Zouves Fertility Center

Dr Zouves is very set in his ways. He will not admit error, or change protocols, even after failed cycles. He uses a LOT of drugs. This may work for some older or DOR patients, but if you are younger, with high ovarian reserve or PCOS this can be a disaster. He also often does natural transfers, which were extremely hard to time exactly and add an unnecessary degree of uncertainty. He also finds "immune issues" in many (most?) of his patients and requires expensive, questionable treatments.

I would look at his 2016 SART ratings, then go elsewhere.

He used an antagonist protocol - very high doses of FSH then Ganirelix to prevent ovulation. We got more than 20 eggs. But we only ended up with 4 embryos at day 5. We did PGS testing and 2 were normal, 2 abnormal. We did 2 natural transfers, and had 2 failures.

He has a strong preference for eSET of PGS tested embryos. I was fine with this.

The most important thing I wanted to flag and the reason I'm writing this review is that Dr Zouves recommended that we transfer 2 embryos. This is less and less common, and some clinics refuse to transfer more than 1 due to ethical reasons. I never imagined transferring 2 embryos, but as many of you know, many decisions are emotional and especially in a distraught state during fertility treatment. We agreed to transfer 2 and it resulted in a twin pregnancy. His recommendation actually goes against the ASRM recommendation for a <35 year old with genetically normal embryos. I'd like to think that Dr Zouves recommended transferring 2 embryos solely because he wanted us to be happy, but I can't help but wonder if this was about good statistics. In hindsight, transferring 2 embryos was somewhat short-sighted. There are many risks to mom and babies in twin pregnancies, which is why ASRM and many other doctors ethically do not recommend transferring 2 embryos in scenarios that are more likely to result in multiple gestation. While Dr. Zouves did talk to us about the pros/cons of transferring 2 embryos as it relates to success, he did not realistically discuss the risks down the line (e.g. much higher risk of premature birth = NICU time, physical toll on mom of carrying two, higher risk of preeclampsia and gestational diabetes). One thing that is unique about Dr Zouves is that he operates a solo practice. This means that he is the only doctor reviewing your records and the only doctor you will speak with. He is also quite responsive via email, usually responding the same day, and I do think his responses were thoughtful. I did have at least one poor in-person exchange with him. I asked him a question and he gave me a yes/no answer. When I asked if he could explain why he provided that answer, he got defensive and said, well you asked for my opinion. This was pretty upsetting. My first transfer that didn't work with Dr Zouves was painful. This was my 5th embryo transfer (my first 4 were elsewhere), and they were all painless. I would say that Dr Zouves attempts to provide a more holistic approach to care. For example, he is big on diet and immunology. He recommends a gluten and dairy free diet, no alcohol. He also tests for various underlying immunological issues, and then provides "treatment" for them in the office. My treatment was $700, and I was told it was basically a mixture of egg and soy. Say what?! On one hand, I do appreciate that he tries to go one step further than most other doctors. On the other hand, I don't really believe it, and I think it can cause more stress to patients. For my first transfer cycle, I strictly followed the gluten/dairy free + no alcohol diet, and I agreed to undergo the immunology treatment (which was an IV of an unknown white liquid) even though I didn't test positive for anything. That cycle resulted in a negative pregnancy test. The next transfer cycle, I went back to my normal diet. It was a normal balanced healthy diet consisting of gluten and dairy and a glass of wine with dinner. I also declined the immunology treatment despite his recommendation. This cycle worked, and I got a positive pregnancy test that stuck.

Dr Zouves' recommendations are one man's opinion. Do your own research, and don't take his recommendation as the end all be all. While there are many positives about working with one doctor, please note that you are only getting one opinion. His recommendation may not be the best for you. For example, he is a strong believe of the gluten/dairy free diet, but the research he provides seems a bit outdated and questionable. I didn't get pregnant on a gluten/dairy free diet, but I did get pregnant when I ate a balanced diet. Another example is the immunology treatment. Didn't get pregnant when I did it, I did get pregnant when I declined it. My experience is just one anecdote!! (I didn't follow a dairy/gluten free diet at my previous clinic either, and it didn't seem related to my success). Anyway, my point is that his approach is just one way of doing things.

