Dr. Akopians was very caring and helpfull and no matter when I contacted her she always replied right away...is an incredible doctor. she is so compassionate and knowledgable. she replied to every text I sent her right away and she answered each and every one of my questions. She comforted me when I was in destress and overall she made the whole experience so easy...
Everyone was helpful and nice, I had a great experience [at Southern California Reproductive Center]. The whole process was very smooth. I am really thankful to everyone from front desk to my nurses. My nurses went above and beyond to make sure everything goes smoothly. Even after my egg retrieval they kept contacting me and tried to help me in anyway they could.
How was your experience with Alin Lina Akopians at Southern California Reproductive Center?
Dr. Akopians is an incredible doctor. she is so compassionate and knowledgable. she replied to every text I sent her right away and she answered each and every one of my questions. She comforted me when I was in destress and overall she made the whole experience so easy.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Alin Lina Akopians at Southern California Reproductive Center?
Dr. Akopians was very caring and helpfull and no matter when I contacted her she always replied right away.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Southern California Reproductive Center.
Sophia and Julia were great. Always ready to help and very caring.
Describe your experience with Southern California Reproductive Center.
Everyone was helpful and nice, I had a great experience. The whole process was very smooth. I am really thankful to everyone from front desk to my nurses. My nurses went above and beyond to make sure everything goes smoothly. Even after my egg retrieval they kept contacting me and tried to help me in anyway they could.
I absolutely loved Dr. Akopians! She’s caring and so knowledgeable, and went the extra mile for me to ensure that I was fully informed about certain procedures that needed to take place. She answered all my questions and spent a crucial amount of time with me making me feel that I was comfortable throughout the whole experience...has by far been the most compassionate doctor I have ever met. She has incredible bed aide manner and presented to me clearly all the information I needed to hear about egg retrieval for freezing my eggs for the future.
[Staff at Southern California Reproductive Center is] Very kind and informative just like Dr. Akopians. Best staff ever...Front desk staff was very welcoming and greeted everyone with a kind smile on their face. They were organized, prompt and I only waited for a short amount of time. The office was well maintained, and clean...I absolutely loved Dr. Akopians! She’s caring and so knowledgeable, and went the extra mile for me to ensure that I was fully informed about certain procedures that needed to take place. She answered all my questions and spent a crucial amount of time with me making me feel that I was comfortable throughout the whole experience.
How was your experience with Alin Lina Akopians at Southern California Reproductive Center?
I absolutely loved Dr. Akopians! She’s caring and so knowledgeable, and went the extra mile for me to ensure that I was fully informed about certain procedures that needed to take place. She answered all my questions and spent a crucial amount of time with me making me feel that I was comfortable throughout the whole experience.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Alin Lina Akopians at Southern California Reproductive Center?
Don’t be scared or nervous!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Alin Lina Akopians at Southern California Reproductive Center?
Dr. Akopians has by far been the most compassionate doctor I have ever met. She has incredible bed aide manner and presented to me clearly all the information I needed to hear about egg retrieval for freezing my eggs for the future.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Southern California Reproductive Center.
Very kind and informative just like Dr. Akopians. Best staff ever
Describe your experience with Southern California Reproductive Center.
Front desk staff was very welcoming and greeted everyone with a kind smile on their face. They were organized, prompt and I only waited for a short amount of time. The office was well maintained, and clean.
From our first consultation until we "graduated" to an OBGYN with a successful pregnancy, Dr. Akopians was a great doctor. She is empathetic, has great bed side manner and always very willing to explain what's happening in granular details. I always felt listened to, she always made sure I knew all of my options and their pros/cons/risks and she was also willing to explore alternatives...I would generally only see Dr. Akopians in person for procedures (IUIs, transfer etc.). All monitoring appointments were with the support team
SCRC is a large clinic so it's strength and weaknesses are pretty much in line with what you'd expect. It's busy but well run so while morning monitoring appointments would book up, I never had any issues getting a time that worked for my schedule. The facility always felt up-to-date and modern. I was diligent about reviewing billing etc. and never had any major issues. Any questions I did have were promptly answered and resolved if necessary.
How was your experience with Alin Lina Akopians at Southern California Reproductive Center?
