he [Dr. Groll] has never shied away from hard truths, and he always takes the time to ensure that we understand the treatment plan. He doesn't go into loads of detail unless you ask, however, so if you are the type of person who is uncomfortable asking questions of doctors, he will seem very brief and curt. He has always been open to discussing alternative treatments and every fringe theory I've found on the internet, compassionately, and without making me feel desperate or crazy...
When I am face to face with the nurses [at SpringCreek Fertility], they are warm and friendly. When we are speaking on the phone, the whole IVF team is always eager to answer my questions, sometimes over-explaining things to ensure I understand. However, there isn't always a continuity of care. It's like they forget about me when I leave, we've discussed particulars of our case multiple times because they don't remember it from visit to visit...
How was your experience with Jeremy Groll at SpringCreek Fertility?
Dr. Groll is adorably awkward. We've joked about his love of all things 'geek' (Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Witcher, etc) and that awkwardness can come across in our interactions sometimes. However, he has never shied away from hard truths, and he always takes the time to ensure that we understand the treatment plan. He doesn't go into loads of detail unless you ask, however, so if you are the type of person who is uncomfortable asking questions of doctors, he will seem very brief and curt. He has always been open to discussing alternative treatments and every fringe theory I've found on the internet, compassionately, and without making me feel desperate or crazy.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jeremy Groll at SpringCreek Fertility?
Speak up! He's going to assume you understand everything unless you speak up. He knows that people who end up in his office have typically already done a ton of research, so he operates on the assumption that everyone has a baseline of knowledge of terms and procedures.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jeremy Groll at SpringCreek Fertility?
When I am face to face with the nurses, they are warm and friendly. When we are speaking on the phone, the whole IVF team is always eager to answer my questions, sometimes over-explaining things to ensure I understand. However, there isn't always a continuity of care. It's like they forget about me when I leave, we've discussed particulars of our case multiple times because they don't remember it from visit to visit.
Describe the protocols Jeremy Groll used in your cycles at SpringCreek Fertility and their degree of success.
Our IUI was simply a matter of convenience, my husband had a great sperm count on his last SA and we had our consult right before my cycle started. I was only on Clomid for that cycle. My egg retrieval was with estrace, Menopur, Ganirelix, Follistim, and a trigger of Ovidrel. My treatment was fairly standard, with twice daily oral estrace, once daily injections of Menopur and Follistim for 10 days, 4 days of Ganirelix, then a single dose of Ovidrel the day before retrieval. I do not have any diagnosis that would imply an issue with egg quality or quantity, so I believe this is the clinics standard protocol. I had to stim for 2 days longer than we planned, but we were able to get 5 more follicles to size by waiting those 2 days. We retrieved 20 eggs, and ended up with 5 usable embryos. Dr. Groll was happy with that number, as he that was the number he had projected at the beginning. All three of our transfers have had the exact same protocol, which is the clinic template. Estrace orally three times a day, acyclovir and letrozole for 5 days starting the day after baseline. 5 days before transfer, I started vaginal prometrium (twice daily), Prednisone (twice daily), Z-Pack, and Progesterone in Oil. Our first transfer ended in a miscarriage at 10 weeks, and the other two were failed. Dr. Groll wanted to do ab ERA after our second FET (first failure), but we decided to wait. We are starting on the process of an ERA now!
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at SpringCreek Fertility.
They rotate a lot, there's only been 1 nurse who has stayed the whole 5 years we've been with the clinic. But they are all bubbly, compassionate, and knowledgeable. They also aren't afraid to say "You know, I'm not 100% sure, let me check and I'll call you right back", which I really appreciate.
Describe your experience with SpringCreek Fertility.
Strengths - communication, knowledgeable, hands-on treatment by Dr. Groll, flexible
Weaknesses - lots of turnover in staff, large clientele
*Don't be afraid to ask questions, ask for explanations if necessary, advocate for yourself!!
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jeremy Groll at SpringCreek Fertility.
**We were cash pay, so that does affect these totals**
Egg Retrieval (including ICSI and PGS) - $14,759
Frozen Embryo Transfer - $3750
Transfer medication - $750
Describe Jeremy Groll's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at SpringCreek Fertility.
Dr. Groll is very opinionated on eSET. When we asked about the possibility of transferring more than one embryo, he said, point blank, no. He said, "My goal is to ensure a healthy pregnancy and healthy mama. There is no evidence to support the risks of a multiple pregnancy over the success ratio of transferring multiple embryos." When my husband asked for clarification, he said "There is no reliable evidence that a transfer with multiple embryos that successfully results in a single birth wouldn't have been successful if only 1 embryo was transferred. However the risks of pregnancy with multiples is well documented. It's not worth the risk to your wife's health to potentially have a multiple pregnancy."
What specific things went wrong at SpringCreek Fertility?
- Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Describe the specific things that went wrong at SpringCreek Fertility.
My medication wasn't called into the local pharmacy, which led to me running around for simple meds at the last minute.
10
Clinic
SpringCreek Fertility
Dayton