The most important thing I wanted to flag and the reason I'm writing this review is that Dr Zouves recommended that we transfer 2 embryos. His recommendation actually went against the ASRM recommendation for a <35 year old with genetically normal embryos. Transferring more than 1 embryos is less and less common, and some clinics refuse to transfer more than 1 due to ethical reasons. I never imagined transferring 2 embryos, but as many of you know, many decisions are emotional and especially in a distraught state during fertility treatment. We agreed to transfer 2 and it resulted in a twin pregnancy. I'd like to think that Dr Zouves recommended transferring 2 embryos solely because he wanted us to be happy, but I can't help but wonder if this was about good statistics. In hindsight, transferring 2 embryos was somewhat short-sighted. There are many risks to mom and babies in twin pregnancies, which is why ASRM and many other doctors ethically do not recommend transferring 2 embryos in scenarios that are more likely to result in multiple gestation. While Dr. Zouves did talk to us about the pros/cons of transferring 2 embryos as it relates to success, he did not realistically discuss the risks down the line (e.g. much higher risk of premature birth = NICU time, physical toll on mom of carrying two, higher risk of preeclampsia and gestational diabetes).

From my first appointment till date he has always addressed my husband and me by our names, and during our appointments I feel he is always prepared and knows at which phase we are at. Although he is a very busy doctor, he always makes time to say hello and never rushed to start with the consultation, I think that helped me to be more comfortable! I was amazed at how he clearly would identify certain aspects and explain things to us. Even if it was to follow certain diet, he would explain as to why and how it would help me. He has been always been very kind and patient in answering our numerous questions (in person/mails) and in providing suggestions but never pushing anything which we were not comfortable with.

I think as a patient one should be prepared to provide medical history, ask questions and have an open mind. (explain all the previous treatment/fertility issues they have faced)

I have so far completed one egg retrieval process at Dr Zouves clinic. There were several blood works and scans done to check my overall health and ovarian reserve. He checked how my ovaries functioned and produced follicles with out medication and then accordingly prescribed medications. I followed a gluten/ dairy free diet and took CoQ10, prenatals and few other supplements, along with the fertility injections. I followed the instructions thoroughly and 26 embryos were retrieved out of which 6 good quality embryos have been frozen. ( this is the first time I have had 6 good quality embryos)

I would say it is more or less similar to the current cost anywhere. His office does offer some discounts if insurance doesn’t cover certain blood work etc

Dr usually recommends a single embryo transfer but he would let the parents decide. This recommendation also would depend on the age and ovarian function.

Zouves was really complete in his diagnosis. When I would read magazines such as Glamor, there would be articles about women who didn't know PGS testing was an option, or didn't know the should be on blood thinners. With Dr Zouves it felt like he tested for everything so I felt confident in my treatment. I like that he also recommends acupuncture for clients and for an array of supplements. I felt like he was very responsive as well. I needed to call about my medication after hours and instead of talking to a nurse, I spoke to him directly.

Make sure you understand your fertility benefits with your employer ahead of time. Zouves takes full payment for your treatment ahead of time and then your insurance may reimburse you.

I don't remember. Sorry.

Expensive

For a first transfer, we used only 1 normal embryo. After the miscarriage we again used only one normal embryo. I had a friend who used Zouves and the first time she used one normal embryo and didn't get pregnant so the second time she used one normal and one mezoic and she become pregnant with the mezoic.

Dr. Zouves was kind and seemed to be quite competent. He offered encouragement during treatment. however when my first transfer ended in a failure, his next step he offered was to do IVF with donor eggs- basically stating that I had no chance with my own eggs. That was hard to take and I felt like he lost faith I my eggs and my body.

Advocate for your body, and always make the decision that you feel 100% confident with. In the end no matter the outcome, you can still stand behind it.

