Zouves Fertility Center
Available Resources
Genetic counseling
Acupuncture
Mental health counseling
Nutrition counseling
Administration of shots
Coordinating at-home nursing
is not offered
is not offered
Selling medication
Providing backup medication
Foster City
1241 East Hilldale Blvd
Foster City, CA 94404
(650) 378-1000
38 assessments
0
Age
34
Treated
2016
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
2 IVF
Diagnosis
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Male Factor, PCOS, Poor Egg Quality, Immunological
0
Zouves is perhaps the only clinic in the bay area that will treat subclinical immune issues. They do some basic immune testing and treat with prednisolone and intralipids ($$$). If this is important to you, your only other option is to go out of town. For what it's worth, I was treated for immune issues before two transfers, which resulted in two negatives. ...
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Age
34
Treated
2016
Success with this Doc
No
Race
European
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Teacher
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1st of 2 Docs
Treatment
2 IVF
Diagnosis
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Male Factor, PCOS, Poor Egg Quality, Immunological
0
Describe your experience with Zouves Fertility Center.
Zouves is perhaps the only clinic in the bay area that will treat subclinical immune issues. They do some basic immune testing and treat with prednisolone and intralipids ($$$). If this is important to you, your only other option is to go out of town. For what it's worth, I was treated for immune issues before two transfers, which resulted in two negatives. My next clinic assured me that this was all snake oil - and I had success.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
Dr Zouves initially seemed rather personable and did respond to emails in a timely manner. However, after two failed transfers he absolutely refused to take any personal responsibility (for overstimulating me, and mistiming my natural transfers). He said he wouldn't change anything with my protocol, and they only thing I could do to improve my chances of conception was surrogacy. I went on to conceive twins with my next clinic on my first try.
How was your experience with Christo Zouves at 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.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
I would look at his 2016 SART ratings, then go elsewhere.
Describe the protocols Christo Zouves used in your cycles at Zouves Fertility Center and their degree of success.
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.
Describe Christo Zouves's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Zouves Fertility Center.
He has a strong preference for eSET of PGS tested embryos. I was fine with this.
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10
Age
38 - 40
Treated
2017 - 2019
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
2 IUI, 1 IVF, 1 Embryo Freezing
Diagnosis
PCOS, Uterine Fibroids
10
Staff is highly professional. Clinic is warm and inviting. ... Zouves takes full payment for your treatment ahead of time and then your insurance may reimburse you. ... The nurse team primarily communicated via email in the morning and if I didn't respond by the afternoon, they usually gave me a call. They called me immediately after they received any kind of results. ... I had 2 different insurances who provided fertility benefits and Dr. Zouves was considered out of network for both.
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Age
38 - 40
Treated
2017 - 2019
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
East Asian
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Lawyer
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1st of 3 Docs
Treatment
2 IUI, 1 IVF, 1 Embryo Freezing
Diagnosis
PCOS, Uterine Fibroids
10
Describe your experience with Zouves Fertility Center.
Staff is highly professional. Clinic is warm and inviting. There is plenty of parking and the location is right off the 92 freeway so it is convenient.
The major weakness is that Zouves is out of network - I had 2 different insurances who provided fertility benefits and Dr. Zouves was considered out of network for both.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Zouves Fertility Center. (Assigned nurse: Anna)
The nurse team primarily communicated via email in the morning and if I didn't respond by the afternoon, they usually gave me a call. They called me immediately after they received any kind of results. They called to remind me of appointments. Everyone was so kind I was happy with the service. For the majority of the follow-up treatment after I was pregnant, I spoke to the nurses and not to Dr. Zouves.
How was your experience with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
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.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
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.
Describe the protocols Christo Zouves used in your cycles at Zouves Fertility Center and their degree of success.
I don't remember. Sorry.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center.
Expensive
Describe Christo Zouves's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Zouves Fertility Center.
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.
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10
Age
33
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
IVF
Diagnosis
—
10
Communication has been great and timely. They [Zouves Fertility] will communicate with you both by phone and by email which I appreciate. They are warm, kind, and caring, not to mention accommodating with scheduling. I do not have any weaknesses to report as all the staff and processes we have encountered thus far have been very positive. I told my husband that they have made me feel comfortable, in an otherwise uncomfortable/uncertain situation.
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Age
33
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
?
Race
European
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
Nurse or HC Services
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
IVF
Diagnosis
—
10
Describe your experience with Zouves Fertility Center.
Communication has been great and timely. They will communicate with you both by phone and by email which I appreciate. They are warm, kind, and caring, not to mention accommodating with scheduling. I do not have any weaknesses to report as all the staff and processes we have encountered thus far have been very positive. I told my husband that they have made me feel comfortable, in an otherwise uncomfortable/uncertain situation. You don't feel alone, or like the odd man out.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
Dr. Zouves took great interest in getting to know myself and my husband- what we do for work, how old our daughter is, etc. He was very kind, warm, and approachable during our phone and in person consultations. I left feeling heard, hopeful, and confident that we were in the right place.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Zouves Fertility Center. (Assigned nurse: Desiree)
Desiree was so incredibly kind and patient. She was very easy to speak with, and provided good communication. She had to do a blood draw at my first appointment and she was very thorough about what it was for, and what to expect. She even made sure to give me juice and a granola bar (compliant with my diet!) to make sure I was feeling ok for the draw. Just so kind.
How was your experience with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
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.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
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.
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10
Age
37 - 38
Treated
2017 - 2018
Success with this Doc
19 Eggs Frozen
Treatment
1 Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
—
10
I am such a baby when it comes to needles and drawing blood. They [the nurses] were so nice and comforting- held my hand and gave me juice and snacks. I even brought my shots to my appointments so they could administer for me. I never felt rushed EVER. Never felt like a number in a factory.... Ask the financial coordinator for financial relief!! They were so phenomenal to me and eased some of the financial burden.
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Age
37 - 38
Treated
2017 - 2018
Success with this Doc
19 Eggs Frozen
Race
East Asian
Income
—
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
1 Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
—
10
Describe your experience with Zouves Fertility Center.
Nothing I would change about my experience. They were thorough with the information, sensitive to my financial needs, gave me cryobanks and pharmacies that had great prices (I was able to get 50% off certain meds), and I had a successful retrieval. What more could I ask for.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
Love love love Dr. Z and his entire staff. They were responsive, checked in on me, patient, caring and made me feel at ease. The nurses and I were on a first name basis and I am so thankful for my experience with Dr. Z and team.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
I am such a baby when it comes to needles and drawing blood. They were so nice and comforting- held my hand and gave me juice and snacks. I even brought my shots to my appointments so they could administer for me. I never felt rushed EVER. Never felt like a number in a factory.
How was your experience with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
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.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
Ask the financial coordinator for financial relief!! They were so phenomenal to me and eased some of the financial burden.
Describe the protocols Christo Zouves used in your cycles at Zouves Fertility Center and their degree of success.
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
Describe the costs associated with your care under Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center.
operation (25% off), genetic counseling, FDA, Antagon deposit (25% off). Then 2% off total for paying with check in full= $7550
Describe Christo Zouves's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Zouves Fertility Center.
