Shady Grove Fertility Virginia - Jones Institute

Dr. Banks has been fabulous support and doctor throughout the fertility treatment journey. She does an excellent job explaining the protocols and steps moving forward. When I did not have success she was supportive and help plan how we can move forward to achieve the end goal of a baby.

Be patient and open minded because the process is long stressful. Everyone’s situation is unique, and no two stories are exactly the same. Dr. Banks is a very loving and understanding person and puts your wants first. She is very personable and explains things in as much detail as you want.

We started with IUI because tests indicated that it could be successful (no male factor and no indication of female issues). Original plan was up to 3 IUIs and then move to IVF. We did 2 IUIs with Clomid and trigger shots. Each one included regular monitoring leading up to trigger and IUI. We did not have success with these and she was happy to change the protocol and move to IVF now instead of trying IUI again. She was very open to our thoughts and supported our decisions. She helped set up our new protocol for IVF. We are starting this new protocol and based on results from IUI it has been determined that we will have the best success with a frozen transfer (due to age and presence of fluid during IUI cycles) and ICSI (borderline male factor discovered). While Birth control supported cycle was originally suggested after discussion of preexisting GERD and ulcers it was agreed that using an estrogen patch would be better for my health than birth control. We have just set up this protocol and plan to move forward with it next month.

I have Tricare so all diagnostic procedures were covered and just had to pay copays for those procedures. Stimulated IUI with Clomid cost was $1800, but we had a military discount. This cost included all monitoring events and the IUI procedure. Medications were not included but I do not remember the cost for Clomid and trigger shot. For IVF we have been quoted several options and opting to go with the Shared Risk program which costs $28,500 for my age and medications will be about $4,000.

They suggested only transferring one embryo. I have no concerns with this approach.

I specifically wanted to leave this review because I noticed Dr. Benjamin Harris was the only SGF doctor without a review here and if anyone deserves to be recognized as a 10 out of 10, it's certainly him. He is thorough, kind, compassionate, understanding, communicates well, and makes it clear he cares about your goals and helping you find the best way to achieve. I have had a few hiccups along the way (one of which was extremely embarassing and consisted of changing partners, which I was so embarassed about and I thought this would be humiliating and I'd be judged or laughed out) -- but that is the FURTHEST THING from what actually happened. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised and relieved at Dr. Harris' compassion, kindness, and professionalism. He was very understanding and instead of embarassing me over this delicate situation, he made sure that him and his nurses/med team guided me through the proper way to address the issue and get me back on track - I was treated as though it was okay and everyone was so kind and judgement free. Another thing I really like about Dr. Harris is how he is willing to take the time to explain everything - no matter how silly my questions, he really took the time to listen and answer. When I expressed my concerns (that were left over from the last fertility clinic I went to) about falling between the cracks and having staff forget about us and always feeling confused about the process and what we should be doing, he even gave me his direct cell phone number in case we ever experienced that frustration or felt lost at any point during the process - luckily, we have never needed it because him and his staff already do such a great job with communication.

If you have a choice between which doctor you see at SGF, i strongly recommend Dr. Harris as a 10/10 - especially if you are sensitive about the subject bc he is very kind and self aware of how he presents himself. My advice is to be open and honest with Dr. Harris because he won't judge you and will do his best to help you - he is a very kind doctor and deserved to have a review

For being at this clinic the length of time I have, most people would have had more treatments completed by now. But for my IUI, so far, my partner has come in and given a sperm sample (which needs to be tested before using the sperm in an IUI), but we also freezed it, as my partner often is away at work and I also sometimes have trouble and pain with penetrative intercourse, which presents an obvious issue. Due to the fact I do not have regular periods OR ovulation on my own (unexplained), Dr. Harris prescribed me meds to start my period - of course combined with several ultrasounds every few days to monitor how my body responds to meds. After the period, he prescribed Femara multiple times at multiple different doses to make my follicles grow to at least 17mm (which i believe is where it needs to be before giving you an ovulation trigger shot, assuming you dont ovulate on your own), but it still never worked to make my follicles grow (I found through other fertility support groups this is somewhat common). So then, he prescribed Gonal-f injections. After going back last week, we found out the Gonal-f worked great, but that my follicles were JUST a tiny bit too small...so i have another ultrasound this morning and I HOPE they'll be big enough now. If so, I'll get the trigger shot and HOPEFULLY be having my first IUI soon with my partner's frozen sperm. However, we will also try naturally around the same time (if we can) to see if we can increase odds by putting more sperm there (though this isnt really necessesary for everyone -- we just decided we want to and it cant hurt)

Luckily, the Dept of Veteran Affairs has a contract with SGF and are covering the cost of my IUI. However, the only thing that has not been covered was the $600 fee for freezing my partner's sperm to make it "IUI ready" and the cost of some of the medications (which were about $200). Due to the high price of the Gonal-f injections (about $250 per each injection pen), the nurse was kind enough to submit the prescription to the dept of Veteran Affairs and they mailed it to me for no cost.