I don’t remember the entire protocol, but this is what I do- We did full genetic testing and counciling, tested for antibodies, etc. Injections, and lots of bloodwork/ultrasounds, grew embryos to a day 5 blastocyst, did genetic testing on embryos, froze and did a transfer around two months later

Med, tests, ultrasounds, tests, transfer

I was originally told we could I love you transfer one embryo. Then due to the grade of the embryos we then transferred both that I had. I knew this seemed odd, but honestly I could bring my self to ask why- I couldn’t take the bad news.

Dr. Zouves was very thorough in the information he provided to us, and was helpful in identifying time-frames and next steps. He has never been pushy, just informative and very clear that it is our choice in how and when to proceed. I particularly appreciate when doctors explain what they are doing and what that means, which is what we have experienced with Dr. Zouves thus far. IVF is overwhelming when you look at the big picture, but he has been so kind and patient in answering all of our questions and helping us to understand the process.

Do a consultation as soon as you are interested in pursuing IVF to allow yourself time to think about your timeline and figure out funding. He is very patient, and not once have they been pushy about our timeline.

Dr. Zouves saw me every visit and the last few times had my mom join the ultrasound. I actually live in LA and would travel to the Bay Area- so timing of my visits was crucial. Once I happened to be up there for work and he squeezed me in for a visit- very accommodating.

Ask the financial coordinator for financial relief!! They were so phenomenal to me and eased some of the financial burden.

Day 1-2: Menopur (1 vial) and Gonal F (225) twice a day Day 3-10: Menopur (1vial) and Gonal F (150) twice a day for next 8.5 days Day 7-10: Add 1 Cetrotide in evenings Day 11: Menopur (1vial) and Gonal F (150) AM, HCG trigger in PM

operation (25% off), genetic counseling, FDA, Antagon deposit (25% off). Then 2% off total for paying with check in full= $7550

N/A

Dr Zouves is a wonderful, warm doctor who is very present for his patients. He sees you in person at every visit, and calls and emails with you in between. He proscribes to treating reproductive immunology issues (unlike many other doctors). He sends you a ton of information to dig through on mind-body connection and lifestyle changes you can do to improve your health and fertility. Highly recommended!

Be vocal to ask any questions you might have - he is very open to answer your questions and is extremely knowledgeable. Go here if you think auto immune issues are contributing to your challenges.

Unfortunately I don't remember the protocol we used. I know it included priming with BCP followed by the maximum menopur and follistim doses.

Approximately $19,000 not including drugs.

He feels strongly about single embryo transfer.

Dr. Zouves' strengths: - Extremely personable- he was very easy to talk to, which made asking questions and having a dialogue about what problems and what the plan going forward was easier to navigate. Knowledgeable- his knowledge is so vast and his ability to explain it in a way that we can understand it is also a strength. Passionate- you can tell he loves what he does, it's hard to explain but you can feel it the moment you meet him. Once we met, you could tell he was an expert in his field. Lastly: Dr. Zouves is hardworking. I've been seeing him for over a year and I never worry about someone else doing a procedure or a monitoring appointment. I actually will miss him and his staff if our current cycle fails with our last embryo as we'll no longer have a reason to visit with Dr. Zouves after this. It feels like a visit (with a really really smart, friend that happens to be a reproductive endocrinologist ) not a "doctor's apppointment" until the stirrups and the wand come out, then it feels pretty clinical. I truly have nothing but praise to sing of this doctor and we haven't had a successful pregnancy yet. His only weakness may be that he works too hard, I hope he takes some time for himself! (Just not during my cycle ;)

As a patient of Dr. Zouves, I would advise you to ask him anything and everything that's on your mind, no question is too small or too off limits or too off base.

