Ratings of 1 indicate that a clinic was poorly operated.
Ratings of 10 indicate that a clinic operated very well.
Scheduling
9.1
9.1
Scheduling
Ratings of 1 mean it was difficult to schedule appointments with this clinic.
Ratings of 10 mean it was easy to schedule appointments.
Billing Department
8.1
8.1
Billing Department
Ratings of 1 indicate an unsatisfactory billing department.
Ratings of 10 indicate an excellent billing department.
Nursing Team
8.9
8.9
Nursing Team
Ratings of 1 indicate an unsatisfactory nursing team.
Ratings of 10 indicate an excellent nursing team.
Attention to Detail
8.4
8.4
Attention to Detail
Attention to detail is on a 1 - 10 scale, and is scored based on the rate, and severity, of errors committed by the clinic according to the patients.
For example, a severe error might be failing to inform a patient of critical information, while a small error might be failing to call a patient with results.
CDC Success Rates
This is the most recent data from the CDC. The CDC cautions that it should not be used to compare doctors and clinics. This data represents the outcomes of IVF cycles when using a person's own eggs.
For more information please see our FAQs.
Where you see a “?” on the chart, a clinic has done fewer than 20 cycles in this category and age range, so the CDC says showing percentages from this small data set would be misleading and unreliable.
Dr. Agard was always so warm and made me feel so comfortable! I am a bit of an overthinker and always had so many questions (and anxieties) yet she was patient with me wanting to understand all the details and ask all the what ifs, and reassured me without being dismissive of my concerns...very thorough in explaining protocols and decisions and how they fit for me and my situation, not just bc it was a standard approach...
I loved ALL of the nurses and coordinators at PFC [Pacific Fertility Center] - It was so nice to have a main contact who it felt like knew you and your "case"...Any time I had a question for the care team, regardless of who answered (via phone or email), or delivering good or bad news, they were so compassionate, responsive, understanding and always followed up. Also the nurses during appointments and procedures were amazing...
How was your experience with Jennifer Agard at Pacific Fertility Center?
Dr. Agard was always so warm and made me feel so comfortable! I am a bit of an overthinker and always had so many questions (and anxieties) yet she was patient with me wanting to understand all the details and ask all the what ifs, and reassured me without being dismissive of my concerns - I really got the sense that she's got you. She also has the BEST laugh that just puts you at ease.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jennifer Agard at Pacific Fertility Center?
Don't be afraid to ask questions!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jennifer Agard at Pacific Fertility Center?
She was very thorough in explaining protocols and decisions and how they fit for me and my situation, not just bc it was a standard approach.
Describe the protocols Jennifer Agard used in your cycles at Pacific Fertility Center and their degree of success.
For egg retrieval we did menopur, follistim, ganirelix and she was great at tracking and adjusting as needed. A different Dr at PFC did my retrieval, and we ended up with more eggs than we thought we were going to get, and were really lucky with how many PGS embryos we ended up with. We then did a partially natural/medicated frozen embryo transfer (with Letrozole and natural ovulation) that was unsuccessful. Then she encouraged me to do an ERA so we could have as much data as possible, and we did in fact need an extra 12 hours of progesterone. Then we did another fully medicated FET with estrogen and progesterone shots, which was successful!
Describe your experience with your nurse at Pacific Fertility Center. (Assigned nurse: Cera Jane )
I loved ALL of the nurses and coordinators at PFC - It was so nice to have a main contact who it felt like knew you and your "case" even though you didn't meet them in person. Any time I had a question for the care team, regardless of who answered (via phone or email), or delivering good or bad news, they were so compassionate, responsive, understanding and always followed up.
Also the nurses during appointments and procedures were amazing (I always had Margaret and she is just the best) - Dr Agard and her whole team are just wonderful.
Describe your experience with Pacific Fertility Center.
At first I was nervous to have different doctors for different appointments especially when decisions were made (eg we're ready to trigger or wait another day) and the various procedures like retrievals and embryo transferred, but it really showed me what an incredible team of doctors make up PFC. Seriously, they were all just SO good and it really felt coordinated and like they knew your situation even though they hadn't been seeing you the whole time. And despite being a larger group/clinic, PFC has a lot of heart and you really feel like a human not just a number!
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jennifer Agard at Pacific Fertility Center.
Most of our cycles and medications were covered by insurance, but we paid for the embryo biopsy (~$4000) and genetic testing (~$150 per embryo) out of pocket.
In the consultation Dr Li set expectations about the procedure and explained options. This included a lot of numbers, and estimated results, which was appreciated. Since then I have not heard from her at all...[she] said we would decide on doing a natural or controlled cycle at a later date, and noted my preference for a natural cycle...Don't expect follow ups or communication.
Very poor communication overall [at Pacific Fertility Center]...I have been waiting for my thaw for multiple months now, for unclear reasons. I have tried to escalate and communicate with someone in charge on the various issues, but no one seems to care. I will probably switch clinics at this point because of such a poor patient experience...Have to follow up constantly on the status of things
How was your experience with Liyun Li at Pacific Fertility Center?
In the consultation Dr Li set expectations about the procedure and explained options. This included a lot of numbers, and estimated results, which was appreciated. Since then I have not heard from her at all.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Liyun Li at Pacific Fertility Center?
Don't expect follow ups or communication.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Liyun Li at Pacific Fertility Center?
Very poor communication from this clinic about the status of anything, even when updates are asked for.
Describe the protocols Liyun Li used in your cycles at Pacific Fertility Center and their degree of success.
Dr. Li said we would decide on doing a natural or controlled cycle at a later date, and noted my preference for a natural cycle.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Pacific Fertility Center. (Assigned nurse: Daisy)
I have had a completely terrible experience with my care coordinator. Must have been very poorly trained. Drops the ball all the time on communication. Have to follow up constantly on the status of things. Several weeks of delay happened purely because there was an issue with the forms, but she was unable to explain what the issue exactly was. General she seems to have zero appreciation for the fact that patients would be time-sensitive.
Describe your experience with Pacific Fertility Center.
Very poor communication overall. 1) Poor communication from your care coordinator. 2) Poor communication systems. They tell you not to use Prelude Connect as a platform but it has tons of bugs and issues (eg you're supposed to send messages through it... but there is no 'send' button). 3) Poor communication from front desk. You call and ask to talk to someone, they tell you they'll call back today. No one does. This has happened on multiple occasions, from my care coordinator to financial coordinator, and even me asking to speak to management. 4) Poor communication from management. I've tried to escalate these issues. Same thing. No one seems to care, no one gets back to you. 5) Poor communication from financial dept. They do a session with you to review all the costs. Then later you get charged for a saline ultrasound that they say is not included in the costs. But when you actually got it, the doctor said it's a standard part of the process and everyone does it. So why would it not be included and why are you shocking the patient with an extra $420 bill when it's already so expensive. Poor communication and expectation-setting.
What specific things went wrong at Pacific Fertility Center?
Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Pacific Fertility Center.
I have been waiting for my thaw for multiple months now, for unclear reasons. I have tried to escalate and communicate with someone in charge on the various issues, but no one seems to care. I will probably switch clinics at this point because of such a poor patient experience.
Dr. Chenette seemed only interested in putting as many embryos in me as possible and hoping that one would work. There seemed to be very little interest in figuring out why I had had so many miscarriages or trying to prevent them. My extensive history of miscarriages (and a D&C) was repeatedly forgotten or disregarded when it should have informed my treatment/care. Because I was able to produce a decent number of healthy embryos from one retrieval and was "young", he didn't seem to want to do any additional testing or treatment...
Communication is a big issue at PFC. Anytime you need to talk to your doctor, care coordinator, or financial coordinator, there is at least a 1 week wait. You can message your coordinators and nursing team on their app, but important phone calls take forever. You cannot contact your doctor directly...The nursing staff (and Lindy in particular) were a bright spot during my time at PFC. They were compassionate, considerate, and much more willing to talk through things and explain them to me...
How was your experience with Philip Chenette at Pacific Fertility Center?
Seems pretty old school and set in his ways. Dr. Chenette is not really open to doing "additional" testing and treatment, even when pushed. His care plan for me involved doing the same thing over and over and hoping that one embryo would eventually stick. He did not seem inclined to explore the causes of my 4 miscarriages (3 natural, 1 IVF) or use my history to inform my treatment. His bedside manner is generally fine, with the exception of how he handled my last miscarriage, which was frankly atrocious and traumatic. The last thing I did at PFC before leaving was a biopsy to test for endometriosis, which he performed during the wrong time in my cycle, rendering my results invalid. I was the one who caught the error and presented it to my care team. I expected better from the medical director of the clinic and with decades of experience.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Philip Chenette at Pacific Fertility Center?
If you have a very straightforward case (which is often hard to know), he might be the right doctor for you, but do not expect any innovation, thoroughness, or exploration.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Philip Chenette at Pacific Fertility Center?
Dr. Chenette seemed only interested in putting as many embryos in me as possible and hoping that one would work. There seemed to be very little interest in figuring out why I had had so many miscarriages or trying to prevent them. My extensive history of miscarriages (and a D&C) was repeatedly forgotten or disregarded when it should have informed my treatment/care. Because I was able to produce a decent number of healthy embryos from one retrieval and was "young", he didn't seem to want to do any additional testing or treatment (which would be standard at other clinics). As a result, my first transfer resulted in a chemical pregnancy because I had scar tissue and inflammation in my uterus that wasn't discovered until after via hysteroscopy. And at my first ultrasound after my second transfer, Dr. Chenette congratulated me before conducting the scan where we discovered that there was no heartbeat and I had miscarried (again). To make matters worse, he then proceeded to tell me that I would need to consider donor eggs/sperm and/or a gestational carrier, suggestions which he then backtracked on the next day during a phone call once he had reviewed my charts again.
