David Tourgeman

The first time I went to HRC was back in July 2018. I had just been to Pacific Fertility, and had been VERY mishandled (they prescribed medication without taking my blood). I had already started an egg retrieval cycle, and thought I might have to start all over again. In a panic, I went to see Dr. David Tourgeman to see if my cycle could be saved. Immediately, I was put at ease by his demeanor and knowledge. He took time to explain where I was in my cycle, and how he and his team could help me. He assigned a team to me, and I had 24/7 care and felt like I was their only patient. We ended up being able to salvage my cycle and I was happy with the result of that egg retrieval cycle. Years later, in April 2022, I went back to HRC and Dr. Tourgeman with intent to use the eggs that I had retrieved. We ended up having to do another egg retrieval, and two transfers. I'm really happy with the treatment I got, and with the result (spoiler alert: I'm pregnant). Not only was he incredibly kind (as he was before), but the team assigned to me made me feel like I was their first priority. I can’t more highly recommend HRC and Dr. Tourgeman, and his team. They are incredibly supportive, and helpful. Dr. Tourgeman is thorough, caring, knowledgeable, available, and best of all, he assembled an incredible team that has exhibited nothing but the highest professionalism and dedication to my care.

Be yourself and come with all the questions you have. I found he's most helpful when you're candid about your feelings and where you are - he will address your concerns and questions if you are open about what they are.

I did an egg retrieval in 2018 when I 35 and was certain I wasn't with the right partner - I started with a different clinic and after I began the cycle, it was clear I wasn't in the right hands. The other clinic stopped returning my calls (apparently they don't work weekends), and had prescribed me medication without taking my blood. Dr. Tourgeman was able to salvage my cycle, and we got 7 eggs from that first retrieval. My memory from then isn't great. When I went to turn those eggs into embryos 4 years later, of the 7, 1 was euploid and 2 were low level mosaic. In 2022, because we only had 1 euploid embryo, I chose to do another egg retrieval - we used almost the same protocol - Follistim & Menapure. Got more eggs the second time around - 13... but only 1 was euploid. We did two FETs - the first using my 39 year-old egg (because it was higher quality), it didn't work. The second time, we used my 35 year old eggs, and that took. For both transfers, I took bed rest very seriously. For my second transfer, I also added pre/post acupuncture (at the treatment facility), and did a restorative yoga class 3 days prior to the transfer. I'm now 7 weeks pregnant.

Out of pocket, I paid $5000 in medications for my first retrieval (not covered by my benefits at the time), but the rest was billed to insurance, which was covered. I don't remember what I paid out of pocket for the first round (in 2018). For the 2022 treatments (egg retrieval and 2 FETs), most was billed to my insurance (which was covered). Things not covered by insurance were covered by my Carrot benefit, so I had nearly nothing paid out of pocket, but the lifetime cost of 2 retrievals and 2 FETs, including genetic testing (for me and my partner), and FET cycle, and genetic testing of the embryos cost about $30,000 according to my calculations, but like I said, I didn't pay much out of pocket. I could easily request the costs, but didn't do that prior to writing this review.

We elected to eSET because we did genetic testing on the blastocyst embryos.

At the time of seeing Dr. T, I was satisfied with every visit and knew what my next steps were. However, now that I've seen 2 other doctors since Dr. T, I've changed my mind as I am now able to compare and contrast the differences. My first IVF round was unsuccessful. We retrieved a good number of eggs, but only a few were mature, and of them, none of them fertilized. It was devastating, especially without previous context and knowledge that this can even be a possibility for me. During the follow up call with Dr. T, I did not feel there was an explanation for what happened, and the next course of action was vague and was simply a small tweak to the current plan (let's just add omnitrope). I was also told I simply have terrible egg quality and to look into Eastern medicine, and we'll reconvene in 3 months. Dr. T did not suggest any further testing to see if there may be other underlying issues. I went and got a second opinion, and that's when the new doctor suspected endometriosis, which was verified by an endometrioma in one of my ovaries. I don't feel like Dr. T went above and beyond to treat me as a unique case.

