Sara Vaughn

We honestly couldn't have imagined a better experience. Dr. Vaughn is thoughtful, compassionate, professional, and always patiently and meticulously answered all of our questions. She was thoroughly prepared from the start, with slides to walk us through what to expect, presented it in an optimistic manner that was balanced by an honest appraisal, very data-driven but in a way even those without medical background can understand, and never missed the human element, even with the challenge of a virtual consultation amidst the first major wave of COVID-19. Added together this was very reassuring to us as the IVF journey can seem quite intimidating. Dr. Vaughn also planned the treatment according to our needs. At our first appointment, we told her if possible we'd like to plan having more than one child in the future. Based on the first egg retrieval results, she suggested a second one for a more comfortable margin of success given our family planning. Although we had been trying for more than a year and I wanted to be pregnant as soon as possible, we felt comfortable with her advice because she explained in detail the multitude of reasons why this was the smarter choice. After following her plan, we now should have enough healthy embryos.

Don’t hesitate to ask questions. Dr. Vaughn is very patient and she explains everything very clearly. It certainly helps ease a lot of potential anxiety. I remember after my first transfer failed, I asked Dr. Vaughn if we should implant multiple embryos instead of one to increase the chance of success. She told me that not only it will increase the risk of multiple births, it is also possible I’ll lose multiple healthy embryos if my body isn’t well-prepared. My second transfer was successful. Hang in there and don't give up.

We were very lucky to have our treatments covered by insurance.

We came to Dr. Vaughn after a discouraging attempt with a different doctor another practice a year earlier. Immediately, the difference in her approach was clear. Our first appointment revolved around setting up a plan for treatment. She came in with an immense knowledge of my entire health history, better than even I knew it. A clear plan of action was developed, taking our input as needed. We left the initial appointment feeling confident, with the right level of cautious optimism and understanding of the chances and risks. It was relieving to know that we were (finally) in good hands. One thing I really think sets Dr. Vaughn apart is her ability to clearly convey medical information. Throughout my treatment, I had lots of questions, and she would always answer every one with the perfect level of detail. It never felt condescending or rushed, and I would joke with my friends that I was getting a mini-fertility lesson each time I saw her. My treatment involved lots of monitoring through ultrasounds, which when I've had them at other locations were incredibly awkward/uncomfortable. While still not a 'fun' experience, Dr. Vaughn recognized I was nervous and would talk throughout the procedure with me and calm me down by explaining what we were looking at and what we were looking for. As an engineer and scientist, the learning and conversation was something that helped me persevere on and reach the goal of having a baby. Dr. Vaughn always had excellent bed side manner. She would always smile when she came into the room and take the time to ask how I was doing. Struggling with infertility can be emotionally hard sometimes, but whenever I had an appointment with her I felt strengthened and encouraged, not by false promises but by a confidence that there was a plan and she would be there with me to go through it. I really wish all my doctors could be as good as Dr. Vaughn. My husband and I agree that she is by far the best doctor either of us have ever had and that she was so much more than we could have asked for. Our baby boy is due in 5 more weeks, and I really do believe we owe it all to Dr. Vaughn.

Don't wait. I lost a year of time after going to a different doctor and getting scared off by fertility treatments. Dr. Vaughn is a great doctor and I wish I had started seeing her sooner.

*Understanding of source of infertility (anovultion due to PCOS) through blood test, MRI, ultrasounds, saline sonogram, analysis of husband's sperm *5 rounds of letrozole to induce ovulation. She got the right dose on the first time - Two IUIs - Three natural approaches (the shots/number of appointments stressed me out due to a busy time at my work, so she explained the risks and modified my plan for a few cycles.) Result: baby boy.

Dr. Vaughn was so knowledgeable and shared her knowledge so freely that I felt a sense of trust in her from the get-go. She always greeted me warmly, explained each step of treatment thoroughly, and provided thoughtful answers to my many questions. Although I know I was far from her only patient, it felt like she remembered me well at each appointment and was able to comment on the specifics of my treatment. Dr. Vaughn was very friendly and I looked forward to seeing her at each appointment. She and the team made the experience as smooth and painless as it could have possibly been.

