Edward Tarnawa

Knowledgeable. Down to earth and willing to explain the mechanics of fertility in laymen’s terms when pressed. I do wish there was more focus on wholistic wellness for fertility including nutrition, exercise and mental health.

Have questions prepared before you go. By nature the process can often feel like overwhelming and the Dr usually had one foot out the door before you have time to sort through all information.

Agonist and Flare I believe. They were not very good about communicating which protocol is being used,

In my case, the doctor and practice supported transferring 1 egg

I absolutely loved being Dr. Tarnawa's patient. He had the biggest heart and most compassion I have ever seen in any doctor. He leaves no stone unturned when he is making sure that everyone of his patients has the best possibly for success in whatever they may be trying to achieve.

The best advice I can give is to let Doctor Tarnawa do whatever test or procedure he believes is necessary. No matter how much you don't want it or even if you think it is unnecessary. He is trying to give you the best chance possible.

When I first started seeing Doctor Tarnawa I was all but ready to start an IUI cycle with my former doctor. At our first appointment he sat down with my husband and I and went over what he thought of our previous plans and what he believed should be done. After discussions we decided since I am a carrier of DMD that we would go with an IVF cycle with PGT. Being overweight I needed to reach a certain BMI in order for the IVF to be done. Once I achieved the weight goal and went through all the testing he required, ultrasounds, genetic test for my parents, and medication for embryo retrieval. He retrieved 3 eggs, 2 became embryos, and 1 egg came back genetically normal. He found that I had a uterine polyp and preformed the removal of it. I went through the medication procedure and he transferred my one embryo, which didn't take. He checked in on my husband and I afterwards and gave us hope for the future.

My insurance provided a once in a lifetime $20000 fertility treatment coverage and $10000 fertility medication coverage. The clinic dealt with the insurance company and I just paid copays.

I agree with his approach to eSET.

Dr. Tarnawa is both empathetic and factual. Meaning, he helps my husband and I understand the steps involved in our plan detail by detail. He has drawn pictures for us and taken phone calls to help us feel good about our decisions and walk us through the facts while being very patient and understanding.

Be flexible. Just because there’s a protocol in place doesn’t mean it’s an exact science. We have changed our plans a little but that’s all it is. Readjusting and taking small steps. Never be afraid to ask your questions! That’s what they’re there for.

We used a Clomid protocol at first for IUI. That gave me a bad headache so we switched to Letrozole. For IVF we used a more aggressive protocol. BC 5 days before starting my new cycle and Gonal f and low dose Hcg. I did that antagonist protocol for 4 days and unfortunately a lead follicle took off. Instead this time we are using estrace and omnitrope with Gonal f and hcg to help the follicles grow together. We start this round tomorrow.

It was about $12k or $15k for IVF with genetic testing. I don’t know that that includes meds. IUI was around $1000 first time and $600 the next without the HSG test.

Typically his approach is single embryo transfer for lessening the risk of multiples. I don’t see an issue with this if it’s a safer approach.

He always put my mind at ease with his extensive knowledge. I would love to see him more in the treatments but at the same time he is always willing to jump on a call or schedule a meeting if necessary.

Don’t be afraid to ask a million questions and come prepared for your meetings so you get the best of your time.

I have endometriosis and one blocked Fallopian tube and my husband has low sperm count. Husband was put on clomid which we saw amazing results with that treatment for him. We were given a less than 5% chance of getting pregnant on our own and that IVF would be the best option for us. He didn’t think that IUI would work for us but was willing to give us 3 chances. After that he felt we would be throwing money away. (Loved the honesty!) We did our first IUI in October and resulted in a biochemical pregnancy. We were devastated. We had never seen a positive pregnancy test before and they short lived joy of that was really hard when we got our blood test results. Dr. Tarnawa and the nurses explained what that meant and why it can happen and gave us so much peace. We had to skip November’s cycle due to hormone levels taking awhile to come back to normal. We were scheduled to do another IUI in December and found out the day before Christmas that our IUI was cancelled due to my dominant follicle being on the side with the blocked tube. (Devastated was an understatement.) We did our second IUI in January and we were both on clomid and I had 1 trigger shot. We also did daily progesterone vaginal suppositories to help in case my lining was too thin and that could be a reason for a biochemical pregnancy. We found out 2 weeks later that it didn’t work. (4th month in a row of devastating news.) We met with Dr. Tarnawa in January and had the hard conversation of deciding to skip our 3rd IUI opportunity and moving to IVF. IVF increases our chances from 5% to 65%. I have a very high AMH which should give good results in follicle counts and eliminating the need to follow my bodies natural cycle and eliminating the use of the Fallopian tubes should give us the best results in having our own family!