From our first consultation until we "graduated" to an OBGYN with a successful pregnancy, Dr. Akopians was a great doctor. She is empathetic, has great bed side manner and always very willing to explain what's happening in granular details. I always felt listened to, she always made sure I knew all of my options and their pros/cons/risks and she was also willing to explore alternatives. For example, I requested to try a natural IVF transfer cycle and because I was a good candidate for it, she was supportive of us trying that method instead of the standard medicated route.
From the get-go Dr. Akopians laid out our options, listened to our preferences and set a plan we were all comfortable with to begin treatment. As we went through the process, I would generally only see Dr. Akopians in person for procedures (IUIs, transfer etc.). All monitoring appointments were with the support team (nurses etc.) however I felt like I could always have a call with Dr. Akopians if needed and she was always the one to call with test results or updates. Due to scheduling, I had a few procedures with other doctors at SCRC and felt like those instances were handled well and communication amongst them was good.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Alin Lina Akopians at Southern California Reproductive Center?
Have questions ready for your calls with Dr. Akopians. Being prepared and ready to dive in on those calls helped us make more informed decisions on our care. Dr. Akopians does not over-explain so if you want more than the necessary details, be ready to ask those questions - she is more than willing to answer and give you that time.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Alin Lina Akopians at Southern California Reproductive Center?
Throughout the whole process, it always felt like Dr. Akopians was well-versed in our case, where we were in a cycle and our preferences for next steps. I was a patient both at the Beverly Hills and Pasadena locations and both had wonderful teams that really felt like were on our side for the journey. The Beverly Hills clinic was much bigger (more Drs, more patients) and a little less personal during monitoring visits but to be expected given that this is a big clinic with multiple Drs. From receptionists, phlebotomists and ultrasound techs I always had great experiences with the teams.
How competent was Alin Lina Akopians at LGBTQ+ care?
Dr. Akopians was always welcoming and understanding of the nuances my wife and I brought to the fertility process and how that may alter our care. She seemed well versed in our options and we always felt supported in our decisions.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Southern California Reproductive Center. (Assigned nurse: Miriam (Pasadena) and Julie (BH))
Dr. Akopians nursing team was great overall. At Pasadena, there were a few times I had to follow up on results and medication quantities. Those instances felt more like general human error and were the exception, not the norm. But in general, you do need to stay on top of your own case and read everything carefully. There are always lots of moving pieces but always felt like I could reach out if something came up. The care from the BH team was fantastic, I never had any issues.
I always felt like the team was rooting for me and that I had their support during the whole journey.
Describe your experience with Southern California Reproductive Center.
SCRC is a large clinic so it's strength and weaknesses are pretty much in line with what you'd expect. It's busy but well run so while morning monitoring appointments would book up, I never had any issues getting a time that worked for my schedule. The facility always felt up-to-date and modern. I was diligent about reviewing billing etc. and never had any major issues. Any questions I did have were promptly answered and resolved if necessary.
Describe Alin Lina Akopians's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Southern California Reproductive Center.
Dr. Akopians (like us) had a strong preference for single embryo transfer.
To be honest, I didn’t see too much of Dr Akopians during the treatment, but when I saw her, she was kind, informative and helpful...She delivers her messages in a short, sweet and more direct manner. Have your questions all prepared before seeing her so you can shoot them out and get the answers as efficiently as possible...The clinic was super efficient and I hardly had to wait longer than 10 minutes to see her or any of her team members...
Julia [nurse at Southern California Reproductive Center] was super helpful and kind. She was compassionate and patient, and provided answers I needed almost all of the time...clean and welcoming environment - very efficient - staff are all very helpful and kind - incredibly thorough...but SCRC was on the more expensive side...We would rather pay a premium and get these results instead of the large amount we paid at our previous fertility clinic that didn’t give us the results we wanted and had a terrible experience with their team...
How was your experience with Alin Lina Akopians at Southern California Reproductive Center?
She was informative, straightforward and honest. She helped us get the results we wanted and we couldn’t be happier! The clinic was super efficient and I hardly had to wait longer than 10 minutes to see her or any of her team members. This was incredible considering I often had to wait over 1 hour at the previous fertility clinic I was a patient at.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Alin Lina Akopians at Southern California Reproductive Center?
She delivers her messages in a short, sweet and more direct manner. Have your questions all prepared before seeing her so you can shoot them out and get the answers as efficiently as possible
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Alin Lina Akopians at Southern California Reproductive Center?