Dr Archer has very poor bedside manner. She appears disinterested and at times she can even give wrong clinical information. She is not encouraging and she is aloof. She made a mistake with my treatment and never took responsibility. She doesn’t do her own ultrasounds and doesn’t review the images. Overall I felt completely on my own and stressed throughout the whole process.

I would not choose her as my doctor. For the record I would say the same even if I had a positive result. The experience was really bad independently of the outcome.

Timed intercourse with injectables and clomid. Mistakes were made on the timing as she designed my protocol. Medication doses not properly adjusted putting me at risk for complications.

I’ve joked to my husband that I’ll never again have as quality of medical care than I have had with Dr. Banks. She’s phenomenal at what she does and I’m currently carrying a healthy pregnancy, despite not producing the most or best of eggs, as well as having recurrent uterine polyps. Dr. Banks fully supported my request to do a modified natural cycle—a request I’ve heard other IVF doctors deny because it requires more monitoring appointments. If you ask her a question, she thoughtfully explains her thought process. Dr. Banks is empathetic, optimistic yet realistic, intelligent, and has a heart of gold. She did the most thorough fertility work up I could imagine. I really cannot imagine a better fertility doctor.

Trust Dr. Banks and her expertise. She’s optimistic, kind, and empathetic, but she’s also going to weigh things carefully and provide her medical opinion. Right before IVF, we had an unassisted pregnancy, which was abnormal. Dr. Banks monitored it and advised us that there was no way it would be viable and she was absolutely right—testing later confirmed multiple chromosomal issues.

Approximately $30,000

Dr. Pakrashi was phenomenal. My treatment was customized to my personal/professional needs as well as my medical needs. She was so considerate of everything else going on in my life and made every effort to work with me. She also was aware of some of our ethical concerns and actively sought to educate me about parts of the process that might be of concern for me, even if she did not share those concerns. She was always warm and kind in our interactions. She was intentional about remembering my husband and I and made effort to ask about our lives.

Go see her.

I would prefer not to share!

Prefer not to share!

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Dr. Pakrashi is an excellent communicator and has wonderful bedside manner. Even though our treatment plan hasn’t worked for us yet, I’m confident that eventually she will be able to help us conceive.

Write down any questions you have and she will throughly answer them.

We used letrozole and a trigger shot with IUI. After trying this for 3 months we were unsuccessful so Dr. Pakrashi recommends that we try an HSG to see if there is any tubal blockage.

IUI was around $500 including sperm wash.

I have praised Tarita across the board to everyone I meet. She made my husband and I feel as comfortable as possible during a very uncomfortable time. We aren’t pregnant yet but we really are hopeful and she has made us as hopeful as possible. She has the best bedside manner and I feel like she speaks to me as a person and friend. We cannot be in better hands and we are looking forward to starting medications and our first egg retrieval this month. We are still in the beginning stages so we aren’t 100% sure what to expect but Dr. Pakrashi is on our side and making us feel as comfortable as possible.

Listen to her, she is so knowledgeable and will shoot it to your straight. She has your best interest at heart and she really truly wants you to become pregnant. You would be so lucky to have her as your doctor.

We haven’t dived into our treatments yet but we have been through many preliminary procedures such as an Hysteroscopy with a polyp removal. We start our first cycle for egg retrieval this month and have just received our medications as well.

Expensive but we have insurance that we hope will cover some of the costs but battling with insurance has been the most stressful part thus far: so we expected it to be expensive bud so far have paid an overall $7000 to the clinic and $5,700 for meds

This review is long overdue. I want to share just how fortunate I was to be a patient of Dr. Banks. She advocated for me during a particularly stressful time of my life, and I will always remember the compassionate care she provided. She was realistic about our treatment chances, but she was also optimistic and hopeful for us. I had suffered a pregnancy loss prior to our consultation, and I appreciated her optimistic outlook. Her workup was very thorough which I appreciated. We had a hysteroscopy to remove the uterine polyps we saw during that workup and went on to IUI after a period of recovery. I just want to mention quickly here how skilled she is as a physician and surgeon. Both of my surgeries with her were excellent. I also had a saline infused sonogram and several vaginal ultrasounds performed by her during the course of my treatment. None of these ultrasounds were ever painful like they were with other physicians or providers in the past. She takes such great care with her patients. I never knew a vaginal ultrasound could be done without pain! Anyway, we failed the IUI at the beginning of our treatment, and because of my age, I asked her if we could go straight to IVF. She agreed, and we were fortunate to experience success on our first round months later. During this time, Dr. Banks monitored me very closely. I truly appreciated this since my single frozen embryo transfer and subsequent positive pregnancy test occurred during the same month I found out I was pregnant the year prior. My stress was super high as I was expecting the worst again, but Dr. Banks treated me with such grace. It truly is a testament to what a wonderful physician and person she is. When we shockingly found out we were having twins (our embryo split), she then made sure we had the appropriate follow-up with MFM so we could manage the pregnancy safely. She also made sure we were followed with additional ultrasounds at Shady Grove until MFM could fit us in. Despite having a high risk twin pregnancy requiring hospitalization for several weeks and subsequent postpartum preeclampsia, I consider myself extremely lucky. I received great care from Dr. Banks.

