This is the most recent data from the CDC. The CDC cautions that it should not be used to compare doctors and clinics. This data represents the outcomes of IVF cycles when using a person's own eggs.
For more information please see our FAQs.
Where you see a “?” on the chart, a clinic has done fewer than 20 cycles in this category and age range, so the CDC says showing percentages from this small data set would be misleading and unreliable.
[Dr. Dana Ambler] made me feel comfortable about next steps...shifted our current plan for controlled hyperstimulation for the next couple cycles...starting the groundwork for IVF early next year...haven't been in touch with her directly much...lost my right fallopian tube...seems set on shooting for a singleton pregnancy
[Denver Fertility Care] has been great...do have to keep on top of the billing a bit...feel like the admin team can sometimes jumble things up...love the nursing staff...Josie is kind, funny and compassionate, she always answers my questions and seems invested in the outcome.
How was your experience with Dana Ambler at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
My first meeting with Dr. Ambler left me feeling like I wouldnt pursue IVF with this clinic (I had already started ovulation induction with my OB prior to starting on at Denver Fertility Care). Getting more serious about next steps I started consulting with other doctors in the area and scheduled a regroup with Dr. Ambler. At my regroup she made me feel comfortable about next steps and we shifted our current plan for controlled hyperstimulation for the next couple cycles while also starting the groundwork for IVF early next year.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Dana Ambler at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
Do some research and be familiar with your own testing and results, come to appointments prepared with questions you want addressed. She will answer your questions but only if you ask them.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Dana Ambler at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
I am in my third cycle with Dr. Ambler and while I haven't been in touch with her directly much over the course of these cycles I have been able to get all my questions answered and great care from the nursing staff.
Describe the protocols Dana Ambler used in your cycles at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care) and their degree of success.
I had already done three cycles of letrozole before coming to Denver Fertility Care. Dr. Ambler started me on the 5mg dose and scheduled ultrasounds around days 2 (baseline), 11 and 15. My first cycle I had a really thin lining so they added estrace which thickened my lining but caused issues with ovulation. I ended up ovulating two weeks later after a really weird ultrasound led us all to believe I had ovulated around day 15 (progesterone tests proved I hadn't). For the next cycle we increased the letrozole dose to 7.5mg and still had my ultrasounds around days 2, 11 and 15. This time I had one follicle ready to ovulate and we triggered. We just had a regroup and are on our third cycle. This cycle we increased to 10mg of letrozole and added micro doses of HCG. The reasons for this are that I consistently ovulate one egg from my right ovary cycle after cycle. I lost my right fallopian tube earlier this year to a ruptured ectopic so our goal is to either get the left ovary to ovulate and/or to ovulate more than one egg to increase the odds that at least one will make it into the left tube. I also have a large dermoid cyst on my left ovary and consistently have low follicle counts on that side.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care). (Assigned nurse: I am not sure if I was assigned a specific nurse but I tend to end up in the care of Josie, and whenever she isn't available I usually see Monica)
I love the nursing staff at Denver Fertility Care- speficially the Rose location. I have only been to the Englewood location a couple of times so I can't speak to their staff much. Josie is kind, funny and compassionate, she always answers my questions and seems invested in the outcome.
Describe your experience with Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
I feel like overall my experience with this clinic has been great. I do have to keep on top of the billing a bit but that is common and not unique to fertility clinics. I do feel like the admin team can sometimes jumble things up and I have been scheduled at the Englewood clinic when I prefer the Rose location as it is easier for me to get to. Love the nursing staff and my experience with the ultrasound techs and phlebotomists has been great so far too. Front desk staff is a little sleepy and slow which can be a little disheartening as a new patient but the clinical staff seems great.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Dana Ambler at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
I am currently being treated through insurance but my insurance only covers the medication and cycle monitoring, I dont have any coverage for IVF.
Letrozole is covered 100% by my plan but I pay out of pocket for the trigger and microHCG which is about $120 a vial- one vial for trigger and one vial for about 2 cycles of micro injections. Without insurance each monitoring visit would be about $300 ($225 for the ultrasound and $75 for the nurse consult) according to the self pay sheet. After insurance this is about $65 a visit for me.
Since we are looking to move on to IVF they have sent me the self pay cost sheets and it is looking like it will be about $9k for retrieval and $5k for transfer- without testing or medications (not sure yet what my medications will look like).
Describe Dana Ambler's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
We haven't talked about this yet but Dr. Ambler seems set on shooting for a singleton pregnancy even with controlled hyperstimulation so I am guessing she probably has a similar approach with transfers.
What specific things went wrong at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
Failed to send your chart to another clinic
Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
I just have to stay on top of the billing and scheduling. Nothing inherently wrong- I have been scheduled for the wrong clinic without being told but I could see it in the portal and could confirm. You just have to be on top of your own game.
Just reading through my history, he [Dr. Bruce Albrecht] was able to pinpoint a potential issue, which he explored right away during initial testing...explains everything very clearly and draws diagrams, makes lists of supplements, next steps...not overly compassionate or gooey (some doctors can be so fake about it), but he is certainly not cold or detached. I find him to be the perfect balance of friendly and straightforward with the facts and figures...
I really like how small [Denver Fertility Albrecht Women's Care] feels...Dr Albrecht and his team are always familiar with my case when I see them...vast majority of your hands-on care is done by nurses and ultrasound techs, but I know that [doctor] is consulted for everything...their pricing is extremely competitive!...open on the weekends for time-sensitive procedures (like IUI)...breakdown in communication somewhere, because often when I am told that a nurse will call me...it is not unusual to not hear from them until I call, late in the day, requesting my results.
How was your experience with Bruce Albrecht at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
Doctor Albrecht is highly knowledgeable, well-educated, and has tons of experience. Just reading through my history, he was able to pinpoint a potential issue, which he explored right away during initial testing. He explains everything very clearly and draws diagrams, makes lists of supplements, next steps, etc. Everything he presented was laid out in a way that was easy to understand. He is not overly compassionate or gooey (some doctors can be so fake about it), but he is certainly not cold or detached. I find him to be the perfect balance of friendly and straightforward with the facts and figures. I have been in his care for 1 medicated cycle, 3 completed IUIs, and we are in the middle of our 4th round of IUI. In that time, I saw Dr Albrecht for the initial consultation and Femvue procedure. The vast majority of your hands-on care is done by nurses and ultrasound techs, but I know that he is consulted for everything because I have had nurses leave to check with him on multiple occasions. Some people may not find that ideal, but I would prefer that the basics of day-to-day are handled by his team so he can focus on the meat of our case. If this IUI does not work, we will be talking about IVF, so I do not yet know if he is more involved in that (egg retrieval, FET) but I imagine he may be.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Bruce Albrecht at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
Get the sperm analysis (if applicable) done before your initial consult, and any additional testing you have had is a bonus (but he will direct your tests based on your history, so female testing in advance is less necessary unless you have known issues). It was nice to be able to sit and chat with him with a good amount of knowledge on our case, already. Come prepared with any questions you may have, as meeting with him again is not a standard part of the process unless something big comes up or it's time for a regroup.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Bruce Albrecht at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
Dr Albrecht and his team are always familiar with my case when I see them, and they know who I am when I call in. I did a lot of research to find a doctor who was not only knowledgeable, but who would take care of me and treat me with respect and care. Doctor Albrecht and his team definitely do that. They have a small team, so it doesn't take long to get familiar with everyone. The nurses, phlebotomists, and ultrasound techs are always excited to see me and ask how I am doing.
Describe the protocols Bruce Albrecht used in your cycles at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care) and their degree of success.
We first completed my testing (we had the semen analysis done already), which included blood tests, a transvaginal ultrasound, and a Femvue (saline ultrasound to make sure uterus and fallopian tubes look good). We did our 1 cycle of Clomid and timed intercourse during the same cycle as testing. After confirming a cervical abnormality, we decided to move forward with IUI to get "past" the problem, as Dr Albrecht had suggested we would probably want to do in our first meeting. Every cycle has been slightly different. #1- 50mg Clomid and timed intercourse, #2- 50mg Clomid and IUI, #3- 100mg Clomid and IUI, #4- 10mg Letrozole and IUI, #5 (current cycle)- 10mg Letrozole and IUI + supplemental progesterone. I responded well to Clomid, but we moved to Letrozole because my progesterone results on Clomid were still lower than they would like. They improved on Letrozole, but last I knew they were still talking about possibly giving supplemental prog. this cycle anyway (it can't hurt), though whether that is the case remains to be seen after the IUI. The general consensus around the office seems to be that after 4 of the same thing (so, 4 IUI) it's time for a regroup meeting, which is why we will be exploring IVF if this one doesn't take.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
As I mentioned before, the clinic has a small staff in general. I think there are only about 3 or 4 monitoring nurses, and some dedicated IVF nurses. The nurses are mostly very helpful and willing to talk you through things, answer questions by phone, etc. But there is a breakdown in communication somewhere, because often when I am told that a nurse will call me (such as with blood results, when available, or to discuss the ultrasound results during COVID (normally would meet in person)), it is not unusual to not hear from them until I call, late in the day, requesting my results. I do not know whose fault it is, but it is the biggest complaint I have about the office. However, when I do leave a message in that scenario, they typically do get back to me very quickly.
Describe your experience with Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
I really like how small the clinic feels. It feels like a very personal experience, as opposed to some of the huge clinics in the Denver area. I chose the clinic based on Dr Albrecht, as I did a ton of research looking for the right place. But it also turns out that their pricing is extremely competitive! Compared to friends I have at other clinics in the area, my self-pay expenses are about half (we have no insurance coverage for infertility). So really, between the small staff, compassionate team, helpful explanations, and great prices, I feel like I hit the jackpot. Also, they are open on the weekends for time-sensitive procedures (like IUI).
Describe the costs associated with your care under Bruce Albrecht at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
The prices are very competitive. They have a self-pay price list so that the costs of every test and procedure is very transparent. Compared to what other people I know are paying, in many cases it is about half the cost. When it isn't half, it's still always less than other clinics.
What specific things went wrong at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
Failed to call with results
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
My only complaint about the clinic is that I don't always get a call when I am told that I will. For progesterone blood testing, standard procedure is (I'm told) for a nurse to call on the second of two days of tests, with the results from both days. The clinic closes at 4:30, so by 4pm I am leaving a message to ask for my results. They do tend to call back pretty quickly after that, but it is frustrating to have to call and bug them in the first place.
Dr Albrecht is open and warm and takes the time to talk to me. He speaks slowly, and makes sure I understand what he's talking about. He greats me with a warm hand shake/embrace and eye contact and when things hadn't gone well he was sympathetic and comforting. ... struggling with secondary infertility ... We decided to proceed with IVF and it was suggested that we do a freeze all cycle in order to PGS test all embryos. I believe we could have pushed back on this and request a fresh transfer, but agreed to testing because we are facing the unknown. My egg retrieval protocol was aggressive and I experienced minor OHSS afterwards so
Strengths: ... Blood work, ultrasounds, IUI, retrievals, FET can all be done in one building and the IVF lab is brand new and state of the art. ... The billing dept [Albrect Women's Care] is available for questions and helpful. Weakness: Nurse and front desk turnover since I have been a patient has caused a lot of unease. I know many of the monitoring nurses are still on staff, but it's a different set of nurses for IVF so that's where there has been confusion and chaos
How was your experience with Bruce Albrecht at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
At each office appointment I've had with him, he gets out a piece of paper and takes notes and draws pictures as needed to reference what we're talking about, and at the end of the conversation, I get to keep the piece of paper. During the clinical procedure of the transfer he came into to greet me and my husband before the transfer and even offered me a mantra/prayer on a small slip of paper. (I assume he would have done the same during the egg retrieval, but a different doctor performed that procedure).
