Dr Fujimoto remembered the name of my child and some details about me but I felt very much like a number when it came to empathy or treating my case as my individual case...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 is standard to do a follow up hysteroscopy...That was not done or recommended by Dr Fujimoto.
It's [UCSF] impersonal and feels like a racket...I have had billing problems with them - sending out collections on something that I had already paid and putting a large payment into the wrong place...Dealing with fertility requires a lot of mental, emotional and physical effort and this clinic doesn't make it easier...The nursing staff is wonderful IRL but when it comes to dealing with them as a collective 'care team' over email, it falls apart.
How was your experience with Victor Fujimoto at UCSF?
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.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Victor Fujimoto at UCSF?
Change doctors.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Victor Fujimoto at UCSF?
Dr Fujimoto remembered the name of my child and some details about me but I felt very much like a number when it came to empathy or treating my case as my individual case.
Describe the protocols Victor Fujimoto used in your cycles at UCSF and their degree of success.
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.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at UCSF.
The nursing staff is wonderful IRL but when it comes to dealing with them as a collective 'care team' over email, it falls apart. There is no through line, no consistency. When you write an email, the first person to receive it responds. They are not looking at your history before doing so. There is very little connection between patients, nurses or doctors.
Describe your experience with UCSF.
I don't have much to compare it to but I don't think that this clinic is acting like a clinic that prides itself on and relies on its numbers for funding.
It's impersonal and feels like a racket. Plus, I have had billing problems with them - sending out collections on something that I had already paid and putting a large payment into the wrong place (apparently there are different 'funds') resulting in them billing me for something I had already paid for.
Dealing with fertility requires a lot of mental, emotional and physical effort and this clinic doesn't make it easier.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Victor Fujimoto at UCSF.
Oh geez. I have spent over 50k with UCSF.
What specific things went wrong at UCSF?
Failed to call with results
Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at UCSF.
He [Dr. Victor Fujimoto] 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. ... Disappointed in the level of communication and indications of how to proceed in future.
Nice facility [UCSF], clean, organized, easy access from the freeway. ... There are so many people that it doesn't feel intimate or fit for purpose - it feels fit for volume of patients. ... Disappointed in the level of communication and indications of how to proceed in future. ... [nurses] Overworked likely due to the late emails and challenges getting on calendars and callbacks ... Challenge is all of the building going on in the area and construction makes it a bit of a hurdle to access.
How was your experience with Victor Fujimoto at 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.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Victor Fujimoto at UCSF?
advocate for yourself
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Victor Fujimoto at UCSF?
Lack of personal touch, felt really like all that mattered was making my appointments, not how their communications or lack of communications are challenging when they have the care of people in their hands.
Describe your experience with your nurse at UCSF. (Assigned nurse: Anna)
Overworked likely due to the late emails and challenges getting on calendars and callbacks
Describe your experience with UCSF.
Nice facility, clean, organized, easy access from the freeway.
Challenge is all of the building going on in the area and construction makes it a bit of a hurdle to access. There are so many people that it doesn't feel intimate or fit for purpose - it feels fit for volume of patients.
What specific things went wrong at UCSF?
Failed to call with results
Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at UCSF.
Disappointed in the level of communication and indications of how to proceed in future.
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...Fujimoto often forgot basic facts of my profile, e.g. during an exam (i.e. when I was on the table, legs wide open!) he asked me if I had been pregnant before, something we had reviewed twice before. Fujimoto also explained "next steps" to us that we had already completed. Fujimoto also asked us to fill out paperwork already filled out twice.
I had MASSIVE allergic reactions to the progesterone in oil. I reported this repeatedly to the nurses [at UCSF] 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... I think we saw him [Dr. Victor Fujimoto] twice, but had probably 7 or 8 different visits. I found the residents to be FAR better than him.
How was your experience with Victor Fujimoto at UCSF?
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.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Victor Fujimoto at UCSF?
Sure, use him, but don't expect much from him. You will get the value and interaction with residents and nurses.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Victor Fujimoto at UCSF?
Fujimoto often forgot basic facts of my profile, e.g. during an exam (i.e. when I was on the table, legs wide open!) he asked me if I had been pregnant before, something we had reviewed twice before.
Fujimoto also explained "next steps" to us that we had already completed.
Fujimoto also asked us to fill out paperwork already filled out twice.
Describe the protocols Victor Fujimoto used in your cycles at UCSF and their degree of success.
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.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at UCSF.
I had MASSIVE allergic reactions to the progesterone in oil. I reported this repeatedly to the nurses 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.