I would push for more testing and to ask the tough questions (e.g. why this treatment protocol, why not this one, what happened when something unexpected occurred, etc.).

We used a standard antagonist protocol (Gonal F & Menopur, followed by Cetrotide and trigger shot). Rationale for using this protocol: I was diagnosed by Dr. T as "unexplained," so I believe that is why he prescribed a standard typical protocol. Results: approx. a dozen eggs were retrieved, only a few were mature, and none fertilized.

N/A - treatment was under insurance

Dr. Tourgeman is the best doctor I have had the pleasure to know - and I am happy to report that I am pregnant after two rounds of IVF and our first embryo implant. Dr. Tourgeman has the best bedside manner - the absolute best. I trust him to be honest and direct, but in a way that calms anxiety and brings focus to the path ahead. I looked forward to seeing him multiple times a week during the IVF cycles. He wasn't just my doctor, but a key member of my support team helping me to navigate what became an emotionally and physically taxing process. He never seemed rushed, always taking time to discuss my questions and concerns. He presents his perspective with experience and facts, but also an open-mindedness that is often missing from the fertility/pregnancy space. Honestly, he makes me feel like I am his favorite patient, even though I am sure that many of us share this feeling given his exceptional care.

To those of you considering fertility treatment, or maybe thinking about it for the future - DON'T WAIT. I walked into Dr. T's office at 27, without ever having tried to become pregnant naturally, but with a gut feeling that something was off for my body. After a few tests, Dr. T confirmed that my fertility didn't match my age and IVF was a wise course of action. Now, we are expecting our first child and feel much more in control of our family planning and path forward.

Our two rounds of IVF lead to two strong embryos and three okay embryos. He suggested we start with implanting just one of the strong embryos and I agreed. We are now 8 weeks pregnant.

Dr. Tourgeman is very kind and knowledgeable. After going to one of his seminars and seeing his kind demeanor in combination with his expert knowledge, we decided to consult with him. He was very gentle with the IUIs and I didn’t feel any pain. For me, he says IVF is indicated due to my history with endometriosis, but we decided to do a few rounds of IUI first due to the cost of IVF. I am sometimes unclear about what exactly he thinks about my cycle and wish he would alter the medications a bit to see if that would help. The first cycle he did two IUIs (one before and one after ovulation). The second round he was unavailable for the IUI and the covering physician was unaware of how Dr. Tourgeman was doing two IUIs for me. Overall I liked Dr. Tourgeman and will continue to see him for care.

Come prepared with your questions ahead of time and ask questions during ultrasounds.

Try IUI with letrozole for 2-3 cycles before moving to IVF due to cost of IVF and multiple, extensive endometriosis surgeries. I was hesitant to try clomid because of potential vision side effects and a history of migraines with auras, so we decided to use letrozole instead.

I don’t have any insurance coverage for fertility. A consult was about $350. Initial cycle ultrasound was about $400. Each blood draw was about $90. First IUI with ultrasound was about $800. Second IUI without ultrasound was about 400. Follow up pregnancy test was covered by insurance.

At the initial consultation, he was friendly and seemed like he would work with the recommendations provided by our previous provider (Dr. Baek). While he did use her initial recommended protocols (which were admittedly different from his), he never adjusted them throughout the cycle and each time I was seen for ultrasound, I felt more and more like I was just being herded through the process. I’d ask questions that he wouldn’t answer and was dismissive of my concerns that he was overcooking (i.e. too much meds and too long) the eggs and felt more condescending at each visit, dismissing my concerns with “I’m not going to overcook the eggs” (despite doing exactly that). At the end of the cycle, when none of the eggs were good (all overcooked due to too much medication and for too long a time), he told us it was just chance as to whether we’d get a good cycle if we tried again. There was no attention to fine-tuning the process or individualizing it. We were very disappointed. The only reason we tried him instead of going back to Dr. Baek (who was successful in helping us get pregnant years earlier) is because our insurance covered the majority of the treatment at HRC and money was tight.

if you want someone who is going to fine-tune your medication regimen to your individual needs, go elsewhere.

