Southern California Reproductive Center

6 doctors work here

Rated 8.1
Strongly recommend: 64%Neutral: 14%Don't recommend: 22%8.1
64% strongly recommend
149 reviews
Operations
8.6
8.6
Operations

Ratings of 1 indicate that a clinic was poorly operated.

Ratings of 10 indicate that a clinic operated very well.

Scheduling
8.9
8.9
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
7.4
7.4
Billing Department

Ratings of 1 indicate an unsatisfactory billing department.

Ratings of 10 indicate an excellent billing department.

Nursing Team
8.6
8.6
Nursing Team

Ratings of 1 indicate an unsatisfactory nursing team.

Ratings of 10 indicate an excellent nursing team.

LGBTQ+ Care
8
8
LGBTQ+ Care

Ratings of 1 indicate an unsatisfactory LGBTQ+ care.

Ratings of 10 indicate an excellent LGBTQ+ care.

Attention to Detail
7.6
7.6
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.

Annual Cycles
1,959
National Avg
738
This Clinic
National Avg
00%
20%
40%
60%
<35
35-37
38-40
>40

Available Resources

Genetic counseling
Genetic counseling
Acupuncture
Acupuncture
Mental health counseling
Mental health counseling
Nutrition counseling
Nutrition counseling
Administration of shots
Administration of shots
Coordinating at-home nursing
Coordinating at-home nursing
Selling medication
Selling medication
Providing backup medication
Providing backup medication

This clinic has 9 offices

Bakersfield
100 Old River Road
Bakersfield, CA 93311
Beverly Hills
450 N. Roxbury Dr
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Glendale
240 S. Jackson St.
Glendale, CA 91206
Lancaster
44105 N. 15th St. West
Lancaster, CA 93534
Pasadena
625 S Fair Oaks Ave
Pasadena, CA 91105
Santa Barbara
1722 State Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
Santa Monica [Closed]
2001 Santa Monica Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90404
Valencia
27871 Smyth Drive
Valencia, CA 91355
Ventura
2755 Loma Vista Rd
Ventura, CA 93003
Show 7 more

