IVF Phoenix

He’s a bit quirky - but he’s smart so it works! I would definitely recommend him for someone without a formal diagnosis that is just trying to understand their body better. He is comprehensive in testing and is a great first stop.

Have an open mind, he’s different, but it worked for me! And many others.

I wasn’t ovulating regularly and he did a great job at giving me supplements that, looking back, I think were meant to reduce anxiety and stress. BUT he never outright told me that stress was a factor and I needed to stop being stressed. Instead he focused on making sure I was exercising, taking supplements to help me sleep better, and then also got me started on his theory of the blood thinners and anti-viral medication (I did test positive for Epstien Barr which did go back to within normal levels after the round of medication, so that was on point!) after 2 months with him I got a normal cycle and naturally conceived.

For me the costs weren’t bad because it was treated with minimal interventions. And once you conceive my US there were always $50 whereas my OBs cost me $300-$400

Dr Couvaras is very helpful and looking for underlying issues that are causing infertility. He tested many different deficiencies, genetics, and problems that could be affecting my ability to get pregnant. He did this before starting any treatments, making me feel like I didn’t have a cookie cutter plan for me. Once test results were back he sat down with my husband and I and explained everything at a level we could understand. He used metaphors to explain how the ovulation process works and why mine wasn’t. He truly treats you individually! We don’t have results from our first TIC with clomid yet, but we feel positive.

Clomid-50 mg for 3 days and 25 mg for 2 days. Heparin injections twice a day from day 3 to ovulation. Vitamin D, Folic Acid, B6, L-arginine Steroid medication after trigger shot Trigger shot on day 15 with a low dose of trigger 2 days leading up to trigger

$175 for doctors visit Original consultation cost? Blood work? $375 intralipid infusion

Dr. C spends a lot of time working with his patients as individuals and developing specific treatment plans for specific problems. He tries to find the underlying issue instead of masking the symptoms of the issues. When things didn't go the way we had hoped he spend his valuable time researching a solution to the problem and offered it as something to try. He is VERY knowledgeable in his field of work and makes sure you understand everything he has you doing before you even leave the office and start treatment. By far the best fertility specialist I have worked with.

Be patient. Follow his advice and don't get frustrated right off the bat. Give time for the treatments to work. Have faith in the process.

Dr. C performs lots of blood work and diagnostics to find root causes of fertility issues. He uses supplements based on blood levels and then rechecks to make sure you're in the proper range. He digs deep into your medical history to put the whole picture together. Not just pieces here and there.

For IVF cycle we paid $6750. This does not include FET, medications, or emergency weekend appointments. However it does include the first year of storage for frozen embryos.

Dr. Couvaras is very detailed and looks into way more then just the basics my other RE looked at. He looks at inflammation and immune response for a well rounded approach. I do feel like he could have more of a warm bedside manner especially when explaining set backs.

Be prepared for a detailed regimen including exercise and diet and do everything he tells you to a T.

Dr. Couvaras initially started me on Heaparin injections twice daily do to a small clotting factor he found. I also showed a marker for HSV6 virus that he was concerned about so I was taking high doses of Acyclovir in addition to lovestatin and other vitamin supplements. He believed that my immune system was trying to fight something off. I was also out on an anti-histamine diet and specific excercise regimen (between 3-7pm heat rate 140’s). This was for two months leading up to our IUI. We are still pending IUI results.

Our insurance is contracted with this office so after we hit our deductible it was covered by 95%!

Dr.C is just a fountain of knowledge! He makes sure you fully understand all the medical parts. I leave every appointment with a written care summary and plan so I can always look back at what we discussed and what my next step is. Dr.C takes an individual approach to every patient and is willing to try new procedures or approaches based on your need. I have a particularly difficult diagnosis and he reassured me that even though this might be a rough road he believes he will be able to help me have my dream baby. He never makes you feel like you are out of options and will keep trying new things as long as you are willing. That is what what really makes him so amazing!

It took me a few months to get ready for my first IVF cycle with Dr.C I have immune issues so we spent the time to ensure that every thing was as good as can be before we proceeded. He used heparin and antiviral meds to get my immune system in check and increase the blood flow to help with egg quality. That resulted in my best round yet with 17 egg retrieved and 15 mature! Before my transfer we continued with blood thinners, antivirals and intralipids to help calm my immune system.

Dr.C has some of the most reasonable prices around! He know not everybody has unlimited funds or Medicsl coverage. In totalmeds cost about $1700 and the rest of the cycle including ICSI, testing and transfer was about $8,000.

