Sanaz Ghazal
HRC
Available Lines of Communication
Doctor email
Nurse email
Nurse email
Direct line to doctor
Direct line to nurse
Direct line to nurse
Not available by personal cell phone
Medical SchoolYale
ResidencyHarvard
FellowshipYale
Fullerton
1950 Sunnycrest Dr.
Fullerton, CA 92835
(714) 738-4200
7 assessments
0
Age
36
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
IVF, Donor Eggs, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
—
0
Dr. Ghazal was unavailable via email or phone and when asked questions regarding treatment lashed out with personal attacks against me instead of simply answering questions...was peaches and cream sweet during my first appointment, but due to the nature of our infertility and embryo adoption, my husband and I had questions and needed clarification so we scheduled a second appointment. I've never been treated so rudely nor have I been so personally attacked by a doctor. I left the office in tears and my husband was furious.
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Age
36
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
No
Race
European, Middle Eastern
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1st of 2 Docs
Treatment
IVF, Donor Eggs, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
—
0
How was your experience with Sanaz Ghazal at HRC?
Dr. Ghazal was peaches and cream sweet during my first appointment, but due to the nature of our infertility and embryo adoption, my husband and I had questions and needed clarification so we scheduled a second appointment. I've never been treated so rudely nor have I been so personally attacked by a doctor. I left the office in tears and my husband was furious. I received word about 2 weeks later that she was no longer employed by HRC and that our file was being transferred to Dr. Frederick in the Newport Beach office, who performed our transfer as schedule, unfortunately not resulting in a pregnancy.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sanaz Ghazal at HRC?
Don't be her patient. Run away. Run far, far away.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sanaz Ghazal at HRC?
Dr. Ghazal was unavailable via email or phone and when asked questions regarding treatment lashed out with personal attacks against me instead of simply answering questions.
Describe the protocols Sanaz Ghazal used in your cycles at HRC and their degree of success.
Starting with a week of Birth Control, then Lupron injections combined with alternating Estradiol and PIO injections, accompanied by Baby Aspirin daily. 5 days before transfer I started a prednisone pack.
Describe your experience with your nurse at HRC. (Assigned nurse: Natalija Matic)
The staff is very pleasant but it's hard to get a timely response from the Fullerton office. Nearly every email I sent (email was their requested/preferred form of contact) took a week of waiting and at least one additional follow up phone call to get a reply. It was incredibly frustrating and I was made to feel like a nuisance. They also were very quick to pass the blame instead of taking responsibility when something wasn't done correctly.
Describe your experience with HRC.
The Fullerton location only handles office visits and blood work. Actual transfers take place at the Newport Beach office. The first half-hour of parking is free, then paid thereafter. Even if you come for quick labs first thing in the morning, you will wait well beyond your appointment time. The staff, though not great with time management or responding to emails, is very nice.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Sanaz Ghazal at HRC.
For transferring embryos to the clinic, medications, and one FET cycle, the cost was about $7,000.
Describe Sanaz Ghazal's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at HRC.
Dr. Ghazal did not perform our transfer; however, we had discussed transferring two embryos due to the quality of the embryos and my age (which we ultimately did).
What specific things went wrong at HRC?
- Lost paperwork
- Failed to call with results
- Provided conflicting information
- Failed to convey critical information
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Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
9
Age
38
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
1 IUI, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
Tubal Blockage, Uterine Fibroids
9
Dr. Ghazal answered every single one of my questions each time I spoke with her. She has a great bedside manner and she makes it a point to answer your questions in a very detailed manner, so that there is no confusion. She listened to my struggle, and responded in a compassionate manner. I did not feel as though she was trying to rush me out of her office.... The only downside is that I did not get much contact with her and everything is communicated through her nurses and coordinators.
+ Read more
Age
38
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
?
Race
Black or African-American
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
Nurse or HC Services
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
1 IUI, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
Tubal Blockage, Uterine Fibroids
9
How was your experience with Sanaz Ghazal at HRC?
Strengths: Dr. Ghazal is highly trained and has a lot of great experience in the field and she has the highest fertility rates in the clinic. When you ask her a question, she is straightforward, authentic, and detailed. When she shared information that I considered bad news for me, she was compassionate and did it in such a way that made me feel that there was hope for my situation. The only downside is that I did not get much contact with her and everything is communicated through her nurses and coordinators. Yet, when she did meet with you over the phone or in-person, she made you feel as though she was present with you and not trying to rush off to the next patient.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sanaz Ghazal at HRC?
