Shahryar K. Kavoussi

Dr, Kavoussi is a caring man with a huge heart. He is clearly committed to the success of every patient who walks through the door. He is kind with his approach, but he doesn't sugar coat things. And he knows what he is doing. Not only does he have decades of experience, but he stays current on all research. I could easily discuss papers with him that had just been published within several months. I felt like I had a great coach, leading the team to victory. And although he was not at every appointment, if I wanted to see him, I could. He didn't hide in an ivory tower - he was down in the trenches with you.

Do your research beforehand and come with lots of questions because he wants to answer them. Take charge of your care, Dr. SK will not be offended, he will appreciate your dedicated interest in your own protocol.

Since our problem was male factor, we began with his brother Dr. Parviz Kavoussi. Both are amazing doctors. Kind, understanding, up on research, intelligent, and honest. I also appreciated that they spoke to me like a professional. I have experience researching endocrine systems and didn't need things to be put in laymen terms. They *heard* me and we conversed on a level I felt appropriate. I was encouraged to ask questions always and could call night or day, any time, if I had concerns during the process. Also, my husband is an immigrant who is shy with his English. They never made him feel unwelcome or stupid.

Since our only issue is male factor (that cannot be reversed with medication) we had to do a full IVF cycle. Although, Dr. PK did allow us to try clomid for 3 months, just in case, which we appreciated. My hormonal values all showed normal for my age, with my AMH above average. We initially tried starting me on birth control, but both months I ovulated anyway. We decided that birth control was not a viable option for me. Additionally, we found polyps at a saline ultrasound and paused our start date to remove them. My stim protocol was moderately aggressive for my values, due to my age (37). We did have to adjust my use of ganirelix (started it early) because my body was wanting to ovulate sooner than my eggs would be ready. We also extended my stimulation shots by two days. At retrieval we got 14 eggs, but only 6 of them were mature. If we ever need to do another retrieval, we will use a double trigger shot.

Kate is very no nonsense, with a heart of gold. I have cried in her arms, I have pushed her with question after question, I have emailed her at all hours of the night. She is amazing. I always felt like she CARED about me as a person. She would ask me what was wrong if she could tell that I was "off". And I never felt rushed. She always asked "What questions do you have?" "What else do you need from me?" Kate is very compassionate.

The clinic overall does a great job with flexible scheduling, responding quickly, writing letters for you as needed for grants or insurance, and always being on call in case of emergencies or just panic attacks. Both Dr. S and Dr. P are staggeringly kind. And they never make you feel like a "bother". The only thing I wish they would improve on is their billing system. Their invoices don't really make much sense and I would like to have clear details to keep track of. Their fee breakdown sheets could use improvement as well.

I could go in for monitoring when it was convenient for me - as long as it was on the day I needed to go.

~$3,500 for a Micr-TESE, ~$9,000 for egg retrieval and fresh transfer,~$3000 for a frozen transfer, $250 each for post positive beta ultrasounds - no medications included. If things were "medical" they were billed to my insurance so I paid as little as possible.

Dr. Kavoussi says it is our decision. For women over 35 he recommends two, but ultimately it was our call.

Dr. Kavoussi is the kindest doctor I've ever seen as a patient. He combines compassion and personal attention with extreme attention to detail and as much or as little medical information/explanation as you want--which in our case was a lot. He always took time to listen, answer questions, draw diagrams if need be, and explain risks. We underwent 7 medicated cycles (6 TI, 1 IUI), and achieved two pregnancies from two of them. Unfortunately my DOR and poor egg quality led to two trisomy-related losses. The office could not have been kinder to us during these difficult times. I had two hysteroscopic surgeries along the way, which Dr. K personally performed. Again, his level of care, detail, and bedside manner were unmatched. After our second loss, we went on to IVF with PGS. Our first antagonist cycle produced 6 eggs, all of which fertilized abnormally. Our second Microdose Lupron cycle produced 10 eggs and 2 blastocysts, both of which came back PGS Abnormal. We were not willing to undergo another OE cycle, and we appreciate and respect that the doctor was honest and realistic about our statistical chances. He always called personally with bad news. He always called personally to congratulate good news. He always called personally to follow up and check in after a loss. He is a truly good man. We ultimately pursued DE overseas, as we could not afford it in the US. Dr. Kavoussi and his practice were still with us every step of the way, supporting our choice and providing local monitoring care. When we were successful (currently in 2nd trimester) with our first DE transfer, they were all over the moon overjoyed for us. Even though we never achieved a healthy take-home baby with this practice, we would not change a thing, and are so very grateful for them.