N/A
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10
Age
35 - 37
Treated
2015 - 2017
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
2 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor, Immunological
10
Billing is easy to understand and is straightforward. Injection training was also easy to understand and straightforward. They are very good about not inundating you with information that isn't pertinent at the moment. This place is a well oiled machine...While I wasn't assigned a specific nurse, we dealt with the nurse team as a whole and I've had better care with this team than I have when I've had individual nurses assigned to me at another clinic. They are knowledgeable, caring, kind, compassionate and prompt. They recognize us when they see us and call us by name. I look forward to our visits with them every time.
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Age
35 - 37
Treated
2015 - 2017
Success with this Doc
?
Race
Other
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Entrepreneur
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
2 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor, Immunological
10
Describe your experience with Zouves Fertility Center.
The clinic itself is welcoming! They have all the bells and whistles to make each visit less stressful. You can tell this staff works as a team and they respect each other as partners all with the same goal. The actual physical location is close to the freeways and hotels and the airport if you're traveling in. There are also several acupuncturists with great ratings within 20 minutes of this clinic that have a relationship with Dr. Zouves and speak highly of him. Billing is easy to understand and is straightforward. Injection training was also easy to understand and straightforward. They are very good about not inundating you with information that isn't pertinent at the moment. This place is a well oiled machine.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
Everyone from the front desk associates to Dr. Zouves were sincere and genuine with us. They called us by name, took interest in our lives. Dr. Zouves was always very kind and remembered unique stories from our past visits together. We travelled about 2 hours to get to his center and he always made us feel very welcome and answered all of our questions. I felt like a human here because he listened.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
While I wasn't assigned a specific nurse, we dealt with the nurse team as a whole and I've had better care with this team than I have when I've had individual nurses assigned to me at another clinic. They are knowledgeable, caring, kind, compassionate and prompt. They recognize us when they see us and call us by name. I look forward to our visits with them every time.
How was your experience with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
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 ;)
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
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.
Describe the protocols Christo Zouves used in your cycles at Zouves Fertility Center and their degree of success.
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.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center.
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.
Describe Christo Zouves's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Zouves Fertility Center.
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.
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9
Age
38 - 39
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
3 IUI, 1 IVF, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
PCOS, Poor Egg Quality, Uterine Fibroids
9
The nurses [at Zouves Fertility Center] were also very accessible and I got one on one demonstrations for taking my meds and to discuss my cycle. That said, I did feel like things were a bit rushed at times...very individualized care, compassionate and knowledgable staff, open to alternative treatments (like acupuncture) and they are open 365 days a year. Negatives: More expensive than some other options in the area. (But I did get a 25% "low-income" discount)
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Age
38 - 39
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
—
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
Lawyer
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
3 IUI, 1 IVF, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
PCOS, Poor Egg Quality, Uterine Fibroids
9
Describe your experience with Zouves Fertility Center.
Positives: very individualized care, compassionate and knowledgable staff, open to alternative treatments (like acupuncture) and they are open 365 days a year.
Negatives: More expensive than some other options in the area. (But I did get a 25% "low-income" discount), the nurses seemed very busy and rushed-but i suppose that is to be expected.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
I really liked that Dr. Zouves was the only doctor in the practice so he did my consult, ultrasounds, retrieval, and transfer. It was pretty amazing how accessible he is given that he is the only doctor. The nurses were also very accessible and I got one on one demonstrations for taking my meds and to discuss my cycle. That said, I did feel like things were a bit rushed at times
Describe your experience with your nurse at Zouves Fertility Center.
It was obvious the nurses were super busy and working hard so it felt slightly like a cattle call when I was getting my blood drawn or other treatments. That said, they were super sweet, compassionate and seemed truly happy for me when I got pregnant.
How was your experience with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
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.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
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.
Describe the protocols Christo Zouves used in your cycles at Zouves Fertility Center and their degree of success.
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.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center.
In and around $26,000
Describe Christo Zouves's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Zouves Fertility Center.
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.
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N/A
Age
37
Treated
2017
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
1 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor
N/A
Because of Zouves's care team (all RNs) and their professional care, I felt like they treated me a human more than a number. All nurses show compassion to me and my spouse, as this is our 1st IVF. They are always very patient and have never rushed our consultation / injection training, given we have never administered med before. They called our cell for most of the lab results which added a lot of 'human touch' to it... I do hope that they could take advantage of apps / texts so that it will free up more time for the RNs. As patients, I could have instant digital records without asking and waiting for scanned copies.
+ Read more
Age
37
Treated
2017
Success with this Doc
?
Race
East Asian
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
1 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor
N/A
Describe your experience with Zouves Fertility Center.
I know they are very into personal touch and therefore, they have the RNs to call you for lab results and scheduling. But I do hope that they could take advantage of apps / texts so that it will free up more time for the RNs. As patients, I could have instant digital records without asking and waiting for scanned copies.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
Because of Zouves's care team (all RNs) and their professional care, I felt like they treated me a human more than a number. All nurses show compassion to me and my spouse, as this is our 1st IVF. They are always very patient and have never rushed our consultation / injection training, given we have never administered med before. They called our cell for most of the lab results which added a lot of 'human touch' to it.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Zouves Fertility Center.
They are a world class nursing team. All of them are great to details and have never missed any of my emails / calls. They're the IVF clinic warriors!
What specific things went wrong at Zouves Fertility Center?
- Provided conflicting information
- Failed to convey critical information
How was your experience with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
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.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
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.
Describe the protocols Christo Zouves used in your cycles at Zouves Fertility Center and their degree of success.
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.
Describe Christo Zouves's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Zouves Fertility Center.
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.
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10
Age
35 - 42
Treated
2010 - 2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
6 IUI, 5 IVF, Donor Eggs, Surrogacy
Diagnosis
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Immunological
10
Nursing staff [at Zouves Fertility Center] is great, and many have been at the clinic for a long time. Particularly loved Jennifer and the procedure room staff...Dr. Zouves is the only doctor, but he works 365 days a year and doesn't bunch patients into standard cycles. He's been very flexible in working with my calendar over the years and adjusting cycles to be most convenient to me. It was really important to me that he's a believer in reproductive immunology and treats those issues.
+ Read more
Age
35 - 42
Treated
2010 - 2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
3rd of 4 Docs
Treatment
6 IUI, 5 IVF, Donor Eggs, Surrogacy
Diagnosis
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Immunological
10
Describe your experience with Zouves Fertility Center.
It's a great clinic. Dr. Zouves is the only doctor, but he works 365 days a year and doesn't bunch patients into standard cycles. He's been very flexible in working with my calendar over the years and adjusting cycles to be most convenient to me. It was really important to me that he's a believer in reproductive immunology and treats those issues.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
He's the only doctor, so he's familiar with all the details. I got to really know the nurses well.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Zouves Fertility Center.
Nursing staff is great, and many have been at the clinic for a long time. Particularly loved Jennifer and the procedure room staff.
How was your experience with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
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).
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
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.