If you want a doctor who will be available by phone or text or more available, Dr. Ghazal is not the one.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sanaz Ghazal at HRC?
Dr. Ghazal answered every single one of my questions each time I spoke with her. She has a great bedside manner and she makes it a point to answer your questions in a very detailed manner, so that there is no confusion. She listened to my struggle, and responded in a compassionate manner. I did not feel as though she was trying to rush me out of her office.
Describe the protocols Sanaz Ghazal used in your cycles at HRC and their degree of success.
Because I am an older person, with great eggs but with numerous complications with my uterus, the goal was to try to go slightly more aggressive with my medications, so that I can produce a lot more eggs for my egg retrieval, in the hopes that when the eggs are fertilized, I can get the most genetically normal embryos possible. Then I would freeze these embryos, fix the problems with my uterus, and then do a frozen embryo transfer. The goal is to be successful in maintaining a pregnancy and reducing the chances of miscarriage. I believe the drug protocol is similar for most IVF cycles, just the dosage may be different. The overall goal is to have one successful IVF cycle with great outcomes in regard to have a number of genetically normal embryos.
Describe your experience with your nurse at HRC. (Assigned nurse: Natalijia)
Regarding the clinic, there seems to be people switching into new roles often within the office. When it seems as if you are going to do a procedure right away, they are very responsive to emails and other forms of communication. Yet, it seems as though if your procedure is not happening for a few months, they take longer to respond to emails (if at all).
Describe your experience with HRC.
Weaknesses: They seem more responsive at the start of your process (consultation/diagnostic workup/treatment planning); yet if you wait a few months for the actual procedure, they seem less responsive to questions you might have. You can be on hold for a long time early in the morning. Financial people seem to change often. I would have preferred more direct contact with the RE to ask questions when they came to mind.
Strengths include having a very well trained doctor (Dr. Ghazal) with great rates of success. The cost of treatment is clearly delineated in their forms, so you are not going in blind. They have one of the best labs in the nation.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Sanaz Ghazal at HRC.
For one cycle of IVF, including genetic screening of any embryos, and freezing embryos, I was looking at a bill around $21,000 out of pocket. This estimate also includes the price of fertility medications for the one cycle. You can also tack on an additional $2000 to 3000 for diagnostic procedures conducted prior to treatment planning. These are all out of pocket costs.
Describe Sanaz Ghazal's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at HRC.
My doctor had a strong preference for single embryo transfer, primarily because there is a higher success rate for a single embryo transfer. Also, she explained that if you place more than one embryo into the uterus, you never know whether one of those embryos will split and produce twins and triplets. So she wants to reduce the chance of multiple unexpected growing babies.
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Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
10
Age
32
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
—
Diagnosis
Male Factor
10
I've just started my journey at HRC but so far Dr. Ghazal has been warm, welcoming, and very thorough with her plan to handle our specific case. She understands the problems we are currently facing with our MFI, and currently undergoing the process to find out what if any diagnosis I have for my fertility.... Since my husband has severe MFI, he would have to undergo a TESE or mTESE to extract sperm so that they can then be frozen and injected directly into my eggs via ICSI. This would also help our fertilization rates as an embryologist does this task skillfully.
+ Read more
Age
32
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
?
Race
European
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
Marketer or PR
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
—
Diagnosis
Male Factor
10
How was your experience with Sanaz Ghazal at HRC?
I've just started my journey at HRC but so far Dr. Ghazal has been warm, welcoming, and very thorough with her plan to handle our specific case. She understands the problems we are currently facing with our MFI, and currently undergoing the process to find out what if any diagnosis I have for my fertility.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sanaz Ghazal at HRC?
Be honest and open throughout the process.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sanaz Ghazal at HRC?
She really, really cares about her patients succeeding and overcoming infertility and does her best to help you achieve your dreams.
Describe the protocols Sanaz Ghazal used in your cycles at HRC and their degree of success.
Since my husband has severe MFI, he would have to undergo a TESE or mTESE to extract sperm so that they can then be frozen and injected directly into my eggs via ICSI. This would also help our fertilization rates as an embryologist does this task skillfully. We do not yet know my current course of action as I have not completed all necessary testing.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
So far we have only dealt with the front desk coordinator and she was very kind, soft spoken, and very accommodating to our inquiries and where we could seek out further information should we need it.
Describe your experience with HRC.
Their strengths is everything being in-house. From the REs personal offices, to the lab/embryo storage, to egg retrievals and transfers. It is nice to know that they do not send you elsewhere for any part of the process and you are set in one location.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Sanaz Ghazal at HRC.