While he was willing to use the initial treatment protocol we’d received in our consultation with Dr. Baek (which was admittedly different from what he would have done), he never adjusted it throughout the cycle and triggered much too late. The eggs were all overcooked (which he attributed to age and chance) and took no responsibility for his part in the ineffectiveness of the cycle. I was very concerned that he didn’t seem to have any interest in refining his approach for future cycles. We would have gone through the exact same regimen again with similar failed results. It did not appear he was up-to-speed on current approaches for refining IVF treatments to the individual needs of the patient.

Because they work with insurance, I believe we paid a little over $2000 for the entire process.

My first cycle in 2012 that resulted in my son, Dr. T was amazing, attentive, listened. We g above and beyond to help me achieve pregnancy. In 2018, I don’t know if it was because I was a returning patient. I didn’t feel like he was giving me 100%. Sometimes we would talk about a plan, then next time we meet he would say something totally different. I still think he is a great doctor I just didn’t feel confident this last time. Made me more disappointed when it didn’t work.

Ask a lot of questions. Take notes. He forgets what we talk about.

2012- follistim, menopur, ganerelix, progesterone. 2018- gonal-f, cetrotide, menopur, progesterone

Monitoring is throughout the day. Dr. T was not there all day. But there is another doctor that will do it.

2012- 15k 2018-13k We had utilize their military discount which was offered in 2018

My choice if I wanted it or not. Always transfer 2. In 2012 after 4 cycles didn’t work he did transfer 3 embryos when I was 24 years told.

He is very compassionate and nice. I can't complain about him or his care. I am a very analytical person, so would have liked to understand more of the "why"s around my course of treatment -- why one protocol vs. another, and whether or not that is due to his professional philosophies for treatment or due to my specific case.

Ask questions. If you feel rushed, slow it down.

They were never explained to me. At least, the rationale behind why. I don't know what my protocol was called, but i was on: Gonal-F 350/day Menopur - 1-2 vials, depending Added something else toward the end of sims Not sure what i triggered with First round, retrieved 5 eggs. 3 fertilized. All tested abnormal. No transfer 2nd round, retrieved 3 eggs. 1 fertilized. Never grew. No transfer.

First round with meds (and some insurance coverage) was roughly $15k.

We never got to transfer, so we hadn't discussed it.

The first time in 2013 he was godsend. Everything was just amazing. When I recently saw him this year I didn’t feel the same. I felt like everything was vague. Maybe because I already went through s cycle and he knew me he didn’t need to be more attentive as I was a returning patient.

Just make sure you are aware of everything. Ask lots of questions and he is ok with your opinions too.

First cycle I had follistim with more eggs and second time we used gonal f and less eggs. Not sure if it made a difference but also I aged. 5 years from 24 to 30. I wasn’t confident with medication change.

Dr.T is there in the afternoons sometimes it was hard to get an early appointment which made my appointment last the entire day including drive time.

Sometimes they billed my insurance differently and in turn the insurance said I was responsible instead of them covering.

He believes that 2 is a good number to transfer for under 35.

Dr. Tourgeman was simply an amazing doctor. Going through infertility is touch and he was always very thorough at every appointment. Although my very first IVF was unsuccessful, he made the proper adjustments to my protocol for my second IVF and was very detailed about the changes. We totally trusted him and knew we were in great hands. When I became pregnant, he always was concerned about how I was feeling so he can provide the proper care during the first few very sensitive months. I was expecting twins and there were a couple of appointments where baby B's heart rate could not be found immediately. Dr. Tourgeman decided refer to a perinatologist sooner than usual so we can be sure baby B was in fact growing and healthy. I could not be more grateful for his decision to do this, baby B was in fact very healthy and my mind and heart were finally at ease. All in all, Dr. T is amazing.

Don't be afraid to ask questions, Dr. T always answers your questions honestly and can totally be trusted.

I can't remember too much, but my first cycle seemed like a normal protocol. I was given the hormone injections and trigger shot needed to create the surplus of eggs, went through the egg retrieval, then placed on another medication to prepare my uterus for the embryo transfer. Once the transfer was done, I believe I was placed on another medication, but the first IVF did not work. For my second cycle, we kept everything the same with the exception of a couple of items. 1, An Endometrial Biopsy was done to get a closer look at my uterine lining and 2, i did acupuncture to increase blood flow to my uterus. Not sure if any of these slight adjustments are what helped, but my second IVF was successful.

