San Diego Fertility Center

Dr D [Dr. Said Daneshmand] is warm and knowledgeable. He respected me and my partner's identity as gay IP's...fertility journey ended up eventually with a beautiful baby girl....He did not demand or throw his weight as an expert around but let us make a decision we felt comfortable with...does not rush you off the phone, zoom, or out of the meeting...When my surrogate was not cleared for a second round he explained the risks. And suggested alternatives

Strengths [of San Diego Fertility Center] are the professionalism and empathy of the staff. The office decor is very nice as well. Weakness is communication between departments. There are so many moving parts to this process there are a lot of emails coming from different email addresses. It takes an organized person to understand it all, especially when it is time to pay. My first fertility journey ended up eventually with a beautiful baby girl. So it was successful.

How was your experience with Said Daneshmand at San Diego Fertility Center?

Dr D is warm and knowledgeable. He respected me and my partner's identity as gay IP's. When my sperm levels came back low he advised a plan to get the numbers up and explained what to expect. When my surrogate was not cleared for a second round he explained the risks. And suggested alternatives. He did not demand or throw his weight as an expert around but let us make a decision we felt comfortable with.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Said Daneshmand at San Diego Fertility Center?

He will make you wait a few minutes but he will always get back to you eventually. Busy experts are helping clients. And does not rush you off the phone, zoom, or out of the meeting. The longest I had to wait for a zoom meeting was a request to start 30 minutes later than expected and a few minutes in the waiting room.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Said Daneshmand at San Diego Fertility Center?

Dr D and his assistant were caring and empathetic. There were a few overworked staff that made me feel a little like a number. But it was not important for me if the front desk people were at all warm.

Describe your experience with your nurse at San Diego Fertility Center. (Assigned nurse: My Tran)

My was fabulous and responsive. If Dr D was running late she let us know right away and how long to expect the delay. She is warm and funny. The nursing staff are all professionals. You can tell they love babies and the industry.

Describe your experience with San Diego Fertility Center.

Strengths are the professionalism and empathy of the staff. The office decor is very nice as well. Weakness is communication between departments. There are so many moving parts to this process there are a lot of emails coming from different email addresses. It takes an organized person to understand it all, especially when it is time to pay. My first fertility journey ended up eventually with a beautiful baby girl. So it was successful.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Said Daneshmand at San Diego Fertility Center.

10500 for the sperm freeze and IVF including PGT and freeze

Doctor

Said Daneshmand

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

LGBTQ+ Care

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

San Diego Fertility Center

San Diego - Del Mar Main

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

LGBTQ+ Care

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Said Daneshmand San Diego Fertility Center

2018 - 2019, Successful

Age 39 - 40

2 IVF

Diminished Ovarian Reserve

European

Income $100K - $199K

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Brooke Friedman San Diego Fertility Center

Dr. Brooke Friedman overall is a kind, compassionate, and supportive physician. She had empathy for our experience and gave us space and time for all and any questions we had...used a ton of research in each answer...big believer in just doing a single embryo transfer for good reason...she was still flexible with us as we requested transferring two embryos and she did that for us although we only got pregnant with one.

The entire staff [at San Diego Fertility Center] is really supportive. They answer questions, knew us by name, and always made time to chat when we arrived. They made it feel like we were family...they will do retrieval or transfer on the weekend if that is the timing that ends up working out...busy clinic and it's easiest to get appointments if you are able to be flexible with your schedule

How was your experience with Brooke Friedman at San Diego Fertility Center?

Dr. Brooke Friedman overall is a kind, compassionate, and supportive physician. She had empathy for our experience and gave us space and time for all and any questions we had and believe me I had a ton. I literally made a list of questions based on things I read online or from Instagram posts that I followed and she went through every question I had. She also used a ton of research in each answer. During our planning for our 2nd egg retrieval process I asked if there were any other meds or strategies we could use to obtain more eggs and embryos and she took time to think through research she had studied and added more to our treatment which actually resulted in one more really good embryo! The team at San Diego Fertility Center is like family to us. They were all kind, everyone seemed to know our names and where we were in our journey, and even if I just called to make an appt they asked how we were doing. Once I left that center and went to my OB it was a tough experience because I was not surrounded by all this support. Her Medical Assitant, M.J. was amazing. She was kind and always there for us when Dr. Friedman was with another patient. Dr. Friedman is very busy and that is the only issue however I do think that is the nature of this business. We did not see her during every visit and this could have been because we did our follow up ultrasounds and appts at the Mission Valley location. Also just FYI the team at the Mission Valley office is awesome! We are really happy with our experience as we ended up with our baby girl who was born in 2019 and is a healthy little one.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brooke Friedman at San Diego Fertility Center?

Do your best to come in with questions and remember any question is valid. If you read something or hear about another treatment or strategy just bring it to her and she will go over it with you. So I would suggest doing some research of your own before you see her. Think through what is important to you during your treatment as well. She is really supportive but has to know what you are thinking and what is important to you.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brooke Friedman at San Diego Fertility Center?

Dr. Friedman has a bubbly and kind personality and she was very supportive throughout the process. She even literally held my hand as I was going under during my egg retrieval process. She always asked how we were doing and checked in on how our families were as well as my parents were there during this process. Also her Medical Assistant, M.J. was super supportive every step of the way! A great team!

Describe the protocols Brooke Friedman used in your cycles at San Diego Fertility Center and their degree of success.

Honestly because we had our baby girl I have been wrapped up in that experience and have almost forgotten all we did to get pregnant. Things I do remember is that when we first met with Dr. Friedman she suggested IVF and we agreed. She started us on a protocol right away. We ended up doing 2 egg retrievals as we had planned and because I did a ton of research on my own I brought ideas to Dr. Friedman and she was receptive. Our 2st egg retrieval felt pretty standard and for our 2nd egg retrieval she added a growth hormone and other things based on research she had studied. She gave us these new suggestions, she never pressured us to do anything extra, we actually wanted to do more and so we signed up for more meds. And it worked! I do remember she cancelled I think two of my upcoming transfers. Once was due to my lining not being up to par and where she wanted it and the second time was due to having tissue she found during the sonohysterogram (ultrasound here she also used water to get a very clear picture). When she found that tissue she had us get that surgically removed. We choose to have Dr. Friedman do that in the OR at the Carmel Valley office and it was a success. It may be tough to have things pushed back but she has good reason for all of it. So I would really trust in that.

Describe your experience with your nurse at San Diego Fertility Center. (Assigned nurse: M.J.)

The entire staff is really supportive. They answer questions, knew us by name, and always made time to chat when we arrived. They made it feel like we were family. The care coordinator I met with at the Carmel Valley location was really positive and kind so that helped me because I was very nervous about things going well.

Describe your experience with San Diego Fertility Center.

I think it's important to do some research before you go into a consultation because it will help guide your journey. The strengths are that when you are there you feel like you are with family who really care about you. They are so supportive and everyone is cheering you on because they all really want you to be successful. Also they will do retrieval or transfer on the weekend if that is the timing that ends up working out which is really amazing. The doctors work overtime for sure which shows how passionate they are about the work they do. The weakness is that they are a busy clinic and it's easiest to get appointments if you are able to be flexible with your schedule. They somehow manage to get you in when you need to which is great. Also there are certain things that they will not offer unless you bring it to them and are interested in it. I think its important to connect with your doctor's medical assistant because they will help get things moving forward.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Brooke Friedman at San Diego Fertility Center.

The cost was more due to the medications we ended up using for our 2nd egg retrieval. So for our initial cost it was about $26,000 which included 2 egg retrievals, one transfer, and all appointments which included blood draws and ultrasounds. We paid extra for medication for each part so for our 1st egg retrieval we paid around $4,000 and for the 2nd egg retrieval we added testosterone gel which I put on my arms when I started the estrace pill at the very start of the cycle which was actually Day 20 of my cycle. The testosterone gel was only like $50 extra but then we also added a shot of growth hormone which was the big money item and it ended up being worth it because we got one more normal embryo out of that retrieval. The 2nd egg retrieval medication cost was around $6,000. We then paid extra for the mock cycle, the sonohysterogram (water ultrasound) and I had to have tissue removed after that water ultrasound which we decided to have Dr. Friedman do at the OR at their office for about $2,000. We paid only a couple hundred for the progesterone meds for the transfer which was around maybe $400 or so. That medication was the least expensive of the bunch. Also San Diego Fertility Center has a pharmacy they work with which gives a discounted rate!

Describe Brooke Friedman's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at San Diego Fertility Center.

Dr. Friedman is really a big believer in just doing a single embryo transfer for good reason. She does not want to put you, the patient, at risk for twins and a difficult pregnancy. That being said she was still flexible with us as we requested transferring two embryos and she did that for us although we only got pregnant with one. It was still worth it for us.

Doctor

Brooke Friedman

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Compassion

Adaptability

Clinic

San Diego Fertility Center

San Diego - Del Mar Main

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Brooke Friedman San Diego Fertility Center

2018, Successful

Age 30

1 IUI

1 IVF

Male Factor

Recurrent Pregnancy Loss

European

Ashkenazi Jewish

Income $200K - $499K

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Brooke Friedman San Diego Fertility Center

While we didn’t see Dr. Friedman at every visit, I did feel that if I needed to talk to her she was easy to get in contact with. Ultimately after one unsuccessful IUI and one round of IVF we were able to have our wonderful daughter because of Dr. Friedman...We started out with an IUI because we suspected we were only dealing with male factor infertility (poor morphology, high DNA fragmentation). We also weren’t super comfortable immediately jumping into an IVF cycle, so Dr. Friedman felt an IUI or two was an appropriate first step. After 1 unsuccessful IUI (we used clomid I don’t remember if we used a trigger or not) we decided we were ready to pursue IVF. We did one round of IVF with ICSI. We also did TESE in hopes of getting around the high dna fragmentation issue. Because we had also had two naturally conceived miscarriages we opted to do PGS testing as well. From our IVF cycle we got 7 day 5-6 embryos and 2 were PGS normal. We transferred one in an FET cycle and delivered a healthy baby girl.

I was not assigned a specific nurse [at SDFC], though you get to know everyone pretty well when you’re in for monitoring nearly every day during an IVF cycle. If you find a favorite nurse, you can request to see them at each appointment. Everyone explained what was going on at each appointment and seemed to be on the same page based on my chart...We paid a flat fee for the IVF cycle and one FET cycle. The finance department was very clear and itemized what the associated costs were. Our IUI cycle was paid for by insurance. All monitoring was paid for by insurance. Medication cost was not included in the pricing for the IVF cycle.

How was your experience with Brooke Friedman at San Diego Fertility Center?