We were diagnosed with Male factor infertility (y chromosome micro deletion) and it was advised to go directly to IVF with ICSI. (Prior to Dr Zouves). Further testing was done with Dr. Zouves it was discovered I have the MTHFR gene and that I tested with a slightly elevated level of natural killer cells. I don't remember the protocol name I was on but for egg retrieval I started with lupron and stimmed with Menopur and Follistim for about 9/10 days and had 22 eggs retrieved. 17 were mature and 11 were fertilized via ICSI. By day 5, 6 had made it to blastocyst and frozen to be CCS tested. (Our first IVF cycle with a different clinic yielded 2 morulas on day 5 and the rest of the embryos arrested, we transferred those 2 and got a negative test). Of the 6 embryos that were CCS tested 5 of them were normal (4 girls 1 boy). We were ecstatic. In January of 2016 we did our first frozen embryo transfer of 1 embryo. We did a natural frozen embryo transfer. My beta was 67 at 11dp5dt. My second beta did not double and we had our first chemical pregnancy. Dr. Zouves did our follow up call and we talked about the factors that played into this cycle and how everything seemed to all line up. "'Normal" embryo, great uterine environment, and he chalked it up to bad luck. Our second frozen embryo transfer took place in august of 2016. Another natural frozen transfer of a normal embryo. Another chemical pregnancy. We did another frozen transfer in December of 2016. This time we changed things up and did a medicated cycle with birth control, patches, PIO shots, baby aspirin and lovenox. Prior to this transfer, we were informed that the original embryo they thawed for this transfer didn't survive so they had to thaw another, leaving 1 embryo left if this did not work. We got pregnant, but it resulted in another chemical pregnancy. So that's 4 normal embryos down (3 transfers) if you're keeping score. We triedo lovenox this last time around even though it's not confirmed I have a clotting issue, just MTHFR. We are left with our last frozen embryo to transfer.

I don't remember (or I might have blocked out) but in 2015 when we did our stim cycle plus CCS testing and all of our work ups I think we clocked in at just over $30,000 out the door with all meds monitoring procedures etc.

Dr. Zouves strongly suggested I transfer 1 embryo since they were tested and because of my frame. I was completely on board with his suggestion.

He was very ernest, empathetic, and understanding. I'm a single mom by choice and I never felt judged or stigmatized. He has a very calm and reassuring way about him and I always felt like he was listening to me and considering my concerns and questions. He truly seemed to care about my success. It's really obvious that he is passionate about his work.

To listen to all of his advice. I was told to go gluten and dairy free which seemed extreme but I never felt better after adjusting my lifestyle.

Dr. Zouves discovered a large uterine fibroid and really advocated for my HMO (what was not covering the treatments) to remove it. He wrote a letter to them and they quickly agreed to remove it. He had a clear plan for me which involved: an egg retrieval (well monitored due to my pcos) where I would freeze all embryos. Due to the number of embryos i was likely to get he was pretty insistent I do PGS testing and I'm very glad I did because only 1 of the 8 blastocysts created was viable and I could have gone through numerous transfers with no success. He also recommended ICSI and i decided to do it (although I was using donor sperm) to improve my chances but i'm not sure how necessary it was. After the retrieval, I had my fibroid removed and let my uterus heal based on the surgeon's instructions. We did the transfer 4 months later. I transferred my one "good" embryo and it resulted in a viable pregnancy.

In and around $26,000

He was very insistent that single was the way to go unless there was a medical reason to transfer more than one. I was concerned about multiples so even if I had more than one good embryo I would have only transferred one.

I chose Zouves out of all the bay area IVF clinics was because his years of experience in IVF and his success rate (if you look up CDC, he does have the highest score comparing to his peers). I was very impressed at my first visit (actual follicles count) by his prediction of the no. of eggs and possible embryos resulted from our 1st cycle, which pretty much matches to the actual outcome! He is very gentle to his patients and even though I hated transvaginal ultrasound, he did a far better job than my OBGYN (who happened to be a woman). My egg retrieval procedure was good and I had a speedy recovery, thanks to his decision on my stims dosage, excellent techniques and discharge planning. Despite all the great outcome, I do concern about his work hours as he doesn't take time off (he works 7days/365). I am a strong believer than one does need time to rest and refresh, even s/he is a superman. At times, Dr.Zouves does seem to be stretched pretty thin, in which some patients might have to wait a bit longer to receive their reports.

Ask tons of Qs at your 1st consultation with Zouves. It can be anything from his protocols, success rate, lab, reporting schedule, etc. The consultation last approx 30 mins, which is a perfect opportunity for you to examine whether you would agree with his overall approach for your cycle(s). I found that people are much more relax and adaptable if you and Zouves share the same IVF strategies.

