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This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
2022, Successful
Dr. Mejia did my egg transfer procedure and I also saw her for a follow-up ultrasound visit after my positive pregnancy result. She was very caring, explained procedures to me, answered questions, and made me feel comfortable...For my IVF cycle, they used the dual trigger antagonist protocol..One of the trigger shots was Pregnyl and the other was a formulation at the hospital's pharmacy...Our protocol also included ICSI due to male factor infertility
This [U of Iowa Center] clinic has a general policy of only transferring single embryos, depending on the maternal age...The majority of nurses I interacted with during my 3 IUIs and 1 IVF cycle were incredibly kind. Given their team approach at this clinic, I saw a variety of doctors and nurses at each visit...A strength of this clinic is that they are very organized, efficient, and have all of the latest technology and treatment options to give you the best chance of success
How was your experience with Rachel Mejia at U of Iowa Center for Advanced Reproductive Care?
Dr. Mejia did my egg transfer procedure and I also saw her for a follow-up ultrasound visit after my positive pregnancy result. She was very caring, explained procedures to me, answered questions, and made me feel comfortable.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Rachel Mejia at U of Iowa Center for Advanced Reproductive Care?
The doctors at this clinic are very responsive to patients' needs but you sometimes have to advocate for your preferences and opinion in your treatment process.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Rachel Mejia at U of Iowa Center for Advanced Reproductive Care?
I was very impressed with Dr.Mejia and Dr.Bjorkman for taking time to answer my questions and for being warm, caring doctors.
Describe the protocols Rachel Mejia used in your cycles at U of Iowa Center for Advanced Reproductive Care and their degree of success.
For my IVF cycle, they used the dual trigger antagonist protocol. We used Follistim, Menopur, and Ganirelix during the stimulation. One of the trigger shots was Pregnyl and the other was a formulation at the hospital's pharmacy. After retrieval, we did 6 weeks of progesterone injections and Estradiol pills. Our protocol also included ICSI due to male factor infertility. We did a fresh embryo transfer 5 days after retrieval and froze 6 additional embryos for future transfers.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at U of Iowa Center for Advanced Reproductive Care.
The majority of nurses I interacted with during my 3 IUIs and 1 IVF cycle were incredibly kind. Given their team approach at this clinic, I saw a variety of doctors and nurses at each visit, but most of the nurses were patient and kind in explaining procedures and answering questions. My experience contacting nurses through the app to answer questions about my treatment or during concerning moments in early pregnancy was that they called back quickly and treated me with empathy and kindness.
Describe your experience with U of Iowa Center for Advanced Reproductive Care.
A strength of this clinic is that they are very organized, efficient, and have all of the latest technology and treatment options to give you the best chance of success. They lay out their success percentages at the beginning of the process, and their pregnancy rates are higher than average. With all of their efficiency, I felt that everything was laid out clearly for me and I always knew what was coming next in the process. They are quick to share results with you, minimizing anxiety during wait times. A weakness is the team approach they use, which means you can't choose one particular doctor or see the same doctor throughout your care. Another weakness is that you may experience a long wait time of several months or more before you can begin an IVF cycle.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Rachel Mejia at U of Iowa Center for Advanced Reproductive Care.
The cost to complete one IVF cycle is $15,000-20,000 with another $3-4,000 in medication costs. I had insurance coverage that covered 80% of the medical costs and part of my medication costs. Out of pocket, I paid around $4,000 throughout the process. Half of that was spent directly on medications. Factoring in how much my insurance paid in addition to what I paid, the cost for one cycle and one fresh transfer was a little over $15,000. Without the discounted rates through my insurance, it might have been higher. They do offer some "package" discounts for patients without insurance coverage.
Describe Rachel Mejia's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at U of Iowa Center for Advanced Reproductive Care.
This clinic has a general policy of only transferring single embryos, depending on the maternal age. They did tell me that if the embryos were all poor quality, we might discuss whether to transfer more than one, but in my case, my embryos were all average or above average quality so I expect to only transfer single embryos for any future frozen cycles as well.