Working with Dr. Friedman was great. I felt she listened to our concerns and responded appropriately. She was willing to hear our preferences and give her honest feedback as to what she thought would work best for us. We had a couple of set backs in our time At SDFC (failed IUI, cancelled FET cycle) and it was easy to make follow up appointments with Dr. Friedman to talk about next steps. While we didn’t see Dr. Friedman at every visit, I did feel that if I needed to talk to her she was easy to get in contact with. Ultimately after one unsuccessful IUI and one round of IVF we were able to have our wonderful daughter because of Dr. Friedman.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brooke Friedman at San Diego Fertility Center?

Advocate for yourself!!! SDFC is a large clinic. Dr. Friedman was always available when I needed to see her, but I also felt it was on me to follow up after each procedure to set up next steps. Do your research, ask questions and reach out when you need answers.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brooke Friedman at San Diego Fertility Center?

In working with Dr. Friedman I felt like she took in all of the information available and tailored a plan for my husband and me to have the greatest chance of success. Throughout our treatment at SDFC I felt both Dr. Friedman and all of the staff were very warm and welcoming. From the finance team to the front desk staff to the nurses and PAs, everyone was incredibly helpful and treated us kindly.

Describe the protocols Brooke Friedman used in your cycles at San Diego Fertility Center and their degree of success.

We started out with an IUI because we suspected we were only dealing with male factor infertility (poor morphology, high DNA fragmentation). We also weren’t super comfortable immediately jumping into an IVF cycle, so Dr. Friedman felt an IUI or two was an appropriate first step. After 1 unsuccessful IUI (we used clomid I don’t remember if we used a trigger or not) we decided we were ready to pursue IVF. We did one round of IVF with ICSI. We also did TESE in hopes of getting around the high dna fragmentation issue. Because we had also had two naturally conceived miscarriages we opted to do PGS testing as well. From our IVF cycle we got 7 day 5-6 embryos and 2 were PGS normal. We transferred one in an FET cycle and delivered a healthy baby girl.

Describe your experience with your nurse at San Diego Fertility Center. (Assigned nurse: MJ )

MJ was my patient coordinator. She was great at getting back in touch with me via email or phone within the same business day. If she was out of the office (this happened a couple of times) another one of the patient coordinators would respond in her place. The nursing staff were all wonderful. I was not assigned a specific nurse, though you get to know everyone pretty well when you’re in for monitoring nearly every day during an IVF cycle. If you find a favorite nurse, you can request to see them at each appointment. Everyone explained what was going on at each appointment and seemed to be on the same page based on my chart.

Describe your experience with San Diego Fertility Center.

Initially getting an appointment at SDFC was difficult, and I’m still not totally sure why. It took calling 3-4 times to get an appointment set up. Once I was in though getting appointments was easy. SDFC is a large clinic which is both a strength and weakness. They see a lot of patients and have a lot of experience and multiple well regarded physicians, which I see as a strength. However because they see so many patients much of the actual day to day during a cycle is managed by the nursing staff. I was fine with this, but could see how some patients might see this as a weakness. If you want to not “feel like a number” you have to advocate for yourself and directly ask for what you need.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Brooke Friedman at San Diego Fertility Center.

We paid a flat fee for the IVF cycle and one FET cycle. The finance department was very clear and itemized what the associated costs were. Our IUI cycle was paid for by insurance. All monitoring was paid for by insurance. Medication cost was not included in the pricing for the IVF cycle.

Describe Brooke Friedman's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at San Diego Fertility Center.

Dr. Friedman strongly suggested eSET which we agreed with. I was 30 at the time of embryo transfer and Dr. Friedman felt that transferring two embryos (PGS normal) would have an incredibly high chance of twins which would be harder on everyone. We completely agreed with her recommendation.

Doctor

Brooke Friedman

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

San Diego Fertility Center

San Diego - Del Mar Main

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Brooke Friedman San Diego Fertility Center

2023, Unknown Success

Age 37

European

Income $50K - $99K

Only Doc Seen

IVF With Other Docs

Donor Eggs With Other Docs

Donor Sperm

Surrogacy With Other Docs

Strongly Recommends

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

Susanna Park San Diego Fertility Center

Dr. Park was warm and pleasant...was kind and humane and encouraging...answered all my questions thoroughly, including validating my sensitive needs for using a gestational carrier...used donor embryos...are doing a frozen embryo transfer using estradiol and progesterone...surrogate attended one in-person meeting with Dr. Park prior to being approved for surrogacy

[San Diego Fertility Center has] been organized and helpful and informative...somewhat frustrating was the fee for accepting embryos from another clinic - which was not mentioned to me up front and was somewhat unexpected...very good experience with Alicia...Sometimes an extra email was necessary to get things accomplished promptly

How was your experience with Susanna Park at San Diego Fertility Center?

I don't have anything negative to say about Dr. Park. She has been helpful and informative and kind while being both those things. She is clearly knowledgeable but gives makes things easy to understand when explaining them. She was willing to take as much time as I needed to understand and was encouraging about next steps.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Susanna Park at San Diego Fertility Center?

The biggest hurdle, for us in this journey has been the time difference. It sounds silly, but don't forget that SDFC is on West Coast (I'm on the East Coast).

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Susanna Park at San Diego Fertility Center?

Dr. Park was warm and pleasant during our initial consult. She was kind and humane and encouraging. She answered all my questions thoroughly, including validating my sensitive needs for using a gestational carrier. She also provided the gestational carrier with a positive experience when she went for her medical screening, which I appreciated so that we could all feel very positive in moving forward with care.

Describe the protocols Susanna Park used in your cycles at San Diego Fertility Center and their degree of success.

I used donor embryos (came from a known donor through an agency) and am using a gestational carrier. We are doing a frozen embryo transfer using estradiol and progesterone, with monitoring in the gestational carrier's home state. The surrogate attended one in-person meeting with Dr. Park prior to being approved for surrogacy, we will attend the transfer in person...monitoring will be done off-site and sent to SDFC as we go.

Describe your experience with your nurse at San Diego Fertility Center. (Assigned nurse: Alicia Diaz Wesch)

I have had a very good experience with Alicia, particularly when it got close to scheduling transfer. Sometimes an extra email was necessary to get things accomplished promptly, but everything always ended up getting done.

Describe your experience with San Diego Fertility Center.

I have had a great experience at SDFC. They have been organized and helpful and informative. Sometimes the time difference is a challenge but we've worked through it. Sometimes it takes an extra email to get something done but I haven't found that that has been a barrier so long as I advocate for myself and stay on top of everything. The only thing that was somewhat frustrating was the fee for accepting embryos from another clinic - which was not mentioned to me up front and was somewhat unexpected.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Susanna Park at San Diego Fertility Center.

The costs were as expected and as laid out for me by the financial team. The only exception was the cost for the clinic to accept the donated embryos from another clinic. I was disappointed by that but it was not a deal breaker for me given that I felt like this was still the best run clinic I had been in contact with.

Describe Susanna Park's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at San Diego Fertility Center.

I believe that the gestational carrier was only approved for a SET. I only have two embryos so that was what I was looking to do anyway.

Doctor

Susanna Park

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

San Diego Fertility Center

San Diego - Del Mar Main

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Susanna Park San Diego Fertility Center

2022, Consult

Ashkenazi Jewish

Only Doc Seen

Donor Eggs With Other Docs

LGBTQ+

Strongly Recommends

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

Susanna Park San Diego Fertility Center

Dr. Park has always taken the time to answer our questions in a thoughtful, honest, respectful, informative, and timely manner...take the time to digest the information you are receiving, take good notes, and follow up with Dr. Park for clarification. She will be happy to take the time to ensure that you feel comfortable in your understanding of the process....

All the staff [at San Diego Fertility Center] are knowledgeable in their respective fields and generally communicate well...Our billing/finance coordinator has been stellar. He is very adept at explaining costs in a clear way so that we are not surprised or confused by expenses, and he is always responsive. Similarly, the egg donation clinic coordinator (managed by the IVF clinic) has gone above and beyond to make sure we were well equipped to select a donor and she helped us through the process at every stage of the process...

How was your experience with Susanna Park at San Diego Fertility Center?

Dr. park is an excellent communicator. She takes the time to respond in a timely manner to all our communications and she makes sure we understand what is happening at every stage. We are still in the early stages of our journey with her but we are very excited to be working with her.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Susanna Park at San Diego Fertility Center?

If you are like us and trying to understand the entire process that you will have to go through from the outset, take the time to digest the information you are receiving, take good notes, and follow up with Dr. Park for clarification. She will be happy to take the time to ensure that you feel comfortable in your understanding of the process.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Susanna Park at San Diego Fertility Center?

Dr. Park has always taken the time to answer our questions in a thoughtful, honest, respectful, informative, and timely manner. We are still in the early stages of our journey with her, but so far we have had no complaints and only positive experiences with her.

Describe your experience with your nurse at San Diego Fertility Center.

Generally our experience has been positive however we did have a couple of instances where communications were unclear and it was difficult to get a hold of them to clarify matters.

Describe your experience with San Diego Fertility Center.

All the staff are knowledgeable in their respective fields and generally communicate well. They are always professional and courteous, and we have had very positive interactions with two departments in particular. Our billing/finance coordinator has been stellar. He is very adept at explaining costs in a clear way so that we are not surprised or confused by expenses, and he is always responsive. Similarly, the egg donation clinic coordinator (managed by the IVF clinic) has gone above and beyond to make sure we were well equipped to select a donor and she helped us through the process at every stage of the process.

What specific things went wrong at San Diego Fertility Center?

Provided conflicting information

Doctor

Susanna Park

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

LGBTQ+ Care

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Clinic

San Diego Fertility Center

San Diego - Del Mar Main

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

LGBTQ+ Care

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Susanna Park San Diego Fertility Center

2022, Consult

Age 28

Anovulation

Diminished Ovarian Reserve

East Asian

Income $100K - $199K

Operations

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

Brooke Friedman San Diego Fertility Center

Dr. Friedman is by far the most personable and compassionate physician I’ve met through your fertility journey. She immediately made me feel at ease, explained everything in thorough detail, and never makes me feel like I am taking up her time...After our initial consultation, Dr. Friedman had hope that we would be able to try other, less invasive/costly treatments first.

From the beginning, SDFC made me feel welcome by going the extra mile that no other clinic had done - making sure I knew and was connected to my care team immediately, made sure I had access to contact Dr. Friedman’s MA, and gave me upfront information on the costs/worked with me to clear insurance information up...SDFC is state of the art, comfortable yet clean and updated. Staff do a great job of making you feel welcome from the moment you check in. I’ve always been able to get on the schedule for an appointment in a reasonable amount of time and the one time I was asked to reschedule, it was explained to me that Dr. Friedman had to be offsite for an emergency surgery on another patient.

How was your experience with Brooke Friedman at San Diego Fertility Center?

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brooke Friedman at San Diego Fertility Center?

To go in with an open mind. I went in thinking we would immediately have to resort to IVF because of the feedback I’d gotten from other fertility clinics/doctors. After our initial consultation, Dr. Friedman had hope that we would be able to try other, less invasive/costly treatments first.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brooke Friedman at San Diego Fertility Center?