Describe the protocols Christo Zouves used in your cycles at Zouves Fertility Center and their degree of success.
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.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center.
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.
Describe Christo Zouves's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Zouves Fertility Center.
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.)
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10
Age
36
Treated
2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Anovulation, Male Factor, Immunological
10
The front desk staff [at Zouves Fertility Center] is so nice, greet you by name, are sweet on the phone. A HUGE strength of ZFC is that they are open 7 days a week, 365. No joke. If your transfer falls on Sunday, it will be on Sunday. If it lands on thanksgiving, then that's the big day! They are open weekends, which is a gift when you work full time...
+ Read more
Age
36
Treated
2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Middle Eastern
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Teacher
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1st of 3 Docs
Treatment
IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Anovulation, Male Factor, Immunological
10
Describe your experience with Zouves Fertility Center.
Nothing was weak, everything was superior. The front desk staff is so nice, greet you by name, are sweet on the phone. A HUGE strength of ZFC is that they are open 7 days a week, 365. No joke. If your transfer falls on Sunday, it will be on Sunday. If it lands on thanksgiving, then that's the big day! They are open weekends, which is a gift when you work full time.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
Dr. Zouves is a very kind doctor. He always remembers your name, he is friendly, warm and fuzzy, and has a good sense of humor. He has an incredible bedside manner. He reviews your history very varefully and makes a plan just for you and your husband.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
Amazing! Never skip a beat! They are sweet, kind, compassionate, super organized. I worked with many of them over the four/five months it took, but my favorite was Angela.
How was your experience with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
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!
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
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.
Describe the protocols Christo Zouves used in your cycles at Zouves Fertility Center and their degree of success.
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.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Zouves Fertility Center.
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.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center.
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.
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10
Age
35
Treated
2016
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
1 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
The atmosphere of the [Zouves Fertility Center] clinic and procedure rooms is very calming and welcoming, not sterile feeling. Because everything is co-located (lab, clinic, procedure room, finance) you can do everything in one place which reduces stress and likelihood of complications with embryos and records...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...
+ Read more
Age
35
Treated
2016
Success with this Doc
?
Race
Other
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Sales Representative
Order & Number of Docs Seen
3rd of 3 Docs
Treatment
1 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
Describe your experience with Zouves Fertility Center.
The atmosphere of the clinic and procedure rooms is very calming and welcoming, not sterile feeling. Because everything is co-located (lab, clinic, procedure room, finance) you can do everything in one place which reduces stress and likelihood of complications with embryos and records.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
Dr Zouves and his staff are focused solely on treating inferility. Because they don't have to share their time with pregnant women, delivering babies and dealing with anything other than infertility, they can be more empathetic to an infertile couple's situation. I saw a doctor previous to Zouves who was an OB-GYN, but specialized in infertility. That doctor actually cancelled one of my in-cycle appointments because he had a baby to deliver. I was devastated at the time when I realized this cancellation meant that I would have to wait yet another month to hit my cycle at the right time before proceeding with IUI or IVF.
Dr Zouves has his clinic, front desk, laboratory and procedure rooms all co-located. His hours of operation are very flexible, making it conducive to your schedule rather than a standard business. This made the coordination very simple with regard to my schedule and reduced the stress. I also was not having to run all over the Bay Area, where traffic is miserable, trying to make appointments and risk records not being consolidated between offices. With all of his services in one place, Dr Zpuves and team can be 100% aligned with your case and treatment plan. Results also come in sooner when they have it all in one place.
So far we have no explanation for why we haven't had a successful pregnancy. We completed egg retrieval and have done our first embryo transfer. We are now in the 10 day wait period to know results. The nurses who we have been working with the last 5 months all came in to check on me before we went in for our embryo transfer. They hugged, showed excitement and offered warm words for us to be hopeful.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Zouves Fertility Center. (Assigned nurse: Jennifer and Anna)
They always called, emailed and followed up immediately if I reached out.
How was your experience with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
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.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
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.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Zouves Fertility Center.
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.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center.
Hormone medications were around $9000 for one cycle of egg retrieval
My company insurance covers 100%
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9
Age
38 - 39
Treated
2015 - 2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
2 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
9
They [staff at Zouves Fertility Center] always had time to answer my questions, were always friendly, always remembered my name and husband's name, were happy for us when we had success and sympathetic when not. We were more than just a number....It is conveniently located, but even if it's a long ways away for you, worth the trip. The environment is a bit swanky but calming. They don't take insurance but will provide you with a bill to submit to your insurance. They are pretty transparent about the costs in advance and have you meet with a financial coordinator before starting treatment. All in all, a great experience!
+ Read more
Age
38 - 39
Treated
2015 - 2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Ashkenazi Jewish
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
2 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
9
Describe your experience with Zouves Fertility Center.
It is conveniently located, but even if it's a long ways away for you, worth the trip.
The environment is a bit swanky but calming.
They don't take insurance but will provide you with a bill to submit to your insurance.
They are pretty transparent about the costs in advance and have you meet with a financial coordinator before starting treatment.
All in all, a great experience!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
They always had time to answer my questions, were always friendly, always remembered my name and husband's name, were happy for us when we had success and sympathetic when not. We were more than just a number.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Zouves Fertility Center.
They were all really nice people and great clinicians. I miss them now that I'm no longer under their care.
How was your experience with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
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.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
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!
Describe the protocols Christo Zouves used in your cycles at Zouves Fertility Center and their degree of success.
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.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center.
I think our 2 cycles of retrieval, various infusions and treatments, lab costs, procedure costs, genetic testing and all were around $50,000
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10
Age
41 - 42
Treated
2014 - 2015
Success with this Doc
11 Eggs Frozen
Treatment
2 Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
—
10
Everyone was available when I had a question or concern. I was able to reach anyone anytime I needed. Rather than being in a group, everything was individual, from lessons on how to inject to share the entire process. I could email or call the doctor and he would respond immediately.
+ Read more
Age
41 - 42
Treated
2014 - 2015
Success with this Doc
11 Eggs Frozen
Race
Ashkenazi Jewish
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Entrepreneur
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
2 Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
—
10
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
I only met with one doctor and person. Everyone was available when I had a question or concern. I was able to reach anyone anytime I needed. Rather than being in a group, everything was individual, from lessons on how to inject to share the entire process. I could email or call the doctor and he would respond immediately. I felt like they heard me and my concerns and questions. They were gentle and kind.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Zouves Fertility Center. (Assigned nurse: Melinda)
They were always there when I needed them whether it was scheduled or I called with a one-off question. They were clear and kind. They sat with me as long as I needed to teach me about how to inject. Every time I called with a question, they asked the doctor and immediately got back to me.
How was your experience with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
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.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
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.
Describe the protocols Christo Zouves used in your cycles at Zouves Fertility Center and their degree of success.
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.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center.