Come with a list of questions and do some research ahead of time so you can get your concerns addressed. Personally, I took advantage of several live Q&A sessions that Shady Grove Fertility physicians held online. Check out their website. Those sessions were very helpful as I was able to learn from the questions others asked as well.

Over $30,000.

Strong preference for eSET which I 100% agreed with.

Dr. Pakrashi was also very caring and compassionate. She didn't jump right into IVF or donor eggs or donor sperm. She allowed us to try IUI first which was unsuccessful. She also listened to our concerns and kept us informed every step of the way.

Make sure to advocate for yourself. If something doesn't seem right speak up.

I was put on letrozole 7.5mg from day day 3 to day 7 as I have DOR. I then had a ultrasound on day 11 where I had 3 follicles and was told to trigger that night. IUI was scheduled for day 13.

IUI was about 250 ultrasound about 125 sperm analysis was about 100 IVF 11k IVF meds 3 to 7K TESE 2600

She leaves there decision up to the patient which I love

Banks was very great with everything she explained it very well what will the steps that we have to take & she dnt have no weakness at all she was just excellent i will recommend her to anyone everyday abb no d all day

Stay positive thru it all and don’t give up

Haven’t started no treatment yet

The was all and above

No cost yet until I start bloodwork abb n f everything trying to get help with grants or loans to start the process

I have seen Nicole Banks once, she just started when I am forgoing with IVF. She is super knowledgeable, and will help any way she can, I was seeing a different doctor was was at shady grove till I recently just started seeing Dr. Banks

That she is a great listener

None we are just starting the IVF process with doctor Banks, will be starting in January with treatments.

2,500 around about

We had such a great experience working with Dr. Pakrashi. She was so sweet and caring. You could tell she really wanted the best outcome for our family. She was with us every step of the way explaining things, answering questions, and being supportive. She was very open to letting us chose our own way and gave us advice for what we chose. She worked hand in hand with our acupuncturist during treatment.We graduated from the clinic at around 9 weeks with our triplets and she still calls to check in on us! We absolutely adore her!

Absolutely set up and appointment! Really talk to her and ask questions, she’s so knowledgeable!

Dr. Pakrashi left it up to us. I was not ovulating but I was using other natural methods to get my cycle back. Ultimately, with my husband’s military career I decided I wanted to try letrozole. We did one round of letrozole with HCG trigger and my husband was out of town so I ended up opting to use a specimen we had frozen and we scheduled the IUI. The morning of, Dr. Pakrashi called to tell me the amount of sample that was active might be a little on the low side and asked if I wanted to double up. I’m so glad she called and we did decide to use two frozen specimen. I’m not sure exactly what made this process so easy, smooth, and successful for us but just a few weeks later we found out we were expecting triplets. Dr. Pakrashi obviously held a huge role in our success and we are forever thankful!

This is so specific to each family. We were blessed with our insurance and military background to get a lot/almost all of our treatment covered.

My wife and I (same sex couple) went in for a consult with Dr. Gentry. We haven't tried to conceive before and have no diagnosed infertility. I am planning to be the carrier. Dr. Gentry explained the basics of conception to us fairly well and then outlined the treatment plan. Only then did she tell me that I was ineligible for care from her practice unless I lost enough weight to lower my BMI to the BMI cutoff of 40. Her justification was that above 40 I would be less likely to conceive and more likely to miscarry -- both true, but the difference in risk is marginal. I understand the risks and am fully willing to try to conceive at this weight. Throughout the whole process she made me feel like my weight was dangerous and all my fault (even thought I have a pretty significant diagnosed disorder that contributes to it), and basically said that if we weren't able to get pregnant or if we experienced a miscarriage I would be responsible for it simply because I'm overweight. She basically said that I didn't deserve to have a baby unless I lost weight and got "healthy." I am trying not to believe her but honestly this took a huge toll on my mental health. Another note for LGBTQ+ folks, she gave us a very long, disingenuous speech about how she personally was fighting for LGBTQ rights and told us about a protest she went to. It felt very fake and like the treatment we often get from people who are trying so hard to prove that they aren't homophobic that they forget they're talking to real people and not the whole of the LBGBTQ community.

