Naval Medical Center (closed)

He’s wonderful. Ensures you understand everything, answers questions as many times as he needs to , listens to concerns and ideas from the patient, and overall just really seems to love his job and care for his patients.

Be willing to fight for a referral. Their clinic is busy and it can be hard to get in, but it’s so worth it!

Letrozole with menopur was originally planned for my first IUI cycle, but it wasn’t working so they added Gonal F and ovidrel. That cycle was unsuccessful. My next cycle we used clomid and ovidrel. That cycle was successful, but resulted in a miscarriage at 6 weeks. We’re currently waiting to start a new cycle due to covid 19.

Everything we have done so far has been covered by a grant for the military clinic or by TriCare. We haven’t done IVF yet, but there is an out of pocket cost for that.

Dr. Laufer is great for the most part. He is quick with the ultrasounds, sometimes too quick because i like to see the numbers and talk about it as we go where he likes to wait to talk. Not that big of a deal just different people different preferences. I always have a lot of questions and sometimes i feel he gets a little bothered by asking too many questions but sometimes he doesnt go into as much detail as i would like. They are great about getting me into appointments and they will always bring me back if they have any questions. He always calls with the results and if you want specific numbers you have to ask. He is very funny and loves to make jokes which i like and he always makes my husband feel a little less awkward about being there. Overall, i would say he is great but if you have questions write them down prior because he doesnt ask if you have any questions and rushs through them.

Write your questions down so you aren't feeling pressured to leave after he gives you the treatment. When you go into his office to discuss the next steps I would maybe mention that you have a list of questions so he can shift his focus from the computer to you.

We used Gonal F, Ovidrel, and Endometrin. They give ultrasounds the beginning of the cycle and after getting blood tests they will adjust your Gonal F dose and when they are ready they will have you come in for follow up ultrasounds. This is so they can see how your eggs are going along. I did IUI and they would have you go in with a full bladder.

I have not had to pay for anything yet.

He's a great doctor, funny, and I had a great experience. I like the fact that he will work with your schedule so you don't miss a work or an important event. If I have questions about anything, he will answer it.

Ask questions if you want to know your E2 level, follicles sizes, etc.

For IUI I've done gonal f and ovidrel. Most of the time I have to increase and sometimes decrease. I responded great but did not get pregnant. For my 1st IVF cycle, I was on antagonist protocol and had to take gonal f, menopur, ganirelix and ovidrel then patches and progesterone. Dr. Laufer did the retrieval and retrieved 17 eggs, 10 fertilized, got 5 embryos of day 5/day 6. The first transfer (different doctor transferred the embryo), I got positive pregnancy but ended as a chemical pregnancy. For my FET (#2,#3,#4) I used patches and progesterone, but did not get pregnant.

IUI procedure and meds were free. IVF was not free and we had to pay to the one they had contract with but meds were free.

My doctors explained single embryo transfer vs multiple embryo transfer and it depends on your age too.

Dr. Laufer is a seasoned doctor with a wealth of knowledge regarding infertility treatment. He has a good bedside manner and thoroughly explained each step of treatment as it came up. When I had concerns, he never made me feel like a burden or a "troublesome" patient, he addressed each concern promptly and ordered appropriate testing to ease my nerves. This was my first cycle taking injectable medication and he took adequate time to explain the process and demonstrate how to administer the injections.

I would recommend him thoroughly. Don't hesitate to ask him questions, he is well prepared to answer them and will do so in a professional and kind manner.

This cycle included gonal-F and an Ovidrel trigger shot. I started the cycle after a monitoring sonogram to confirm I did not have any pre-existing issues that would interfere with the cycle. Mid-way through the injections blood work and sonogram were used to monitor progress, the medication doses were adjusted and I was called in again a few days later for a repeat scan.

Care was covered by insurance.

Dr. Larry Laufer is very kind and compassionate, and I feel that he is highly knowledable regarding the procedures and medications. I personally know a few people that were able to conceive after having them as their doctor, so that gives me hope. After each visit, he concludes your time there while visiting with you in his office, which is very professional.

Be prepared to ask questions that you want answered. He'll answer them, but if you don't ask, he doesn't always know what you don't tell him you don't know. Many of his patients have been TTC for a long time, and know a great deal about the process, so he doesn't know what questions you have unless you ask.

So far we have just done one cycle, beginning with blood draw for my AMH levels in June, and a semen analysis a few weeks ago. I had a baseline ultrasound completed several weeks ago, and then a IUI about a week ago. I used Gonal F injections and then a trigger shot the day prior. It's too early to know any results.

The only cost that wasn't covered was the sperm storage and associated fees which was necessary for the IUI procedure, due to my husband being deployed at the time of the procedure.

No knowledge of this procedure

Dr. Laufer has been very open and understanding of my needs. He is honest about his diagnosis and what my options are to increase my chances of pregnancy. He is willing to try what I want and not just what he believes I should do.

Have questions ready.