$9,000 + $4,000-something for medication
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10
Age
41
Treated
2014
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
1 IVF, 1 Embryo Freezing
Diagnosis
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Poor Egg Quality
10
The only thing I did NOT like about the clinic [Zouves Fertility Center] was the location. It's sort of in the middle of a weird feeling suburban street, off a busy road, and in an office park. It was a sterile feeling location to consider creating your next human. And my husband said that his experience of doing the sperm donation was not great - he was in a sort of sterile room with nothing else around and just sort of expected to get it done... (given the needles and surgery and childbirth part of my job, I didn't feel too sorry for him). Everything else was great. The art was good. The tea in reception was a nice touch.
+ Read more
Age
41
Treated
2014
Success with this Doc
No
Race
European
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Business Executive
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
1 IVF, 1 Embryo Freezing
Diagnosis
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Poor Egg Quality
10
Describe your experience with Zouves Fertility Center.
The only thing I did NOT like about the clinic was the location. It's sort of in the middle of a weird feeling suburban street, off a busy road, and in an office park. It was a sterile feeling location to consider creating your next human.
And my husband said that his experience of doing the sperm donation was not great - he was in a sort of sterile room with nothing else around and just sort of expected to get it done... (given the needles and surgery and childbirth part of my job, I didn't feel too sorry for him).
Everything else was great. The art was good. The tea in reception was a nice touch.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
I was pretty amazed that Dr. Zouves handled all the care pretty much on his own. He had a large and great nursing staff, but every major thing that happened - from ultrasounds to consults to the egg retrieval, he did himself. He was direct and specific, but also warm and caring.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
Everyone was wonderful. From the beginning to the aftermath (when we had to get a refund of the money we had paid toward implantation), everyone was kind and thorough and expert.
How was your experience with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
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.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
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.
Describe the protocols Christo Zouves used in your cycles at Zouves Fertility Center and their degree of success.
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.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center.
$23,945 all-in, including implantation, but not including all the testing you should have done beforehand.
Describe Christo Zouves's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Zouves Fertility Center.
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.
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10
Age
39 - 44
Treated
2006 - 2011
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
3 IVF
Diagnosis
Poor Egg Quality
10
The clinic [Zouves Fertility Center] did everything in house so you didn't have to travel to multiple locations to have procedures done.... I did the treatment for "natural killer cells" which was unusually and expensive but felt it was necessary and worked.... Do everything he recommends, even if it seems unusual. Do the acupuncture and herbs, it really improved my results... 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.
+ Read more
Age
39 - 44
Treated
2006 - 2011
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Other
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
3 IVF
Diagnosis
Poor Egg Quality
10
Describe your experience with Zouves Fertility Center.
The clinic did everything in house so you didn't have to travel to multiple locations to have procedures done.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
Dr. Zouves and his staff were warm, friendly and easy to reach with any questions or concerns. Dr. Zouves was super informative and walked us through every step. In the beginning, I was scared about doing the injections and Dr. Zouves told me exactly what I needed to hear to get me through this hurdle.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
The nurses were always available an easy to reach by phone or email. They were kind and smart, I loved them all!
How was your experience with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
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.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
Do everything he recommends, even if it seems unusual. Do the acupuncture and herbs, it really improved my results.
Describe the protocols Christo Zouves used in your cycles at Zouves Fertility Center and their degree of success.
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.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center.
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.
Describe Christo Zouves's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Zouves Fertility Center.
None...he gives you all the options and it is your choice.
– Read less
10
Age
37 - 44
Treated
2003 - 2010
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
2 IVF, Donor Eggs
Diagnosis
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Poor Egg Quality
10
I felt like they [Zouves Fertility Center - Foster City] handled my situation very well. Dr Z did one cycle with my eggs and it was not at all successful. Based on that and my medical history, he was straightforward with me and recommended we go to donor eggs. He was willing to do more cycles with my eggs and gave me that option, but knowing how expensive this process is, he didn't want to set me up for failure again. I really appreciated his honesty. The office handled the coordination with my egg donor and me flawlessly and I took comfort knowing we were in very good hands. I feel like mine is a success story and I am one of the lucky ones. I credit Dr Z and his staff for that...
+ Read more
Age
37 - 44
Treated
2003 - 2010
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European, Middle Eastern
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
2 IVF, Donor Eggs
Diagnosis
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Poor Egg Quality
10
Describe your experience with Zouves Fertility Center.
I felt like they handled my situation very well. Dr Z did one cycle with my eggs and it was not at all successful. Based on that and my medical history, he was straightforward with me and recommended we go to donor eggs. He was willing to do more cycles with my eggs and gave me that option, but knowing how expensive this process is, he didn't want to set me up for failure again. I really appreciated his honesty. The office handled the coordination with my egg donor and me flawlessly and I took comfort knowing we were in very good hands. I feel like mine is a success story and I am one of the lucky ones. I credit Dr Z and his staff for that.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
Him and his staff were very caring. They took time to inform me and educate me each step of the way. Dr Z was candid, but not harsh. He really wanted me to be successful and did not just want my money.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Zouves Fertility Center.
The nursing staff was great! They were very kind and not judgmental. They kept me informed each step of the way and were great at explaining things like how to give myself injections. When I was awaiting beta results, they called me in a timely manner knowing that I was anxious to get the results. Likewise if I had questions I could call and they would get back to me quickly. They treated me like they would want to be treated if they were going through the same process.
How was your experience with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
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!
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
Be prepared for straight talk (he doesn't sugarcoat it) but he is kind in his delivery.
Describe the protocols Christo Zouves used in your cycles at Zouves Fertility Center and their degree of success.
It's been a little too long. I don't remember and I imagine it's changed quite a bit since that time anyway.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center.
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.)
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10
Age
37 - 40
Treated
2007 - 2010
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
2 IVF
Diagnosis
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, PCOS, Immunological, Unexplained
10
Dr. Zouves is extremely personal in his caregiving. He took the time to listen to our history / story, and developed a thoughtful plan in short order. He was always quick to return emails and calls. He has gone out of his way to help us, even after our twins were born...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....
+ Read more
Age
37 - 40
Treated
2007 - 2010
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$500K
Occupation
Business Executive
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
2 IVF
Diagnosis
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, PCOS, Immunological, Unexplained
10
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
Dr. Zouves is extremely personal in his caregiving. He took the time to listen to our history / story, and developed a thoughtful plan in short order. He was always quick to return emails and calls. He has gone out of his way to help us, even after our twins were born.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
Generally, excellent.
we did have one incident during which one of his nurses called and gave me my husband's genetic test results, which would have meant I was positive for a deadly Jewish genetic disease (I am not Jewish). I was carrying our twins already, and driving, during our phone call! She seemed totally unphased by the conversation. This was an exception vs. the general care we received from his team, which was awesome.
What specific things went wrong at Zouves Fertility Center?
- Provided conflicting information
How was your experience with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
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....
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
Run, don't walk, toward this doctor and his practice.
Describe the protocols Christo Zouves used in your cycles at Zouves Fertility Center and their degree of success.
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).
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9
Age
42
Treated
2017
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
12 IUI, 1 IVF, 6 Embryo Freezing
Diagnosis
Unexplained
9
It's a zen, calm environment with impressive state of the art equipment. Staff [Zouves Fertility Ctr] is respectful and gets back to you in a timely fashion. Best thing is being able to communicate directly with Dr Zouves and his caring, warm bedside manner. He takes the time to explain things to you and personally send articles for you to read. I also preferred to see him due to his beliefs and knowledge about Reproductive immunology.