149 patient reviews

Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2022, Successful
NPS
10
NPS
10
Age 35
2 IVF
Poor Egg Quality
European
Income $100K - $199K
Only Doc Seen
Strongly Recommends
Strongly Recommends
Successful
Dr. Akopians was everything I needed in a doctor. Ever since my initial consult with her, she was direct and straightforward but compassionate and kind. I wanted someone to give it to me straight since so much of infertility is up in the air. It was important to me that she be the one doing my procedures and she was. Every egg retrieval and then every prenatal ultrasound was done with her as well as her nurse present.
I knew going into SCRC that this was a busy clinic and that I wasn’t going to have one on one hour long meetings every time I went in. This worked out really well for me as I was able to get in and get out but still talk to my nurse as long as I need to every day. I never felt like a number at all. Even the front desk staff and phlebotomist knew me by name as you become a “regular” during IvF treatments.
How was your experience with Alin Lina Akopians at Southern California Reproductive Center?
Dr. Akopians was everything I needed in a doctor. Ever since my initial consult with her, she was direct and straightforward but compassionate and kind. I wanted someone to give it to me straight since so much of infertility is up in the air. It was important to me that she be the one doing my procedures and she was. Every egg retrieval and then every prenatal ultrasound was done with her as well as her nurse present.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Alin Lina Akopians at Southern California Reproductive Center?
I had done so much research on everything there is to know about IVF and like most people, had tried to micromanage every last detail of my infertility experience. With Dr. Akopians I immediately knew that I could pass the torch because I was in good hands. Trust her because she knows what she’s doing, however she was also open to debating studies and cases I had read about. It was the perfect mix.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Alin Lina Akopians at Southern California Reproductive Center?
I knew going into SCRC that this was a busy clinic and that I wasn’t going to have one on one hour long meetings every time I went in. This worked out really well for me as I was able to get in and get out but still talk to my nurse as long as I need to every day. I never felt like a number at all. Even the front desk staff and phlebotomist knew me by name as you become a “regular” during IvF treatments.
Describe the protocols Alin Lina Akopians used in your cycles at Southern California Reproductive Center and their degree of success.
The first cycle I had a slightly elevated FSH so we waiting a cycle till it dropped down. Then we primed for 4 days with bcp before stimming for 14 days (slow responder) before the egg retrieval. Dr. Akopians saw my low AFC and lower AMH and did not was to over suppress. The second cycle my FSH was too high so we did estrogen priming for a month or so prior to the stims. This was my best cycle with the most PGS normal embryos.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Southern California Reproductive Center. (Assigned nurse: Julia Fletcher)
Julia Fletcher has to be one of the most wonderful people I have ever worked with both medically and personally. She is so compassionate and so organized during a process that so desperately needs both. She was always on top of my schedules and made sure I was 100% clear on everything I was supposed to be doing. I was nervous about doing the injections myself and so she had me come in to demonstrate it for me in person to ease my nerves. During my treatment cycle I was going through some pretty tough things personally unrelated to IVF, and Julia was even supportive during all that. She would message and call to check in on me and always asked how I was doing. I cannot say enough positive things about Julia. I wish I could take her with me to by obgyn!
Describe your experience with Southern California Reproductive Center.
SCRC is a busy, cutting-edge fertility clinic with a great lab and great staff. If you are looking for one on one appointments with your doctor for every session, this is probably not the place for you. If you are also a busy working person, this place is perfect. I was able to get my multiple times a week labs/ultrasound done before work at 6:30am. Every afternoon post labs I would get a long call with my nurse to go over all the numbers as well as next steps. This process worked perfectly for me as I also don’t have time to do hour long appointments multiple times a week. During the actual procedures, the saline ultrasound, the transfer, all my ultrasound since my transfer, Dr. Akopians was always there to do the procedure and answer any questions or concerns I had. Long story short, SCRC was a great fit for me. They are a well oiled machine with an easy to access app that has a messaging service, a calendar for appoints, a place for medication instructions, as well as requested labs and results. This made navigating the egg retrieval/transfer process a breeze.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Alin Lina Akopians at Southern California Reproductive Center.
My package was $28k for monitoring, retrieval, genetic testing of 8 embryos, transfer, and after transfer monitoring. I banked embryos in two cycles. Second cycle was a la carte without a package for $14k including genetic testing. Meds were not included for any of this.
Describe Alin Lina Akopians's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Southern California Reproductive Center.
Dr. Akopians does not believe, or at least in my case did not believe in the need to transfer multiple normal tested PGS embryos as science has shown better outcomes for mother and child when only one is transferred. This was in line with what all I had read.
10
Doctor
Alin Lina Akopians
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
3 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
10
Clinic
Southern California Reproductive Center
Beverly Hills
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
5 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
5 of 5
Educational Resources
7 of 5
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2018 - 2019, Successful
NPS
10
NPS
10
Age 36 - 37
1 IVF
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
Poor Egg Quality
European
Income $200K - $499K
1st of 3 Docs
7 IUI With Other Docs
4 IVF With Other Docs
Strongly Recommends
Strongly Recommends
Successful
He [Dr. Mark Surrey] recommended single transfer but was open to discussing this with me. Ultimately we did both single and multiple transfers...treatment was specific to me, not just a one size fits all approach...Anything important was always communicated directly from him, not another member of the team. I really appreciated that. Dr. Surrey has a supportive but not emotional method to his treatment. I felt like we really built a strong doctor patient relationship throughout my time. And when something didn’t go according to plan, he was sensitive to it. He had a very calm and friendly demeanor.
It was always a pleasure to go to the clinic [Southern California Reproductive Center] and see them [staff]. I felt like they really knew me and I developed a wonderful relationship with Laura [nurse] and the whole team...I had the most wonderful Ultrasound Tech, Neha! I had other techs as well who were fantastic, but I saw Neha at 90% of my visits. She was so knowledgeable and kind no matter the circumstance...The costs were in line with what we had experienced elsewhere. However, SCRC provided all costs upfront and at the start of each treatment. There were no hidden costs. It removed anxiety to know there wouldn’t be any unforeseen costs.
How was your experience with Mark Surrey at Southern California Reproductive Center?
From our first meeting with Dr. Surrey, I really like him and his thoughts on what would be good initial treatment steps for us. However, I felt there would be much less hand holding, which worried me. But I quickly realized that while I wouldn’t see Dr. Surrey at each visit (for convenience you often just see the nurse and ultrasound tech for quick check-ins) he would call me every time with my results from that day. Anything important was always communicated directly from him, not another member of the team. I really appreciated that. Dr. Surrey has a supportive but not emotional method to his treatment. I felt like we really built a strong doctor patient relationship throughout my time. And when something didn’t go according to plan, he was sensitive to it. He had a very calm and friendly demeanor.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Mark Surrey at Southern California Reproductive Center?
Ask him questions as they arise, he is very open and easy to talk with.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Mark Surrey at Southern California Reproductive Center?
My care from Dr. Surrey and his team was specific to me. I had my own nurse and often saw the same ultrasound tech. They kept in close contact over email and phone with me. I was always able to reach someone when needed. They knew what was going on in each cycle. I felt like their treatment was specific to me, not just a one size fits all approach.
Describe the protocols Mark Surrey used in your cycles at Southern California Reproductive Center and their degree of success.
We did IVF cycles with him. He utilized injections and oral or vaginal medication for harvesting/retrieval prep and transfer plans. Our first retrieval prep was cancelled prior to the actual retrieval because of the poor egg numbers he saw. This was hard but I was so glad that he made this decision based on my numbers, it felt personalized, rather than just having me move forward with what would have been a poor retrieval. After that he adjusted my medications and got a better response for our next cycle. His transfer plans also felt specific to me, he adjusted as often as he felt necessary to allow for optimal results.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Southern California Reproductive Center. (Assigned nurse: Laura W. )
Laura was my main nurse, but Olivia and other team members helped as needed. They were all so supportive and wonderful! They always knew what was going on with my cycle, ordered the necessary labs, ultrasounds, etc. They were easy to get in touch with and always responded very quickly to emails. They provided ongoing education when needed and up to date calendars that were easy to follow. They reviewed in detail medication administration so I felt well equipped to administer at home. It was always a pleasure to go to the clinic and see them. I felt like they really knew me and I developed a wonderful relationship with Laura and the whole team.
Describe your experience with Southern California Reproductive Center.
The clinic is beautiful and very well run! It’s effective and efficient. Fertility is rough no matter what you have to do and patients are always a bit on edge. I know I was at different stages of my treatment. I think SCRC accounts for this and tries to ease the concerns and fear that goes with the process. They were also the most upfront with fertility costs than any other doctor I had seen before going to SCRC. It was nice to know that no unforeseen costs would be incurred. I knew everything at the start of each treatment. This removed a lot of anxiety.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Southern California Reproductive Center.
I had the most wonderful Ultrasound Tech, Neha! I had other techs as well who were fantastic, but I saw Neha at 90% of my visits. She was so knowledgeable and kind no matter the circumstance. We had good and bad ultrasounds and she was always a strong support. She was incredibly professional but also personal to my care. It meant the world to me.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Mark Surrey at Southern California Reproductive Center.
The costs were in line with what we had experienced elsewhere. However, SCRC provided all costs upfront and at the start of each treatment. There were no hidden costs. It removed anxiety to know there wouldn’t be any unforeseen costs.
Describe Mark Surrey's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Southern California Reproductive Center.
He recommended single transfer but was open to discussing this with me. Ultimately we did both single and multiple transfers. He listened to me and we agreed together that a double embryo transfer was best for my last transfer that resulted in the live birth of our son.
10
Doctor
Mark Surrey
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
4 of 5
Frequency Seen
3 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
4 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
10
Clinic
Southern California Reproductive Center
Beverly Hills
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
5 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
6 of 5
Educational Resources
7 of 5
2018 - 2019, Unsuccessful
NPS
9
NPS
N/A
Age 40 - 41
2 IVF
Endometriosis
Male Factor
PCOS
Latinx
Income $0 - $49K
1st of 3 Docs
2 Fertility Medications With Other Docs
Strongly Recommends
Unsuccessful
He [Dr. Mark Surrey] always remembered us and our situation. He would always contact us with lab results, new information or just to check in. He was very informative and always presented us with options in moving forward with procedures or testings...We began with an egg retrieval, followed by a FET cycle a couple weeks later. My fiancé experienced hyper stimulation, severe bloating and swelling. Resulting in 2 taps to remove the excess fluids. The hormone injections may have been too strong for her body. We retrieved 33 eggs, made 5 embryos, 2 were mosaic.
The nursing staff [at Southern California Reproductive Center] was awesome, all very sweet, welcoming and polite. My fiancé had a lot of discomfort with the ultrasound probe. Except with one nurse, Sue. Who was extremely gentle and aware of her sensitivity, so we requested her every time and the nurses would coordinate to make it happen...Very nice, clean, plenty of seating, calming environment with lots of natural light. 8am - 10am there is a lot of patients coming and going. The administrative desk can be a little distracted at times. It would sometimes take a few moments to be greeted or acknowledged if they were typing, filing, etc. But overall very nice. The nursing team was awesome, always available, after hours or on the weekends.
How was your experience with Mark Surrey at Southern California Reproductive Center?
Overall, Dr. Surrey was very great and very pleasant. He always remembered us and our situation. He would always contact us with lab results, new information or just to check in. He was very informative and always presented us with options in moving forward with procedures or testings. Financial stresses and work related challenges have been very present throughout our process. This is probably just a personal/emotional experience, but I felt as though Dr. Surrey was not mindful of our financial struggles. I understand he has an accounting department for that, but sometimes it almost seemed like we were encouraged to take the most expensive procedures/actions to move forward. However, if finances were not an issue, I probably would not feel that way.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Mark Surrey at Southern California Reproductive Center?
Educate yourself as much as possible, talk to others who have gone through IVF treatments successfully and unsuccessful. Don't be afraid to ask questions.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Mark Surrey at Southern California Reproductive Center?
Dr. Surrey was always very involved. He would personally check in on my fiancé in addition to his nurses calling us as well. If he solely spoke to my fiancé on the phone, he always volunteered to call me directly and relay the information, or encouraged me to call if we had any questions. We had a couple emergency situations, over a weekend, due to hyper-stimulation and Dr. Surrey, literally left the golf course to come see us at his clinic. He was also very warm and friendly and very familiar with our situation, considering all the other patients he has, it made us feel special.
Describe the protocols Mark Surrey used in your cycles at Southern California Reproductive Center and their degree of success.
We began with an egg retrieval, followed by a FET cycle a couple weeks later. My fiancé experienced hyper stimulation, severe bloating and swelling. Resulting in 2 taps to remove the excess fluids. The hormone injections may have been too strong for her body. We retrieved 33 eggs, made 5 embryos, 2 were mosaic. Of the 3 viable embryos, two were Day 7 and one was Day 5, which we transferred. Unfortunately our transfer was not a successful pregnancy. A couple months later we decided to do another egg retrieval and freeze. This time Dr. Surrey lowered the hormonal dosage, which prevented hyper stimulation happening again. This time we got 20 eggs and just froze them due to finances at this time.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Southern California Reproductive Center. (Assigned nurse: Paulina)
Paulina was great. Very responsive and thorough with information. The nursing staff was awesome, all very sweet, welcoming and polite. My fiancé had a lot of discomfort with the ultrasound probe. Except with one nurse, Sue. Who was extremely gentle and aware of her sensitivity, so we requested her every time and the nurses would coordinate to make it happen. Olivia was also very helpful, she was aware of our finances and helped in obtaining coupons for medications. Desta was also amazing. He was the phlebotomist that my fiancé always requested as well. She does not like needles, bruises extremely easy and has delicate arms, so his care was highly appreciated!
Describe your experience with Southern California Reproductive Center.
Wonderful clinic. Very nice, clean, plenty of seating, calming environment with lots of natural light. 8am - 10am there is a lot of patients coming and going. The administrative desk can be a little distracted at times. It would sometimes take a few moments to be greeted or acknowledged if they were typing, filing, etc. But overall very nice. The nursing team was awesome, always available, after hours or on the weekends.
Describe Mark Surrey's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Southern California Reproductive Center.
Dr. Surrey was very neutral and didn't really encourage one way or the other. He educated us on the tradeoffs.
9
Doctor
Mark Surrey
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
4 of 5
Trustworthiness
4 of 5
Compassion
4 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
6 of 5
Educational Resources
6 of 5
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2021 - 2022, Successful
NPS
10
NPS
10
Age 39 - 40
1 IUI
1 IVF
European
Income $500K+
Only Doc Seen
Strongly Recommends
Strongly Recommends
Successful
Dr. Alexander was a perfect fit for our needs and family. She is brilliant, caring, professional, and I cannot recommend her highly enough. She was clear in her communication and I had the utmost confidence in her skills...Her bedside manner was professional and for me, appropriately personal. I appreciated her candid nature and thoroughness. She answered all questions I had and was efficient in her responses and care.
The [Southern California Reproductive Center] clinic is busy so make sure you arrive on-time for your appointments. The staff is very efficient and I rarely waited longer than 10 minutes before my appointment began. It's a very nice atmosphere and everyone I interacted with was genuinely pleasant...Excellent across the board. They [nurses] were communicative, patient, and thorough. They were also incredibly understanding and supportive throughout the entire process.
How was your experience with Carolyn Alexander at Southern California Reproductive Center?
