Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
2023, Successful
Dr. O'Hern took the time to understand and explain how my endometriosis would impact my IVF protocol and potential results. I felt like she understood my condition well and was very knowledgeable about it, and I got a treatment process that was tailored to me. She always takes the time to explain things thoroughly, screen-sharing reports on virtual visits and answering every single question I have...My only complaint is that I didn't see her very often. My egg retrieval and transfer were both performed by other doctors in the practice. But I understand this is common practice, and I did get the results I wanted, so I'm putting that into perspective.
The [Shady Grove Fertility Houston] clinic generally runs pretty efficiently. I almost never waited more than 5 minutes to be seen at my appointments, and the phone calls afterward to discuss results were always prompt. They use Quest for lab work, and there seems to be a lot of turnover of phlebotomists. They are very hit or miss...The clinic staff have also been very friendly and empathetic, and the nurses called me promptly with results, knowing I was anxiously waiting. I always got a call back within the hour if I left a voicemail.
How was your experience with Candice O'Hern Perfetto at Shady Grove Fertility Houston (formerly CORM)?
Dr. O'Hern is so knowledgeable and took the time to educate me. She never judged me or got annoyed by my many questions. She always addressed both me and my partner, never making him feel left out of the process. She was the first doctor I've worked with who seemed genuinely interested in finding answers and helping me get closure on the underlying reasons I wasn't getting pregnant on my own. That in itself is a HUGE gift, given the uncertainty we face in times of infertility. I will always be grateful for having the answers I needed.
I trusted her with my protocols because she immediately and continually adjusted my medication doses when needed. I could tell she was really paying attention, and I wasn't just put on the same protocol as every other patient.
My only complaint is that I didn't see her very often. My egg retrieval and transfer were both performed by other doctors in the practice. But I understand this is common practice, and I did get the results I wanted, so I'm putting that into perspective.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Candice O'Hern Perfetto at Shady Grove Fertility Houston (formerly CORM)?
Appointments will go quickly, so be ready with a list of questions, and keep a notebook or IVF planner to jot down notes as she's talking. She talks fast!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Candice O'Hern Perfetto at Shady Grove Fertility Houston (formerly CORM)?
Dr. O'Hern took the time to understand and explain how my endometriosis would impact my IVF protocol and potential results. I felt like she understood my condition well and was very knowledgeable about it, and I got a treatment process that was tailored to me. She always takes the time to explain things thoroughly, screen-sharing reports on virtual visits and answering every single question I have. The clinic staff have also been very friendly and empathetic, and the nurses called me promptly with results, knowing I was anxiously waiting. I always got a call back within the hour if I left a voicemail.
Describe the protocols Candice O'Hern Perfetto used in your cycles at Shady Grove Fertility Houston (formerly CORM) and their degree of success.
Egg retrieval cycle: Birth control for 2-3 weeks, then waited for period start. Day 1 of stims, started at 300IU Gonal-F and 10 IU micro-dose ovidrel (HCG) daily. This is considered a mild-moderate antagonist protocol, I was told. Went in for monitoring on day 5, day 7 and day 9 of stims. After each monitoring visit, she lowered my dose of Gonal-F (down to 225, then 175) because my estrogen was going off the charts. Started cetrotide kits at day 7 to prevent ovulation. Pregnyl 10K unit trigger injection on day 10, then egg retrieval. Throughout my monitoring visits, I had between 20-21 follicles on the ultrasound. At me egg retrieval, they retrieved 11 eggs, 9 were mature, 7 fertilized and 3 became embryos (2 on day 6, and one on day 7). All were frozen & PGT-tested, and 2 of the 3 (the day 6 embryos) came back normal. Our grades were 5BB and 5CB, which Dr. O'Hern said was due to my endometriosis causing issues with egg quality. She expected to see higher quality and quantity from someone my age.
Waited a cycle and got on birth control pills for a few weeks while waiting for the PGT results to come back, and Dr. O'Hern performed a hysteroscopy at this time to remove some uterine polyps and a very small/slight septom.