+ Read more
Age
42
Treated
2017
Success with this Doc
No
Race
Ashkenazi Jewish
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Engineer
Order & Number of Docs Seen
4th of 5 Docs
Treatment
12 IUI, 1 IVF, 6 Embryo Freezing
Diagnosis
Unexplained
9
Describe your experience with Zouves Fertility Center.
It's a zen, calm environment with impressive state of the art equipment. Staff is respectful and gets back to you in a timely fashion. Best thing is being able to communicate directly with Dr Zouves and his caring, warm bedside manner. He takes the time to explain things to you and personally send articles for you to read. I also preferred to see him due to his beliefs and knowledge about Reproductive immunology. This is similar to the Alan Beer Resource Center in Los Gatos, Dr Braverman in NYC.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
Dr Zouves is warm and empathetic, knowledgeable and understanding. He will email and call you directly and always expresses his empathy for your emotions during this difficult journey.
How was your experience with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
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!
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
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.
Describe the protocols Christo Zouves used in your cycles at Zouves Fertility Center and their degree of success.
Unfortunately I don't remember the protocol we used. I know it included priming with BCP followed by the maximum menopur and follistim doses.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center.
Approximately $19,000 not including drugs.
Describe Christo Zouves's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Zouves Fertility Center.
He feels strongly about single embryo transfer.
– Read less
Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
10
Age
40
Treated
2015
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
3 IUI, 5 IVF, 1 Egg Freezing, Donor Eggs
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Poor Egg Quality, Immunological
10
He [Dr Christo Zouves] is obsessed with his patients. He emails back quickly, does every ultrasound, and is incredibly generous with his time and thoughts...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.
+ Read more
Age
40
Treated
2015
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Ashkenazi Jewish
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Investor
Order & Number of Docs Seen
4th of 4 Docs
Treatment
3 IUI, 5 IVF, 1 Egg Freezing, Donor Eggs
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Poor Egg Quality, Immunological
10
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
He is obsessed with his patients. He emails back quickly, does every ultrasound, and is incredibly generous with his time and thoughts.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
They were well-coordinated and responded to email quickly. And, many had been there a long-time, which I saw as a good sign too.
How was your experience with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
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.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
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).
Describe the protocols Christo Zouves used in your cycles at Zouves Fertility Center and their degree of success.
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
Describe the costs associated with your care under Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center.
I think it was about $40k, not including medications
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N/A
Age
38 - 41
Treated
2012 - 2015
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
IVF, Donor Eggs
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
N/A
he personal attention you feel from Dr. Zouves along with his staff [at Zouves Fertility Center] is the added touch along with the top notch expertise you need through the emotional roller coaster of IVF...The nurses and staff were the same and you felt individual care and concern in every aspect of treatment and contact you had with them...The entire staff was welcoming, caring and full of compassion, not only when we received a positive result, but also during the negative results.
+ Read more
Age
38 - 41
Treated
2012 - 2015
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Latino
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Operations
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
IVF, Donor Eggs
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
N/A
Describe your experience with Zouves Fertility Center.
The personal attention you feel from Dr. Zouves along with his staff is the added touch along with the top notch expertise you need through the emotional roller coaster of IVF.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
Dr. Zouves was the only doctor I always saw at the clinic and he always knew me and my husband personally. The nurses and staff were the same and you felt individual care and concern in every aspect of treatment and contact you had with them.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Zouves Fertility Center.
The entire staff was welcoming, caring and full of compassion, not only when we received a positive result, but also during the negative results.
How was your experience with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
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.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
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.
Describe the protocols Christo Zouves used in your cycles at Zouves Fertility Center and their degree of success.
I can't remember.
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9
Age
33 - 34
Treated
2011 - 2012
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
IUI, IVF, Surrogacy
Diagnosis
Immunological
9
I'm not 100% sure I buy the whole immunological infertility thing, but that's what you get there [at Zouves Fertility Center], so read up about it and see if you're OK with it. It adds a fair amount of cost...
+ Read more
Age
33 - 34
Treated
2011 - 2012
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Business Executive
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
IUI, IVF, Surrogacy
Diagnosis
Immunological
9
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
He had a nice manner - a very clear way of speaking, never seemed rushed, had clear talking points he wanted to make and always made them (after 10 cycles I could parrot along with him). The one "thing" about him is that it's kind of his way or the highway. There are some things he'll let you have input on, but if he doesn't think you should do something you are free to go elsewhere to get it done. I respected that because he gets great results & also his results are a big part of his selling point, so if he thinks a decision is going to lower your chance of conceiving it's his right to not go there... but there were a few occasions where I thought he could have been a bit more flexible.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
I unfortunately don't remember their names, but the vast majority were lovely.
How was your experience with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
I thought he was great. He kept going with us even through lots of failures, and he was very supportive through our hiring a gestational carrier, helping with many of the functions an agency might otherwise have done.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
I'm not 100% sure I buy the whole immunological infertility thing, but that's what you get there, so read up about it and see if you're OK with it. It adds a fair amount of cost since he'll have you taking infusions of intralipid and a variety of other treatments that have some basis in science but are not really a full consensus.
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10
Age
40 - 47
Treated
2003 - 2010
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
3 IUI, 4 IVF
Diagnosis
Immunological
10
I have not been to his new clinic, but I am sure it is even better than the first. The first clinic was well organized and run. The entire team was professional and caring. The surgical center was in the same building, and the Anesthesiologists (Dr. Zouves' own employees separate from the surgical center) were great! The embriologists were top notch!
+ Read more
Age
40 - 47
Treated
2003 - 2010
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Other
Income
$500K
Occupation
Nurse or HC Services
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
3 IUI, 4 IVF
Diagnosis
Immunological
10
Describe your experience with Zouves Fertility Center.
I have not been to his new clinic, but I am sure it is even better than the first. The first clinic was well organized and run. The entire team was professional and caring. The surgical center was in the same building, and the Anesthesiologists (Dr. Zouves' own employees separate from the surgical center) were great! The embriologists were top notch!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
Dr. Zouves is a compassionate, thorough physician with whom we put all our trust. He was open, honest and caring.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Zouves Fertility Center.
The nursing staff was excellent, well qualified and trained as well as kind and compassionate.
How was your experience with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
We had the utmost respect and confidence for and with Dr. Zouves. He is intelligent, progressive and compassionate. We travelled all the way across the country to be treated by him and his staff four times. We have two children and each child took two tries.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
Listen to his advice and treatment plan. As far as we are concerned, he is the best in his field! Put your trust in him.
Describe the protocols Christo Zouves used in your cycles at Zouves Fertility Center and their degree of success.
As my children are 12 and 15 now, I honestly do not remember the exact protocols. I had immunological issues, specifically, elevated Natural Killer Cells and Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. Along with the typical protocols
and usual stimulant drugs, I was treated with Enbrel injections, LIT (Lymphocyte Immune Therapy with my husband as donor) and IVIG (Intravenous Immunoglobulin) and Heparin/ASA - (for initial part of first pregnancy.)
