Oregon Fertility Institute

I am not one to leave reviews, but I felt compelled due to just how bad this experience was. I didn’t realize how bad it was until we switched clinics and are now getting our needs met. This clinic had one doctor, a couple phlebotomists and seemingly one or two other admin staff. The admin staff and phlebotomists are very kind, but it is clear they are overwhelmed. There are no nurses. When you call the clinic to ask a question, they often have to run it by Dr. Chang because the rest of the staff do not have medical training to answer most questions besides the basics. It can take quite some time for her to get back to you, and sometimes, she never does. Dr. Chang forgot 6 times that we were using donor sperm. She asked my partner and/or I 6 times for the sperm sample or a question related to sperm. Mind you, we are a queer couple. We don’t have any sperm. The clinic is closed on Sundays and Dr. Chang does not usually come in on Saturdays. So make sure you ovulate during working hours only. I started my cycle on a weekend and there was no clear communication of how I should tell this to the Dr. So I sent a message through the portal and left a message using the after hours number. I received a message back telling me not to call the number again. She prescribed Clomid and a trigger shot for the IUI. The IUI itself was very painful and I had to call in from work the rest of the day due to intense cramping and nausea. I also thought this was normal until my new clinic performed the IUI and it was almost completely painless. I know this can vary from cycle to cycle but I just did not feel cared for the first time. I got pregnant the first cycle and she asked me to come in 3 times a week for blood work. We were so excited! Then, on my 3rd blood draw, I got a voicemail from one of the admin staff letting me know that they think I am miscarrying…let me say that again…the admin staff called on a Friday and left a voicemail that I am having a miscarriage. I felt so bad for them that they were expected to relay such terrible news to families everyday. In my opinion, only the Doctor should be doing this. I called back and tried to ask follow up questions and they informed me that they cannot answer them. I asked to speak to Dr. Chang and they said she was “very busy” and that she would try to get back to me later. She did call back and said “hi I have like two minutes but yeah your HcG didn’t double so we think this is a chemical pregnancy.”and I asked “what should I do?” and she gave very quick answers reiterating how busy she was until I got off the phone. We cried all weekend and I went in for my last blood test confirming the worst. I asked to see Dr. Chang again and she came in saying she was “very busy.” I asked a couple questions like “could this be ectopic” and she had forgotten where I was in my cycle and then said “well maybe but probably not.” We were GUTTED. I’ve never felt so discarded as a human or a patient. Every interaction with the clinic made us feel like we were just in the way. In the next cycle, we asked for a release to do an in home insemination. Dr. Chang refused to sign it even though I have no known fertility issues, and the staff relayed that it was because Dr. Chang wouldn’t be involved. This was the icing on the cake that told me that it was all about the money the whole time. We’ve switched clinics and could not be happier.

Some reviewers have said they had a great experience with her. We didn’t. Just be prepared to do most of your own research and steer clear of you are the type of person who wants to be treated warmly during a vulnerable period of time.

Clomid: increase our chances of conception Trigger shot: this was optional, I chose to go for it to avoid the possibility of ovulating when the clinic wasn’t open Progesterone: mine was low once I became pregnant, it helped but it ended up being a chemical pregnancy anyway.

$355 for an initial visit

I don’t have any issues with the way the actual procedure was executed. It DID result in a pregnancy, albeit a chemical pregnancy, which is no one’s fault. I trust Dr. Chang’s expertise in the area of actual conception.

I saw Dr. Chang at every visit. She was always very candid and honest with me when I asked questions. I passed out during a blood drawl (not uncommon for me) and she allowed me to go to the hospital for future blood drawls because it made me feel more comfortable. I felt like she was genuinely trying to do what was best for me without pushing my body too far, and that she was just as excited as I was when I got my positive test after our first transfer. I really appreciated that she didn't push my body too far with the egg retrieval meds and I didn't develop OHSS. When I went in for my first beta blood drawl she popped her head into the office to ask personally if I had taken an out home test, and that just made me feel really valued. The whole infertility business is really impersonal, and after talking to people who went other places I realized just how lucky I was to have a doctor who actually knew who I was and cared about me.

Be patient with her staff. I thought about changing clinics because I didn't think her staff knew what they were doing at first. Turns out they do! They just don't carry themselves with confidence. But if you have questions call them and be annoying and get your answers.