Embryo transfer: She went over the embryology lab report with us and we selected the best-looking, PGT-normal embryo to transfer from the freezer (grade 5BB). Dr. O'Hern recommended a natural FET cycle, which is what I wanted too, so I was relieved to hear that. Weeks of estrogen and extra hormones could have flared up my endometriosis, so I was grateful to her for being conservative and allowing me to go natural. Started vaginal progesterone and a low dose of oral estrace about 5 days before transfer. Had 4 monitoring visits during the cycle: a baseline appt on cycle day 4, then 2 follow-ups on cycle days 11 and 13. On day 13 my follicle wasn't as big as they like it to be, so I went in one more time on day 15 and I had an 18mm follicle. Took my trigger shot that evening (5K IU Novarel), and my transfer was scheduled for one week later. Dr. Vicki Schnell performed my transfer and told us it went really well. Felt implantation cramping and bleeding on day 4-5 afterward and got my first faint positive urine test at day 7. Lines kept getting darker each day and my first beta was 1317 on day 14, then second was 4381 on day 16. Just had my first ultrasound this morning & everything's looking great!
Describe your experience with your nurse at Shady Grove Fertility Houston (formerly CORM). (Assigned nurse: Rachel and Brittany)
I talked with several nurses over the course of my treatment, but they were all great. We did have some hiccups in the beginning where my stimm medication doses were inconsistent on my treatment calendar (one day it said 225, then the next day it said 300, then somewhere else it said 350.) I had to call and get that sorted out. During my treatment, they were also in the process of switching software/portal systems, which meant information showed up inconsistently and I had to check both places for a while, and sometimes call to confirm accuracy of things. But the nurses were wonderful and always did the best they could. Sometimes hiccups happen when there's tech changes involved.
Also my nurse who cared for me during my procedures, Pam, is so compassionate and sweet. She knew IVs make me queasy and always accommodated me & never made me feel judged.
Describe your experience with Shady Grove Fertility Houston (formerly CORM).
The clinic generally runs pretty efficiently. I almost never waited more than 5 minutes to be seen at my appointments, and the phone calls afterward to discuss results were always prompt. They use Quest for lab work, and there seems to be a lot of turnover of phlebotomists. They are very hit or miss. Sometimes you get a confident, practiced and quick person taking blood, and sometimes you get a nervous person who uses giant needles and bruises your arm. When you're being stuck every other day, this can make a big impact on your experience. I also had an ultrasound tech walk in and try to start my scan without even introducing herself. And during a couple of my monitoring visits, there was a pregnant staff member talking pretty openly about her pregnancy and impending delivery with the front desk staff, loud enough for the whole waiting room to hear. It didn't bother me that much but I imagine if I were having a particularly bad day, it could have been triggering. Another thing to note is no matter which location you choose, all procedures (egg retrieval, transfers, etc.) will be in Clear Lake, as well as any monitoring appointments that happen on a weekend.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Candice O'Hern Perfetto at Shady Grove Fertility Houston (formerly CORM).
$25,500 flat fee for a Shared Risk program that included all treatment, monitoring, procedures, etc. for up to 6 cycles until we have a live baby or decide to quit. If we decided to quit at any time or weren't successful, we'd get a full refund.
$1650 flat fee for PGT testing on any/all embryos we created.
$2957 for retrieval meds.
$730 for transfer meds.
Total: $30,837
Describe Candice O'Hern Perfetto's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Shady Grove Fertility Houston (formerly CORM).
Our embryos were PGT-A tested, so she let us weigh in on which one to try first, and we followed her advice.
What specific things went wrong at Shady Grove Fertility Houston (formerly CORM)?
- Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Shady Grove Fertility Houston (formerly CORM).
I explained above, but they were going through a change in portal software, so some of my treatment instructions and test results were difficult to find, and I had to keep checking 2 portals and calling if information was missing.