As a patient younger than 40 and older than 35, I was told the best treatment plan is to transfer a single embryo...Dr. Scott Slayden was very understanding of my questions and my concerns pertaining to my egg retrieval. If I needed to schedule an appt to see him, he would find the time to accommodate my schedule to get that going, whether it was in person or on a virtual appointment...I felt like I was treated like a human because there were consistency in the communication about how I would feel and what I needed to do if I felt uncomfortable in any way during the process
There were some discrepancies [at RBA] with when my procedure would take place and what the insurance would cover. I had a designated nurse/nurses who assisted my planning or communication of my medications and when to make the changes...The worst thing about the office is the phones and people answering the phones. As a patient, I found it to be very frustrating not being able to get a hold of clinician or staff when you need assistance with your medication or need to communicate to the team in reference to your care
How was your experience with Scott Slayden at RBA?
Dr. Scott Slayden was very understanding of my questions and my concerns pertaining to my egg retrieval. If I needed to schedule an appt to see him, he would find the time to accommodate my schedule to get that going, whether it was in person or on a virtual appointment. He truly had confidence in my case and his expectations were high and it turned out to be amazing results for me. On the day of surgery he made me feel comfortable and at ease letting me know that it was going to be ok and the procedure it self was approximately 30 minutes and before I knew it, I was in the recovery room waking up to my boyfriend (future husband), and Dr. Scott Slayden by my side making sure I was ok.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Scott Slayden at RBA?
Make sure you understand you understand your procedure because if you do not it would be advised to speak to your doctor about the whole process, which the nurses will be able to assist as well. Know your insurance coverage, and keep track of every single detail of the whole process. Keep records of communication, medication delivery, cost of medication, and take notes.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Scott Slayden at RBA?
I felt like I was treated like a human because there were consistency in the communication about how I would feel and what I needed to do if I felt uncomfortable in any way during the process. Elizabeth the nurse always made sure to call me back if I left a message for the team through the portal.
Describe the protocols Scott Slayden used in your cycles at RBA and their degree of success.
I was on a standard antagonist IVF protocol treatment. I was on the two main gonadotropins: follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). These hormones can also be synthesized or purified in a laboratory and given by injection as fertility medications. HCG was used to trigger my final egg maturation, then The egg retrieval procedure was scheduled around 36 hours after the trigger shot. Quality control throughout the entire process was very important to me with in vitro fertilization. One of the ways they improve quality control in the program is by using highly specialized ultrasound equipment. When I went in for my scans, I was measured and the follicles were growing as indicated by my scan. When it was close to my procedure, I was so ready for my procedure because I felt so bloated and wanted to burst. I was able to retrieve 20 eggs and froze 15 mature eggs. In summary, my doctor chose this protocol because it is particularly useful for those at high risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS).
Describe your experience with your nurse at RBA. (Assigned nurse: Elizabeth)
Elizabeth the nurse definitely helped me with communication and planning of my appointments. One of the biggest issue I had with the team is the coordinator's communication/ mix up of my procedure which caused some issues with my insurance and authorization for my procedure. There were some discrepancies with when my procedure would take place and what the insurance would cover. I had a designated nurse/nurses who assisted my planning or communication of my medications and when to make the changes.
Describe your experience with RBA.
Very prestige, clean, professional staff, several locations to meet the patients needs, and appointments were very flexible. The worst thing about the office is the phones and people answering the phones. As a patient, I found it to be very frustrating not being able to get a hold of clinician or staff when you need assistance with your medication or need to communicate to the team in reference to your care. I've had to file a couple a complaints with the business manager and it was very hard to deal with the communication and answering of the phones. They should do better with their phones. Its definitely one of their weakness.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at RBA.
It was efficient and I had no issues with my monitoring appointments. My technician was thorough and explain the procedure and what would be the next step in the process.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Scott Slayden at RBA.
My treatment cost was mostly covered by my insurance and my out of pocket expenses were about 2K.
Describe Scott Slayden's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at RBA.
Since my eggs are frozen, I did not have an in depth conversation about the eSET options of transfers. As a patient younger than 40 and older than 35, I was told the best treatment plan is to transfer a single embryo. If I had to pick my options, I would prefer to a multiple embryo transfer to include two embryo transfer. He recommended a single transfer but I would love to have twins and start a family in a shorter period time frame in order to create a sense of a large family.
What specific things went wrong at RBA?
- Lost paperwork
- Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at RBA.
Communication, inconsistency with insurance and clinical communication, and coordinator not following up appropriately.