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Bruce Albrecht at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
Don't let his age deter you; he is passionate about this branch of medicine and has been doing it for a long time. He has stayed up to date with the medicine as it has changed and continues to work because he's passionate about helping people grow families.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Bruce Albrecht at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
Dr Albrecht is open and warm and takes the time to talk to me. He speaks slowly, and makes sure I understand what he's talking about. He greats me with a warm hand shake/embrace and eye contact and when things hadn't gone well he was sympathetic and comforting.
Describe the protocols Bruce Albrecht used in your cycles at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care) and their degree of success.
After the initial round of testing, it was determined we would probably need just a little boost. In addition to changes in diet that he recommended, I began seeing an acupuncturist. Cycle 1 - 50 units clomid no IUI, Cycle 2 - Letrezole w/IUI, Cycle 3 - Letrezole w/IUI, Cycle 4 - Letrezole w/IUI, Cycle 5- clomid 100 units w/IUI, clomid 150 units w/IUI. I didn't know until we started talking about IVF that we had been hoping for more than one follicle, and the only cycle that my body produced more that one follicle was the 6th (two). It was our choice to take a break and back off for a few months, plus we were traveling and it would have been hard to meet the testing needs. I have no other symptoms or diagnosis and am actually struggling with secondary infertility (My child was conceived naturally after 7 months). During a regroup appointment, he gave us three different options: 1 - continue with Clomid 150 with IUI, 2 - Gonadatropins (high risk of multiples), 3 - IFV with FET. We decided to proceed with IVF and it was suggested that we do a freeze all cycle in order to PGS test all embryos. I believe we could have pushed back on this and request a fresh transfer, but agreed to testing because we are facing the unknown. My egg retrieval protocol was aggressive and I experienced minor OHSS afterwards so was glad we had not chosen a fresh transfer. After a waiting month to do uterine testing we began the FET cycle. 18 days of birth control, then lupron shots (first ten units for a week and then 5 units daily), estrogen patches and daily pills, the added PIO injections about a week before transfer. Took antibiotics and other steroids in the days right before the transfer to help minimize infections. I took a diazepam the day of transfer and also had an acupuncturist treat me in office before and afterwards. Continued progesterone injections and estrogen pills/patches until chemical pregnancy blood work. We are repeating the same protocol right now and will have another FET in 10 days. Only changes are additional tweaks to diet. The rationale behind not changing anything is that nothing went wrong. We had let the embryologist pick "the best" genetically normal embryo. During our last regroup, he agreed that if we wanted to transfer two embryos at once, he would do the two lower quality at once, or the high quality as a single.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
To be completely fair, the nursing staff from early 2018-June 2019 was fantastic and we had a lot of positive interactions with several of the nursing staff. There has been turnover in July/August 2019 and this most recent cycle has been a mess, and I believe that if I hadn't done this before and knew to follow up on missing information, this cycle would have had to have been skipped because the nurses did not communicate well with me or each other. I have had several instances of telling one nurse something to have the other one call and ask for the same information, mostly likely because it was not charted. They also messed up my medication order on something as simple as getting me enough needles on the order to take the drugs as prescribed. It makes me nervous. The current nurses do not have background in IVF and it shows. Previous nurses were much more empathetic and the current staff is too overwhelmed with trying to catch up to remember to be kind or empathetic. It's unfortunately very disorganized right now.
Describe your experience with Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
Strengths: The clinic waiting room is almost always a peaceful relaxing place. Blood work, ultrasounds, IUI, retrievals, FET can all be done in one building and the IVF lab is brand new and state of the art. They leave the schedule flexible so appointments are easy to make as needed. The billing dept is available for questions and helpful.
Weakness: Nurse and front desk turnover since I have been a patient has caused a lot of unease. I know many of the monitoring nurses are still on staff, but it's a different set of nurses for IVF so that's where there has been confusion and chaos.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Bruce Albrecht at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
With some insurance coverage, each medicated IUI cycle was about $500 out of pocket. IVF without medications was less than $8500. FET without medications is less than $3100
Describe Bruce Albrecht's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
I am 33 and since I'm close to "the line" he seemed like he would let us push for multiple, but his preference is to do singles. Part of our meetings with him have included the risks to moms and babies when multiples come into play. He encourages eSET for healthy under 35 moms, and changes his approach when other factors or 35+ maternal age is a factor.
What specific things went wrong at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
Failed to call with results
Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
At the very beginning of my second FET cycle, if I hadn't known to ask, I would have missed starting the birth control on time because they want you on it for a certain amount of time before the transfer. The nurses monitoring the email weren't documenting the start of my cycle even though I had told them three time, it took three times to get it charted and the prescription called in. I had already had to wait a cycle because there wasn't enough time in the previous month. This is also based on the fact that they get all of their patients on the same cycle so that all IVF or FET is done in the same time frame (as opposed to waiting for each patients more natural cycle).
Dr. Ambler is the exact person who I would want with me along in this journey...She is a no bs kind of woman, but somehow is still incredible compassionate. At one point I ran into her in the hall after talking with the nurse about my lining finally being up to where we wanted it, and she gave me a huge smile and told me (something along the lines of), "I'm loving that lining, girl! Let's do this!"...Something about her just releases all my tension about it. I walk out of her office truly feeling a "We got this." sentiment.
Every time I walked in [to Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care], they greeted me with a smile, and if I was out in the waiting room, nurses who had an extra minute would come out and ask how I was doing, personally. They asked about my weekends (and remembered what I told them!). They gave me hugs when things didn't go well, they held my hand when I had to go through painful procedures, and I always felt like they were on my side.
How was your experience with Dana Ambler at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
Dr. Ambler is the exact person who I would want with me along in this journey. First point being that my husband walked out of our first meeting with her and said, "She's got this, I can feel it. She cited papers!" My husband is not particularly trusting of doctors, and his immediate comfort with her and her abilities made me feel more at ease. She is a no bs kind of woman, but somehow is still incredible compassionate. At one point I ran into her in the hall after talking with the nurse about my lining finally being up to where we wanted it, and she gave me a huge smile and told me (something along the lines of), "I'm loving that lining, girl! Let's do this!" We're finishing our last IUI cycle now, and if it's a negative, I have no doubt in my mind that Dr. Ambler is who I want doing my IVF. Something about her just releases all my tension about it. I walk out of her office truly feeling a "We got this." sentiment.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Dana Ambler at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
Be completely honest about your concerns. I felt a bit intimidated by her presence at first, but after a few interactions, I was more comfortable in asking my "dumb questions", which of course were never actually dumb, and she never once made me feel like they were either. Whenever I was actually honest with how I was feeling and what my concerns were, she always alleviated them with her thorough answers and cautious and practical optimism.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Dana Ambler at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
I truly felt like Dr. Ambler and the entire clinic, were rooting for me. Every time I walked in, they greeted me with a smile, and if I was out in the waiting room, nurses who had an extra minute would come out and ask how I was doing, personally. They asked about my weekends (and remembered what I told them!). They gave me hugs when things didn't go well, they held my hand when I had to go through painful procedures, and I always felt like they were on my side. The only reason I didn't give 100% is because there is always a little bit of disconnect within the office, and often times I have to correct a few things with the nurses or the back of house staff, like I would call in on CD 1-3 for a baseline and I always need to have a dilation and an ultrasound, but when I called in once for my dilation, they forgot to also schedule me for a baseline ultrasound. Or a nurse might forget what dose of medications I am on and I need to correct them (it's always on my charts, but they don't always read through before every appointment). From my understanding of other clinics though, no clinic has perfect communication, and I personally would honestly rather be slightly more vigilant with my numbers/dosages/etc and have a friendly face to chat with about this difficult time than the opposite.
Describe the protocols Dana Ambler used in your cycles at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care) and their degree of success.
So, I have diminished ovarian reserve, and when we started going to Dr. Ambler, I had an AFC of ~3-6, AMH level 0.6, FSH 19, super low testosterone, low TSH, cervical stenosis, and suspected endometriosis (never been confirmed, but now seems less likely). She had me immediately get on a DOR supplementation schedule - Vitamin D, Fish Oil, CoQ10, Prenatal, DHEA, Ovasitol, and PQQ. Since the studies have shown that egg development begins 3 months before ovulation, she had me stay on these for the 3 months before beginning my first IUI. That one was purely Clomid 100mg Day 3-7, and progesterone suppositories (I have low luteal phase progesterone) in the luteal phase. I had a ~7mm lining and an 18 mm follicle. That resulted in a negative test. My second IUI was Letrozole (with the hopes of improved lining, as Clomid is known to decrease lining), 10 mg CD 3-7, with luteal phase HCG (I had bad side effects from the progesterone, so we switched to the HCG to increase my luteal phase progesterone). Side note, in both of these, I ovulated on my own ~CD 16. I had 6-7mm lining with a 21mm follicle. Also resulted in a negative. My third IUI was same protocol, but added Estrace, 1 mg vaginally CD 5-surge (hoping to increase my estrogen, and therefore, lining). My follicles went weird, and turns out I had an anovulatory cycle, so that IUI was cancelled. We did a reset cycle - estrogen for 21 days, then progesterone to start up my period again. IUI #4 I did the Letrozole, and then added micro HCG (for lining), instead of Estrace (thinking maybe it did something weird - turns out it didn't), CD 6-surge. I had a positive OPK way too early, so the cycle was cancelled (we now know that I apparently sometime have false positives, as my LH was still low). I am currently on IUI #5 (and last). We did Letrozole, micro HCG, and Estrace. My lining has been dragging along, so we went ahead and added Ganirelix to delay my ovulation until we could build that up. Since it's my last IUI, we're putting everything into it. I do have a couple of follicles in the mature range, so we're hoping that everything lines up this time. I'll go back in for an ultrasound to check my lining and trigger tomorrow if it looks better, with hopefully an IUI the following day. (By the way - there is no male infertility to speak of in our case). Then I'll be on the luteal phase HCG 2.5 ml 3, 6, and 9 days after IUI. It has been really helpful that they have monitored me really well throughout all of the cycles - with ultrasounds 2-3x/week during stims.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
There are three nurses and one NP that I would interact with on a regular basis. Stacie was always nice and compassionate, though sometimes it seemed like she hadn't read through my current cycle before calling me back, sometimes referencing prior cycles, or sometimes getting me confused as a Dr. Albrecht patient instead of Dr. Ambler. Kathy (nurse) was always very nice, always double checked with Dr. Ambler before telling me anything, and always seemed on top of my chart. My only complaint about her is that she sometimes said fairly insensitive things, like, "What did you do?!" during my anovulatory cycle, further enhancing my fears that infertility is "my fault". Otherwise though, she would always come out and greet me, or give me a smile, even when she wasn't my attending nurse for the day. Heather is apparently a new nurse, and I just met with her for the first time yesterday. She was incredibly kind and familiar with my chart. Apparently she had just come over from Conceptions, so seemed really familiar with the infertility world, and answered my questions well.
Kathi is the NP in the office and is also very nice. She, somehow though, seems the least familiar with my chart, and has made several mistakes with me, like telling me to get off of one med, when I wasn't supposed to (as I found out when I showed up for my next ultrasound). It cost us some money, because we have to stretch out the cycle longer, but otherwise I don't think will be the reason this cycle doesn't work.
Describe your experience with Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
The back of house staff is probably my least favorite part of the office. Specifically Anne C. She makes mistakes regularly in scheduling (will tell me one time only to find out she booked me for a half hour earlier/later), or will forget to book something when I am coming in for more than one procedure. The staff has always found a way to fit me in when that happens though. It's just frustrating. Missy and the other woman at the front desk, though, are wonderful. Always cheerful, always remember my name, always ask about my weekend. Brittany and the other lab techs are also wonderful. They are chatty and as sweet as can be. Also, I'm a pretty hard stick, but they never seem to have trouble getting blood out of me. It's excellent.