Dr Couvaras is very open to trying new things and keeping updated with new fertility treatments. Before putting me on clomid he tried to naturally get all my levels on track with supplements and a light carb diet. It did help to get many things back to normal, but when it didn't lead to pregnancy he had me start clomid with timed intercourse. That didn't lead to pregnancy so my next cycle we will try clomid with IUI before moving on to IVF.

To give the process time and even though all the check ups and blood work seems like too much to handle, it's all worth it for them to have further knowledge on what might work better the next cycle.

I was on 50mg of clomid days 3-7 along with shots of heparin twice a day from cycle day 1 up to ovulation to increase blood flow to my uterus. I had 2-3 vaginal ultrasounds the first two weeks of my cycle to check follicular development and once 1 or 2 follicles were large enough they would have me do an HCG trigger shot and have intercourse twice that day and once the next day, we had done timed intercourse rather than IUI as my husband SA came back with flying colors . I had done that protocol for 3 cycles which none resulted in a pregnancy.

I had lipids every cycle with clomid which was around $375. I don't recall any other specifics other than spending roughly $8k in total with supplements, appointments, prescriptions and injectables in about 6 months.

We have not gone through IVF at this point, but with my age of 31 he highly suggested just one embryo transfer.

Dr. Couvaras is so enthusiastic about the field and the innovations out there - this was inspiring for someone in my position facing DOR. He was knowledgeable, careful, compassionate and thorough. The procedures went smoothly and were painless. I appreciated all that he has done to expand his practice.

Ask for clear instructions in writing all the time, don't be afraid to call and ask for clarification when needed. There's too much on the line.

Dr. Couvaras expressed the importance of ovulation suppression while I took care of other immunology and health issues. I was facing severe depression, and this prohibited progress on my case due to some health markers that would not go up. I was on Lovenox for 18 months, estrace, and supplemented with Vitamin D, EPA, and DHEA.

The egg retrieval and transfer were under $10K.

I only had one embryo to transfer.

From the first visit and consultation, I knew he would figure out why I could not get pregnant. He was very thorough, and put me at ease. His bedside manner is amazing and his staff was equally wonderful. His communications are detailed and I always left my appointments knowing what was going on. Our result was not what we wanted, but I fully understand why and know that there is a plan going forward. He treated me like a human being when everyone else treated my like a patient. There is a difference and not many doctors know it.

Give him the chance to make things happen. There is a method to his madness and you will be so grateful you did.

I suffer from inflammatory issues, immune issues and severe respiratory disease. His treatment was specifically tailored to me. I was on vitamins and supplements that had me feeling the best I had felt in years. I had great communications if there were any developments or changes in me or the way I was feeling. I was on an anti-inflammatory course to help settle my body down and see if I could get my follicles to develop.

Our costs were off set by some insurance coverage. We paid copays and then additional monies for "non-covered" medications and services. Our first round of injectables was about $1500.00 and I would say we spent about $7000.00 over the course of my treatment.

I cannot say enough good things about Dr. Couvaras. Before seeing him, our infertility was not linked to any of the common problems (low sperm count or morphology, endometriosis, PCOS, etc.). My husband's analysis was normal, I seemed to be ovulating regularly, and had no obvious issues. I conceived once unassisted but miscarried early on. We then moved on to IUI and underwent 6 unsuccessful IUI treatments. When none of those treatments worked, we decided to consult with Dr. Couvaras. Dr. Couvaras performed a whole battery of tests and determined that we were likely having repeated implantation failures. Dr. Couvaras takes a holistic and more non-traditional view of infertility. I could only find a few doctors around the country who even address similar issues. He started me on a protocol which addressed many issues including high histamine levels, issues in the methylation pathway, low vitamin D, and others, which may have been affecting my ability to implant. I went on a low histamine diet, began daily doses of heparin, and took various supplements and medications. We completed the protocol in 7-8 months. On the second month after completing the protocol we conceived with the use of clomid and timed intercourse alone. I firmly believe that if we had gone to a different specialist, we would have been advised to proceed to IVF without further research. I also believe that since most doctors are not looking at the same immunological and metabolic processes that Dr. Couvaras addresses, that IVF would have been unsuccessful and we would have been left thinking that there were no other options. I am grateful that we ended up under his care and I am 28 weeks along right now thanks entirely up to his groundbreaking research in this field.

Sometimes the protocol doesn't make sense. Sometimes you cannot find a ton of backing for the protocol online. And many times, other specialists will brush off this type of treatment. But those specialists are wrong. Just stick with the protocol exactly, because it works.

From the first consulation, Dr Couvaras spent a lot of time reviewing my health history and creating a custom treatment plan. He uncovered several underlying health concerns and adjusted my treatment accordingly. I did not follow his exact protocol and as a result, we did not get pregnant on our first IUI. However, I committed to the protocol and meds and we were able to get pregnant on our own under his care.