Morning appointments are only at Westlake. Afternoon appointments are only at James Casey. Sometimes there can be a wait, as with many offices. If you have an appointment early in the AM, you'll be seen quickly. Come with questions: they'll answer them.

We adore Dr. Kavoussi. From my very first appointment, I appreciated his warmth, candor, level of detail, and authenticity. I am a "high information" patient, and wanted the nitty gritty scientific details. He never talked down to me, and appreciated/encouraged my frequent research and questions. We experienced two tragic losses, and always felt that Dr. K, Kate, and the entire practice genuinely grieved with us, hoped the best for us, and prayed/rooted for us. WE LOVE Dr. K. and this practice.

Medicated cycles: 7.5 letrazole with ovridel trigger shot--each time, the plan was three cycles of this before moving on to more aggressive approach, and each time we got pregnant on the 3rd cycle. (The 1st one was a throw-away, as my HSG came back with polyps in the middle of that cycle, requiring surgery before trying again.) IVF with ICSI #1: 300 gonal-f, 75 menopur, cetrotide antagonist cycle. This was the recommended 1st place to start based on my AMH. (They wouldn't have done a long lupron cycle.) 6 mature eggs. All fertilized abnormally. IVF with ICSI #2: 300 gonal-f, 150 menopur, microdose lupron -- all in divided doses 2x a day. 10 eggs, 2 mature, both fertilized and made it to blast. Both PGS abnormal.

I love Kate. She is efficient but kind. We got to know each other well over our years in treatment, and she goes out of her way to e-mail, text, or even see you on a weekend if necessary. She is Dr. K's right hand woman, and is extremely well-versed in the details and science behind the treatment.

Some of the front desk staff/medical assistants are better than others. The vast majority were great. Comparable or better than most medical offices.

It certainly isn't cheap, but this is infertility: It's expensive. I was very fortunate to have my insurance change and cover infertility coverage part-way through my treatment--which enabled us to do IVF. From my perspective, costs were average for this city. Self-pay costs ARE cheaper than insured/negotiated costs.

If we had had embryos of my own eggs to transfer, Dr. K would have supported multiple transfer. However, when we discussed donor eggs, he was very realistic about the chances of multiples, and supported our choice to do eSET.

Dr. Kavoussi had great bedside manner, however, after two failed cycles, was reluctant to make any significant changes to protocol in order to hopefully achieve successful results. When inquiring about further testing, he was not open to such and encouraged to continue the same protocol and hope for success. If you're lucky to have IVF be successful on a first cycle, you will be in good hands here. However, if you'd like to maximize your chance for success and decrease the amount of money, and emotional and physical stress, I'd suggest to go elsewhere.

Be prepared for a lengthy amount of time and multiple treatment cycles to hopefully achieve a successful pregnancy.

Dr. Kavoussi had great bedside manner, however, the administrative staff and financial staff were unprofessional.

Gonal F and Menopur were the gold standard for stim medications. Standard dosage was 225IU OF Gonal F and 75IU of Menopur.

Clinic was very busy. Kate did most times reply to concerns and emails in a time efficient manner.

Financial payment is due in full prior to beginning a cycle( prior to initiation of birth control). Pricing is in the form of "packages" and portions of unused packages will not be refunded under ANY circumstance. If your cycle is cancelled, or converted to an FET, you will not receive a refund or credit for the unused portions of treatment. You will be expected to pay the full amount of both cycles. Debra, the financial coordinator is unorganized, and takes an unacceptable amount of time to respond to concerns, or provide requested information. There is a high turnover rate among clinical support staff. Wait times are often lengthy. Overall, doctors are compassionate in their work, however the practice is lacking, and a poor rate of success should be noted while researching clinics. I would recommend another facility, and have since obtained a second opinion with another Reproductive Endocrinologist.