I haven't had much interaction with billing though, and I've heard they can be a little frustrating, but I have nothing to speak of in that department.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Dana Ambler at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
My IUIs were covered under insurance, so costs so far have been minimal. $25/ultrasound, $30 for a visit with a nurse, $50 for a visit with Dr. Ambler. Labs were done in house. Not sure about IVF costs.
Describe Dana Ambler's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
N/A
What specific things went wrong at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
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
Scheduled the wrong procedure
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
I've mentioned this before, but I've been given wrong appointment times, not had certain procedures scheduled when I've come in for more than one thing, not been called with test results, etc. My trick to avoiding appointment issues is to try to always interact with Missy, or always schedule before I leave the office. I also just call in and leave a message on the day results are expected, just to avoid them forgetting to call me. And like I said earlier, they've always fit me in if the staff have messed up in scheduling. I also just make sure to have everything written down (particularly changes in protocol) when I go in for an ultrasound.
She [Dr. Ambler] said I am a great candidate for IVF. For IVF cycles her office does frozen embryo transfers, prefers ICSI, and we will also do the optional genetic testing to reduce our chance of miscarriage...She is NOT a fan of implanting more than one embryo. She said she NEVER recommends implanting 2 embryos to patients ever. She was very clear about the risks, which I appreciated... was so patient and sat with us to answer all of our questions. She made every question we had an important one. She was so kind but also very frank with what we could expect moving forward with a cycle of IVF. I have experienced 2 miscarriages and also 2 tubal pregnancies. She was so sympathetic and sensitive about my losses.
The clinic [Denver IVF] offers a free IVF seminar once a month that answered so many of our questions. Also by going to the seminar, you get half off of your first consultation making it just $100. They also request your paperwork a week before your visit to go over your history. They are very upfront about the cost of treatment and I really feel like they are in our corner to work with us. The only weakness from our visit would be I wish they would have followed up with my OBGYN to get my tests and history from her. If they would have had that information we would have been able to make a plan faster for what tests I needed moving forward.
How was your experience with Dana Ambler at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
She was so kind and I appreciated that she was honest about risks. I thought she was a good balance of a sweet bedside manner, sympathetic about my history, while also laying out the risks moving forward with IVF. I did not feel like a number at all and there was no pressure. I know she will be supportive of whatever we decide.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Dana Ambler at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
Don't be afraid to ask questions and even come prepared with some. Dr. Ambler is more than happy to answer any of them and wants to ease any concerns you might have.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Dana Ambler at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
Dr. Ambler was so patient and sat with us to answer all of our questions. She made every question we had an important one. She was so kind but also very frank with what we could expect moving forward with a cycle of IVF. I have experienced 2 miscarriages and also 2 tubal pregnancies. She was so sympathetic and sensitive about my losses.
Describe the protocols Dana Ambler used in your cycles at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care) and their degree of success.
Dr. Ambler suggested a cycle of IVF moving forward. She explained it would take about 4 months from start to finish. I need to have a FEMVUE first to see if I have a tubal blockage. If it's blocked I will need surgery to remove or block off the tube so it will not affect implantation of an embryo during IVF. She said I am a great candidate for IVF. For IVF cycles her office does frozen embryo transfers, prefers ICSI, and we will also do the optional genetic testing to reduce our chance of miscarriage.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care). (Assigned nurse: Melissa)
The IVF care coordinator was so helpful. She made all the dates for our IVF cycle very clear. The price of IVF was easy to understand and we could easily tell what was due for each point of our IVF cycle. She also told me the names of the other IVF staff and said we could reach out whenever we had questions. She was so wonderful and I can't say enough good things about her.
Describe your experience with Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
The clinic offers a free IVF seminar once a month that answered so many of our questions. Also by going to the seminar, you get half off of your first consultation making it just $100. They also request your paperwork a week before your visit to go over your history. They are very upfront about the cost of treatment and I really feel like they are in our corner to work with us. The only weakness from our visit would be I wish they would have followed up with my OBGYN to get my tests and history from her. If they would have had that information we would have been able to make a plan faster for what tests I needed moving forward.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Dana Ambler at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
If you pay with cash or check instead of credit there is a 3% discount. For phase 1 of IVF it is $7905. The Embryo Transfer is $3007. Additional costs we are paying for are genetic testing which will be about $2500. Plus the cost of the medications (about $5000).
Describe Dana Ambler's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
She is NOT a fan of implanting more than one embryo. She said she NEVER recommends implanting 2 embryos to patients ever. She was very clear about the risks, which I appreciated. With my first pregnancy I had preeclampsia at the very end, but didn't have it at all with my second. She said the chances of me having preeclampsia with twins is 7 times higher since I have had it in the past. She also said embryos can fight for space, and also since she prefers ICSI the embryo has a 5% chance of splitting. So there is a concern for having 3-4 babies. Ultimately with us knowing the risks, she said she will support us whatever we decided to implant one embryo or two.
Dr. Albrecht was wonderful. He knows what he is doing as both a scientist and a doctor. He took the time to review my chart ahead of my appointments, answered all of my questions thoughtfully, and ensured my treatments were successful...He understands the stress and frustration coupled experiencing infertility feel. He was warm and reassuring in his interactions with me and answered all of my questions kindly.
They [Denver Fertility Care] are a small, compassionate clinic. They are very focused on the patient. They run in time. The only downside of the clinic is that sometimes the billing was a bit wonky, but they always took the time to correct any issues and re-bill to ensure I got maximum coverage through my insurance...They [nursing staff] were lovely and responsive to questions submitted by phone or through the portal. They ensured the clinic was already running on time
How was your experience with Bruce Albrecht at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
Dr. Albrecht was wonderful. He knows what he is doing as both a scientist and a doctor. He took the time to review my chart ahead of my appointments, answered all of my questions thoughtfully, and ensured my treatments were successful.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Bruce Albrecht at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
Don’t be afraid to ask specific questions if you have any.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Bruce Albrecht at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
Dr. Albrecht was wonderful. He understands the stress and frustration coupled experiencing infertility feel. He was warm and reassuring in his interactions with me and answered all of my questions kindly.
Describe the protocols Bruce Albrecht used in your cycles at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care) and their degree of success.
The doctor put me on levothyroxine to stabilize my thyroid, which controls hormones. He closely monitored that throughout my time seeing him. I had previous negative experiences with Clomid, so the doctor put me on letrozole. I tried a few timed intercourse cycles, which did not result in any pregnancies. Following those, I tried three IUIs. I always had 2-4 follicles with the IUI cycles. My partner’s sperm count was low for one of the cycles (no marijuana!), but we went ahead with the cycle anyways. For the other two, he was fine. I have a narrow cervix, but the sperm was successfully injected into my uterus each time. The IUI cycles were unsuccessful. Dr. Albrecht suggested that if I was not pregnant after three IUI cycles, IVF is the next best option. That was a five month process from retrieval to transfer. The clinic does retrievals one week per month and transfers one week per month and your cycle needs to align with those weeks. Prior to the retrieval, I was on birth control to regulate my cycle, then injection medicines, then the retrieval. After the successful retrieval, I went back on birth control and then injection medicines to prepare for the transfer. I elected to do acupuncture the day of the transfer.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
They were lovely and responsive to questions submitted by phone or through the portal. They ensured the clinic was already running on time
Describe your experience with Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
They are a small, compassionate clinic. They are very focused on the patient. They run in time. The only downside of the clinic is that sometimes the billing was a bit wonky, but they always took the time to correct any issues and re-bill to ensure I got maximum coverage through my insurance.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Bruce Albrecht at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
Dr. Albrecht was much more affordable than CCRM.
They can provide you a self-pay chest so you know the cost of every procedure that is not covered by insurance. If I recall correctly, each IUI cycle, with medicine and monitoring, was about $1500.
By the time my IVF cycle started, my insurance company was covering fertility care. There were a couple of “coordination of care” fees associated with the retrieval and the transfer that were not covered by insurance. I do recall that self pay (no insurance) for the retrieval medicine was around $8000. I recall that I genetically tested my embryos, submitted it to insurance, and insurance actually covered it.
Request a cash/self-pay cost sheet from any clinic you are considering. Don’t forget to ask which procedures and medications you will need for each cycle of treatment. The prices and processes should be transparent.
Describe Bruce Albrecht's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
Dr. Albrecht is in the business of helping families have healthy babies. He explained that he recommends single embryo transfers in most situations because a multiples pregnancy is always riskier from a pregnancy perspective.
Dr. Ambler is incredibly kind and caring. She is direct and to the point, never leaving out any details, and always asking what she can answer for you. She is very thorough and also patient. She was always sensitive to what I was feeling going through this very emotional journey. I feel that she gave me exactly the care that I needed...She will always take the time to answer them thoroughly and genuinely cares that her patients understands all the risks and benefits that come along with this journey.
The [Denver Fertility Care] clinic is incredibly organized and always on top of things. Organization and knowing what my plan was, what my meds were, etc. was very important to me and they always made everything so clear. They are caring and compassionate and always willing to help answer your questions and make you feel comfortable. They also always made sure to squeeze me in for any appointments that were time sensitive ensuring my cycle wouldn't be pushed back. I would say that some of the newer staff, including the front desk, phlebotomist, and ultrasound techs did not provide the same level of care as when I started at the clinic over a year ago, which was unfortunate.
How was your experience with Dana Ambler at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
Dr. Ambler is incredibly kind and caring. She is direct and to the point, never leaving out any details, and always asking what she can answer for you. She is very thorough and also patient. She was always sensitive to what I was feeling going through this very emotional journey. I feel that she gave me exactly the care that I needed.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Dana Ambler at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
Ask her anything that you have questions about. She will always take the time to answer them thoroughly and genuinely cares that her patients understands all the risks and benefits that come along with this journey.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Dana Ambler at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
The staff at Denver Fertility individualized my care and treated me like a person with specific needs on my journey. They took the time to cater to those needs and support me as an individual along the way.
Describe the protocols Dana Ambler used in your cycles at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care) and their degree of success.
For the egg retrieval we started with what I understand to be a conservative treatment as I have PCOS and she was being considerate of that to keep me safe from developing OHSS. I had a very successful egg retrieval with the protocol that I was given. For my transfer I did birth control and a month of Lupron as well as HCG shots leading up to transfer and just completed my estrogen and progesterone medications in week 11.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care). (Assigned nurse: Kayla)
The IVF team was so incredibly caring. After experiencing a miscarriage at my OB office, in which no compassion was given, I was so grateful for a team that truly cared. Every time there was a negative pregnancy test/period/failed IUI or questions I would e-mail because I was unsure of symptoms or afraid I'd miscarry, they were always so incredibly caring!
Describe your experience with Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
The clinic is incredibly organized and always on top of things. Organization and knowing what my plan was, what my meds were, etc. was very important to me and they always made everything so clear.
They are caring and compassionate and always willing to help answer your questions and make you feel comfortable. They also always made sure to squeeze me in for any appointments that were time sensitive ensuring my cycle wouldn't be pushed back.
I would say that some of the newer staff, including the front desk, phlebotomist, and ultrasound techs did not provide the same level of care as when I started at the clinic over a year ago, which was unfortunate.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Dana Ambler at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
I didn't have any coverage so I believe that the costs were approx. as follows (without looking up for exact numbers). Egg retrieval cash payment $10k. Egg retrieval meds $6k. Uterine testing for transfer $1k. Transfer cash payment $6k. Transfer meds. $4k.
Describe Dana Ambler's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
Dr. Ambler strongly suggests one embryo transferred at a time. I never requested to do more than one as based on her recommendations on the risks vs benefits I trusted that doing one was the best option for me.