Since it was about 5 years ago, I can't really remember specific costs. I do know my insurance at the time covered 1 IVF so I believe we paid a total of $12,000 for 2 fresh IVF cycles

He is a kind & compassionate man. But that's all the positives i have to share. He fumbled my case entirely. I only wish i had realized it while it was happening. On my first IVF, we were transferring 3 embryos. I was 39. He never: 1) told me about PGS or PGD testing. I wouldve done this in a heartbeat. He almost acted "against it". He was not aggressive at all. On my 2nd IVF w/him, it was ME who insisted on PGD testing - lo & behold, all my embs came back complex abnormal. He absolutely shouldve suggested this for my 1st IVF considering my age. He wouldve saved me crucial time (and money). Everything for me is out-of-pocket expense :( 2) i have thyroid disease. Before we transferred that 1st batch of 3 embryos, i asked him to re-check my thyroid. Both he & the nurse said it wasn't necessary as they had checked it 1.5 months earlier. I INSISTED & explained that my thyroid could go erratic at any moment. So they did a blood test & a week before my embryo transfer he called me and said "wow - you were right. Your thyroid is off. I'm calling in a new prescription for you right away! Start taking it today!" I did so & all 3 of those embs failed. Since then, two other doctors have read my chart. They both said, "he should've never transferred those embryos. Thyroid meds take a couple of months to have effect. He should've held off on transferring those embryos to make sure your thyroid levels were healthy first." Both doctors also said "and those were healthy looking embryos too." It makes me SO mad i could cry. 3) he never did genetic testing on me or my husband. I have since learned that this is the FIRST thing competent fertility doctors do. He never even mentioned it to me. 4) he never talked about supplements or vitamins either (Coq10 or DHEA). When i went to my 2nd doctor, she put me right on these vitamins. And guess what? Within 1.5 months, I was NATURALLY pregnant for the 1st time in my life. I miscarried (the baby had downs syndrome :(...but bottom line, that baby was still chromosomally healthier than anything Tourgemann was able to get me with his "high dosage recipe". I almost want to cry re-hashing all of this!!! He was incompetent & a colossal waste of key years for me in regards to my fertility.

Don't go. Much better doctors out there. Find one who customizes your medicine protocol to YOU specifically. Also, when my first transfer of 3 embs failed, he didn't even change my meds to try something new. He went back to his lazy, usual "recipe". Disaster. The two other doctors pointed this out to me.

See previous responses. Too angry to discuss any further...

I probably spent about 12k on two ivfs (24k) & maybe 5k on each IUI ( hard to remember). I spent about 30-35k cash on this wasted cause.

Explained earlier...

He is the most genuine person ever, explains you what he is doing, and really cares for you, he wants your best and knows a lot about different protocols. I used to be on lovenox, and instead of having me continue he stopped it, he knew that I did not need it, even if the previous dr told me I did. I went to see him desperate at 42 with a history of 4 previous miscarriages, in oct 2010, by august 2011 I became a mom of twins, and by june 2013 my daughter was born. ( she was conceived with the twins but after the first pgd pre genetic diagnosis she did not look good, so dr Tourgeman transferred only the 3 that were good 100%) then he told me if you want, I can sent the embryos left to do pgd again, and after few days he called me, “ you have a good embryo left, she is a girl, she is in the freezer” I have 3 kids thanks to dr Tourgeman and his great laboratory.

Trust him and his judgment , he knows what he is doing and his lab its the best in the country. Trust this review because its the truth, stop shopping around go straight to dr Tourgeman.

I do not remember, was in 2010, but he adjusts the medicine at every blood work, and he knows what he is doing.

20.000

Dr. Tourgeman was a great communicator throughout our entire process. I always felt that he was proceeding with my best interests in mind. He always made sure my husband and I understood everything that was being planned and he was great with follow up.

To have your questions and concerns prepared to ask. Also if and when you do become pregnant through HRC, to ask about any follow up or whatnot that should go to your OB/GYN. That is the one thing I did not think to ask.