I researched many fertility clinics and tried establishing care at two other well known clinics before landing on Dr. Friend man and SDFC. From the beginning, SDFC made me feel welcome by going the extra mile that no other clinic had done - making sure I knew and was connected to my care team immediately, made sure I had access to contact Dr. Friedman’s MA, and gave me upfront information on the costs/worked with me to clear insurance information up.

Describe the protocols Brooke Friedman used in your cycles at San Diego Fertility Center and their degree of success.

Have not started treatments officially yet. Dr. Friedman recommended sperm freezing (husband is in the military and will deploy). She also discussed egg freezing with me (27 with low AMH) for future pregnancies as an option. Treatment plan includes clomid for a few cycles before moving on to IUI.

Describe your experience with your nurse at San Diego Fertility Center. (Assigned nurse: Irene )

Irene is always very responsive to emails and answers all of my questions clearly and thoroughly. I’ve always been able to get a reply from her within 48 hours.

Describe your experience with San Diego Fertility Center.

SDFC is state of the art, comfortable yet clean and updated. Staff do a great job of making you feel welcome from the moment you check in. I’ve always been able to get on the schedule for an appointment in a reasonable amount of time and the one time I was asked to reschedule, it was explained to me that Dr. Friedman had to be offsite for an emergency surgery on another patient.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Brooke Friedman at San Diego Fertility Center.

With tricare insurance, I had to meet my $150 annual deductible. Afterwards, my copay kicked in for $35/visit. While diagnostic exams were covered, actual fertility treatments and/or medication will not be covered at all.

Describe Brooke Friedman's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at San Diego Fertility Center.

N/A

Doctor

Brooke Friedman

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

San Diego Fertility Center

San Diego - Del Mar Main

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Brooke Friedman San Diego Fertility Center

2022, Unknown Success

Age 35

1 IVF

Unexplained

Income $50K - $99K

2nd of 2 Docs

3 IUI With Other Docs

Strongly Recommends

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

Michael Kettel San Diego Fertility Center

During both our consult and egg retrieval he [Dr. Michael Kettel] was very kind, caring, and realistic. He was always available when questions came up...He also took the time to review my chart from our previous fertility clinic and we could tell he had really studied it and made notes to personalize our treatment plan. He also followed my case really closely during the stims process and at the egg retrieval he knew all about the apts I had with the NP.

[San Diego Fertility Center] Clinic is beautiful! Everyone was very kind. I never waited more than 15 mins for an apt. Apts were always available when needed and they were willing to move things around when work or school conflicts came up. There was sometimes a hold time on the phone when calling to schedule apts, but never more than a few mins.

How was your experience with Michael Kettel at San Diego Fertility Center?

During both our consult and egg retrieval he was very kind, caring, and realistic. He was always available when questions came up during treatment even if we didn’t speak directly to him his nurses could ask him a question and we had an answer usually within an hour or so. He also took the time to review my chart from our previous fertility clinic and we could tell he had really studied it and made notes to personalize our treatment plan. He also followed my case really closely during the stims process and at the egg retrieval he knew all about the apts I had with the NP.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Michael Kettel at San Diego Fertility Center?

Be prepared with questions to ask and rest assured that he is following your case and on top of everything from every apt with himself or the NP/PA

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Michael Kettel at San Diego Fertility Center?

Dr. Kettle was kind and realistic. He also answered all our questions and spent a lot of time with us during our consult. He also was the first doctor to take the time to ask my husband if he had any questions as well. That spoke volumes to us that he included both of us and made sure both our needs were met.

Describe the protocols Michael Kettel used in your cycles at San Diego Fertility Center and their degree of success.

We had done three failed IUI at our first clinic so we started IVF with Dr. Kettle. We did BCP for 3 weeks, 150 IU Gonal F, 75 Menupor, and Omnitrope. We then added cetrotide and increased Menupor to 150 at day 6 of stims. I had an afc of 25 at first scan and had never had injectables before (for IUI we used letrozole) so starting a lower dose and building made sense. Omnitrope because I was worried about egg quality at my age and knowing financially additional egg retrievals were not likely for our family.

Describe your experience with your nurse at San Diego Fertility Center. (Assigned nurse: Ashley and Amanda)

Nurse coordinator, Ashley, and nurse that works directly with Dr. Kettle Amanda we both great. They answered all my questions and were available by email or phone. All emails were answered usually within an hour but at the latest always same day.

Describe your experience with San Diego Fertility Center.

Clinic is beautiful! Everyone was very kind. I never waited more than 15 mins for an apt. Apts were always available when needed and they were willing to move things around when work or school conflicts came up. There was sometimes a hold time on the phone when calling to schedule apts, but never more than a few mins.

Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at San Diego Fertility Center.

Monitoring apts were done by NP/PA they did ultrasound and discussed results with you. Then you had your labs drawn and they called you with the results a couple hours later if any protocol changes needed to be made. Apts were on time usually with no wait time at all and the one time I had a wait it was only 10 mins.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Michael Kettel at San Diego Fertility Center.

So far we are just under 30,000 for this IVF cycle including medications, PGT-A testing, egg retrieval, FET transfer, monitoring, and labs

Describe Michael Kettel's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at San Diego Fertility Center.

We have our FET consult next week. We are still waiting for our PGT-A results. Most likely will be doing eSET due to maternal health concerns and wanting to have the safest pregnancy possible for baby.

Doctor

Michael Kettel

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

San Diego Fertility Center

San Diego - Del Mar Main

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Michael Kettel San Diego Fertility Center

2021, Successful

Age 36

1 IVF

1 Embryo Freezing

European

Income $100K - $199K

Marketer or PR

2nd of 2 Docs

3 IUI With Other Docs

2 IVF With Other Docs

2 Embryo Freezing With Other Docs

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Brooke Friedman San Diego Fertility Center

I was always able to get in touch with Irene by phone or email. Dr. Friedman was attentive and engaged in my care. She called with the utmost excitement in her voice to tell me I was pregnant following the second transfer I did with her...I did not always see her at my appointments, which is to be expected, but I always knew she was involved in my treatment plan and cared...In my second frozen embryo transfer, which was successful, [she] recommended a 2-month course of Depot Lupron if we wanted to be absolutely sure we had done everything possible, as she suspected I may have had adenomyosis

[San Diego Fertility Center's] greatest strength is their clinical excellence. I switched here because my OBGYN told me their embryology lab is the best of the best, and I would agree. They're at the forefront of the latest protocols and treatments, and they do it all with a very warm bedside manner....Dr. Friedman's nursing staff are truly excellent. Kind, compassionate, and at the top of their game...There was one instance when I received a protocol with dates from one nurse, and then another protocol with other dates from another nurse. This was quickly corrected and all was fine.

How was your experience with Brooke Friedman at San Diego Fertility Center?

Dr. Friedman is an amazing doctor - brilliant, knowledgeable, kind and caring. She truly cares about her patients - both their well-being and success. I did not always see her at my appointments, which is to be expected, but I always knew she was involved in my treatment plan and cared.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brooke Friedman at San Diego Fertility Center?

Definitely choose Dr. Friedman for your fertility care. You will be in the best and most caring hands.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brooke Friedman at San Diego Fertility Center?

Dr. Friedman, her MA Irene, and the entire team at San Diego Fertility Center are incredibly warm and kind, not to mention brilliant and on the cutting-edge of fertility care. I was always able to get in touch with Irene by phone or email. Dr. Friedman was attentive and engaged in my care. She called with the utmost excitement in her voice to tell me I was pregnant following the second transfer I did with her. It's evident she truly cares about her patients.

Describe the protocols Brooke Friedman used in your cycles at San Diego Fertility Center and their degree of success.

In my second frozen embryo transfer, which was successful, Dr. Friedman recommended a 2-month course of Depot Lupron if we wanted to be absolutely sure we had done everything possible, as she suspected I may have had adenomyosis. It may have been that decision that led to a successful transfer, and I will be forever grateful to Dr. Friedman!

Describe your experience with your nurse at San Diego Fertility Center. (Assigned nurse: Cindy)

Dr. Friedman's nursing staff are truly excellent. Kind, compassionate, and at the top of their game. Cindy was our primary nurse and she was really great. Irene is Dr. Friedman's medical assistant and she served as our care coordinator. I LOVE Irene. She's so incredibly kind and caring, and wonderful about helping take care of all the logistics.

Describe your experience with San Diego Fertility Center.

This clinic's greatest strength is their clinical excellence. I switched here because my OBGYN told me their embryology lab is the best of the best, and I would agree. They're at the forefront of the latest protocols and treatments, and they do it all with a very warm bedside manner.

What specific things went wrong at San Diego Fertility Center?

Provided conflicting information

Describe the specific things that went wrong at San Diego Fertility Center.

There was one instance when I received a protocol with dates from one nurse, and then another protocol with other dates from another nurse. This was quickly corrected and all was fine.

Doctor

Brooke Friedman

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

San Diego Fertility Center

San Diego - Del Mar Main

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Brooke Friedman San Diego Fertility Center

2021, Successful

Age 43

Donor Eggs

Poor Egg Quality

European

Income $500K+

Sales Representative

4th of 4 Docs

6 IVF With Other Docs

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Said Daneshmand San Diego Fertility Center

[Dr. Daneshmand] is willing to listen to you and to work with you to make you comfortable with your treatment path and goals. He was my 4th Dr. so I had lots of experience with many doctors and I appreciated that he valued my opinions and thoughts but was also able to help me understand what he felt would work for us and why. He also was always available to me to answer questions after hours. He was excited for us and always in our corner. He is very passionate, and is an expert in his field who truly cares about his patients.

They have a great staff [at San Diego Fertility Center] who are excellent communicators an well organized. It is a big clinic and ran much smoother than some smaller and larger well known clinics I have been to. Weaknesses- maybe that they are large so some people might feel less connected or more like a number however I never had that experience.

How was your experience with Said Daneshmand at San Diego Fertility Center?

Dr. D is so knowledgeable in the field. It was very clear he was up to date on the most current IVF information and studies. He is willing to listen to you and to work with you to make you comfortable with your treatment path and goals. He was my 4th Dr. so I had lots of experience with many doctors and I appreciated that he valued my opinions and thoughts but was also able to help me understand what he felt would work for us and why. He also was always available to me to answer questions after hours. He was excited for us and always in our corner. He is very passionate, and is an expert in his field who truly cares about his patients.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Said Daneshmand at San Diego Fertility Center?

Run don't walk to see Dr. D, he is so well educated and up to date on all things IVF, he is compassionate and real, and treats his patients like family.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Said Daneshmand at San Diego Fertility Center?

Dr. D was so personal and friendly. He always took time to talk to us about our lives and things outside of just the IVF world. He always remembered what we did for work and many other small details and would check in on all aspects of our lives at appointments. He was always very prepared at every appointment as well never forgot anything about our past treatment or experience.

Describe the protocols Said Daneshmand used in your cycles at San Diego Fertility Center and their degree of success.