What specific things went wrong at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
Dr. Albrecht is so kind and very thorough. He had my immunological panel tested and found out I have MTHFR and a blood clotting issue that could have been very risky if I became pregnant without being on blood thinners. His analogies are hilarious and makes the science easy to understand. He also was very gentle for the saline sonogram procedure I dreaded!
From the front desk staff [at Denver Fertility Care] to Dr. Albrecht, I felt like I was treated with care and respect. My assigned nurse, Marcy, especially made me feel like the clinic cared about me and my family building goals...It feels like a smaller, more personalized clinic...Everyone is so friendly here, including the front desk staff, phlebotomist, nurses, and embryologists. The lab in particular seemed stellar and had excellent communication.
How was your experience with Bruce Albrecht at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
Dr. Albrecht is so kind and very thorough. He had my immunological panel tested and found out I have MTHFR and a blood clotting issue that could have been very risky if I became pregnant without being on blood thinners. His analogies are hilarious and makes the science easy to understand. He also was very gentle for the saline sonogram procedure I dreaded!
I became pregnant on our first transfer using donor eggs. Sadly, I lost the baby at 22 weeks due to a CMV infection, though this was no fault of the doctor or clinic.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Bruce Albrecht at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
He is a great choice for fertility care. It feels like a smaller, more personalized clinic.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Bruce Albrecht at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
From the front desk staff to Dr. Albrecht, I felt like I was treated with care and respect. My assigned nurse, Marcy, especially made me feel like the clinic cared about me and my family building goals.
Describe the protocols Bruce Albrecht used in your cycles at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care) and their degree of success.
I started with donor egg right away, since I had already tried other options with no success at other clinics. I bought frozen eggs and had them shipped to the lab. We started with one month of birth control, then Lupron shots for about a month, then estrogen patches plus pills, PIO shots, Lovenox, HCG shots before transfer.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care). (Assigned nurse: Marcy)
Marcy was amazing. She answered my questions through the portal immediately, or by phone if needed. If she was not available, another nurse would help me right away.
Describe your experience with Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
I really liked being with a smaller clinic, after having consults with larger ones in my area. Everyone is so friendly here, including the front desk staff, phlebotomist, nurses, and embryologists. The lab in particular seemed stellar and had excellent communication.
Describe Bruce Albrecht's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
He preferred single embryo transfer since we used donor eggs.
[Dr. Ambler] was informational and gave me information that I didn't know because this was my first time in her care. She always made herself available despite a busy schedule and making sure I get all the information I need to make a decision for steps...I also started with Clomid for first round and then Femara the next two rounds. Last round I also took Gonal to help with ovulation but after the trigger the last IUI did not work. We did take a month break between the IUIs
The [Denver Fertility Care] nurses on the online portal are quick to respond with less than a day turnaround which I appreciate. The front desk is great too and making sure to help you as well. The only weakness is their accounting. I would be sure to keep tab on everything you pay as I've had to go back to them multiple times saying I paid something up-front and saying I owed them. Be extremely organized with your procedure and also what you are paying, especially out-of-pocket
How was your experience with Dana Ambler at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
Dr. Ambler is informative and well-educated in her field of knowledge when it comes to infertility. She makes sure to give you all the information regarding your situation and then takes the time to liste to any questions you might have after you hear the results. I truly appreciate her being thorough when the last doctor was not and the fact that I got to see her more than just once with questions I have regarding my fertility situation.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Dana Ambler at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
To make sure to ask all your questions and that no question is stupid. If you're ever unsure about something, don't hesitate to reach out to her. She's more than willing to listen to you if you're not getting the help you need.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Dana Ambler at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
Dr. Ambler took the time to listen to me and my situation. She was sincere but also honest and blunt. She was informational and gave me information that I didn't know because this was my first time in her care. She always made herself available despite a busy schedule and making sure I get all the information I need to make a decision for steps.
Describe the protocols Dana Ambler used in your cycles at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care) and their degree of success.
Dr. Ambler is my 2nd fertility doctor after I made this switch to their clinic.
We started form ground zero as if I've never been to a clinic, which I appreciated. Our first visit was over video call to do a consult and set expectations.
I came in to do an ultrasound to check my uterus and ovaries again. Turns out my former doctor missed this and my polyps reappeared. We scheduled for a hysteroscopy before proceeding to do another set of IUIs (three). Surgery went well and no blockages in my tube.
We begun the IUIs with medicated cycle as my period was not normal and I was also diagnosed with PCOS. My lining was not thickening enough so I was prescribed HSG (progesterone) shots and estradial (estrace). I also started with Clomid for first round and then Femara the next two rounds. Last round I also took Gonal to help with ovulation but after the trigger the last IUI did not work. We did take a month break between the IUIs for medicated timed intercourse. Despite the set of eggs and timed intercouse, none of the 3 IUIs worked.
Late 2021, we discussed next steps for IVF. Currently, we've been saving the funds to plan for IVF. Late of 2020 and into 2021, I worked for a start up but they were not able to pay me. Not until I found a new job late in 2021 that I could start saving funds for our first round of IVF. Hope to start our session in May-July.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
There were two nurses but one was new as another was leaving. I'm unsure if the nurses are still there as turnover seems to happen after covid.
They are very caring with the people I've worked with and will answer any questions I have when I'm there. I appreciate it when this is my first time.
Describe your experience with Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
The doctors and nurses are great. They take the time to listen and answers all your questions.. The nurses on the online portal are quick to respond with less than a day turnaround which I appreciate. The front desk is great too and making sure to help you as well.
The only weakness is their accounting. I would be sure to keep tab on everything you pay as I've had to go back to them multiple times saying I paid something up-front and saying I owed them.
Be extremely organized with your procedure and also what you are paying, especially out-of-pocket. I think the front desk and back office or their internal systems need to be on the same page when something is paid. That or higher more people to keep up with the paperwork.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Dana Ambler at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
The cost has risened each year. Sadly, from 2021 to 2022 the cost for IVF went up an extra $2k. It seems as if their price goes up every year and sometimes twice a year. This could be to the cost-living or due to how many people want to go to this clinic. They are quite expensive than most other clinics.
Describe Dana Ambler's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
She said that the results for a single embryo vs multiple embryo transfer can result the same. Meaning nothing, one or both. It was not a guarantee that both embroyos would be a greater chance for pregnancy.
What specific things went wrong at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
I was waiting on a prescription and the fax didn't come through to our pharmacy. However, I called in to stay on top of it with the nurse and they were able to get it over within the same day. Also, there was a time when the procedure of our planned IUI was different than last spoken to the doctor.
This can happen but they were quick to resolve and check with the doctor when I inform them that this wasn't what I was told. They don't make me feel like I'm wrong and are there to listen.
Dr. Albrecht put both my husband and myself on preconception supplements to improve sperm and egg quality respectively...Though we didn't see him in person very often during our treatment, we knew that he was heavily involved - any time it was suggested that we change our course of treatment, our nurse would mention that the orders came from Dr. Albrecht himself
This [Denver Fertility Care] clinic's strength is that it's small enough to feel personal. When you walk in the door, you feel known and nurses and other staff seem to be well-acquainted with your charts...She was very prompt in responding to questions and never treated any question as silly...IUI was $475 per round.
How was your experience with Bruce Albrecht at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
Our first visit with Dr. Albrecht (phone call because of COVID) was a "consult" which ended up being an hour and a half long. I told him I'd previously been diagnosed with PCOS, so he spent the first call going in-depth on supplements and nutritional changes my husband and I could make right away while we were waiting for all of our fertility assessments to come back. Though we didn't see him in person very often during our treatment, we knew that he was heavily involved - any time it was suggested that we change our course of treatment, our nurse would mention that the orders came from Dr. Albrecht himself. The few times we saw him in person (again, I assume limited because of COVID), he was warm, friendly, and knew our names. We were amazed by his wide breadth of knowledge, and he has that "I've seen this all a hundred times" attitude that makes you feel confident that no matter what your situation is, he knows how to handle it. I was originally very hesitant working with a male doctor, but I was so glad we worked with Dr. Albrecht. I felt totally comfortable.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Bruce Albrecht at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
If you want to talk to Dr. Albrecht directly, just ask! He seems very willing (within reason, I'm sure) to hop on the phone directly with his patients when they're nervous about treatment or need questions answered and don't want to go through the nurses. And when you do get him on the phone, he's all ears and very helpful.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Bruce Albrecht at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
Dr. Albrecht's office is relatively small compared to many of the larger fertility offices in the Denver area, so the front desk staff knew me pretty quickly. I always had the same ultrasound tech and same monitoring nurse who knew me and knew my treatment plan, and Dr. Albrecht has a wonderfully warm bedside manner that is professional yet compassionate. You really feel like the whole office is pulling for you!
Describe the protocols Bruce Albrecht used in your cycles at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care) and their degree of success.
Dr. Albrecht put both my husband and myself on preconception supplements to improve sperm and egg quality respectively. We tried two months of Clomid and timed intercourse - he said we could try up to three before he'd recommend IUI but we decided to go ahead and move forward with IUI after 2. For the IUI cycles, I took Clomid as well as HCG during the luteal phase to support the potential pregnancy. We conceived after our second round of IUI.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
We worked almost exclusively with Koneta, one of the monitoring nurses, and she was absolutely fantastic. She was kind, friendly, and we always felt she was being honest with us. Koneta administered both rounds of IUI, and I felt very confident in her expertise on the procedure. She was very prompt in responding to questions and never treated any question as silly. I did have one encounter with another nurse, Melanie, who seemed disorganized and put together a calendar of my cycle plan with the wrong dates. But that was isolated, and I never saw her again which makes me wonder if she is still at the clinic.
Describe your experience with Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
This clinic's strength is that it's small enough to feel personal. When you walk in the door, you feel known and nurses and other staff seem to be well-acquainted with your charts. The only challenge we had was that at times it feels like you need to stay on top of your own care - for example, you'll need to make sure you know when you need an ultrasound next and for what, because the front desk won't always know. But from what I've read of other reviews, this is relatively typical of fertility clinics. This was our first experience with a fertility clinic and it was incredibly positive. We'd 100% go back if we choose to try and conceive again.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Bruce Albrecht at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
IUI was $475 per round.
What specific things went wrong at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
Failed to call with results
Lost results
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
I ended up having to receive a diagnostic procedure at a separate hospital, and it took over two months for me to receive my results from the clinic. The clinic said there were a ton of issues with the hospital, but I still found it odd that it took two months for them to get my results.
We had a missed diagnosis for several items from our prior fertility clinic that Dr. Ambler caught just in our initial discussions with us (stenotic cervix, hyperthyroidism)...adjusted the medications for our second egg retrieval to include additional hormonal therapies to increase the odds of viable embryos. As a result we got 6 healthy very high quality embryos and are now expecting our first child...advocates the single embryo transfer method
[Denver Fertility Albrecht Women's Care's] main strength is the clinic's overall atmosphere...their insurance/billing team is VERY good at communicating and making sure you have everything you need...Holly is absolutely amazing. She is so kind, and so very comforting to have around when coming in for ultrasounds, bloodwork, etc. Most all the nurses are, but Holly was our main nurse
How was your experience with Dana Ambler at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
Dr. Ambler was truly the best possible doctor for us to have at the exact right time. As said before, we had just been through an absolutely horrifying experience with another clinic and doctor, so we were already on guard and traumatized when we met Ambler. She was kind, patient, communicative, and very compassionate. She has a way of giving you the information you need without you feeling like it is the end of the world. Even when it feels like it could be. She is warm and upbeat, and remains cognizant of where you are in the journey and adjusts accordingly. She also has a great sense of humor, and puts you at ease when working with you. All around excellent Doc!
