Alex Polotsky

The experience was great. Everything went exactly as Dr. Polotsky had described and predicted. He was very open about the process and what to expect next. He went over results with us, called with updates, and he answered all of our questions. Plus, he was so laidback during the procedures that it made them a lot less anxiety ridden.

Definitely do it and listen to his advice.

After the initial testing, he went over the results with us. My husband had low sperm count and motility. Dr. Polotsky recommended doing IVF vs. IUI. We did an egg retrieval, we did the PGT-A testing, and then did an FET of 1 embryo about 2-3 weeks after the testing. Everything went exactly as planned and we were successful on the first attempt.

Out of pocket, we paid $30,000 for the shared risk program (up to 6 cycles), plus the cost of medication (approx. $5,000), and the cost of the PGT-A testing (I think $1,250). Very little was covered by our insurance, outside of the initial consultation and some medications.

I don’t recall getting an option to transfer more than 1 embryo. We only wanted 1 baby (having twins would NOT have been ideal for us) and he only transferred 1 embryo.

Dr. Polotsky has a very specific personality- he's warm and funny and admits when his suggestions are based more on clinical experience than on science (as with having me stay on meds 2 extra weeks because I had a subchorionic hemorrhage). I enjoyed his jocular bedside manner, but it might not be to everyone's taste. Of course, the important thing is that we got results!

Be prepared for his slightly oddball manner!

We did only donor embryo transfer cycles with Dr. Polotsky (no retrievals), as well as a hysteroscopy to remove a polyp that turned up. We used fully programmed cycles although he was open to trying a natural one. He prefers estrogen in patch form and a PIO-only regimen. Dr. Polotsky and SGF do not routinely use antibiotics or steroids for transfers, which I appreciate.

SGF has fairly reasonable costs for embryo donation, but my insurance covered it. I think there was a $1500 non-billable charge. Another wrinkle is that the Colorado system can't talk to the East Coast and I sometimes had to pay up front.

For the donor embryo program, I believe 1 is always the standard.

Dr. Polotsky was late to our first appointment, then he just didn't show up for our second appointment. I felt like we were treated different because we have Tricare for insurance and like we were cheap for wanting to get insurance to cover as much as possible. He made us redo all the testing, including the ever so painful HSG again, even though it came back normal the previous time. The only good thing that came from my appointment was that my genetic testing came back normal and I never had that testing before. We never got the results back from our appointments, and he never showed up to our follow up. They are also terribly backed up, and appointments are booked 1.5 to 2 months out. Imagine my frustration when I waited 1.5 months after the testing (2ish months total) and he doesn't even show up. I called the clinic the day after the missed appointment because they marked me down as a no show, and the clinic hung up on me. This clinic made me feel worthless.

try and get a different clinic

He made us redo all the testing we had already done which came back as male infertility and then wait two months for a follow up appointment.

We paid about 60 dollars for a Vit D test and genetic testing, the rest was covered by tricare. However, we did not get passed the diagnostic phase of treatment.

This was a very difficult process for my husband and I for separate reasons. Not only were we taking on a great deal of financial debt it was not a guarantee that this process would work. Dr. Polotsky seemed to absolutely love his job and that is the kind of doctor that we needed at this time. His attitude was always a positive one and he never made us feel that we were burdening him. I want to make it clear, he did not act as if he could perform miracles, he just made sure that he was doing as much as he possibly could to bring us the best chances. He was very thorough in sharing information and always wanted to keep me safe and make the best decision. But hands down, the best quality that he had was his "glass half full" attitude. There were times when I felt that my world was crashing completely down. Sometimes during my process there were certain delays and certain complications and, me being under so much stress, it was very easy for me to feel emotionally down. Then walks in Dr. Polotsky with his smile, positive demeanor, and his light-heartedness. Like some kind of magic trick, his attitude would snap me out of whatever I was feeling and make me smile. I don't know about other patients but for ME, this was a life saver. I went on to conceive both of my twin girls and just gave birth to them on May 4th. I do believe that Dr. Polotsky's bedside manner, professionalism, and his willingness to show up at a hospital before the crack of dawn and walk in smiling is one of the reasons why the IVF was successful the first time! This is something you can't train someone to do, you have to have it deep within your heart. Thank you!