Mine is the 'Antagonist Freeze Embryo'. They started me on birth control for about a month then had me to stim for about 9 days. First few days was on menopur 75 and follistim 225, then they lowered the dose to 150 (follistim) while menopur stays the same. Lupron was used for trigger. During the stim, I had 2 ultrasounds and 3 bloodwork done.

He has been very upfront to us about eSET at our first meeting. But before meeting him, I already have done plenty of research on eSET and I agree with his approach. So there is no debate at all.

I was very happy with my treatment by Dr. Zouves. I was able to have productive discussions with him about potential approaches, and he worked with us through a lot of ups and downs. He believes in reproductive immunology, which was a key factor in choosing his clinic initially. He's adjusted his approach over the years we've worked with him - incorporating new science, and responding to patients' feedback (including mind).

He'll listen to what you want, and wait until you're ready for a next step if you in fact need a next step.

2 cycles used Lupron flare agonist protocol, with Humor + Intralipids to treat my immunological issues. (One cycle resulted in a miscarriage due to chromosomal abnormalities, one cycle resulted in no embryos to transfer.) Then two antagonist protocols. One resulted in a miscarriage due to chromosomal abnormalities, one cycle resulted in no pregnancy.

My insurance had largely run out by the time I saw Dr. Zouves. 50% of our first cycle was covered, but none of the medication cost. We did 4 IVF cycles trying to use my eggs, then 3 donor retrieval cycles, 7 transfers of donor eggs, and then 3 transfers of donor eggs to a gestational surrogate. We've paid over $200k to Dr. Zouves over the years.

He's now a firm believer in eSET as he strongly encourages PGS. (This was not the case when I first started working with him.)

He was very warm and detailed during the initial phone consultation, and he was also personable when he called to tell us that we had two good embryos for transfer (he gave us a 70% chance of success with each embryo). Things started to really go south after the first transfer failed. He was not interested in troubleshooting and wasn't open to trying anything except for the immunological treatment he believes in (despite the fact that my immune tests had turned up nothing). I requested an Endometrial Receptivity Array (ERA) before our second and last transfer with him, and he refused saying he didn't believe in the test. So we went forward with the second transfer, adding in intralipid therapy for no clear reason. That transfer failed as well. One year later at a different clinic I was finally able to get the ERA test done, and it proved to be the missing piece of the puzzle in our case. We essentially walked away empty handed from ZFC after paying $30,000 because the doctor refused to perform a $800 dollar biopsy.

His general approach is the same for all patients: transferring only genetically screened embryos to increase the chance of success. If your major problem has been age or not transferring tested embryos, then his approach may be the answer you've been looking for. But if you have repeated implantation failure, or any other issue that doesn't involve the chromosomal makeup of the embryo, then he is not going to be willing to think outside the box to solve your problem.

It was a fairly standard antagonist protocol with Menopur/Bravelle and a HCG trigger shot. The dosage was the highest of all the five IVF cycles I had in total, and I ended up with a lot of immature eggs / eggs that did not fertilize well. Out of about 20 that were retrieved, we ended up with 7 embryos, 4 blastocysts, and 2 suitable for transfer. At a different clinic, I did better with a lower dose and a dual Lupron/HCG trigger.

We did a single freeze-all cycle, and I believe the total cost with two embryo transfers was around $30,000 total.

He had a strong preference for elective single embryo transfer during a natural cycle. Although the natural transfer cycle is "easier" in some ways and requires less medication, trying to determine the timing was stressful and made it hard to plan ahead. I had to go in for multiple ultrasounds to confirm ovulation and bloodwork.