Describe the protocols Philip Chenette used in your cycles at Pacific Fertility Center and their degree of success.
I did a pretty standard antagonist protocol. I had a dominant follicle at my baseline ultrasound, so I did 2 days of Cetrotide before starting Gonal F (200 IU) and Menopur (150 IU), then resuming the Cetrotide on day 5 of stims. I triggered on day 10 with Pregnyl (10,000 U). I was a quick responder, so I was quite bloated and jiggly. Retrieved 22 eggs, 20 of which were mature.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Pacific Fertility Center. (Assigned nurse: Lindy)
The nursing staff (and Lindy in particular) were a bright spot during my time at PFC. They were compassionate, considerate, and much more willing to talk through things and explain them to me.
Describe your experience with Pacific Fertility Center.
Communication is a big issue at PFC. Anytime you need to talk to your doctor, care coordinator, or financial coordinator, there is at least a 1 week wait. You can message your coordinators and nursing team on their app, but important phone calls take forever. You cannot contact your doctor directly, which seems ridiculous in 2022.
The nursing staff, as mentioned before, is wonderful. They do a very good job of explaining things, reaching out, and providing compassionate care.
Also, no one ever took responsibility for this, but it bears mentioning. When my husband and I first did a consultation with PFC, we mentioned that we are both carriers for CF, hence the need for IVF. What we didn't know at the time is that the lab has to create a probe that takes 2+ months to make in order to test your embryos. One would think that PFC would have started that process immediately, since my egg retrieval couldn't happen until the probe was complete. Instead, it was brought to our attention nearly 2 months later, unnecessarily delaying our process from the get go. Just one example of how they did not value our time.
Medical records leaves a lot to be desired: very long response times, repeat requests ignored, missing records, etc.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Philip Chenette at Pacific Fertility Center.
I had insurance coverage for most of my treatment with a few exceptions.
What specific things went wrong at Pacific Fertility Center?
Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Lost paperwork
Canceled a cycle due to clinic error
Scheduled the wrong procedure
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Pacific Fertility Center.
Cancelled ERA cycle due to prescriptions not being sent on time.
Missing test results and images from my medical record.
Biopsy done at incorrect time in cycle so results are invalid.
Dr Li was warm, efficient and candid. She explained why we would proceed with an IUI as a first step after a number of failed Clomid only cycles with my gynecologist. She answered all our questions and I learned a lot from her...Dr Li and her team were warm, efficient and candid. They were also flexible, and billing was transparent and reasonable...Do your research on possible treatments before your appointment so you can ask more informed questions...
The financial coordinator here [at Pacific Fertility Center] was much better than at my current clinic, and the billing was more reasonable. The office is beautiful and makes the visits less stressful. They also don't try to rush you and answer all your questions. I would have stayed with this clinic had I not moved...They [nurses] were friendly and efficient...Dr Li and her team were warm, efficient and candid. They were also flexible, and billing was transparent and reasonable...
How was your experience with Liyun Li at Pacific Fertility Center?
As I said before Dr Li was warm, efficient and candid. She explained why we would proceed with an IUI as a first step after a number of failed Clomid only cycles with my gynecologist. She answered all our questions and I learned a lot from her.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Liyun Li at Pacific Fertility Center?
Do your research on possible treatments before your appointment so you can ask more informed questions.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Liyun Li at Pacific Fertility Center?
Dr Li and her team were warm, efficient and candid. They were also flexible, and billing was transparent and reasonable. I learned a lot about infertility during my time with the clinic.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Pacific Fertility Center.
They were friendly and efficient.
Describe your experience with Pacific Fertility Center.
The financial coordinator here was much better than at my current clinic, and the billing was more reasonable. The office is beautiful and makes the visits less stressful. They also don't try to rush you and answer all your questions. I would have stayed with this clinic had I not moved.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Liyun Li at Pacific Fertility Center.
We used approximately $2500 of our Carrot fertility benefit for our IUI, including genetic testing and initial bloodwork. Each ultrasound was about $330.
Dr. Givens took the time to hear me out, answer all of my questions, and help me understand the complexities of all that I had going on...always made herself available to me, meeting me continually with genuine concern...Knowing that I have DOR with a very small piece of one ovary left...Despite the odds, 7 eggs were able to be retrieved, which was practically a miracle in my case.
Pacific Fertility Center is a wonderful clinic with many great doctors...In my experience, you may see other doctors during your process. If this is something you do not want, then be sure to check with your doctor on how you can go about seeing them specifically...do their very best to accommodate you on this and will advise you if your doctor is scheduled to be out of the office...
How was your experience with Carolyn Givens at Pacific Fertility Center?
Dr. Givens was the first Reproductive Endocrinologist that we met with nearly 10 years ago. After being told by many doctors that my case was too complicated and highly unlikely that I would ever get pregnant, Dr. Givens was forthcoming and honest, yet hopeful and willing to try to help us. She has never promised the impossible, always staying honest and upfront. Despite our odds, she still offered us hope and optimism, finding a way through where there has been one.
Our case has certainly had it's ups and downs, yet Dr. Givens has helped us feel like valuable humans, and not just another patient. We started our journey at PFC with 4 IUI's, prior to moving on to an IVF cycle. She has always presented our options honestly, helping us make the best call, all while being conscious of our financial means. These procedures were very tricky for us, as I only have a tiny piece of one ovary left. Additionally, I have severe endometriosis, one tube left, a history of PCOS, and a complicated multiple abdominal surgical history. Our journey has been an uphill battle.
After moving out of the Bay Area, we sought care at a different clinic due to living hours away from PFC. We attempted another IVF, but it was a bust after no eggs were retrieved during that cycle. We were devastated. Though the RE at the other clinic was nice, it was such a different experience. There, we felt like the doctor/patient connection was just lacking. Gratefully, the opportunity to return to Dr. Givens presented itself and we jumped on it! Being back under her care reminds us that we don't have to feel like we are just a number. This time moving on to FET with donor embryos, we now travel 3 hours away to see her, because she is worth it! In an amazing, yet heartbreaking development, she was able to do what felt like the impossible. After 12 years of infertility, she helped us get pregnant through the gift of embryo donation! Unfortunately, we lost our baby girl a day shy of 14 weeks due to a developmental abnormality. This loss was purely a rare phenomenon, having nothing to do with fertility treatments, genetics, etc. Through our heartbreak and pain, Dr. Givens personally called me to check in, and has provided support like we could not have expected. This kindness from her during our time of grief has only grown our appreciation for the amazing woman that she is. She truly has a heart of gold!
It feels like Dr. Givens truly wants us to have a baby just as much as we do, and she is alongside us in this complicated journey. Always professional, and still she has come to feel like family, and that is rare in my experience with other doctors. Our journey is yet to be finished, as we are in the process of another FET with our donor embryos. Regardless of where this journey takes us, we wouldn't want any other doctor by our side, directing and advising us. Dr. Givens will always hold a special place in our hearts! Her care is irreplaceable!
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Carolyn Givens at Pacific Fertility Center?
Come prepared with questions, and be open and willing to listen. As a patient, I like to be informed and have always been prepared with my list of questions. Dr. Givens is very intelligent and also willing to explain when you need it. If you are a patient that advocates for yourself, Dr. Givens seems to value that.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Carolyn Givens at Pacific Fertility Center?
From my very first appointment, Dr. Givens took the time to hear me out, answer all of my questions, and help me understand the complexities of all that I had going on. She has always made herself available to me, meeting me continually with genuine concern and care for what is best for me. While other doctors have told me that I likely wouldn't have a chance, she has proven them wrong. Dr. Givens has a huge heart and has always gone above and beyond to help make our dreams of building our family come true.
Describe the protocols Carolyn Givens used in your cycles at Pacific Fertility Center and their degree of success.
Our first course of action years ago began with IUI's. At the time, financially, IVF was out of the question, so opted to try IUI's before moving on to the more expensive options. As time went on, I had a few more surgeries for my severe endometriosis. This likely being the reason for the unsuccessful IUI's, we had to move on. Our first IVF cycle, we learned that my body took longer to respond to the medications that the average patient. Knowing that I have DOR with a very small piece of one ovary left, Dr. Givens stayed the course. Despite the odds, 7 eggs were able to be retrieved, which was practically a miracle in my case. This IVF resulted in a chemical pregnancy.
Since moving on to FET with donor embryos, Dr. Givens chose to do a controlled cycle, working with the fact that I have not been having regular cycles these days. Our first FET was a success using this controlled cycle. Though we are now on to our second FET due to a second trimester miscarriage (unrelated to this fertility process), Dr. Givens has us sticking with the controlled cycle again since it worked for us the last time.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Pacific Fertility Center. (Assigned nurse: Nurse - Jennise, Coordinator - Jenelle)
All members of Dr. Givens "care team" have been phenomenal. Especially Jennise, Dr. Givens' Team Nurse. She was one of our nurses from the very beginning and again now since our return. Jennise genuinely cares, remembers us, and goes above and beyond to stay on top of everything. Additionally, she helps me with the many, many questions I have had throughout, never making me feel silly even when my questions may seem that way.
Jenelle, our care coordinator has been wonderful as well. She is thorough in her communication and always goes above and beyond.