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Dana Ambler at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
Be honest about your journey and your mental state, ask all the questions you want to ask, and know that you have an excellent doctor in Dr. Ambler.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Dana Ambler at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
Dr. Ambler took over our care after an AWFUL experience at Rocky Mountain Fertility Clinic. We were already traumatized by the time we met her, and so we really put her and her staff through the paces, asking a million questions, recapping our horrible prior experience, and generally coming into the process already jaded. Dr. Ambler was amazing. She was kind, direct, knowledgeable, but above all, she really listened to what we had to say and used the information we provided to prescribe the right kind of plan for us, while keeping our emotional state in mind throughout the process.
Describe the protocols Dana Ambler used in your cycles at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care) and their degree of success.
We had a missed diagnosis for several items from our prior fertility clinic that Dr. Ambler caught just in our initial discussions with us (stenotic cervix, hyperthyroidism). Dr. Ambler kept the TSH levels tightly controlled and checked the levels monthly. She paid extremely close attention during the two egg retrievals we went through to carefully control Estrogen levels and produce healthy eggs. When the first retrieval identified a poor egg quality issue (even though blood work never indicated this), Dr. Ambler adjusted the medications for our second egg retrieval to include additional hormonal therapies to increase the odds of viable embryos. As a result we got 6 healthy very high quality embryos and are now expecting our first child.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
Holly is absolutely amazing. She is so kind, and so very comforting to have around when coming in for ultrasounds, bloodwork, etc. Most all the nurses are, but Holly was our main nurse, and she is who sticks out in our heads. We had a very big scare after our second transfer, but Holly was so reassuring and kind that we left feeling very reassured! The front desk staff is amazing as well. Danielle is always kind and willing to chat (I get chatty when nervous) and their insurance/billing team is VERY good at communicating and making sure you have everything you need.
Describe your experience with Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
Their main strength is the clinic's overall atmosphere. It's not sterile feeling, like a hospital. Think calming spa waiting room. Also, there's not a bunch of baby pictures everywhere, which is really nice when you've been going through fertility treatments for years. The last thing you want to see is happy people with their new babies and whoever setup this clinic understands that. The music is always calming and nice, the nurses and staff are always friendly. I actually liked going to the clinic because they just make you feel so welcome!
Describe the costs associated with your care under Dana Ambler at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
If you pay with cash or check instead of credit there is a 3% discount. For phase 1 of IVF it is $7905. The Embryo Transfer is $3007. Additional costs we paid for are genetic testing which was about $2500. Plus the cost of the medications (about $5000). However, we were one of the lucky couples that had insurance, so we were able to have the nursing staff and doctor apply for a pre-approval and most of our costs were covered. Now that Colorado has a new law making Fertility Treatment Insurance mandatory, I expect others will have more luck getting it paid for as well. Dr. Ambler's clinic team in the billing department was excellent at handling all the insurance related items. Overall, our cost for two egg retrievals, and IUI, multiple cervical dilations and two embryo transfers was less than $12,000, including medications.
Describe Dana Ambler's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
Dr. Ambler advocates the single embryo transfer method, and will explain in detail why this method is recommended by her. They do give you the option to have two embryos transferred, but after hearing her reasons, we trusted her assessment and went with a single embryo.
What specific things went wrong at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
Provided conflicting information
Lost or damaged samples
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
The shipping company that was used to send our embryo genetic samples to the lab for analysis lost the shipment with our samples in it. It sat on a dock at our local airport for nearly two weeks before being located. Our samples were able to still be tested, but I know others were not so lucky. The clinic did everything they could to make it right, and with our second retrieval we had someone calling us daily to give us updates on the shipment, its location, when the samples were received, and when our results would be provided to us. So they changed protocols drastically as well as couriers and it made all the difference.
Dr. Ambler was very compassionate while at the same time blunt. She was able to provide me with clear answers to my questions or concerns, but do so in a caring way. I always felt like she genuinely cared and when she saw me in the office, even if it wasn't an appointment with her directly, she always made sure to say hello to me (using my name)...She clearly explained everything when we spoke and she made me regain the hope I had lost from our previous RE. She completed our 1st and 2nd IUI and she always was very open to any questions that we had.
All of the front desk staff was great to work with [at Denver Fertility Care]. They were always kind and welcoming. The ultrasound techs are SUPER friendly and they always made it very comfortable in what can be an uncomfortable situation. I had different people draw my blood almost every time, but they were all nice and professional...The nurses here were fine. They were nice but nothing exceptional... appreciated that Denver Fertility provided a complete price breakdown when we first became patients, so we knew what we would be responsible for.
How was your experience with Dana Ambler at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
Dr. Ambler was great to work with. She clearly explained everything when we spoke and she made me regain the hope I had lost from our previous RE. She completed our 1st and 2nd IUI and she always was very open to any questions that we had. She always wanted to make sure that we were all on the same page at all times. During the entire year we worked with her, there was only one moment that we felt like we weren't in the loop and that was next steps after our IUIs were completed. We cleared that up though during a phone appointment.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Dana Ambler at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
Take her up on questions - she's so open to giving honest answers about everything. We felt VERY out of the loop at our previous clinic and here we felt like we knew what was going on.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Dana Ambler at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
Dr. Ambler was very compassionate while at the same time blunt. She was able to provide me with clear answers to my questions or concerns, but do so in a caring way. I always felt like she genuinely cared and when she saw me in the office, even if it wasn't an appointment with her directly, she always made sure to say hello to me (using my name).
Describe the protocols Dana Ambler used in your cycles at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care) and their degree of success.
Dr. Ambler put me on 7.5 mg of letrozole for ovulation and then also gave me progesterone suppositories the last 2 IUIs we did. She also gave me a hormone trigger shot for the first IUI. My follicles were big each time and my body was reacting well to all the medications.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
The nurses here were fine. They were nice but nothing exceptional. I had to ask a lot of questions because it felt like they just gave me very basic info as if I knew what they were talking about at all times. They were always very kind though so it was easy to ask questions if I needed to.
Describe your experience with Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
All of the front desk staff was great to work with. They were always kind and welcoming. The ultrasound techs are SUPER friendly and they always made it very comfortable in what can be an uncomfortable situation. I had different people draw my blood almost every time, but they were all nice and professional.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Dana Ambler at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
We paid for everything out of pocket because our insurance doesn't cover fertility treatments. IUIs were reasonable at around $400 or so. I appreciated that Denver Fertility provided a complete price breakdown when we first became patients, so we knew what we would be responsible for.
What specific things went wrong at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
Lost paperwork
Failed to call with results
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
They were in the process of switching to a new computer system and our last IUI wasn't logged completely. Also, when I got pregnant I had to call to see if my BETA results were in because it had been a few days and I got very anxious.
Dr. Ambler is very direct but kind. She thoroughly explains everything and confirms understanding. She is compassionate but not super warm...[she] feels strongly about transferring only 1 embryo, mainly for the health risks involved. When I asked about transferring multiples, she said she would but did not recommend it...I feel like I have access to the doctor whenever I need, and the staff knows me by name.
[Denver Fertility Albrecht Women's Care] Strengths: They are knowledgeable, professional, and I believe the best fertility doctors in Denver. Weakness: They seem a bit disjointed as an organization at times. Easy way to overcome weaknesses, ask questions and like anything else be your own advocate...$8800 for ER and care up to ER, $4000 for FET and care associated with FET. $6000 for drugs associated with IVF cycle (ER & FET). PGS testing $250/embryo.
How was your experience with Dana Ambler at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
Dr Ambler is very direct but kind. She thoroughly explains everything and confirms understanding. She is compassionate but not super warm. I trust her 100% with my care. I feel like she always has my best interest in mind. I feel like she is progressive and keeps current with fertility advancements.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Dana Ambler at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
Speak up if you are unsure of something or don't understand something.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Dana Ambler at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
I feel like I have access to the doctor whenever I need, and the staff knows me by name.
Describe the protocols Dana Ambler used in your cycles at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care) and their degree of success.
Due to DOR, Dr. Ambler suggested 60 days prior to retrieval egg health supplements, including fish oil, ovasitrol, co q 10, and ovavite pre-conception vitamins, and vitamin d. I think these gave me the best shot I could have at a successful retrieval. I am pleased with my retrieval results.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
The nursing staff is responsive and knowledgeable and caring. However, I did feel that I had to be my own advocate and make sure all processes were moving forward (but I can sometimes be a control freak!). Sometimes it felt a little unorganized, but my ER occurred right be fore COVID hit and my FET will fall during COVID times as well. So, I have shown them a bit of grace as they deal with a unprecedented pandemic.
Describe your experience with Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
Strengths: They are knowledgeable, professional, and I believe the best fertility doctors in Denver.
Weakness: They seem a bit disjointed as an organization at times.
Easy way to overcome weaknesses, ask questions and like anything else be your own advocate.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Dana Ambler at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
$8800 for ER and care up to ER, $4000 for FET and care associated with FET. $6000 for drugs associated with IVF cycle (ER & FET). PGS testing $250/embryo.
Describe Dana Ambler's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
Dr. Ambler feels strongly about transferring only 1 embryo, mainly for the health risks involved. When I asked about transferring multiples, she said she would but did not recommend it.
Dr. Ambler’s direct approach regarding communication was so helpful in understanding what we would face at every turn. That’s not to say the process was smooth (far from it) but I felt like I was cared for and that made the process bearable...We moved on to IVF and had great fert but most of our embryos did not grow well. We were diagnosed with poor egg quality but we did get a transfer that resulted in a chemical pregnancy. My husband and I decided we could only manage one more attempt so we decided to use donor eggs. With frozen donor eggs we had great results. With three normal embryos frozen, I got pregnant with our next transfer. We will be back fo #2 and #3 as soon as we can!
I understand that the nursing staff [at Denver Fertility Albrecht Women's Care] have many patients to care for but I always received a response to my questions in a reasonable amount of time. Great explanations of the complicated instructions. Once it came to the point of considering donor eggs, they provided resources and helped me through the decision making process...The billing department had a couple issues but they were resolved quickly.
How was your experience with Dana Ambler at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
Dr. Ambler’s direct approach regarding communication was so helpful in understanding what we would face at every turn. That’s not to say the process was smooth (far from it) but I felt like I was cared for and that made the process bearable.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Dana Ambler at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
Ask lots of questions, read their website, meet the embryologist. Really get to know the staff who will be helping you!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Dana Ambler at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
Dr. Ambler and her wonderful staff guided me along every step of my journey. If I had questions, they covered my concerns completely. Helping me manage my medications was a huge help.
Describe the protocols Dana Ambler used in your cycles at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care) and their degree of success.
At first, we wanted to try IUI. Even though my husbands semen analysis was a little low, we gave it a few try’s without any success. We moved on to IVF and had great fert but most of our embryos did not grow well. We were diagnosed with poor egg quality but we did get a transfer that resulted in a chemical pregnancy. My husband and I decided we could only manage one more attempt so we decided to use donor eggs. With frozen donor eggs we had great results. With three normal embryos frozen, I got pregnant with our next transfer. We will be back fo #2 and #3 as soon as we can!
Describe your experience with your nurse at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care). (Assigned nurse: Staci)
I understand that the nursing staff have many patients to care for but I always received a response to my questions in a reasonable amount of time. Great explanations of the complicated instructions. Once it came to the point of considering donor eggs, they provided resources and helped me through the decision making process.
Describe your experience with Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
The clinics COVID safety precautions made me feel safe in the midst of the pandemic. They were able to keep caring for me even during quarantine, even when I heard of clinics closing around the area. The billing department had a couple issues but they were resolved quickly.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Dana Ambler at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
For three IUIs, one retrieval, donor eggs and two transfers, I think we paid a bit over 25k. They do emphasize that they are the most affordable in Denver but I must say it doesn’t feel like anything was missing.
Describe Dana Ambler's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
Dr. Ambler strongly recommended the transfer of one embryo at a time. She explained all the risks of twins and we were quick to agree. Since we had genetic testing we felt confident with our decision.