Clinical fee: $3,990 IVF Lab fee: $5,850 Total IVF cycle fee: $9,840 Embryo cryopreservation: $775 Additional charges: ICSI (</=10 eggs): $1,300 ICSI (>10 eggs): $1,800 TESE: $1,600 SIS: $500 Costs due not include medication costs, which can be $3,000-$6,000 depending on protocol. Blood tests are additional charges, sometimes covered by insurance. FET Cycle: Clinical Fee: $1,490 West lake IVF Lab fee: $1,890 Total fees: $3,380 Consults and prenatal sonograms are not included in above costs.

Dr. Kavoussi recommended transferring 2 blastocysts. We were in agreement with this plan, however neither resulted in a positive pregnancy test.

Not only was I just another patient, he also denied me an IUI cycle because I produced too many eggs. I understand the risks associated but he sat me down and had the most inauthentic conversation with me. He obviously didn't truly understand what I was feeling and just cared about the risks it posed for him not me. He also never asked to see my radiology scans of my HSG, if he had, he would have seen that I had a uterine septum that needed to be surgically removed. That is what my current Doctor did during my first consult. She also found a polyp in my uterus as well. She believes one if not both of these could be causing our fertility issues. IUI wasn't going to work and IVF probably wouldn't have either with these issues and I would have continued to pay DR K with no chance of conception.

Expect to be treated as a number. Just another patient treated the same way. He won't be interested in digging deeper.

Dr K was not at all interested in diagnostics. I was immediately immersed into treatment with fertility meds and IUI. He didn't see the need to dig deeper. I was just another patient

5 mg of Femara- produced too many eggs 4-5 follicles Down to half 2.5 mg of Femara- still produced 3 follicles. Ovidrel with both cycles No pregnancies

I mostly dealt with Kate with my IUI and ultrasounds. She was great up until they denied me a cycle and then she looked at me like I was crazy for asking if we could go ahead with our cycle despite the fact we had 5 follicles. No compassion or understanding.

Only two locations- south side of Austin and Westlake. Not convenient locations at all! The south side clinic is very small and run down. The west lake one is fairly newer but still not that impressive. We had to travel to the Westlake office for our IUI procedures.

My insurance covered nothing so we paid out of pocket for everything. I believe we paid about $565 for IUI and then $100 for Ovidrel and $5 for Femara. His consult fee was about $150

We felt that Dr. K was the right choice after our first meeting. His brother Parvis performed the successful sperm retrieval and referred us. He was kind and took our concerns to heart. I was only 26 when we started the process and had no concerns about my fertility but had to perform IVF because of male factor issues. He made us feel confident that we had a great chance to conceive and he did not foresee any problems and that is was up to God. So when the first cycle failed we felt safe continuing to see him to find success. He did not change our cycle much the 2nd round and it also was unsuccessful. He did change the cycle protocol the 3rd round but it also was unsuccessful. Looking back, I wish he had done some testing to see if there was an underlying issue for our lack of success. We spent $42K for 3 failed cycles.

If you have concerns, ask many questions and ask for additional testing if you feel it nescessary.

Dr. K was very kind. He took his time in making sure we understood his game plan and answered all of our questions. He was genuinely disappointed when our cycles did not succeed and he personally called us to let us know the results.

Cycle 1 - 26 years old with healthy eggs. He chose a conservative route to avoid overstimulation of the ovaries due to my age and overall great fertility. 30 days contraceptive pill 11 days 10 IU Lupron 8 days 5 IU Lupron, 75 IU Menopur, 225 IU Follistim 4 Uterine Ultrasounds 10000 IU Pregnyl HCG shot Egg Retrival for Fresh Transfer (3 eggs, 1 valid embryo at 3 days) Vivelle .1 mg patch and Pregesterone suppositories for 2 weeks 3 day Embryo Transfer (one embryo) Negative Test after 2 weeks Cycle 2 - 27 years old. He felt that the 1st negative cycle was just part of nature and that the protocol was effective for a 2nd cycle. 30 days contraceptive pill 11 days 10 IU Lupron 8 days 5 IU Lupron, 75 IU Menopur, 225 IU Follistim 4 Uterine Ultrasounds 10000 IU Pregnyl HCG shot Egg Retrival for Fresh Transfer Vivelle .1 mg patch and Pregesterone suppositories for 2 weeks 3 day Embryo Transfer (2 embryo) Negative Cycle 3- 28 years old with some finished egg reserve. He increased my stimulant hormones because of the egg reserve. We transferred 3 embryos to increase chances of pregnancy. 30 days contraceptive pill 8 days 75 IU Menopur and 300 IU Bravelle 4 Uterine Ultrasounds 10000 IU Ganerelix HCG shot Egg Retrival for Fresh Transfer Vivelle .1 mg patch and Pregesterone suppositories for 2 weeks 3 day Embryo Transfer (3 embryos) Negative Test after 2 weeks

The nurses and coordinator were very helpful, answered all questions and showed much compassion. The billing coordinator was very scatterbrained.