Describe your experience with Pacific Fertility Center.
Pacific Fertility Center is a wonderful clinic with many great doctors. Throughout my time there, I have seen most of the doctors there and they have all been great. These doctors are very busy, doing their best to juggle what seems like very full schedules. In my experience, you may see other doctors during your process. If this is something you do not want, then be sure to check with your doctor on how you can go about seeing them specifically. Being conscious of this since we travel from hours away, I schedule in a way where I can see Dr. Givens specifically since she is so familiar with our case. If this is important to you, simply communicate this to your doctor and care coordinator. In my experience, they do their very best to accommodate you on this and will advise you if your doctor is scheduled to be out of the office during your time of treatment. PFC has worked with me on this better than other clinics I have been to.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Carolyn Givens at Pacific Fertility Center.
Dr. Givens has always been very helpful and conscious of our financial means over the years. She lays out all of our options and has been honest when things are necessary and also unnecessary.
She [Dr. Li] recommended IVF from the start as the more effective treatment to achieve our family goals, but also said we were good candidates for IUI...had a strong preference for eSET due to the potential risks connected to a multiples pregnancy...bedside manner is outstanding - she is kind and empathetic while never losing sight of facts and always explained her reasoning for her recommended course of action to achieve the best outcome...She was sensitive to the feelings in the room on any given day and that is an important quality for me when looking for a doctor. I would recommend coming prepared with multiple questions to appointments so Dr. Li can address all your concerns adequately. While I don't think appointments w
Out of 22 eggs, 12 embryos developed and 7 were deemed normal after PGT-A testing [with Pacific Fertility Center]. We proceeded with a rest month and a frozen transfer of one embryo...Kelsey [nurse] was kind, warm and always professional - she always came to say hi to us during appointments, responded quickly to all email communications and overall just made us feel supported throughout treatment...We spent about $30,000 total on all treatments and medications, incl. FET, hysteroscopy and PGT-A testing of 12 embryos.
How was your experience with Liyun Li at Pacific Fertility Center?
It seemed to me that Dr. Li adjusts her tone and demeanor to her patients' needs and personality. She was sensitive to the feelings in the room on any given day and that is an important quality for me when looking for a doctor. I would recommend coming prepared with multiple questions to appointments so Dr. Li can address all your concerns adequately. While I don't think appointments were rushed, it is a very busy clinic...Dr. Li offers phone follow-ups should questions come up and we did do that quite a few times.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Liyun Li at Pacific Fertility Center?
Come prepared with questions. I'd also recommend doing your research before appointments to ask about her reasoning behind her recommendations. It helped us understand more about the process of IVF and our particular case and made us feel more at ease knowing that decisions were made based on our individual medical history - not clinic statistics.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Liyun Li at Pacific Fertility Center?
Dr. Li's bedside manner is outstanding - she is kind and empathetic while never losing sight of facts and always explained her reasoning for her recommended course of action to achieve the best outcome. Her care team is incredibly responsive and helpful - always encouraging and it really feels like you have a strong support system at the clinic who's got your back.
Describe the protocols Liyun Li used in your cycles at Pacific Fertility Center and their degree of success.
We came to Dr. Li after three cycles of clomid - one resulting in an early miscarriage - and an initial consult with Kaiser Permanente Fertility. She recommended IVF from the start as the more effective treatment to achieve our family goals, but also said we were good candidates for IUI (based on age and the fact that we've gotten pregnant before, all our testing looked normal, no tube blockages). We did two Letrozole IUI cycles - both times the sperm count and motility was very good. After that, we moved on the an Antagonist IVF cycle - Follistim/Menopur/Ganirellix and about 5 monitoring appointments during the cycle. The procedure doctor on the day of my egg retrieval was Dr. Givens, who also did a hysteroscopy a few weeks later to remove some small uterine polyps. Out of 22 eggs, 12 embryos developed and 7 were deemed normal after PGT-A testing. We proceeded with a rest month and a frozen transfer of one embryo - the transfer was done by Dr. Li.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Pacific Fertility Center. (Assigned nurse: Kelsey)
Kelsey was kind, warm and always professional - she always came to say hi to us during appointments, responded quickly to all email communications and overall just made us feel supported throughout treatment.
Describe your experience with Pacific Fertility Center.
Beautiful facilities, great front desk team. Expensive fees - but they try to work with you on leveraging whatever insurance you have to reduce costs (for us, that only worked for the initial blood work and testing done at Kaiser).
Describe the costs associated with your care under Liyun Li at Pacific Fertility Center.
We spent about $30,000 total on all treatments and medications, incl. FET, hysteroscopy and PGT-A testing of 12 embryos.
Describe Liyun Li's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Pacific Fertility Center.
Dr. Li had a strong preference for eSET due to the potential risks connected to a multiples pregnancy.
My treatment was pretty standard [with Dr. Liyun Li]- it was my first retrieval...very kind and smart - I felt like I was in trustworthy and knowledgable hands. She doesn't rush conversations - and makes herself available whenever needed. She's very approachable - I didn't feel uncomfortable asking any questions...Be prepared to be given a lot of data - which is obviously important. But also make sure you fully understand the process. And ask lots of questions - Dr. Li is more than happy to answer any and all.
Very nice and welcoming facilities [at Pacific Fertility Center] - I felt like a human and not part of a machine. Never had to wait, was always called by my name, there were max one or two other people in the waiting room. They clearly know what they're doing and all of the providers impressed me. The one thing they can work on is bettering their communication regarding the process itself. During your consultation they go over all of the statistics and risks - which was of course important. But I was very confused about next steps - that could be streamlined tremendously.
How was your experience with Liyun Li at Pacific Fertility Center?
Dr Li is very kind and smart - I felt like I was in trustworthy and knowledgable hands. She doesn't rush conversations - and makes herself available whenever needed. She's very approachable - I didn't feel uncomfortable asking any questions.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Liyun Li at Pacific Fertility Center?
Be prepared to be given a lot of data - which is obviously important. But also make sure you fully understand the process. And ask lots of questions - Dr. Li is more than happy to answer any and all.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Liyun Li at Pacific Fertility Center?
The clinic itself is great - it's not like others where I've heard it's like a factory. You're not in the waiting room with a million other people - you never have to wait for more than five minutes. It's a higher level of care.
Describe the protocols Liyun Li used in your cycles at Pacific Fertility Center and their degree of success.
My treatment was pretty standard- it was my first retrieval.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Pacific Fertility Center.
Very kind, organized, available
Describe your experience with Pacific Fertility Center.
Very nice and welcoming facilities - I felt like a human and not part of a machine. Never had to wait, was always called by my name, there were max one or two other people in the waiting room. They clearly know what they're doing and all of the providers impressed me. The one thing they can work on is bettering their communication regarding the process itself. During your consultation they go over all of the statistics and risks - which was of course important. But I was very confused about next steps - that could be streamlined tremendously.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Liyun Li at Pacific Fertility Center.
$16k for monitoring, retrieval, testing, and storage. About another $1k for consultations and bloodwork.
I have low ovarian reserve and she [Dr. Givens] wanted to used the highest dose of medictaion for stimulation because of my age. She felt it was our best shot...She does not typically do multiple embryo transfer due to the risks associated with twins. I support this completely...I felt respected. I fellt she had enough time for me. I never felt rushed. She answered all my questions earnestly and revealed when she diden't know something.
I the clinic [Pacific Fertility Center] is extremely well organized...The clinic itself was a pleasure to visit, all windows with view of the San Francisco Bay. I always liked being up there with those views! The lab is encased in glass walls so you can look into it as you walk down the hall and see the embyologists in their white coats at work, which I thought was really cool...
How was your experience with Carolyn Givens at Pacific Fertility Center?
I felt respected. I fellt she had enough time for me. I never felt rushed. She answered all my questions earnestly and revealed when she diden't know something. I the clinic is extremely well organized.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Carolyn Givens at Pacific Fertility Center?
Ask questions
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Carolyn Givens at Pacific Fertility Center?
My impression is that she wanted to give be honest accurate information and did that directly and gently. I felt she liked me and cared about me as a person.
Describe the protocols Carolyn Givens used in your cycles at Pacific Fertility Center and their degree of success.
I have low ovarian reserve and she wanted to used the highest dose of medictaion for stimulation because of my age. She felt it was our best shot. My cycle is currently postponed due to COVID.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Pacific Fertility Center. (Assigned nurse: Jerile Grajo)
They are very organized. I started my care just before COVID-19 so the clinic was dealing with a lot of disruption and stress and they seemed to handle it very well with good communication.
Describe your experience with Pacific Fertility Center.
Strength: very well organized, professional.
Weakness: I wish they provided free support groups.
The clinic itself was a pleasure to visit, all windows with view of the San Francisco Bay. I always liked being up there with those views! The lab is encased in glass walls so you can look into it as you walk down the hall and see the embyologists in their white coats at work, which I thought was really cool.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Carolyn Givens at Pacific Fertility Center.
21,000 for the IVF cycle
Describe Carolyn Givens's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Pacific Fertility Center.
She does not typically do multiple embryo transfer due to the risks associated with twins. I support this completely.
