Strengths [of Dr. Sagoskin]: experienced; knowledgable; offered suggestions for further testing (I wish he would have suggested a few tests must sooner); followed up after negative results and a lose; advocated for me during a miscommunication between my nurse/him/embryology. Weaknesses: disingenuous at times; not proactive at the right times (I offered up tests/procedures I would like to do, etc. and he would say "good idea" -- but shouldn't he have suggested them?); mildly responsive messages.
Strengths [of Shady Grove]: friendly staff, quick response times, great monitoring appointment times, usually minimal wait. Financial Counselors responsive. Weaknesses: Sometimes it feels like a factory, nurses and doctors lack empathy and need to think before they speak. Sensitivity training/refresher would be great for everyone. Recently added many more doctors and nurses and feels less personal, chaotic at times. What a new patient should know: Be realistic and take off the rose colored glasses. Prepare for failure. IVF is not always the answer, sometimes it doesn't work even after multiple attempts with seemingly great outcomes. Advocate for yourself, do your research, question everything, demand respect. Ask for detailed description of an egg retrieval, from talking to anesthesiologist in triage, to walking into operating room and what and who to expect to see. Take all of your pain meds after retrieval, even if you don't think you need them (you will). PGS test and only transfer normals (don't set yourself up for failure and heartbreak if you don't have to).
How was your experience with Arthur Sagoskin at Shady Grove Fertility?
Strengths: experienced; knowledgable; offered suggestions for further testing (I wish he would have suggested a few tests must sooner); followed up after negative results and a lose; advocated for me during a miscommunication between my nurse/him/embryology.
Weaknesses: disingenuous at times; not proactive at the right times (I offered up tests/procedures I would like to do, etc. and he would say "good idea" -- but shouldn't he have suggested them?); mildly responsive messages.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Arthur Sagoskin at Shady Grove Fertility?
Advocate for yourself and be aware of all the tests available to you and push for them, even if they are "experimental" or "unproven".
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Arthur Sagoskin at Shady Grove Fertility?
Very personal attention when I first started seeing Dr. Sagoskin. Loved him and his no nonsense manner. 2+ years later and no success, I feel like I'm being treated more like a number and an inconvenience at times.
Describe the protocols Arthur Sagoskin used in your cycles at Shady Grove Fertility and their degree of success.
I was 38 when I started treatment.
Protocol 1: BCPs, Antagonist protocol, lower doses of Gonal F and Menopur, slow & long stim, Ganarelix, Lupron/HGC dual trigger. 20+ follicles, only 2 retrieved, both mature, both fertilized naturally, and 3-day transfer of visually great embryos, BFN.
Protocol 2: BCPs, Antagonist, higher doses of Gonal F and Menopur, slow & Ling stim,, Ganarelix, HCG trigger, (I demanded aftee the suggestion of two other REs) double-lumen needle during retrieval, 25 eggs retrieved, at least half mature, all fertilized naturally, 6 high grade blastocysts, eSET, positive beta (but low), doubled two times, then deceased and miscarried at 6 weeks (they say chemical since no heartbeat was seen, I consider a miscarriage). Frozen five 5-day blastocysts.
Protocol 3: BCPs, Antagonist, highest doses (yet) of Gonal F, Menopur, Ganarelix, slow stim, HCG trigger, double-lumen retrieval, 25 eggs retrieved, 13 mature, 13 fertilized with ICSI, freeze all with PGS testing, 2 6-day hatching blastocysts biopsied and frozen. Thawed 5 frozen blasts from Protocol 2, lost one in thaw, biopsied 4 for PGS testing and refroze. PGS tested 6 blasts, 2 (1 from protocol 2 and one from protocol 3) tested as PGS normal.
FET #1: BCPs, Non-injectable E2 and P4 administered vaginally. eSET PGS normal 6-day blast from Protocol 3, BFN.
Before next FET elected to do Endometrial Receptivity Array (ERA) biopsy/testing with BCPs then Injectable E2 and P4 + 5 days. Biopsy returned "non-receptive".
Retest ERA with BCP then injectable E2 and P4 + 7 days. Biopsy returned "receptive".
Waiting to do transfer of remaining PGS normal 5-day blast from Protocol 2. Will do BCPs, then back to back Endometrial "scratches" (one tests for endometriosis, one may aid with implantation) and then transfer. Waiting for CD1 to start new FET protocol with Injectable E2 and P4 + 7.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Shady Grove Fertility. (Assigned nurse: Lindsay Friedman)
Very detailed and thorough. Extremely responsive with email and voicemail. Knowledgeable. Respected. We had a miscommunication that damaged our relationship, but we were able to put that aside. I trust her and would strongly recommend her to others patients.
Describe your experience with Shady Grove Fertility.
Strengths: friendly staff, quick response times, great monitoring appointment times, usually minimal wait. Financial Counselors responsive.
Weaknesses: Sometimes it feels like a factory, nurses and doctors lack empathy and need to think before they speak. Sensitivity training/refresher would be great for everyone. Recently added many more doctors and nurses and feels less personal, chaotic at times.
What a new patient should know: Be realistic and take off the rose colored glasses. Prepare for failure. IVF is not always the answer, sometimes it doesn't work even after multiple attempts with seemingly great outcomes. Advocate for yourself, do your research, question everything, demand respect. Ask for detailed description of an egg retrieval, from talking to anesthesiologist in triage, to walking into operating room and what and who to expect to see. Take all of your pain meds after retrieval, even if you don't think you need them (you will). PGS test and only transfer normals (don't set yourself up for failure and heartbreak if you don't have to).
Describe the costs associated with your care under Arthur Sagoskin at Shady Grove Fertility.
I have some insurance coverage so meds for 2 of 3 cycles was fully covers and paid for one cycle of meds out-of-pocket. Specialist company's for each visit including monitoring. Insurance covered all procedures except for PGS testing (covered biopsy) and RhoGam shot after miscarriage (due to blood type).
What specific things went wrong at Shady Grove Fertility?
- Failed to order appropriate test
- Lost results
- Provided conflicting information
- Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Shady Grove Fertility.
Miscommunication between RE/Nurse/Embryology and was told frozen embryos were thawed, all survived, Biopsied for PFS testing, and sent to genetics lab for testing. 2 weeks later, no results. They were never thawed or biopsied. Once they were we lost one. Embryology said it was REs fault. REcsaid it was Embryologies fault. Nurse communicated erroneously and damaged our relationship for a long time.
10
Clinic
Shady Grove Fertility
Rockville