Wendy Chang

Dr. Chang has been thorough in explaining information to us. She appears like she cares and wants to optimize our chances of getting pregnant. She communicates in a clear manner, often speaking slowly and calmly, which is appreciated given the technicalities of IVF.

I have not completed a full cycle yet, but Dr. Chang is currently preparing for IVF and has suggested a number of supplements to optimize our health. We've gone through many pre-tests and ultrasounds that have helped her give her a baseline of our health. I appreciate her having us take our time to improve our chances instead of rushing into the procedure.

Genetic screening, consultation office visits, ultrasounds, cycle day 2 labs, supplements

She genuinely cares about her patients and will do anything within her ability to help you achieve your desired outcome. She pays close attention to detail and is very articulate. She will explain things as many times a you need to hear them, and give you her undivided attention.

Invest in the consult and make sure her style/approach is right for you. Because her practice has one of the best labs in the country, we decided to move forward with her office. We were told the labs were the most important part of the process, but she is also an extremely competent and supportive doctor which you don't always find in this profession.

Since we went through 3 rounds, she did try a variety of medications and approaches. She paid really close attention to my wife's response and made adjustments if/when necessary. The first round was a high dose of meds to which my wife did not respond well to. The next round, she tried a much lower dose and we were able to create one embryo even though we did not retrieve as my eggs. The final round she tried the same process and we got 8 eggs, but unfortunately no embryos. Our situation was a bit unique though because both my wife and I have fertility issues, so our chances of making an embryo together we are finding is pretty low.

About $40K for a two cycle package without the meds. The package included everything necessary to complete the cycle (blood work, ultrasounds, surgery center fees etc..)

She recommended a single embryo transfer for us, because of the inherit risk of having twins.

Dr Chang is incredibly smart and informative, but she has NO bedside manner what so ever. She was incredibly blunt, and almost rude when delivering some very upsetting news, and her protocol lacked important steps, that even someone who isn't a Dr would know. EX: when discussing doing IUI, knowing i have a blocked tube and that my home ovulation kits didn't show regular ovulation, she just told me to come in the day after a positive ovulation test for an iui. No discussion of medication, no plan to make sure I was ovulating from the non-blocked side, zero monitoring of the size of the follicle to decide when to perform the IUI. NOTHING!

Consider seeing another doctor.

Take a home ovulation kit, and come in for an iui the day after i get a positive ovulation test.

Compared to our current Dr, SCRC's pricing is far more then our current clinic.

Dr. Chang’s strengths can be summed up as compassion, communication, and expertise. She won my trust and I am so grateful she was able to add another piece to the fertility puzzle by performing my ERA and helping me understand the clinical facts behind the immune protocol best suited for me. The only drawback is that she is in Southern California and I’ve moved to Northern California, so I can no longer continue treatments with her.

Take the time to read “Is my body baby friendly” before seeing Dr. Chang. She is extremely knowledgeable and open minded regarding reproductive Immunology.

I had several ultrasounds to examine my uterine health. Dr. Chang also evaluated my hormonal health including my thyroid which no other RE had ever bothered to look at. She did my ERA and the results showed that my uterus is pre-receptive by 1 day. This means that all my previous embryo transfers were done outside my receptivity window. Because we need donor sperm due to MF, and it was determined that we would also need a donor egg, Dr. Chang recommended that I seek out IVF with a donated embryo. Her clinic doesn’t provide this service but she went the extra mile to recommend resources.

The costs were from consultations, lab and diagnostic methods, plus an on office surgical procedure. I was billed immediately after each visit and was able to pay by credit card.

In my case, I have a long history of implantation failure. Dr. Chang explained the risks and statistics behind both choices to me in a clear way, and advised me according to my diagnosis.

Dr Chang is a very effective communicator and really takes the time to make sure that all of your questions are answered. She’s extremely knowledgeable and does a lot of additional testing to make sure no stone is left unturned. I always felt 100% comfortable under her care. That being said, after 3 rounds of egg retrieval we only created one embryo. Obviously this was not the result we were hoping for but both my husband and I have fertility issues, so I’m not sure if the outcome can be attributed to her treatment plan. We are now in the midst of getting a second opinion and intend to go through another round with a different doctor to see if we can achieve a better outcome.