We did a medicated cycle with clomid that was unsuccessful and we decided to move onto IUI. Before we did the IUI we did a semen sample that came back zero. At this point Dr. Chang recommended IVF which broke my heart. I was not mentally ready to go down that path and asked if we could please try to do the IUI. Dr. Change understood my needs and we did another semen analysis to double check things, the second one came back more positive and we moved forward with the IUI. That was also unsuccessful. We then did our IVF consult and got put on the schedule. We did IVF with ISCI due to sperm being a factor in our infertility. We decided to transfer one embryo to reduce the risk of multiples and were successful. All of our timing and dates were dependent on my bloodwork and hormone levels. I really appreciated the attention to detail and the constant adjustment of meds based on my bloodwork. After we found out we were pregnant we had a scare with a large subchorionic hematoma. Dr. Chang told us we had a 50/50 chance of having a successful pregnancy, which was really hard to hear. She increased our monitoring and saw me every week for ultrasounds. I am really happy to say that my hematoma resolved itself and I am almost to our 3rd trimester!

I think for IVF it cost us around $30k, for our IUI it was around $3k

She is more conservative and will probably only recommend one embryo transfer unless there is a specific reason to do 2 (like previous failed transfer, etc)

Areas of growth for her: 1.) For individuals that have experienced multiple miscarriages, it's hard to show up to these appts. I'm not sure if it's isn't in her nature, but I needed more compassion and kindness from her. She seems too focused on the business of IVF rather that connecting with me as the patient. 2.) Clearer explanations. So as to reduce the many emails that were sent through the portal ( and not answered by staff) 3.) The retrieval process @OHSU felt cold and disconnected. That room was freezing and was so sad my husband wasn't in the room because I felt no connection and/or kindness from Dr. Chang. I actually felt that more from the anesthesiologist. 4.) I think when you send the prescriptions over to OHSU that you make things as clear as possible. Most of the time, I found myself having to call your office because the dosages weren't clear when they were sent over. 5.) I would say overall warmth and compassion Areas that were great: 1.) When I sent an email super concerned about the lack of communication and clarity she did give me a call through the weekend. However, I gave feedback from beginning to end and often didn't feel heard.

Come more prepared than ever! The front desk staff do not know what they are doing. They also don't pull blood well. So be mindful of the fact they'll poke you a lot before blood gets pulled. Stay on top of what they told you they'll do. Because it's not often the case. Be mindful that they don't have a nurse or any other staff but Dr. Chang and her front desk staff. As a person who is at another clinic with access to an actual nurse not just my provider, has been absolutely amazing! Having a competent front desk staff member and phlebotomist has been amazing too. Whatever the front desk staff tells you in person, send them an email w/the exact information to hold them accountable. Because they'll need the reminders over and over again. If you are a patient that needs warmth and compassion, this might not be your place. Wear warm clothes. It's freezing in there.

I did an egg retrieval process.

About 30,000. You have to pay the clinic and OHSU separately. Which was not fun and not explained to me.

I did not feel educated enough.

Dr. Chang is very compassionate and understanding. She has wonderful bedside manners and I would recommend her. She uses OHSU lab for her IVF treatments. The downside is that she is the only doctor and I was not impressed with her office staff. They were inexperienced clinical techs. Also, there are no nurses at her clinic.

Dr. Chang is a great Dr., I would recommend to try her for at least one treatment.

I am 45 years old so she advised us that a donor would be best. We in the middle of synchronizing our cycles.

We decided to got with a donor, Dr. Changs cost is apprx 10k, donor cost 20k, and OHSU lab will be apprx. 10k.

Since we have decided to move forward with a donor and because I am 45, Dr. Chang strongly recommended a SET however, we did let her know that we would decide after the retrieval.

After doing IUIs with another clinic, where I would see a different provider on each visit I wanted a smaller clinic where I would see the same doctor each time. Unfortunately we had a bad experience at this clinic. I don't know that it was Dr. Chang's fault--it may have been the lab or other factors, but we did a retrieval and ALL of our embryos--which had looked okay on day 3--were terrible on day 5, and we were told that they weren't worth transferring. This was a huge financial and emotional investment, and we were left with nothing. The doctor said she had no idea what went wrong and that we might want to consider donor eggs. I waited nearly a year, did a lot of research on clinics, and went to a top-rated clinic in SoCal. We were successful with our very first IVF there, where we produced three genetically-normal embryos.