Dr. Tourgeman recommended a multiple embryo transfer (after doing a 5 day blast). I wanted 2, he recommended 3 because of the statistics. Husband and I agreed with 3. Two ended up not taking but one did.

Dr T was very professional and intelligent, yet still able to maintain friendly bedside manner. I felt like he took the time to review my case and adjust each cycle as needed. He always kept me in the loop and warned me of possible side effects.

Ask questions! Advocate for yourself if you don't understand or need to clarify instructions. Dr T is amazing and I fully trust him, but always remember it's your body, trust your instincts.

Unsuccessful clomid round with ObGyn. Moved on to IUI with stims with Dr T, but unfortunately had to cancel due to producing too many follicles. Currently finishing IVF with results tbd.

~15-20k

Dr. T was only available for some of my appointments. Generally I was seen by a nurse or his PA (who I didn't really like or trust). I had surgery with him and got really ill afterwards. He didn't seem concerned so I left his practice and went to another clinic.

Go see someone else

I did 3 IUIs, two with CLomid and one with injectables. I feel like they always missed the timing of the trigger shot and the timing of the IUI. It was always so stressful.

$2000 IUI with Clomid and $3000-$3500 IUI with injectables.

Strengths: caring, compassionate, knowledgeable, personally relatable in the IVF process as his child was conceived through IVF. He's incredibly attentive, kind and humble. Weaknesses: he seems tired all the time but that's to be expected in his line of work!

Eat lots of mono unsaturated fats! Like avocados and nuts

He advised as he saw appropriate for our situation and diagnosis and we chose to trust him and follow his suggested protocol.

Dr. Tourgeman is a great doctor - he is positive and upbeat and seems to really care for his patients. He never rushed me out of appointments and seemed knowledgeable and mostly up to date. When he didn't have an answer, he gave referrals to top LA doctors.

Like any RE, he can be busy. Be organized with your questions of tou want to get the most out of your appointments.

I don’t really recall specifics.

I don’t recall costs.

No

He had great bed side manner. He answered all questions and took his time to listen to any concerns we had. He took charge and told us what we needed to do next where my previous doctor did not and left us unsure if next steps. When issues came up he knew how to handle them.

To trust his advise

We first had to remove some tissue from my uterus to ensure the embryo could attach. We then tried IUI a get time. To be more aggressive we moved to IVF and did the genetic testing

My insurance paid most of it. I had to pay 5000 for IVF and had several other bills as well

I wanted to try one first since we did th genetic testing. If that didn't work we were doing to put two in the next time

I saw Dr. Tourgeman and he immediately suggested the donor egg route without any blood test and just one ultrasound. He did not explain why that was his recommendation. Additionally, even after being told that I had irregular periods, he insisted that I wait for my next period for an HSG test. To me, this shows that he did not listen to my symptoms.

Seek a second opinion

He was very compassionate and never made me feel rushed. Cautious about promising results but optimistic about outcomes. It helped to have his opinion and I trust him and his medical judgement

Ask questions but don't let the Internet stats get you down. Set realistic expectations for potential risks

Dr seems knowledgeable but doesn't really personalize solutions. He also isn't involved in the process much. I often see nurses.

You need to know what you want and stay on top of things with the office otherwise details will slip through the cracks

I am partially insured for fertility but have heard his fees are cheap.