Interview multiple clinics to make sure that the approach and methodology is right for you. There are a lot of highly qualified doctors in Los Angeles, and depending on the circumstance there could be specific doctors better suited for your needs. I’m not sure if we made the right choice because we ended going with the first doctor we spoke with, since we felt very comfortable and confident in her approach during our first meeting. Flash forward 3 Years, we are now in the process of getting a second and third opinion because we did not get the outcome we were hoping for. Also, her fees are very expensive and there are many great doctors that charge significantly less.

She started out with a really high dose of injections during the first round to which I did not respond well to. I was on the meds for an extended period of time since my eggs weren’t growing, and they almost canceled my stim. They were able to retrieve 6 mature eggs but none of them fertilized. The next round she put me on a much lower dose of injections and I got 5 eggs but was on a shorter stim cycle and was able to make one embryo. The last round she used the same protocol, I got 8 eggs but none of them fertilized. I also tried to fertilize 4 of the eggs with donor sperm to see if we could improve our chances (since my husband has poor sperm quality) but that didn’t seem to work either.

We did the 2-cycle package which cost about $40k for everything excluding meds

For my age (34), she recommended a single since the odds of it taking are between 65-70%. She mentioned for older patients she would be more inclined to transfer 2.

Dr. Chang, was very knowledgeable, and took the time to fully access our specific situation, explain the IVF process, risks, and likely results. Going through IVF requires you to process an incredible amount of information and in a short period. This coupled with the obvious emotional and financial stakes, we naturally had a lot of questions to make sure we maximized our chances of success. So we required and she happily gave us her full attention during visits. We never felt like we were being rushed in and out of the office, as opposed to our previous doctor. Dr. Chang really focused on us achieving optimal physical health before starting our cycle. Although they extracted 11 eggs, unfortunately, we did not end up with any viable embryos. Despite the huge disappointment, I felt that Dr. Chang put us in a position to achieve the best possible results, even though ultimately unsuccessful. Which is the reason for the 8 rating instead of the 10. Though, if we decide to do another cycle, it would definitely be with Dr. Chang.

You cannot ask too many questions. And Dr. Chang gave smart, thoughtful answers, which made the entire process a lot easier.

It was almost a year ago, so I do not remember many specifics except an extremely detailed assessment of our physical state before IVF, and a comprehensive analysis and modification of our diet to optimize our fertility chances.

Approximately $20,000-$25,000

Dr. Chang is a kind, compassionate, and extremely knowledgeable doctor who has made the IVF process feel less intimidating. She is not one to sugar coat the truth or make promises she can't keep but always maintains a positive outlook and shows great concern for you as an individual. She has taken care to ensure that both me and my husband are informed about each step of the IVF process and made herself accessible for questions and follow-up discussions. After our first FET failed Dr. Chang immediately put a plan in place to determine the reason for the failure before attempting a second transfer. She was even able to include me in a clinical trial for an ERA (Endometrial Receptivity Analysis) so that my costs for the test would be reduced. Though I'm not pregnant yet I have complete trust that Dr. Chang will do everything in her power to help me achieve a positive outcome. I truly can't recommend her enough.

Though going through IVF, or any fertility treatment in general, is a difficult and emotional experience, Dr. Chang is someone in whom you can place your trust and who will never make you question the level of care you receive.