The clinic was well organized like a well oiled machine. The staff was kind and compassionate. The billing coordinator seemed on the fritz but was able to execute her job.

Cycle 1 - $3590 Physician Fee, $5350 Lab Fee, $1000 ISCI, $800 Meds Cycle 2 - $1020 Physician Fee, $5975 Lab + ISCI, $1200 Meds Cycle 3 - $1134 Physician Fee, $5980 Lab Fee + ISCI + Assisted Hatching, $3500 Meds

He gave us statistics for his office on singleton, twins and triplets based on how many embryos transferred. He explained embryo grading. He did not feel it was appropriate in most cases to transfer more than 2 embryos.

He was a kind, comprehensive, well-informed doctor. He went through all the pros and cons, and showed great compassion. The only con I'd say is he was very confident, and unfortunately our journey resulted in being the .01% more often than I'd like. That said I'd say that had to do more with the realities of infertility, not our doctor, and in the end we have our healthy son and a few frozen embryos. I trust him and his practice, and we will return again.

Don't hesitate to ask questions, he will answer them and wants you to feel as comfortable as possible in this process.

He never rushed appointments, answered all my questions, and empathized greatly. He appreciated the intensity and the emotions around this experience, and we felt like he truly cared.

My protocol didn't result in any negative side effects for me.

Like an IVF cycles, this is a big time commitment. They have a Westlake and South office which helps, though for folks with jobs up North traffic can get interesting.

Got an easy to understand breakdown of costs, medications, procedures, etc.

For our first cycle they had strong feelings for 2 embryos, but respected that I wanted to do a single embryo transfer. In all discussions about future cycles, they have been supportive of doing a single transfer as well.

Dr. K always made us feel welcome. He explained each cycle fully and was genuinely disappointed when the cycles were negative. My only complaint would be the lack of investigation into why the cycles failed. He always attributed it to the average success rates and didn't do any more investigation as to why our embryos never implanted.

Ask what is game plan is if the cycle doesn't work. What will you do differently the subsequent cycles?

Dr. K was very kind and answered any questions we had. He personally called when our results were negative and had personal disappointment in his voice.

Nursing staff and coordinator were amazing. They helped me find the cheapest medications and helped with samples. The payment coordinator was a little scatter brained.

Dr. Kavoussi is very well informed and seems to work hard to keep up with the literature and the latest studies. He is a caring man and takes a great deal of time to help patients understand the process and make decisions regarding their care.

Do not be afraid to ask questions, even if they seem dumb.

Dr.. Khavoussi is a very caring doctor who spends a lot of time making his patients feel informed and in control of the process. He is always available for calls, even when the clinic is closed. He genuinely wants his patients to be happy and do well.

All of the staff is personable and caring. They seem well trained and well informed and genuinely to enjoy what they are doing.

He is wonderful. He prays for us! And when things go wrong he is always there to talk and give hugs

Waiting room times are short, staff is amazing, and facility super clean.

I love going into office. All staff is wonderful and I have always felt welcome.

Don't know the name of first protocol but second one worked. Micro dose Lupron got me to retrieval! He was unsure we would make it to the end but stuck with us and we did. Had to freeze all but that's because of a fibroid I have.

Love her!! I don't think we could have made it through each step without her. Very friendly and available for hugs too!!

Dr. K was great from all angles. He's quite conservative and aims for positive outcomes but generally will avoid more extreme procedures.

Know that while very compassionate that he is quite conservative in his treatment.

Dr. K was straightforward and took care of all our concerns. He was both realistic but very compassionate.

Kate was extremely responsive, positive and friendly. If you needed a pep talk, Kate was there to give it to you. She was almost like a coach.