[Dr. Dana Ambler] is a big believer in doing trigger shots after the transfer to try and help the body accept the embryo...she would only transfer 1 embryo if I had them genetically tested as I was only increasing my chances of multiples by transferring more then 1 since I was young, healthy, and my donor was also young and healthy...She individualized my care, knew me by my first name after one meeting and everytime im in the office to see her or just to get blood work or see the nurse she would address me and ask how I was doing
[Denver Fertility Albrecht Women's Care] was about the 1/3 of the cost associated with other clinics. The embryo transfer (frozen) was $3007 if you paid cash or check...My nurse for this cycle is amazing as were my last 2. They are very caring, compassionate, and understanding...Very welcoming and relaxing waiting area...My nurse is so patient with me and makes sure to listen and answer all my questions even if it comes in the form of multiple small back to back emails. They are very detailed in my calendar and this go around I'm using my insurance to cover almost all my costs and she has worked with 4 different pharmacies trying to keep my strict insurance happy.
How was your experience with Dana Ambler at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
Dr Ambler is amazing, she is very helpful, explains things in ways you would understand, coming from a medical background myself she made sure to talk to me in medical terms and put things into situations that I could relate. She never once made me feel less then I am, she treated me as a human and made sure she tried everything she could to work with my insurance when I first started there I had Kaiser and she would communicate with surgeons there so I could try and get my treatments covered. I switched insurance during my 2nd cycle and she made sure to work with me in identifying if she was in network! She gave me all my options upfront and didn't allow me to jump the gun on unneeded changes.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Dana Ambler at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
LISTEN TO HER! She knows what she is talking about and isn't lumping you into other women. Everything in individualized. She doesn't mix up information and makes sure she knows what your goals are.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Dana Ambler at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
She individualized my care, knew me by my first name after one meeting and everytime im in the office to see her or just to get blood work or see the nurse she would address me and ask how I was doing
Describe the protocols Dana Ambler used in your cycles at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care) and their degree of success.
I had borderline doppler results, basically meaning the blood flow to my uterus might be slowed), she recommended acupuncture, however with my income and work schedule I couldn't go to the acupuncture 2 times a week for 6+ weeks. She suggested I take Pentox, Viagra, and vitamin E before my transfer cycle to make sure we were addressing the blood flow part of my results. My insurance covered these medicines and one is over the counter so it was far easier for me to manage with my schedule and my financial situation. She also is a big believer in doing trigger shots after the transfer to try and help the body accept the embryo, makes it 100000% harder not to take a pregnancy test as you can get a false positive thanks to the Hcg in the shots.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care). (Assigned nurse: Stacie M)
I was assigned a new nurse for each cycle. Im currently in my 3rd and hopefully final cycle. I don't 100% know the reason behind having a new nurse each time, I think in part it is due to timing or staff changes. My nurse for this cycle is amazing as were my last 2. They are very caring, compassionate, and understanding. Im a HUGE planner and like to stay on top of things and tend to ask a ton of questions. My nurse is so patient with me and makes sure to listen and answer all my questions even if it comes in the form of multiple small back to back emails. They are very detailed in my calendar and this go around I'm using my insurance to cover almost all my costs and she has worked with 4 different pharmacies trying to keep my strict insurance happy.
Describe your experience with Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
Very friendly staff! They all know me by name even if I haven't been in, in a while. The phlebotomist during my last cycle was very encouraging and kept my spirits up during my 10 day waiting period, when I had to get every 2 day blood draws. She even comforted me when I found out it was again another negative. I was so sad to hear when she left but she respected her patients and let them know ahead of time that she was leaving. The front staff ladies are so kind and greet you by name when you walk in (not the new staff but they quickly learn who you are), the billing staff are just as nice and give detailed reasons for bills or insurance break downs if you need them. Very welcoming and relaxing waiting area.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Dana Ambler at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
Denver Fertility was about the 1/3 of the cost associated with other clinics. The embryo transfer (frozen) was $3007 if you paid cash or check. There was also a required Trial embryo transfer $150, Sonohysterogram/Hysteroscopy $550, & Doppler Ultrasound $225 but those could be billed to insurance. The Trial and Dopplers only had to be done once as long as there was no gap in between transfers, I had a almost 6 month gap between my 2nd & my now 3rd and I had to redo the Trial to make sure nothing had changed. The meds are different depending on insurance and depending on which pharmacy you use mine were about $1900 for the first 2 transfers completely out of pocket, the 3rd transfer im spending about $350 thanks to insurance coverage
Describe Dana Ambler's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
My Dr told me upfront that she would only transfer 1 embryo if I had them genetically tested as I was only increasing my chances of multiples by transferring more then 1 since I was young, healthy, and my donor was also young and healthy. I didn't do genetic testing and she agreed to transfer 2 embryos since I had 5 failed iuis and 1 failed FET with 1 embryo transfer.
What specific things went wrong at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
Failed to call with results
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
Im pretty sure I didn't get my blood results as they were normal and no one in fact told me they would call with results, however anytime ive got blood work done there they had called. I got my infectious disease, thyroid, & vitamin D levels checked and it had already been about a week and no email or call about results. Im a little worried about my vitamin D levels and take about 10,000 a day to make sure they stay up. However the second I emailed asking for the results I got a reply within the hour. The only other problem I had was during their billing department transition, they dropped the ball on billing my insurance for a procedure and I received a large bill in the mail and it already had a collection warning on it, even though this was the first time I had even got a bill. I notified their billing department and they said they took care of it, 2 weeks had gone by and I checked my claims section and still no claim had been submitted, I had to again call their billing department who then explained the last time I called they were using temps as they had a mass rehire happen and they would take care of it immediately with me still on the phone and boom there it was in my claims summary.
He [Dr. Bruce Albrecht] is a great teacher and really takes the time to explain things and the reason behind them...I started with Clomid and timed intercourse while we ran tests. It was found that I had a hydrosalpinx and had to have my right tube removed. After removal, Clomid again with IUI (tried to ensure I was ovulating from the side with the tube. No success, so we have decided to move onto IVF (may be premature, but Dr. Albrecht supported our decision).
The clinic staff [at Denver Albrecht Women's Care] was not always the most compassionate and would sometimes seem annoyed when I called to schedule/ask questions. This is for the general office staff, I have not yet begun working with the IVF specific team...Following my tubal surgery, I had called the nurse to discuss how much and how long I should be taking ibuprofen. She gave me a generic answer and stated that I could stop taking it I was not having pain. Thankfully Dr. Albrecht called and spoke with me personally about what they did/found during the surgery. He was able to answer my question at that time (told to take a large amount of ibuprofen for an extended period of time, to help treat inflammation).
How was your experience with Bruce Albrecht at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
He takes the time to ensure we know all the different treatment options, chances of success, risks, etc. He is very knowledgeable and loves to talk about studies that have been done and their results. He has never been dismissive of a question or a concern that I have had.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Bruce Albrecht at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
Come with questions! He is a great teacher and really takes the time to explain things and the reason behind them
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Bruce Albrecht at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
Dr. Albrecht takes the time to listen to my concerns and is not dismissive. He has been a great teacher and takes every opportunity to explain what the options are.
Describe the protocols Bruce Albrecht used in your cycles at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care) and their degree of success.
I started with Clomid and timed intercourse while we ran tests. It was found that I had a hydrosalpinx and had to have my right tube removed. After removal, Clomid again with IUI (tried to ensure I was ovulating from the side with the tube. No success, so we have decided to move onto IVF (may be premature, but Dr. Albrecht supported our decision).
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
The clinic staff was not always the most compassionate and would sometimes seem annoyed when I called to schedule/ask questions. This is for the general office staff, I have not yet begun working with the IVF specific team.
Describe your experience with Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
They often offer seminars and other activities. They are a "state of the art" facility and have their own lab and embryologist on staff. They are also more affordable than many other clinics in the area.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Bruce Albrecht at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
I have been using my insurance for treatment up to this point. Moving forward with IVF- there will be costs that are not covered. My understanding is that their cost for IVF is one of the most affordable in CO.
Describe Bruce Albrecht's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
My understanding is that they prefer to only do single embryo transfers (will make exceptions in special circumstances). He went in great detail about the risks to both Mom and babies associated with a "multiples" pregnancy.
What specific things went wrong at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
Following my tubal surgery, I had called the nurse to discuss how much and how long I should be taking ibuprofen. She gave me a generic answer and stated that I could stop taking it I was not having pain. Thankfully Dr. Albrecht called and spoke with me personally about what they did/found during the surgery. He was able to answer my question at that time (told to take a large amount of ibuprofen for an extended period of time, to help treat inflammation).
I only met Dr. Ambler once, she seemed really nice. She was informative and I felt like she was going to lead us in the right direction. I wish I could of had more communication with her...I felt like a number because of lack of communication. I would call and leave messages asking for a returned phone call, if I got a returned phone call, the person on the phone didn't seem to know anything about my IVF cycle....
I felt like I got lost in the system [at Denver Fertility Albrecht Women's Care]. Everytime I had a question I would not receive an answer, either because they would not respond to my emails or no one seemed to know the answer... I would call and leave messages asking for a returned phone call, if I got a returned phone call, the person on the phone didn't seem to know anything about my IVF cycle. I also would send emails and wouldn't get a response....
How was your experience with Dana Ambler at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
I only met Dr. Ambler once, she seemed really nice. She was informative and I felt like she was going to lead us in the right direction. I wish I could of had more communication with her. To bad the customer service did not match
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Dana Ambler at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
They apologized for the loss of communication, and said they were going through staff changes. I would say to maybe wait until they get settled with their new staff.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Dana Ambler at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
I felt like a number because of lack of communication. I would call and leave messages asking for a returned phone call, if I got a returned phone call, the person on the phone didn't seem to know anything about my IVF cycle. I also would send emails and wouldn't get a response. The best part is when I would be at an appointment at the facility I would get a phone call asking if I am going continue my IVF
Describe the protocols Dana Ambler used in your cycles at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care) and their degree of success.
So I was in the begging steps of starting IVF, getting all the bloodwork done, ordering meds and exams.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
The phlebotomist was really nice. I didnt get to meet many of the nurses.
Describe your experience with Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
Apparently they were going through a staff change, some of the staff quit. I felt like I got lost in the system. Everytime I had a question I would not receive an answer, either because they would not respond to my emails or no one seemed to know the answer.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Dana Ambler at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
Total cost to do IVF was about 14,000. But the test leading up to that was 2,600
What specific things went wrong at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
Lost paperwork
Failed to convey critical information
Failed to consider drug intolerance
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
I just did not have a good experience. I think I came in as a new client at a bad time. I did have one consult with Kathy, she told me she was called in to do damage control. She was nice and understood the situation I was put into. But after I left the clinic I received a phone call telling me I need to let them know if I was going to continue treatment with there facility, if I did not get in contact with them I would be charged a fee. I mean come on I just left the clinic. This left a bad taste in my mouth
Dr Albrecht spent 90 minutes with my husband and I at our initial consultation and then another 30 minutes at pre-transfer meeting.... Did only meet Dr Albrecht during 2 consultations and he did not personally do the egg retrieval. He did personally do the transfer. I mostly corresponded to IVF coordination staff, he referred to them for details of treatment... I felt comfortable with the fact we only personally saw him a few times.