Right now we do not know the total cost for a single round of IVF as we will be discussing these details in our upcoming appointment.
Describe Sanaz Ghazal's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at HRC.
She believes that if you want one baby, you transfer one embryo. If you want two babies, you transfer two. No need to transfer two embryos if you just want a single child.
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10
Age
27
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
1 IUI, 1 IVF, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Male Factor
10
Dr. Ghazal is wonderful with patients. She explains thoroughly the process, always discusses the risks as well as the success rates. She does not sugar coat things. If she feels something is not going to give the best result she shared that with her patients. She is the best doctor I've ever had....I used a microdose lupron protocol for my first IVF cycle. For me Idid ok with an end result of two embryos. I did not get to transfer because they did not pass pgs testing. The next month I did my first IUI with Dr. Ghazal but had a NP do the procedure.
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Age
27
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
No
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1st of 2 Docs
Treatment
1 IUI, 1 IVF, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Male Factor
10
How was your experience with Sanaz Ghazal at HRC?
Dr. Ghazal is wonderful with patients. She explains thoroughly the process, always discusses the risks as well as the success rates. She does not sugar coat things. If she feels something is not going to give the best result she shared that with her patients. She is the best doctor I've ever had.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sanaz Ghazal at HRC?
Be honest with her. Tell her your goals and fears so she can address them and discuss them with you.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sanaz Ghazal at HRC?
Dr. Ghazal was incredible. She was direct in diagnosing but always showed care and compassion. I never felt like a number. I trust her judgement completely.
Describe the protocols Sanaz Ghazal used in your cycles at HRC and their degree of success.
I used a microdose lupron protocol for my first IVF cycle. For me Idid ok with an end result of two embryos. I did not get to transfer because they did not pass pgs testing. The next month I did my first IUI with Dr. Ghazal but had a NP do the procedure. It was an awful experience with the nurse and all I wanted was my doctor. Now I am at a new clinic where Dr. Ghazal has moved and am starting a new IUI.
Describe your experience with your nurse at HRC.
HRC took forever to get information to you from the nurses. They did not seem very compassionate but overly busy. They gave you your information then moved on
Describe your experience with HRC.
The nursing staff did not provide the kindness and care a fertility clinic should give. This is a challenging emotional time and it's like we're a number to them. They give us direct info (schedule, calendar, results) and then move on.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Sanaz Ghazal at HRC.
My insurance covered 80%of my treatment so it was very doable for us cost wise.
Describe Sanaz Ghazal's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at HRC.
She openly shares what she thinks is best which is eSET but allows the patient to decide ultimately. However she will never do something that could be unhealthy or dangerous to the patient.
What specific things went wrong at HRC?
- Failed to call with results
- Failed to order appropriate test
- Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
- Failed to convey critical information
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10
Age
40 - 41
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
4 IUI, 2 IVF
Diagnosis
—
10
Dr. Ghazal is a highly knowledgeable individual. She is on top of the current research and statistics. She is straight forward and doesn't sugar coat the possibilities or outcomes. As well as, supportive and compassionate. This process in itself is very stressful, Dr. Ghazal is always very calming and caring. She was always easy to talk to and ask questions. She never mad me fell like I was bothering her or asking dumb questions. My relationship with Dr. Ghazal was very open because she's very personable.
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Age
40 - 41
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
?
Race
European
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
Teacher
Order & Number of Docs Seen
4th of 4 Docs
Treatment
4 IUI, 2 IVF
Diagnosis
—
10
How was your experience with Sanaz Ghazal at HRC?
Dr. Ghazal is a highly knowledgeable individual. She is on top of the current research and statistics. She is straight forward and doesn't sugar coat the possibilities or outcomes. As well as, supportive and compassionate. This process in itself is very stressful, Dr. Ghazal is always very calming and caring. She was always easy to talk to and ask questions. She never mad me fell like I was bothering her or asking dumb questions. My relationship with Dr. Ghazal was very open because she's very personable.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sanaz Ghazal at HRC?
Stay on top of the office staff.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sanaz Ghazal at HRC?
Dr. Ghazal is very personal and knew me very well. I can't say that for the rest of clinic, but she is exceptional.
Describe the protocols Sanaz Ghazal used in your cycles at HRC and their degree of success.