I would say to just schedule the appointment regardless of your fears or doubts about the process. Understand that Dr. Polotsky is going to treat you how you should be treated regardless of who you are, your background, what you look like, or your past.

Dr. Polotsky was never in a rush to begin something that could be considered as an important step. I Don't quite remember the specifics but I do know that prior to beginning the final IVF process (I believe it was the retrieval and transfer) he stopped to make sure that my blood work and tests were where they needed to be. He explained that if he didn't see what he needed to see on my blood work then we May have to postpone. Even though this news was hard to hear, I would have rather him do it the right way then try to rush just because I'm impatient.

Varied

I'm sorry I am not sure about those terms.

Same info I typed before but really got to know us as a couple and our wants with our restrictions as well. We were pretty up front that we didn't want to go down the route of IVF and he was reassuring that IUI could have a chance and with his help we got pregnant on the first try. Although we unfortunately lost that baby he was very compassionate and still didn't recommend IVF but let us know the chances of us conceiving with IUI again were still there even though I'd aged more. Luckily with his help and guidance we were able to get pregnant again and we have a beautiful daughter that we are very thankful for his help with!

He's too the point so listen closely because he can sometimes talk fast but there's no guessing with him. He will tell you what your best chances of success are and you just have to put your trust in him because he knows what he's doing.

We did letrozole for 5 days (I think) after an US at the start of my period, then another US to see if the eggs were there/ready, and then trigger shot to time the IUI appropriatly.

Each round of IUI was approximately $800 and we did 4. There was also a pretty big cost the HSG and SIS I had as well but I don't recall what they were exactly.

Our first round of IVF I felt as if Dr. Polotsky was more involved in my care. He is a great doctor and we felt fully supported. During our first IVF cycle we saw him frequently and he performed all my procedures. This last IVF cycle that we just went through, we only saw him during the consultation. The transfer and all other appointments were with other doctors that I didn't know well. This did cause some anxiety as I was not as comfortable with these other MD's. Dr. Polotsky's staff was always so helpful and answered all questions in a timely manner. We would still recommend him to anyone.

Don't be afraid to ask questions. This is a very overwhelming process and it can get very confusing with all the medications you are on and appointments that you need to make. If you are unsure about anything, call the office and speak with a nurse or your MD. They are always super helpful.

For both cycles, Dr. Polotsky put me on birth control initially to gain control of my cycle. He then had me on Lupron and Estrogen patches. I then transitioned to Estrogen patches and Progesterone oil injections. We implanted 1 embryo as d/t my age can be at high risk for multiples. both cycles were the same.

The total cost of our first round of IVF was close to $25,000, our second round was ~ $10,000, this is all including medications

If I could go back this last IVF cycle, I would have done my last 2 embryos instead of one as we will not have enough money to go through IVF for a third time. That is my biggest regret as I will always wonder if one of them would have taken. I think this should be taken into account as we have no other options at this point.

Strengths: If my husband and I ever had any questions, he always gave us a detailed answer to where it was almost a picture for us to understand. Very personable and would make small jokes on the side to make us more comfortable. Weakness: I was questioning what my ability to get pregnant was in the beginning and I didn't get a straight forward answer. As time went on through treatments, my body reacted the way it needed to. He was more than confident at that time and told me that I will get pregnant. I just needed the reassurance that it would be possible for me and didn't understand that he needed to see how I react to the treatments to be able to tell me that I would be able to get pregnant from the start.

For prospective patients, I would say if they ask the likeliness of them getting pregnant, inform them that once you can see a reaction to the treatments the chance is higher. It will give patients more confidence.

Provera if I did not start my cycle myself. Once I was on day 3 or 4 of my cycle, I would go in for an ultrasound to determine if there are any cysts. If none, I would then go on to taking Letrozole in order for the follicles to grow and hope that a dominant one would emerge. My body didn't react much to the Letrozole at first, so he upped the dosage and finally got a great reaction. I would go in for an ultrasound a week or so after taking this just to see if there were any dominant follicles. If there were, I would take an Ovadril shot in order to help me ovulate. By then my husband and I would time our intercourse accordingly. Two weeks later I would either take a pregnancy test or my cycle would start and I would repeat the process.