When we first began seeing Dr. Chang, she was very throrough with her testing to determine the reasons for our infertility. I was found to have narrow Fallopian tubes and a low egg reserve, which means that natural pregnancy is possible, just very unlikely. She suggested the less aggressive route of IUI to begin with and adjusted the protocol for each round. For the first round of IUI I took Clomid and when that didn't work she had me switch to injectsble Gonal-F for the second round. The second round was unsuccessful as well so she increased the dose of Gonal-F for the third round. Though all theee rounds of IUI were unsuccessful I appreciated her adjustment of the protocol each time so we weren't simply repeating the same approach and expecting different results. After the third round of IUI failed, Dr. Chang sat us down and explained our options. Though we could continue with IUI, the expected success rate after three failed cycles in a row was lower and might be a sign that we need to try a more aggressive approach with IVF. At no point did we feel pressured into doing IVF but we understood that Dr. Chang was trying to provide us with realistic expectations and next steps that could possibly be more successful. My husband and I elected to try IVF rather than a fourth round of IUI and prior to beginning Dr. Chang had an in-depth discussion with us about what to expect. About two weeks later Dr. Chang had me start the protocol for egg retrieval. When it came time for the retrieval I had about 9 follicles but upon waking up from the procedure Dr. Chang informed me that 4 were mature enough to be retrieved. Though we initially wanted to have half of the eggs fertilized naturally and the other half fertilized with ICSI, Dr. Chang recommended fertilizing all eggs with ICSI since we had so few and she didn't want to risk the possibility of any eggs not being fertilized. I was thankful for this recommendation because all eggs were successfully fertilized. The week following the retrieval is nerve wracking as you wait for news about embryo development but Dr. Chang called me almost every day to update me about the status of our embryos. After genetic testing, we ended up only having two top-quality embryos of the initial four but Dr. Chang had told us ahead of time to expect that. Following my retrieval, which was in September, I was given about a month of recovery time prior to starting the FET protocol. I began with active birth control pills, followed by daily Lupron injections for about 10 days, after which I began the PIO injections along with oral Estrace and suppository Endometrin. My uterine lining developed nicely and was about 9mm prior to the FET. My hormone levels also looked good so we went ahead with the transfer after 5 days of PIO and all went well. Unfortunately the transfer was unsuccessful, which I could tell puzzled Dr. Chang given how good everything looked prior to the FET. Because we only had 1 embryo left she wanted to determine the reason for the failure before proceeding with another transfer. I was scheduled for a hysteroscopy to see if there were any polyps, scar tissue, or anything else in my uterus that could have prevented successful implantation. Fortunately that came back clear. Dr. Chang also recommended an ERA (Endometrial Receptivity Analsysis) to determine if 5 days of PIO was enough or if I potentially needed more (as 20-30% of women do) and was able to include me in a clinical trial that SCRC was participating in so as to reduce my costs. The ERA came back normal so Dr. Chang also recommended that I see a Rheumatologist to rule out possible auto-immune disorders that could affect implantation. So far, all test results have come back normal and I'm starting to accept the fact that the failed FET may have just been a fluke given that there's never a 100% success rate but I'm so appreciative that Dr. Chang has been so through and relentless in her search for answers. I'm confident that by the time we begin the protocol for our next FET Dr. Chang will have done everything in her power to prevent another failure.

Though I can't remember the exact costs of each procedure, here is what I do recall: Each IUI cycle cost about $1500-$2000. My stim medications were about $5000 and then the retrieval plus embryology and genetic testing cost about $17,000 (this number changes significantly depending on the 'add-one' you choose). The FET protocol was about $5,000. All in all, for three rounds of IUI and 1 round of IVF we spent close to $30,000.

Because we only had two embryos from our first retrieval cycle Dr. Chang suggested only transferring 1 for the first FET since the increase in the success rate by transferring 2 was minimal and we risked losing both on the first try. I'm so thankful we only transferred 1 since the FET failed and it would have been devastating to lose both embryos.

Wendy was our partner in a very tough journey and she took that partnership seriously, despite the volume of her practice she took the time to answer all of our questions at every juncture and truly seemed to cherish her work. When new research emerged regarding some of the treatments we had used that positioned a few of the practices in a controversial light... she did not shy away from the conversation at all and was the first in line to grapple with those choices.

IVF practices are extremely busy places and Wendy is very focused on getting folks to a successful pregnancy, depending on your specific circumstance and age that may mean that you end up with some expensive and ultimately unnecessary treatment options. Dr Chang will not force you into any of them but you do need to be informed as a patient to wade through what the best decision for you is.