She seems like she would be a perfectly fine doctor for a straight couple with conventional bodies -- which I don't think is a very big section of the fertility community.

We were planning to do IUI. The practice lets you select your own donor sperm from any bank you choose. We were directed to base most of our decision of which donor to choose on how many successful live births the donor had produced. She recommended we buy at least three vials at a time. The practice has cryo storage on-site. She does use Clomid for all couples, even if there are no known fertility issues. She does a hysterosalpingography on every patient, along with the FDA-required testing, along with a baseline ultrasound and one at ovulation each month.

The cost of one IUI cycle was about $500 before the cost of sperm, which is entirely dependent on which bank you use. For us, the cost was going to be about $1,500 per cycle.

My wife and I have had nothing but great experiences with Dr. Gentry. She is knowledgeable, she responds in a very timely manner, and has always taken the time to explain the various aspects of my treatment. We would 100% recommend her for fertility care. Our treatment plan did not come to fruition as we had originally anticipated due to fibroids that had to be removed over a few surgeries. Through the surgeries and various procedures I have had done, Dr. Gentry has been sensitive to our needs and concerns and has spent the time to walk us through our options for future treatment.

Some fertility clinics have a backlog for new patients (not sure that there currently is with this clinic) but we are so glad that we chose to wait and work with Dr. Gentry. My piece advice would be not to wait and to go ahead and get in for a consultation :)

Dr. Gentry was very knowledgeable of what was needed for my treatment being in an LGBTQ relationship. She is always respectful and welcoming.

Cycle ultrasounds were around $165 and insemination is around $240.

Dr. Gentry is incredibly open and honest about treatment, rates of success, side effects, etc. I didn't experience a single thing during treatment that I wasn't advised about beforehand. She is knowledgeable in all things fertility related and I absolutely trust her judgement. She never made me feel as though I was just a number, and never belittled any of my concerns.

You will receive a lot of information at your consultation, take notes.

My consultation was in December. I had a Saline Ultrasound the following week, and in January my first IUI was scheduled. I had my baseline ultrasound around CD3, took Clomid on CD5-9, had my mid-cycle ultrasound to check my follicles on CD11, trigger shot on CD12, and the IUI procedure on CD13. For this cycle, I had three follicles. Unfortunately the IUI failed. In February when my next cycle started, I scheduled my baseline ultrasound to set up IUI #2. At that appointment I learned that the Clomid caused me to produce two cysts on my ovaries. I wouldn't be able to proceed with an IUI that cycle and would have to try again in March. Dr. Gentry advised that since the Clomid made me produce cysts, we wouldn't be trying that medication again. My next IUI would be paired with Letrozole. Her rationale was that if I had that reaction to the Clomid, I probably wouldn't have it with the Letrozole. When my cycle began in March, I went in for my baseline ultrasound, and everything was clear. This time I took Letrozole on CD5-9, had my mid-cycle ultrasound on CD10, trigger shot on CD13, and IUI on CD15. For this cycle I had four follicles. Unfortunately, that IUI also failed. When my next cycle started I called the clinic to set up my next baseline ultrasound, but due to COVID-19 all new cycles have been postponed. I was advised to call back in April once my cycle began again to see if the clinic was back up and running. I completely understood why the clinic wasn't starting new cycles, I just wish I could've gone in for a baseline ultrasound to see if I had the same reaction to the Letrozole that I had with the Clomid.

The entire IUI (Medications, Ultrasounds, IUI procedure) was about $700.

I think that she is very knowledgeable in the field of reoccurring pregnancy loss. She made me feel that I was not alone and that it is very common. She made me feel like it wasn’t my fault which was huge for me. She has awesome bedside manner and she is easy to talk to.

The only piece of advice that I could give someone would be to brush up on your fertility journey before your initial consultation. There are LOTS of questions and dates that are involved.

Initially there was many different types of bloodwork that she ran. They all came back normal for my husband and I. I did an HSG that came back normal as well. I was diagnosed with unexplained reoccurring pregnancy loss. I did a medicated cycle with trigger shot and progesterone. Cycle failed. I could not do another cycle due to COVID restrictions.

Since we have only done 1 medicated cycle in this clinic so far, our cost has not been high. However, after the COVID restrictions are lifted I imagine our cost will significantly increase.

I was told if we chose IVF, due to my age (33), there would only be 1 embryo transferred which was a little disappointing.