He is an incredibly talented, gifted doctor. He knows his stuff well. Just with the initial phone consultation, he spent close to 45 minutes with us going over our health/infertility history, our failed IUIs at Kaiser, and so much more. He has a very soothing and kind voice. As soon as I heard him on the phone, I got goosebumps and I felt at ease knowing that I had a true, true expert looking at my medical file and that we were getting our best shot cycling with him. After two REs at Kaiser Santa Clara told us that we had unexplained infertility and after 11 failed IUIs, Dr. Zouves identified our problem over the phone in 45 minutes. We finally, finally got an answer. That, in itself, sold us to cycle with him. Once we met him, he was everything we expected. He explained everything so throughly and he only focuses on you when you see him. His nurses keep notes for him in each appointment so he's not the kind of doctor that is typing while meeting with you. His attention is only on you. Overall, we felt so confident under his care. He leaves no stone unturned and tests for anything and everything to make sure you get that wonderful positive pregnancy test. The tests and his orders seem like a lot, but just be a good patient, listen well, follow all his diirections and you will be happy!

Run, don't walk to his clinic. Just get an appointment for a phone consultation with him and see what he says. It's worth it. He's an amazing, one many show! Cycling with hi is a bit more money, but it's so worth it. The care is wonderful and you get results....real results.

I have polycycstic ovaries so I produced 18 eggs at the retrieval. I used Follitism, Gonirelix, and Menopur to stimulate. He said I responded very well to a light stimulation, my plan was not aggressive because I have a high reserve and I was under 40.

ZFC monitors only during certain parts of the day (I think in the a.m.), but they are open 7 days a week, so that made life easier. I was lucky and many of my monitoring days ended up in Saturdays which was very helpful.

Our cycle was $16,000 without medications. $4,000 for medication/shots. I had to do some immunology treatments due to my lab results and that was a few thousand extra. But you have a 70% chance of a live birth with every normal embryo they identify. That's worth the big bucks!! I also paid for weekly acupuncture, which Dr. Zouves requires you to invest in, to get the body primed and ready.

I saw Dr Zouves during every visit unless it was just for a blood draw. My fist visit with him he gave me an orientation of my uterus and explained things that made me better understand my anatomy and how everything works together. I thought I was intimately familiar with my body before that, but apparently not. No doctor had ever done that for me before. He is compassionate and really got to know my husband and I.

Follow all the guidelines they set. Follow the diet, the stress control advice, etc. Dr Zouves provides lots of material for education and it's important to follow his holistic approach.

Every appointment I had was according to my schedule. No cattle call, no wait. I had multiple weekend appointments so that I didn't need to miss any work.

Hormone medications were around $9000 for one cycle of egg retrieval My company insurance covers 100%

He was very well informed and readily shared all information relevant to our situation/case. He has a nice sense of humor and good beside manner. Somehow we felt we could trust him from the beginning and that trust was not misplaced at any time.

When he states that IVF and other fertility treatments are like a marathon - he's right. You need to be able to give your body and your heart to the whole process and trust that he is making the right medical decisions. Don't give up!

I had relatively aggressive stimulation of my ovaries because of low ovarian reserve, and we got 8 eggs in two retrieval cycles. They all fertilized through ICSI, and only 1 made it to day 5 (and I'm now 24 weeks pregnant with a single baby). He has all his patients go on a gluten and dairy free diet, and while I can't say conclusively that it was the reason for our success, there is no way it will hurt and if nothing else, made me conscious of what I ate, which I needed anyways. I was also taking a bunch of supplements, mostly various antioxidants, to help our chances of success. Honestly, if he recommends something, he will explain it in detail and give you a very good reason why he thinks something is important. But in the end, of course, the decision is up to you.

I think our 2 cycles of retrieval, various infusions and treatments, lab costs, procedure costs, genetic testing and all were around $50,000

He is knowledgable, soothing and kind. He is educational and during the check-ups, he shared everything that was happening on the monitor and told me what everything we were looking at meant and what the likely results were going to be. I never silly or dumb asking any questions and when I had concerns about the treatment or a work conflict, he was always there to help and try to adjust. He is candid in a gentle manner.

I investigated treatments at other places and this one felt right because it was always going to be one-on-one and it was. My advice would be go for it, it's not as stressful, scary or time-consuming as you think.

The first one was micro dose lupron with bravelle and menopur. The second was bravely and menopur with a shot of something else the last three times. I might do one more retrieval and he said we would go with the second protocol. It was shorter and stronger and I got more eggs in the final count as they all matured immediately after the retrieval. The first round I got 7 and 5 matured.