First tried an agonist for IVF cycle #1 [with Dr. Philip Chenette]...tried antagonist (with growth hormone and supplements) for IVF cycle #2...His surrounding team was good at frequent check ins. He did not hide negative information...Strengths: laying out all treatment options. Being available for additional consultations when we wanted them...Weaknesses: very quickly jumped to egg donation (which was at odds with what other providers recommended)
Nursing staff [at Pacific Fertility Center] was organized and quick to answer all questions (answered emails within minutes or hours)...Per cycle was around $16490 (medications separate)...Nice, clean setting. All the physicians seemed to be experts in the field, which is important because they rotate on call on the weekends. The surrounding admin and nursing staff were all extremely attentive and organized. They were quick to answer any questions that came up, and the physicians were always willing to do extra phone visits. Information was sometimes delivered bluntly, so a positive attitude is important.
How was your experience with Philip Chenette at Pacific Fertility Center?
Strengths: laying out all treatment options. Being available for additional consultations when we wanted them
Weaknesses: very quickly jumped to egg donation (which was at odds with what other providers recommended)
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Philip Chenette at Pacific Fertility Center?
He is candid and is not afraid to give you information you may not want to hear, so it's important to bring your own positive attitude about treatment potential
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Philip Chenette at Pacific Fertility Center?
His surrounding team was good at frequent check ins. He did not hide negative information
Describe the protocols Philip Chenette used in your cycles at Pacific Fertility Center and their degree of success.
First tried an agonist for IVF cycle #1
The tried antagonist (with growth hormone and supplements) for IVF cycle #2
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Pacific Fertility Center.
Nursing staff was organized and quick to answer all questions (answered emails within minutes or hours)
Describe your experience with Pacific Fertility Center.
Nice, clean setting. All the physicians seemed to be experts in the field, which is important because they rotate on call on the weekends. The surrounding admin and nursing staff were all extremely attentive and organized. They were quick to answer any questions that came up, and the physicians were always willing to do extra phone visits. Information was sometimes delivered bluntly, so a positive attitude is important.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Philip Chenette at Pacific Fertility Center.
Per cycle was around $16490 (medications separate)
Describe Philip Chenette's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Pacific Fertility Center.
Dr. Ryan is a clear and direct communicator, without sacrificing warmth. She managed my expectations about my retrieval, and my results met/exceeded those expectations. I am a very skittish patient and she provided the right level of detail for me to understand the process without being overwhelmed...Be prepared to ask questions and discuss data, especially during later appointments.
(care coordinator) was organized and proactive, which was especially helpful when I needed to start my cycle a week earlier than expected...[Pacific Fertility Center is] Beautiful facility with high quality equipment and care. All of the doctors on staff are skilled and personable, and I was able to consistently see my primary doctor. I felt like the clinic was personally invested in my comfort and outcome.
How was your experience with Isabelle Ryan at Pacific Fertility Center?
Dr. Ryan is a clear and direct communicator, without sacrificing warmth. She managed my expectations about my retrieval, and my results met/exceeded those expectations. I am a very skittish patient and she provided the right level of detail for me to understand the process without being overwhelmed.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Isabelle Ryan at Pacific Fertility Center?
Dr. Ryan is very direct and matter of fact, which I appreciated. Be prepared to ask questions and discuss data, especially during later appointments.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Isabelle Ryan at Pacific Fertility Center?
Dr. Ryan was warm, clear and pragmatic. She managed my expectations around egg yield and maturity, while being encouraging and positive about the outcome. The care team paid attention to the details, from easy scheduling and billing to proactive pre and post procedure care.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Pacific Fertility Center. (Assigned nurse: Marris)
Marris (nurse) was clear and warm and helped reduce my anxiety. She made the pre and post procedure experience nearly spa-like.
Chau (care coordinator) was organized and proactive, which was especially helpful when I needed to start my cycle a week earlier than expected.
Describe your experience with Pacific Fertility Center.
Beautiful facility with high quality equipment and care. All of the doctors on staff are skilled and personable, and I was able to consistently see my primary doctor. I felt like the clinic was personally invested in my comfort and outcome. Truly a personal, hands on, boutique experience.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Isabelle Ryan at Pacific Fertility Center.
Dr. Chenette is an absolutely compassionate physician and person in general. He is soft spoken, understanding and made me and husband feel like he genuinely cared about us and treating us. We never felt rushed with him. Never felt like we asked a “stupid” question, although I’m sure we did a time or two. He is very personable and caring. Not to mention extremely dedicated, educated and experience in his field.
The clinic (PFC) is busy ... Roughly 25k for all treatment and medication. ...Clinic is beautiful. It is located in SF so parking can be a hassle if you don’t give yourself a few minutes to park and walk a short distance. ... Our embryos were extensively tested, genetically. ... I had a say in all my treatments. I was given options, along with their strengths and weaknesses.
How was your experience with Philip Chenette at Pacific Fertility Center?
Dr. Chenette is unequivocally the best fertility specialist. From his personal deamenor to his experience as a fertility specialist we believe there is no one better. We would go to him time and time again. We did extensive research and interviews with other fertility specialists before choosing to go with him and we are so grateful we did.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Philip Chenette at Pacific Fertility Center?
The clinic (PFC) is busy and you may not get Dr. Chenette for every appointment if your schedule is not flexible. You will not regret choosing him.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Philip Chenette at Pacific Fertility Center?
Dr. Chenette is an absolutely compassionate physician and person in general. He is soft spoken, understanding and made me and husband feel like he genuinely cared about us and treating us. We never felt rushed with him. Never felt like we asked a “stupid” question, although I’m sure we did a time or two. He is very personable and caring. Not to mention extremely dedicated, educated and experience in his field.
Describe the protocols Philip Chenette used in your cycles at Pacific Fertility Center and their degree of success.
I had a say in all my treatments. I was given options, along with their strengths and weaknesses. Dr.Chenette was my advocate, he gave me the options and essentially let me chose what I wanted. I chose injectable cycles for both egg retrieval and FET due to the discussion my husband and I had with Dr. Chenette. He (Dr. Chenette) believed it would be the most likely to succeed. And it did.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Pacific Fertility Center. (Assigned nurse: Iris)
The “Dr. Chenette Care Team” was astonishing. Organized and always easy to get ahold of. I absolutely adore Iris (LVN).
Describe your experience with Pacific Fertility Center.
Clinic is beautiful. It is located in SF so parking can be a hassle if you don’t give yourself a few minutes to park and walk a short distance. There is a parking garage and street metered parking, none is reimbursed by clinic. Beautiful office with bay view.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Philip Chenette at Pacific Fertility Center.
Roughly 25k for all treatment and medication.
Describe Philip Chenette's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Pacific Fertility Center.
We did an eSET FET. Our embryos were extensively tested, genetically. Once again Dr. Chenette went over the risks, pros and cons of eSET and multiple embryo transfer. He highly suggested for an eSET and we agreed.
Dr. Ryan was very professional and compassionate during all of my appointments. She took the time to answer all of my questions and always kept me updated on where I stood in the process of my egg retrieval, embryo transfer, and post care. She is very blunt and that may turn some patients off, but I do enjoy that style because it helped me truly make realistic expectations for our treatment and make informed decisions regarding my care. This was a big help to me emotionally because it helped me stay grounded for whatever the results would be
Pacific Fertility Center is a great clinic that is very modern and offers a serene office space, excellent patient care, high level of service, and has an online portal that made it easy to keep track of appointments, test results, and calendars to track your individual cycles. The only thing I would say is that since it is located deep in the heart of San Francisco, traffic may be hard to navigate through.
How was your experience with Isabelle Ryan at Pacific Fertility Center?
Dr. Ryan was very professional and compassionate during all of my appointments. She took the time to answer all of my questions and always kept me updated on where I stood in the process of my egg retrieval, embryo transfer, and post care. She is very blunt and that may turn some patients off, but I do enjoy that style because it helped me truly make realistic expectations for our treatment and make informed decisions regarding my care. This was a big help to me emotionally because it helped me stay grounded for whatever the results would be after all of our processes that include egg retrieval, genetic testing of the embryos, our own genetic testing, and chances for success with the embryo transfers and preparation of the lining. She even went as far to recommend an ERA test prior to our actual embryo transfer due to my medical history and we were allowed to do our own research and make the decision to proceed or not on our own. She did not pressure us either way. That proved that she was really paying attention to my health history and was doing all that she can to increase our chances of a successful transfer. Overall, I really enjoyed working with Dr. Ryan and her approach to care really meshed with my expectations and made me feel confident with every decision along the way.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Isabelle Ryan at Pacific Fertility Center?
One piece of advice to those prospective patients of Dr. Isabelle Ryan is to do your research prior to your first consultation. Come prepared with questions you may have and really use that time to dig in and have a deep conversation about your possible treatment, areas of concern, and get her opinion on your overall chances for success given your medical history and reasons for infertility. When you come prepared, that will instantly make your appointments more meaningful and keep you more informed to make decisions regarding your own care.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Isabelle Ryan at Pacific Fertility Center?
I felt that I was treated like a human with respect because Dr. Ryan took her time to go over all of the scenarios and statistics regarding my specific situation and laid out realistic expectations for this journey through IVF. Her team constantly checked in on me and their response time to my calls and emails was fantastic. They really do focus on caring for the patient.
Describe the protocols Isabelle Ryan used in your cycles at Pacific Fertility Center and their degree of success.
Egg Retrieval Treatment included daily dosages of follistim and menopur, and later included ganirelix. This was successful and resulted in 43 eggs retrieved.
ICSI was used to combine my eggs with my spouses semen to produce embryos.
We then proceeded with PGS testing for the resulting 9 embryos that made it to day 5. Of those 9 embryos, we had 3 healthy embryos with no chromosomal abnormalities.
We also did ERA testing to make sure my lining would be receptive prior to the actual embryo transfer.