I never went to any other fertility specialists. I spent a lot of time researching infertility doctors and wanted to see the best doctor in AZ. Dr Couvaras is an exceptional doctor that is able to identify underlying health issues that complicate and prevent women's ability to get pregnant. Instead of using a cookie cutter, one size fits all approach, he customizes a treatment plan specific to the individual and does not insist on aggressive treatments like IVF from day one.

I was diagnosed with unexplained infertility and my husbands sperm was normal in count and morphology. He suspected a vasospasm issue; therefore, I wasn't getting proper blood flow to my reproductive organs. I was started on supplementation for that, as well as low-dose lovenox injections twice daily. He suspected activated NK cells and had me do IVIL infusions prior to my medicated IUI. I had low growth hormone levels, so supplementation was added to my therapy. Dr. Couvaras also had me on a strict diet and exercise routine. I also tested positive for some viral and immunological issues, and as put on an antiviral therapy. Due to my age (over 35) my drug treatment protocol was aggressive. I took growth hormone injections, clomid, FSH and then a trigger shot. After the IUI I was on progesterone supplements. The first IUI did not work. The second cycle I cancelled half way through due to a job change. We decided to try Dr Couvaras antiviral protocol, strict diet and exercise, and consistency with vitamins, arginine, and lovenox injections for 3 months and I got pregnant on my own. I strongly believe I would not have been able to get pregnant on my own without his guidance and protocol.

Everything was covered under my insurance until I was diagnosed with infertility. Then almost everything was cash pay until we got pregnant

Amazing doctor, he identified the shortcomings in my body that other fertility endcrinokogista never found after years of working with other fertility doctors. His immune balancing protocol helped me conceive my first and seemed to help trigger something within my body that helped me become pregnant with my second child, even though I wasn't under his care for the second child. Both pregnancies he followed me through my first trimester and put me on a special protocol since my condition makes me more likely to conceive. My daughter is extremely healthy, and with my second pregnancy and being over 35, everything looks great and I will be delivering soon.

Just see him!!! Follow the protocol, he will talk about things you have never heard of in the infertility community...but trust him, he really knows his stuff.

The immune balancing protocol that was tailored to my body, I followed it and found out I was pregnant immediately after following the protocol for two months. (Spontaneous pregnancy, we weren't even trying and were about to do an IUI when I discovered I was actually pregnant.). With the second child I followed his immune balancing protocol for several month but did not get pregnant. While on a fertility break but still following most of his recommendations I became pregnant.

I have been known to describe John Guevara says that used car salesman of infertility doctors. He is extremely Cocky and Confident, and unafraid to try crazy and untested things in his pursuit of your pregnancy. He's a little unconventional, but he gets results.

Dr. Couvares will recommend you use Heparin to build better uterine lining using this blood thinner. Be aware that it is a calcium robber and we ended up with 22% bone loss at the end of two years of treatment. So in my early 30s, I had osteopenia at a time when I should have had the highest bone density a young person should have.

I remember being treated for antisperm antibodies and using another man's DNA to desensitize me in what I thought was a crazy scheme. We completed 3 fresh Cycles in a year. All or IVF with ICSI. He threw a lot of spaghetti at the wall trying various techniques after our first cycle was unsuccessful. we were able to freeze a number of embryos from the star cycle, but because we had purchased a package plan, we continued with the remaining two fresh Cycles before attempting any Frozen's.The next two Fresh Cycles resulted in a miscarriage and negative pregnancy test. What worked for us was the Frozen transfer of the embryos left over from the first successful retrieval.

18 years ago, we bought a package of three fresh cycles and all the frozen's we could complete until our frozen embryos were used up. The catch was the three fresh Cycles had to be used in the first 12 months. My recollection is we spent about $25, 000.

He is overly sensitive and got upset I went to a second opinion elsewhere. But he spent a lot of time with us at each visit and explained things completely. He answered all of our questions and drew diagrams of what he was trying to explain.

Don’t be surprised if your diagnosis changes. I was UN-diagnosed with diminished ovarian reserve.

He used vaginal birth control to suppress ovaries and then vaginal estrace to build lining.. added IM progesterone and suppositories for the 6 days before transfer and then again after. We did one intralipid transfusion before the transfer as well and several months “clean up” with immunosuppressants and antivirals before we started.

FET was 3500 for the cycle. Costs were straightforward and you knew about them in advance. They charged my regular copay for a 10 minute phone call which was the only thing I disagreed with.

He is very detailed and explains things in a way a patient would understand. He has a wide knowledge of the body and the way things work and looks for things to check that not many other doctors would. I appreciated the way he went about things, it may not work for everyone and is definitely not the norm in the industry. At times so much information was given that made it difficult to remember.