Describe the costs associated with your care under Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center.
They offered several plan options with varying costs. Do not remember specifics.
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5
Age
44
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
1 IVF, 3 Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
—
5
Facilities [Zouves Fertility Center] are comfortable but not over the top nice (i.e., feels professional but not like a profit-making center). Injection description was very rushed and confusing. I was lucky to have gone through a cycle before with another clinic, or else I would have been confused. More difficult to schedule appointments.... They seemed a bit overwhelmed and as though they were looking after too many patients. It also wasn't clear to me at the beginning that there were separate nurses at the beginning of the process versus the more advanced stages.
+ Read more
Age
44
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
No
Race
—
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
3rd of 3 Docs
Treatment
1 IVF, 3 Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
—
5
Describe your experience with Zouves Fertility Center.
Personal involvement of Dr. Zouves. Facilities are comfortable but not over the top nice (i.e., feels professional but not like a profit-making center). Injection description was very rushed and confusing. I was lucky to have gone through a cycle before with another clinic, or else I would have been confused. More difficult to schedule appointments.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
Dr Zouves really cares about his patients and is personally involved in all decisions. He personally reviews all results and does all the in-person visits. He also called me back at a very late hour the night of my first injections.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
They seemed a bit overwhelmed and as though they were looking after too many patients. It also wasn't clear to me at the beginning that there were separate nurses at the beginning of the process versus the more advanced stages.
How was your experience with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
Dr. Zouves is extremely involved and very thorough. He does not always fully communicate what he is thinking and seems to go with his gut, which is understandable given the years he has been doing IVF. He seems to care about the results and is very responsive at all hours.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
Go see him if you have a special case or particular concerns / challenges.
Describe Christo Zouves's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Zouves Fertility Center.
N/A
– Read less
Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
0
Age
34 - 35
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
2 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Male Factor
0
He's [Dr. Christo Zouves] 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.
+ Read more
Age
34 - 35
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
No
Race
Prefer not to answer
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Sales Representative
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
2 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Male Factor
0
Describe your experience with Zouves Fertility Center.
Like a spa
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
The nurses were lovely but Zouves clearly lacks humanity and empathy. Always felt more like a robot than a human
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
Excellent bedside manner but again when things went wrong, there was next to no follow up or accountability.
What specific things went wrong at Zouves Fertility Center?
- Failed to call with results
- Failed to send your chart to another clinic
- Lost results
How was your experience with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
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.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
Ask About protocol for failed cycles and the opportunity to pivot mid cycle when it's clear the results aren't going as planned.
Describe the protocols Christo Zouves used in your cycles at Zouves Fertility Center and their degree of success.
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
Describe the costs associated with your care under Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center.
Extremely high. Bankrupting high
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10
Age
33 - 38
Treated
2010 - 2015
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
IVF, Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
Male Factor, PCOS
10
The nurses are excellent and it's amazing how "on top" of things they are.. They call when they're supposed to call, the calendars are correct, all the paperwork is clear, and you can get a hold of someone pretty quickly.
+ Read more
Age
33 - 38
Treated
2010 - 2015
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Ashkenazi Jewish
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Doctor
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
IVF, Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
Male Factor, PCOS
10
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
I definitely felt he knew me as an individual, even though he cares for so many patients! When going back for my second child, he made reference to my first by name.. I sent birth announcements to his clinic for both.. I felt like they knew me well.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
Availability, clarity.
How was your experience with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
I had a phenomenal experience with Dr. Zouves. His bedside manner is very calming, and even though we are a difficult patient population, he never seems to get irritated or hurried. Everything is very well explained. The nurses are excellent and it's amazing how "on top" of things they are.. They call when they're supposed to call, the calendars are correct, all the paperwork is clear, and you can get a hold of someone pretty quickly. His results are excellent.. I have a few friends who failed at other clinics before deciding to get treatment with him, and they were successful with Dr. Zouves. I went to him for both children and I'm very satisfied.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
Trust the process. Nobody can guarantee that you will have a biological child, but you're giving yourself a great shot by putting your care in his hands.
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9
Age
34
Treated
2015
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
1 IVF, 1 Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Unexplained
9
The nursing staff [at Zouves Fertility Center] was always extremely friendly and professional. They all seemed genuinely happy for my positive pregnancy result. They were very personable and easy to get a hold of. They made me feel comfortable at each visit.
+ Read more
Age
34
Treated
2015
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Teacher
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
1 IVF, 1 Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Unexplained
9
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
I was always greeted by name. The nursing staff was always extremely friendly and professional. They all seemed genuinely happy for my positive pregnancy result.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Zouves Fertility Center. (Assigned nurse: Multiple nurses at different stages)
They were very personable and easy to get a hold of. They made me feel comfortable at each visit.
How was your experience with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
Zouves is extremely trustworthy, professional and available to answer any questions. He must work 24/7. He truly wants the best outcome for you. That being said, he has been doing this a long time, and you definitely have to surrender to the idea that he knows best. There wasn't much of a chance as a patient to change his proscribed plan. He goes beyond the typical fertility doctors in terms of prescribing gluten and dairy free diet restrictions and immunological treatments in addition to the regular injections, etc. This added to the overall timeline, and felt like overkill, at times, but in the end with a positive result it's hard to complain.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
Prepare to relinquish some control over your fertility treatment. If you know this ahead of time, it can be somewhat of a relief to let Zouves and his staff take over the process.
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10
Age
—
Treated
—
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
1 IUI, IVF, Donor Eggs
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Male Factor, Poor Egg Quality
10
He's a one man show, and you always get the feeling that he cares about you. You don't get a revolving door of Drs... Next steps were always made very clear. They [the nurses] always called in a timely fashion to give me test results, etc. Very organized. Always responded to emails as well.
+ Read more
Age
—
Treated
—
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Ashkenazi Jewish
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
3rd of 3 Docs
Treatment
1 IUI, IVF, Donor Eggs
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Male Factor, Poor Egg Quality
10
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
Dr. Zouves sees all his patients himself. He's a one man show, and you always get the feeling that he cares about you. You don't get a revolving door of Drs, whoever is there when you have your appointment like at other larger clinics.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
Next steps were always made very clear. They always called in a timely fashion to give me test results, etc. Very organized. Always responded to emails as well.
How was your experience with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
Dr. Zouves was caring and kind and showed lots of empathy always. He didn't candy coat our situation, or give us false hopes. He told us what we needed to hear at the time in order to achieve success, which was using an egg donor. He tested me far more thoroughly than any other previous doctor, and had me on a protocol for a genetic mutation (MTHFR) which other doctors don't even test for. He did all my procedures, and was there always, unlike previous doctors at other clinics.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
Dr. Zouves may not necessarily have the stats of some of the larger clinics, as he takes on more challenging cases. What you are getting at ZFC is a personal touch from a very seasoned doctor with a fantastic staff, support, and a state of the art facility.
Describe the protocols Christo Zouves used in your cycles at Zouves Fertility Center and their degree of success.