Once the ERA testing came back, we proceeded with the Frozen Embryo Transfer based on the timing listed in the ERA report.
Due to my age, we did ESET and implanted one embryo which has resulted in a pregnancy.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Pacific Fertility Center. (Assigned nurse: Alvi)
Alvi was the absolute sweetest and most caring nurse. She was an excellent communicator of all of my care and was diligent to follow up in a reasonable time on all inquiries I had regarding my care and appointments. She had excellent bed manner and always took the time to make sure all of my questions were answered.
Describe your experience with Pacific Fertility Center.
Pacific Fertility Center is a great clinic that is very modern and offers a serene office space, excellent patient care, high level of service, and has an online portal that made it easy to keep track of appointments, test results, and calendars to track your individual cycles. The only thing I would say is that since it is located deep in the heart of San Francisco, traffic may be hard to navigate through.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Isabelle Ryan at Pacific Fertility Center.
Genetic Consult - $395
Horizon Screening - $199
Medications - $2500
Single Cycle Fee which includes Office Visits, Ultrasound, Estradiol, Anesthesia, Egg Retrieval, Facility, Lab, Embryo Freezing and one year Storage, Embryo Biopsy - $13,915
PGS Testing on up to 8 embryos - $2170 ($325 for each additional embryo)
Frozen Embryo Transfer - $3175
ERA Testing - $1000 + $600 for actual test at Natera
Describe Isabelle Ryan's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Pacific Fertility Center.
I appreciate Dr. Ryan suggesting we go with eSET instead of multiple embryo transfers because of my age and high risk pregnancy if we were to have multiples. I agree with her approach and it showed that she was not only focused on doing everything she could to increase our chances of success, but also was looking out for my own health. She took the time to explain her reasoning and I was confident with this approach given all of the facts.
I saw her [Dr. Liyun Li] over the course of 5 years. We originally went in just to do embryo cryopreservation, but along the way, I found out that I had a genetic kidney condition, adenomyosis, and only 1 working ovary. So we went through the whole process with her (3 cycles with PGD and PGS testing) and transferred when we were ready...We ended up with 6 PGD/PGS tested embryos...started my treatment by trying to prevent my Adenomyosis from growing in preparation for another transfer,
My coordinator [at Pacific Fertility Center] was fantastic, and all of the nurses I worked with were also fantastic. They have a dedicated email just for Dr. Li’s team, and whenever I had a question or concern, they would usually get back to me within a couple hours. If I needed immediate attention, I could call and talk to one of the nurses on Dr. Li’s team, and they also had an after hours line that would reach whichever doctor was on call. They were very organized and everyone has been wonderful.
How was your experience with Liyun Li at Pacific Fertility Center?
She is a wonderful doctor and we couldn’t be any happier with the results. I trust her completely and if I could do it all over again, I would still choose her as my doctor. I saw her over the course of 5 years. We originally went in just to do embryo cryopreservation, but along the way, I found out that I had a genetic kidney condition, adenomyosis, and only 1 working ovary. So we went through the whole process with her (3 cycles with PGD and PGS testing) and transferred when we were ready. The only reason we had to do 3 cycles was because I only had 1 working ovary (50% less follicles), and then PGD testing would cut that number by 50%. So we did several cycles and batch tested them all at once, rather than testing after every cycle. We ended up with 6 PGD/PGS tested embryos.
When we were ready to transfer, 8 months later, our first transfer woth her was textbook. We ended up with a very healthy baby boy.
We came back a year and a half later to try it again for a second, and Dr. Li started my treatment by trying to prevent my Adenomyosis from growing in preparation for another transfer, but that transfer ended up in a chemical. When it didn’t work, Dr. Li immediately did her best to give us all of our options and added a few changes to my treatment (such as adding an ERA cycle to give us more information) to help with the next transfer. I ended up pregnant at the next transfer, which was just a couple months later.
So out of 3 single embryo transfers, we ended up with 2 pregnancies (I have a 2 year old and am currently 5 months pregnant)! So we are very happy with the results. I saw her on most of my visits, she did 2 retrievals out of 3, and she transferred all 3 times. Throughout all of this, I was always able to either schedule a call with her or contact her nurses and get an immediate response with any questions. They often follow up with me, even through my pregnancy, though I’m now under the care of my OB. I have been very satisfied under her care and under her team’s care.
I know every circumstance is different, but Dr. Li is an exceptional results driven doctor who is very caring and compassionate, and I would absolutely recommend her.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Liyun Li at Pacific Fertility Center?
Don’t be afraid to ask any questions or reach out to her team. She is very nice, and her team is very responsive!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Liyun Li at Pacific Fertility Center?
Dr. Li is extremely caring, gentle, and I felt very confident in her care. She is just a very nice person in general, and I never felt rushed or like it was just a transaction. She always explained everything very thoroughly to us and was genuine about doing her best to provide the best outcome for our situation.
Describe the protocols Liyun Li used in your cycles at Pacific Fertility Center and their degree of success.
I don’t remember specifics, but I do know that all of her strategies were effective, and she was very on top of monitoring me in case any changes needed to be made. I did not feel disappointed at any time, or feel like we should have done something different.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Pacific Fertility Center. (Assigned nurse: Jerilie Grajo)
My coordinator was fantastic, and all of the nurses I worked with were also fantastic. They have a dedicated email just for Dr. Li’s team, and whenever I had a question or concern, they would usually get back to me within a couple hours. If I needed immediate attention, I could call and talk to one of the nurses on Dr. Li’s team, and they also had an after hours line that would reach whichever doctor was on call. They were very organized and everyone has been wonderful.
Describe your experience with Pacific Fertility Center.
I think PFC is a wonderful office. I am very happy with my experience. I think they run a very organized and efficient office, and I’ve had a wonderful experience with them over the course of 5 years.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Liyun Li at Pacific Fertility Center.
- Cycle Fees: Approx 13K
- PGD and PGS Fees paid to Lab: Approx 6K
- Medication paid to Pharmacy: Approx 3-4K
- FET: Approx 3K
Describe Liyun Li's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Pacific Fertility Center.
I was very confident in elective single embryo transfer at this clinic because they have very high standards when it comes to which embryos make the cut. They only choose the highest quality top grade embryos, and I am confident with that method. The process of transfer can be very exhausting, both physically and mentally, and I would only want to go through with it with high quality embryos for a higher success rate.
Aside from that, there are a lot of risks associated with multiple embryo transfer, both to the mother and babies. So I’m happy that PFC only does single embryo transfer.
Dr. Li has been a great partner through this journey. She seems to truly care about her patients but is still very honest about the situation. I appreciated how she showed me all my options in a delicate but clear way. ... Dr. Li has a very sincere demeanor and seems to truly care about her patients. She was very delicate but also direct and has walked me through every step of the process.
So far my experience with other doctors at PFC has been negative. They seemed cold, rush me in and out the door and don’t listen to my concerns the way Dr. Li does. ... They have years of experience. That is the main reason why I chose this place. Because they are also an egg bank, they have experience freezing and thawing. I wish there was a way for me to always see the Dr. I’ve chosen.
How was your experience with Liyun Li at Pacific Fertility Center?
Dr. Li has been a great partner through this journey. She seems to truly care about her patients but is still very honest about the situation. I appreciated how she showed me all my options in a delicate but clear way. She gave her educated advice but never pushed me in one direction or another.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Liyun Li at Pacific Fertility Center?
While Dr. Li is a great doctor. You may not always get her as your doctor for each check up. She does her best to be there for critical decision time appointments,... but if she is not working that day or is already booked and you happen to need to do an ultrasound checkup, you might get someone else. And the other doctors that I have had have been dismissive and not helpful.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Liyun Li at Pacific Fertility Center?
Dr. Li has a very sincere demeanor and seems to truly care about her patients. She was very delicate but also direct and has walked me through every step of the process. If I feel I need to talk to her she makes time. Sometimes, however, I don’t always get Dr. Li for my checkups. Because there are too many people who need to see her and so I get routed to another PFC doctor. So far my experience with other doctors at PFC has been negative. They seemed cold, rush me in and out the door and don’t listen to my concerns the way Dr. Li does. So I try to insist that Dr. Li is there on critical days. But I can’t always control this. It’s the nature of how they run their business.
Describe your experience with Pacific Fertility Center.
They have years of experience. That is the main reason why I chose this place. Because they are also an egg bank, they have experience freezing and thawing. I wish there was a way for me to always see the Dr. I’ve chosen.
What specific things went wrong at Pacific Fertility Center?
Be willing to hear the hard truth, this is not a doctor [Dr. Ryan] that will sugar coat it for you. ... She warmed up the more I met with her. And she tailored each cycle to me. ... She advised starting with IVF, but due to financial my husband and I did IUI to start with Letrozole. She adjusted my dosage as we went. Then we switched to IVF, with 300 Folistim and 150 menopur, I just had a canceled cycle due to poor responding (3 folicles- 1 mature), so we did another IUI. I am currently in 2ww
You never want to know the staff at a fertility clinic, but every time I was there [Pacific Fertility Center] they were so nice and even started to recognize me. ... Scheduling with them is pretty easy, I love that they are open on the weekends and early mornings before work. My doctor and team was always available to answer questions and I liked that I could email them.
How was your experience with Isabelle Ryan at Pacific Fertility Center?
I had read that she was not the most warm of doctors. But I really appreciate information, and I know she had the latest facts and was very up front with my husband and I on what to expect and I appreciate that.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Isabelle Ryan at Pacific Fertility Center?