Dr. Alexander was a perfect fit for our needs and family. She is brilliant, caring, professional, and I cannot recommend her highly enough. She was clear in her communication and I had the utmost confidence in her skills.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Carolyn Alexander at Southern California Reproductive Center?
Don't be afraid to ask questions and have instructions explained clearly to you. We ultimately went the IVF route (successful after 1 round), and there was a lot of ownership on me as the patient in the success of the process. I quickly realized I needed to have a solid grasp of what was expected of me as the patient and to not be shy when it came to any questions I had. Dr. Alexander and her team were wonderful and patient in explaining processes and procedures to me.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Carolyn Alexander at Southern California Reproductive Center?
Her bedside manner was professional and for me, appropriately personal. I appreciated her candid nature and thoroughness. She answered all questions I had and was efficient in her responses and care.
Describe the protocols Carolyn Alexander used in your cycles at Southern California Reproductive Center and their degree of success.
During my very first in-person consult, Dr. Alexander immediately saw I had uterine polyps which were most likely preventing me from conceiving. Her team scheduled me for surgery to have them removed and we then tried IUI. It was unsuccessful so we then turned to IVF. We had went through the egg retrieval process and ultimately had one viable embryo to work with. Unfortunately, due to the medications/hormones for the egg retrieval my polyps returned, so I underwent another removal surgery. It then took several months of appointments, treatments, hormones to get my body in perfect condition for the embryo transfer which was successful on the first try and resulted in a healthy baby boy.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Southern California Reproductive Center.
Excellent across the board. They were communicative, patient, and thorough. They were also incredibly understanding and supportive throughout the entire process.
Describe your experience with Southern California Reproductive Center.
The clinic is busy so make sure you arrive on-time for your appointments. The staff is very efficient and I rarely waited longer than 10 minutes before my appointment began. It's a very nice atmosphere and everyone I interacted with was genuinely pleasant.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Carolyn Alexander at Southern California Reproductive Center.
It was a costly process that spanned over 10 months. However, we are fortunate in that we do have fertility coverage through our employers so some of the costs were reimbursed. The entire costs was probably around $30K between all surgeries, treatments, medications, office visits, etc...
10
Doctor
Carolyn Alexander
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
4 of 5
Frequency Seen
3 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
4 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
10
Clinic
Southern California Reproductive Center
Beverly Hills
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
5 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
6 of 5
Educational Resources
6 of 5
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2022, Successful
NPS
10
NPS
10
Age 38
1 IVF
Endometriosis
Male Factor
Unexplained
Middle Eastern
Income $200K - $499K
Lawyer
4th of 4 Docs
2 IUI With Other Docs
5 IVF With Other Docs
Embryo Freezing With Other Docs
Strongly Recommends
Strongly Recommends
Successful
[Dr. Alin Lina Akopians] was also very nimble, redirecting as needed as we received new information and results to ultimately get us the best outcome. You never feel rushed or treated like a number with her...Patients are able to easily access their results and she goes over the results each time, himself. She's extremely cautious and will communicate the potential outcomes, considerations and risks of what she's recommending. I always felt like I was in great care and have since recommended Dr. Akopians to everyone in need to fertility care. She's one in a million and I wouldn't look to anyone else if you're in the LA area and considering fertility treatment.
The [Southern California Reproductive Center] clinic is strong with one of the best labs in the region which is very important. That, coupled with the terrific team that Dr. Akopians has makes it unbeatable. The clinic has many doctors, I don't consider that a weakness. Patients are seen in a very timely manner and the entire operation is very organized...monitoring appointment were smooth and seamless, I always saw Dr. Akopians and that was incredibly important to me to be monitored by the doctor.
How was your experience with Alin Lina Akopians at Southern California Reproductive Center?
After 7 years, multiple failed IUI's and 7 failed cycles of IVF, with 3 doctors prior to Dr. Akopians, we were blessed to finally become patients of Dr. Akopians and to have our miracle baby. Dr. Akopians and her entire team were incredibly thorough, explaining everything we needed to know along the way. She was also very nimble, redirecting as needed as we received new information and results to ultimately get us the best outcome. You never feel rushed or treated like a number with her or her team. Patients are able to easily access their results and she goes over the results each time, himself. She's extremely cautious and will communicate the potential outcomes, considerations and risks of what she's recommending. I always felt like I was in great care and have since recommended Dr. Akopians to everyone in need to fertility care. She's one in a million and I wouldn't look to anyone else if you're in the LA area and considering fertility treatment.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Alin Lina Akopians at Southern California Reproductive Center?
You're in good hands.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Alin Lina Akopians at Southern California Reproductive Center?
Dr. Akopians is empathetic, kind, clear and her medical brilliance is met with her humanity which was very important for us after working with doctors prior to her with poor EQ.
Describe the protocols Alin Lina Akopians used in your cycles at Southern California Reproductive Center and their degree of success.
we pivoted from a frozen to fresh transfer considering how our embryos were performing. It was a successful outcome and strategy and Dr. Akopians was the only doctor who was nimble and pivoted to that strategy which ultimately led to our baby.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Southern California Reproductive Center. (Assigned nurse: Julia )
Julia is the BEST nurse I have ever worked with. To say I adore her is an understatement. She was so invested in our outcome, held me in so much love and compassion along the way, was always available to answer any questions and communicated consistently. She was a blessing in every way and I adore her!!
Describe your experience with Southern California Reproductive Center.
The clinic is strong with one of the best labs in the region which is very important. That, coupled with the terrific team that Dr. Akopians has makes it unbeatable. The clinic has many doctors, I don't consider that a weakness. Patients are seen in a very timely manner and the entire operation is very organized.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Southern California Reproductive Center.
monitoring appointment were smooth and seamless, I always saw Dr. Akopians and that was incredibly important to me to be monitored by the doctor.
10
Doctor
Alin Lina Akopians
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
5 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
10
Clinic
Southern California Reproductive Center
Beverly Hills
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
4 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
6 of 5
Educational Resources
7 of 5
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2019 - 2022, Successful
NPS
10
NPS
10
Age 34 - 37
2 Embryo Freezing
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
Endometriosis
PCOS
Income $200K - $499K
2nd of 2 Docs
5 IUI With Other Docs
IVF With Other Docs
Strongly Recommends
Strongly Recommends
Successful
Dr Ghadir is the kindest doctor we have ever encountered in our IVF journey. After our embryos were created I was diagnosed with Triple Negative Breast Cancer (not hormone driven). He was so kind and encouraging and once our first transfer began he held our hand every step of the way. It made the journey so relaxing and calm and we are forever grateful for him as our baby boy was born November of 2022.
The strength of this [Southern California Reproductive Center] team is the compassion, organization, and excellent care. The weakness is being a new patient and trying to get through to the office, but once your do, not a single regret and it out-ways the beginning hurdle...The nurses and team were kind and excellent at communicating. If we were struggling to understand something they took the time to explain it to us. Very sweet and compassionate!
How was your experience with Shahin Ghadir at Southern California Reproductive Center?
Dr Ghadir is the kindest doctor we have ever encountered in our IVF journey. After our embryos were created I was diagnosed with Triple Negative Breast Cancer (not hormone driven). He was so kind and encouraging and once our first transfer began he held our hand every step of the way. It made the journey so relaxing and calm and we are forever grateful for him as our baby boy was born November of 2022.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Shahin Ghadir at Southern California Reproductive Center?
Don’t be afraid to ask questions and please listen to him as his guidance is amazing. Also, understand everyone’s body is different and journeys will be different but he will be honest kind and thorough throughout the journey.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Shahin Ghadir at Southern California Reproductive Center?
Dr. Ghadir and his team are kind and caring. My husband and I were always treated kindly and with respect.
Describe the protocols Shahin Ghadir used in your cycles at Southern California Reproductive Center and their degree of success.
It’s all a blur with the cancer diagnosis but the Mock ERA was so important and we are so glad he recommended this as it helped with our first transfer being a success!
Describe your experience with your nurse at Southern California Reproductive Center. (Assigned nurse: Cannot recall, there’s a team!)
The nurses and team were kind and excellent at communicating. If we were struggling to understand something they took the time to explain it to us. Very sweet and compassionate!
Describe your experience with Southern California Reproductive Center.
The strength of this team is the compassion, organization, and excellent care. The weakness is being a new patient and trying to get through to the office, but once your do, not a single regret and it out-ways the beginning hurdle.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Shahin Ghadir at Southern California Reproductive Center.
Our costs were partially covered by our health plan which helped! The finance/billing department will look into this for you. Out of pocket costs were high but we managed with my husbands career as a firefighter/paramedic.
Describe Shahin Ghadir's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Southern California Reproductive Center.
Dr. Ghadir makes the recommendation of single versus multiple based off the mothers health. He is honest and that should be appreciated!
10
Doctor
Shahin Ghadir
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
4 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
10
Clinic
Southern California Reproductive Center
Beverly Hills
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
5 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
6 of 5
Educational Resources
7 of 5
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2022, Successful
NPS
10
NPS
10
Age 36
1 IVF
Unexplained
South Asian
Income $200K - $499K
Only Doc Seen
Strongly Recommends
Strongly Recommends
Successful
My experience with Dr. Akopians is incomparable to any other doctor. I have never met a doctor with so much knowledge and compassion. As a patient with a professional medical background, she never made me feel like I was expected to know all of the medical terminology or how this process worked. She was thorough and thoughtful with her delivery of information. Her bedside manner made it so comfortable to discuss even the most intimate of issues. I was always informed of every step of the IVF process and never felt that my needs were overlooked. I can't thank her enough for the kindness and care that she has provided for me.
Dr. Akopians and the clinical staff [at SCRC] were so attentive. They were very thorough with instructions. When I had questions about anything, they answered with so much compassion and care. I never felt uncomfortable or afraid to ask questions...This clinic is very modern and welcoming. Their staff are well trained and very profession. I really love that they are accommodating with the schedule and can get me in early for blood and ultrasound appointments. The ultrasound technologists at this clinic were the absolute best. They always made me feel welcomed and made the dreadful early morning ultrasounds quick and easy. They even remember conversations from the last appointment, which made me feel like I was more than just a number.
How was your experience with Alin Lina Akopians at Southern California Reproductive Center?
My experience with Dr. Akopians is incomparable to any other doctor. I have never met a doctor with so much knowledge and compassion. As a patient with a professional medical background, she never made me feel like I was expected to know all of the medical terminology or how this process worked. She was thorough and thoughtful with her delivery of information. Her bedside manner made it so comfortable to discuss even the most intimate of issues. I was always informed of every step of the IVF process and never felt that my needs were overlooked. I can't thank her enough for the kindness and care that she has provided for me.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Alin Lina Akopians at Southern California Reproductive Center?
Dr. Akopians and the clinical staff were so attentive. They were very thorough with instructions. When I had questions about anything, they answered with so much compassion and care. I never felt uncomfortable or afraid to ask questions.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Southern California Reproductive Center. (Assigned nurse: Julia)
Julia is a great communicator. She was meticulous with making my calendar, scheduling appointments and answering questions about medications. I felt like I was being cared for by a family member and she went above and beyond to make sure I did not feel alone in this journey. So thankful for her positive energy!
Describe your experience with Southern California Reproductive Center.
This clinic is very modern and welcoming. Their staff are well trained and very profession. I really love that they are accommodating with the schedule and can get me in early for blood and ultrasound appointments. The ultrasound technologists at this clinic were the absolute best. They always made me feel welcomed and made the dreadful early morning ultrasounds quick and easy. They even remember conversations from the last appointment, which made me feel like I was more than just a number.
10
Doctor
Alin Lina Akopians
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
3 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
10
Clinic
Southern California Reproductive Center
Beverly Hills
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
6 of 5
Educational Resources
7 of 5
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2022, Unsuccessful
NPS
0
NPS
0
Age 29
1 Embryo Freezing
Ashkenazi Jewish
Income $500K+
Lawyer
1st of 2 Docs
1 Embryo Freezing With Other Docs
Doesn't Recommend
Doesn't Recommend
Unsuccessful
I met Dr. Danzer a total of three times in person...kept referring to our matter as infertility, even though I reminded them every time I was in the office that I do not have infertility issues, but rather I did IVF to eliminate a dominate gene through genetic testing...completely mislead me to convince me to do IVF with him and then he failed to deliver on his promises...
SCRC is a machine and cranked me through on a drug protocol that was not at all tailored to my needs. You mainly interact with ultrasound technicians and the nurses who draw your blood. Dr. Danzer barely saw me...The nursing staff doesn't really interact with you. They call you with your lab results and they make you feel like you're a bother when you call. They knew nothing about the reason I was doing IVF and kept indicating that I was infertile. I was not. I did this for genetic testing.
How was your experience with Hal Danzer at Southern California Reproductive Center?
Dr. Danzer completely mislead me to convince me to do IVF with him and then he failed to deliver on his promises. From the beginning, I did not have infertility issues. I did IVF to eliminate a dominant gene from being passed down. Dr. Danzer kept telling I will have plenty of embryos after one round and not to worry. I had 34 follicles when we began treatment, I was 28 years old, and I had absolutely 0 signs of any health issues or infertility whatsoever. I am an IVF clinic dream patient. Mr partner completed a semen analysis and Dr. Danzer said his semen was "in the top 10% of semen [he has] ever seen." Dr. Danzer started my treatment by loading me up on 300 units of Gonal F and 75 units of menopur to begin treatment, failing to consider my age, health, lack of infertility issues, etc. I was on stimulants for I think 13 days!!!! At retrieval, Dr. Danzer removed 20 eggs. Of those eggs, 15 fertilized and only 5 became blastocycts! After genetic testing, we had 1 fair quality embryo left. This is the result of Dr. Danzer's promises of "plenty of embryos." Not to mention, Dr. Danzer convinced me to pay thousands of dollars additional for the embryoscopy because "we would have so many options and it would be good to know which ones are the best quality to transfer." We had ONE embryo and every other clinic has since told me that they do not even offer embryoscopy because they are almost useless these days. We had a fatal gene that we were trying to avoid passing down. We had so many people chip in to help us pay for Dr. Danzer and his result for a fertile, very healthy 28 year old woman was one fair quality embryo. I am SO upset. 20 follicles retrieved, 19 mature, 15 fertilized, 5 blastocysts, 1 fair quality embryo all while promising "plenty of embryos." Again, I had 0 fertility issues and was a 28 year old extremely healthy person. After recovery from the devastation from SCRC and Dr. Danzer, months later I decided to go to Dr. Marrs at California Fertility Partners. Dr. Marrs comforted me to let me know it is still very likely that I will be able to have plenty of embryos. Despite being scarred by Dr. Danzer, I trusted Dr. Marrs and gave it a shot. Dr. Marrs was ABSOLUTELY TERRIFIC. He retrieved 35 follicles, 30 of which fertilized, 16 became blastocysts and they are now off to genetic testing. Can you please recognize the difference in quality between these two doctors? 5 embryos to testing from SRCR and Dr. Danzer vs. 16 at a later round with California Fertility Partners and Dr. Marrs is a completely different result. I actually have a real shot at having healthy babies now. It is also important to note that SCRC has two floors: One floor for blood work and one level for doctors and retrieval. I barely saw Dr. Danzer. I went in every other day for blood work and ultrasounds and only saw nurses and ultrasound technicians. At California Fertility Partners, I saw a doctor every time I came to the office and everything is handled on the same floor as to not make you feel like the doctors are (literally) above you and unreachable. Choosing an IVF clinic is so difficult. Please don't make my mistake a waste over $30,000 with SCRC and Dr. Danzer.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Hal Danzer at Southern California Reproductive Center?