I don't recall all my transfer medications we did use birth control, then estrogen and progesterone in oil for 12 weeks, which is a little longer than some Doctors but I like that he preferred to air on the side of caution with that. I had to have some other testing done prior as it had been over 12 months since my last HSG. I had a successful first transfer and birth as a result of this protocol.

Describe your experience with your nurse at San Diego Fertility Center. (Assigned nurse: His primary care coordinator is My)

His primary care coordinator is incredible. She was so responsive to me at all times with any questions and never made any mistakes with scheduling or meds or anything. My nurse was the same way- incredible, kind, sensitive and always available to me.

Describe your experience with San Diego Fertility Center.

They have a great staff who are excellent communicators an well organized. It is a big clinic and ran much smoother than some smaller and larger well known clinics I have been to. Weaknesses- maybe that they are large so some people might feel less connected or more like a number however I never had that experience.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Said Daneshmand at San Diego Fertility Center.

30K for Treatment 15K for donor eggs

Describe Said Daneshmand's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at San Diego Fertility Center.

We opted for single embryo since we knew it was PGT Normal. He agreed with that.

Doctor

Said Daneshmand

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

San Diego Fertility Center

San Diego - Del Mar Main

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Said Daneshmand San Diego Fertility Center

2021, Unknown Success

Age 36

Unexplained

Income $100K - $199K

Operations

1st of 2 Docs

1 Fertility Medications With Other Docs

Neutral

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

Michael Kettel San Diego Fertility Center

Dr. Michael Kettel was very nice and kind. He answered all of the questions and concerns I had. He wasn't brash about my diagnosis, but he wasn't warm and fuzzy either - he was in middle. I did feel my appointments were fairly quick than I expected - it was like in and out. But also I didn't have too many questions vs the average person.

The San Diego Fertility facility is very modern and nice. The staff seem really nice and the doctor I worked with was very friendly and seemed very experience. My experience overall was good, but also I'm not a fan that there wasn't an option where I could just only take the Clomid and timed intercourse. They only seemed to offer Clomid + IUI - no option just for the medication.

How was your experience with Michael Kettel at San Diego Fertility Center?

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Michael Kettel at San Diego Fertility Center?

Hard to say - maybe not be do quick in the appointments, but be proactive in providing more information about the diagnosis. Some patients don't know what to ask during the appointment - so I think it's good for a Dr. to provide more information even when not asked.. like reading material.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Michael Kettel at San Diego Fertility Center?

More human than a number. He heard me out and explained that he wanted what was best for me and what I wanted to do vs being pushed to a treatment I wasn't ready for. He answered my questions and I never once felt like I was dumb for asking the questions I had.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at San Diego Fertility Center.

I only dealt with one of the staff - not sure if she was a nurse, but she was very kind and informative.

Describe your experience with San Diego Fertility Center.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Michael Kettel at San Diego Fertility Center.

I don't know the cost of the referral - but my insurance did cover for the referral, the initial consultation, and the bloodwork. Otherwise I did not proceed on taking any treatment here as I was not ready to complete Clomid + IUI as I wanted to just try Clomid first with natural intercourse

Doctor

Michael Kettel

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

San Diego Fertility Center

San Diego - Del Mar Main

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Michael Kettel San Diego Fertility Center

2021, Unsuccessful

Age 29

1 IVF

European

3rd of 3 Docs

3 IUI With Other Docs

1 IVF With Other Docs

Doesn't Recommend

Unsuccessful

Review of

Said Daneshmand San Diego Fertility Center

I only ever saw Dr. D [Dr. Said Daneshmand} for about 5 minutes at a time, only a handful of times during my entire cycle. This is very different from my previous experiences and I do not prefer that. It is important to me to have a strong relationship with my doctor...he made big promises for improvement in an IVF cycle if we moved forward with him and did not produce results

They [San Diego Fertility Center] have a large staff which makes it very easy to get appointments scheduled and questions answered. Since it is a large clinic it is hard to feel not like a number...They [nursing staff] were phenomenal. Always took their time with me and never rushed me...My current doctor has asked for my records and still has not received them. I also never heard back from Dr. D when I let him know that I miscarried at 10 weeks. A simple response to an email could have gone a long way..

How was your experience with Said Daneshmand at San Diego Fertility Center?

He is very personable which I love. However, he made big promises for improvement in an IVF cycle if we moved forward with him and did not produce results. When we asked him what went wrong he didn’t know and we would have to do another cycle. Being so confident in the beginning did not manage our expectations and made the outcome of the cycle much harder to handle.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Said Daneshmand at San Diego Fertility Center?

Be proactive by doing your own research and asking for explanations at every turn, especially when developing the protocol. I trusted Dr. D to create a protocol that would work rather than continuing to do my own research. I let my guard down by fully trusting him to get me the results I wanted and it ended up in another cycle of most of our day 3 embryos not surviving.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Said Daneshmand at San Diego Fertility Center?

I only ever saw Dr. D for about 5 minutes at a time, only a handful of times during my entire cycle. This is very different from my previous experiences and I do not prefer that. It is important to me to have a strong relationship with my doctor.

Describe the protocols Said Daneshmand used in your cycles at San Diego Fertility Center and their degree of success.

Birth control start, 150 IUs of Gonal-F multi dose, 75 IUs of Menopur, Lupron trigger (I had severe OHSS in my first cycle where I had to be hospitalized). There was really no rational explained to us just that this amount of medicine would ensure I would not have OHSS this cycle which Dr. D thought could have harmed my eggs and the outcome of the embryos. We retrieved 27 eggs, 16 mature, 15 day 3 embryos, 2 day 5 embryos. Dr. D did not recommend PGT even though our previous cycle had the same outcome (16 day 3 embryos, only 1 day 5 embryo). Dr. D could not explain why the same thing happened. We transferred both embryos and it resulted in a 10 week miscarriage (same as the previous cycle). When we did a follow up with him he said we could try again with a different protocol but at this point we have spent $50K and don’t have the money to just keep guessing.

Describe your experience with your nurse at San Diego Fertility Center.

They were phenomenal. Always took their time with me and never rushed me.

Describe your experience with San Diego Fertility Center.

They have a large staff which makes it very easy to get appointments scheduled and questions answered. Since it is a large clinic it is hard to feel not like a number. My previous clinic knew who I was and I didn’t feel as alone during the cycle (especially during COVID when my husband could not come with me).

Describe the costs associated with your care under Said Daneshmand at San Diego Fertility Center.

$15,100.00 not including medication, genetic screening or anything extra

Describe Said Daneshmand's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at San Diego Fertility Center.

He listened to my desire to transfer both embryos given the outcome of our last cycle ending in miscarriage at 10 weeks.

What specific things went wrong at San Diego Fertility Center?

Failed to send your chart to another clinic

Describe the specific things that went wrong at San Diego Fertility Center.

My current doctor has asked for my records and still has not received them. I also never heard back from Dr. D when I let him know that I miscarried at 10 weeks. A simple response to an email could have gone a long way..

Doctor

Said Daneshmand

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

San Diego Fertility Center

San Diego - Del Mar Main

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Said Daneshmand San Diego Fertility Center

2021, Unsuccessful

Age 41

1 IVF

Male Factor

Uterine Fibroids

Recurrent Pregnancy Loss

European

Income $0 - $49K

2nd of 4 Docs

1 IVF With Other Docs

Doesn't Recommend

Unsuccessful

Review of

Susanna Park San Diego Fertility Center

I appreciated the information that she [Dr. Park] gave us during our initial consult, it was clear and she gave us time to ask lots of questions. At the end of our time with their clinic - I felt that the numbers that were given to us were not as truthful. They seemed to be to gain our trust, but the real numbers and percents were different when we had to sign papers, and then we did not have a person to ask questions.

[San Diego Fertility Center] is disorganized and no one knows what is happening. It is difficult to get information. The clinic is very beautiful, but the staff is cold and not very welcoming...I was given a month on estrogen pills and testosterone gel that was supposed to suppress my regular cycle. This did not work as I got pregnant right before the stimulation cycle started. (my pregnancy was exposed to 5 days of Gonal-f and menopur - resulting in a miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy ).

How was your experience with Susanna Park at San Diego Fertility Center?

I appreciated the information that she gave us during our initial consult, it was clear and she gave us time to ask lots of questions. At the end of our time with their clinic - I felt that the numbers that were given to us were not as truthful. They seemed to be to gain our trust, but the real numbers and percents were different when we had to sign papers, and then we did not have a person to ask questions.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Susanna Park at San Diego Fertility Center?

To go in knowing that it is a private practice and they may not be as upfront and honest as university or learners clinic. Know that you need to go in advocating for yourself and what you need.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Susanna Park at San Diego Fertility Center?

Our fertility plan was a photocopy of a generic fertility plan that had been copied over and over again - so that it was difficult to read. Every day I met with new nurses - which I expected, but they had not reviewed my chart or had any idea of what was happening in our situation. Their general plan of birth control to suppress my system did not work and we ended up finding we were pregnant midway through our stimulation.

Describe the protocols Susanna Park used in your cycles at San Diego Fertility Center and their degree of success.

I was given a month on estrogen pills and testosterone gel that was supposed to suppress my regular cycle. This did not work as I got pregnant right before the stimulation cycle started. (my pregnancy was exposed to 5 days of Gonal-f and menopur - resulting in a miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy ). I was on 300 Gonal-F and 150 Menopur for 5 days before my pregnancy was discovered.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at San Diego Fertility Center.

It was not easy to contact a nurse if I had a question. I called and left a message and I never received a call back. The nurses bedside manner was good but they did not read notes ahead of time. So they came in excited to look a baby on the ultrasound when I was post miscarriage and suspecting an ectopic pregnancy. It was traumatizing. My favorite people where those who did the blood draws. They were very kind and wonderful.

Describe your experience with San Diego Fertility Center.

It is disorganized and no one knows what is happening. It is difficult to get information. The clinic is very beautiful, but the staff is cold and not very welcoming. I know others who have had really good luck and liked this clinic, unfortunately that was not our experience.

Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at San Diego Fertility Center.

You could schedule around your schedule but the schedule filled up quickly. There may have been more patients than staff at this time.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Susanna Park at San Diego Fertility Center.

We were selected for a success guarantee program that would pay for as many transfers as embryos. It cost $29,000

Describe Susanna Park's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at San Diego Fertility Center.

Dr Park will only transfer one embryo at a time if they are PGTA tested, and they would prefer to only transfer one at time most times but would transfer up to two depending on what is needed.

What specific things went wrong at San Diego Fertility Center?

Lost appointments
Failed to call with results
Failed to consider drug intolerance
Canceled a cycle due to clinic error

Describe the specific things that went wrong at San Diego Fertility Center.

They run based on a general plan, but they did not treat us as individual people. so if their basic program does not work - they do not know what to do.