If you are wondering something about your treatment, ask! Dr. Vaughn is so willing to explain each step in accessible language and you will feel more comfortable the more informed you are.

I believe it was an antagonist protocol. I was on Menopur, Gonal-F and Cetrotide before my retrieval, and the injection period lasted 12 or 13 days. Dr. Vaughn monitored me often and adjusted my dosage as necessary. Her excellent judgment led to a highly successful egg retrieval (21 eggs) which resulted in 11 5-day blasts, 7 of which were PGS normal.

The early morning appointments were very efficient and worked well for my schedule. I was usually seen immediately after arriving and was out the door in 15 minutes or less.

We were incredibly fortunate to have out entire cycle covered with Progyny.

Dr. Vaughn explained clearly at our consult that the goal was one healthy baby and the rationale for transferring one embryo at a time. It made lots of sense to us.

I had an exceptionally positive experience with Dr. Vaughn, and not just because we had an outcome that exceeded all expectations (frozen 27 eggs when I was fully prepared to be happy with 10). I appreciated how forthcoming she was with information, how she answered all my questions and never appeared rushed. I felt that she offered the perfect balance of honesty and warmth, and I could not imagine a better RE for this step in my journey.

You would be lucky to have her.

Birth control, then GonalF + Menopur (low dose for both... response was very strong), then Lupron + Novarel trigger. The whole cycle took ~12 days from the start of injectables to retrieval.

$8750 for egg freezing plus a few hundred for the initial consultations, plus medications. The bulk of the cost is going to be embryology and transfer, so I am bracing myself.

We have not gotten to embryo transfer yet, but my sense is that Dr. Vaughn would be cautious.

In terms of strengths, I think Dr. Vaughn excels in professionalism, intelligence, kindness, warmth, empathy, and competence. I can't think of weakness for her. Like the people reading this review, I was well informed and well researched heading into this process and knew what would suit my personality type and the type of care I needed, and Dr. Vuaghn met my every expectation.

I hate to paint such a rosy picture without any constructive feedback, but I wouldn't give you any advice other than if you want a warm, caring, nurturing--and ultra-competent doctor to take care of you, call Dr. Vaughn now.

For our treatment, we of course first did all of the necessary testing and landed in the undiagnosed fertility category. Once treatment began, I started with Clomid, then triggered Ovidrel--having the IUI procedure two days later. The plan was to try that three times and then discuss other options if that didn't work. The first round was not successful but the second round was. Dr. Vaughns's rationale for using IUI as a first treatment was mostly my age (and I'm sure lots of other really logical concepts I don't remember). I remember she felt really confident about the treatment plan and so did we.

I don't think this is the cheapest option, but you pay for the exceptional service and extremely well-qualified doctors/staff.

Dr. Vaughn was a very clear communicator, which I appreciated. She shared the facts and studies she was using to make her decisions, and also sent me the papers after our appointments so I could read up on them myself. She also is very insightful into treatment for patients with diminished ovarian reserve, and modified my treatment plan throughout my cycles. With her modifications, I went from retrieving 3 and 2 eggs (cycles 1 and 2) to retrieving 15 and 15 eggs (cycles 3 and 4). I would highly recommend her to anyone undergoing IVF, especially those with diminished ovarian reserve.

If you don't understand something, ask lots of questions until you do! Dr. Vaughn is great at explaining complicated medical concepts, and is more than comfortable going into the weeds if you want details.

Since I had low follicle count, we did a min stim protocol for cycles 1 and 2 (and got 3 and 2 eggs). Dr. Vaughn suggested that I try removing my IUD after cycle 1 - she said that studies show that it shouldn't make a difference, but that some of her patients had seen better results after IUD removal. We also switched to a flare protocol (microdose lupron flare) with antagonist priming (testosterone and estrace) for cycles 3 and 4, and had much better results (15 and 16 eggs).

I was charged for medication through Alto (pharmacy), and Spring charged me for the appointments and blood work.

