How was your experience with Kaylen Silverberg at Texas Fertility Center?
After decades of being told that my insanely heavy periods were not a big deal, years of trying to conceive unsuccessfully, and a recent misdiagnosis of PCOS, meeting Dr. Silverberg was like a breath of fresh air. I was originally referred to him because polyps and a mullerian anomaly was detected in a saline ultrasound. In our first visit, we went over my records, administered a transvaginal ultrasound, and determined:
- I didn't have PCOS
- I had a septum
- My endometrium may have been one of the thickest he'd seen in his career, I probably make too much estrogen, and it's no wonder my periods are insane
Bam, right out of the gate! His level of confidence in that visit and familiarity with my whacked out reproductive system was reassuring. He'd seen issues like these before, and he knows how to fix them. This felt wonderful after so many doctors being mystified in the past or claiming I must have been exaggerating symptoms. Silverberg never doubted or down-played anything I said.
We worked together over the course of a couple months to get my endometrium thin enough so he could perform a laparoscopy and hysteroscopy. In addition to removing the septum and polyps, he said he would laser ("zap!") any endometriosis I had, to which I replied that I'd been told several times in the past that I don't have endo. And, of course, he found and removed several instances of Stage 1 and 2 endometriosis. He also verified that my tubes were clear, just to make sure, which was nice. He performed the hysteroscopy with way more care and precision than a previous doctor, and I would absolutely trust him again with any surgery of this nature. We then went on to try a few medicated cycles and IUIs under his care.
The good:
If you have an appointment with Silverberg, you see him every time. Sometimes the appointments are extremely fast, as it is with REs, but if you feel overwhelmed by information, he will take the time to slow down. After one appointment, I felt so overwhelmed that his nurses secured another meeting room and he returned to walk me through additional information. He genuinely seemed invested in my level of comfort.
He's also incredibly knowledgeable, and seems to truly love what he does. He geeks out over this stuff in the best way possible. It's important that he tries to find the root cause of a patient's infertility, not just throw random treatments at it. He has great bedside manner and I always enjoyed interacting with him.
The OK:
I might be too cynical, but his level of confidence made me suspicious at times. He would always state that my ovaries were "beautiful" and I had a lot of eggs, and inferred that I should have a smooth time getting pregnant. I may have a lot of eggs, but my baby count is still zero, so it doesn't mean it's easy for me.
This could be positive or negative depending on the style of RE you're seeking, but Silverberg's approach in rooted in science. He's not going to tell you to take a ton of supplements and herbs or eat a special diet, but he will make recommendations based on studies, science, and stats. I liked this science-based approach, but I guess I also would like to have explored additional options that help my chances, even if only incrementally.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Kaylen Silverberg at Texas Fertility Center?
Don't be afraid to tell him to slow down or take extra time explaining something. He will gladly do so, but you need to speak up.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Kaylen Silverberg at Texas Fertility Center?
Dr. Silverberg has excellent bedside manner. He is very warm and has a great sense of humor. He is empathetic but also portrays a lot of confidence in the treatment process.
Describe the protocols Kaylen Silverberg used in your cycles at Texas Fertility Center and their degree of success.
50mg Clomid (5 days, starting on cycle day 3) with Ovidrel trigger shot
Describe your experience with your nurse at Texas Fertility Center.
Depending on which RE you see at the Texas Fertility Center, they have a dedicated nursing staff, so you're usually dealing with the same nurses each time. You won't always get them on the phone when you call, but they do a good job calling you back the same business day and are generally very responsive and helpful. The weekend nurse was also extremely helpful when I had an urgent issue on a Saturday.
The only issue I encountered with the nursing staff is there seems to be miscommunication sometimes. Specific example: I was experiencing spotting (not pregnant, preparing for an IUI), so I called the nurse to see if the doctor wants me to increase a certain dosage. She called back and told me to start taking estrogen pills. I questioned this twice, because according to Silverberg, I literally make too much estrogen in my body -- it's the reason I have issues like polyps. The nurse said she asked the doctor, and he said to start the estrogen. Low and behold, my next in-person appointment with Silverberg, he said I shouldn't have been put on estrogen pills. I imagine miscommunications like this in fast-paced situations happen at a lot of fertility clinics, though, so you just have to question things if you feel they aren't right.
Describe your experience with Texas Fertility Center.
I have no complaints, the clinic itself is nice. The facility is welcoming enough and the staff are always friendly. Sometimes you have to wait a while for your appointment, but that's just the nature of visiting a fertility clinic: wait 45 minutes for a five-minute appointment.
Pro tip: I have always had to wait the longest if the appointment is between 4 and 5 on a weekday, and sometimes first-thing in the morning on the weekends takes a while because Silverberg will have new patient consultations (which is really a plus, because you know he'll take the time to discuss things when it's your turn). But if you can swing making appointments in the morning during the week, there's hardly any wait.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Kaylen Silverberg at Texas Fertility Center.
For anything related to my septum or polyps, it was billed to insurance and covered. My insurance does not cover fertility treatments, but there are a few good options at Texas Fertility Center like pre-paying for bloodwork that can help with some of the costs.
For IUI, it was about $800 per IUI cycle without insurance, including the prescriptions (including $200 trigger shot), appointments, ultrasound monitoring, semen testing and preparation, and IUI procedure.
They also have third-party financing options, which I did not use.
Describe Kaylen Silverberg's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Texas Fertility Center.
Silverberg prefers single embryo transfers in most cases, as stated in the IVF seminar he hosted
What specific things went wrong at Texas Fertility Center?
- Lost results
- Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Texas Fertility Center.
There was an instance of lost test results. After it was pointed out to the nursing staff, they were able to contact the testing lab and retrieve them pretty quickly.