Doctor

Susanna Park

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

San Diego Fertility Center

San Diego - Del Mar Main

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Susanna Park San Diego Fertility Center

2019 - 2021, Unsuccessful

Age 30 - 32

1 IVF

Diminished Ovarian Reserve

Endometriosis

Unexplained

European

Income $50K - $99K

1st of 2 Docs

3 IUI With Other Docs

1 IVF With Other Docs

Neutral

Unsuccessful

Review of

Michael Kettel San Diego Fertility Center

Dr. Kettle went out of his way to be personable. He made sure to pop in prior to my procedure to offer support and provide his honest opinions...He always remained very optimistic and confident. After the third failed IUI he let us know that it was not recommended to proceed with a fourth cycle, but we could if we want. I appreciated this because I didn’t want to put more money towards something that wouldn’t work. After the second IVF failure, he offered alternative solutions and was sympathetic...

This is a busy clinic [San Diego Fertility Center], but once you are in the chair they do provide that one on one designated time. The facility is very clean and well organized. They broke everything down for me...The nurses always seem very happy and like they enjoy their jobs. I especially liked the nurse who prepped me for the IVF procedure(Shannon). She was fantastic. Zero issues with starting the IV and best attitude....

How was your experience with Michael Kettel at San Diego Fertility Center?

I truly thought that Dr. Kettle really wanted to see my husband and I start a family. He always remained very optimistic and confident. After the third failed IUI he let us know that it was not recommended to proceed with a fourth cycle, but we could if we want. I appreciated this because I didn’t want to put more money towards something that wouldn’t work. After the second IVF failure, he offered alternative solutions and was sympathetic. My first failed IVF cycle was with a different doctor and the clinic just told me, “you can try again if you want”.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Michael Kettel at San Diego Fertility Center?

He may not tell you what you want to hear, but it’s his honest opinion so be open to it.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Michael Kettel at San Diego Fertility Center?

Dr. Kettle went out of his way to be personable. He made sure to pop in prior to my procedure to offer support and provide his honest opinions.

Describe the protocols Michael Kettel used in your cycles at San Diego Fertility Center and their degree of success.

My body responded really well to the medications listed below. In fact, I was able to produce more follicles than the first IVF cycle. At the end, I did need a stronger trigger shot. I had already paid for the weaker one(Ovidrel 250 mcg), but the clinic traded it out for me at no additional charge. Days 1-9 Gonal-F Multidose 300 IU Injection 1x at night for 9 days Menopur 150 IU injection 1x at night for 9 days Days 7-10 Cetrotide .25mg injection 1x in the morning Days 10-12 Gonal-F Multidose (increased) 450 IU injection 1x at night for 3 days Lupron 5mg (trigger) 12 hrs. Before egg retrieval

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at San Diego Fertility Center.

The nurses always seem very happy and like they enjoy their jobs. I especially liked the nurse who prepped me for the IVF procedure(Shannon). She was fantastic. Zero issues with starting the IV and best attitude.

Describe your experience with San Diego Fertility Center.

This is a busy clinic, but once you are in the chair they do provide that one on one designated time. The facility is very clean and well organized. They broke everything down for me. Each time I went in for a blood draw the nurses had a hard time taking my blood. They had to try a few times.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Michael Kettel at San Diego Fertility Center.

IVF Cycle $13,440 (bloods draws, ultrasounds, monitoring, egg retrieval, facility fees, and cycle support & coordination) Lab Services $1,750 Medications $4,000 (paid to pharmacy) Pre-genetic Testing( 8 embryos) $4,250

Describe Michael Kettel's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at San Diego Fertility Center.

I’ve never made it this far into the process. It was mentioned that I am young and there is a chance of multiples so only one embryo would be suggested as Dr. Kettle’s goal was for us to have a healthy baby and no complications.

Doctor

Michael Kettel

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

San Diego Fertility Center

San Diego - Del Mar Main

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Michael Kettel San Diego Fertility Center

2021, Successful

Age 31

1 Egg Freezing

Latinx

Income $100K - $199K

Marketer or PR

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Brooke Friedman San Diego Fertility Center

Dr. Friedman has a great bedside manner...I’ve donated eggs before so I knew the process but undergoing it myself I had a lot of questions and she answered all in a respectful and honest way...I would have liked to see her more frequently but every time we did meet she exceeded my expectations...She told me what I was likely to expect based on my medical history

Although the [San Diego Fertility Center] staff was the same, my primary nurse kept changing so it is hard for me to rate since it was always someone different...Strengths: bedside manner, reputation, costs, information and follow up. Weaknesses: I would have liked to have had the same nurse throughout the process...We worked together to determine final costs with billing vs cash payments

How was your experience with Brooke Friedman at San Diego Fertility Center?

I would have liked to see her more frequently but every time we did meet she exceeded my expectations. I will be going back for a second retrieval (in order to increase the number of eggs stored, and no doubt she will be the one I will go with).

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brooke Friedman at San Diego Fertility Center?

Please ask many questions and also do your research before, this way you know what you are getting into. Go in with neutral expectations because many factors will affect your results.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brooke Friedman at San Diego Fertility Center?

Dr. Friedman has a great bedside manner. I knew to go to her because one of my good friends also went with her and they ended up pregnant. I’ve donated eggs before so I knew the process but undergoing it myself I had a lot of questions and she answered all in a respectful and honest way.

Describe the protocols Brooke Friedman used in your cycles at San Diego Fertility Center and their degree of success.

My treatment was pretty straightforward, I have a non hormonal iud so I could start treatment right away. When I missed dosage for oral birth control she adjusted and I was closely monitored when I started injectables.

Describe your experience with your nurse at San Diego Fertility Center. (Assigned nurse: Irene Aguilar )

Although the staff was the same, my primary nurse kept changing so it is hard for me to rate since it was always someone different. Regardless the overall staff was great.

Describe your experience with San Diego Fertility Center.

Strengths: bedside manner, reputation, costs, information and follow up. Weaknesses: I would have liked to have had the same nurse throughout the process. Again, not a big complaint since everyone was awesome, just a “nice to have”

Describe the costs associated with your care under Brooke Friedman at San Diego Fertility Center.

It was expected, my insurance covered more than I thought which was spectacular. We worked together to determine final costs with billing vs cash payments

Describe Brooke Friedman's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at San Diego Fertility Center.

She told me what I was likely to expect based on my medical history and she. I was pretty obsessive about gathering many years worth of medical history which really helped. I was a bit disappointed with the number of eggs frozen but it was a really good number no matter what. It’s human nature to want more in order to up your chances.

What specific things went wrong at San Diego Fertility Center?

Provided conflicting information

Describe the specific things that went wrong at San Diego Fertility Center.

This was mostly after the fact with insurance, billing and payment. There was just some general confusion that could have been resolved faster over the phone but instead happened over email. It’s fine, it was all resolved in the end

Doctor

Brooke Friedman

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

San Diego Fertility Center

San Diego - Del Mar Main

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Brooke Friedman San Diego Fertility Center

2020, Successful

Donor Eggs

Surrogacy

Ashkenazi Jewish

Income $200K - $499K

Doctor

Only Doc Seen

IVF With Other Docs

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Susanna Park San Diego Fertility Center

IVF using my sperm and donor eggs, fresh transfer of embryo [with Dr. Susanna Park]...was extremely compassionate, courteous and excellent in all respects. She told me and my surrogate exactly what to expect. The entire process was seamless and pleasant for my surrogate and myself and resulted in a successful pregnancy confirmed by ultrasound after the first transfer.

IVF using my sperm and donor eggs, fresh transfer of embryo [at San Diego Fertility Center]...Sara York [nurse] was excellent in every respect, was an excellent communicator and courteously, expeditiously and compassionately resolved all issues...The entire staff was always very available and extremely courteous and responded very quickly and effectively to all issues. Dr. Park was amazing in all respects!!! She told me and my surrogate exactly what to expect. The process was most pleasant for me and my surrogate and my surrogate became pregnant after the first transfer and her first OB ultrasound looked perfect!

How was your experience with Susanna Park at San Diego Fertility Center?

Sr. Susanna Park was extremely compassionate, courteous and excellent in all respects. She told me and my surrogate exactly what to expect. The entire process was seamless and pleasant for my surrogate and myself and resulted in a successful pregnancy confirmed by ultrasound after the first transfer.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Susanna Park at San Diego Fertility Center?

Be completely confident that you will receive excellent, compassionate and courteous care in all respects!

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Susanna Park at San Diego Fertility Center?

I had an extremely outstanding experience with San Diego Fertility Clinic in all respects!!! I am a single man who is going to have a baby with a gestational surrogate. The entire process proceeded very quick;y and expeditiously from the.start. The entire staff was always very available and extremely courteous and responded very quickly and effectively to all issues. Dr. Park was amazing in all respects!!! She told me and my surrogate exactly what to expect. The process was most pleasant for me and my surrogate and my surrogate became pregnant after the first transfer and her first OB ultrasound looked perfect!

Describe the protocols Susanna Park used in your cycles at San Diego Fertility Center and their degree of success.

IVF using my sperm and donor eggs, fresh transfer of embryo

Describe your experience with your nurse at San Diego Fertility Center. (Assigned nurse: SaraSara)

Sara York was excellent in every respect, was an excellent communicator and courteously, expeditiously and compassionately resolved all issues.

Describe your experience with San Diego Fertility Center.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Susanna Park at San Diego Fertility Center.

Very roughly recall $20,000 to $30,000 for everything including additional transfers if needed

Describe Susanna Park's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at San Diego Fertility Center.

We discussed the pros and cons of each and decided on single embryo transfer as the safest approach.

Doctor

Susanna Park

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Compassion

Clinic

San Diego Fertility Center

San Diego - Del Mar Main

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Susanna Park San Diego Fertility Center

2019, Successful

Age 34

2 IUI

European

Income $50K - $99K

2nd of 2 Docs

Donor Sperm

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Michael Kettel San Diego Fertility Center

Dr. Kettle was very professional and explained the entire process clearly and honestly. He was also very upfront about how IUI procedure goes and was very honest about success rates...For my first cycle we tried it without any hormones and were unfortunately not successful. For the second round [he] reassessed and I was put on Clomid and estrogen. After taking those my follicles got to the correct size and we were able to do our second round of IUI and we’re successful

They [San Diego Fertility Center staff] communicate everything they are doing and seeing really well. They are the ones you will see the most and truly treat you as if you’re the only patient they see. They always took time to answer my questions and I never felt rushed...The actual procedure we did cost a little over $700 and then you pay $250 for 5 ultrasounds that you will need to track your ovulation and follicle size. If you are using a sperm donor or need to keep sperm at their location they keep it in their lab for free for up to a year. We did two cycles of IUI so in total we spent around 2,000 plus the cost of my medication.

How was your experience with Michael Kettel at San Diego Fertility Center?

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Michael Kettel at San Diego Fertility Center?