I had a wonderful experience with Dr. Vaughn from start to finish. I felt that she was genuinely invested in my comfort with each step of the process and in my overall success with egg retrieval. She was great about explaining each step the process and clearly communicating what comes next after each visit. She was friendly, relatable and positive. Most importantly, she made what once seemed an intimidating process completely attainable. I felt incredibly well cared for during my time with Dr. Vaughn.

I would advise anyone considering egg retrieval and freezing not to hesitate to reach out and learn more. I would encourage them to place their trust in Dr. Vaughn and her amazing team, as they are true professionals and lovely people.

My egg retrieval treatment included regular appointments for ultrasounds to monitor ovarian follicle growth and bloodwork to monitor hormone levels. I began with 10 days of birth control and then moved on to 12 total days of twice daily injections before my retrieval.

The cost of the egg retrieval procedure was $8,500 with the option for a payment plan and the medication ended up at around $4,000.

From my very first appointment with Dr.Vaughn, I felt that I was in very capable hands. It was important for me to have a female doctor as i went through this journey. She has immaculate bedside manners, and professionalism. She also educated me along the way, so that I understood the fertility process much better than i had months prior. She was honest with me about my prospects, while at the same time encouraging optimism, striking a good balance for fertility-related care.

Ask questions, be realistic about your expectations, relax. You're in good hands.

Dr. Vaughn adjusted my treatments based on the results of my first cycle, which was not so satisfactory. She recommended a more aggressive treatment, informed me about the inconvenience involved (more injections), and this led to more successful cycles.

Dr. Vaughn is one of the best doctors I've ever had. Before finding her, I had met with half a dozen fertility doctors over the course of a year and half. During that time, these other doctors were unable to determine why I wasn't getting my period and/or wasn't ovulating. And all but one told me I had very little hope of conceiving and that I should immediately start IVF if I wanted any chance of having a baby. By contrast, Dr. Vaughn proposed running a limited number of tests to determine my egg count, hormone levels, etc. And upon looking at the results, Dr. Vaughn figured out that I likely had a borderline case of "lean" PCOS, and that using clomid and ovidrel would likely be successful. And because of my egg reserve and age, she saw no reason why we would need to move to IVF immediately unless I wanted to. I was so relieved I cried tears of joy. And Dr. Vaughn was absolutely right: we got pregnant on our very first cycle of clomid/ovidrel and I had a beautiful, healthy baby girl. After that, Dr. Vaughn kept in touch and helped me make some critical decisions when I needed to seek fertility treatment again but no longer had insurance coverage that enabled me to be treated by her. And even before that, Dr. Vaughn was very understanding and sensitive to what tests and treatment were covered by insurance so that I would not end up with huge out of pocket expenses if at all possible--I've yet to see a doctor before or since who was so proactive and conscientious about costs when I expressed concern. She also worked hard to make sure she was available for all of my appointments - including ultrasounds - so that I wasn't simply scheduled with whoever was in the office at the time. In short, Dr. Vaughn is exceedingly smart, kind, thoughtful, and attuned to her patients' wants and needs. I could not endorse her more strongly.

If you have any doubt, just meet with Dr. Vaughn to see what you think. I'm confident her smarts and kindness will persuade you that she is a fantastic and caring doctor.

I used a low dose of clomid and ovidrel. So far as I understand it and can recall, the rationale was that I ovulate irregularly, which makes it very hard to use timed-intercourse effectively through natural means. We started with a low dose of clomid to see if that would be sufficient to grow a follicle and stimulate ovulation - and it was. I then used the ovidrel to trigger ovulation and had timed intercourse. It all worked perfectly.

I did not have to pay for any of the diagnostic tests or appointments. But due to my insurance, I did have to pay for treatment.

I had three treatment cycles with Dr Vaughn this summer, and my experience has been nothing but great from the initial consultant to the final procedure/surgery. During the initial consultant session, she was very patient in understanding my goal and explaining everything in an easy-to-understand. Each appointment with Dr. Vaughn is warm and personable, I trusted her every step of of the process. I highly recommend.

Don't hesitate to contact Dr. Vaughn.

$1500