All of the costs for my treatment was covered through TriCare. If something was not covered, I was informed immediately and we were able to change our plan of action.

He has a great bedside manner. I have had many questions each time I’ve seen him, and he is very thorough in his answers. He is very knowledgeable and great at explaining in terms that make it easy to understand.

Come with a list of questions as he is open to spending the time to answer them with you. He is only in the office on Tuesdays because he is in Denver the rest of the week, so plan on your appointments specifically with him then.

Dr. Polotsky dissected each and every blood test result and paired it with my HSG results and ultrasound results. From there, he analyzed my husband’s test results as well. I have a high egg reserve, but many follicles. He made sure to start me on the lowest dose of Femara to ensure I did not overstimulate and have to cancel any cycles. I was monitored very closely regarding my progress, and adjustments were made where needed. He makes adjustments based on what he feels the success rates would be of each treatment protocol.

A majority of the costs are covered by my insurance up until IUI.

No preference

Alex Polotsky is a very knowledgeable man and doctor in the fertility field. With the way his office is ran, it was very unusual to see him more than a few times which was just to update a treatment plan. When speaking with him about my treatments he spoke with confidence and knowledge of the subject yet lacked empathy and used very blunt tones. I appreciate his honesty in some situations but he was not well in tuned with when these things should have been addressed more delicately so his patients don’t immediately leave and break down as they are doing so. Dr. Polotsky, knows his job and knows it well for standard cases. With my particular case and the myriad of issues contributing it seemed like everything I was doing was a large science experiment and guess as he never could decide what the answers to my questions were or how these instances may effect me. Overall I would rate Alex Polotsky as right in the middle.

If I were to give anyone advice before seeing Alex Polotsky is to be knowledgeable about what is going on. He is an intelligent man and speaks in a manner that when you may be new to this process you become very overwhelmed and lost. It is important to know about the process, options, and your own personal issues affecting fertility before speaking with him as he is not well versed in his charts or patients and steps towards the most aggressive approach right away.

My particular protocol is induced cycles via medications. Once I hit day one of my cycle I was to call the office and they would schedule me for an ultrasound and blood work from day 1-3. My ovulation was monitored as I took Femara and returned to the office one or two times after the initial ultrasound and blood work. Around day 10 was when I was told to use my trigger injection, ovidrel. Three days after I began progesterone suppositories and called when I began my cycle again.

Cost for my IUI out of pocket was $350. With my insurance the rest of the treatments were covered after $2500 was spent in ultrasounds, monitoring and testing. Medication was on top of this price.

In my case, with a Unicornuate uterus, Dr. Polotsky felt strongly about transferring only one embryo. This seems to be the consensus according to my own research. Although with the lack of funds to proceed with IVF I don’t necessarily agree with the low chances I have.

Dr. Polotsky was very friendly, compassionate and understanding of our fertility problem and anxiety. It took two HSGs and one saline infusion test to diagnose my tubal blockages over an 18-month period, but once we arrived at a diagnosis Dr. Polotsky was very clear on the way forward for us, which was IVF. He took his time to explain everything, and always answered our questions. He would make small jokes on the side to make an otherwise anxious situation light. But for one or two occasions, I always saw him for my appointments which made me feel like he was knowledgeable about every detail about our case. Husband and I really penny-pinched to get the IVF done, and we were honest with Dr. Polotsky about our finances. We felt his compassion and willingness to help us manage the cost, and even once instructed a nurse to give us Lupron for FREE when I was a hyper-stimulated. I later found out the drug was a whopping $600, and buying it ourselves would have thrown us off budget a bit. Dr. Polotsky mostly called us himself with test results, and even when it was bad news, I felt he tried to sound positive and give hope. My only downside was, during my retrieval, I had a different doctor I had never met. This made me a bit anxious. Everything went well with the retrieval though. I highly recommend Dr. Polotsky.