Leave and go to California Fertility Partners with Dr. Marrs where you are treated with a plan customized to your body and needs.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Hal Danzer at Southern California Reproductive Center?
First of all, I think I met Dr. Danzer a total of three times in person. Once to convince me to do IVF with him, once to tell me to start my cycle, and once for retrieval procedure. The doctor I went to after Dr. Danzer, Dr. Marrs with California Fertility Partners, saw me EVERY TIME I came into the office and Dr. Marrs personally did every ultrasound. To the contrary, the ultrasound technicians are the ones who see you at SCRC, not even the doctors. The doctors aren't even on the same floor as you for the majority of your visits. I felt completely segregated from my doctor for the whole experience with SCRC. Dr. Danzer had me come into the clinic every other day for ultrasounds and blood work during my stims. He saw me three, maybe four times total. At California Fertility Clinic, Dr. Marrs personally walked me through the whole IVF process and personally spent time with me at every appointment and personally did my ultrasounds and measured the follicles. SCRC and Dr. Danzer kept referring to our matter as infertility, even though I reminded them every time I was in the office that I do not have infertility issues, but rather I did IVF to eliminate a dominate gene through genetic testing.
Describe the protocols Hal Danzer used in your cycles at Southern California Reproductive Center and their degree of success.
Dr. Danzer loaded me up with Gonal F at 300 units and Menopur at 75 units. I was 28, 34 follicles, and no infertility issues. He completed diminished the quality of my follicles. He later dropped my Gonal F, but it was too late. He ruined my cycle.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Southern California Reproductive Center.
The nursing staff doesn't really interact with you. They call you with your lab results and they make you feel like you're a bother when you call. They knew nothing about the reason I was doing IVF and kept indicating that I was infertile. I was not. I did this for genetic testing.
Describe your experience with Southern California Reproductive Center.
SCRC is a machine and cranked me through on a drug protocol that was not at all tailored to my needs. You mainly interact with ultrasound technicians and the nurses who draw your blood. Dr. Danzer barely saw me. I know this is wrong because at California Fertility Partners, Dr. Marrs saw me at every visit and personally conducted my ultrasounds. This is the service that we all deserve, not the neglect from SCRC.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Hal Danzer at Southern California Reproductive Center.
I don't remember, but Dr. Danzer and SCRC were more expensive than Dr. Marrs and California Fertility Partners.
What specific things went wrong at Southern California Reproductive Center?
  • Lost paperwork
  • Failed to order appropriate test
  • Provided conflicting information
  • Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Southern California Reproductive Center.
I spent hours trying to get SCRC to work with in insurance. They always had different people calling me telling me different information, failing to respond for days at a time. It was so frustrating. They also kept mentioning infertility related to my procedure. I was and am NOT infertile. I went to SCRC to accomplish genetic testing to eliminate a dangerous dominant gene. Also- after biopsy, I specifically instructed SCRC to have the embryos tested for genetic issues prior to chromosomal errors because we aren't going to use genetically flawed embryos. They completed disregarded my request and sent the biopsies to the lab to have chromosome testing and mutant gene testing done at the same time. THE LAB CHARGES FOR EACH TEST! There was 0 reason to test our embryos with mutant genes for chromosomal errors because we wouldn't transfer them anyways! I told the lab this and they forced me to pay for each and every test order from SCRC, despite the testing being unnecessary and costing me THOUSANDS of dollars more.
0
Doctor
Hal Danzer
NPS
Humanity
1 of 5
Communication
3 of 5
Frequency Seen
2 of 5
Trustworthiness
1 of 5
Compassion
1 of 5
Explained risks
1 of 5
Adaptability
1 of 5
0
Clinic
Southern California Reproductive Center
Beverly Hills
NPS
Operations
1 of 5
Scheduling
3 of 5
Billing Department
1 of 5
Nursing Staff
1 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
1 of 5
Educational Resources
1 of 5
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2022, Successful
NPS
10
NPS
10
Age 39
2 IVF
2 Egg Freezing
2 Embryo Freezing
Income $500K+
Teacher
Only Doc Seen
Strongly Recommends
Strongly Recommends
Successful
Dr. Akopians is a machine! She studies your outcomes and makes appropriate plans and changes. I always felt she gave 100 percent to my care and family planning goals. My personal preference for doctors is that they are compassionate, direct, and well- researched in the latest research and practices. With Dr. Akopians, I found that perfect match.
SCRC has great SART results. I think at the end of the day, you want a clinic that has a great Live Birth Rate. I prefer results over the "feeling" of a clinic. You will get to know your phlebotomist and ultrasound techs really well, and I loved how they get to know you and make you feel at ease during your time there. This is a really emotional experience for women, and I think having a laugh with the team is what made my time at SCRC special.
How was your experience with Alin Lina Akopians at Southern California Reproductive Center?
I loved my IVF experience with Dr. Akopians. I had two rounds of ivf and one frozen embryo transfer from Feb 2022 until November 2022. Dr. Akopians is a machine! She studies your outcomes and makes appropriate plans and changes. I always felt she gave 100 percent to my care and family planning goals. My personal preference for doctors is that they are compassionate, direct, and well- researched in the latest research and practices. With Dr. Akopians, I found that perfect match.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Alin Lina Akopians at Southern California Reproductive Center?
A piece of advice I would give patients for Dr. Akopians is that she is really focused on your labs and ultrasounds, so she is not prescribing a one size fits all approach. She is incredible with the amount of time she spends studying your case. When I first met her, I knew this woman meant business! And I loved that about her. As I got to know her throughout the IVF cycles, I felt that we developed a relationship that was honest yet compassionate. It is pretty impressive the amount of families they are trying to get pregnant and I know that a busy clinic may be off putting, but you want a well oiled machine! Finally, I felt with Dr. Akopians that her medication doses and appointments reflected my age and medical history that was necessary. Of course, you want to compare your treatments and medications with friends going through IVF- DON'T DO THAT haha. I felt Akopians was right there with me in our goal to get me pregnant. And she was right there celebrating with me when we got there.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Alin Lina Akopians at Southern California Reproductive Center?
.
Describe the protocols Alin Lina Akopians used in your cycles at Southern California Reproductive Center and their degree of success.
IVF round 1: regular protocol IVF round 2: estrace priming protocol for low responding ovaries
Describe your experience with your nurse at Southern California Reproductive Center. (Assigned nurse: Julia Fletcher)
I am OBSESSED with Julia, my nurse coordinator. She is the most dedicated and caring nurse I have had the pleasure of going through IVF with. Every time she called to discuss results and directions, she was detailed and asked me how I was feeling to check in. Anything I needed, she responded with a detailed message with lightning speed. I don't know how she does it. She never rushed me or felt stressed even though she had other patients to give the same lovely treatment. I am in awe of Julia! You really feel like you are getting VIP treatment. Now I wish every clinic had a Julia on hand.
Describe your experience with Southern California Reproductive Center.
SCRC has great SART results. I think at the end of the day, you want a clinic that has a great Live Birth Rate. I prefer results over the "feeling" of a clinic. You will get to know your phlebotomist and ultrasound techs really well, and I loved how they get to know you and make you feel at ease during your time there. This is a really emotional experience for women, and I think having a laugh with the team is what made my time at SCRC special.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Alin Lina Akopians at Southern California Reproductive Center.
46K total cost: 2 rounds of IVF medications, 2 rounds of IVF, 1 frozen embryo transfer, tons of labs for bloodwork, and visits for ultrasounds.
Describe Alin Lina Akopians's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Southern California Reproductive Center.
We selected a frozen embryo transfer with ONE embryo since the embryo was PGT tested and graded good.
10
Doctor
Alin Lina Akopians
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
3 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
10
Clinic
Southern California Reproductive Center
Beverly Hills
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
5 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
6 of 5
Educational Resources
7 of 5
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2021 - 2022, Unknown Success
NPS
10
NPS
10
Age 34 - 35
1 IVF
Male Factor
Income $200K - $499K
Teacher
Only Doc Seen
Strongly Recommends
Strongly Recommends
Success w/ Doc Too early to know
My husband and I appreciated how much Dr. Ghadir candidly expressed his perspective about the best steps to take for our fertility journey. When testing after our consultation determined that we were most likely struggling due to MFI, he directed us to move towards IVF, and with his leadership, we were able to move through the whole process to our current pregnancy (our first successful pregnancy after 4 years of ttc) within 6 months!...
SCRC is a beautiful center, right in the heart of Beverly Hills...I never waited long for bloodwork or ultrasounds (often being taken in as soon as I sat down!), and it felt like everyone knew my name personally...Even the financial records team has been exceptionally clear and professional, and I appreciated how organized every step of this process has been...
How was your experience with Shahin Ghadir at Southern California Reproductive Center?
My husband and I appreciated how much Dr. Ghadir candidly expressed his perspective about the best steps to take for our fertility journey. When testing after our consultation determined that we were most likely struggling due to MFI, he directed us to move towards IVF, and with his leadership, we were able to move through the whole process to our current pregnancy (our first successful pregnancy after 4 years of ttc) within 6 months! From Day 1 in our Zoom consult to the last day at my "graduation", he was direct and honest, and I am so grateful that his direction changed our life for the better; we simply cannot imagine doing any future transfers to grow our family again without him.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Shahin Ghadir at Southern California Reproductive Center?
I would advise a prospective patient to be sure to speak up and ask clarifying questions if needed! He is incredibly patient, and while he may speak quickly at times, he is always willing to answer any questions you may have with complete openness and honesty.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Shahin Ghadir at Southern California Reproductive Center?
Dr. Ghadir, his clinical team, and truly everyone at SCRC made every effort to get to know myself and my husband throughout our journey with IVF. From our first consult to our recent "graduation" ceremony, Dr. Ghadir and the nursing staff (especially Nahreh and Angela), as well as those who took my measurements and blood (and shout out to Junior and Crystal), every member at SCRC took care of us both like we were family. They remembered birthdays, asked about my job as a teacher, and made us both feel welcome every time we entered the doors of the beautiful Beverly location. There was even a scare when I had to go to the Emergency Room due to complications from my Egg Retrieval, and it felt like every single member of the team reached out and offered their support through the whole process. I appreciate each member of the whole SCRC so much in making our miracle pregnancy happen!
Describe your experience with your nurse at Southern California Reproductive Center. (Assigned nurse: Nahreh and Angela)
I miss Angela and Nahreh, the nurses of my clinical team, already!!! They are truly lovely women, and speaking with them the afternoons of each of my appointments made me feel heard, understood, and most importantly, like family. They celebrated with me with the good news, and were empathetic when the results weren't yet what we were looking for. They even went above and beyond in ensuring that I was okay after a scary trip to the Emergency Room following a severe case of OHSS after my Egg Retrieval. Both women were always responsive to any late night questions I had, answering in the portal only minutes after I asked, and were exceptionally organized at every step of the process. Dr. Ghadir's clinical team (and literally every SCRC nurse I passed in the hallways) made me feel safe and supported every visit, and anyone would be lucky to have their support in their lives.
Describe your experience with Southern California Reproductive Center.
SCRC is a beautiful center, right in the heart of Beverly Hills. COVID safety protocols were clearly understood and upheld at every visit, and the space was always clean and bright. I never waited long for bloodwork or ultrasounds (often being taken in as soon as I sat down!), and it felt like everyone knew my name personally. From the front desk receptionists, to the woman taking my temperature when I walked in, to the incredible blood work team (thank you Junior!) and the check in team (thank you Crystal!), each person was welcoming and absolutely made this difficult journey infinitely easier. Even the financial records team has been exceptionally clear and professional, and I appreciated how organized every step of this process has been. This clinic has been a dream after the nightmares of our fertility journey, and I am so grateful I decided to choose SCRC as the place now responsible for my current pregnancy.
10
Doctor
Shahin Ghadir
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
4 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
4 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
10
Clinic
Southern California Reproductive Center
Beverly Hills
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
5 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
6 of 5
Educational Resources
7 of 5
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2022, Unknown Success
NPS
5
NPS
3
Age 36
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
Male Factor
European
Income $200K - $499K
1st of 3 Docs
Doesn't Recommend
Doesn't Recommend
Success w/ Doc Not sure
It is clear they are a very busy clinic and I felt I needed more direct communication and involvement from the doctor than I was getting with Dr. Akopians at SCRC. I also felt that she didn't put a whole lot of thought into the protocol she was suggesting for me, it seemed very cookie-cutter rather than being individualized for our specific situation...she seemed very inaccessible...
Julia [nurse at Southern California Reproductive Center] was the best part of my experience at SCRC. She is incredibly kind, compassionate, and informed...When we tried to get the prior authorization to move forward with IVF, I tried multiple times to reach out to different people in their billing department, and it was very difficult to get responses back...seems everyone there is overworked and overloaded and things kept falling through the cracks...
How was your experience with Alin Lina Akopians at Southern California Reproductive Center?
Dr. Akopians is clearly intelligent and I felt a compassionate doctor. However she seemed too overworked to pay specific and individualized attention to each patient. If you don't mind that and are just looking for a straight shooter who will assign the protocol and oversee your treatment, she may work for you. If you are seeking more hand holding and attentiveness, this might not be the right doctor for you. I chalk this up to being more an overall issue with the clinic itself than the doctor. I didn't receive any treatment from her, I only had a consult and the initial diagnostic workup with her.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Alin Lina Akopians at Southern California Reproductive Center?
Consider your individual needs when choosing a doctor. I recommend having multiple consults with other doctors/clinics before making a decision, if feasible. Advocate for yourself, do your own research, and ask lots of questions. If she suggests a certain protocol ask her why she would recommend that for you specifically.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Alin Lina Akopians at Southern California Reproductive Center?
During my consult with Dr. Akopians, she gave us a ton of detailed information about fertility and IVF but it was essentially a script that seemed memorized, rather than really tailoring it for us specifically. She did take her time with us which we appreciated, but we never saw her again after our consult. The only other time I got to speak with her was when she went over the results of my ultrasound that was done by a technician, not herself. Anytime I called the office or wrote a message in the portal, I always got a response from the nurse Julia, rather than the doctor herself. It is clear they are a very busy clinic and I felt I needed more direct communication and involvement from the doctor than I was getting with Dr. Akopians at SCRC. I also felt that she didn't put a whole lot of thought into the protocol she was suggesting for me, it seemed very cookie-cutter rather than being individualized for our specific situation.
Describe the protocols Alin Lina Akopians used in your cycles at Southern California Reproductive Center and their degree of success.
I have diminished ovarian reserve and Dr. Akopians initially recommended we do the birth control start. I have come to learn by consulting with multiple doctors that the birth control can actually suppress the ovaries too much which would result a lower egg number at the retrieval. The doctor I am with now has put me on an estrogen priming protocol which apparently may be more beneficial if you have DOR. I reached out to the Akopians team and asked them about the estrogen protocol and all I got was a response saying that Dr. Akopians won't order the meds or assign the official protocol until I come in for day 1 or 2 testing and ultrasound. The issue with that is that the estrogen priming protocol is supposed to start in the previous month's luteal phase in order to prevent one egg from maturing too quickly before the others. This was one of the main reasons why we chose to go with another doctor over Dr. Akopians in the end. We didn't love the protocol she suggested and didn't feel like we could get in contact with Dr. Akopians to really talk this through - she seemed very inaccessible.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Southern California Reproductive Center. (Assigned nurse: Julia)