If you’re just starting this process remember that everyone’s journey to parenthood is different. Don’t compare other people’s results or experiences to your own. It will drive you crazy! And know that the doctors and nurses at San Diego fertility center will do everything they can to help you get to where you want to be. What I liked about Dr. Kettle is he doesn’t like to give you a lot of hormones if you don’t need them. But every cycle they reassess and put a different plan in place as you go.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Michael Kettel at San Diego Fertility Center?

From the day we sat down with Dr. Kettle for our consultation and we explained how long we had been trying to conceive and where we were at in our fertility journey, Dr. Kettle got us started right away. It was apparent that he sympathized with our personal experience with infertility and didn’t want us to have to wait to become a family any longer. We felt like he really listened to us and thoroughly explained the process. It was really refreshing.

Describe the protocols Michael Kettel used in your cycles at San Diego Fertility Center and their degree of success.

For my first cycle we tried it without any hormones and were unfortunately not successful. For the second round Dr. Kettle reassessed and I was put on Clomid and estrogen. After taking those my follicles got to the correct size and we were able to do our second round of IUI and we’re successful! We are now expecting our first baby in about 5 weeks.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at San Diego Fertility Center.

The nursing staff is absolutely fantastic. They communicate everything they are doing and seeing really well. They are the ones you will see the most and truly treat you as if you’re the only patient they see. They always took time to answer my questions and I never felt rushed.

Describe your experience with San Diego Fertility Center.

The clinic is really lovely, clean, and well organized. They always remembered my name when we came in and I really appreciated that. I haven’t listed any weaknesses here because in the course of our 3 year journey trying to find a doctor that fit for us, by the time we found SD Fertility Center they got us through this process so quickly and didn’t waste any time. They were exactly what we were looking for. We couldn’t be happier.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Michael Kettel at San Diego Fertility Center.

We did IUI with some medication assistance. The actual procedure we did cost a little over $700 and then you pay $250 for 5 ultrasounds that you will need to track your ovulation and follicle size. If you are using a sperm donor or need to keep sperm at their location they keep it in their lab for free for up to a year. We did two cycles of IUI so in total we spent around 2,000 plus the cost of my medication.

Describe Michael Kettel's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at San Diego Fertility Center.

I did not do embryo transfer nor did we discuss it so I have no opinion.

Doctor

Michael Kettel

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

San Diego Fertility Center

San Diego - Del Mar Main

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Michael Kettel San Diego Fertility Center

2019, Unsuccessful

Age 39

3 IUI

Unexplained

East Asian

Income $100K - $199K

Nurse or HC Services

2nd of 3 Docs

3 IUI With Other Docs

Doesn't Recommend

Unsuccessful

Review of

Brooke Friedman San Diego Fertility Center

As we conducted our initial evaluation with Dr. Friedman, we had the overall feeling that she had a protocol she wanted to follow which was IVF. With normal labs and normal anatomy, she did not want to explore any other options except for IVF...We attempted 3 IUIs...Clomid on CD 3-7 to increase follicle production, days 12-15 ultrasound for follicle size...(we only saw Dr. Friedman on initial visit). Due to no continuity of care, each practitioner had their OWN PLAN for us

[at San Diego Fertility Center] you will see all level 1 practitioners (NP and PA-C) during your follow-up visits, labs, diagnostic studies, etc. Make sure you demand for a plan and immediate follow-up on lab results as timing is of the essence. We had to call and contact the office 75% of the time with no upcoming follow-up plan...most [staff] did not read our chart prior to our appointment and were unsure what the visit was for.

How was your experience with Brooke Friedman at San Diego Fertility Center?

As we conducted our initial evaluation with Dr. Friedman, we had the overall feeling that she had a protocol she wanted to follow which was IVF. With normal labs and normal anatomy, she did not want to explore any other options except for IVF. We inquired about other options, but they were inconclusive. Having been to my 'now' fertility specialist, I can compare and stand with conviction on my initial gut feeling which was that I was not heard.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brooke Friedman at San Diego Fertility Center?

Be aware that you will see all level 1 practitioners (NP and PA-C) during your follow-up visits, labs, diagnostic studies, etc. Make sure you demand for a plan and immediate follow-up on lab results as timing is of the essence. We had to call and contact the office 75% of the time with no upcoming follow-up plan.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brooke Friedman at San Diego Fertility Center?

I've been in healthcare for 16 years with experience in private practice, community hospitals, and corporate driven healthcare. Therefore, I am very understanding that a medical office "can" have an off-day. I do not ever base my true opinions on 1-2. This location consistently treated us like a number. There is no continuity of care with the nurse practitioners or the physicians assistants (we only saw Dr. Friedman on initial visit). Due to no continuity of care, each practitioner had their OWN PLAN for us -- We would do IUI on totally different days from each practitioner. You lose complete credibility and trust with the office because no one truly "knew" who we were and our medical history background.

Describe the protocols Brooke Friedman used in your cycles at San Diego Fertility Center and their degree of success.

We attempted 3 IUIs with this plan: Clomid on CD 3-7 to increase follicle production, days 12-15 ultrasound for follicle size. This differentiated between each practitioner as the follicle size ranged from 15 mm to 23 mm, trigger shot 36-48 hours prior to IUI insemination. Based on reading different articles from multiples sites, our timing was all over the place and for IUI, you need it to be as exact as humanly possible to increase chances.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at San Diego Fertility Center.

Their job tasks were procedural. I don't know if interaction was required; therefore, it felt more 'cold' due to little to no interaction. Also, most did not read our chart prior to our appointment and were unsure what the visit was for.

Describe your experience with San Diego Fertility Center.

Strengths: Mackenzie. She is the front office coordinator. She was articulate and handled any issues or questions when asked. She is not a nurse nor a practitioner and yet she was able to secure all results for us, book appointments appropriately with the correct practitioner, she was kind, she was open, and she completed all tasks she was allowed to do because she was aware that our case was not handled with respect or responsibility. Weakness: This place feels very procedural. Having my background in healthcare, I want to express that the types of women/men who see a fertility specialist have exhausted every option with their OB/GYN or primary care. We are here for answers, for understanding, and for a solidified plan. Timing is of the essence and I believe if we had continuity of care between practitioners, we would feel more valued, trust your plan, and trust that the outcome will be favorable.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Brooke Friedman at San Diego Fertility Center.

$700 per IUI cycle, $450 total for genetic testing between myself and husband, $250 initial visit, labs were done with my own private insurance

What specific things went wrong at San Diego Fertility Center?

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
Failed to convey critical information
Canceled a cycle due to clinic error
Scheduled the wrong procedure

Describe the specific things that went wrong at San Diego Fertility Center.

We were the unfortunate ones who were not informed of a missing Rubella vaccination. While preparing for the 2nd IUI, we were highly recommended to get the vaccination which takes 60 days in total. During the midst of this, we saw 2 different practitioners who were not aware of the issue and therefore had conflicting plans. All the while, I had already taken Clomid (it is recommended no more 6 rounds of Clomid for a woman for the age of 36) and we had to cancel that month for an IUI wait another 2 months before proceeding. We were never called for the results or were given a plan post Rubella vaccination. We were charged for a visit even though we did not complete the whole visit -- we were told of the rubella vaccination at the beginning of the appointment. Difficult to dispute and reverse the charges as none of the support staff knew the situation or had talk to the practitioners who would've explained the mix-up.

Doctor

Brooke Friedman

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Explained risks

Clinic

San Diego Fertility Center

San Diego - Del Mar Main

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Brooke Friedman San Diego Fertility Center

2017 - 2019, Successful

Age 34 - 36

Donor Eggs

Surrogacy

East Asian

Income $100K - $199K

Nurse or HC Services

Only Doc Seen

IVF With Other Docs

LGBTQ+

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Susanna Park San Diego Fertility Center

She [Dr. Susanna Park] was patient, kind and easy to understand with a fun, easy going, approachable manner. She seemed genuinely interested in learning about our family's needs and wanting to get to know us on a personal level. Despite her busy schedule, we never felt rushed or hurried. She was a fantastic communicator and brought great infectious, enthusiasm. She was super LGBTQ+ affirming and competent.

What started out as a difficult journey, proved to be a tremendous joy filled with the kindness of many people [at San Diego Fertility Center]...Excellent team [of nurses]! 10s across the board. Competence expressed at every visit and with each communication...Clinic is clean, respectful, kind, compassionate and competent. We felt well taken care of the entire journey! Everyone was top notch and you leave feeling well supported. I can see why people travel from all over the world to work with Dr. Park and her team. We flew in from NC and despite our long distance, everyone was fantastic at coordinating all the little and big details.

How was your experience with Susanna Park at San Diego Fertility Center?

Dr. Park was a stand out - not just in fertility treatment experiences, but in relation to ALL medical and healthcare treatment settings. She was patient, kind and easy to understand with a fun, easy going, approachable manner. She seemed genuinely interested in learning about our family's needs and wanting to get to know us on a personal level. Despite her busy schedule, we never felt rushed or hurried. She was a fantastic communicator and brought great infectious, enthusiasm. She was super LGBTQ+ affirming and competent.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Susanna Park at San Diego Fertility Center?

Show up with an easy mind, open heart and your important questions.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Susanna Park at San Diego Fertility Center?

Dr. Park carefully explained everything in a patient, easy to understand manner and appeared genuinely glad to explain things in great detail as requested. She provided great follow up and was very accessible. She ensured we felt comfortable with our team and was with us 100% of the journey along the way. We felt so lucky to be paired with her. Getting to this point was filled with so much pain and anguish and finding her and SDFC was a relief and great joy for our family. What started out as a difficult journey, proved to be a tremendous joy filled with the kindness of many people.

Describe your experience with your nurse at San Diego Fertility Center. (Assigned nurse: Elina Kjetselberg)

Excellent team! 10s across the board. Competence expressed at every visit and with each communication.

Describe your experience with San Diego Fertility Center.

Clinic is clean, respectful, kind, compassionate and competent. We felt well taken care of the entire journey! Everyone was top notch and you leave feeling well supported. I can see why people travel from all over the world to work with Dr. Park and her team. We flew in from NC and despite our long distance, everyone was fantastic at coordinating all the little and big details.

Describe Susanna Park's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at San Diego Fertility Center.

Dr. Park following the standards of the ORM recommended a single Embryo transfer based on our circumstances.

Doctor

Susanna Park

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

San Diego Fertility Center

San Diego - Del Mar Main

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Susanna Park San Diego Fertility Center

2018 - 2019, Unknown Success

Age 29 - 30

1 IUI

1 IVF

Endometriosis

Male Factor

Unexplained

European

Income $100K - $199K

Consultant

2nd of 2 Docs

1 IUI With Other Docs

Doesn't Recommend

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

Brooke Friedman San Diego Fertility Center

While I have not been impressed with SDFC as a whole, Dr. Friedman is probably the best part of a not so great organization. I felt as though she empathized with us during each of our consultations....I have never heard from or seen her at an appointment.... I was really disappointed when each monitoring appointment (ultrasound) was with a different staff member and even each IUI is with staff, not the actual RE.