Metformin and Levothyroxine leading up to cycles and continued throughout. Injectable stimulation lupin, menapour, and 1 other. Two egg retival cycle, with PGS testing. Transferred 1 chromosomal healthy embryo. Currently pregnant, but may be loosing. :(
Describe your experience with your nurse at HRC. (Assigned nurse: Natalija Matic)
Face to face encounters with Natalija she was very personable and responsive. Over the phone is would add stress and was many times unclear and didn't answer all our concerns. Email was about the same as on phone. She mixed me up a few times.
Nursing staff at RSA for all procedures were exceptional!
Describe the costs associated with your care under Sanaz Ghazal at HRC.
Hystroscopes were $500 each partial insurance coverage. 24,000 for two cycle retrieval, pgs testing, and transfer. There were other expenses along the way. Medications were separate. Ultrasounds once pregnant are $270
Describe Sanaz Ghazal's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at HRC.
Didn't have a choice. Only 1 embryo resulted in healthy.
What specific things went wrong at HRC?
- Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
- Failed to call with results
- Failed to order appropriate test
- Provided conflicting information
- Failed to consider drug intolerance
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Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
10
Age
33
Treated
2017
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
IVF, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
Poor Egg Quality
10
Dr. Ghazal is very compassionate and caring. She made us feel very comfortable. She always explained the procedure and protocol thoroughly...Dr.Ghazal is very professional and knowledgeable.She always answered all our questions and explained our procedure in details. We worked with her for a whole year, unfortunately, it did not work due to poor egg quality...After my chemical pregnancy, I was not scheduled for blood work if my betas went back to zero.
+ Read more
Age
33
Treated
2017
Success with this Doc
No
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
IVF, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
Poor Egg Quality
10
How was your experience with Sanaz Ghazal at HRC?
Dr.Ghazal is very professional and knowledgeable.She always answered all our questions and explained our procedure in details. We worked with her for a whole year, unfortunately, it did not work due to poor egg quality.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sanaz Ghazal at HRC?
Do your best not to work with Dr. Ghazal's coordinator Natalija and request for another one from the beginning
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sanaz Ghazal at HRC?
Dr. Ghazal is very compassionate and caring. She made us feel very comfortable. She always explained the procedure and protocol thoroughly
Describe the protocols Sanaz Ghazal used in your cycles at HRC and their degree of success.
Gonal F, Menopur, Centrotide
Metformin and Omnitrope
Describe your experience with your nurse at HRC.
Our first coordinator Natalija was not compassionate and never answered our questions and impossible to get ahold via phone or email. Our second coordinator Natalie was the opposite and always answered in a timely manner. She made us very comfortable working with her. We would highly recommend her. The nursing staff at the Surgery Center is amazing!
Describe your experience with HRC.
Good lab, nice office in Newport Beach. The staff in Fullerton office is sometimes disorganized (forgot to put our appointment into a system, and waisted our time coming to the clinic when the doctor was already gone for the day). We preferred working with the Newport office.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Sanaz Ghazal at HRC.
Our IVF and medication were partially covered by health insurance
Describe Sanaz Ghazal's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at HRC.
Only had one normal embryo in three IVF's
What specific things went wrong at HRC?
- Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
- Lost appointments
- Failed to call with results
- Failed to order appropriate test
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10
Age
38 - 40
Treated
2017 - 2019
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
1 IVF
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
She has been our biggest cheerleader.. our daughter was born with a genetic defect despite PGS testing and passed away at 7 weeks. She has taken good care of us, treated us gently and helped us explore all options when it comes to growing our family after our loss. ... Do your home work.. she’s extremely intelligent, and I’ve found that it’s easier to communicate when you have done your research.
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Age
38 - 40
Treated
2017 - 2019
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
1 IVF
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
How was your experience with Sanaz Ghazal at American Reproductive Centers?
She has been our biggest cheerleader.. our daughter was born with a genetic defect despite PGS testing and passed away at 7 weeks. She has taken good care of us, treated us gently and helped us explore all options when it comes to growing our family after our loss.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sanaz Ghazal at American Reproductive Centers?
Do your home work.. she’s extremely intelligent, and I’ve found that it’s easier to communicate when you have done your research.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sanaz Ghazal at American Reproductive Centers?
She is available to us via email, or phone, with a quick response. She takes her time to explain everything.
Describe your experience with American Reproductive Centers.
They don’t communicate well.. they didn’t go over my chart on the first visit and made me re tell stories of my loss. They don’t work with any financial Institutions for loans or grants for fertility.
The only reason we are at the clinic is dr ghazal is there.
The actual office is fine, with tiny rooms for meetings and consults. Given the nature of the conversations it can feel
Claustrophobic in the rooms.
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