To be honest, I didn’t see too much of Dr Akopians during the treatment, but when I saw her, she was kind, informative and helpful. The team I saw every other visit in between though - ranging from the nurses to the phlebotomists, the receptionists and ultrasound team were incredibly warm, welcoming, comforting and kind. They helped the difficult process a lot easier to handle and manage.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Southern California Reproductive Center. (Assigned nurse: Julia fletcher )
Julia was super helpful and kind. She was compassionate and patient, and provided answers I needed almost all of the time
Describe your experience with Southern California Reproductive Center.
Strengths:
- clean and welcoming environment
- very efficient
- staff are all very helpful and kind
- incredibly thorough
It’s not a weakness, because it’s effective, but SCRC was on the more expensive side
Describe the costs associated with your care under Alin Lina Akopians at Southern California Reproductive Center.
It was more on the expensive side, but I can’t complain because we got the results we wanted and couldn’t be happier. We would rather pay a premium and get these results instead of the large amount we paid at our previous fertility clinic that didn’t give us the results we wanted and had a terrible experience with their team
Dr. Akopians was compassionate, yet very direct. She always explained things in a clear, concise manner which was very helpful given how emotionally draining the process can be on the patient...methodical and smooth...Her dedication to getting the best results meant that there were adjustments we had to make (thyroid, vit D, uterine polyps etc) before we could get started with the embryo transfer process. Her approach was to get the biggest chance I could at having a successful outcome...
The nursing staff was warm and friendly throughout the entire process. They were always available to answer questions and I truly felt supported at SCRC with how attentive they were...Scheduling appointments is relatively easy...I appreciated being able to be in and out without waiting too long, especially at the Pasadena location...all the major procedures are done at the Beverly Hills location which, if you don't live very close, could be a negative. Many more patients visit this location so wait times are longer.
How was your experience with Alin Lina Akopians at Southern California Reproductive Center?
As a patient, the experience with Dr. Akopians was methodical and smooth. Her dedication to getting the best results meant that there were adjustments we had to make (thyroid, vit D, uterine polyps etc) before we could get started with the embryo transfer process. Her approach was to get the biggest chance I could at having a successful outcome. After one chemical pregnancy and a miscarriage, I finally got pregnant and gave birth to a healthy baby girl.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Alin Lina Akopians at Southern California Reproductive Center?
Trust in Dr. Akopians's process and throw the timeline you have in your head out the window as unexpected things will pop up.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Alin Lina Akopians at Southern California Reproductive Center?
Dr. Akopians was compassionate, yet very direct. She always explained things in a clear, concise manner which was very helpful given how emotionally draining the process can be on the patient.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Southern California Reproductive Center.
The nursing staff was warm and friendly throughout the entire process. They were always available to answer questions and I truly felt supported at SCRC with how attentive they were.
Describe your experience with Southern California Reproductive Center.
Strengths: Scheduling appointments is relatively easy and the high volume of the clinic means there is a fairly efficient working system. I appreciated being able to be in and out without waiting too long, especially at the Pasadena location.
Weaknesses: Only weakness is that all the major procedures are done at the Beverly Hills location which, if you don't live very close, could be a negative. Many more patients visit this location so wait times are longer.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Southern California Reproductive Center.
They generally had a window on Tuesday mornings for ultrasound monitoring so I was able to pick a time within that slot that worked for me.
During the consultation, Dr. Akopians was very thorough. She answered all my questions and wasn’t pushy. I didn’t see her every appointment. Over the phone, I thought she was too straight to the point at first but that’s not the case at all. She’s a very warm and caring doctor. She doesn’t beat around the bush and tells you how it is which I completely appreciate. I had trust in her and her experience...
Mariam and Sophie [nurses at Southern California Reproductive Center] answered all my questions promptly, didn't make me feel crazy or stupid, was always warm and friendly...Pasadena wait time is pretty fast. I loved the clinical team, ultrasound techs and office manager. You have to go to the Beverly Hills office for some things though including the actual IUI procedure. Parking was inconvenient there, the front staff was not as friendly nor was the ultrasound tech...
How was your experience with Alin Lina Akopians at Southern California Reproductive Center?
During the consultation, Dr. Akopians was very thorough. She answered all my questions and wasn’t pushy. I didn’t see her every appointment. Over the phone, I thought she was too straight to the point at first but that’s not the case at all. She’s a very warm and caring doctor. She doesn’t beat around the bush and tells you how it is which I completely appreciate.