I am still in the testing phase. Dr. Laufer began with blood work and an HSG. I was unable to complete the HSG so we scheduled an SIS. Again, I was unable to complete that as well. I was schedule for a laparoscopy to check my uterus and tubes, but due to COVID 19 that was cancelled. The plan is to complete that to see what my options are (ie medicated cycles, IUI, or IVF).

It has all been covered by Tricare. However, once I start IVF, it will be at least $6000 for egg retrieval, fertilization, and first transfer.

I have not got that far in my treatments yet.

He is very nice and knowledgeable, however I preferred to see the other doctor in the clinic. It was just a personal preference. Dr Lauffer took the time to write down the list of medications and how they should be taken and at what times. He answered all questions and would call you back personally.

He is not very aggressive, make sure you advocate for yourself.

Round 1 included letrozole and orvidel and resulted in 2 eggs on my right ovary. Unfortunately I don’t have a tube on that so it was unsuccessful. Round 2 included Gonal F and orvidel and resulted in 2 eggs on the left and 1 on the right. It was also unsuccessful.

No cost associated with IUI

He is very knowledgeable, gentle yet professional at the same time. He was confident in treatment every month and he really wanted to help us in getting pregnant which he eventually did. I never felt like just another patient to him.

Ask a lot of questions because he always answers them all and never rushes you.

We started with prediagnostic tests and moved on to laparoscopic surgery to clear out my tubes and check for other problems. This was successful and we moved right to IUI with medication. We used injections for this because it was similar to the meds used for IVF and there was a chance I’d have to use that. After 5 IUI rounds I became pregnant with a healthy baby girl.

Everything was covered under our military insurance that we used

He’s friendly, thorough, and honest with recommendations. So far I’ve felt very comfortable at all of my appointments and knew what to expect next. We’re currently waiting to see if our IUI worked. We know what our next steps are if this isn’t successful and I feel confident in Dr. Laufer’s expertise and trust his judgment.

He seems quiet at first but once you see him a few times he’s got a great sense of humor.

We did Femara and Menopur plus Ovidrel for trigger for my IUI. I produced one follicle on the right side but my lining was thin from the medicines so I was put on estrace as suppositories for two days. My husband is working with urology for MFI. Dr. Laufer agreed to try IUI before jumping into IVF with ICSI.

N/A

Dr. Laufer is an awesome doctor, he makes you feel at home and included me on every part of my treatments so I fully understood it. I love hearing his jokes which helped me feel more at ease when I am at the clinic.

Remember he is very quirky and funny.

We first tried iui with clomid, the other 5 iuis we did with injectibles. Unfortunately those didn't work so we switched to ivf.

4,000 for the ivf. For FET 1800$.

She was very good at explaining our plan for treatment. She was also really awesome at getting back to me by the end of the day when I had questions. We started with 5mg of Letrozole and an IUI. I ovulate on my won however when starting treatment I had ONE functioning Fallopian tube but my husband's motility does not allow us to get pregnant on our own. We did our IUI and I got pregnant! However it was ectopic and I lost my fallopian tubes when it ruptured at 5w+4d. Now we intend to move forward with IVF. Dr Wittenberger did our IUI and my surgery. He was so empathetic when it ended and even followed up with me in his personal time. I know it's not something doctors are particularly supposed to say but it made me feel so much better when he told me, "you're not going to leave this office without a baby". It made me feel so much more confident in our treatment and I am very confident he will finally give us our rainbow baby. I have had four miscarriages now.

I tend to guard my heart fiercely after our history of losses so I tend to prepare for the darker outcomes. If you come to NMC Balboa, prepare your bank account for the least favorable outcomes. Now on the happier side, you will have the most dedicated providers here and beside manner is always warm and kind

I did an IUI in Dec 2021 with 5mg of letrozole and a trigger shot. I produced one mature follicle. It was an ectopic pregnancy and ruptured. My Fallopian tubes were removed and now IVF is our next step for carrying biological children. My follow up care was amazing. Dr. Wittenberger has taken over my overall care and he's just been awesome. He called a few days after my surgery to ask how I was doing and answer the 100 questions I had about IVF with them. Jan 2022 I was quoted $6990 for IVF and $1800 for a frozen transfer -the retrieval, creating the embryos, medicine, the transfer, and monitoring.

My husband and I are AD military so our IUI and meds were covered. IVF as of Jan 2022 was quoted at $6990 and a frozen transfer is $1800. I assume our medication will be covered for IVF, we'll find out.

I haven't crossed this bridge yet

Dr. Laufer is extremely knowledgeable. He is compassionate, but practical. Sometime you may have to ask extra questions to get all of the details, but he is willing to explain everything in great length.

Ask the questions!

This is a military facility, so meds were covered along with IUIs and sperm washing. They have a contract with SDFC for all IVF procedures, and those fees were a fraction of what we would pay with a civilian clinic. We paid for our IVF cycle along with PGT-a.

He genuinely cares about you and tries to give you the best experience possible given the limitations of the military. I trusted his opinion and he appeared confident and helpful throughout the long process.

You May have to work with Dr Laufer and other student drs. They’re all ok, I just always preferred Wittenberger’s bedside manner much much better

The military has certain ways they can and cannot do things so it can be frustrating.