I don't remember all the specifics of the injections but Dr Chang is very focused on nutrition and health as a precursor to egg health which studies have shown is a big factor.

For 2 cycles for a +40 patient with all the extra treatments it was about $45k

We did eSET as we had done PGS, in retrospect given my age and the potential inaccuracies of PGS - I regret that choice.

Dr. Chang was very professional, but lacked compassion. Her statements seemed almost rehearsed, and I feel that she lacked interest in our personal journey. She was friendly, but it did not seem genuine. Although she did explain the risks of IUI, she failed to inform us of the very low success rate of IUI. I feel that this is a very important bit of information that may have encouraged us to re-evaluate our treatment options. Dr. Chang was only in the office on certain days of the week, which made it difficult to set up appointments. My HSS was performed by a different doctor, and I was not informed of this until I arrived for the appointment. Overall, this did not feel like a personal or tailored experience, but a scripted and routine procedure, which I was very unfamiliar with.

Ask a lot of questions, and ask for the layout of your treatment, including who will be performing the different aspects of your treatment. Ask about success rates of your procedure, and explain your expectations for your treatment.

Diagnostic blood work was performed first, in attempt to diagnose the cause of my infertility. Phone consultation to recommend IUI with Clomid due to starting treatment non-invasive and working up. 3 days of Clomid, and then more labs and ultrasound performed to see egg follicles. Ovulation test used to determine time of ovulation, and trigger shot given in the event that ovulation does not occur before IUI appointment. Ovulation test determined ovulation the night before IUI procedure. IUI performed, and home pregnancy test done 10 days later, which determined no pregnancy.

Ultrasound $220 (2 ultrasounds done), Labs for IUI $450, IUI procedure day-of about $1,000

Not applicable.

She is kind and friendly, she has a nice sense of humor. She seems like a good investigator and is open to my ideas. She was willing to refer me out to a Reproductive Immunologist, which many REs do not do, so I appreciate that. She was able to get my husband's sperm in much better condition. We were so concerned with his sperm issues that we fertilized half the eggs with his sperm and half with donor sperm and he outperformed the sperm donor! This was all because of Dr. Chang's strict orders for his diet, supplements, recommendation on frequency of ejaculation, etc. (along with his strict compliance.)

To advocate for herself. This is the same advice I'd give for most REs though. They are busy and don't have the time or attention to give to each of our cases, so find other women who have been through this and learn from their experiences.

I had an overall good experience with Dr. Chang as a person. She is very nice and thorough in her evaluation. She actually caught a small issue with my thyroid and suggested that I take more iodine, prescribed Synthroid, and sent me to an endocrinologist for re-evaluation. I decided not to take Synthroid and took more iodine instead. In a few months, my TSH was much lower and it has remained steady for more than one year. I am grateful to Dr. Chang for that! Dr. Chang performed an unmedicated IUI, which she did well. It did not work. She suggested a medicated IUI but I did not respond to the drugs so I cancelled the IUI. After that, I decided not to continue fertility treatments due to my age (I was 43). Dr. Chang is a very good doctor. She listened and was willing to follow along with my ideas (unmedicated IUI). She was even open to a natural IVF with no drugs. She is very nice and I did feel comfortable with her (rare for me). But I don't recommend her because I think there are RE's with smaller clinics that feel more personal.

At a previous clinic, we had not been told about the cost for frozen eggs. We were only told the cost for live donors. Dr. Chang gave us a more affordable option. Although we still couldn’t afford treatment, we left knowing that one day, we might be able to undergo IVF. As I started earlier, Dr. Chang was so compassionate. My husband and I both felt that she cared about us. We didn’t feel that making money was her priority.

Relax... you’re in really good hands.

Dr. Chang discussed using donor eggs. She did say she would be willing to try to do IVF with my own eggs but, she was was honest and told us that our chance of success was slim to none.

Cost for consultation is $275. The Physician fees are somewhat higher than other clinics.