All in one location [Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care], very clean yet had personal touches that made it feel warm. Nice set up to have retrieval/transfer room right across the hall from pre/post op waiting areas. Embryologist was on site and we got to meet him prior to transfer.... Staff seemed to not want to overwhelm me as the patient so only provided information in 'chunks'. Initial information on retrieval, then after, info on transfer, etc. Where I would have preferred to get it all at once
How was your experience with Bruce Albrecht at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
Did only meet Dr Albrecht during 2 consultations and he did not personally do the egg retrieval. He did personally do the transfer. I mostly corresponded to IVF coordination staff, he referred to them for details of treatment (specific timing, cost, etc) but he was very knowledgeable with fertility treatment and I felt comfortable with the fact we only personally saw him a few times.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Bruce Albrecht at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
Staff seemed to not want to overwhelm me as the patient so only provided information in 'chunks'. Initial information on retrieval, then after, info on transfer, etc. Where I would have preferred to get it all at once so I would have needed to be more proactive in getting this information from staff.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Bruce Albrecht at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
Very caring staff - Dr Albrecht spent 90 minutes with my husband and I at our initial consultation and then another 30 minutes at pre-transfer meeting. He gave me mantra to use before transfer and just that touch felt personal! Enjoyed all the clinic staff.
Describe the protocols Bruce Albrecht used in your cycles at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care) and their degree of success.
I appreciate that he does ICSI with all transfers, he prefers frozen transfer, and he does usually recommend PGS testing. From start of retrieval meds to frozen transfer was 3 months so it does take longer than some other doctors will do.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
Overall very responsive, you do work with the whole team. Sometimes felt like I had to be constantly asking questions to get the information I wanted, but I did always hear back from them!
Describe your experience with Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
All in one location, very clean yet had personal touches that made it feel warm. Nice set up to have retrieval/transfer room right across the hall from pre/post op waiting areas. Embryologist was on site and we got to meet him prior to transfer.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
They had us set appointments for morning time, only a few times had to wait a bit. Overall blood work and other testing was very quick.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Bruce Albrecht at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
Retrieval is around 11,000 after PGS testing and transfer was about 3,000-4,000. None of that includes cost of meds.
Describe Bruce Albrecht's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
He recommended eSET as I had no known fertility issues (only male factor) and we used PGS tested embryo.
She [Dr. Dana Ambler] fully explains everything. She does talk very quickly, as there's a lot to cover, but she leaves time for questions and doesn't rush you out. Everytime you see her for procedures, she takes time to answer questions if you have them (and seems confused if you don't)...After testing, we discovered I had diminished ovarian reserve due to one ovary not really doing anything at all. She put me on a supplement protocol. After 8 months on the protocol, I'm pleased to report my sleepy ovary has woken up and started ovulating normally! We did several rounds of Clomid/progesterone with IUI, but my response to Clomid was not fantastic (it was "okay" but not spectacular). After no pregnancies, we decided to try letrozole/progesterone. I responded extremely well to letrozole, and produced 3 follicles for the first IUI (and ovulated before the 2nd cycle ultrasound). She will cancel if you exceed 3 follicles. We needed to take a break, but will try two more letrozole/progesterone IUIs, as I responded well to them, before moving on to IVF. She is unsure why I'm not pregnant yet, as my response to the meds should have resulted in pregnancy by now.
I've seen several nurses there [Denver IVF]. I have two that are my "favorites" as their style of empathy/compassion fits me as a person wonderfully! However, every nurse there has had fantastic empathy...IUI is $300 (self-pay). That includes semen wash/processing and insemination. It does NOT include medications...Small clinic, with only two doctors. The care is highly personalized and it feels very welcoming! All of the techs and nurses are extremely friendly and warm! Small waiting room, so sometimes it can feel uncomfortable during busy hours as you're in close proximity to other patients. However, they aren't busy very often, especially not mid-morning or mid-afternoon. There's only one restroom for patients, so sometimes you have to wait a while, but it's clean and well stocked.
How was your experience with Dana Ambler at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
She fully explains everything. She does talk very quickly, as there's a lot to cover, but she leaves time for questions and doesn't rush you out. Everytime you see her for procedures, she takes time to answer questions if you have them (and seems confused if you don't). The quick talking can be slightly overwhelming if you haven't done any background research (my husband got a bit glazed over at one point), but she's perfectly okay with being interrupted for clarification.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Dana Ambler at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
Do a little background research, to learn some of the terms. Even just a basic understanding will allow you to get more from your appointment. Take notes or ask if you can record the appointment - she always covers a LOT and trying to remember can be daunting.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Dana Ambler at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
She knows her patients by name and will say hi to you in the hallway even if you don't have an appointment. When talking to her, you can tell she cares due to her word choice and genuine empathy. I've been complicated, and she genuinely apologizes for not being able to get me pregnant yet. When explaining options, she's very transparents and totally understands that money really does matter.
Describe the protocols Dana Ambler used in your cycles at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care) and their degree of success.
After testing, we discovered I had diminished ovarian reserve due to one ovary not really doing anything at all. She put me on a supplement protocol. After 8 months on the protocol, I'm pleased to report my sleepy ovary has woken up and started ovulating normally! We did several rounds of Clomid/progesterone with IUI, but my response to Clomid was not fantastic (it was "okay" but not spectacular). After no pregnancies, we decided to try letrozole/progesterone. I responded extremely well to letrozole, and produced 3 follicles for the first IUI (and ovulated before the 2nd cycle ultrasound). She will cancel if you exceed 3 follicles. We needed to take a break, but will try two more letrozole/progesterone IUIs, as I responded well to them, before moving on to IVF. She is unsure why I'm not pregnant yet, as my response to the meds should have resulted in pregnancy by now.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
I've seen several nurses there. I have two that are my "favorites" as their style of empathy/compassion fits me as a person wonderfully! However, every nurse there has had fantastic empathy. They always ask how you are, and if you say "fine" they ask if you're sure. They genuinely care about you as a person. Some of the nurses do a better job of explaining than others, but they're all patient and willing to answer any and all questions you may have. I have spent over 30 minutes on the phone with one because I had a lot of questions, and she never made me feel rushed.
Describe your experience with Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
Small clinic, with only two doctors. The care is highly personalized and it feels very welcoming! All of the techs and nurses are extremely friendly and warm! Small waiting room, so sometimes it can feel uncomfortable during busy hours as you're in close proximity to other patients. However, they aren't busy very often, especially not mid-morning or mid-afternoon. There's only one restroom for patients, so sometimes you have to wait a while, but it's clean and well stocked.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Dana Ambler at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
IUI is $300 (self-pay). That includes semen wash/processing and insemination. It does NOT include medications.
Ultrasounds, medications, labwork are all covered by my insurance, so I'm unsure what the self-pay is for those.
The clinic has a great IVF self-pay package and provides a lot of resources for financing. The egg retrieval and fertilization (and 6 months of freezer storage) is just over $8000. The FET is just iver $3000. Those prices do NOT cover meds or any additional testing (PGS/PGD, trial transfer, etc) because those costs vary so widly based on what the patient needs.
[Dr. Ambler] was very straight forward and spoke at our level of understanding. Was very clear...She gave a diagnosis that was different from every other Doctor seen and explained why. She was very honest on all possibilities...She ordered him [husband] some supplements that greatly improved his count (20 million to 93 million) and has prescribed him clomid for 3 months to increase his testosterone. Depending on his results will determine whether we pursue further interventions. If his motility does not improve, she is recommending IUI with both frozen and a fresh sample.
Treatment costs [at Denver IVF] are definitely less than other clinics in our area. We are paying out of pocket and Dr. Ambler works with our insurance for things that can be covered (blood tests, semen analysis, etc). Self-pay for the consultation is $225 and they provide you with a list of everything and the costs...The intake process is very thorough. Initial consultation was overwhelming but the office was very calm and accommodating. After meeting with the Doctor, we met with a Care Coordinator and it was a lot of information at once! I wish I would have taken more detailed notes as it would have saved a lot of phone calls. It also seemed very fast. Lots of waiting to get in and then bam! Due to my husband needing further testing and medications, I chose to delay some additional testing and the nurse and care team were confused until I explained.
How was your experience with Dana Ambler at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
She was very clear on her diagnosis and recommendations for treatment. She gave a diagnosis that was different from every other Doctor seen and explained why. She was very honest on all possibilities.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Dana Ambler at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
Send everything prior to your appointment
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Dana Ambler at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
was very straight forward and spoke at our level of understanding. Was very clear.
Describe the protocols Dana Ambler used in your cycles at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care) and their degree of success.
All other Doctor's seen prior to Dr. Ambler reported that my husbands Sperm count and motility were low but not concerning and would just take longer but had no further recommendations for him. All recommendations were for me (lose weight, stop drinking caffeine, cut stress), but all of my test results were good. Dr. Ambler was clear that my husband's testosterone was too low and was impacting his motility. She ordered him some supplements that greatly improved his count (20 million to 93 million) and has prescribed him clomid for 3 months to increase his testosterone. Depending on his results will determine whether we pursue further interventions. If his motility does not improve, she is recommending IUI with both frozen and a fresh sample.
Describe your experience with Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
From the first call, the staff was very calm and knowledgeable. The intake process is very thorough. Initial consultation was overwhelming but the office was very calm and accommodating. After meeting with the Doctor, we met with a Care Coordinator and it was a lot of information at once! I wish I would have taken more detailed notes as it would have saved a lot of phone calls. It also seemed very fast. Lots of waiting to get in and then bam! Due to my husband needing further testing and medications, I chose to delay some additional testing and the nurse and care team were confused until I explained.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Dana Ambler at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
Treatment costs are definitely less than other clinics in our area. We are paying out of pocket and Dr. Ambler works with our insurance for things that can be covered (blood tests, semen analysis, etc). Self-pay for the consultation is $225 and they provide you with a list of everything and the costs.
What specific things went wrong at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
He [Dr. Albrecht] was excellent at delivering hard news in a proactive way to provide you with hope. He was realistic with his numbers, he was always concerned about my health and well being... We did a trial with the medications before the actual FET. I used donor eggs. I took at that time HGC, estrodile, Lipton and then progesterone inserts and a shot every few days. He only would transfer one embryo and would not discuss more after explaining his reasoning wihich was always rational and in place for the safety of the potential mother and baby.
They [Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care] are a well oiled team. They know what they do and how to do it. They don’t just operate but they bring you into the fold and educate you and help become knowledgeable. The staff are friendly and caring. Response times are timely and detailed....My total cost was close to $45k as I used an outside donor agency and Dr Albrecht.
How was your experience with Bruce Albrecht at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
He was excellent to work with. I have my twin boys because of him!!! He was kind caring and supportive. He was careful to follow protocol and explained why he did his process the way he did. He was detailed in his explanation of procedures and facts. He took time when you really needed his attention.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Bruce Albrecht at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
Feel comfortable asking all the questions. He will take the time to accurately or as clearly as he can answer them. He doesn’t make promises but provides you with the facts. He is caring and extremely experienced!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Bruce Albrecht at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
He was excellent at delivering hard news in a proactive way to provide you with hope. He was realistic with his numbers, he was always concerned about my health and well being
Describe the protocols Bruce Albrecht used in your cycles at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care) and their degree of success.
It was three years ago. We did a trial with the medications before the actual FET. I used donor eggs. I took at that time HGC, estrodile, Lipton and then progesterone inserts and a shot every few days. He only would transfer one embryo and would not discuss more after explaining his reasoning wihich was always rational and in place for the safety of the potential mother and baby. He was through and knew each step well. He performed all trial procedures as well as the actual transfer, he performed the 8 week ultrasound.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care). (Assigned nurse: Melissa aguirre)
Excellent communication and follow up. Always answered my many questions and they were many. Compassion. And understanding were always felt
Describe your experience with Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
They are a well oiled team. They know what they do and how to do it. They don’t just operate but they bring you into the fold and educate you and help become knowledgeable. The staff are friendly and caring. Response times are timely and detailed.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Bruce Albrecht at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
My total cost was close to $45k as I used an outside donor agency and Dr Albrecht.
Describe Bruce Albrecht's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
I believe the single embryo practice he has was excellent as I only ended up with one embryo and it divided into two and I had twins. So I fully support his perspective.