How was your experience with Brooke Friedman at San Diego Fertility Center?

While I have not been impressed with SDFC as a whole, Dr. Friedman is probably the best part of a not so great organization. I felt as though she empathized with us during each of our consultations. My issues with her may just be how her office is run, but other than the consults and actual surgical procedures, I have never heard from or seen her at an appointment. Her MA is quite cold, and I've found myself holding back from reaching out as to not have any further interaction. I was really disappointed when each monitoring appointment (ultrasound) was with a different staff member and even each IUI is with staff, not the actual RE. As meds were adjusted, I was only contacted by the staff I did not know and nothing was explained. I was also struck when all embryo updates were an informal email from a lab department, again I never heard from my actual doctor.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brooke Friedman at San Diego Fertility Center?

Go in understanding this is a very hands-off clinic. They see a high volume of patients and don't have the time to give any "personal touch". As this was my first experience with fertility treatments, it took a lot of research on my own to understand what was going on.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brooke Friedman at San Diego Fertility Center?

Through my 2 IUIs and 1 round of IVF at SDFC its only become more apparent that patients are treated as a number rather than an individual case. The best example of this is the fact that you see a different staff member, never a doctor, during each monitoring appointment. The staff always asks to get "caught up" on your meds/cycle, and I can say that if any of them saw me outside of the office they would not recognize me as a patient, let alone even remember my name.

Describe your experience with your nurse at San Diego Fertility Center. (Assigned nurse: MJ)

While you are assigned a care coordinator under a RE at SDFC, my experience was that you only see them during the intake of appointments with the doctor- aka consultations. All other appointments and services are with a mix of other staff members on a rotating basis. The coordinator is available via email if you have questions outside the appointment, but I found it felt like I was bothering her if I did reach out.

Describe your experience with San Diego Fertility Center.

SDFC feels like a fertility mill. They see a large quantity of patients, and its evident that individual care is not high on their priority list. While the first consultation is often comped, and you get a great full hour consultation, my experience was after you sign on as a patient, you never really see the doctors again but rather have your case managed by a myriad of staff who don't get to know your case. Now that I have completed my retrieval and have embryos "on ice", I feel a bit stuck in the mill. I expected having such expensive, self-pay medicine would come with more access to physicians, and care designed for our specific circumstances.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Brooke Friedman at San Diego Fertility Center.

Each IUI was about $850 with the trigger shot IVF is about $14,000 before medications FET is about $5,000

Describe Brooke Friedman's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at San Diego Fertility Center.

Dr. Friedman has a very strong preference for eSet

What specific things went wrong at San Diego Fertility Center?

Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Lost paperwork
Failed to call with results
Failed to order appropriate test
Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information

Doctor

Brooke Friedman

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

San Diego Fertility Center

San Diego - Del Mar Main

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Brooke Friedman San Diego Fertility Center

2018 - 2019, Unknown Success

Age 35 - 36

2 IVF

Diminished Ovarian Reserve

Tubal Blockage

European

Income $100K - $199K

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

Susanna Park San Diego Fertility Center

Dr. Park is helpful with explaining your diagnosis and proposed treatment and will sit and answer questions until you are comfortable with next steps. She is honest with her opinions, but when moving forward with treatment she takes patient input seriously and works with you....Due to low egg reserve and both tubes blocked, we did IVF high dose hormones to stimulate the max amount of follicles. Started with Lupron shots morning/night then added in HCG and Follistim at night with an Ovidrel trigger.

San Diego Fertility Clinic is a well oiled machine! All the doctors are friendly and the nurses/staff are helpful with ensuring the process is as comfortable as possible. I can see how people could think that patients are just a “number” from other reviews, but on the other side, we are all here for the same reason and the doctors and nurses are working hard to give everyone a great experience.... A full IVF cycle is $13,500. They do offer embryo banking package, two retrievals and one transfer.

How was your experience with Susanna Park at San Diego Fertility Center?

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Susanna Park at San Diego Fertility Center?

There is so much that goes into IVF so be prepared with questions when you see her. Ultrasounds/bloodwork while doing a retrieval are not permitted by Dr. Park, so your appointments with her need to be used wisely.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Susanna Park at San Diego Fertility Center?

Dr. Park was supportive, but realistic, with treatment and expected outcomes. She referenced real cases and she worked through options with us vs. simply prescribing a standard protocol and sending us on our way.

Describe the protocols Susanna Park used in your cycles at San Diego Fertility Center and their degree of success.

Due to low egg reserve and both tubes blocked, we did IVF high dose hormones to stimulate the max amount of follicles. Started with Lupron shots morning/night then added in HCG and Follistim at night with an Ovidrel trigger. We’ve done two rounds. 1st- 4 follicles, 3 mature eggs, 3 fertilized (ICSI), 2 embryos. 2nd- 6 follicles, 6 mature eggs, 6 fertilized (ICSI), 4 embryos.

Describe your experience with your nurse at San Diego Fertility Center. (Assigned nurse: Janette Rinteria)

Janette was quick to respond to calls or emails and ensured we, as well as Dr. Park, were on the same page.

Describe your experience with San Diego Fertility Center.

San Diego Fertility Clinic is a well oiled machine! All the doctors are friendly and the nurses/staff are helpful with ensuring the process is as comfortable as possible. I can see how people could think that patients are just a “number” from other reviews, but on the other side, we are all here for the same reason and the doctors and nurses are working hard to give everyone a great experience. I think if you do your due diligence and connect with your doctor, you will feel supported and connected throughout the entire process.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Susanna Park at San Diego Fertility Center.

A full IVF cycle is $13,500. They do offer embryo banking package, two retrievals and one transfer.

Describe Susanna Park's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at San Diego Fertility Center.

She is pro eSET. Will explain pros/cons, but is open to discussing.

Doctor

Susanna Park

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

San Diego Fertility Center

San Diego - Del Mar Main

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Susanna Park San Diego Fertility Center

2018 - 2019, Unsuccessful

Age 33 - 34

2 IUI

2 IVF

Male Factor

Poor Egg Quality

Recurrent Pregnancy Loss

European

Income $100K - $199K

Consultant

Only Doc Seen

Neutral

Unsuccessful

Review of

Michael Kettel San Diego Fertility Center

Dr Kettle is great. We were an unexpected challenging case and I don’t think he was prepared for our results. Therefore we did not see our poor response to treatment as an option. He got more honest and realistic with us as we progressed. ... he just increased my dose to double. We are starting a third round using a micro flare protocol that involves lupron twice a day as well as gonal and menopur.

The Del Mar clinic is large and busy and can be very chaotic. I prefer to go to the Mission Valley clinic. It’s more intimate and I feel like a human not like a number. The nurses I see provide such exceptional care. ... I see Megan and Danielle. Both are amazing and caring. They have helped me through the worst days of my life. I’m so grateful for their care.

How was your experience with Michael Kettel at San Diego Fertility Center?

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Michael Kettel at San Diego Fertility Center?

Know that you will develop a better relationship with nurses since they do the primary day to day care.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Michael Kettel at San Diego Fertility Center?

I didn’t see Dr Kettle at all my appts but I would see the nurses in the Mission Valley office and they are so lovely, kind and caring.

Describe the protocols Michael Kettel used in your cycles at San Diego Fertility Center and their degree of success.

For our 2 IUIs we did clomid. For our first 2 Egg retrieval’s we did an antagonist protocol with menopur and gonal and cetritide. Round 2 he just increased my dose to double. We are starting a third round using a micro flare protocol that involves lupron twice a day as well as gonal and menopur.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at San Diego Fertility Center.

I see Megan and Danielle. Both are amazing and caring. They have helped me through the worst days of my life. I’m so grateful for their care.

Describe your experience with San Diego Fertility Center.

The Del Mar clinic is large and busy and can be very chaotic. I prefer to go to the Mission Valley clinic. It’s more intimate and I feel like a human not like a number. The nurses I see provide such exceptional care. Because I see them so often I sometimes forget about Dr Kettle. I know he’s working behind the scenes but sometimes it’s odd to go long times without checking in. On the other hand I feel so comfortable with the nurses it makes it tolerable. If seeing a doctor at every appt is important to you, this clinic wouldn’t be right for you.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Michael Kettel at San Diego Fertility Center.

Each egg retrieval was around $13,000 not including medications. We have done 2 and are starting a 3rd

Describe Michael Kettel's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at San Diego Fertility Center.

We have one PGS tested normal so it isn’t really an option but if we get a second he would allow 2.

Doctor

Michael Kettel

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

San Diego Fertility Center

San Diego - Del Mar Main

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Michael Kettel San Diego Fertility Center

2019, Unknown Success

Age 27

1 IVF

Endometriosis

European

Income $0 - $49K

Only Doc Seen

IUI With Other Docs

Strongly Recommends

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

Brooke Friedman San Diego Fertility Center

Because of my chronic condition endometriosis, Dr. Friedman has had very specific protocols for our treatment. She has gone the extra mile to take precautions that will greatly increase our chances of success during our embryo transfer. Specifically, she has recommended extra cycles of hormone therapy to suppress my endometriosis; allowing my body to have the best chance at accepting the embryo during transfer.

It [San Diego Fertility Center] is beautiful, clean, and inviting. The staff is friendly and easy to talk to. Scheduling appointments is painless and they are on top of everything we’ve done along the way. ... Mj [nurse] is warm and welcoming. She always provides detailed information about each phase of our cycle. She is there to answer any questions when needed.

How was your experience with Brooke Friedman at San Diego Fertility Center?

Dr. Friedman is the warmest and kindest person I have ever received care from. From the moment we met, I felt heard and understood. She has provided my husband and I with honest advice and realistic expectations. With her we feel so safe going through our IVF cycle. There hasn’t been one person who hasn’t raved about her to us and we feel so fortunate to have found San Diego Fertility Center. Thank you for being so wonderful!

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brooke Friedman at San Diego Fertility Center?

I would advise any prospective patients to trust Dr. Friedman with their journey. She is the best at what she does and her level of care is unmatched.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brooke Friedman at San Diego Fertility Center?

From the moment we met Dr. Friedman she welcomed us with open arms. She took the time to learn about our story and medical history before our first consultation and every appointment sense she has come prepared and ready. My specific needs are met time and time again. Her ability to connect on a genuine and individual basis is why we continue to feel human with her instead of just another patient.

Describe the protocols Brooke Friedman used in your cycles at San Diego Fertility Center and their degree of success.

Describe your experience with your nurse at San Diego Fertility Center. (Assigned nurse: MJ )

Mj is warm and welcoming. She always provides detailed information about each phase of our cycle. She is there to answer any questions when needed.

Describe your experience with San Diego Fertility Center.

I haven’t found one negative about our center. It is beautiful, clean, and inviting. The staff is friendly and easy to talk to. Scheduling appointments is painless and they are on top of everything we’ve done along the way.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Brooke Friedman at San Diego Fertility Center.

