Verified
Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
2023 - 2024, Successful
Review of
Dr. Arici is highly experienced and skilled at infertility treatments. I knew I was getting the best quality care and that we'd eventually be successful if I could make it through the waiting and procedures. I only spoke to Dr. Arici a couple of times but in those conversations he clearly outlined the course of treatment and risks, and took time to answer my questions. He was even the doctor that did my successful embryo transfer (you get whoever is on duty that day)
The [Yale University] nurses and fellows (doctors in training who do your ultrasounds and assist at your embryo transfers) were the best part of being at Yale for fertility treatments. Almost all of them were kind, patient, gentle, responsive, and informative. Many of the staff (receptionists, phlebotomists, and nurses) have been through IVF themselves, and it shows in how they treat their patients. Occasionally some nurses were tone-deaf during emotionally difficult messages over MyChart, but I got to know those same nurses in person and they do honestly care, even if their email communication could use an empathy-check
How was your experience with Aydin Arici at Yale University?
Dr. Arici is highly experienced and skilled at infertility treatments. I knew I was getting the best quality care and that we'd eventually be successful if I could make it through the waiting and procedures. I only spoke to Dr. Arici a couple of times but in those conversations he clearly outlined the course of treatment and risks, and took time to answer my questions. He was even the doctor that did my successful embryo transfer (you get whoever is on duty that day). During our first meeting I would have preferred more discussion on options for treatment rather than him prescribing a plan, but at that first visit I didn't know enough about the process to explore any other options.
While Dr. Arici is A+ on fertility medicine, he has a bad sense of everything administrative in the infertility process (sort of fair: it's confusing). If he is your doctor, you need to be very proactive about this. He repeatedly told me incorrect next steps regarding insurance approvals, who would contact me next, and timelines. You should always confirm next steps yourself (messaging nurses, calling insurance, etc.) and continue bothering people until you're sure it's sorted. At minimum, always message the nursing staff and ask them to confirm next steps. If they don't know, start making your phone calls. Or if you're more patient than me you can let it unfold slowly!
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Aydin Arici at Yale University?
See the main review: Be proactive on anything administrative and don't take Dr. Arici's word for next steps. He's an excellent doctor otherwise.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Aydin Arici at Yale University?
During meetings with Dr. Arici he explained treatment plans in a non-rushed manner and was open to me asking as many questions as I wanted.
I consistently found that when you eventually get in front a person in the Yale system they almost always treat you with dignity, patience, and compassion, but it can be time-consuming, confusing, and frustrating to set up that face-to-face interaction which detracts from the experience.
Describe the protocols Aydin Arici used in your cycles at Yale University and their degree of success.
I have no fallopian tube due to a hydrosalpinx (botched appendectomy as a child) and ectopic pregnancy so my stimulation was routine and transfer cycle protocol was minimal.
We used a standard ovarian stimulation regimen then modified natural cycles with a clomid trigger and progesterone vaginal suppositories until 10 weeks for the frozen embryo transfers. The modified natural protocol was nice (fewer drugs, no progesterone in oil shots; do that if you can). I did a freeze all cycle after stimulation because I had OHSS. We retrieved 14 eggs and created 8 embryos. We did not genetically test them because my husband and I don't have risk factors and didn't want to pay out of pocket (something like $6000).
My first transfer ended in a chemical pregnancy and the second one was successful.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Yale University.
The nurses and fellows (doctors in training who do your ultrasounds and assist at your embryo transfers) were the best part of being at Yale for fertility treatments. Almost all of them were kind, patient, gentle, responsive, and informative. Many of the staff (receptionists, phlebotomists, and nurses) have been through IVF themselves, and it shows in how they treat their patients.
Occasionally some nurses were tone-deaf during emotionally difficult messages over MyChart, but I got to know those same nurses in person and they do honestly care, even if their email communication could use an empathy-check. Responses over MyChart were fast and usually thorough, which is great because it can be hard to get ahold of someone over the phone.
Describe your experience with Yale University.
Strengths:
- We were treated with dignity throughout the treatment process. There was no 'cattle call' system at morning monitoring appts other reviewers mentioned; I'm guessing that ended with Covid. Each patient is assigned a different appointment time, so even though the waits can still be long it's not undignified.
- Yale is excellent at medicine. I was confident we were getting top-quality care.
- Nurses are responsive over MyChart
- Almost every interaction with staff at all levels left me encouraged; these are compassionate people who've—in many cases—gone through IVF and actually care about us as patients. They try to meet our needs as much as they possibly can. See my note on the nurses.
- Morning monitoring is in Orange, which is an easy 10 minute drive from New Haven
Weaknesses
- Long wait times (though not as bad as some clinics)
- Confusing processes; you should be proactive in confirming next steps
- Difficult to get ahold of someone on the phone unless you're calling a nurse with concerns about a symptom (in that case they're very responsive)
Describe the costs associated with your care under Aydin Arici at Yale University.
My husband is a student at Yale so I purchased Yale Health insurance for something like $8000 per year. I spent roughly $120 in addition to that on pharmacy co-pays throughout my treatment.
Describe Aydin Arici's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Yale University.
My sense was that transferring more than one embryo would even be a conversation at Yale unless I was over 35 and/or had other risk factors. However, I didn't explore transferring more than one embryo.
What specific things went wrong at Yale University?
- Provided conflicting information
Review of