I had trust in her and her experience – felt like I was in good hands every step of the way.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Alin Lina Akopians at Southern California Reproductive Center?
My first pregnancy at the age of 32 was relatively fast and easy. I got pregnant after 3-4 months of TTC. 3 years later, I assumed getting pregnant second time around would be the same. I regret waiting over a year. I wish I went to see her sooner.
Describe the protocols Alin Lina Akopians used in your cycles at Southern California Reproductive Center and their degree of success.
1st cycle, I took clomid for my IUI but we didn't go through with IUI last minute because my uterine lining wasn't thickening. We tried naturally at home and wasn't successful.
2nd cycle, she monitored me. She thought I was the rare percentage of patients whose uterine lining thinned from clomid. I supplemented clomid with some injection and progesterone. We didn't do IUI in office but tried naturally at home and it wasn't successful.
3rd cycle, I took clomid, did injections at home and inserted progesterone. Went into the office for IUI and now I'm 31 weeks pregnant with twins.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Southern California Reproductive Center. (Assigned nurse: Mariam)
Very patient. Answered all my "urgent" questions. Everything is urgent and frantic after a year of trying unsuccessful and having a miscarriage. Mariam and Sophie answered all my questions promptly, didn't make me feel crazy or stupid, was always warm and friendly.
Describe your experience with Southern California Reproductive Center.
Pasadena wait time is pretty fast. I loved the clinical team, ultrasound techs and office manager. You have to go to the Beverly Hills office for some things though including the actual IUI procedure. Parking was inconvenient there, the front staff was not as friendly nor was the ultrasound tech. One thing BH location as for them is the male phlebotomist. Most phlebotomists have a hard time finding my veins so they poke me couple of times or have to dig and they have to use butterfly needles. He drew multiple vials and it was painless.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Alin Lina Akopians at Southern California Reproductive Center.
Cash patient. 3 cycles cost around 3,000-4,000.
What specific things went wrong at Southern California Reproductive Center?
Lost appointments
Scheduled the wrong procedure
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Southern California Reproductive Center.
Wrong scheduling, confusion and long wait time was done at the BH location not the Pasadena one.
Due to my age (41) and low AMH (0.7), Dr. Akopians recommended IVF right away...clear and concise from the very start and gives you options based on your information and her knowledge...easy to talk to her about what was going on and next steps...upfront about the process and our chances, given my history and my age. I was very happy to work with someone that didn't sugarcoat things, but also was warm and compassionate about our situation.
SCRC communicates primarily through phone calls and their eVIF portal...The calendar they provide for each procedure is helpful...many times appointments are scheduled with one of two days notice (not the fault of SCRC, but the IVF process)...a couple times where I felt like I was chasing [coordinator] for scheduling or some answers, but overall she was really good to work with.
How was your experience with Alin Lina Akopians at Southern California Reproductive Center?
I had a very positive experience with Dr. Akopians. She is clear and concise from the very start and gives you options based on your information and her knowledge. It was easy to talk to her about what was going on and next steps.
She was very upfront about the process and our chances, given my history and my age. I was very happy to work with someone that didn't sugarcoat things, but also was warm and compassionate about our situation.
I would recommend Dr. Akopians to any of my friends looking into IVF.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Alin Lina Akopians at Southern California Reproductive Center?
Definitely give her a call. Dr. Akopians changed our life and helped us grow our family. I can't thank her and her team enough.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Alin Lina Akopians at Southern California Reproductive Center?
Dr. Akopians is warm and friendly over the phone and in person. Our first interaction with her was an initial phone consultation and she took the time prior to the call to review all the notes we submitted about our medical history. That definitely made us feel important.
Describe the protocols Alin Lina Akopians used in your cycles at Southern California Reproductive Center and their degree of success.
Due to my age (41) and low AMH (0.7), Dr. Akopians recommended IVF right away on our initial consult call in January 2021. I was scheduled for bloodwork and an ultrasound on day 3 of my next cycle. From there I was started on birth control pills and the STIM injections and meds. My egg retrieval in March yielded 7 eggs, 4 mature, and 2 that went through PGS testing.
In April, as we were preparing for the FET, Dr. Akopians found polyps that needed to be removed. This delayed us out until June for the transfer.