Julia was the best part of my experience at SCRC. She is incredibly kind, compassionate, and informed. Every time I called to speak with her, she took a lot of time to answer my questions and explain things to me. She was also very communicative with me via the online portal. Additionally, the staff at the clinic I met with for my diagnostic workup (phlebotomists and ultrasound technician) were all amazing. You can really feel their empathy and compassion.
Describe your experience with Southern California Reproductive Center.
The clinic itself is beautiful and in a nice location. They have been around for a very long time and are well known and established as having a very good lab. I appreciated that they have a policy to not allow children in their clinic due to the sensitive nature of the practice. Some cons - when we initially called months ago for a semen analysis, nobody called us back multiple times. I initially had a virtual consult scheduled with another doctor, but she cancelled on me the morning of my appointment. I then scheduled another virtual consult with Dr. Akopians, and then she cancelled on me an hour before the appointment. Finally the third consult I scheduled, she ended up showing up. This points to the business of the clinic, which some people might not mind but it again made me feel like a number. Regarding the insurance/billing department: First, they checked my insurance coverage and told us we had no fertility coverage. So we went a few months thinking this and that we'd have to pay out of pocket for everything. We then found out from another clinic that we did in fact have fertility coverage, with a company that SCRC happens to be in-network with anyway. When we tried to get the prior authorization to move forward with IVF, I tried multiple times to reach out to different people in their billing department, and it was very difficult to get responses back. Meanwhile the other clinic I was meeting with was on top of it and had everything sorted out while I was still trying to get in contact with them. Another reason why we chose the other clinic. Again, I don't think it's about anyone's individual incompetence or forgetfulness, it just seems everyone there is overworked and overloaded and things kept falling through the cracks. I want to feel I am being taken care of and in good hands, and I did not feel that way there.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Alin Lina Akopians at Southern California Reproductive Center.
My consultation was free because I had a coupon from my OB/GYN. The bloodwork and ultrasound was run through my insurance.
What specific things went wrong at Southern California Reproductive Center?
  • Lost appointments
  • Provided conflicting information
  • Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Southern California Reproductive Center.
The ultrasound technician told me I had 15-16 follicles. The next day I got an email from the nursing staff saying I had 13-14 follicles. The day after that Dr. Akopians called me and said I had 10-11 follicles. This is all for the same ultrasound. Multiple late-cancelled consultation appointments as noted above. Difficulties getting calls back from anyone besides Julia the nurse. Insurance department telling us we have zero fertility coverage to later find out we have a full IVF cycle covered and 15k in medication costs.
5
Doctor
Alin Lina Akopians
NPS
Humanity
2 of 5
Communication
3 of 5
Frequency Seen
1 of 5
Trustworthiness
3 of 5
Compassion
4 of 5
Explained risks
3 of 5
3
Clinic
Southern California Reproductive Center
Beverly Hills
NPS
Operations
2 of 5
Scheduling
2 of 5
Billing Department
2 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
6 of 5
Educational Resources
5 of 5
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2021 - 2022, Unknown Success
NPS
10
NPS
10
Age 32 - 33
Male Factor
PCOS
European
Income $100K - $199K
3rd of 3 Docs
6 IUI With Other Docs
IVF With Other Docs
Strongly Recommends
Strongly Recommends
Success w/ Doc Too early to know
Dr. Chang would personally call me after every major appointment to give me results and next steps. She would provide lots of details in her recommendations and scientific statistics. She makes me feel like I am her only patient and her staff is very reachable as well...My doctor recommended single embryo transfer since it is safest for mom and embryo...She is connected with some of the top cancer doctors in the world and we were able to receive recommendations from a male fertility urologist and oncologist if it was safe to proceed with IVF
This clinic partners with Livestrong Fertility and provides cancer patients a discount on certain services...The [S.California Reproductive Center] message portal is regularly checked and I always expected a quick answer...Very clean. If I arrived early, they would often take me right away. I've never waited more than a few minutes for my appointment. Wish parking was validated...
How was your experience with Wendy Chang at Southern California Reproductive Center?
I am still in the middle of treatment with Dr. Chang. My husband was diagnosed with Chronic Leukemia and we were desperately trying to determine if his sperm could be used for IVF. She is connected with some of the top cancer doctors in the world and we were able to receive recommendations from a male fertility urologist and oncologist if it was safe to proceed with IVF given my husband's poor sperm quality. Dr. Chang is very candid and respectful with her patients. She clearly provided us with our options for IVF and her recommendations with the risks of each procedure (ICSI, genetic test, frozen embryo transfers etc). I am grateful for Dr. Changs attention to detail and "taking care of business". We were getting ready for the frozen embryo transfer and we did some pre-testing to make sure I didn't have any infections --- turns out I did and she immediately put me on antibiotics and probiotics. She never rushes in to something and takes all the necessary precautions, even though I am anxious to get pregnant! All in due time. I can't recommend Dr. Chang more. I drive 3 hours each way just to go to this clinic.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Wendy Chang at Southern California Reproductive Center?
Dr. Chang will conduct lots of necessary pre-testing to ensure you are set up for success. Critical, but can take some patience if you're antsy to get pregnant.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Wendy Chang at Southern California Reproductive Center?
Dr. Chang would personally call me after every major appointment to give me results and next steps. She would provide lots of details in her recommendations and scientific statistics. She makes me feel like I am her only patient and her staff is very reachable as well. At my previous clinic in San Diego, I was a patient for over 6 months and only spoke to the official doctor twice.
Describe the protocols Wendy Chang used in your cycles at Southern California Reproductive Center and their degree of success.
We used stimulation hormones leading up to the egg retrieval. I was able to use smaller dosage since my eggs were in good shape and my PCOS actually helped create 30 eggs. I was hoping we could do a fresh embryo transfer but our sperm were of poor quality and we needed lots of testing done to the embryo. We have not done our Frozen Embryo Transfer yet, but the plan is to try with no medications at first and just monitor my growth after I stop birth control. We will intervene with Letrozole as needed.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Southern California Reproductive Center. (Assigned nurse: Amber )
While we were waiting outside lab results, the nurses would follow up with clinics and let me know immediately of results via phone call. The message portal is regularly checked and I always expected a quick answer. Such a friendly and "on top of it" clinical team.
Describe your experience with Southern California Reproductive Center.
This clinic partners with Livestrong Fertility and provides cancer patients a discount on certain services. Very strict COVID-19 protocols. Only patients with appointments are allowed in the building. Strict screening. Very clean. If I arrived early, they would often take me right away. I've never waited more than a few minutes for my appointment. Wish parking was validated.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Wendy Chang at Southern California Reproductive Center.
IVF Embryology with Cryopreservation (no transfer) - $3950. ICSI- $1650 Embryo storage $750 Embryoscope $2500 Embryo Biopsy $1800 PGT-A/PGT-SR $2000
Describe Wendy Chang's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Southern California Reproductive Center.
My doctor recommended single embryo transfer since it is safest for mom and embryo. We agree with this approach.
10
Doctor
Wendy Chang
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
3 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
10
Clinic
Southern California Reproductive Center
Beverly Hills
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
3 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
6 of 5
Educational Resources
6 of 5
2022, Successful
NPS
10
NPS
10
Age 36
1 IVF
European
Income $200K - $499K
Marketer or PR
2nd of 2 Docs
3 IUI With Other Docs
Strongly Recommends
Strongly Recommends
Successful
Dr danzer is such a caring person and spent a lot of time with me answering questions and explaining things—but only exactly what was coming next so as not to overload me with information, which I appreciated...the protocol was changing based on frequent testing to ensure I had the best chances of success...I had a previous traumatic miscarriage of twins followed by 3 failed IUIs so I was very emotional throughout, and I felt very cared for and reassured...
This place [Southern California Reproductive Center] is run so well, it’s super organized...There was one instance where the clinic forgot to call in medication but it was easily dealt with...It’s definitely a shiny slick place which tbh made me suspicious, but the care was wonderful. The staff aside from nurses was nice and seemed very happy and like they enjoyed working at scrc. I never had to wait too long...
How was your experience with Hal Danzer at Southern California Reproductive Center?
Danzer is an extremely caring doctor who is great at explaining things, parsing our information so as not to overwhelm, and keeping in touch and making his team available to answer questions. I didn’t want to leave after my pregnancy was deemed viable, because he treated me with so much more care, education and attention than my OB
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Hal Danzer at Southern California Reproductive Center?
Dr danzer is such a caring person and spent a lot of time with me answering questions and explaining things—but only exactly what was coming next so as not to overload me with information, which I appreciated. I had a previous traumatic miscarriage of twins followed by 3 failed IUIs so I was very emotional throughout, and I felt very cared for and reassured, and also that the protocol was changing based on frequent testing to ensure I had the best chances of success. I didn’t meet danzer in real life until my transfer but previous to that his team was wonderful, informed and accessible.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Southern California Reproductive Center.
This place is run so well, it’s super organized.
Describe your experience with Southern California Reproductive Center.
It’s definitely a shiny slick place which tbh made me suspicious, but the care was wonderful. The staff aside from nurses was nice and seemed very happy and like they enjoyed working at scrc. I never had to wait too long.
Describe Hal Danzer's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Southern California Reproductive Center.
Danzer had a strong preference to transfer just one embryo which was aligned with my research and my husband and my expectations. I had 2 embryos so was happy to only transfer one so we have the second in case we want to use it down the line.
What specific things went wrong at Southern California Reproductive Center?
  • Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Southern California Reproductive Center.
There was one instance where the clinic forgot to call in medication but it was easily dealt with
10
Doctor
Hal Danzer
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
3 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
10
Clinic
Southern California Reproductive Center
Beverly Hills
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
2 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
6 of 5
Educational Resources
6 of 5
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2014 - 2021, Successful
NPS
10
NPS
10
Age 33 - 40
4 IUI
1 IVF
Endometriosis
PCOS
Poor Egg Quality
Uterine Fibroids
Unexplained
European
Income $100K - $199K
Only Doc Seen
Strongly Recommends
Strongly Recommends
Successful
Dr. Alexander is very knowledgeable and empathetic. She truly knows hers patients' stories...She knows the science but she also knows there is an emotional side to this field of fertility medicine that needs to equaly be supported...did a medicated egg retrieval cycle. Followed by ICSI fertilization for half my eggs...at day 5 we got 9 embryos, which I wasn't expecting that many! We did PGS testing on 8 of them and left one untested. 1 embryo came back euploidy (normal), 1 came back mosiac for chromosome 12 (60% normal cells and 40% missing chromosome 12) and 7 completely aneaploidy (abnormal).
Olivia [nurse at Southern California Reproductive Center] was always great at calling or emailing. I appreciated that. But she was not the most organized with the instructions for meds. Especially during my egg retrieval cycle. She emailed me the instructions but also called to verbally explain the instructions for my trigger meds. Verbally She told me to take my HCG shot at midnight. But in the written instructions she wrote 12pm.
How was your experience with Carolyn Alexander at Southern California Reproductive Center?
Dr. Alexander is very knowledgeable and empathetic. She truly knows hers patients' stories. For me I came to her for secondary fertility. We lost our first baby half way through the pregnancy but then was able conceive 1.5 years after that loss but at the cost of exhausting cycle tracking. We saw her for IUI's for our next pregnancies but sadly they all failed and we fell pregnant when we stopped treatments and went back to relentless cycle tracking. After suffering a miscarriage in 2018 I decided I wanted to try IVF and knew they only doctor I would trust my time and money with to do this would be Dr. A. Because of her we were able to conceive another healthy boy . I owe that to her competent and compassionate care. She knows the science but she also knows there is an emotional side to this field of fertility medicine that needs to equaly be supported. Without her constant and positive care I really don't think we would have had success.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Carolyn Alexander at Southern California Reproductive Center?
Open up to her. She will listen to all your concerns and do her best to set your mind at ease and support you through this process. Also track your meds and dosages in your own organizer. We used an excel spreadsheet. That way I knew exactly when and how much medication I needed to take as well as how much I had left so I had plenty of time to get refills. I live 3 hours away from the clinic and specialty pharmacies. It wasn't always easy to get meds so I had to be prepared.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Carolyn Alexander at Southern California Reproductive Center?
Dr. Alexander has an amazing bedside manner. She is knowledgeable and empathetic and a beacon of positivity. She is such a great strength to me and my fertility journey. She would stay in touch frequently through personal texts and phone calls. She cares so much and it shows. She cares for her patients and the family of her patients and she makes that known and felt! She knows you and your story and she makes you feel like you're her only patient. I don't know how she has the capacity to be the caring doctor she is!
Describe the protocols Carolyn Alexander used in your cycles at Southern California Reproductive Center and their degree of success.
I had some symptoms of PCOS but always ovulated regularly with or with out meds. So there was this unknown cause for my infertility as well. We did a medicated egg retrieval cycle. Followed by ICSI fertilization for half my eggs (I had so many she decided to fertilize the other half just by mixing sprem and eggs in the petri dish). Then at day 5 we got 9 embryos, which I wasn't expecting that many! We did PGS testing on 8 of them and left one untested. 1 embryo came back euploidy (normal), 1 came back mosiac for chromosome 12 (60% normal cells and 40% missing chromosome 12) and 7 completely aneaploidy (abnormal). We decided to transfer the normal embryo in a medicated, single FET (frozen embryo transfer). To prep for that transfer we did an ERA (Endometrial Receptivity Array) it tells you exactly how long you need the progesterone injections before the transfer to be successful. And it worked we had successful transfer and a healthy baby boy. Also after the egg retrieval Dr. Alexander looked around my uterus via ultra sound and saw I had an ithmocele (a c-searan scar defect) this needed major surgery to correct it before a tranfer could be attempted. Although sad for the set back I was so grateful for her attention to detail to make everythng as perfect as could be so we could have a successful transfer and healthy baby. I look forward to working with her again for another embryo transfer.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Southern California Reproductive Center. (Assigned nurse: Olivia)
Olivia was always great at calling or emailing. I appreciated that. But she was not the most organized with the instructions for meds. Especially during my egg retrieval cycle. She emailed me the instructions but also called to verbally explain the instructions for my trigger meds. Verbally She told me to take my HCG shot at midnight. But in the written instructions she wrote 12pm. I was a wreck the night of my trigger shot thinking I did it at the wrong time and Dr. A would have to retrieve my eggs at 12 am the next day. The stimulating drugs make you crazy and loopy anyway but to add that stress of mixing up 12pm and 12am almost killed me. I was a wreck I cried so hard and had to remember and replay the verbal instructions in my mind to set myself at ease.
Describe your experience with Southern California Reproductive Center.
I was a patient for my IVF and FET cycles during covid. So it was hard. Shot clinics weren't available and covid testing was crazy but not their fault. I feel the office staff was always kind and helpful and many of the ultrasound techs were friendly and informative. I always felt well cared for and attended to.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Carolyn Alexander at Southern California Reproductive Center.
The IVF and gentic testing and embrology fees was just under 20k, including meds. The FET with the ERA was about 6k
Describe Carolyn Alexander's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Southern California Reproductive Center.
Because I had one golden embryo that we knew was normal we decided on just the single embryo transfer to give that embryo the best chance of implanting and growing in to a healthy baby.
What specific things went wrong at Southern California Reproductive Center?
  • Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Southern California Reproductive Center.
Olivia didn't realize that I had major surgery to correct my isthmocele (c-section scar abnormality). And she started to schedule my ERA and FET before I had finished my recovery. I kind of felt like she was paying more attention to protocol rather than reviewing my chart and knowing I was still needing to recover. That made lose a bit of faith again in my nursing care. I'm sure that sugery was listed in my chart.