$9,000 + $4,000-something for medication

This is a strange review, I'm sure, because we had a horrific failure in our IVF experience. But I would recommend Dr. Zouves any time. I was 41 and had 1 child, but had had 4 miscarriages at that point. I felt that Dr. Z's approach was thorough and kind and expert. We retrieved 26 eggs - 20 were mature. This should have been a home run, just based on the law of averages. Of those, 15 were embryos by Day 3. We elected to do the testing, so waited until Day 5. On Day 5, only 5 embryos were left. We tested them and immediately froze them. (Dr. Z himself updated us on every single step of this.) Unfortunately, when the testing came back, EVERY single embryo was a mess - multiple chromosomal problems. When we followed up with him - instead of just selling us to do donor eggs or try again with a different protocol, he was honest. He said that he felt there was an 80+% chance of the same outcome if we did it again with my own eggs, no matter what the protocol. He ALSO answered my question: "is it possible these eggs were all so bad because they were artificially ripened?" with "Of course - we fully expect that Mother Nature does it better - we just have never been able to test an egg that is 100% managed by Mother Nature." I REALLY trusted his honesty, and we elected not to do another round. (In a happy ending, I got pregnant naturally within 6 months, did NOT have a miscarriage, and we now have the 2nd child we wanted.) So even though I didn't walk away from Zouves with a baby in my arms, I really do feel like he did all the right things by us - including telling us not to continue slamming our heads into the wall.

Get as many of the pre-tests done under your own health insurance, and in advance as you can. There is a several month process just of checking all the boxes they want to have checked before you start the IVF with them. It can be stressful - the many labs, the mammogram, the waiting, the getting the calendar all correct... the more you have done before you even start, the better you will feel.

We did an antagonist protocol (I had a lot of follicles). I took birth control pills for a few weeks, and then 4 days later we did an ultrasound and an estradiol check. When that looked good, we started FSH/HMG injections the next day. We used Menopur (75iu) and Follistim (900 iu#3). The Menopur was a vial that we had to fill ourselves. The Follistim was easy - it was a clickable pen. The nurses at Zouves walked us through how to do that very specifically. I had to inject these twice a day for 4 days, then an ultrasound, then 5-6 more days (with some additional ultrasounds in there to see where I was). I used one dose of Ganirelix acetate (250ug) and a Lupron (2mg) trigger that I took the day (or maybe 2 days?) before retrieval. I also had to take doxycycline for a bit in the lead up to retrieval. My husband had to take Cipro for some reason before his sperm donation. 26 eggs retrieved. 20 were mature. 16 turned into embryos. 15 were still embryos on day 3. 5 were embryos on Day 5, and they were tested and frozen. ALL were shown to be very chromosomally abnormal when the test results came back.

$23,945 all-in, including implantation, but not including all the testing you should have done beforehand.

I had a problem with recurrent miscarriage and was 41 years old. We assumed I had an egg problem. It made very little sense to me to just toss a bunch of potentially problematic embryos into my uterus and hope for the best (that was pretty much what we'd already been doing naturally - getting pregnant with bad embryos that miscarried). We specifically did the IVF so that we COULD do the testing and put only 1 embryo that was known to be healthy into me.

I basically said all what need to be said during the question about being treated like a human. He has a gentle spirit and can be straight forward that I felt was helpful to ease my concerns. He is so dedicated to his work, he takes virtually no time off. He came highly recommended to my by two individual sources, one my OB and the other an LGBT family that had great success with him after having bad experiences with other clinics and doctors.

Do everything he recommends, even if it seems unusual. Do the acupuncture and herbs, it really improved my results.

I did the treatment for "natural killer cells" which was unusually and expensive but felt it was necessary and worked. My treatment was over 10 years ago and I really don't remember anything else about my protocol.

He offered a plan for two cycles for a reduced cost if you were under 38 or 39, don't remember exactly. It helped cut down our costs significantly as we ended up doing 3 rounds to get our twins.

None...he gives you all the options and it is your choice.