Dr. Gentry is very personable. She takes the time to get to know her patients and you can feel how much she cares. When I first met her I told her I had had a miscarriage the year before, she did not just brush over that. In that moment she stopped and expressed her condolences and reminded us that while her goal is to help us have a family, that doesn’t mean our first baby isn’t important. She said that during this process if we struggle with anything due to fear etc. from that previous miscarriage to be open and let her know so she can help us through it. She also knows I struggle with my weight. She said to use our patient portal as my accountability partner if needed. She loves to help her patients. She gave pointers on how I could lose weight. We communicate weekly about what I’ve been doing and how that has or hasn’t helped me. I have communicated with her when our baby’s due date approached in 2019 and how I felt not having a baby to bring home. She took time to talk with me about it and not just say oh I’m sorry and move on. She has checked in with me if I don’t reach out to her first. She is genuinely excited to help families grow their families

When she says she wants to be there for you, she means it. Don’t be afraid to open up to her. You won’t get “cut and paste” “cookie cutter” type responses from her. She genuinely cares for her patients.

I had a copay each visit. We have not got to treatments yet, but we discussed prices. IUI is about $710 and is to be paid as steps are completed. Her reasoning is so you don’t pay for a full procedure and then something not get done. For example if she found I hyper-ovulated and had too many mature eggs to do the IUI I wouldn’t be charged for the remainder of the procedure, just the parts I had actually completed. I can’t remember the total for IVF.

My wife and I (same-sex couple) started seeing Dr. Gentry in January of 2019 to consult about IUI with donor sperm. We were referred to this clinic by another LGBTQ+ couple in the area and feel like we were so lucky to have found Dr. Gentry on our journey to becoming parents. Dr. Gentry has been respectful, welcoming, very informative, and has always made us feel 100% comfortable throughout out treatment - at every appointment. When we first started, we were a bit naive to just how long our journey could possibly end up taking - we thought, okay, we just need to come to this clinic to have them perform the IUI with donor sperm for us and that's that. At our consultation, Dr. Gentry asked me to lose a certain amount of weight before my first treatment cycle and said that we could continue with our pre-treatment labs and work-ups in the mean time. I successfully did this and we continued on. After my first baseline, we realized I needed surgery to remove a benign but problematic cyst that was blocking access to my uterus. Dr. Gentry performed the surgery herself and truly eased my nervousness about having my first surgery ever - I was so thankful to know I had a brilliant, compassionate doctor to get me through this. Since then, we have completed 3 medicated IUI cycles (using Letrozole and Ovidrel), an HSG "tube test", and we are continuing treatment as I have not yet become pregnant. Although I have no gotten pregnant yet, and we have had setbacks (solely because of naturally occuring circumstances/PCOS/etc) - I am still so grateful to have Dr. Gentry doing everything she can to get us the results we all want. It is always important to my wife and I to find doctors that are welcoming and affirming to the LGBTQ+ Community - and naturally, we were nervous going into our first appointment with Dr. Gentry; however, once we were in the door we quickly realized we were in good, safe, company. Dr. Gentry has never treated us differently or as "others"; she has never made us feel discriminated against or judged by any means. Dr. Gentry, from the beginning and throughout, has thoroughly explained each step of the processes we are doing, why we are doing each step, and has made sure we understand everything before and during treatment...and she is always checking in during your appointments/procedures to make sure you are comfortable. Don't be afraid to ask questions; better yet - ask ALL the questions! No question is silly or too small - even if they are basic reproductive questions, Dr. Gentry is happy to make sure you are not in the dark for any part of your treatment. We never feel like we are being rushed out of the room or that we don't have time to address all of our needs and questions. Aside from Dr. Gentry's professional knowledge and and skills - she is also a great "people person"... she will always be direct and truthful, as that is always important to your medical care, but she always deliver information/results/etc with compassion and will almost certainly make you laugh in the process. 10/10 would recommend Dr. Gentry - she is an amazing doctor and person.

Come prepared with questions, an open mind, and relax! Dr. Gentry will walk you through everything each step of the way.

For each medicated cycle, once my period started - that counts as Cycle Day 1. On CD1, I call the clinic and schedule an appointment to have my Baseline ultrasound done - this is the ultrasound to take a look at my uterus lining, check to see if there are any problematic cysts, and generally to see if I am ready to begin fertility drugs (in my case, letrozole). If all is well at my baseline then I start Letrozole for 5 days to encourage growth of follicles before ovulating. Around day 14 of my cycle I will go back into the clinic for my Midcycle scan which is the ultrasound to see if I have any follicles, how many, and to measure them. The number of follicles that I have and their size will determine how soon after that I will administer my trigger shot (ovidrel) at home. (If there are too many follicles, typically more than 3 - then the cycle will be cancelled to prevent a possibility of high order pregnancy) After my trigger shot, I will go in to the clinic for my IUI typically between 30-36 hours later. The IUI is performed by Dr. Gentry's fertility nurse (who is wonderful!). After IUI, you enter the "2 week wait" - proceed as if you are pregnant (no drinking, smoking, no tylenol, etc - a do/don't list is given to you). At the end of your 2 week wait, if you have no gotten your period yet, take a pregnancy test - if it is positive, call the clinic to schedule a blood test; if it is negative - you will be directed to call the clinic once your period starts to schedule your next baseline, assuming you are proceeding with treatment.