We used an egg donor, so I wasn't stimulated, but was on lovenox and heparin due to MTHFR genetic mutation. Whatever he did worked. I have two eight year old twins to show for it.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center.
$18,000
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6
Age
40 - 41
Treated
2017 - 2018
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
6 IVF
Diagnosis
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Unexplained
6
His clinic [Zouves Fertility Center] and staff is spotless and very organized...The clinic has pretty good standards. Most staff are very experienced. Nurses are caring and they know what they are doing. The clinic expanding very quickly and we've seen new faces over time. Some new hires may be not experienced as senior staff...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...He treats each patient by himself. Hense he is too busy.
+ Read more
Age
40 - 41
Treated
2017 - 2018
Success with this Doc
No
Race
Middle Eastern
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Engineer
Order & Number of Docs Seen
3rd of 3 Docs
Treatment
6 IVF
Diagnosis
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Unexplained
6
Describe your experience with Zouves Fertility Center.
The clinic has pretty good standards. Most staff are very experienced. Nurses are caring and they know what they are doing. The clinic expanding very quickly and we've seen new faces over time. Some new hires may be not experienced as senior staff.
What specific things went wrong at Zouves Fertility Center?
- Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
How was your experience with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
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.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
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.
Describe the protocols Christo Zouves used in your cycles at Zouves Fertility Center and their degree of success.
Pretty standart every cycle.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center.
Our insurance covered all of care.
Describe Christo Zouves's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Zouves Fertility Center.
N/A
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6
Age
39
Treated
2015
Success with this Doc
5 Eggs Frozen
Treatment
2 Egg Freezing, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
6
Staff [at Zouves Fertility Center] is professional and responsive. I had asked for an accounting and medical records, and it came back promptly. When I as in cycle, the nurses were very available and returned calls quickly. Their explanations were adequate on how to do injections, etc.... In this practice, it is relatively easy to get seen. You don't have to wait on an endless waiting list so that is definitely positive.
+ Read more
Age
39
Treated
2015
Success with this Doc
5 Eggs Frozen
Race
European
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Lawyer
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1st of 2 Docs
Treatment
2 Egg Freezing, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
6
Describe your experience with Zouves Fertility Center.
Staff is professional and responsive. I had asked for an accounting and medical records, and it came back promptly. When I as in cycle, the nurses were very available and returned calls quickly. Their explanations were adequate on how to do injections, etc.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
While I do feel Dr. Z cares about patients, he will push egg retrievals whether it may be the best course of action. After receiving a low amount the first time, I would have appreciated him taking a different approach on the second round. I will never know if I could have gotten more.
What specific things went wrong at Zouves Fertility Center?
- Lost appointments
How was your experience with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
In this practice, it is relatively easy to get seen. You don't have to wait on an endless waiting list so that is definitely positive. I do feel that Dr. Z pushes egg retrievals too much to the point that you start to feel like a number, but that is where they make their money.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
If egg retrievals do not yield the results, it might be important to tweak the next following retrieval.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center.
12-15K with everything
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Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
10
Age
34
Treated
2015
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
1 IVF, 1 Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
PCOS, Immunological
10
I interacted with between 5-10 nurses regularly, and they were all up to date and knowledgeable about my history, all very friendly and warm. If I sent a panicked email, they would follow up with a phone call shortly... Definitely the best nursing team I've ever worked with.
+ Read more
Age
34
Treated
2015
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
East Asian
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Engineer
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
1 IVF, 1 Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
PCOS, Immunological
10
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
The nurses and Dr. Zouves were very warm and patient with all of our questions. They remembered our names from visit to visit, and even some details of our treatment progress.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
I interacted with between 5-10 nurses regularly, and they were all up to date and knowledgeable about my history, all very friendly and warm. If I sent a panicked email, they would follow up with a phone call shortly. Also, for important messages, they would follow up with another call or email to make sure I got the message, and that I didn't have further questions. Definitely the best nursing team I've ever worked with.
How was your experience with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
I feel that Dr. Zouves was very detailed in reviewing our history and pointing out factors that may have impacted us. He was also very complete in his treatment, carefully explaining why each recommended supplement or treatment was recommended.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
Try to relax and trust in his judgement. It's hard to not question everything at first, but he really does get results.
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10
Age
35
Treated
2014
Success with this Doc
38 Eggs Frozen
Treatment
1 Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
PCOS
10
About $10k for one egg freezing cycle, not including medication...It's been almost 2 years since I did egg freezing, and I had extremely good results (45 retrieved, and 38 mature and frozen)! I actually consulted with a Stanford doctor too before I decided to use Zouves Clinic, because Zouves is not only a great doctor with a nice lab/facility, he manages his clinic well with high efficiency and top-notch service and care!
+ Read more
Age
35
Treated
2014
Success with this Doc
38 Eggs Frozen
Race
—
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Business Executive
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
1 Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
PCOS
10
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
Dr Zouves and his staff were always very responsive with email or a phone call back!
Describe your experience with your nurse at Zouves Fertility Center. (Assigned nurse: Don't remember name but she's nice)
Super nice and responsive.
How was your experience with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
It's been almost 2 years since I did egg freezing, and I had extremely good results (45 retrieved, and 38 mature and frozen)! I actually consulted with a Stanford doctor too before I decided to use Zouves Clinic, because Zouves is not only a great doctor with a nice lab/facility, he manages his clinic well with high efficiency and top-notch service and care!
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
Take advantage of their free phone consultation, and free first ultrasound if it's your first time trying. You will have a good feel of the doctor and his facility's service before finally committing.
Describe the protocols Christo Zouves used in your cycles at Zouves Fertility Center and their degree of success.
I talked with a few patients at Zouves and seems like he used higher dose for younger clients like me (early to mid 30's).
Describe the costs associated with your care under Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center.
about $10k for one egg freezing cycle, not including medication.
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10
Age
45 - 46
Treated
2013 - 2014
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
1 IUI, 2 IVF, 6 Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Poor Egg Quality
10
The team was professional yet warm. Very supportive and understanding of busy schedules... Nursing staff was great. The coordinator was not very helpful and acted like I was bothering her by asking questions.
+ Read more
Age
45 - 46
Treated
2013 - 2014
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
East Asian
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
4th of 4 Docs
Treatment
1 IUI, 2 IVF, 6 Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Poor Egg Quality
10
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
The team was professional yet warm. Very supportive and understanding of busy schedules. All experiences were positive except 1 cycle coordinator who was not as professional as all others.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Zouves Fertility Center. (Assigned nurse: Claudia)
Nursing staff was great. The coordinator was not very helpful and acted like I was bothering her by asking questions.
How was your experience with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
Dr. Zouves is meticulous in approach and practice. he has a great bedside manner which put us at ease with him from the onset. After a bad experience at UCSF where we felt like numbers, this was refreshing. He also comes across as very knowledgeable and patiently explains everything, sometimes multiple times. We felt like it was important to him that we felt comfortable with every step.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
Start early. It's never the right time to do this and waiting too long will decrease the likelihood of success.
