is doing everything in his power to have you bring home a baby, in an ethical way.

We had male factor infertility and Dr. Styer recommended IVF with ICSI.

In Massachusetts ART is covered by insurance, so we had few out of pocket costs, only around $2,000. When we were covered and when we no longer lived in MA the cost for a FET was around $4,000-5,000.

He recommended that we transfer a single embryo but I wanted to transfer two on two separate transfers and he allowed us to do that.

Dr Petrozza's bedside manner was generally horrible. He came across as very detached. While matter-of-fact can be ok, he communicated in a way that made me feel less than human - like he had a protocol he followed and who I was, how I felt, etc was pretty irrelevant.

Ultimately, I got what I wanted: I became pregnant after two rounds of IUI. For that reason I wouldn't discourage friends from going to Dr Petrozza and I will always feel grateful for his help. However, he did very little to make what is already a horrible experience any more bearable. He came across as fairly cold and detached, which I wasn't completely bothered by. He actually would reintroduce himself at every appointment as if we had never met, which was almost funny. My real difficulty with him happened when I opted not to do a vaccine that he was pushing me to get (something that would have delayed my treatment months, I did after careful consideration and consulting a highly respected infectious disease MD) I was horrified by the way he treated me. He was belittling and not in the least compassionate. Luckily, he didn't remember who I was at my next appointment. I had a friend who had a very similar experience with him. She did say when she went back to see him to have a second child, his bedside manner had improved dramatically, almost to the point where she wondered if he had gotten negative feedback and was making a serious effort to be more personable.

As much as you can, try to go into your interactions with him with your own sense of detachment. As emotional as the process is, try to look at him as a vehicle to get where you're trying to go. Ultimately, he's a surgeon who can perform a procedure that you may need.

I would not recommend due to the outcome of my results and the non compassionate non existent care/ follow up concern received/ not received. I did not feel like my individual case and situation was carefully reviewed or planned out. Nurses were friendly for the most part. I did receive extra medication from the nurse while at an appointment due to the concern of possibly running out prior to my trigger shot .

Poor cycle planning. No follow up or concern for my well being or what steps to take post miscarriage

Kind and compassionate

Dr sabatini took over my care when my initial doctor left. I met with her once via a video chat, never in person and never saw or spoke with her again after that conversation. During my cycle I had to bring up details of the cycle which should have been known and scheduled into our plan which in the end caused complications. The cycle ended in a miscarriage, I never received a follow up call or an appointment. There was no concern from her about my well being, no concern if medically I was ok or to discuss future steps to help make our family

I would not recommend her

I do not remember which medications were used this cycle. There were no complications with the medications

Monitoring appointments were quick. Scheduled time was provided but I would often be seen early

More expensive than previous clinics used. My husband and I are both currently on a payment plan and still owe $4,000

Despite previous failed results we were allowed to transfer only 2 embryos and The remaining embryos were not able to be frozen

It seems that they are very busy and at sometimes disorganized. They are always running a little late and I often do not get phone calls back.

I have had problems getting the medication straight and people to call me back in a timely fashion. Also I have had to come back for blood draw that I could have the day before when I was there. Dr. Styer is often too busy given his schedule that I only speak with him at the end of IUI/IVF.

When I can get in touch with the nurses on the phone (which is difficult to do) they are very caring. They are very friendly and helpful when I'm in the office.

When I see Dr Styer he has a lot of patience, compassion, and answers all questions fully. I wish we had done some of the tests he recently ordered sooner in the process but really that is my only complaint.

He is difficult to schedule time with so be sure you do it far in advance.

Initially Dr Styer wanted me to try IVF but we were looking for the least invasive option. It seemed like it was more our decision than his recommendation that took precedence at that time. Since getting to IVF, he recommended ICSI and he was very familiar with our past as to what he felt was best emotionally for us. Due to insurance/our past history, we tried one embryo (Day 5 transfer) which did not work.

Expensive especially when paying out of pocket.

I have not had a multiple embryo transfer yet but hope to next cycle.

Very smooth operation. No glitches at all. Very polite front staff!