I believe we are at about $5,000 and it will being jumping to $20,000 in the next 2 months.

Dr. Tarnawa and I only spoke by phone due to him being in a different city. I spent a good bit of the time speaking with the nurses he had in charge of the IVF process. He would keep a close eye on all my scans and work done and adjust things as needed based on results. I felt confident that he was doing what was best for the optimal results.

If you are not going to the Charleston, SC be prepared to be seen by another Dr. instead of him, although all results do go to him and he makes the final decisions.

There were a few set backs in my process. The first occured whenever we were completing egg retrieval. My hormonal levels were not where they were suppose to be, he then waited another week to see if my follicles would grow even more and adjusted my medication. That seemed to help a lot. We also had a set back before transfer time, where my hormone levels and my lining of my uterus were not quite where they needed to be. He then decided to wait a week to give it more time before we moved forward.

$6,000, after insurance

Dr. Tarnawa has been great each time that I have met him. He took over Dr. Singleton's practice and took the time to introduce himself. He always explains himself very clearly and makes sure that you leave your consultation/office visit understanding what treatment/procedures lie ahead.

Do it...become a patient! Be at ease and take that first move...you won't regret it!

The iui that I had he prescribed clomid. This was my first time using Clomid and he made sure that monitoring was involved and then prior to the iui the trigger shot was given with the iui in 36 hours. Unfortunately, the procedure resulted in a negative pregnancy test. It is by no means a result of what Dr. Tarnawa did or didn't do. My God is the creator of life and Dr. Tarnawa is a tool used to help obtain this precious life. I'm a little older being 40, so we have decided that the 6th iui would be the last and we would be moving on the IVF.

The procedure for the iui cost roughly 2500 with medications included. We are currently looking at doing IVF and the estimates in prices were from 9700 to 12 700 without meds.

E.T did my actual egg retrieval, then my transfer was moved from frozen to fresh and another doctor did the embryo transfer. (Even though E.T was there the day of the transfer, he didn't talk to me or tell me another doctor was doing the transfer)

He does his job but thats all, not personable or friendly.

Was told IVF was the only route for us (I believe cause it cost more, it is what was pushed) Male factor infertility. So, we did egg and sperm retrieval and embryo transfer at 5days (was told we'd do frozen but it was changed last minute and we were never told why). Overall we got what we paid for our beautiful son. However I feel the entire process was rushed and very systematic no one really connected with us personally it was like they asked what had to be asked, collected money along the way and that was that. I don't feel like ANYONE thorough the entire process truly cared about us or our situation or if it took or not. After my pregnancy was confirmed in office, I never even got so much as a call or email asking how it was going, if I ever delivered or anything.

Not cheap, paid up front or payment plans made before being seen. Roughly $25,000 overall. You can either pay upfront or go in debt and "finance" the entire process. Medications are paid upfront.

I wanted multi was told it was my first so they were only willing to try one. multi was not an option.

The first time I met with Dr. Tarnawa was during my chemical pregnancy. It was urgent that I came in for a ulItrasound to make sure it was not ectopic. It was the holiday season and my primary doctor was not available. Dr. Tarnawa was very patient and kind. He explained everything before it happened and was proactive with the next steps that needed to happen. After me and my husband's last failed IUI we had a consultant with Dr. Tarnawa and he talked with us about the IVF process. Dr. Tarnawa took his time to explain the process and even drew a picture to help us visually see, since I am a visual person. Going into the consultation I was nervous and was thinking of the worst, but Dr. Tarnawa made me and my husband feel comfortable and we did not feel like a number. When we left the consultation we felt hopeful.

That I would highly recommend him.

My primary doctor Dr. Nichols who was great developed my treatment strategies. Most communication and plans were discussed with his nurse.

Most of my treatment was with Dr. Nichols. Cannot recall.

