Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
2020, Successful
Dr. Hansen encouraged one embryo, but left the decision to me. I chose two embryos each time and he did not argue...[he] was just the right balance of warm and professional...He spoke to my husband and myself for over an hour, about IVF My husband had previously been tested and we knew that IVF was our only choice..
I rarely had to wait more than 10 minutes for my appointments at OU...I always received prompt, same-day call backs from the same person [nurse], when I left messages of questions I had, between visits...I spent about $10,000 on IVF, each time, with ICSI for both...you will not see your doctor every time, especially if you start your treatment on the wrong rotation, because they teach classes. You will be something of a group project, however, it is an outstanding group
How was your experience with Karl Hansen at OU Physicians Reproductive Health?
I met Dr. Hansen through a virtual appointment during the Covid-19 lockdown. He spoke to my husband and myself for over an hour, about IVF My husband had previously been tested and we knew that IVF was our only choice, due to his sperm count. Dr. Hansen didn't make us repeat these tests, needlessly, and didn't discuss other things that either weren't possible with my husband's sperm count, like IUI, nor did he broach using donor sperm. He was very clear about our chances of conceiving and I never felt like he'd given us false hope, even after my first cycle failed. He was compassionate and clear that he thought my husband's sperm was the problem. He didn't push us to use donor sperm, but was also clear that he thought it would be more effective. When we began our second treatment, I started on a different rotation and didn't see Dr. Hansen quite as much, because OU is a university facility and all of their doctors teach. The doctors I saw in his place had all of the necessary information needed, however, and I still felt like they thought of me as an individual. Dr. Hansen did almost everything the first cycle and did a wonderful job, at that. The second time, he was not there for the egg retrieval, which I would have appreciated knowing in advance, but I'm not sure who is to blame for that procedural fumble.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Karl Hansen at OU Physicians Reproductive Health?
Dr. Hansen is wonderful, but OU is a university clinic. It's the best in the area, according to all CDC records, but you will likely not see Dr. Hansen, every time, because he teaches classes. He might not do your retrieval and he might not do your transfer. I had experiences with every doctor in the clinic, during my two back-to-back cycles and they were all great, though I'd have preferred to only see Hansen.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Karl Hansen at OU Physicians Reproductive Health?
Dr. Hansen was just the right balance of warm and professional. I felt cared for and like an individual, but I also didn't feel like he was trying overly hard to comfort me or manage my feelings, which I specifically did not want. When my first cycle failed, he called me on a Sunday and spent about 15-20 minutes on the phone with me, discussing why and what we could do differently. He guessed that my husband's sperm was the culprit and while he supported trying again and suggested collecting the sample closer to fertilization, he was very clear that if we used donor sperm, he felt we would have much better odds. I never felt pressured, either way, and my husband and I were able to really consider all of the facts to make an informed decision.
Describe the protocols Karl Hansen used in your cycles at OU Physicians Reproductive Health and their degree of success.
My first cycle was pretty standard. I started with 150 ml of Follistim and 1 unit of menopur. After six days, the Follistim was upped to 225 ml. I took Ganirelix for three days, stopped for one and triggered on day 10. I responded well, with 21 eggs, 16 mature. The second time, I started with 175 ml of Follistim, which was dropped after a few days and then once more. I took Ganirelix for three days, stopped for 1, and triggered on day 9. This produced 22 eggs, 16 mature.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at OU Physicians Reproductive Health.
I honestly don't remember if I had an assigned nurse, in large part because everyone was wearing masks and it was often a different person taking my blood. I think I was, though, because I always received prompt, same-day call backs from the same person, when I left messages of questions I had, between visits. Regardless, I don't remember any nurses being anything less than compassionate and friendly, even when one mentioned that she hadn't had power for nine days, because an ice storm hit during my second cycle. One nurse even comforted me when I finally broke down after my second egg retrieval.
Describe your experience with OU Physicians Reproductive Health.
OU is a university facility, which means that its' innovative and has the best success rates in the area, as a result, according to CDC records. It's also the cheapest in Oklahoma and many of the surrounding states. My actual IVF treatment, without medication, was less than $10,000. This also means, however, that you will not see your doctor every time, especially if you start your treatment on the wrong rotation, because they teach classes. You will be something of a group project, however, it is an outstanding group. I had experiences with every doctor and they were all overwhelmingly positive. I had the option of another nearby clinic, which cost more and would allow me to see the same doctor for every visit, but that clinic's ratings were nowhere near as good as OU's and all that mattered to me was getting a successful pregnancy, which I did, with OU.
There were also many times when I was seen with a resident in the room, so be prepared to have two or three people present during ultrasounds and procedures. The doctors will always discreet, so it didn't make much difference to me, since I was completely covered and they were all looking at the ultrasounds. I was even asked if a resident could view my egg retrieval and gave approval, though I don't know whether or not I actually would have been allowed to refuse. My transfers seemed to be done in a room full of people, but by this time, I didn't care who watched, especially if it would train future doctors to help other women get pregnant, because I just wanted a baby.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at OU Physicians Reproductive Health.
I rarely had to wait more than 10 minutes for my appointments at OU. The one time I did was my only Friday appointment and was, unfortunately, just a couple of days after my retrieval, so sitting in the chair was quite painful, as I was on medication to prevent OHSS. However, I probably had over two dozen appointments here, in four months, so I consider that to be pretty good odds, albeit bad timing. If you arrive early, there will be a line at the door and they'll take names in order, so that does help, if you want to get in and out, but you shouldn't have to wait much past your appointment time, either way. A nurse always took me back and promptly did my bloodwork, or I could wait up to five or ten minutes for an ultrasound. I will probably have IVF flashbacks for the rest of my life, when I see HGTV, though, because that's what always played on the TV's.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Karl Hansen at OU Physicians Reproductive Health.
I spent about $10,000 on IVF, each time, with ICSI for both. This is lower than anything I've ever seen online. The medication was around $4,000, likely because the issue was not with me, but my husband, and I responded very well. This clinic uses SandsRX, which operates out of Texas and offers excellent, timely service. One day delivery is an option at no additional charge and extremely reliable, but the clinic has backups, if you're not keeping track and run out. Keep track of your medications, absolutely, becasue that is all on you and I don't think that's unique to this clinic. I used California Cryobank for sperm donation, the second time, and that was an additional $2500, because OU wanted me to order two vials. We only used one and the other is frozen, however I doubt we'll use it, because we're pregnant with twins and froze 6 additional embryos. The cost to freeze was an additional charge, around $1000.
Describe Karl Hansen's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at OU Physicians Reproductive Health.
Dr. Hansen encouraged one embryo, but left the decision to me. I chose two embryos each time and he did not argue.