How was your experience with Scott Lucidi at VCU Medical Center?
Our experience with Dr. Lucidi has been wonderful. I have tried other clinics in the past, but never really felt comfortable with them. Dr. Lucidi has thoroughly explained each treatment before we begin. This has included risks, any potential concerns, chance of success, step-by-step details on what the treatment entails. He has a very gentle and honest approach with every interaction we have. Dr. Lucidi is quick to respond to any follow-up questions or concerns we have that come up outside of his office. We also have not had any issues with not getting appointments scheduled with him. My only regret is not finding Dr. Lucidi sooner!
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Scott Lucidi at VCU Medical Center?
Do not be afraid to be honest and open in your conversations with Dr. Lucidi. There is no judgement. He is very understanding of what's going on. He uses humor from time to time, which caught us off guard at first. This isn't something we had experienced with our doctors.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Scott Lucidi at VCU Medical Center?
Dr. Lucidi has a great sense of humor, which really has helped put us at ease throughout our fertility journey. He has been very patient with all of our questions and doesn't get frustrated if we have asked the same questions before. Dr. Lucidi is very easy to talk to. I feel like I can be honest with how I'm feeling and can express concerns without judgement. He allows me to cry when needed without embarrassment. Dr. Lucidi is very gentle with his approach. I feel he has our best interest in mind every time we see. He doesn't pressure us or force us to make decisions on the spot. With each step, we've been able to take as much time as needed before moving into the next step. He's also available when needed outside of our appointments when we've had questions.
Describe the protocols Scott Lucidi used in your cycles at VCU Medical Center and their degree of success.
We began our fertility journey again after a break of approx. 5 years. This was due to needing time to heal past heartbreak, several moves from my job, and a surgery that delayed our progress. After moving to Virginia, I was referred to Dr. Lucidi by some friends. Because we had already completed may cycles with clomid and at least five or six IUIs at our prior fertility clinic, Dr. Lucidi began with some examinations and tests to insure things hadn't changed. While none of the prior treatments were successful, Dr. Lucidi recommended trying the IUI process two more times just to see what happened. With each treatment, he was able to see how my ovaries and uterus responded to the fertility drugs. He could also map my cervice and uterus to determine the best route my body needed for the catheter. To ensure we had a good number of follicles, I had several ultrasounds prior to the IUI to keep checking the progress. Dr. Lucidi wanted to ensure I was ovulating but didn't want to put me at risk of conceiving multiple babies. He prefers single births or twins to allow for a healthy pregnancy and baby. Unfortunately, my IUI treatments did not result in pregnancy. We are now looking to begin IVF treatment. Dr. Lucidi has walked us through what is involved, the risks, the chances of conceiving, what to expect with the medications, etc. We will start with regulating my cycle with birth control pills. After a few weeks, we should be able to start the drugs to prepare for the egg retrieval. They will also do an analysis of my husband's sperm to ensure there's no infertility risks there before they inseminate my eggs. After the eggs are fertilized, he said it could be about two weeks before they can complete a transfer. This allow time to see if the embryos form and to have the fertility drugs help prepare my uterus. During this time, I will be going to the clinic about every other day for an ultrasound to determine when my body is ready for the transfer. Dr. Lucidi recommended doing the frozen transfer because they have had a better success rate based on past studies. We could do a fresh transfer if we desired, but have opted to follow his recommendation on the frozen transfer. At this time, we are hoping to begin our IVF journey at the end of this year or early 2019.
Describe your experience with your nurse at VCU Medical Center. (Assigned nurse: Courtney)
Courtney has been fantastic to work with. She's got a friendly personality and is genuinely concerned for her patients. For us, she has gone above and beyond. As we began to consider IVF, we ran into a problem with our insurance company. She helped with the clinic and our insurance company to get VCU certified as a center for excellence. This will allow not only us to continue our treatments with them, but allow others with the same insurance to see Dr. Lucidi's assistance. This was a time consuming process that took 3-4 months to complete. During this time, she routinely checked in on me to see how we were doing while we waited to see what happened. Courtney goes above and beyond to care for her patients.
Describe your experience with VCU Medical Center.
The clinic moved to a new building earlier this year. It is very modern and allows for privacy. The staff is very friendly. The only thing that bothers me is that there seems to be a new receptionist every we time we go. This might just be the way VCU operates, but I would like to be able to build rapport with the full staff we interact with.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Scott Lucidi at VCU Medical Center.
Each IUI cycle was about $300. Thankfully our medical insurance helps cover a portion of the costs. IVF is estimated to be around $8,000. We are still trying to determine what portion our insurance will cover. I do not recall what the cost of the medication has been.
Describe Scott Lucidi's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at VCU Medical Center.
Dr. Lucidi prefers single embryo transfers to reduce the chances of multiple births. He is very concerned with the risks involved in a multi-embryo pregnancy. His goal is to keep the mother's risks as low as possible and do everything he can to allow for the birth of a healthy baby.