Baseline ultrasound - $163, Letrozole - no cost with my insurance; otherwise, I believe it's under $20, "trigger shot" (ovidrel) about $100, Midcycle scan $163, Insemination $260

She makes me feel like I have value, that I am not broken. I can feel her passion for her job and truest wants us to be successful. She explains everything in a way that’s easy to understand and answers all of my silly little questions.

Go in with an open mind and don’t be afraid to ask any questions. She is very honest with her answers but only because she wants wants best for her patients.

We used Clomid the very first cycle but I overstimulated so we cancelled. She adjusted my medication and put me on Letrozole. We then completed 3 IUIs. During that time she noticed my husband’s sperm count was not great, and she referred us to a fertility urologist. From there we learned he had a varicocele and he had surgery after that. By a miracle we got pregnant before we were told we would see a difference in my husband’s sperm, but our pregnancy was ectopic. Dr. Evans-Hoeker was very honest and direct with us about our options. She explained we could use methotrexate or go right for surgery, but she recommended the medication first as my turn had not ruptured at that time. Unfortunately though it did rupture a day later. In the emergency room she was talking to the doctors on her personal cell phone which made me feel very safe in their hands, knowing she had talked to them specifically about me. After surgery and I was home recovering, she called me to check on me which made me feel very cared for. At follow up appointments she was very gentle with both me and my husband as we talked about next steps. Several months went by and we were able to start trying again. We were able to conceive again but it was a chemical pregnancy. We have started IUIs again since them and she has been very supportive the entire process.

Everything has been paid for out of pocket, my insurance does not cover fertility treatments. However, when we had the ectopic pregnancy everything was filed under insurance immediately and there were no problems.

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Honestly, I cannot think of anything bad about Dr. Gentry. I fully trust her in our infertility journey and this is why. She has been completely open and straightforward about how she approaches infertility as a whole, I went through three tests, HSG, water ultrasound, and sperm analysis, then she determines what the root cause of the problem. I feel like she is on our team to finding out the problem and reaching the goal of having a baby. My husband and I have been trying for 2.5 years and finally searched for a fertility doctor in our area. Now we will be moving forward towards an IVF cycle later this year. Dr. Gentry is willing to know her limits, or rather experience, and ask for help when needed. This is admirable in my opinion! I recently underwent surgery and she had a fellow doctor help out who specialized in the type of surgery I needed for tubal blockage with a rare uterine anomaly, unicornuate uterus. Dr.Gentry is able to relate in most instances, but can still keep boundaries between her patients and isn't overbearing or conceited. Dr. Gentry encourages for questions to be asked at any time, whether in person or online, and she takes personal time to answer them. Like I said, I am extremely satisfied with my care as a patient of going to Dr. Adrienne Gentry. I have no reason to find another fertility doctor and receive a second opinion. If you are in the Roanoke area, I would highly recommend seeing Dr. Gentry!

Don't be afraid to ask questions! Any question is a good question, even if it's re-learning the basic of female anatomy! :)

I find that my story is a little different than most. I haven't been on any fertility drugs on any cycle. I don't know if this is the place to share it all of why that is the case, so I will give a brief overview. My husband and I have been trying to conceive for 2 years with no luck. With this fertility doctor, I met with her and went through two tests, Hysterosalpingography (HSG) and Sonohysterography (Water Ultrasound) and my husband went through a Sperm Analysis. These three tests results should identify if there is a problem and what the cause of it is. Sperm results came back and they were great. In the middle of the Water Ultrasound, Dr. Gentry shared a concern with me. Though, wanted to get the HSG before confirming anything. I had the HSG and boy was it PAINFUL. I opted not to take a pain reliever beforehand, but took one afterwards. Again, Dr. Gentry shared her thoughts of what I might have, a unicornuate uterus, but wanted to do an MRI before confirming the diagnosis. I had the MRI and received the results back in a timely manner. The diagnosis was confirmed and was told I had a blocked tube as well. I was given three options and the risks of all of them. I decided to go through with a tubal removal procedure and IVF. I just had surgery and have recovered mostly. I will do an IVF cycle with Dr. Gentry in a few months.