He doesn't treat with the normal or typical way most doctors in the fertility industry would. He has a completely different protocol than anyone so be prepared to go through different steps and supplements.

Large amounts of supplements and regimens initially used

He is cutting edge as far as new, sometimes experimental treatment and just really being comprehensive, looking at things quite holistically. He found I was battling with an immune deficiency and helped me get my health and energy back. That alone made him worth it. Still, somewhat experimental I felt in some areas. That could be exactly what someone needs, but he is pricey!

If you have unexplained infertility he's probably the best to go to. He is considered one of the nation's best for a reason. If you are uncomfortable with unconventional approaches and want to stick with only more tried and true methods, or are just starting your journey then others may be better to start with.

After getting my immune system back to normal he worked on raising my tnf alpha levels. Used things like specific exercise goals, heparin, fish oil, couldn't tell you what else. Got my numbers to where we tried a round of IUI but didn't work. Couldn't get tnf alpha back up again, and had dried up health savings acct so we switched to another recommended doctor.

Pretty high end

Dr Couvarus told me everything and did not cut corners! He has been the only doctor not to just take money from me and say see you next time. He cares. He studies your body to find out what is going on!

Listen and do what he says

Dr told me I have a clotting disorder and I am to scary to carry and I can put myself at risk. He said I can make beautiful embryos but I just can’t carry. I get blood clots and I have a clotting disorder that could end in death and he will not put me through it. We have to seek surrogacy.

So far not to bad. Consults are expensive and surrogate will be expensive as well as a transfer

He will do a single transfer only on my surrogate

He looked at my total history. Diagnosed me and tried lifestyle changes before meds. I like everything about his way of treatment. If I can just get pregnant again, I do feel he will get me to carry full term.

Just trust in his ways.

He made many lifestyle changes to get me to have a 28-29 day cycle every month. We did timed intercourse and haven’t got pregnant yet in her care. We just did an iui with femara and Hgh and heparin. I test in 2 days. We will see. This is our last try with anything as we can’t afford anything else.

Meds were expensive. He office visits were reasonable and covered by insurance.

He really explains things to you so that you understand. He made me feel at ease and so much better about switching over from another clinic. He gives you a flowsheet each time you have a visit, so you always know what to expect or what the next step is.

Follow the plan set forth by him!

I am taking supplements and started Heparin injections. I was on Clomid for 5 days and am now in the process of getting ultrasounds done to check my follicles and bloodwork. We are planning for our IUI next week.

Unfortunately my insurance is not covering anything so we are all put of pocket cash pay.

I feel like Dr. Couvaras was a great doctor. He was always upfront about the reality of the situation and his expectations. He was willing to think outside the box and try approaches that no other fertility doctor would look at.

Dr. Couvaras is very honest and will explore all possible causes of infertility, including immunological issues.

Dr. Couvaras had me taking DHEA and Estrace in an attempt to help my ovarian reserve since I have diminished ovarian reserve.

We always felt like his only patients! He spent all the time we needed and never gave up on us. He was always clear and concise in his explanation each vist, making sure we never left confused.

Trust him

I was on a series of stimulating meds, blood thinners, vitamins and prenatal meds. Once we discovered my 'allergy' to pregnancy we start steroids to suppress my imune system to retain the pregnancy

Our insurance covers 90% of our costs. The finance person was a wonderful lady (I can't remember her name but she was SO sweet)

He made me feel like I had hope again. Like we have a chance to be parents, he was blunt and honest and I needed that. He made sure I knew next steps and that my chances were better than most. He never once made me feel like a number, everything was set to my own personal needs.

If you can’t handle the honest truth he isn’t your best bet

Vitamins d, b 12 Menopur Heparin

Affordable

Dr C is very smart and will show you lots of information, graphs, charts, diagrams, sometimes it's too much but I always felt, 100%, that I knew the what, why, when and how! I feel blessed to have been able to navigate my infertility journey with him by our side. I absolutely love him! (He's funny too!)

Be upfront, have questions ready ahead of time and be ready to learn a lot !

He thoroughly explained everything and did extensive bloodworm. Some of The suliments he advised, I still use

Listen and follow everything he advisrs

Suliments to improve health, and fertility. Insemination. Fertility shots and drugs to improve health and fertility/heparin therapy and antiviral protocols

Less than other clinic which insisted on IVF imesiately

I absolutely love Dr. C! We tried to get pregnant for 5 years! Without him I wouldn't be holding my 1 month old baby!

He Tells you how it is- and has a great sense of humor!

We tried MANY different things to try to raise my husbands Sperm count before moving into donor sperm.