Be willing to hear the hard truth, this is not a doctor that will sugar coat it for you.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Isabelle Ryan at Pacific Fertility Center?
She warmed up the more I met with her. And she tailored each cycle to me. At this clinic sometimes you can see different doctors and I had an ultrasound with one and she followed up with me the same day and changed a protocol based on the fact she knew my history.
Describe the protocols Isabelle Ryan used in your cycles at Pacific Fertility Center and their degree of success.
She advised starting with IVF, but due to financial my husband and I did IUI to start with Letrozole. She adjusted my dosage as we went. Then we switched to IVF, with 300 Folistim and 150 menopur, I just had a canceled cycle due to poor responding (3 folicles- 1 mature), so we did another IUI. I am currently in 2ww
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Pacific Fertility Center.
You never want to know the staff at a fertility clinic, but every time I was there they were so nice and even started to recognize me.
Describe your experience with Pacific Fertility Center.
Scheduling with them is pretty easy, I love that they are open on the weekends and early mornings before work. My doctor and team was always available to answer questions and I liked that I could email them.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Isabelle Ryan at Pacific Fertility Center.
Ultrasounds cost $330
iui cost $495
IVF round without medications about 19,000
Dr. Chenette has a very warm bedside manner. He is very calm, cool and collected. ... He made himself available for scheduled calls to go over my detailed questions. He was not condescending but he was extremely knowledgeable. ... Confident and calm. ... He made himself available for scheduled calls to go over questions we had. He sets all those around him at ease. He conducts his own ultrasounds personally.
The clinic [Pacific Fertility Center] is in a beautiful location overlooking the bay bridge and the office is beautifully appointed with calming music and an ocean view. ... The staff is very responsive. ... The rooms are very nice and even the music is tasteful. ... They have someone on call on the weekends. ... He [Dr. Chenette] conducts his own ultrasounds personally. ... Come prepared with whatever questions you might have
How was your experience with Philip Chenette at Pacific Fertility Center?
He was professional but warm, knowledgeable but not condescending. Confident and calm. We are still in progress with our treatment but I would recommend him. He made himself available for scheduled calls to go over questions we had. He sets all those around him at ease. He conducts his own ultrasounds personally.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Philip Chenette at Pacific Fertility Center?
Be yourself. Come prepared with whatever questions you might have because he will answer the openly. Bring as much of your family history As you can.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Philip Chenette at Pacific Fertility Center?
Dr. Chenette has a very warm bedside manner. He is very calm, cool and collected. He was referred to me by friends who also described him in the same way. He made himself available for scheduled calls to go over my detailed questions. He was not condescending but he was extremely knowledgeable.
Describe the protocols Philip Chenette used in your cycles at Pacific Fertility Center and their degree of success.
We are mid-treatment, so I can’t go into great detail here
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Pacific Fertility Center.
Still meeting them
Describe your experience with Pacific Fertility Center.
The clinic is in a beautiful location overlooking the bay bridge and the office is beautifully appointed with calming music and an ocean view. The rooms are very nice and even the music is tasteful. The staff is very responsive. They have someone on call on the weekends.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Philip Chenette at Pacific Fertility Center.
We are mid treatment so I can’t fully say.
Describe Philip Chenette's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Pacific Fertility Center.
I appreciate being treated as an intelligent person while also having each detail described at the same time. ... Dr Ryan was very to the point, but compassionate at the same time. ... We have not yet completed our IVF cycle, but I feel very comfortable under the care of Dr Ryan. ... We don’t feel like that at all with Pacific Fertility Center. ...
We have been to other clinics where we felt like we were just a number. We don’t feel like that at all with Pacific Fertility Center. ... At every visit, the coordinator, consultant, or nurse was already updated on our info. This gave us so much confidence that we were being treated with great care! ... Everyone on staff has been very helpful, kind, and confident. It’s a long drive for us, but it’s absolutely worth it.
How was your experience with Isabelle Ryan at Pacific Fertility Center?
Dr Ryan was very to the point, but compassionate at the same time. I appreciate being treated as an intelligent person while also having each detail described at the same time. We have not yet completed our IVF cycle, but I feel very comfortable under the care of Dr Ryan.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Isabelle Ryan at Pacific Fertility Center?
Don’t hesitate to ask all of your questions!
Describe your experience with your nurse at Pacific Fertility Center. (Assigned nurse: Doris )
The entire staff has been above and beyond AMAZING! At every visit, the coordinator, consultant, or nurse was already updated on our info. This gave us so much confidence that we were being treated with great care!
Describe your experience with Pacific Fertility Center.
The clinic is very impressive. Everyone on staff has been very helpful, kind, and confident. It’s a long drive for us, but it’s absolutely worth it. We have been to other clinics where we felt like we were just a number. We don’t feel like that at all with Pacific Fertility Center.
Dr. Ryan is very present and was very responsive to all of our questions and concerns.... My partner and I were trying a second transfer with an embryo created using his sperm and a donor's egg. Unfortunately, it resulted in a negative pregnancy result... Dr. Ryan was very caring, however when I pressed her about next steps and diagnostics, she stated that she did not think anything was "wrong" with me, and that she would want to do 4-6 more transfers before doing any diagnostic procedures.
PFC is a boutique clinic, and you will be well treated and attended to. They are responsive and clear about logistics and protocols.... All of the nursing staff and care coordinators at PFC that I dealt with were great.... Given that the numbers are supposed to be so much better with donor eggs, and the fact that no one has given me any reason that we would not be successful going this route, I don't have the most positive feeling about PFC. Of course, there are probably many people who have had successful outcomes there, so this is just my experience.
How was your experience with Isabelle Ryan at Pacific Fertility Center?
I like Dr. Ryan a lot. I've read some reviews critiquing her "bedside manner" but I only experienced her positively. My partner and I were trying a second transfer with an embryo created using his sperm and a donor's egg. Unfortunately, it resulted in a negative pregnancy result, which was deeply disappointing, as it was our final option at PFC for transfer. Dr. Ryan was very caring, however when I pressed her about next steps and diagnostics, she stated that she did not think anything was "wrong" with me, and that she would want to do 4-6 more transfers before doing any diagnostic procedures. This, of course, sounded crazy to us - from both an emotional and financial point of view.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Isabelle Ryan at Pacific Fertility Center?
Even though we did not get the desired result, she seems like an excellent doctor and was very caring.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Isabelle Ryan at Pacific Fertility Center?
Dr. Ryan is very present and was very responsive to all of our questions and concerns.
Describe the protocols Isabelle Ryan used in your cycles at Pacific Fertility Center and their degree of success.
We did one IVF transfer, with a tested, euploid embyro created with my partner's sperm and a donor egg. I took estrogen and progesterone leading up to, and for a couple weeks after, the transfer. There was no pregnancy.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Pacific Fertility Center. (Assigned nurse: Alvi)
All of the nursing staff and care coordinators at PFC that I dealt with were great.
Describe your experience with Pacific Fertility Center.
PFC is a boutique clinic, and you will be well treated and attended to. They are responsive and clear about logistics and protocols. That said, I feel like I just threw away a bunch of money after two transfers (with donor eggs) that did not work. Given that the numbers are supposed to be so much better with donor eggs, and the fact that no one has given me any reason that we would not be successful going this route, I don't have the most positive feeling about PFC. Of course, there are probably many people who have had successful outcomes there, so this is just my experience.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Isabelle Ryan at Pacific Fertility Center.
Dr. Li is so caring. She didn't sugar coat things. She explained everything so thoroughly, and if we didn't understand, she clarified to ensure we did. Instead of seeing poor results online, she first called to explain what we would be seeing and why she thinks we got the results we did.... Dr. Li showed a genuine interest in us and was open to new things that we wanted to try the second time around. She always wrote very clear instructions on our charts so that when a new doctor picked it up on a weekend (when she wasn't working), t
While the clinic [Pacific Fertility Ctr] feels a bit like a factory, they know their stuff, and everyone we've come in to contact with has been so nice. They always answer the phone, and wait times are non existent. I was crying at the check out counter one time, and they handed me a tissue. The staff is really top notch and the facilities are clean. It's a beautiful clinic.... This stuff isn't cheap! But, the financial coordinator explained what you were being charged and for what.
How was your experience with Liyun Li at Pacific Fertility Center?
Dr. Li showed a genuine interest in us and was open to new things that we wanted to try the second time around. She always wrote very clear instructions on our charts so that when a new doctor picked it up on a weekend (when she wasn't working), they were able to understand it without any confusion. She was always on time, yet never rushed an appointment. There were times when I would be crying in her office, and she kept it together yet showed sympathy and care all at the same time.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Liyun Li at Pacific Fertility Center?
Ask a lot of questions because she will answer all of them.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Liyun Li at Pacific Fertility Center?
Dr. Li is so caring. She didn't sugar coat things. She explained everything so thoroughly, and if we didn't understand, she clarified to ensure we did. Instead of seeing poor results online, she first called to explain what we would be seeing and why she thinks we got the results we did. She worked very closely with my husbands doctor so everyone was on the same page, and she never rushed an appointment. She always followed through with questions we had that she couldn't answer and made sure we got answers as soon as possible whether it was from the financial team or the lab manager.
Describe the protocols Liyun Li used in your cycles at Pacific Fertility Center and their degree of success.