Our first IVF cycle has cost upwards of $20,000 so far, with medication and appointments.

Describe Brooke Friedman's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at San Diego Fertility Center.

Dr. Friedman highly recommends transferring only one embryo. Her reasoning stems from the complications that may occur with pregnancies that include multiples. She has also taken into consideration my age and future pregnancies while giving this advice.

Doctor

Brooke Friedman

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

San Diego Fertility Center

San Diego - Del Mar Main

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Brooke Friedman San Diego Fertility Center

2018 - 2019, Unknown Success

Age 31 - 32

3 IUI

1 IVF

Unexplained

Income $100K - $199K

Operations

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

Brooke Friedman San Diego Fertility Center

My only complaint would be that I wish I got to interact with Dr Friedman more. The times I was able to she was understanding, compassionate but also realistic. My favorite interaction with Dr Friedman was our first FET. She seemed so genuinely excited for us and did a great job talking us through all of the steps. ... Dr Friedman preferred we start with one embryo due to the risk of multiples.

Majority of the clinic staff [San Diego Fertility Center] are wonderful and compassionate, but I did have several interactions that I thought could have been handled differently. ... My care coordinator was fine. My only complaint was that there were multiple times I felt like a number rather than a patient. ... The other nurses that handled my monitoring appointments and blood work were all wonderful.

How was your experience with Brooke Friedman at San Diego Fertility Center?

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brooke Friedman at San Diego Fertility Center?

Just know that you won't interact with her as much as you would assume

Describe the protocols Brooke Friedman used in your cycles at San Diego Fertility Center and their degree of success.

We first tried 2 clomid IUIs then switched to a another medicine for the 3rd IUI. All 3 resulted in negative pregnancy tests. For my IVF egg retrieval, I did Gonal F and Menopur with Cetrotide. This results in 21 eggs retrieved and 9 frozen embryos. For my FET, I did estrogen and PIO. Transfer was successful but miscarried at 8w+2d.

Describe your experience with your nurse at San Diego Fertility Center. (Assigned nurse: Marissela Mckee)

My care coordinator was fine. My only complaint was that there were multiple times I felt like a number rather than a patient. It was clear she didnt look at my chart before responding to questions (ex. when I was having issues before my FET and emailed her about them, she responded with something about clomid which I had not been on in months). The other nurses that handled my monitoring appointments and blood work were all wonderful.

Describe your experience with San Diego Fertility Center.

Majority of the clinic staff are wonderful and compassionate, but I did have several interactions that I thought could have been handled differently. I had a front desk girl start to say how she and her husband werent desperate enough yet to start treatments and then immediately caught herself. Days after my miscarriage (right before Christmas) I had staff asking me if I had any fun plans for the holiday. It wasnt mean-spirited but I do feel that in these situations knowing things like that could impact those suffering through a loss should be part of their standard care training. My only other specific complaint was the day we had our ultrasound and found out the baby didnt have a heartbeat anymore. Our nurse that day said it so matter-of-fact and left the room to get the doctor. As they escorted us to the doctors office I saw our nurse setting up for a staff party or something in the break room. Again, this wasnt mean-spirited but I feel like extra caution needs to be taken in these clinics to avoid their patients feeling like numbers. To me, in that extremely emotional moment, seeing the person that had just told me I lost a baby setting up for a party really bothered me. Something as easy as shutting the door to the break room could have avoided that feeling for me, but again, I know there was no bad intent from the staff. I would assume most of the staff have not been through fertility treatments so some of these things that, anywhere else, would never be an issue are felt differently based on what we are going through. Besides these couple instances, we have loved our clinic and the staff.

Describe Brooke Friedman's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at San Diego Fertility Center.

Dr Friedman preferred we start with one embryo due to the risk of multiples. She was open to the conversation of transferring 2 for future transfers.

What specific things went wrong at San Diego Fertility Center?

Provided conflicting information

Doctor

Brooke Friedman

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

San Diego Fertility Center

San Diego - Del Mar Main

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Brooke Friedman San Diego Fertility Center

2017 - 2019, Successful

Age 39 - 41

1 IVF

Poor Egg Quality

Recurrent Pregnancy Loss

Unexplained

European

East Asian

Income $100K - $199K

Only Doc Seen

Fertility Medications With Other Docs

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Brooke Friedman San Diego Fertility Center

Dr. Friedman always spoke to me respectfully and professionally, empathizing with my situation while also being honest about the pros and cons of the different treatment options for my situation. ... Dr. Friedman is a compassionate, trustworthy, and professional. ... She never pressured me. ... First embryo transfer cycle was cancelled as my uterine lining was not optimal thickness. She prescribed medications to help thicken my lining for the next cycle which worked.

The clinic's [San Diego Fertility Center] strengths are the great people that work there. One weakness is that they are sometimes very booked to the point that you can end up waiting longer than expected to be seen. ... I pre-paid a flat charge of $17,500 for the entire treatment process. ... I especially appreciated the nurse that planned my egg retrieval cycle as she advised me to get pricing for all of my medications through insurance and retail as sometimes the retail price is significantly lower than through insurance.

How was your experience with Brooke Friedman at San Diego Fertility Center?

Dr. Friedman is a compassionate, trustworthy, and professional. She made me feel comfortable and presented all my treatment options with the pros and cons so I always felt like I was making a fully informed decision. She never pressured me.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brooke Friedman at San Diego Fertility Center?

Ask questions if you don't understand something. Be open and honest about your expectations and take your time to weigh the pros and cons.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brooke Friedman at San Diego Fertility Center?

Dr. Friedman always spoke to me respectfully and professionally, empathizing with my situation while also being honest about the pros and cons of the different treatment options for my situation.

Describe the protocols Brooke Friedman used in your cycles at San Diego Fertility Center and their degree of success.

First embryo transfer cycle was cancelled as my uterine lining was not optimal thickness. She prescribed medications to help thicken my lining for the next cycle which worked.

Describe your experience with your nurse at San Diego Fertility Center. (Assigned nurse: Marissela McKee)

All of the nursing staff was great. They made me feel at ease and were always willing to take the time to answer my questions or address any concerns. I especially appreciated the nurse that planned my egg retrieval cycle as she advised me to get pricing for all of my medications through insurance and retail as sometimes the retail price is significantly lower than through insurance. I think I saved at least 50% on my medications following this advice.

Describe your experience with San Diego Fertility Center.

The clinic's strengths are the great people that work there. One weakness is that they are sometimes very booked to the point that you can end up waiting longer than expected to be seen. This only happened on a few occasions but it would have been nice to be called if they are running behind so that I didn't leave work just to sit in the waiting room for 30-40 minutes.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Brooke Friedman at San Diego Fertility Center.

I pre-paid a flat charge of $17,500 for the entire treatment process. This was given as the best option to control costs as I would not have to pay anything more. They would refund any amounts that my insurance covered. My insurance only covered the visits at the office and not the embryology lab or surgery center so I only got refunded about $775.

Describe Brooke Friedman's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at San Diego Fertility Center.

We made it clear from the beginning that we only wanted one embryo transferred as we only wanted one child and did not want to take the risk of multiples. She fully supported our decision.

Doctor

Brooke Friedman

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

San Diego Fertility Center

San Diego - Del Mar Main

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Brooke Friedman San Diego Fertility Center

2018 - 2019, Successful

Age 33 - 34

1 IVF

Diminished Ovarian Reserve

Uterine Fibroids

Income $100K - $199K

Nurse or HC Services

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Susanna Park San Diego Fertility Center

Dr. Park has the best bedside manner of any doctor I've ever met. She is so energetic, positive, and happy and she brings that into each appointment with her. Her energy always made us feel positive. After our first transfer failed, and we had our consultation she was truly in pain with us. She is compassionate and it shows...For my first transfer: I used birth control and estrace. After that failed, I did a natural cycle before the second transfer and I had twins. I was very resonsive to the medications and I had a thick lining both times. However, I did do a scratch biopsy prior to our second transfer. And we mimicked that for our transfer.

she [nurse at San Diego Fertility Center] was always very good at returning my emails promptly...Approximately $27, 000 for two embryo transfers, one egg retrieval, PGS testing, and endometrial scratch biopsy...Very nice office. Top quality staff. Clinic strengths: they have the best techniques and use up to date procedures. Weaknesses: I honestly have no complaints. This clinic is top of the line... For my first transfer: I used birth control and estrace. After that failed, I did a natural cycle before the second transfer and I had twins. I was very resonsive to the medications and I had a thick lining both times. However, I did do a scratch biopsy prior to our second transfer. And we mimicked that for our transfer.

How was your experience with Susanna Park at San Diego Fertility Center?

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Susanna Park at San Diego Fertility Center?

Trust her even when things don't go as planned.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Susanna Park at San Diego Fertility Center?

Dr. Park has a great bedside manner and truly cares about her patients. I felt like she liked us and she was excited for our treatments. I saw a few other NP's while under their care and on of their bedside manner was terrible in comparison...with her I truly felt like a number and just another body she has to do a vaginal exam on. Dr. Park is truly heaven sent and we are privileged that she was our fertility Doctor because we now have our twins.

Describe the protocols Susanna Park used in your cycles at San Diego Fertility Center and their degree of success.

For the egg retrieval I used: gonal F 450 IU, Leuprolide, dilute hCG, ovidrel. For my first transfer: I used birth control and estrace. After that failed, I did a natural cycle before the second transfer and I had twins. I was very resonsive to the medications and I had a thick lining both times. However, I did do a scratch biopsy prior to our second transfer. And we mimicked that for our transfer.

Describe your experience with your nurse at San Diego Fertility Center. (Assigned nurse: I don't remember her name)

I worked with Janet as the MA and she was always very good at returning my emails promptly. My primary nurse was also very responsive.

Describe your experience with San Diego Fertility Center.

Very nice office. Top quality staff. Clinic strengths: they have the best techniques and use up to date procedures. Weaknesses: I honestly have no complaints. This clinic is top of the line and I can't submit this response unless it is 200 characters so I am typing more to make that requirement.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Susanna Park at San Diego Fertility Center.

Approximately $27, 000 for two embryo transfers, one egg retrieval, PGS testing, and endometrial scratch biopsy.

Describe Susanna Park's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at San Diego Fertility Center.

She did not have any strong preference from single vs multiple. She did educate on the risks of multiples but she was not concerned. We transferred two embryos with each transfer

Doctor

Susanna Park

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

San Diego Fertility Center

San Diego - Del Mar Main

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Susanna Park San Diego Fertility Center

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San Diego Fertility Center

8 doctors work here

CDC Success Rates

Available Resources

This clinic has 3 offices
Visit clinic website

162 patient reviews

Filter by patient information

Learn from top medical experts

San Diego Fertility Center

8 doctors work here

CDC Success Rates

Available Resources

This clinic has 3 officesVisit clinic website

162 patient reviews

Learn from top medical experts

This clinic has 3 offices
Visit clinic website