N/A

Dr T is AMAZING. I suffered a previous miscarriage, and am a very “needy” and anxious patient. He takes time to explain everything in detail, and takes time to answer any questions and concerns you may have. He doesn’t sugar coat things and is very straight forward which I like, but has a very warm bedside manor. He is very very intelligent and I completely trust his opinion in my treatment. I am currently pregnant from my first round of IVF. He is monitoring me very closely, and I feel as though I have the best doctor in Columbia. I went to another clinic in lexington that also had a location in Charleston. You have to rotate doctors there, or travel to see the same one. At PREG, I only see Dr T as he is always in Columbia.

Trust him!!! He knows what he is talking about!

I opted to do IVF with genetic testing. I am not sure of the cost, but the genetic testing was worth the extra money to me due to my previous miscarriage.

Single embryo transfer.

Dr. Tarnawa was thorough and patient. He explained things well and never seemed to be rushing us out the door. He seems to be a genuine person who cares about his patients. His greatest weakness is that he left my clinic and moved to another state!

I'd encourage any patient of any doctor to learn as much about their own situation as possible and ask any questions you have. Once you feel comfortable that you have all the information you need, trust Dr. Tarnawa to do the best he can to help you.

We did a freeze-all IVF cycle using Bravelle, Menopur, and Ganirelix injections. After egg retrieval, we did ICSI followed later by PGS testing of the embryos. This was all done because we were "unexplained" and didn't know where our problem was so we decided to do as much as we could to ensure this was the only retrieval cycle we'd have to do. When we did the frozen transfer I was on birth control, lupron injections, estrogen patches and PIO injections followed by suppositories. Our first and only cycle with Dr. Tarnawa was successful and resulted in the birth of our daughter.

I don't recall specifics, but I believe that the total of everything from the egg retrieval, PGS, transfer, and medications came in around $25,000. We were completely out of pocket.

While Dr. Tarnawa was great at explaining PCOS to me and going through all the initial blood test results, I felt like I was a number instead of a human. He recommended weight loss surgery - something that is major and permanent (also something my insurance doesn't cover). Despite telling him that I could get letters from my therapist, psychiatrist, and dietician that weight loss was not safe for me, he pushed it.

If you're a standard weight, it's fine. Come with lots of questions! He is good at answering them and putting you at ease.

He was easy to communicate with and easily accessible as well. We lived 2 hours from his office and felt that he respected our time given the travel we had to put into our treatment. He answered our questions and respected our decision to agressively pursue pregnancy.

Don’t be afraid to tell him your concerns or be embarrassed of your goals. He will fulfill them for you.

Bloodwork, ovulation observation, examination, x-ray and opening of Fallopian tubes, clomid, HCG, IUI

Our insurance did not cover infertility. The staff was wonderful about explaining the charges and had a nice “cash” fee discount

Dr Tarnawa always took our ideas into account. He would explain why we were doing certain things. He always made himself readily available for us when we had questions. We are currently suffering from reoccurring loss with normal embryos and he’s been very compassionate while telling us what he thinks. He has been by far one of the best drs we’ve had fertility and non fertility wise and would constantly recommend him.

Trust his advice. If you have any questions ask! He’s very easy to talk to and has thought out explanations.

Transfers- Lupron depot, Estradiol, PIO, letrozole, northindrone, lovenox, medrol

After multiple chemicals and a miscarriage we were recommended to transfer 2.

He reviewed my treatment and diagnosis at my previous clinic and was willing to explain my diagnosis in more detail than my previous RE and was open to hearing what my experience has been like and how I want to proceed.

Don't be afraid to ask questions or express concerns.

I haven't done any cycles with him but will do IVF if my current IUI fails.

No costs yet.

Our experience with Dr. Tarnawa couldn’t have been any better! Our diagnosis was secondary infertility after conceiving our first two children without any problems, and my husband and I felt that our concerns were taken seriously by Dr. Tarnawa. We had been to another very popular clinic in Charleston where we felt very much like a number and that our concerns as secondary infertility patients were dismissed. We were so happy to begin treatment with Dr. Tarnawa, and the treatment he recommended (IVF with PGS testing of embryos) was successful and brought us our precious third child!

We did IVF with PGS testing of embryos.