Be candid about your anxieties and what you want to achieve with your treatment. Ultimately, everyone wants a baby but a lot happens between the first appointment and the heartbeat confirmation. It's a good idea to lay out your expectations of the process from the beginning so you know which expectations can be met and those that will not likely be met. For example, how soon you wish to start treatment, how many kids you would like eventually, etc.

Mine was a FET for Blastocysts-21 Lupron overlap/patch protocol. I used follistim, cetrotide, menopur, progesterone in oil, estrogen patches and Lupron. Generics were not recommended though.

We spent $26,000 including meds.

Not applicable.

Dr. Alex Polotsky was absolutely perfect for us. He was very candid yet always maintained hope for a successful live birth. He advocated for our success and made sure that he communicated clearly to us when treatment needed to be altered. Dr. Polotsky was very confident and sure of himself during this whole process which made us feel very good throughout.

I would tell them to listen to him and follow the plan. I would tell them to clearly communicate their desires and wishes on the first visit so that everyone was on the same page.

At first we had extensive testing to make sure that there was nothing prohibiting us from carrying a child should a transfer occur. This included EKG, PAP Smear, Ultrasounds, Estrogen and Progesterone cocktail. I had surgery to remove a fibroid in my endometrial lining, waited six months and started injections. Just prior to transfer, acupuncture was recommended before and after transfer and six weeks prior to transfer. Was asked to stop alcohol and caffeine intake as well. The rationale for all of these treatment strategies was to give us the best chance possible to have a live birth and a health child.

25,000

Dr. Polotsky gave us the options for a single embryo transfer and multiple embryo transfer but strongly recommended a single embryo transfer stating that given my age and prior deliveries of very large children, that single embryo transfer was his recommendation. The multiple embryo transfer had risk to both myself and the baby and Dr. Polotsky made sure to inform us of his concerns and the risk given my situation.

I had decent experiences with Dr. Polotsky up until my miscarriage. I'm in the healthcare field and understand there are no guarantees. My first transfer was unexpected and we had never even discussed that a fresh transfer would be an option until the day of. My frozen transfer things were more controlled. When a heartbeat and fetal pole were difficult to obtain at 7 weeks after being clear at 6, he sent to a more specialized ultrasound tech/mfm which I appreciated. However when I was then diagnosed with a missed miscarriage he recommended I come into the office 2 days later. Being emotional and hormonal and wanting the nightmare of being done with my IVF journey (or so we thought) I agreed although I had reservations when he said it would not be with sedation. The procedure itself was human torture. I was given no pain meds, the used lidocaine but didn't even let it work. I finally after screaming involuntarily for what felt like forever we stopped the procedure and I had to take meds to finish miscarrying after all. There was no sympathy, no empathy. I've worked in teaching hospitals for 15 years and am all for residents learning. But on multiple occasions (including my miscarriage procedure which I've asked 2 other REs and they said they wouldn't do that unless a woman was hemorrhaging to death) it was not appropriate to have a resident perform procedures. I can think of a few other cases where the resident clearly had no idea what they we doing and I was a dummy for them to fumble around with.

Remember that we are humans going through something so emotional and hard for something we want so badly. We're not a learning opportunity for everyone.

I don't remember to be honest. Was on follistim, menopur, ganirelex. Probably had mild OHSS and was treated with cabergoline but probably never should have been allowed to do a fresh transfer.

Once they got an ultrasound tech it was simpler and smoother process than the wait that occurred when it was the provider doing all ultrasound

IVF ~$14000 I believe not including meds. They would not run anything through insurance and never told me I could try to submit claim forms

Initial plan was to do eset with testing but we didn't due to low number of embryos

I loved our first appointment with him. The second appointment we had to review tests and determine a treatment plan, I felt more rushed and like we didn't have a diagnosis. My questions were dodged and we were pushed into IUI. After the two appointments, I never saw him again-- always saw a resident or another doctor. I was never sure what our diagnosis was or what we were fixing. I felt like I was just another patient being pushed through the process. Some residents were not pleasant.

He has an accent that is sometimes hard to understand. Make sure you fully understand everything when you meet with him, because you will likely not see him again.

1 failed IUI.