Just do your homework and compare her success rates with those of other clinics.

I did travel cross country during one of the cycles. The doctor had approved this, but I wonder if it had a deleterious effect (time zone adaptation, etc.) Also, I found out that I had been Vitamin D-deficient and that I had MTHFR mutations and needed folate. Maybe these things were working against me--I have no idea. Dr. Chang's protocols seemed very reasonable. The only other thing I can think of is that she may have retrieved the eggs a little too late. Maybe they should have come out on Sunday, when the clinic was closed. I think she did the retrieval on a Monday morning.

not covered, self-pay

She is a scientist not an OB, so once you understand as a doctor she's there to help diagnose and troubleshoot your situation, her approach makes a lot of sense. Her demeanor was calm and she was always sensitive to making sure I was okay with the process and adjusted the process when necessary for me. I loved that her practice was just her, so I wasn't shuffled to other doctors depending on scheduling. She was always available and never missed an appointment and was only late on one occasion (maybe 15 minutes late if that!). She listened to any concerns I had and allowed me to very a very active part of the process understanding what options were available depending on how aggressive I wanted to be in the process (ICSI, PGS, etc).

There are some other 'big name' fertility groups in Portland, which are fantastic. What Dr. Chang has is the same results as those groups, but you never get shuffled around to other doctors (which is what happens at the big practices). Chang is the one you see for everything, and if you are looking for a personal relationship she is a good fit.

Don't recall exactly, I did some IUIs with and without follistim (none at all successful but could easily mature eggs) and then moved to IVF. It was a pretty traditional protocol using lupron, menopur, follistim, HCG among a few others. I produced a plethora of eggs my first fresh round (almost 30) but only a small percentage (even with ICSI) fertilized and matured to good embryos (maybe 8 total). Ended up with a chemical pregnancy that didn't pass on its own and had to have a D&C. Second round of IVF (fresh round again) was the same protocol but produced around 15 eggs and ended with 4 viable embryos (with ICSI and tested with PGS which ruled out two other embryos that were abnormal). I have 3 year old twins from that IVF.

Insurance covered a lot of things but we burned through our insurance's 5K max of meds coverage, so out of pocket for meds of an IVF cycle were around 2.5K as I recall. Overall for two fresh IVF cycles (second including the PGS testing) we spent around 15K out of pocket after insurance (and things insurance didn't cover, such as 'experimental treatments').

Dr. Chang is knowledgeable and listens well. We feel that she is great at offering suggestions and her professional opinion, then leaving the decision up to us. I tend to pass out when I have my blood drawn and she always offers me candy and plenty of time to get my bearings before moving on with an appointment. She never makes me feel like it's an inconvenience.

She does an ultrasound and blood draw at the beginning of each cycle to see where my body's at and monitor how the medication is working. I then call when I have a positive ovulation and we schedule a time for IUI. She does an ultrasound to check my follicles.

Consultation cost, prescription costs, cost for IUI procedure and ultrasounds, charges for blood work

She truly cares about her patients & takes time to do appropriate tests & talk through options. She runs a small practice and uses OHSU labs, & uses her own judgement which clearly comes from both science & her gut instinct. The most kind & caring doctor I’ve written with. I’m writing this review 7 years after our last appointment.... that’s how much I was impressed by her.

Know that it is a small practice using outside labs. If you want an in house donor pool go elsewhere.

I do not recall specific dosage but when I did IUI with donor sperm she was willing to push my ovaries to the max to rule out the need for egg donor. She also respected my reluctance to spend $ on own egg IVF when I was deciding to move on to DE.

About $12,000 for 3 DS IUIs & several consults / monitoring outside DE cycle

We loved Dr. Chang and how she truly cared about us. Sadly we didn't achieve a successful pregnancy under her care though. She was very knowledgeable and communicated very well. She was always very available and made us feel like we were her only patients.

Take notes. Clear your schedule as much as possible to allow for last min appointments.

We used the highest dose of follistem, Lupron, among many other fertility drugs. As well as aspirin, antibiotics and more.

Our doctor suggested we transfer two embryos both times (2 tranfers total).

She’s friendly, intelligent, sympathetic, and kind. I haven’t gotten pregnant yet and each time she’s been comforting and optimistic. She answers all of my questions and never rushes me. I feel heard when I’m in her care. I trust her.