I can't praise Dr Z enough. He was kind, compassionate, very knowledgeable. He was just as eager to help us have a baby as we were to have one and he knew how to make it happen. He took time with us and never made us feel rushed. He answered all our questions and concerns. I would definitely recommend Dr Zouves!

Be prepared for straight talk (he doesn't sugarcoat it) but he is kind in his delivery.

It's been a little too long. I don't remember and I imagine it's changed quite a bit since that time anyway.

I don't recall specifically, but I think my own egg cycle was $10000 and my donor cycle was $20000 (not including the cost of the egg donor.)

Dr. Zouves is a genius. He figured out more about us in his initial 45 minute consultation than our previous doctor had in the year she had been treating us. He marries cutting edge technology with Asian influenced, holistic treatments. Our first shot (pun intended!) with him resulted in full term, boy/girl, twins - now seven. We say "thank you Christo Zouves" regularly, when one of our children does or says something clever, funny etc. In short, of all the people we have ever met or known, Dr. Zouves may very well be the person who has had the most positive impact on our family. Without him, our family would not exist....

Run, don't walk, toward this doctor and his practice.

We used a slightly more aggressive IVF protocol (as this was not our first cycle or doctor). IGG. ICSI. PGS (which at the time was less comprehensive than it is today).

Christo Zouves tries same treatment over and over. He doesn't tweak the treatment plan or search for additional details. It seems like he is playing numbers game. More cycles more chance of success. His clinic and staff is spotless and very organized. He treats each patient by himself. Hense he is too busy.

If you are starting with IVF and Egg freezing first time. Christo Zouves is your doctor. If you had multiple failures in the past or your age is close to 40, you may need a second opinion.

Pretty standart every cycle.

Our insurance covered all of care.

N/A

He's clearly an intelligent guy who is adored by many but for us, we were led very astray. He insisted I would not need to consider donor eggs at my initial afc u/s. After our first retrieval went poorly, it was like pulling teeth getting him on the phone, once we finally did, he back tracked and insisted on donor eggs if we were to move forward. Overall, Zouves is nice enough when things go well but when they don't, there's a decent amount of victim blaming and ego to the communications. I would seriously think twice about giving this man and this clinic the amount of money and time they demand.

Ask About protocol for failed cycles and the opportunity to pivot mid cycle when it's clear the results aren't going as planned.

Incredibly over stimulated. Every other re we've met with since was shocked and dismayed at the amount of drugs I was on and how wrong it was. Very frustrating

Extremely high. Bankrupting high

He was the best doctor that I saw as he cared about overall health, was very scientific and balanced eastern ideas too. I didn't get any chromosomally normal embryos with him, but I'd still suggest him to anyone.

He will comment on what you're eating and overall health, so think about that too. And, he has a particular perspective on immunology, which didn't end up being true for me (I am now pregnant and didn't do immuno-treatment, even though he would have had me do it).

I did 3 egg retrievals and receive 3-5 eggs each time. I was on 420/day of FSH (high dose) and menopur. At the end, I used gonarelix. I think it's called antagonist. In between the 1st and 2nd between the 2nd and 3rd retrieval, I went on the pill and estrace. That was a bit risky b/c I have a blood-clotting genetic marker, and I didn't get more eggs, but the eggs grew a little more together, so he preferred it. I received 9 mature eggs, 8 fertilized via ICSI, 8 blasts grew out to day 3, but only 1 grew to day 5 and that 1 was not chromosomally normal

I think it was about $40k, not including medications

Dr. Zouves was the best RE I worked with because of his care, compassion, and individual attention. Going through the donor egg process, I needed the extra level of hand holding and he provided that and more. The one area that I am not 100% sure of is his approach to a gluten-free/dairy-free diet which not all doctors agree with. But I was willing to do anything recommended if it gave me positive results. It did work on 1 out of the 3 cycles I did through his clinic so not sure how much that is tied to the diet vs. statistics.

Be aware of his philosophy of the gluten-free, dairy-free diet and the intralipid infusions. It is not mandatory to do treatment there but strongly recommended.

I can't remember.