My insurance covered the basic infertility diagnosis and tests of underlying medical treatment. (Them 80% and me 20%). I am grateful for that. I don't remember the details of the costs with that. Moving forward with IVF in the state of Virginia will be a headache. It is currently not covered through insurance, to my knowledge. It would be nice if there was something, anything, covered for the IVF process.

With my current diagnosis of having a unicornuate uterus, I will be considered high risk pregnancy as is and so my doctor's approach will be doing a single embryo transfer. I will not be able to have a multiple embryo transfer due to my uterus not being full sized.

Dr. Gentry was the best doctor we could have ever hoped for when my wife and I decided it was time to expand our family. From our first consultation to our last ultrasound with her, she was communicative, helpful, professional and incredibly kind. She explained everything that was going to happen and made sure we understood the process. The fact that my wife and I were a same-sex couple made no difference in her treatment of us as patients and human beings. She was genuinely excited for us and we’ve told so many of our LGBTQ+ friends to visit her when they are ready. We couldn’t recommend Dr. Gentry more to anyone who needs a fertility doctor.

Ask questions! She is extremely knowledgeable and can answer the questions you have!

We started with a consultation and then after we purchased our donor sperm and had our initial FDA blood work done, we started ultrasounds to track my cycle. If I remember correctly, we had 3 ultrasounds before our IUI procedure. After our IUI and then getting pregnant, we had one follow-up ultrasound before we graduated to our OB.

It was a little over $1000 for services.

Dr. Evans-Hoeker knows her stuff which is what is most important to me as a patient. She is careful to provide accurate information and doesn't over promise; she manages expectations appropriately. I think other patients may perceive this as a lack of warmth, but I felt it was appropriate.

Don't misconstrue her factual nature as a lack of caring. She cares. The other comments about her not giving a direct answer -- she gives you the information she can without creating false expectations or false hope. Not everything about fertility is known. She provides the information that she can. I also think some patients want to be told what to do. Dr. EH gives you the options and the facts and allows you to make your own decision. I think that frustrates people.

I went through two IUI treatments and one round of IVF. The IUI treatments were unsuccessful. We were told due to low sperm count at the time of IUI that we had a very small chance of success. At that point we decided to pursue IVF. I had 31 eggs retrieved, 15 fertilized and we had 9 high quality embryos after day 5. I froze all of my embryos after my retrieval which was my choice. I did a frozen embryo transfer and I am currently 8 weeks pregnant with my first child.

My insurance didn't cover most of my visits. All-in-all I didn't think the prices for any of the services were unrealistic. You have to have multiple visits to track progress so that's where it adds up.

My husband and I jokingly asked if they would put more than one embryo in so we could have two at once. Dr. EH followed the guidelines prescribed based on my age and risk factors and only transferred one embryo. She advised us that a 1:1 ratio is the healthiest.

When asking questions, at times, Emily would not give a concrete answer. It seemed she would recommend one option, and then turn around and recommend a different option as best. This left the patient confused and feeling as though an expert, professional opinion was not given on which way to continue treatment. Often, it felt as though she were just reciting book facts or giving generalized statements, and not focusing and relating information on you as the individualized patient. Lastly, it seemed that she had too many commitments and was pulled in too many different directions. I did have an appointment have to be rescheduled by the office due to it conflicting with a lecture commitment she had. Last treatment cycle, I also called on the day of my cycle to continue with another round of an IUI with injectables. The scheduler tried to schedule me too late in my cycle than what is recommended for injectables. I questioned this, and the scheduler put me on hold to verify. I was correct, and the scheduler confirmed this, but informed me that I would not be able to continue with this, as Emily was going to be out on vacation and the provider filling in was not qualified to perform monitoring and IUI with injectables. I was told I would have to sit this month out due to this and wait and continue next month. I was devastated and felt this was not acceptable treatment and was very insensitive to those battling infertility, as timing each month is crucial and patients count down to this obsessively. I finished the phone call, barely holding back the tears. I was later called and told Emily had been contacted and said I could go back to oral medication this cycle and continue injectables next time. However, this was not my treatment plan or optimal for me, as this treatment option had been unsuccessful many times and oral medications caused cysts for me. She recommended moving on from this, as it was not best for me, but when was not available wanted to revert back to something that was not working for me.

Ask many questions and continue asking until you get a definite answer/one you are comfortable with, and be sure you are alright with seeing an RE at a clinic with only one RE. So, when she is out of the office different providers may have to see you, often times one who is just an OBGYN and not an RE.