10
Doctor
Carolyn Alexander
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
4 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
10
Clinic
Southern California Reproductive Center
Beverly Hills
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
5 of 5
Nursing Staff
3 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
6 of 5
Educational Resources
6 of 5
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2015 - 2021, Successful
NPS
9
NPS
9
Age 35 - 41
Donor Eggs
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
European
Income $100K - $199K
Accountant
Only Doc Seen
IVF With Other Docs
Donor Sperm
Strongly Recommends
Strongly Recommends
Successful
I’m grateful to have found Dr. Ghadir, even though I am still without a baby. He is honest and compassionate. We had a running joke that I was his favorite patient because I had been going to him for so long. You will not see Dr. Ghadir for routine lab work or ultrasounds. They have techs who handle that. So no, you won’t see him EVERY appointment. But he handled all of my cycles and major procedures.
The [Southern California Reproductive Center] clinic is beautiful, modern, and very clean. The staff is always friendly and very helpful. Hours are very accommodating for working patients. They are compliant with COVID mandates. Parking can be a challenge sometimes, as the structure fills up quickly...Compassionate, easy to communicate with
How was your experience with Shahin Ghadir at Southern California Reproductive Center?
I’m grateful to have found Dr. Ghadir, even though I am still without a baby. He is honest and compassionate. We had a running joke that I was his favorite patient because I had been going to him for so long. You will not see Dr. Ghadir for routine lab work or ultrasounds. They have techs who handle that. So no, you won’t see him EVERY appointment. But he handled all of my cycles and major procedures. He was always there during my ultrasounds when I was pregnant. So happy for me. And when I miscarried, he wrapped his arms around me and just let me cry. I trust him completely and I feel safe, which is why I will continue my journey with him as my doctor.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Shahin Ghadir at Southern California Reproductive Center?
Take notes and ask all the questions.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Shahin Ghadir at Southern California Reproductive Center?
Whether it was a negative pregnancy test or miscarriage, Dr. Ghadir had empathy. He knew me, called to check up on me, was honest and up front during every cycle. He and his staff truly cared about me.
Describe the protocols Shahin Ghadir used in your cycles at Southern California Reproductive Center and their degree of success.
My AMH was low. Extremely low. So we decided to dive straight into IVF. I began stim meds to prep for an egg retrieval. I had purchased a package for 2 cycles. My body was not responding to the meds as Dr. Ghadir had hoped. He didn’t want me to hyper stimulate so I stopped. Failed cycle #1. I waited a few months and tried again, same outcome. I had no eggs. Premature Ovarian Failure. This is when we discussed using donor eggs. I chose my first donor and was genuinely excited. She ended up not responding to the stim meds, so I moved on to another donor. We got 17 eggs, and I ended up with 5 healthy embryos. We did an ERA before the first transfer of my only female embryo. We had a positive reception and moved on to the transfer. The transfer did not take. Neither did #2 or #3. We did another ERA and proceeded with transfer #4. And I got pregnant! It was the happiest 8 weeks of my life. I went in for an ultrasound during week 5 and 6 and everything seemed fine. My ultrasound in week 8 confirmed there was no heartbeat. Transfer #5 had the same outcome. Got pregnant and during the ultrasound in week 7, there was no heartbeat. I went for blood and ultrasounds every 3 days to check hormone levels and lining leading up to each embryo transfer.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Southern California Reproductive Center. (Assigned nurse: Angela )
I have to say, I think I might have loved Angela a little bit more than my doctor! She was just incredible. Compassionate, easy to communicate with, always available when Dr. Ghadir wasn’t. If I was second guessing myself, she would explain things again. Definitely a huge reason why I loved SCRC and Dr. Ghadir.
Describe your experience with Southern California Reproductive Center.
The clinic is beautiful, modern, and very clean. The staff is always friendly and very helpful. Hours are very accommodating for working patients. They are compliant with COVID mandates. Parking can be a challenge sometimes, as the structure fills up quickly.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Shahin Ghadir at Southern California Reproductive Center.
In total, I’ve spent around $80k.
Describe Shahin Ghadir's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Southern California Reproductive Center.
No comments, but my doctor did encourage me to do single embryo transfers.
9
Doctor
Shahin Ghadir
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
4 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
9
Clinic
Southern California Reproductive Center
Beverly Hills
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
3 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
6 of 5
Educational Resources
7 of 5
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2021, Successful
NPS
10
NPS
8
Age 37
1 IVF
European
Income $100K - $199K
Only Doc Seen
Donor Sperm
Strongly Recommends
Neutral
Successful
[Dr.] Wendy Chang was very meticulous and thorough in her whole approach. She was calm and explained things along the way, careful not to set high expectations but rather taking it step by step. She always answered questions and is very very knowledgable and respectful...I appreciate the fact she always focused on the task at hand each time rather than encouraging the what ifs later on...
The clinic [Southern California Reproductive Center] is well presented, clean and is an all in-house clinic, meaning you can do all the procedures there. Staff at front desk and lab are all nice. Staff at the specialty departments, like the ART and surgery are super nice. One thing I would point out per my experience is the billing department at SCRC that was making multiple mistakes with extra charges on multiple occasions. So I was always double checking all my bills carefully and had to call them to correct the mistakes or for a refund...
How was your experience with Wendy Chang at Southern California Reproductive Center?
Wendy Chang is a very knowledgable, meticulous and thorough doctor and always careful in her approach and communication delivery, process, explanations and expectations. She was always answering my questions, she was always very calm and careful not to set high expectations. I appreciate the fact she always focused on the task at hand each time rather than encouraging the what ifs later on. I would recommend her undoubtedly to anyone. I respect her knowledge and communication.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Wendy Chang at Southern California Reproductive Center?
Listen to her, trust her knowledge and take her careful and meticulous approach as a good thing. She will not sugarcoat or give false expectations and that is what I liked about her during the whole process.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Wendy Chang at Southern California Reproductive Center?
Wendy Chang was very meticulous and thorough in her whole approach. She was calm and explained things along the way, careful not to set high expectations but rather taking it step by step. She always answered questions and is very very knowledgable and respectful.
Describe the protocols Wendy Chang used in your cycles at Southern California Reproductive Center and their degree of success.
My treatment was during Covid, for that she was very cautious with all safety measures in place for absolutely not exposing herself or her patients to added risk. Her strategies were to focus at each step each time and not look far ahead as, depending on the treatment process, there are multiple steps involved over a lengthy period of time.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Southern California Reproductive Center.
I was dealing primarily with 2 nurses, Danielle and Kimberly. They were both wonderful, always explaining things, promptly replying to questions and always loving and kind meeting with them in person.
Describe your experience with Southern California Reproductive Center.
The clinic is well presented, clean and is an all in-house clinic, meaning you can do all the procedures there. Staff at front desk and lab are all nice. Staff at the specialty departments, like the ART and surgery are super nice. One thing I would point out per my experience is the billing department at SCRC that was making multiple mistakes with extra charges on multiple occasions. So I was always double checking all my bills carefully and had to call them to correct the mistakes or for a refund.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Wendy Chang at Southern California Reproductive Center.
Around or slightly under $40K
Describe Wendy Chang's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Southern California Reproductive Center.
She will not make any decisions for you, decision making is all you. But once you’ve made your decision she can agree with it and be encouraging.
10
Doctor
Wendy Chang
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
4 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
8
Clinic
Southern California Reproductive Center
Beverly Hills
NPS
Operations
4 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
2 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
6 of 5
Educational Resources
5 of 5
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2019 - 2021, Successful
NPS
10
NPS
10
Age 36 - 38
1 IVF
Donor Eggs
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
Poor Egg Quality
Latinx
Income $50K - $99K
Entrepreneur
Only Doc Seen
Strongly Recommends
Strongly Recommends
Successful
Dr. Ghadir is by far the most caring, professional, knowledgeable doctor we have meet...he recommended using donor eggs, as my issue was low egg reserve and next cycle could yield the same results. We highly appreciated the honesty and the options. Hence we tried tried fresh donor egg cycle, to which we were fortunate enough to get 8 healthy eggs for use, transferred 2, and ended up with a pregnancy with 1 baby boy...
The nursing staff [at Southern California Reproductive Center] was very friendly and caring throught my treatment. Always wished me well when we spoke...The clinic is very clean and beautifully decorated. IF there is anything that makes you uncomfortable they are sure to accommodate you as much as possible. The wait time is generally really minimal. And staff is always ready to answer any questions you may have. Always willing to help...
How was your experience with Shahin Ghadir at Southern California Reproductive Center?
Dr. Ghadir is by far the most caring, professional, knowledgeable doctor we have meet. The clinic is extremely clean and is beautifully decorated. It does not feel like a clinic at all. They gave us the best gift during our last visit there, a framed onesie with our baby ultrasound picture. Thanks to the treatment recommended we are now 8 months pregnant. We will forever be thankful to him and his wonderful staff for all they've done for us. May he be blessed with many more years of health and success so that he can continue to help others as he has helped us.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Shahin Ghadir at Southern California Reproductive Center?
You can fully trust this doctor, his recommendations, and procedures. He is really knowledable and always tries to do the best for you.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Shahin Ghadir at Southern California Reproductive Center?
Doctor and staff where always friendly and asking hiw treatment was going, and always wished me the best every time we spoke.
Describe the protocols Shahin Ghadir used in your cycles at Southern California Reproductive Center and their degree of success.
We tried first cycle on myself. Unfortunately it had to get cancelled due to my eggs not reacting to the meds as expected. My 3ggs where not multiplying enough nor were they growing to the required size for retrieval. The doctor was very straight forward and explained we could keep trying as much as we wanted, but he recommended using donor eggs, as my issue was low egg reserve and next cycle could yield the same results. We highly appreciated the honesty and the options. Hence we tried tried fresh donor egg cycle, to which we were fortunate enough to get 8 healthy eggs for use, transferred 2, and ended up with a pregnancy with 1 baby boy. We are now 8 months pregnant thanks to his recommendations and treatments.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Southern California Reproductive Center.
The nursing staff was very friendly and caring throught my treatment. Always wished me well when we spoke.
Describe your experience with Southern California Reproductive Center.
The clinic is very clean and beautifully decorated. IF there is anything that makes you uncomfortable they are sure to accommodate you as much as possible. The wait time is generally really minimal. And staff is always ready to answer any questions you may have. Always willing to help.
Describe Shahin Ghadir's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Southern California Reproductive Center.
We expressed we wanted more than one baby, and the doctor agreed to transfer two embryos at once. He always tried to comply with our needs and wants as long as it was medically and positively possible.
10
Doctor
Shahin Ghadir
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
3 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
10
Clinic
Southern California Reproductive Center
Beverly Hills
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
4 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
6 of 5
Educational Resources
7 of 5
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2020 - 2021, Unsuccessful
NPS
2
NPS
1
Age 43 - 44
3 IUI
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
Income $200K - $499K
Only Doc Seen
Doesn't Recommend
Doesn't Recommend
Unsuccessful
Dr. Chang was thorough at our initial consultation, and provided us with a list of vitamins to start with. After that initial consultation, it is almost impossible to get a hold of her if you have any major or minor issues. Our second call was before the start of the initial cycle and it felt rushed (although we were billed for it)...she did not adjust any treatment protocol when it did not work...
Nursing staff, assistants, and the entire clinical team [at Southern California Reproductive Center] is disorganized, would not return calls timely. Written portal messages are not read or checked during the weekend (without prior notice to us). Prescriptions were not sent to pharmacy timely, leading to missed dosage. Multiple calls without response, and results of testing are not communicated...
How was your experience with Wendy Chang at Southern California Reproductive Center?
Dr. Chang was thorough at our initial consultation, and provided us with a list of vitamins to start with. After that initial consultation, it is almost impossible to get a hold of her if you have any major or minor issues. Our second call was before the start of the initial cycle and it felt rushed (although we were billed for it), our last call described an upcoming treatment protocol which did not match up with what was prescribed less than a day later.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Wendy Chang at Southern California Reproductive Center?
I wouldn't recommend it. Dr. Chang was nice and friendly, however, she did not adjust any treatment protocol when it did not work.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Wendy Chang at Southern California Reproductive Center?
Large clinic with lots of patients each day. You almost never get to speak with the doctor or have your concerns addressed by your doctor. The clinical team nurses and assistants rotate frequently so there is never a continuity of care in any sense.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Southern California Reproductive Center. (Assigned nurse: Danielle)
Nursing staff, assistants, and the entire clinical team is disorganized, would not return calls timely. Written portal messages are not read or checked during the weekend (without prior notice to us). Prescriptions were not sent to pharmacy timely, leading to missed dosage. Multiple calls without response, and results of testing are not communicated.
Describe your experience with Southern California Reproductive Center.
We chose this particular clinic because we saw the good reviews about its labs. However, everything else is disorganized, billing department is horrendous with charges not submitted to insurance despite multiple requests. Nursing staffs are not timely in responding to crucial questions, or any questions at all. We definitely felt like a number in the clinic rather than a patient. I do appreciate the team who draws the blood as they are friendly and gentle. One ultrasound tech was extremely thorough and friendly, the rest are either completely rude to just average.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Wendy Chang at Southern California Reproductive Center.
IUI costs are paid ala carte, but since I had fertility coverage, some of the services were paid through insurance. However, despite updating my insurance information with them multiple times, they failed to submit the bills to insurance for payment. Instead, I was sent a bill as if I did not have insurance coverage. Twice I was told I had cleared the amount owed, but to return 2 days later (for a scheduled appointment) to be told a balance is still owed.
What specific things went wrong at Southern California Reproductive Center?
  • Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
  • Lost paperwork
  • Lost appointments
  • Failed to call with results
  • Failed to order appropriate test
  • Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
  • Provided conflicting information
  • Failed to convey critical information
2
Doctor
Wendy Chang
NPS
Humanity
1 of 5
Communication
3 of 5
Frequency Seen
1 of 5
Compassion
4 of 5
Explained risks
4 of 5
Adaptability
1 of 5
1
Clinic
Southern California Reproductive Center
Beverly Hills
NPS
Operations
1 of 5
Scheduling
2 of 5
Billing Department
1 of 5
Nursing Staff
1 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
4 of 5
Educational Resources
1 of 5
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2019 - 2021, Successful
NPS
10
NPS
10
Age 37 - 39
4 IUI
1 IVF
Endometriosis
Unexplained
Middle Eastern
Income $200K - $499K
Doctor
Only Doc Seen
Strongly Recommends
Strongly Recommends
Successful
She [Dr. Alexander] spends time with you and talks to with so much compassion. She involves you in the treatment plan and takes your thoughts/suggestions into consideration all while trying to establish an individualize approach to your case...she did a huge work up on me, starting from generic tests they order at all fertility clinics to ordering specialized genetic testing, full hematology work up, bcl6 testing, as well as DNA fragmentation test of my husbands sperm...
[Southern California Reproductive Center] Strengths: huge clinic with abundant staff, and state of the ART embryology lab. They are very organized and are open everyday. They also open at 7AM, allowing for early morning appts (which was SO important for me). They have different physicians, each with their own clinical team working here, but they do cover each other if for some reason a person from your designated team is unavailable. Weakness—because it is so large, you can feel lost sometimes. Make sure you ask questions (to anyone if needed).