I did the self pay option which means they don't submit it to my insurance (but I was told I could do that myself) and I save 40%. I chose this because I wasn't sure what my insurance would cover. When it was determined that they were in network and legally had to submit to my insurance, they upped all the costs and changed procedures. It was a mess. If you were a self pay patient, it would probably be fine. Intake and follow up appointment were each 250$ Semen analysis- $166 Pelvic ultrasound- between 500 and 600 Hysterosalpingogram- 1,200 ish Blood work costs seemed pretty average-- maybe slightly less than other places I have tried. IUI was quoted to be 800 ish, but cost us closer to 1200 because of additional ultrasounds.

Dr. Polotsky always appeared more interested in seeing his next patient than actually spending time with us. The only instance in which he actually spent any time talking with us was after I complained and requested a personal phone call from him. If you are okay with a technician taking care of your reproductive needs, then he may be a good fit, but if you are looking for a relationship, go elsewhere.

Shop around, seek second opinions, and make him explain every detail.

Most affordable clinic in Denver that I could find.

Dr. Polotsky is knowledgeable and compassionate but also honest. He never made told me something would be easy when it would not and was always clear as to what I should expect. I appreciated that because dealing with infertility can be difficult and one wants to be prepared and know what to really expect. False hope can detrimental and diminishing. Dr. Polotsky was always honest about the statistics. And he's incredibly funny. A sense of humor makes a lot of difference to a stressed out patient.

Ask him anything - he knows what he's talking about and he'll tell you anything you need or want to know.

I don't remember exactly but I do recall that if I didn't like a protocol (I did not like the vaginal suppositories) Dr. Polotsky would find other ways to make sure I was on track. I was also having an allergy to one of the oil bases for the progesterone and he changed that up quickly as well.

I signed up with ARC so most of the costs were covered through that. Of the costs not covered - cyst removal.

Dr. Polotsky recommended single embryo transfer but when I requested double, he did not try and talk me out of it. He only made sure I was aware of the dangers of multiple births so I could make a completely informed decision.

As I mentioned before, Dr. Polotsky took the time to explain everything in depth and answer all questions. He took his time with us and we never felt rushed or pressured. He would personally call me to answer questions or give test results. He was honest and very compassionate. He made a very difficult experience much easier on us. I would highly recommend him (and have) to anyone going through fertility issues.

I would say to be completely honest about what your expectations are. He is there to help and wants to help the best way he can.

This was a few years ago so difficult for me to remember exactly the strategy he used. He was diligent about me coming in for ultrasounds and blood tests to ensure meds were working as they should. I had a very successful egg retrieval and transfer. He made it clear it would be best to only transfer one embryo as I am young and healthy. Whatever he did, he was absolutely right as it worked and we have a beautiful healthy son.

We spent ~ $ 30,000 for all expenses related to IVF including medication for transfer.

I loved his approach. He recommended we only transfer a single embryo because I was healthy and young. He felt that transferring more could lead to multiples which causes a higher risk pregnancy. We had 3 healthy embryos so there was no reason to transfer more than 1.

Although Dr. Polotsky was out of town during our FET, he checked in before and after and was always accessible to us. He has this demeanor which is calming yet authoritative in a way that makes you feel held and supported. He's also so calm and matter of fact it helps you to relax and trust him in a way we didn't our previous doctor. He is also always willing to take time to hear your concerns and answer your questions no matter how silly you may think they are.

He's got you. He'll take care of you.

Modified natural FET cycle

IVF Shared Risk, medications, acupuncture, surgical procedures

Outstanding doctor. Very personable, pleasant, knowledgeable to the point, professional and excellent at what he does. Always describe things as they are. I went with his recommendations and now extremely happy to have my family created. Would definitely recommend him and his clinic to all my friends. Clinic and nurses are awesome. Unbelievable service. Always available, remember you from the day 1 you step into that clinic. They respond both to phone calls, messages, emails, texts within hour or 2. Excellent patient care and manners.

Trust him and follow his advice.

Ivf with frozen cycle for genetic screening and icsi. One embryo transfer resulted in identical twins

Self pay package $18000 plus medications

He was against multiple embryo transfer given my circumstances as we were at high risk for multiples. And he was right, we have identical twins from 1 embryo

He is compassionate, but also very realistic. He lays out the options and tells you why he thinks one is the best option. I couldn’t ask for a better Dr. He has helped me with testing to reassure me even when he has not made a profit from it.