We found out my husband suffers from azoospermia due to varicocele veins in the testes. He had the veins repaired, but sperm counts are still too low to conceive naturally. For my first egg retrieval, we used Menopur and Follistim, then Ganirelix and Lupron. They retrieved 38 eggs, 29 of which were mature. We had to do ICSI due to low sperm counts. We ended up having zero fertilization, meaning no eggs were fertilized. We aren't 100% sure why, but all parties assume it was due to my my husbands poor sperm quality. We then decided to try it again, and the second time to add Human Growth Hormone into the mix, and kept all other injections the same. We also tried oocyte activation the second time around to give the fertilization process an extra boost. They retrieved 47 eggs this time, and 39 were mature. We decided to inject 20 eggs with the best sperm we could, and freeze the other 19 eggs. This was my decision, and Dr. Li supported me in that. I just didn't want to have to do another egg retrieval if we experienced failed fertilization again on all eggs. We ended up having 11 eggs fertilize, and 4 made it to blastocyst. We sent all 4 for genetic testing, and all 4 are now frozen. We are getting ready to begin the transfer stage where we will transfer 1 embryo.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Pacific Fertility Center. (Assigned nurse: Jerilie Grajo)
I worked with Jerilie for both egg retrievals. She was caring, thorough, and always on top of my schedule and plan. She worked closely with the team, and communicated clearly to me and my husband.
Describe your experience with Pacific Fertility Center.
While the clinic feels a bit like a factory, they know their stuff, and everyone we've come in to contact with has been so nice. They always answer the phone, and wait times are non existent. I was crying at the check out counter one time, and they handed me a tissue. The staff is really top notch and the facilities are clean. It's a beautiful clinic.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Liyun Li at Pacific Fertility Center.
This stuff isn't cheap! But, the financial coordinator explained what you were being charged and for what. They also tried to help you get coupons for injections. They also told me when I could get blood drawn at other labs that my insurance covered.
Describe Liyun Li's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Pacific Fertility Center.
Because the underlying issue is on my husband's side, and we have 4 good embryos, my doctor suggests only transferring a single embryo.
Dr. Ryan was very knowledgeable and forthcoming with her recommendations, at the same time respecting our decisions around care and process even when if differed from her recommendations. ... Dr. Ryan is very direct but I appreciated her frankness. It allowed us both to have open and authentic communication about expectations, treatments, and procedures. ... I feel like Dr. Ryan nailed my medication dosages perfectly.
PFC was excellent. The facility is immaculate. All the staff was friendly and organized. Appointments were easy to schedule. They provided clear next step documentation to keep you organized. Appointments always were on time, with very little wait time in the exam rooms. ... Every person I interacted with on Dr. Ryan's team was excellent. They always responded to my emails in a timely manner, most times within hours.
How was your experience with Isabelle Ryan at Pacific Fertility Center?
Dr. Ryan is very direct but I appreciated her frankness. It allowed us both to have open and authentic communication about expectations, treatments, and procedures. I felt very confident in her treatment decisions. We felt like she was our strongest advocate.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Isabelle Ryan at Pacific Fertility Center?
Have open and authentic communication. Feel confident in taking her advise as well as making the decisions that are best for your family, she will support whatever is the best decision for you.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Isabelle Ryan at Pacific Fertility Center?
Dr. Ryan was very knowledgeable and forthcoming with her recommendations, at the same time respecting our decisions around care and process even when if differed from her recommendations.
Describe the protocols Isabelle Ryan used in your cycles at Pacific Fertility Center and their degree of success.
I feel like Dr. Ryan nailed my medication dosages perfectly. I once saw another doctor at the practice for an ultrasound and he changed my medication dosage. After reviewing the doctor's recommendations Dr. Ryan's team called me shortly after my appointment to negate the other doctors recommendations and to stick to Dr. Ryan's protocol. I got excellent numbers for my retrieval and I think Dr. Ryan's medication dosage is one of the contributing factors to that.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Pacific Fertility Center. (Assigned nurse: Doris)
Every person I interacted with on Dr. Ryan's team was excellent. They always responded to my emails in a timely manner, most times within hours. It was so helpful to know that there was someone to answer all my questions or concerns no matter how small they were.
Describe your experience with Pacific Fertility Center.
PFC was excellent. The facility is immaculate. All the staff was friendly and organized. Appointments were easy to schedule. They provided clear next step documentation to keep you organized. Appointments always were on time, with very little wait time in the exam rooms.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Isabelle Ryan at Pacific Fertility Center.
$25,000
Describe Isabelle Ryan's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Pacific Fertility Center.
Dr. Ryan encouraged elective single embryo transfer over multiple embryo transfers, which was on the same page as us. But I also feel confident Dr. Ryan would of supported our decision even if it differed from her recommendation as long as it was safe.
Dr. Li is very knowledgable and competent. ... She made an individualized plan as to when to do an ultrasound for IUI. ... She is friendly and asks about my wellbeing. ... She also sets up phone consultations so that you don't always have to pay for office visits, which is nice. ... Ask about an HSG test (for blocked tubes). She didn't bring it up until I inquired about it. ... She is friendly and compassionate. She treats patients as individuals.
The office [Pacific Fertility Center] is very beautiful. The care team is very efficient. They are open during holidays, for example, Thanksgiving day, which is amazing. There are great doctors and nurses. I feel very well taken care of there. ... The nurses are wonderful. Very on top of things and very empathetic. My care coordinator, Erica, is competent, but not as compassionate as the nurses and doctors. She is on top of things though.
How was your experience with Liyun Li at Pacific Fertility Center?
Dr. Li is very knowledgable and competent. She is friendly and compassionate. She treats patients as individuals. I highly recommend her. She also sets up phone consultations so that you don't always have to pay for office visits, which is nice.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Liyun Li at Pacific Fertility Center?
Ask about an HSG test (for blocked tubes). She didn't bring it up until I inquired about it.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Liyun Li at Pacific Fertility Center?
She made an individualized plan as to when to do an ultrasound for IUI. I tend to ovulate early, so she had be come in earlier in my cycle. She is friendly and asks about my wellbeing.
Describe the protocols Liyun Li used in your cycles at Pacific Fertility Center and their degree of success.
Letrozole IUI
Describe your experience with your nurse at Pacific Fertility Center. (Assigned nurse: Erica)
The nurses are wonderful. Very on top of things and very empathetic.
My care coordinator, Erica, is competent, but not as compassionate as the nurses and doctors. She is on top of things though.
Describe your experience with Pacific Fertility Center.
The office is very beautiful. The care team is very efficient. They are open during holidays, for example, Thanksgiving day, which is amazing. There are great doctors and nurses. I feel very well taken care of there. I live in Oakland but drive to SF for this clinic because I like it better than the Reproductive Science Center. PFC also has really good success rates.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Liyun Li at Pacific Fertility Center.
Set a great treatment plan that gave me 400 times better than expected results. Explained the process throroughly and provided a good summary of results at the end. The Dr [Chenette] was available through nurses to answer questions and was key to making my experience a good one...Don’t expect to see him on every visit, but know that he is available for questions and the other doctors on staff are also fantastic...I was on a moderate dose of menopur and follistim for 11 days. My trigger was a mixed lupron/hcg due to having a large number of follicles.
Clinic [Pacific Fertility Center] is well run and organized. They are open on weekends and easy to communicate with. Everything is well explained and the process went very smoothly for me from my visit visit to subsequent ones. I had zero problems getting appointments when I needed them...Smooth process, quick response to questions and easy scheduling...Full cost with all visits was approximately 21k... he [Dr. Chenette] is available for questions and the other doctors on staff are also fantastic.
How was your experience with Philip Chenette at Pacific Fertility Center?
Set a great treatment plan that gave me 400 times better than expected results. Explained the process throroughly and provided a good summary of results at the end. The Dr was available through nurses to answer questions and was key to making my experience a good one.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Philip Chenette at Pacific Fertility Center?
Don’t expect to see him on every visit, but know that he is available for questions and the other doctors on staff are also fantastic.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Philip Chenette at Pacific Fertility Center?
Smooth process, quick response to questions and easy scheduling
Describe the protocols Philip Chenette used in your cycles at Pacific Fertility Center and their degree of success.
I was on a moderate dose of menopur and follistim for 11 days. My trigger was a mixed lupron/hcg due to having a large number of follicles.
Describe your experience with Pacific Fertility Center.
Clinic is well run and organized. They are open on weekends and easy to communicate with. Everything is well explained and the process went very smoothly for me from my visit visit to subsequent ones. I had zero problems getting appointments when I needed them.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Philip Chenette at Pacific Fertility Center.
Dr Isabel Ryan is smart and patient she knows that this is a difficult situation and clarified any questions we had. She was open about what the next steps would be and did not sugar coat anything. She asked us to call her anytime we had any questions and when my husband needed further clarification we received it by talking to dr Ryan.... She informed me that with previous doctors results she does not see me naturally using my own eggs
The clinic [Pacific Fertility Center- San Francisco] is. Lean and everyone is friendly. The weaknesses would be trying to get a quick appointment is a little difficult. You would need to wait at least 2 weeks to get in all of your appointments in.... Everyone was nice and understood that we were there because of something difficult that was happening.... Just going in to see the doctor is $350 every time. We have the cost for the genetic counselor any medications from $10-500 any blood work is around $200 and so much more
How was your experience with Isabelle Ryan at Pacific Fertility Center?
Dr Isabel Ryan is smart and patient she knows that this is a difficult situation and clarified any questions we had. She was open about what the next steps would be and did not sugar coat anything. She asked us to call her anytime we had any questions and when my husband needed further clarification we received it by talking to dr Ryan.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Isabelle Ryan at Pacific Fertility Center?