Dr. Albrecht knew the we had unexplained infertility with implantation failure on the previous 2 transfers. He recommended that I get a blood test to see whether my antibodies were high, which they ended up being, and so he recommended that we try intralipid infusion therapy. I started therapy a month prior to the transfer, and will be on that therapy every month until delivery. He also recommended that I try an anti-inflamatory diet several months prior to transfer, and to reduce caffeine and alcohol intake. I was on Vitamin D, prenatal vitamins, and folate (I'm MTHFR positive), and 2 81mg of Asprin, which I continue to take. Otherwise, I was on a typical hormone protocol, including estrogen (vaginally and patches) and progesterone injections.
The practice [Denver Fertility Albrecht Women's Care] is smaller than where I was before (CCRM), which made the whole experience much more personal, warm and inviting. Despite the practice being small, I felt that they were very attentive, always had their ducks in a row, and I never had an issue with scheduling, communication, responsiveness, etc. They are the best.... Melissa (Mel) always gave me a hug when she saw me in the office, and always asked how me and my husband were doing.
How was your experience with Bruce Albrecht at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
We felt taken care of as soon as we entered the building. Dr. Albrecht was very engaged and really showed that he cared about us and our outcome, stemming from his knowlege of our situtation to his thoughful recommendations on how to move forward with the procedure and other treatments. Dr. Albrecht knew who we were, and what we were going through, at every appointment (practitioners at CCRM barely knew who we were at our appointments). The biggest impression that he had on us was at the transfer, where he held my hand and provided me with a mantra to practice while we waited for the results over the next few weeks. He made me feel safe and that our fate was in good hands.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Bruce Albrecht at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
Dr. Albrecht spent at least 2 hours with us on our first consultation, and was very knowledgeable about our previous experience with another clinic, and had some very thoughtful recommendations for moving forward. Dr. Albrecht was very present and engaged at all of our meetings, and during the transfer, he asked if I was spiritual, and held my hand and gave me a mantra to read over the next 2 weeks until the results came back. His presence made all of the difference in the world to us.
Describe the protocols Bruce Albrecht used in your cycles at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care) and their degree of success.
Dr. Albrecht knew the we had unexplained infertility with implantation failure on the previous 2 transfers. He recommended that I get a blood test to see whether my antibodies were high, which they ended up being, and so he recommended that we try intralipid infusion therapy. I started therapy a month prior to the transfer, and will be on that therapy every month until delivery. He also recommended that I try an anti-inflamatory diet several months prior to transfer, and to reduce caffeine and alcohol intake. I was on Vitamin D, prenatal vitamins, and folate (I'm MTHFR positive), and 2 81mg of Asprin, which I continue to take. Otherwise, I was on a typical hormone protocol, including estrogen (vaginally and patches) and progesterone injections.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care). (Assigned nurse: Melissa Aguirre)
Melissa (Mel) always gave me a hug when she saw me in the office, and always asked how me and my husband were doing. We were in regular email contact with any questions that I would have as I went through the process, and she was very quick to respond, and always made me feel comfortable asking questions, no matter how big, small, or ridiculous they may have been.
Describe your experience with Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
The practice is smaller than where I was before (CCRM), which made the whole experience much more personal, warm and inviting. Despite the practice being small, I felt that they were very attentive, always had their ducks in a row, and I never had an issue with scheduling, communication, responsiveness, etc. They are the best.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Bruce Albrecht at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
The total transfer (not including medication) was <$3,500.
Describe Bruce Albrecht's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
Dr. Albrecht said that based on the genetic testing and viability of my embryos, he thought that we should only transfer one single embryo.
He [Dr. Bruce Albrecht] told me that sometimes women respond better to less medications, and for me, that ended up being the case... .100mg clomid on cycle day 4-8 with natural trigger. We did an iui 24 hours after I received my surge. He wanted to try less medications first since I had already done 2 prior egg retrievals with not much success. My first iui with him was successful and I now have an almost one year old.
All the nurses I have worked with [at Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care] have been very compassionate and have explained everything I needed to do in detail. If I ever have a question, they have always been quick to get back to me.... The strength of the clinic are the doctors and nurses that work here. Their compassion and willingness to make things work is amazing. The only weakness would be the hours and that they do not have more ultrasound appointments.
How was your experience with Bruce Albrecht at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
He is the most compassionate doctor I have ever had the chance of being treated by. He never once was doom and gloom about our situation. He told me that sometimes women respond better to less medications, and for me, that ended up being the case. I owe him so much after years of treatment and heartbreak. If you are looking for a doctor that is kindhearted, compassionate, willing to go above and beyond, he is the one for you.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Bruce Albrecht at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
Do not let his age or his calmness full you. He is an older doctor, that is brilliant.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Bruce Albrecht at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
He is one of the kindest doctors I have ever had the pleasure of being treated by. He wants you to have success and will not just give up on you. I have not met a doctor that shows so much compassion.
Describe the protocols Bruce Albrecht used in your cycles at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care) and their degree of success.
100mg clomid on cycle day 4-8 with natural trigger. We did an iui 24 hours after I received my surge. He wanted to try less medications first since I had already done 2 prior egg retrievals with not much success. My first iui with him was successful and I now have an almost one year old.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care). (Assigned nurse: Stacy)
All the nurses I have worked with have been very compassionate and have explained everything I needed to do in detail. If I ever have a question, they have always been quick to get back to me.
Describe your experience with Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
The strength of the clinic are the doctors and nurses that work here. Their compassion and willingness to make things work is amazing. The only weakness would be the hours and that they do not have more ultrasound appointments.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Bruce Albrecht at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
Each iui runs around $2000 give or take. It all depends on how many ultrasounds I had to have.
Describe Bruce Albrecht's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
Because of my age (39 when I started with Dr. Albrecht, now 40), we decided to start with IUIs right away. I love that they didn't immediately jump to IVF as other clinics will recommend with women in their late 30s and early 40s. Through initial testing, we found a uterine septum that was since surgically removed through hysteroscopy and laproscopy . After recovering for two months I did my first IUI after a course of letrazole. I only produced one follicle and it failed. For my next IUI I preped with letrazole, injectible Menopur, and a trigger shot of Pregnyl. This produced several follicles but still failed. I will be meeting with Dr. Albrecht soon to discuss next steps.
The nurses that work with Dr. Albrecht [at Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care] have been some of the most kind and compassionate nurses I have ever encountered. Besides having lovely bedside manners, they are incredibly thorough. I look forward to seeing them at my appointments.... My husband and I love this clinic so much because we were treated like human beings from the start. We honestly feel that they care about us and want us to succeed in our fertility journey. I really don't have anything negative to say about them. The only negative thing is not succeeding in conceiving...yet.
How was your experience with Bruce Albrecht at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
I am currently still seeking treatment with Dr. Albrecht for unexplained infertility. He's our second RE and we moved to his office after finding out our first RE didn't accept our insurance for anything (blood work, labs, ultrasounds, etc.). Dr. Albrecht found that I had a uterine septum and I had surgery to remove it. He's an excellent surgeon and explained the entire process and was extremely gentle and kind. My recovery wasn't as quick as I would have liked but it wasn't horrible. After recovering from surgery for a few months, I was then able to start IUIs. We've since done two without any luck. We'll be regrouping soon to talk next steps and options. I fully trust Dr. Albrecht's opinion and look forward to moving on with this journey.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Bruce Albrecht at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
Dr. Albrecht is extremely thorough and detail oriented. Expect your initial consultation to be an hour or more. I loved this and and couldn't stop asking questions that he was willing to answer.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Bruce Albrecht at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
Dr. Albrecht and his entire staff have been nothing but the most friendly and warm medical staff I have ever encountered. Dr. Albrecht really took the time to meet with me and my husband and explain what is going on and what to do about it. He also hit upon our lifestyle and diet choices and encouraged us to eliminate certain things that could be preventing us from conceiving. The nurses and staff are always helpful and kind and everyone there makes this whole process so much easier.
Describe the protocols Bruce Albrecht used in your cycles at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care) and their degree of success.
Because of my age (39 when I started with Dr. Albrecht, now 40), we decided to start with IUIs right away. I love that they didn't immediately jump to IVF as other clinics will recommend with women in their late 30s and early 40s. Through initial testing, we found a uterine septum that was since surgically removed through hysteroscopy and laproscopy . After recovering for two months I did my first IUI after a course of letrazole. I only produced one follicle and it failed. For my next IUI I preped with letrazole, injectible Menopur, and a trigger shot of Pregnyl. This produced several follicles but still failed. I will be meeting with Dr. Albrecht soon to discuss next steps.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
The nurses that work with Dr. Albrecht have been some of the most kind and compassionate nurses I have ever encountered. Besides having lovely bedside manners, they are incredibly thorough. I look forward to seeing them at my appointments.
Describe your experience with Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
My husband and I love this clinic so much because we were treated like human beings from the start. We honestly feel that they care about us and want us to succeed in our fertility journey. I really don't have anything negative to say about them. The only negative thing is not succeeding in conceiving...yet.
Dr. Albrecht took his time to explain to me what PCOS was and how I could manage it. He answered all my questions and was compassionate. He made me feel like I was valued as a patient. ... Dr. Albrecht sat me down in our consultation and explained to me the types of foods to eat and to avoid with PCOS. He then explained to me why IUI is so important. Only about 1-3 sperm make it to the egg with normal intercourse, but with IUI millions can bypass and get to the egg. He also explained that egg quality declines (which I was unaware of). He mapped out our next cycle with every step, and each day of my cycle taking different medications.
Cathy [a nurse at Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care] is such a sweet lady. She explained the medications in detail, and was so compassionate. She is very knowledgeable in infertility which also helps to feel like you are being understood. She wants the best for her patients and you can feel it when she is working with you.... IUI is $450 He does accept most insurances.... A Strength is that you are definitely treated like a human/patient and not at all like a number. I would suggest coming prepared to appointments with your past history so you can get straight to business. I have nothing negative to say about this clinic!
How was your experience with Bruce Albrecht at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
Dr. Albrecht truly treated me like a patient, and not at all like a number. He would sit down with me and clearly give me all the information I needed, and would answer questions if I had any. He was also very caring and compassionate, and understands the journey of infertility is tough and not easy. He has been doing his job for over 40 years, so I know he has the right experience to help couples and I am confident he will help us as well.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Bruce Albrecht at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
Keep an open mind about treatments, supplements, and trust the process. Ask questions and don’t be afraid to advocate for yourself if something doesn’t sound right to you.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Bruce Albrecht at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care)?
Dr. Albrecht took his time to explain to me what PCOS was and how I could manage it. He answered all my questions and was compassionate. He made me feel like I was valued as a patient. He does his work to help people, not for the money.
Describe the protocols Bruce Albrecht used in your cycles at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care) and their degree of success.
Dr. Albrecht sat me down in our consultation and explained to me the types of foods to eat and to avoid with PCOS. He then explained to me why IUI is so important. Only about 1-3 sperm make it to the egg with normal intercourse, but with IUI millions can bypass and get to the egg. He also explained that egg quality declines (which I was unaware of). He mapped out our next cycle with every step, and each day of my cycle taking different medications.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care). (Assigned nurse: Cathy)
Cathy is such a sweet lady. She explained the medications in detail, and was so compassionate. She is very knowledgeable in infertility which also helps to feel like you are being understood. She wants the best for her patients and you can feel it when she is working with you.
Describe your experience with Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).
A Strength is that you are definitely treated like a human/patient and not at all like a number. I would suggest coming prepared to appointments with your past history so you can get straight to business. I have nothing negative to say about this clinic!
Describe the costs associated with your care under Bruce Albrecht at Denver Fertility Care (formerly Denver IVF Albrecht Women's Care).