I came to Dr. Tourgeman (at age 36) because a friend of mine with severely low AMH levels for her age (40), got pregnant the first time doing IVF with him. I also read amazing reports for HRC as one of the leading fertility clinics. Dr. Tourgeman was the first doctor to actually treat me for Infertility. I had previously had a consultation with another doctor (Dr. Payman Sadaat) but I just didn't feel completely comfortable with him. Dr. Tourgeman, on the other hand, seemed kind, knowledgable and had proved with my friend to be effective. Unfortunately for me, I am a complex case, because I have suffered from Hypothalamic Dysfunction for most of my life. I have only ever had one natural period (at age 16). All other Periods were assisted by the contraceptive pill or HRT from age 17 onwards. This did not seem to be a major issue for Dr. Tourgeman. He suggested I have multiple different tests to ensure there were no other underlying issues. He ordered a standard HSG (hysterosalpingogram) Test with Iodine Contrast which was clear, there were no obstructions in the Fallopian Tubes. After further testing and during my third consultation with Dr. Tourgeman, he concluded that I had a “Septum” in my uterus, that could present a problem when getting pregnant. I sent my test results to my OBGYN and she couldn’t see this “Septum” he was talking about. I should have asked for another opinion, but I trusted Dr. Tourgeman and proceeded to have surgery to remove such “Septum”. I was given some medication (I can’t remember the name) prior to the operation to assist with opening up the area, for easy access and was simply told I would have some cramping. I am no fuss-pot, the HSG was not at all painful to me, which it has been for others, I was ok with the cramping. But whatever medication he gave me, was giving me actual contractions and I found myself in agony the night prior to the surgery, on the floor, not knowing what was happening to me. Literally, my pelvic bones had moved. The following day I was put to sleep, under full anaesthesia, and he went in… when I woke up after the surgery he said there was “so much tissue” inside, he couldn’t find the septum and had to abort his mission. I was in a lot of pain after the procedure and had bleeding for 28 days straight. I had to see another doctor (Dr. Peck) at HRC because I was at this point I was very concerned and Dr. T was away. She said it wasn’t normal what I was experiencing, she helped stop the bleeding and gave me some proper pain meds (I had had to take the medicine I hadn’t needed for the HSG because they just kept telling me to take Tylenol, which wasn’t strong enough). I should have switched docs right then! Afterwards I was asked by Dr. T to do an MRI of my Pelvic area. Again, it all showed all was clear. He consulted with a few of his colleagues at HRC, none could see the “Septum” he was seeing. He even sent it to a specialist, which I had to pay $$ for him to review — he also said there was no sign of a Septum. So I underwent surgery for absolutely no reason. I also went through so much pain, stress, aggravation, expenses — all in vain. All he could tell me was, that he didn’t understand what was going on, because he really thought he could see something there and not only that, but during testing he had noticed that my Uterus was quite small and that I would likely need a surrogate. At that time (in 2016) my AMH levels were decent so that wasn’t an issue, but he did say some very alarming things; like I would need a surrogate because my Uterus was small. The fact that he was “seeing” things no one else could see was not only discouraging, but it left me with absolutely no faith in him. Needless to say, I moved on to another doctor!

Get a second opinion!

He didn’t tell us we could use frozen eggs. He only discussed live donor. At the time, We didn’t know there was a difference financially speaking. We were led to believe our only option was using a live donor which was upwards of $45k.

Pick another doctor at HRC.

Consultation only

$45k IVF with live donor

Dr T was great at explaining most things and one thing I had to accept is there is a lot you do not control with this process and even though you ask the questions sometimes there isn't an answer to why, it just is.

Understand that while some of it we can control, a lot of it we cannot.

Gonal F & Menopur, followed by Cetrotide and trigger shot. I had egg freezing done while I was 35 and still single and then had another retrieval while with my husband. First round made three embryos second round made one. Had surgery for uterine septum and one transfer.

40,000

Doc wanted us to transfer one embryo. He educated us on the risk of having multiples. In the end my husband and I wanted to put it into gods hands on boy girl or both so we went with two embryos. Only the girl survived. I was kind of taken back that they brushed off the one just "not implanting". Yes I was ecstatic I had successful transfer of one but was pretty down in the beginning we lost an embryo. It all worked out the way it was meant to and we have a healthy baby girl.

As mentioned earlier, Dr. Tourgeman is very compassionate, humble, caring, and a great listener. He does not rush patients even if what they say is not of much importance. All these attributes are important and highly essential for IVF treatment and not to be taken for granted. He is very experienced and my husband and I trust him.

Dr. Tourgeman will not make you feel inadequate or anything less because of fertility issues. Here in Texas so many ivf docs will try to bring you down and that it is your fault. Not Dr. Tourgeman. I highly recommend him.

This is confidential. I will not give you my confidential information or how Dr. Tourgeman adjusted my treatment.

probably around $30K