How was your experience with Carolyn Alexander at Southern California Reproductive Center?
She is a brilliant physician, who is well informed and up-to-date on all things relating to fertility. She doesn’t treat you as a number, but as patient and as a friend. Her warm demeanor/bedside manner instantly lessens your anxiety, and her expertise (she teaches at UCLA at cedar sinai!) immediately puts your mind at ease, reassuring you that you are in good hands. I’d recommend her in a heartbeat to anyone looking for a fertility doctor, because she’s seriously amazing.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Carolyn Alexander at Southern California Reproductive Center?
Ask questions, don’t be afraid to give your input/suggestions because she will take them into consideration while attempting to tailor a customized approach to your case.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Carolyn Alexander at Southern California Reproductive Center?
She spends time with you and talks to with so much compassion. She involves you in the treatment plan and takes your thoughts/suggestions into consideration all while trying to establish an individualize approach to your case.
Describe the protocols Carolyn Alexander used in your cycles at Southern California Reproductive Center and their degree of success.
The kitchen sink was thrown at me, bc everything on paper was “normal”. I loved that she did a huge work up on me, starting from generic tests they order at all fertility clinics to ordering specialized genetic testing, full hematology work up, bcl6 testing, as well as DNA fragmentation test of my husbands sperm. I did 4 IUI, with no success. I ultimately did 1 round of IVF with Menpur/gonalF/cetrotide/lupron trigger, retrieving 31 eggs. We did ICSI, genetic testing, and frozen embryo transfer.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Southern California Reproductive Center.
Nursing staff handles a lot of the communication for reviewing protocols and medications with you. They are thorough and go over everything with you via email/phone. They are very nice, and no question is a dumb question. They walk you through each step of the protocol. Medications are sent quickly to ALTO pharmacy, who delivers them straight to your house to avoid any delays during the treatment
Describe your experience with Southern California Reproductive Center.
Strengths: huge clinic with abundant staff, and state of the ART embryology lab. They are very organized and are open everyday. They also open at 7AM, allowing for early morning appts (which was SO important for me). They have different physicians, each with their own clinical team working here, but they do cover each other if for some reason a person from your designated team is unavailable. Weakness—because it is so large, you can feel lost sometimes. Make sure you ask questions (to anyone if needed). If your email is not responded to by your team in a few hours, call the clinic. And request to speak to your team. Be proactive in your care and management, and you will have a great experience.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Carolyn Alexander at Southern California Reproductive Center.
For IVF: medication—$4000. IVF egg retrieval + ICSI genetic testing+ embryoscope, + frozen embryo transfer approx $25,000.
Describe Carolyn Alexander's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Southern California Reproductive Center.
She recommended single embryo transfer to avoid any potential complications with pregnancy.
What specific things went wrong at Southern California Reproductive Center?
  • Failed to call with results
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Southern California Reproductive Center.
Ive had to request medication to be sent to the pharmacy once because it was not done in a timely manner. I called the clinical team, and they fixed this right away.
10
Doctor
Carolyn Alexander
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
3 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
4 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
10
Clinic
Southern California Reproductive Center
Beverly Hills
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
5 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
5 of 5
Educational Resources
7 of 5
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2020, Consult
NPS
0
NPS
0
Age 42
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
Income $50K - $99K
Teacher
3rd of 3 Docs
Egg Freezing With Other Docs
Embryo Freezing With Other Docs
Doesn't Recommend
Doesn't Recommend
Unsuccessful
Dr. Akopians did not provide personalized care or advice based on my individual situation and only recited standard textbook approaches for women of advanced maternal age. She suggested using donor eggs (the only doctor among 5 others) when I still have regular menses and have prior cycles where I was able to retrieve MII eggs that all fertilized. She didn't really clarify why I should use donor eggs other than mentioning how I was only able to retrieve a small amount of eggs and many were unable to make it to Day 5 blastocyst stage. However, there is research on IVF for older women which suggests Day 5 blastocyst cultures may not be the best approach especially for older women with low amount of eggs. Many viable embryos do not necessarily make it to blastocyst stage In vitro (but can still result in healthy babie
I only completed a consultation with Dr. Akopians and can't really say too much about the overall clinic [SCRC]. Front desk staff and phone calls with people were fine, but I can't say they came off particularly cheery, warm etc. like other clinics...Dr. Akopians did not provide personalized care or advice based on my individual situation and only recited standard textbook approaches for women of advanced maternal age. She suggested using donor eggs (the only doctor among 5 others) when I still have regular menses and have prior cycles where I was able to retrieve MII eggs that all fertilized. She didn't really clarify why I should use donor
How was your experience with Alin Lina Akopians at Southern California Reproductive Center?
Honestly, out of all the doctors I've seen this year, she was the worst. Came off a bit arrogant, lectures on the basic of fertility 101 which most women going through IVF already know, and does not seem able to think outside the box. She was the only one to suggest donor eggs and does not seem confident or knowledgeable in working with older women 40+. She agreed to do my cycles but who wants a doctor that doesn't believe in their journey and wants to try innovative ways so they can maximize their potential?
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Alin Lina Akopians at Southern California Reproductive Center?
Don't see Dr. Akopians if you have a complex fertility issue because she can't think outside the box and won't try different protocols that aren't standard textbook approaches. I can't really recommend her for older women because she'll probably try to sell you donor eggs when you still have a couple years to try.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Alin Lina Akopians at Southern California Reproductive Center?
Dr. Akopians did not provide personalized care or advice based on my individual situation and only recited standard textbook approaches for women of advanced maternal age. She suggested using donor eggs (the only doctor among 5 others) when I still have regular menses and have prior cycles where I was able to retrieve MII eggs that all fertilized. She didn't really clarify why I should use donor eggs other than mentioning how I was only able to retrieve a small amount of eggs and many were unable to make it to Day 5 blastocyst stage. However, there is research on IVF for older women which suggests Day 5 blastocyst cultures may not be the best approach especially for older women with low amount of eggs. Many viable embryos do not necessarily make it to blastocyst stage In vitro (but can still result in healthy babies if frozen early and implanted). She also gave a long intro on the basics of fertility (how women are born with all the eggs they have and how much they lose etc etc.), really basic information most women know especially if they are planning on IVF treatments. Most other doctors skip all that unless you ask, especially if you've already completed cycles prior. They should know that's all old news.
Describe the protocols Alin Lina Akopians used in your cycles at Southern California Reproductive Center and their degree of success.
She recommended donor eggs when I still have regular periods and mature MII oocytes/eggs that all fertilized. I was able to find another doctor (Dr. Amin at Reproductive Partners in Beverly Hills/Redondo/Westminster) who put me on estrogen/estradiol for 5 days before my cycle start, and I was able to grow 9 eggs instead of 3!
Describe your experience with Southern California Reproductive Center.
I only completed a consultation with Dr. Akopians and can't really say too much about the overall clinic. Front desk staff and phone calls with people were fine, but I can't say they came off particularly cheery, warm etc. like other clinics.
Describe Alin Lina Akopians's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Southern California Reproductive Center.
She is pessimistic regarding older women trying IVF and suggests donor eggs too early. Does not seem to have alternative approaches to try and does not think outside the box.
0
Doctor
Alin Lina Akopians
NPS
Humanity
1 of 5
Communication
2 of 5
Frequency Seen
1 of 5
Trustworthiness
3 of 5
Compassion
2 of 5
Explained risks
1 of 5
Adaptability
1 of 5
0
Clinic
Southern California Reproductive Center
Beverly Hills
NPS
Operations
3 of 5
Scheduling
4 of 5
Billing Department
3 of 5
Nursing Staff
3 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
4 of 5
Educational Resources
4 of 5
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2018 - 2020, Successful
NPS
10
NPS
10
Age 30 - 32
1 IVF
Uterine Fibroids
European
Income $200K - $499K
2nd of 2 Docs
2 IVF With Other Docs
Strongly Recommends
Strongly Recommends
Successful
Dr Akopians suggested only transferring one to be conservative and see how my body responded to a transfer) She honored our request and transferred two...She decided to lower my dosage and it ended up helping the polyps not return as quickly after we had just done a surgery to remove them. She really looks at your specifics and she will alter her strategies to get you the best results.
The [SCRC] clinic is super clean, appointments were very fast, ,I was never left waiting long for my scheduled appointment like some doctor's offices. Everyone was professional, from the nurses at the front desk, to the lab, to your clincial team. I had excellent interactions with everyone I encountered every time...
How was your experience with Alin Lina Akopians at Southern California Reproductive Center?
Dr Akopians is intelligent, thorough and above all kind. She truly cares about her patients and their success. After two unsuccessful egg retrievals with a previous doctor I had a successful egg retrieval with Dr Akopians that resulted in 6 genetically normal embryos. During our next steps we found that I had polyps and needed surgery, which she preformed. We started again and then found the polyps returned. Although I was skeptical to do the surgery again and anxious to just go ahead with the transfer we did the surgery again as she suggested. After that we transferred two embryos (though Dr Akopians suggested only transferring one to be conservative and see how my body responded to a transfer) She honored our request and transferred two. After a positive pregnancy test, I miscarried at 6 weeks. Devastated, Dr Akopians walked me through our next steps which included a D&C. I remember being so emotional and as the anesthesia kicked in as I laid on the operating table I remember her holding my hand and tears welling in her eyes right along mine... She is a one of a kind doctor, who truly cares! After healing we discussed our next steps which this time we took her advice and transferred one embryo. At our first ultrasound after a positive pregnancy test we found there were two yolk sacs....twins! Although we were all excited she was quick to let us know the risks, including "vanishing twin syndrome". We left the appointment hopeful. Fast forward, we graduated our 12 weeks of care with Dr Akopians and now have healthy identical twin girls. Miracles! Let me conclude by just saying that I drove 4 hours one way to see Dr Akopians in Beverly Hills for every appointment (8 hours total for each appointment) and I did it a second time when we looked to expand our family. We now have a healthy 3 week old baby boy, again because of Dr Akopians. We have since moved out of state, but if we were still in CA I would continue to drive that 8 hours for every appointment for Dr Akopians; that is how phenomenal she is and how much she is worth the investment (time, money, emotion, etc) if you are looking to grow your family, and get the best out of an already stressful experience. I cannot recommend or complement Dr Akopians enough. We are truly grateful to her for making our dreams come true.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Alin Lina Akopians at Southern California Reproductive Center?
When she recommends something, she has a reason. Although time and money may lead you to disagree with her, listen, there is a reason she is recommending it and it is not to make things take longer or cost more. She truly cares and wants to get you the best results as quickly as possible with the least amount of heart-ache.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Alin Lina Akopians at Southern California Reproductive Center?
I CAME TO DR AKOPIANS AFTER WORKING WITH A LOCAL DOCTOR WHO CONTRACTED WITH SCRC'S LAB. MY PREVIOUS DOCTOR HAD ATROCIOUS BED SIDE MANNER AND AFTER GOING THROUGH AN UNEXPECTED ERROR DR AKOPIANS WAS THERE TO 'PICK UP THE BALL AND CARRY IT DOWN FIELD', SO TO SPEAK. SHE WAS SO REASSURING, SO KIND AND SO REAL DURING A VERY DIFFICULT TIME. SHE DID NOT EVER GIVE FALSE HOPE BUT I TRULY FELT SHE CARED.
Describe the protocols Alin Lina Akopians used in your cycles at Southern California Reproductive Center and their degree of success.
I cant remember the specific medication, but we started with some of the standard dosages, and found that polyps kept returning. She decided to lower my dosage and it ended up helping the polyps not return as quickly after we had just done a surgery to remove them. She really looks at your specifics and she will alter her strategies to get you the best results.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Southern California Reproductive Center. (Assigned nurse: Julia then Sophia)
Julia and Sophia were both amazing! Prompt, thorough, professional, caring.
Describe your experience with Southern California Reproductive Center.
The clinic is super clean, appointments were very fast, ,I was never left waiting long for my scheduled appointment like some doctor's offices. Everyone was professional, from the nurses at the front desk, to the lab, to your clincial team. I had excellent interactions with everyone I encountered every time.
Describe Alin Lina Akopians's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Southern California Reproductive Center.
She preferred to transfer one, but she did transfer two for us as we requested. however it resulted in a miscarriage. For our next transfer we listened to her and only transferred one. God still has a hand in all of this and we ended up with identical twin girls after transferring just one.
10
Doctor
Alin Lina Akopians
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
4 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
10
Clinic
Southern California Reproductive Center
Beverly Hills
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
5 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
6 of 5
Educational Resources
7 of 5
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2019 - 2020, Successful
NPS
10
NPS
10
Age 39 - 40
4 IVF
Ashkenazi Jewish
Latinx
Income $200K - $499K
Marketer or PR
Only Doc Seen
Strongly Recommends
Strongly Recommends
Successful
I originally came in wanting multiple embryos transferred. I was convinced I wanted twins! But Dr Akopians patiently explained the benefits and drawbacks of single vs multiple, especially with PGS testing. In the end we went with a single embryo and it was absolutely the right decision for us...always took the time with me to explain everything in detail, and made sure to communicate regularly. She treated this as a priority and made us feel like she personally cared about our outcome.
The clinic [SCRC] was very accommodating in terms of scheduling appointments with doctors, in addition to all the monitoring required. They opened very early which was great for pre-work appointments. And they also had flexibility and almost always accommodated my schedule requests. I hardly waited to be seen at any appointment. They also have a lab in house which makes things so much more seamless...All four of our retrievals were antagonist treatment. We had success in retrieving exactly the amount of eggs forecasted in ultrasounds and almost all fertilized. We did 2 cycles with HGH and 2 without, to see how it impacted results. We did PGS/PGD testing due to a genetic condition we are both carriers for. In the end we wound up with 41 eggs retrieved, 17 embryos, 7 of which tested normal. We were thrilled with the outcome.
How was your experience with Alin Lina Akopians at Southern California Reproductive Center?
Dr Akopians was everything I could ask for as a patient. She was straightforward about the process, risks, and recommendations. She was very confident and intelligent and immediately upon meeting her, I had faith in her ability to help us to our dream baby. The road was longer than we expected but she was always available to talk and plan our best course of action. She really wanted us to be successful — you could feel that from the care she took with our case. Whenever we needed her, she was fully present. For example, we met to discuss the Frozen Embryo Transfer process and she didn’t rush us, didn’t look at her watch, made us feel like her top priority. I loved that she was so vested in our success, and she led us down the right path.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Alin Lina Akopians at Southern California Reproductive Center?
She’s wonderful, warm and considerate. She is also very straightforward. She will explain all of your treatment options and recommendations. Trust in her because she wants your success as much as you do.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Alin Lina Akopians at Southern California Reproductive Center?
Dr Akopians always took the time with me to explain everything in detail, and made sure to communicate regularly. She treated this as a priority and made us feel like she personally cared about our outcome.
Describe the protocols Alin Lina Akopians used in your cycles at Southern California Reproductive Center and their degree of success.
All four of our retrievals were antagonist treatment. We had success in retrieving exactly the amount of eggs forecasted in ultrasounds and almost all fertilized. We did 2 cycles with HGH and 2 without, to see how it impacted results. We did PGS/PGD testing due to a genetic condition we are both carriers for. In the end we wound up with 41 eggs retrieved, 17 embryos, 7 of which tested normal. We were thrilled with the outcome.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Southern California Reproductive Center. (Assigned nurse: Julia // Sophia)
Julia was a huge part of our experience and a big reason why we were so happy during treatment. She was an excellent communicator and was on top of our schedule, medications, and recommendations. Her compassion and care made her my favorite person, both in and out of treatment. When Julia wasn’t available the rest of the care team was very kind and efficient and made sure we were responded to promptly.
Describe your experience with Southern California Reproductive Center.
