Victor Fujimoto

After two unexplained failed PGS embryo transfers, Dr Fujimoto offered no options on how to change or improve course for the transfer of my final embryo. It was up to me to research, suggest and trouble shoot what might be the reason for my failed transfers. Only after I pushed him did he offer to do a hysteroscopy, during which he was 'surprised' to find 'scar tissue'. After my hysteroscopy, I did not hear from the dr for days. It took my 8 days to get in touch with him, after which time I asked one of his care team about the scar tissue only to be told that in the notes on my hysteroscopy it said nothing about scar tissue but did mention a septate uterus. I was furious that no follow up appointment was to discuss this, much less even tell me about it. When I finally got Dr Fujimoto on the phone he told me that there was no follow up hysteroscopy needed and that the septate uterus was not the reason for my failed transfers (both assertions are debatable at best). When I asked what could be done next to ensure that the final transfer had the best chance of success he basically shrugged in my general direction and then said that it seemed like I 'really wanted to dot my i's and cross my t's'. This was after I had expressed dismay that I hadn't been contacted for 8 weeks before the start of an earlier transfer (I waited that long to see if and when they would actually follow up after a conversation I had with him in which he said his team would follow up) and he said, 'well, that's water under the bridge'. He was dismissive and disengaged, even after multiple complaints.

Change doctors.

Even though I have a regular cycle, Dr Fujimoto suggested that I go on bcp so that the clinic would have better control over the transfer protocol. No idea if this was necessary but I agreed. During both ultra sounds pre transfer, my uterine lining was barely within the recommended thickness range but the transfers went ahead anyway. I have since learned that we could have waited a bit and tweaked the protocol in order to increase the lining thickness. I have since learned that it is standard to do a follow up hysteroscopy (after a hysteroscopy in which scar tissue or a procedure was done) in order to make sure that the procedure did what it was suppose to do and that the uterus is healing properly. That was not done or recommended by Dr Fujimoto.

Oh geez. I have spent over 50k with UCSF.

He seems bored and tired and perhaps ready to retire. I don't sense passion in him as an IVF patient. As a patient I didn't feel fully confident in him or his explanations of what to expect going through the process. Having been through one cycle I realize how little he shares. I felt in the dark for months.

advocate for yourself

We got pregnant on the first try. But I would not attribute this to Fujimoto, rather the other people and the clinic. He was a little checked-out. But friendly. I think we saw him twice, but had probably 7 or 8 different visits. I found the residents to be FAR better than him.

Sure, use him, but don't expect much from him. You will get the value and interaction with residents and nurses.

I had MASSIVE allergic reactions to the progesterone in oil. I reported this repeatedly and no one took me seriously. They thought I was complaining about giving myself shots. In retrospect, I should have complained even more. The pre-transfer week and weeks immediately thereafter were awful. Worse than giving birth.

Strongly advocated for single transfer, which is what we wanted anyway.

Dr. Fujimoto is very knowledgeable and very experienced. He will tell you the truth and not sugarcoat it. If you present him with an option he is often willing to try it, but he tends to favor a very traditional and conservative approach.

Be proactive, and research your options.

IUI w/ clomid; IUI w/ follistim; IUI w/ Menopur; IVF w/ Menopur; mini IVF w/ clomid

I was covered through insurance so do not know the cost of care.

While the overall desired outcome was achieved, UCSF left much to be desired from an administrative standpoint. We also had one notable mishap that created unnecessary duress related to the embryo implantation

Be willing to move to IVF faster as opposed to continuing with unsuccessful cycles of IUI

After nearly 2 years of grueling treatment with him, without success, he told me due to advanced ovarian aging (I was 29!) I wasn't ever going to be able to carry a pregnancy with my own eggs and should consider adoption or egg donor. Luckily I went and got a second opinion (at CCRM) and thankfully they insisted to retest everything as they discovered Dr Fujimoto had completely undiagnosed a uterine septum that was causing the losses I had the few times I was able to get pregnant through the treatments. He had diagnosed me with crappy eggs and never bothered to check the uterus! CCRM fixed the septum and despite my crappy eggs, I was able to get pregnant and keep the pregnancies, and now I have 2 kids.

If you want great bedside manner, he is lovely. If you want/need anal, thorough, painfully detail oriented, I wouldn't recommend him.

I did 3 injectable IUIs, 2 IVFs. 1 IVF resulted in a chemical pregnancy. Turns out I found out through another clinic after I left UCSF I had a uterine septum that meant all those treatments (time/money/pain) were for nothing and never would have worked until the septum was fixed (which the other clinic did in a simple outpatient surgery).