Describe your experience with UCSF.
The results were great. Pregnant on the first try with the first transfer. You can't argue with that. (Also, note, not using own eggs, so statistically we were highly likely.)
Describe Victor Fujimoto's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at UCSF.
Strongly advocated for single transfer, which is what we wanted anyway.
What specific things went wrong at UCSF?
Lost paperwork
Failed to consider drug intolerance
Describe the specific things that went wrong at UCSF.
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.
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...IUI w/ clomid; IUI w/ follistim; IUI w/ Menopur; IVF w/ Menopur; mini IVF w/ clomid...
UCSF is a big place, and they have a big program. It's easy to feel lost in the machine like environment that they create. If you have standard needs they will work for you. If you require more individualized care they are not the place for you...I had one cycle when there was a complete breakdown in communication from the doctor to the nursing staff and a cycle was canceled. It was very disappointing.
How was your experience with Victor Fujimoto at UCSF?
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.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Victor Fujimoto at UCSF?
Be proactive, and research your options.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Victor Fujimoto at UCSF?
Dr. Fujimoto was very professional, and he seemed interested in me as an individual, but I felt that the treatment options that he tried were part of a standard set of treatments that were not particularly sensitive to what might have resulted in success.
Describe the protocols Victor Fujimoto used in your cycles at UCSF and their degree of success.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at UCSF.
There was one nurse practitioner who was quite competent and compassionate, the rest were pretty dismissive, and although they saw me many times over three years never bothered to learn my name or take an interest in me. One whose name I blocked out told me that I was wasting my time, and that I was never going to get pregnant with my own eggs. I told the doctor that she should never speak to me again.
Describe your experience with UCSF.
UCSF is a big place, and they have a big program. It's easy to feel lost in the machine like environment that they create. If you have standard needs they will work for you. If you require more individualized care they are not the place for you.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Victor Fujimoto at UCSF.
I was covered through insurance so do not know the cost of care.
What specific things went wrong at UCSF?
Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Lost appointments
Failed to call with results
Failed to order appropriate test
Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
Lost results
Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information
Canceled a cycle due to clinic error
Scheduled the wrong procedure
Describe the specific things that went wrong at UCSF.
I had one cycle when there was a complete breakdown in communication from the doctor to the nursing staff and a cycle was canceled. It was very disappointing.
The doctor took time to explain procedures and understand our desired outcomes... At one point, based on information they provided after my procedure, there was question / concern that they may have implanted the wrong (some other patient's) embryos...
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... At one point, based on information they provided after my procedure, there was question / concern that they may have implanted the wrong (some other patient's) embryos.
How was your experience with Victor Fujimoto at UCSF?
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
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Victor Fujimoto at UCSF?
Be willing to move to IVF faster as opposed to continuing with unsuccessful cycles of IUI
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Victor Fujimoto at UCSF?
The doctor took time to explain procedures and understand our desired outcomes. He seemed to care that we felt comfortable and well informed.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at UCSF.
Upbeat and professional
What specific things went wrong at UCSF?
Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at UCSF.
At one point, based on information they provided after my procedure, there was question / concern that they may have implanted the wrong (some other patient's) embryos. While this was cleared up swiftly, any doubt in this area is unacceptable. Billing and admin were a total disaster and I was over billed routinely / UCSF continually failed to submit to my insurance provider.
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!
They [UCSF Fertility] didn't diagnose my uterine septum for 2 years-- they just never looked there as they identified my issues as ovarian. Huge mistake that cost me two years of pain, emotional anguish, and lots and lots of money. [UCSF is] fine if you don't have any complications or a super hard case. challenge is you don't know if you are one until you try, so I don't recommend this clinic.
How was your experience with Victor Fujimoto at UCSF?
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.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Victor Fujimoto at UCSF?
If you want great bedside manner, he is lovely. If you want/need anal, thorough, painfully detail oriented, I wouldn't recommend him.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Victor Fujimoto at UCSF?
His bedside manner was good-- very comforting and kind. That was not my problem with him.
Describe the protocols Victor Fujimoto used in your cycles at UCSF and their degree of success.
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).
Describe your experience with UCSF.
Fine if you don't have any complications or a super hard case. challenge is you don't know if you are one until you try, so I don't recommend this clinic.
What specific things went wrong at UCSF?
Failed to order appropriate test
Describe the specific things that went wrong at UCSF.
They didn't diagnose my uterine septum for 2 years-- they just never looked there as they identified my issues as ovarian. Huge mistake that cost me two years of pain, emotional anguish, and lots and lots of money.