To ask lots of questions and write down anything you may forget.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Isabelle Ryan at Pacific Fertility Center?
She informed me that with previous doctors results she does not see me naturally using my own eggs
Describe your experience with your nurse at Pacific Fertility Center. (Assigned nurse: A team of people )
Everyone was nice and understood that we were there because of something difficult that was happening.
Describe your experience with Pacific Fertility Center.
The clinic is. Lean and everyone is friendly. The weaknesses would be trying to get a quick appointment is a little difficult. You would need to wait at least 2 weeks to get in all of your appointments in.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Isabelle Ryan at Pacific Fertility Center.
Just going in to see the doctor is $350 every time. We have the cost for the genetic counselor any medications from $10-500 any blood work is around $200 and so much more
Dr. Chenette is very caring, genuine and sympathetic. He spends time going over the procedure, what he is doing or will do and answers any and all questions. He is open to setting up 30 minute phone consults to answer questions. He is extremely thorough. There was only two times where I felt he could have been more sympathetic-- both times involved him explaining about men's sperm quality vs women's egg quality....Don't expect that he will be the one doing your procedure; it may be another doctor at the same clinic.
The clinic [Pacific Fert] is extremely organized. The facility is really nice and the nursing staff is great. One weakness is the clinical coordinator I was partnered with...The nurse was very helpful in answering all my questions. The nursing staff was great-- extremely friendly, helpful, and kind. I did not like my care coordinator, Laura Begay. She was always busy, all conversations felt rushed and she was not compassionate at all. There were numerous times I was at the office and wanted to meet her face to face, but she never once introduced herself to me in person and every time I asked the staff if she was available, she was too busy. Once her part is complete, she is quick to pass off other issues to other staff. She is very to the point and blunt and I wished many times she showed a little compassion to me.
How was your experience with Philip Chenette at Pacific Fertility Center?
Dr. Chenette is very caring, genuine and sympathetic. He spends time going over the procedure, what he is doing or will do and answers any and all questions. He is open to setting up 30 minute phone consults to answer questions. He is extremely thorough. There was only two times where I felt he could have been more sympathetic-- both times involved him explaining about men's sperm quality vs women's egg quality. He seemed very pro-male, stating that the majority of the time the issue is in the women. Even if that is true, and I trust him, it doesn't sound great coming out. Also, after our first retrieval, he mentioned that my husband did a "great job" and made it seem like I didn't. I was overly sensitive at the time (extra hormones) and wished that he didn't say it like that but rather, be more sensitive in the way he phrased that comment. I know he means well. He is extremely genuine and overall a great doctor.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Philip Chenette at Pacific Fertility Center?
Don't expect that he will be the one doing your procedure; it may be another doctor at the same clinic. Ask a lot of questions because he is great at answering them.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Philip Chenette at Pacific Fertility Center?
Doctor Chenette is very caring and genuine. He speaks softly, remains calm and he spends times to explain things and answer questions.
Describe the protocols Philip Chenette used in your cycles at Pacific Fertility Center and their degree of success.
First retrieval: 200 IU of Follistim; 150IU of Menopur; prenatal vitamin, HCG trigger shot and lupron two nights(?) before retrieval. Baseline ultrasound day 2 of cycle and Ultrasounds during the stim process. Second retrieval (in process): 200 IU of Follistim, Morning and evening 10 units of Lupron, .2ml LD hCG, prenatal vitamin and CoQ10 and DHEA.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Pacific Fertility Center. (Assigned nurse: Iris)
The nurse was very helpful in answering all my questions. The nursing staff was great-- extremely friendly, helpful, and kind. I did not like my care coordinator, Laura Begay. She was always busy, all conversations felt rushed and she was not compassionate at all. There were numerous times I was at the office and wanted to meet her face to face, but she never once introduced herself to me in person and every time I asked the staff if she was available, she was too busy. Once her part is complete, she is quick to pass off other issues to other staff. She is very to the point and blunt and I wished many times she showed a little compassion to me.
Describe your experience with Pacific Fertility Center.
The clinic is extremely organized. The facility is really nice and the nursing staff is great. One weakness is the clinical coordinator I was partnered with. Her name is Laura Begay and she was not compassionate at all.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Philip Chenette at Pacific Fertility Center.
roughly $22K for the retrieval and around $3K for medication (1st time)
second time: roughly $15K for retrieval and around $1500 for medication
Describe Philip Chenette's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Pacific Fertility Center.
Dr. Chenette is an advocate for single embryo transfer. He strongly discourages multiple embryo transfer
Dr Givens was a good communicator, empathetic and professional. She has a conservative approach. She recommended the same protocol 9 times, all which failed, and when I asked multiple times if there was anything experimental I could try she said no, you should think about using a surrogate...If you... do not need a touchy feeling Dr, she is a good fit. She is quick, direct and to the point which I actually appreciate...If you want a doctor that is going to think outside the box, do research on your behalf and bring you all the latest information available whether she agrees with the treatment or not, she is not the right fit for you.
PFC is fancy. Very nice, clean and huge for SF. They have appointments before work hours (8:30am) and there is plenty of parking in the area. Office tends to be crowded but I never felt that it lacked privacy...The PFC staff was organized, compassionate, friendly, and available. Embryologists were great too...During a transfer I was lead to a room that hadn't been cleaned from the previous procedure because they were so jam packed with procedures on the same day. It was chaos.
How was your experience with Carolyn Givens at Pacific Fertility Center?
Dr Givens was a good communicator, empathetic and professional. She has a conservative approach. She recommended the same protocol 9 times, all which failed, and when I asked multiple times if there was anything experimental I could try she said no, you should think about using a surrogate. Come to find out there are experimental things located within 2 hours of her office. She wrote a paper in 2010 around immunology and IVIG. Her paper was not supporting this treatment, but that's not what I asked. So, if you have a typical case I would recommend her. If you don't and would like to think more outside the box with your treatment, I would recommend you go to another clinic.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Carolyn Givens at Pacific Fertility Center?
If you have a typical case and do not need a touchy feeling Dr, she is a good fit. She is quick, direct and to the point which I actually appreciate. I don't want to hang out at the clinic any more then I have to.
If you want a doctor that is going to think outside the box, do research on your behalf and bring you all the latest information available whether she agrees with the treatment or not, she is not the right fit for you.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Carolyn Givens at Pacific Fertility Center?
From 2011 to 2012 the PFC experience seemed boutique and custom. Dr's had reviewed charts prior to entering the room and came to the table with a plan. When I returned to begin transfers for a second child in 2014 the clinic was different. Much more crowded, rushed and even one of the nurses said to me that they were now so busy she had to remind the Dr's about each patient. During a transfer I was lead to a room that hadn't been cleaned from the previous procedure because they were so jam packed with procedures on the same day. It was chaos.
Describe the protocols Carolyn Givens used in your cycles at Pacific Fertility Center and their degree of success.
Round 1: age 36; retrieval using Follistim, Ganarelix, Menapure; great results; recommended against genetic testing as I had never been pregnant before; 29 eggs; 15 embroys (all excellent grade); Fresh transfer of 2 embryos; negative pregnancy test (Dr Given's said it was because I hyper stimulated but I had so many embroys she decided to move forward.
Round 2: Frozen natural cycle; cancelled due to lining being too thin
Round 3: Frozen cycle using stim drugs to help with lining; cancelled due to me ovulating
Round 4: Frozen cycle using progesterone and estrogen injections (Dr Given's called this the gold standard to help with thin lining) Lining only got to a 6. Dr Chenet told me I "needed to buy a uterus" at a lining check but that it was Dr Given's call. I requested NOT to see Dr Chenet at future appointments. Dr Given's decided to give it a shot. Transfered 2 embryos; resulted in birth of 1 baby
9 months later:
Rounds 5 & 6: Used same protocol as Round 4 both ending in chemical pregnancies
Endometrial biopsy - Dr Given's didn't get enough tissue the first time so I had to do this twice. It's painful and delays the process. Biopsy came back fine meaning we were doing transfers on the correct day
Went through the rest of the embroys using the same protocol as round 4 with negative pregnancy tests each time.
Now out of of embryos Dr Given's reason was that they were not genetically tested.
Retrieval #2: 15 eggs; 6 embryos; 3 genetically normal
2 transfers using the same protocol as round 4. Negative pregnancies both times. Thin lining continued through out each round (between 6 and 7) - reco is a 10
With 1 embro left Dr Given's recommended another retrieval and using a surrogate. I did the research and decided that route was not for me.
Moved embryo to a new clinic and started from scratch.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Pacific Fertility Center. (Assigned nurse: Donna is wonderful)
The PFC staff was organized, compassionate, friendly, and available. Embryologists were great too.
Describe your experience with Pacific Fertility Center.
PFC is fancy. Very nice, clean and huge for SF. They have appointments before work hours (8:30am) and there is plenty of parking in the area.
Office tends to be crowded but I never felt that it lacked privacy.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Carolyn Givens at Pacific Fertility Center.
My first cycles were on a special value plan. I can't remember the exact costs but because I was only 36 and using my own eggs I qualified. Everything outside of that was a la carte. My insurance didn't provide coverage so everything was out of pocket. There were no payment plans offered.
Describe Carolyn Givens's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Pacific Fertility Center.
Dr Given's and the staff at PFC have a conservative approach. When asked about alternative medicine, experimental treatments, ways of eating, etc. they all seem to blow it off as there is "not sufficient research"