I am currently 10 weeks pregnant and transferring over to my regular OB.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Southern California Reproductive Center. (Assigned nurse: Liz)
My coordinator was Liz and she was lovely to work with. There were a couple times where I felt like I was chasing her for scheduling or some answers, but overall she was really good to work with.
I really enjoyed working with Anna, Sophia, and Mariam. With so many office visits for bloodwork and ultrasounds, they definitely made me feel special and the visits were always pleasant.
Describe your experience with Southern California Reproductive Center.
SCRC communicates primarily through phone calls and their eVIF portal. This was helpful to keep everything in one place.
The calendar they provide for each procedure is helpful.
I would just caution new patients to IVF that many times appointments are scheduled with one of two days notice (not the fault of SCRC, but the IVF process).
Describe the costs associated with your care under Alin Lina Akopians at Southern California Reproductive Center.
We had some costs paid through insurance, but the bulk of it was paid out of pocket.
My doctor [Dr. Akopians] strongly recommended only transferring one embryo due to the risks involved with transferring multiples (I did not have many embryos to transfer); my age at the time of transfer (42) was a factor here...I never felt like she was operating from a cookie cutter approach; she continuously monitored my case closely and would adjust my IVF cycle medications with great care
The [S. California Reproductive Center] clinic itself is beautiful and well-maintained. It feels like a spa and the waiting area has a gorgeous view. The privacy of each patient was always very carefully respected. They renovated earlier in 2020, separating the lab facilities from the floor where transfers and retrievals are performed. I found this to be very convenient as the former is on the ground floor; during cycles, when I was being monitored, I could get in and out very quickly.
How was your experience with Alin Lina Akopians at Southern California Reproductive Center?
Dr. Akopians is extremely knowledgeable in reproductive medicine but, throughout my time with her, she remained open-minded and flexible in terms of crafting protocols that met my unique needs. I never felt like she was operating from a cookie cutter approach; she continuously monitored my case closely and would adjust my IVF cycle medications with great care. As appropriate, she treated me like a partner in the process by providing me with full details as to what was being prescribed and why; feeling this fully informed put my mind at ease.
While she was clearly operating from a place of tremendous skill and expertise, her empathy and compassion shone through. I always felt cared for as a human going through something very difficult.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Alin Lina Akopians at Southern California Reproductive Center?
Be direct about what it is you expect out of your relationship; she listens!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Alin Lina Akopians at Southern California Reproductive Center?
Dr. Akopians took the time to deeply listen to my concerns and needs and answered all my questions directly and compassionately. She found the perfect balance between setting expectations appropriately and having empathy for the difficult journey I was on. She always called me herself with any important news or updates as opposed to deferring it to her nursing staff.
Describe the protocols Alin Lina Akopians used in your cycles at Southern California Reproductive Center and their degree of success.
Overall strategy used was an antagonist protocol. Dexamethasone was added for egg quality and prednisone was added to combat any potential inflammatory issues (I have auto-immune disorders in my family). While the number of eggs did not greatly increase, the overall quality did as these cycles produced more blastocysts / embryos than previous cycles at a different clinic that did not employ these drugs.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Southern California Reproductive Center. (Assigned nurse: Julia Fletcher)
All of Dr. Akopians’ nurses, but particularly Julia Fletcher, were amazing.They were super kind, responsive, and just lovely to work with. IVF is an exceptionally emotionally and physically grueling process and they operated with that awareness in mind. They were all very timely with their communications; I never had to call the clinic to find out what my next steps were and any questions I had were responded to quickly, whether via email or phone.
Describe your experience with Southern California Reproductive Center.
The clinic itself is beautiful and well-maintained. It feels like a spa and the waiting area has a gorgeous view. The privacy of each patient was always very carefully respected. They renovated earlier in 2020, separating the lab facilities from the floor where transfers and retrievals are performed. I found this to be very convenient as the former is on the ground floor; during cycles, when I was being monitored, I could get in and out very quickly.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Alin Lina Akopians at Southern California Reproductive Center.
My insurance covered the vast majority of the costs.
Describe Alin Lina Akopians's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Southern California Reproductive Center.
My doctor strongly recommended only transferring one embryo due to the risks involved with transferring multiples (I did not have many embryos to transfer); my age at the time of transfer (42) was a factor here.