State your concerns and questions so he knows where you’re at and he will give you the best options for you!

He had me on clomid and Ovidrel with ultrasound and blood work. We did 3 IUIs and 3-4 medicated cycles without IUI. When we do another cycle he wanted to switch to injectables, however, with the unknown state of my right Fallopian tube he does say I have the best odds with IVF.

I paid my copay to meet with him (60) but not for monitoring ultrasounds. IUIs with semen washing and analysis was right around $400 Their IVF is just over 10,000 so we are waiting till we can afford it, who knows when that would happen

I don’t know his preference yet

Very intelligent and detailed, could be more empathetic. Would recommend him and the practice as a whole to other people. You do not see the same physician for every visit with this practice so you must be comfortable with that aspect.

Be an advocate for yourself in getting answers from physicians and staff

total cost ~30k for single round IVF no insurance

Perfectly comfortable with the eSET approach.

Doctor Polotsky was the best doctor we saw. He was always very helpful and caring. Always answered emails and phone calls the same day. We are very happy wth our results and going to see Dr. Polotsky for our next transfer. He is everything you can expect from a good doctor.

Always ask questions, Dr. Polotsky is very good at explaining every step of the journey. We felt very secure with him.

I don't remember protocols specifically. We had medicated frozen embryo transfer. Got a healthy baby and many good quality embryos.

Dr Polotsky did a very good job explaining all the risks of multiple embryo transfer. He had a strong preference of one embryo transfer due to risk connected to multiple pregnancys.

I am so happy with our decision to check this clinic out. It was a very positive experience through a stressful process. Dr. Polotsky was so kind to us and made the situation as smooth as possible. I have nothing but great things to say about him. Our results were better than we could have hoped for and I would recommend him to anyone going through this process.

We have had a lot of miscarriages, so Dr. Polotsky recommended genetically testing the embryos. Other then that, it was a pretty standard retrieval and transfer of embryos.

He recommended single embryo transfer due to my anatomy.

Coming from previous doctors that were not warm, encouraging and sometimes didn't even remember who I was, Dr. Polotsky was a breath of fresh air. He was upbeat, positive and made me feel good about the process. He was a good listener and didn't rush through our meeting time always giving me the opportunity to ask questions. He seemed to be realistic about my situation and I appreciated his delivery and honesty throughout the process.

He is willing to go through as much as you want to know so take advantage of that. I feel like as long as you are open and honest with him, he will be in return with a dash of humor.

Luckily, I had insurance coverage so a lot of my care and medicine was billed through insurance (until I hit my OOP max) except for embryo storage (700+ year), genetic testing (800ish). I cannot remember any other additional costs at the moment. Compared to my previous clinic, this one did not have unbillable to insurance gratuitous fees and costs (like "coordination care") associated with procedures.

I only wanted to transfer one embryo and I believe that was Dr. Polotsky's recommendation as well.

The doctor while he punched ivf and didn’t have great numbers helped us understand my wife’s situation. He also allowed us to continue treatment even with so many negative results. He gave hope with it happening once before and this really helped our situation.

He does care, but pushes ivf. My wife’s situation was different while others can increase meds, we were stuck at 1 dose as she couldn’t have multiples.

My wife was only able to stay at her current medication amount. It was not increased intill we pleaded with him. Still nothing though. She did get pregnant once in 3 years of treatment but is unable to have multiples so he couldn’t raise her medication

My insurance covered most. But when it didn’t they have amazing prices that help everyone

He was great at listening to our concerns. We felt like all our doctors looked at us individually and they consulted other specialists when considering the best course of action for us. He was good at keeping us as relaxed as we could be during all this.

Write everything down

Very calm atmosphere

We did the shared risk program offered so the expenses were higher than if we had done everything a la carte. However, the peace of mind of knowing we got our money back if it didn’t work was worth it.

This clinic strongly prefers single embryo transfer as they know the risks of a multiple pregnancy on a mother.