I tried Clomiphene Citrate with plans of following with an IUI. However, at my midcycle scan, she stated that I ovulated early and it was too late for an IUI to be completed. After that, I moved on from Clomid to Letrozole with plans for IUI. Many cycles I tried 2 Letrozole pills (2.5 mg each) with IUI. No positive pregnancy test resulted. I then tried Tamoxifen, which did not result in a positive result either. I then tried Letrozole (2.5 mg) 3 pills a day. No positive result achieved either. Many times the oral medication caused cysts to form; many treatment cycles had to be cancelled and no fertility medications taken due to cyst formation. I also had to take birth control many months to try to get rid of the cysts. I tried one cycle with Gonal-F and IUI. This also resulted in a negative pregnancy test.

My insurance did not cover fertility related costs. Each scan was $163. Each IUI was $260. My last round of injectable medications cost almost $800.

Dr. Emily A. Evans-Hoeker was good at explaining the general processes of each procedure and the risks. However, I would have been more comfortable if she tailored the information and advice to my specific situation and details. I felt like my inquiries were often answered with vague generalizations rather than related to my own individual issues. Often, I felt like she was not entirely open to questions from me. She seemed hesitant to guide my husband and I on next steps for treatment. This entire process is very overwhelming, and I feel like her professional input based on experience could be beneficial. Her method is practical and generally matter of fact. For baseline and mid cycle scans, I would have felt more informed if she had turned the monitor and pointed out my uterus lining, follicles, etc. to my husband and I. Dr. Evans-Hoeker performed a laparoscopy on me to remedy a blocked fallopian tube, uterine fibroids, and uterine polyps. The surgery was successful, and I healed very quickly. Either my twin sister or husband came to every appointment for support and Dr. Evans-Hoeker always acknowledged them. Dr. Evans-Hoeker seems very educated in her field.

I would advise prospective patients of Dr. Emily Evans-Hoeker to always listen to your gut instincts, ask as many questions as you need to, and determine at the consultation if her manner is what you prefer.

For my first cycle of expected IUI, I was prescribed Clomid 50 mg and Ovidrel trigger shot. However, follicles developed on the side of a blocked fallopian tube, so we proceeded this cycle with only timed intercourse. Following, I underwent a laparoscopy to correct the blocked fallopian tube and remove uterine fibroids and polyps. I tried the next cycle of IUI after surgery with Letrozole 2.5 mg (2 pills at a time) paired with Ovidrel trigger shot, followed by the insemination. For the second cycle of IUI, Dr. Evans-Hoeker increased the Letrozole 2.5 mg to 3 pills at a time followed by Ovidrel trigger shot and insemination. My last cycle of IUI consisted of Letrozole 2.5 mg/4 pills at a time this round followed by Ovidrel trigger shot and insemination. Also, on my last two cycles of IUI Dr. Evans-Hoeker added Progesterone 200 mg capsule vaginally. Sadly, all cycles ended with a negative pregnancy test precisely two weeks after the insemination.

Each baseline scan and mid cycle scan cost $163. Each IUI cost $260. Ovidrel trigger shot cost approximately $150. Medication (Clomid, Letrozole, and Progesterone) ranged from $5 to around $15 each. Also, I had a CAT Scan for diagnosis purposes that cost $500 out of pocket and a hysterosalpingogram. Laparoscopic surgery to unblock fallopian tube and remove uterine fibroids and polyps cost $2500 out of pocket.

Dr. Evans-Hoeker diagnosed us with "unexplained infertility" after checking my blood work and my husband's sperm, and did not recommend any other tests before pushing us through 7 IUI's (3 with only medication). Once we moved to a new clinic we found out that I had a low AMH, which was from the blood test Dr. Evans-Hoeker performed) which should have given me a diagnosis of diminished ovarian reserve. After additional tests I was also found to have a blocked tube from endometriosis, and IUI's never should have been recommended as a course of treatment, and 7 of them was an absurd amount to do without changing course of treatment or performing additional tests to find out what was wrong. We were continually told, "we don't know why this isn't working" or, "there's no reason why this won't work if we keep on trying...the odds are in your favor!" We were mislead, had our money taken, and treated like just another patient giving them money for treatment.

Find another doctor. We didn't realize how bad the doctor and clinic were until we found a new clinic. Once we saw how great we could be treated at a fertility clinic we couldn't believe we stayed at Dr. Evans-Hoeker's practice for so long.

After bloodwork and a semen analysis we were given a diagnosis of "unexplained infertility" and told that we should proceed with IUI treatments. We were told it would only take 2-3 IUI's to be successful. When they didn't work, we were told there was no reason why it shouldn't work, and to try again. It made us feel like failures, like there wasn't an explanation, and that continuing to put money into additional IUI's would result in a baby eventually. We were misdiagnosed, neglected, and out thousands of dollars by the time we left Dr. Evans-Hoeker's care.

We spent about $1000 for each cycle of IUI to the clinic, not including medications (which were around $150 each cycle).