The clinic was very accommodating in terms of scheduling appointments with doctors, in addition to all the monitoring required. They opened very early which was great for pre-work appointments. And they also had flexibility and almost always accommodated my schedule requests. I hardly waited to be seen at any appointment. They also have a lab in house which makes things so much more seamless.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Alin Lina Akopians at Southern California Reproductive Center.
I was lucky enough to have insurance cover a large portion of my IVF costs. She made sure to discuss overall costs of each treatment plan. She managed them as well as possible so we never felt like we were overpaying.
Describe Alin Lina Akopians's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Southern California Reproductive Center.
I originally came in wanting multiple embryos transferred. I was convinced I wanted twins! But Dr Akopians patiently explained the benefits and drawbacks of single vs multiple, especially with PGS testing. In the end we went with a single embryo and it was absolutely the right decision for us.
10
Doctor
Alin Lina Akopians
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
3 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
10
Clinic
Southern California Reproductive Center
Beverly Hills
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
4 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
6 of 5
Educational Resources
7 of 5
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2020, Successful
NPS
0
NPS
4
Age 36
1 Embryo Freezing
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
European
Ashkenazi Jewish
Middle Eastern
Income $100K - $199K
Only Doc Seen
Donor Sperm
Doesn't Recommend
Doesn't Recommend
Successful
While being a lovely person to talk to I rarely got the chance to speak with her [Dr. Chang] on the phone nor did I ever see her in person during my diagnostic visits. If I wanted to contact Dr Chang and speak with her directly I had to schedule a phone call and it usually was at least a week away. There is no direct line of communication to Dr. Chang. Everything has to go through the clinical team, which half the time I don’t even feel like they answered my questions. Feeling like a number made this process very difficult and isolating for me.
My treatment plan and the thinking behind it was not explained to me [at Southern California Reproductive Center]. I was prescribed Omnitrope which is considered somewhat controversial but helps grow follicles. No idea if it worked as expected or not...I was very disappointed in the treatment I received from the nursing staff. I also didn’t have any contact with them, outside of messages in the portal. This whole process was incredibly difficult to me and I feel like when I reached out to them in times of need their responses fell flat and almost made me feel like I was being the problem. There were several times I asked specific questions and those questions were not answered at all and were ignored.
How was your experience with Wendy Chang at Southern California Reproductive Center?
I have no doubt Dr. Chang is one of the most knowledgeable RE’s in LA. That being said, I found getting information from her was very difficult. I am someone who likes to know all of the details of the medical procedure I’m going through and I felt like I was in the dark the entire time. I didn’t know how many eggs she was expecting to retrieve until the day of surgery, I didn’t know how my follicles and hormone levels were progressing during STIMS, I didn’t know what the STIMS I took were supposed to do to my body. If I ever had a question I had to ask the clinical team in a message and wait for a response. This process is incredibly stressful and the last thing I had energy to do was seek out information. I would have expected with the amount of money I was paying that I would have been given all of this info without having to ask about it. When I chose her as my doctor I was impressed by how knowledgeable she seemed and assumed that meant I would have access to that information while going through this. When in reality I hardly spoke with her or had any contact, as it was just too difficult.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Wendy Chang at Southern California Reproductive Center?
Go into the process knowing you will have zero direct contact with Dr. Chang. If you choose her for your procedure you have to be ok with not knowing details and just trusting the process.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Wendy Chang at Southern California Reproductive Center?
While being a lovely person to talk to I rarely got the chance to speak with her on the phone nor did I ever see her in person during my diagnostic visits. If I wanted to contact Dr Chang and speak with her directly I had to schedule a phone call and it usually was at least a week away. There is no direct line of communication to Dr. Chang. Everything has to go through the clinical team, which half the time I don’t even feel like they answered my questions. Feeling like a number made this process very difficult and isolating for me.
Describe the protocols Wendy Chang used in your cycles at Southern California Reproductive Center and their degree of success.
My treatment plan and the thinking behind it was not explained to me. I was prescribed Omnitrope which is considered somewhat controversial but helps grow follicles. No idea if it worked as expected or not.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Southern California Reproductive Center. (Assigned nurse: Kimberly and Danielle)
I was very disappointed in the treatment I received from the nursing staff. I also didn’t have any contact with them, outside of messages in the portal. This whole process was incredibly difficult to me and I feel like when I reached out to them in times of need their responses fell flat and almost made me feel like I was being the problem. There were several times I asked specific questions and those questions were not answered at all and were ignored.
Describe your experience with Southern California Reproductive Center.
Clinic is great. Very busy and feels impersonal, but no complaints. The ultrasound tech and the blood draw team were great. I also loved the in-house acupuncturist. They have great covid policies in place that made me feel safe.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Wendy Chang at Southern California Reproductive Center.
Embryo retrieval and fertilization was about $13k. Storage is $700/year. ICSI is $1500, Pre testing $2200, PGTA $3900
Describe Wendy Chang's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Southern California Reproductive Center.
N/A
0
Doctor
Wendy Chang
NPS
Humanity
1 of 5
Communication
3 of 5
Frequency Seen
1 of 5
Trustworthiness
3 of 5
Compassion
1 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
3 of 5
4
Clinic
Southern California Reproductive Center
Beverly Hills
NPS
Operations
4 of 5
Scheduling
3 of 5
Billing Department
3 of 5
Nursing Staff
3 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
6 of 5
Educational Resources
1 of 5
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2020, Unknown Success
NPS
6
NPS
5
Age 30
Unexplained
East Asian
Income $200K - $499K
Doctor
1st of 2 Docs
Doesn't Recommend
Doesn't Recommend
Success w/ Doc Too early to know
Dr Ghadir was nice. I appreciated his time to give evening phone calls to go over my test results. I did feel like he pushed for IVF and I was just not ready yet. We had been trying for 1 year and I wanted to start off with maybe IUI. I didn't have many interactions with him as I only went to SCRC for consult and testing...He seems to be too positive....he said we had a 20% chance of success with IUI and 80% chance of success with IVF
The billing department [at SCRC] is a mess...They billed my insurance wrong initially, which took forever to correct...Nurses were okay. They didn't really answer any questions...When I switched to my new RE, it took SCRC 3 weeks to send all my test results over. I called, left multiple voicemails at the medical recorder's office and sent emails with no calls or emails back...The office is very busy. The first time I went in for blood work and an ultrasound, I was very confused
How was your experience with Shahin Ghadir at Southern California Reproductive Center?
Dr Ghadir was nice. I appreciated his time to give evening phone calls to go over my test results. I did feel like he pushed for IVF and I was just not ready yet. We had been trying for 1 year and I wanted to start off with maybe IUI. I didn't have many interactions with him as I only went to SCRC for consult and testing.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Shahin Ghadir at Southern California Reproductive Center?
Ask alot of questions and do research yourself. He seems to be too positive....he said we had a 20% chance of success with IUI and 80% chance of success with IVF. Other doctors I consulted with after gave a lower percentage of success. Also, I looked up SCRC's SART report and their IVF success rates are not nearly as high as 80%!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Shahin Ghadir at Southern California Reproductive Center?
I never actually met Dr Ghadir in real life. We had one zoom consult and two phone calls. This review is more for the wait, the rest of the staff I encountered and most importantly, their billing department. The office is very busy. The first time I went in for blood work and an ultrasound, I was very confused. My appointment was for 9:30, and I didn't leave until 11:30am because there was no ultrasound room available. Alot of other people were also waiting. No one explained financials to me or whether or not my insurance covered anything. Good thing I actually called my ins company and verified everything myself. I have infertility coverage for all testing, IUI, and IVF and SCRC is in-network.
Describe the protocols Shahin Ghadir used in your cycles at Southern California Reproductive Center and their degree of success.
we didn't talk specifics because I only went through with consult and testing.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Southern California Reproductive Center.
Nurses were okay. They didn't really answer any questions. I was worried because they had found a cyst on one of my ovaries and when they told me the results, they couldn't answer my questions and just kept saying that the Dr will call me in a few days.
Describe your experience with Southern California Reproductive Center.
The billing department is a mess. If you have insurance, I would stay away. They billed 3 claims to the wrong insurance company (seriously, what's the point of verifying insurance if you can't even verify where to send claims to?) and I ended up with a huge out of pocket cost. Then, they were suppose to retract all 3 claims and rebill them correctly. They retracted only 1 claim and rebilled 3. It took about 20 phone calls between SCRC's billing department, my insurance company and 1.5 months for everything to finally reprocess correctly and resolve. Every insurance rep I spoke with couldn't believe how SCRC had messed up the billing, then not retracting claims, etc. After everything was fixed, instead of owing over $1000, my insurance paid for everything 100% and I had no liability. SCRC also charged us a copay of $25 each for ultrasound+bloodwork, and SA. After my insurance company paid for everything, a insurance representative told me that they are suppose to refund me the $50 since our insurance paid for everything. I am still waiting for the refund... My insurance representative told me that the genetic testing my husband and I had done needed prior authorization. The insurance verifier and the person in billing had no idea (what do they even do all day?!) but took my word for it and said that they would send authorization and retro-date it for the genetic testing we had done. It took 3 weeks for them to send authorization. And guess what? They sent authorization for the WRONG kind of testing. They sent it for PGS testing of embryos! I was livid when I found out---we hadn't even started IVF yet so of course we have no embryos. No one even looked at my files. My new RE sends authorizations in a timely manner (1-2 days, not 3 weeks) and bills my insurance correctly.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Shahin Ghadir at Southern California Reproductive Center.
It's expensive. They billed my insurance wrong initially, which took forever to correct. But once corrected, my insurance paid for all consults, and testing. I have a $25 copay for all office visits. SCRC charged me $25 for every visit even though it was just labwork. I called my insurance and was told that this is fradulent! Since they are in network with my insurance, and my insurance pays 100% for all labwork, I am not suppose to pay the $25 each visit. I have emailed SCRC about this and am waiting for a refund/answers back.
Describe Shahin Ghadir's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Southern California Reproductive Center.
none
What specific things went wrong at Southern California Reproductive Center?
  • Failed to call with results
  • Failed to order appropriate test
  • Failed to send your chart to another clinic
  • Scheduled the wrong procedure
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Southern California Reproductive Center.
When I switched to my new RE, it took SCRC 3 weeks to send all my test results over. I called, left multiple voicemails at the medical recorder's office and sent emails with no calls or emails back. I also requested SCRC to send test results to me so I can have them as a personal copy and am still waiting on that....5 weeks later. When they finally sent all my results over, Dr Ghadir called me and said "when you go to your new clinic, do your research but please ask them what their IVF success rates are because that clinic doesn't have very high success rates" ........anyways, I did do my own research and compared SART reports and they actually have higher IVF success rates at my new clinic than SCRC's success rates.
6
Doctor
Shahin Ghadir
NPS
Humanity
2 of 5
Communication
4 of 5
Frequency Seen
1 of 5
Trustworthiness
3 of 5
Compassion
3 of 5
Explained risks
1 of 5
Adaptability
3 of 5
5
Clinic
Southern California Reproductive Center
Beverly Hills
NPS
Operations
1 of 5
Scheduling
4 of 5
Billing Department
1 of 5
Nursing Staff
3 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
4 of 5
Educational Resources
5 of 5
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2020, 4 Eggs Frozen
NPS
10
NPS
10
Age 36
1 Egg Freezing
Income $50K - $99K
Only Doc Seen
Strongly Recommends
Strongly Recommends
Successful
I went in to freeze my eggs for future use. I had an AMH level of 1.05 which is very low...[Dr. Shahin Ghadir] suggested I do it now and that I not overthink. He said many people with low fertility numbers think about it so long that they sometimes miss their opportunity. At 1st I thought this might be a bit pushy, but it wasn't he was right! I started the process the following week...truly connected with me on a human level.
I was a patient during the pandemic and they [Southern California Reproductive Center] did everything to accommodate their patients, they were incredibly efficient and went above and beyond. I was always in and out in a very timely manner...[nurse] called me to check in on how the hormones were effecting me and would pop in on different blood draws to make me feel comfortable. She also met with me on 2 other occasions when I had questions and was feeling emotional. She made me feel like I was her only patient.
How was your experience with Shahin Ghadir at Southern California Reproductive Center?
He answered every question I had in detail and made me feel special. I did not feel like just another person walking through his door. I also had a different experience as I was a patient during the Covid Pandemic. His office made me a priority as I had a very low AMH test score. My consultation was over the phone, but at my 1st appointment for blood draws and an ultrasound before starting the egg freezing process he came and met with me to give me more detailed information and congratulate me on taking a leap for my future.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Shahin Ghadir at Southern California Reproductive Center?
I would say to trust him and the process. Don't be afraid to ask lots of questions and get your money's worth with every question and piece of advice.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Shahin Ghadir at Southern California Reproductive Center?
Dr. Gahadir made me feel very comfortable and answered every question I had. He told me about his wifes struggle with infertility and truly connected with me on a human level.
Describe the protocols Shahin Ghadir used in your cycles at Southern California Reproductive Center and their degree of success.
I went in to freeze my eggs for future use. I had an AMH level of 1.05 which is very low at my phone consult he suggested I do it now and that I not overthink. He said many people with low fertility numbers think about it so long that they sometimes miss their opportunity. At 1st I thought this might be a bit pushy, but it wasn't he was right! I started the process the following week. I tlaked to a number of woman who debated freezing their eggs and unfortunately missed their window. I have done 1 round of egg freezing. At the start of the process he hoped I would get 10-15 eggs, but unfortunately my body only dropped 5 eggs. He adjusted my expectations as we moved through the process. During my surgery he was able to collect all 5 eggs I produced and 4 of the eggswere large enough to be frozen.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Southern California Reproductive Center. (Assigned nurse: GABY!!!!! )
I mainly worked with Gaby in Dr. Gahadir's office and she went above and beyond. She came down to meet me durig\ng my first blood draw and ultrasound. She called me to check in on how the hormones were effecting me and would pop in on different blood draws to make me feel comfortable. She also met with me on 2 other occasions when I had questions and was feeling emotional. She made me feel like I was her only patient. I was so fortunate to have her as my nurse and I look forward to working with her in the future and knowing shes on my side. She truly loves her job and it shows. I also loved so many people in the lab they made me feel so comfortable. I had blood work 3 days a week and never once had bruising. The staff is so gentle! I also loved Maria who worked in the lab area she knew my name after my 1st appointment and was so encouraging. Maria glows when she talks about helping woman acheive their fertility goals. Being in this office actually made me want to work there.
Describe your experience with Southern California Reproductive Center.
Honestly, I have no complaints about the clinic. I really didn't see any weaknesses. I was a patient during the pandemic and they did everything to accommodate their patients, they were incredibly efficient and went above and beyond. I was always in and out in a very timely manner (like 10-15min), though I have been told that normally you would wait much longer and that times were shorter because of all the restrictions due to Covid-19. My advise would be to use them!!! They are pricy, but I can't put a price on my dreams.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Shahin Ghadir at Southern California Reproductive Center.
I spent $8,000 on the egg retrieval process which included all appointments in the cycle for my fertility treatment, my surgery and 2 post operation appointments. I paid $3,800 for my medications. My insurance didn't cover anything so this was all out of pocket.
10
Doctor
Shahin Ghadir
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
2 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
10
Clinic
Southern California Reproductive Center
Beverly Hills
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
5 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
6 of 5
Educational Resources
7 of 5