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10
Age
31
Treated
2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
1 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor
10
Dr. Zouves [at Zouves Fertility Center] is an incredible man and doctor. So dedicated to his patients, and made me and my husband feel incredibly supported during an extremely difficult time. I would without hesitation recommend him and his clinic to my family and friends.... Dr. Zouves is a step ahead of all other drs.... We love the staff especially the nurses. Everyone was so warm and professional.... They are wonderful. The only downfall is the expense, but to us, a baby was priceless.
+ Read more
Age
31
Treated
2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
1 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor
10
Describe your experience with Zouves Fertility Center.
They are wonderful. The only downfall is the expense, but to us, a baby was priceless.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
Dr. Zouves is an incredible man and doctor. So dedicated to his patients, and made me and my husband feel incredibly supported during an extremely difficult time. I would without hesitation recommend him and his clinic to my family and friends.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Zouves Fertility Center. (Assigned nurse: Lauren)
We love the staff especially the nurses. Everyone was so warm and professional.
How was your experience with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
As mentioned before, Dr. Zouves is warm, knowledgeable and thorough. After starting at a different clinic, and talking to multiple doctors at multiple clinics, it was clear that Dr. Zouves is a step ahead of all other drs.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
He's expensive, but worth it.
Describe the protocols Christo Zouves used in your cycles at Zouves Fertility Center and their degree of success.
n/a
Describe the costs associated with your care under Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center.
high - all in we ended up spending ~35k
Describe Christo Zouves's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Zouves Fertility Center.
I am only 30 and dealing with PGD and MFI, so eSET was appropriate.
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10
Age
32
Treated
2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
1 Embryo Freezing
Diagnosis
Male Factor
10
I never had to wait more than 10 minutes to see Dr. Zouves [at Zouves Fertility Center]. The facilities are clean and well-organized. I had a very pleasant experience with his team and would recommend him to anyone interested in IVF...
+ Read more
Age
32
Treated
2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
East Asian
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Engineer
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
1 Embryo Freezing
Diagnosis
Male Factor
10
Describe your experience with Zouves Fertility Center.
I never had to wait more than 10 minutes to see Dr. Zouves. The facilities are clean and well-organized. I had a very pleasant experience with his team and would recommend him to anyone interested in IVF.
How was your experience with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
Dr. Zouves was great. We saw him at every appointment, he had an educated response to our questions and he was responsive with emails. I'm confident recommending him to my friends who are ready for IVF.
Dr. Zouves is incredibly efficient. From our first conversation with him, we knew he was a great fit for us. He's knowledgeable and very straightforward with his answers. I'm not sure how aggressive the protocol was, but we achieved the results we were hoping for.
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10
Age
—
Treated
—
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
1 IVF
Diagnosis
PCOS, Poor Egg Quality, Immunological, Other
10
Each person in the clinic [Zouves Fertility Center] recognized me and called me by name with each appointment and made sure I understood the procedures before they happened.
+ Read more
Age
—
Treated
—
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
1 IVF
Diagnosis
PCOS, Poor Egg Quality, Immunological, Other
10
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
He asked so many questions in our phone consultation and in person to make sure we were getting to the right treatment plan. He was calm and understood our past struggles. Each person in the clinic recognized me and called me by name with each appointment and made sure I understood the procedures before they happened.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
Friendly, knowledgable, went out of their way to feel comfortable.
How was your experience with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
I wish he could be all of my doctors. He was professional, clear, helpful. He was calm and encouraging all while explaining the risks. I felt like he was on our team even though we only met him 3 times.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
Understand that you won't see him for every appointment but he is on your side and diligently focused on you. He also makes recommendations (meditations, low carb diet) etc.
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10
Age
38
Treated
2012
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
IVF, 1 Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
The entire nursing staff [at Zouves Fertility Center] was wonderful. When speaking with them, they attribute the positive atmosphere of the clinic to Dr. Zouves' leadership.
+ Read more
Age
38
Treated
2012
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Ashkenazi Jewish
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Nurse or HC Services
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
IVF, 1 Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
Excellent care on all fronts.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Zouves Fertility Center. (Assigned nurse: Cathy)
The entire nursing staff was wonderful. When speaking with them, they attribute the positive atmosphere of the clinic to Dr. Zouves' leadership.
How was your experience with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
Dr. Zouves is amazing. After visiting other fertility clinics in the Bay Area, we finally felt like we were in good hands with Dr. Zouves. He is very thorough, thoughtful, committed and kind. His medical expertise and knowledge felt top-notch, and at the same time, he brought compassion and honor to the whole process. I feel so lucky that we found him.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
Call right now for a consultation.
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10
Age
35
Treated
2011
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
6 IUI, IVF, Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
10
She [my nurse] was responsive to emails, right away... he [Dr. Zouves] and his team were very dedicated to me and my success. He knew my name, my background without evening needing to read the chart. He has an individual plan, just for me
+ Read more
Age
35
Treated
2011
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
6 IUI, IVF, Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
10
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
Yes, he and his team were very dedicated to me and my success. He knew my name, my background without evening needing to read the chart. He has an individual plan, just for me
Describe your experience with your nurse at Zouves Fertility Center. (Assigned nurse: Anna)
She was responsive to emails, right away.
How was your experience with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
His bed side manner is AMAZING. He is so calming are reassuring. I believe his positive attitude leads to his (and his patients) success. He is extremely dedicated to his patients
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
Get an early appointment. He spends extra time with everyone and the later in the day, the more likely your appointment will be delayed
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4
Age
34
Treated
2011
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
IVF
Diagnosis
—
4
It is a bit of a factory, do not feel that you will have your hand held. Look at going to ZFC [Zouves Fertility Center] as a means to get to your end goal.
+ Read more
Age
34
Treated
2011
Success with this Doc
No
Race
European
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1st of 2 Docs
Treatment
IVF
Diagnosis
—
4
What specific things went wrong at Zouves Fertility Center?
- Lost or damaged samples
How was your experience with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
I did feel a bit like a number when we started. The clinic was so modern, cool, a bit impersonal and looked expensive. Not all the things you need when you want emotional support and a warm environment. But, as a doctor Dr. Zouves was so highly regarded that we wanted to take the chance and move forward with him. His manner was a bit quick, but gentle during procedures, not so helpful or patient when it came time to make decisions after information was known about our fertilized embryos.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
It is a bit of a factory, do not feel that you will have your hand held. Look at going to ZFC as a means to get to your end goal.
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10
Age
34 - 36
Treated
2009 - 2011
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
8 IUI, IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Immunological
10
Be patient if you think there are too many tests before treatment. They are all necessary to get the best protocol.
+ Read more
Age
34 - 36
Treated
2009 - 2011
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Engineer
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1st of 2 Docs
Treatment
8 IUI, IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Immunological
10
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
Every appointment is with Dr Zouves. He works 7 days a week, 365 days a year. He has an excellent bedside manner.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
All very professional. Would provide timely responses to questions via email.
How was your experience with Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
Awesome bedside manner. Very detailed and thorough investigations. Modern facilities.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christo Zouves at Zouves Fertility Center?
Be patient if you think there are too many tests before treatment. They are all necessary to get the best protocol.
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