I’m not sure. I haven’t had any problems. I would tell them she’s really nice and is on your side.

We tired Clomid with timed intercourse twice, Clomid with a trigger shot and an IUI and then Letrozole with a tigger shot and IUI. I also took estrogen throughout each cycle. I’m taking a month off right now because the medicine made me pretty depressed.

I think each IUI is around $300. They also do the sperm washing for about $100. The trigger shot was $100. Clomid, Letrozole and the estrogen pills were very cheap.

No

I thought that aimee chang was very personable and understanding especially since we did our consultation over the phone because of covid 19 . She made me feel like she was standing right in front of me and understood and answered any questions I had which I liked a lot .

If you have questions dont guess ask her she will tell you an honest trustworthy answer

Haven't used any yet

She has insurance plans you can choose from an in network system

I would like just one embryo transfer

Not sure yet still in first processes of getting things starting. She seems to be honest and doesn’t waiting for things last min. So far good. Seems to be out going and patient. Easy to talk with. Didn’t feel rushed. Talked with my husband as well with out any problems.

Make sure to keep all medical documents.

Not there yet waiting to get there

Testing, treatment, medication, and procedure

Not sure

I loved my doctor for how invested she was in getting me pregnant. When I first saw her, I had no intention of ever doing IVF, I just wanted to some answers to why I wasn't conceiving, but she convinced me to try it just once, especially given my great insurance.

Aimee Chang will strongly advise you to follow all the protocols generally accepted in the field right now (PGS, ICSI etc). If you, for whatever reason, do not feel like you need or want all that, be prepared to stand your ground.

Ganirelix antagonist protocol for stimulation (for egg retrieval). 2 Menopurs 275 Follistim IU, dropped to 225 as my E2 level was going up, dropped to 75 towards the end Doxycycline AM + PM Dexamethasone PM Aspirine 81 mg Before trigger, E2 level was 7369.05, so I triggered with Lupron 4mg AND 1,000 HCG 10,000 IU. Because of high E2 levels and number of eggs retrieved, I was put on Cabergoline post retrieval.

I have to say that I was given a sheet with exact costs before the treatments, which I really appreciated. It was almost 5K for the stimulation+retrival+ fertilization, meds not included.

Because we chose not to PGS and ended up with so many frozen embryos (15), Dr Chang advised i transfer 2 embryos at a time. She acknowledged that it might possibly result in multiples, but said I was very healthy and likely wouldn't have issues carrying. First FET resulted in an anembryonic pregnancy (blighted ovum) followed by a miscarriage, but second FET did result in twins. I am happy with the result but will only transfer one embryo if we decide to try for another.

Dr. Chang is soft spoken but very kind and compassionate. You can tell she has great knowledge and experience in her field. I felt like she was willing to try any option in order for us to have success.

Trust her judgement!

We tried a mini stim for me and it was clear my body was not going to respond. I ended up needing an egg donor, and Dr Chang was wonderful and patient with her. Getting my body ready for the transfer, Dr Chang made a couple of adjustments to the protocol, as I didn't respond right away. After the first transfer, I am now 16 weeks pregnant.

I don't remember exact costs, but things were broken down via lab or clinic charges.

For me, Dr. Chang wanted a single embryo transfer. I had a proven uterus and no issues. With my sister, she used two embryos, as she had a history of endometriosis and had never been pregnant. My sister is now 8 weeks pregnant with one.

I enjoyed working with Dr. Chang. We were successful with both transfers that were performed. Both Dr. Chang and her staff were very responsive to both phone and email and resolved issues like lab results and refill requests very quickly. Dr. Chang went out of her way to make sure our treatment was affordable as possible by collaborating with our primary insurance the was not accepted at her clinic.

No major advice to be given. We had a great experience with Dr. Chang over the last 4 years.

All costs were plainly spelled out prior to procedures. Dr. Chang and her team agreed to coordinate with multiple pharmacies to minimize drug cost.

Aimee Chang is an extremely experienced, knowledgeable, trustworthy and thorough person. Her goal was always to find the best treatment plan for us. She listened to our concerns and questions and responded with care at all times.

She carefully explained both procedures and potential risks. I extremely appreciated her honest recommendation and advice on how to move on.