$30K total

A single embryo transfer was recommended and that is what we did

He was an excellent doctor. I'd see him again. I just hate that the embryos didnt take. Id love to try it again, but I dont have enough cash. He was always on time. Told us the good and the bad and always offered the best solutions.

I think that he did everything by the book. Was clinical and straight forward and easy to access.

They had everything mapped out to times and dates, and what to take and everything. It was a nice experience. Just hate that we didnt get a baby out of the deal.

It was high. But it was what we expected.

Everything was fine. They did all that they could.

He is such a genuine and understanding doctor. Very smart, he made us so confident about pregnancy which was something we had lost and thought never to be found again. He is the really deal. He will be the next big name in IVF treatment for the state of S.C

Don’t waste your time going to anyone else but him. You won’t regret it.

Very personanable and understanding. Always go above and beyond to make me feel comfortable and explains everything very well. When I leave his office I don’t have a question that hasn’t been answered for that visit.

You made a good choice

Letrozole. 2 wand ultrasounds. Scheduled intercourse. And 2 weeks later pregnancy test

Over $2000 for one year so far

Dr. Tarnawa won us over with his kind smile and greeting as soon as we first met him! He has always made sure we were very comfortable and took time to really listen to our story and fertility background. We love that he listens but love even more that he cares enough to share information about himself and his family! He is very respectful of our wants and desires and never once made us feel unheard or uncomfortable when expressing our thoughts and beliefs. He is always really great at explaining every step with understandable language and drawings for us. We have always loved the way he tells us our realistic chances but also reassures us with statistical hope at the same time. Almost every doctor has mastered the knowledge of their specialty, but a great doctor is also one that takes time to really care and know their patient and Dr. Tarnawa has mastered both. He not only remembers our faces when we meet but also our personal story without having to read it in a chart. While I wish that I had something to critique Dr. Tarnawa about to make this review more balanced, he really is the best doctor my husband and I have ever had the pleasure of seeing and we look forward to working with him till our prayers are answered with a BFP!

One piece of advice that I would give a prospective patient of Dr. Tarnawa is to not be afraid to express their hopes, dreams, goals or fears to him. He is always ready to listen and answer any questions you have and will never make you feel like a number in a chart!

Dr. Tarnawa suggested the IVF procedure for us since we had been trying for a little over two years with no luck and have a history of secondary infertility, however we chose to do clomid and injectables because it was the cheapest option. We have not gotten pregnant yet, but because of Dr. Tarnawa laying out all the statistics we knew what results to prepare for and how long it may take!

$110 for SA $500 iui $190 day 12 ultrasound 12,500 for IVF not including meds

Very knowledgeable and encouraging. Explained processes in a lot of detail, which is my preference. He also went above and beyond to look up extra information about a test result that was a little off for me. Only reason I rated an 8 instead of a 10 is that we haven't been successful yet, but I am hoping we get there soon!

Don't be afraid to ask questions! He is a wealth of knowledge and is happy to answer, you just have to ask!

We started with letrozol and timed intercourse as I was having irregular cycles. We have now moved on to IUI as my husband's count was also a little low. We wanted to be conservative at first since I am relatively young and Dr. T did not think there was a hurry, but we are anxious to start a family so are ready to do IVF if this next round of IUI doesn't work.

So far, it's been about $1200, after insurance which covers 70% after my deductible.

From what I remember in our first meeting, Dr. T says he generally only does single embryo transfer as statistically its just as successful without the stress of twins. As much as I wouldn't mind twins and the idea of only one pregnancy and being done is appealing, I have also heard that it's a much harder pregnancy and much more stress, so I am totally fine with eSET!

I loved my experience seeing Dr. T. He was a great listener and I could tell he was really hearing me as I told him my story. He answered all of my (sometimes annoying) questions. He confirmed some of what I already knew and also pointed out some things I didn’t. I learned so much from my consultation appointment.

I suppose to come prepared with what you want to learn, know, and understand from your appointment. You’ll be in great hands and don’t have anything to worry about. Nothing felt too clinical and everyone was so nice and compassionate.

We only went for the initial consultation and sperm analysis. But, everything he reviewed with me was so thorough. I learned so much in just one appointment. Crazy enough, I found out I was pregnant on the same day my husband went in for his sperm analysis. However, we miscarried shortly afterward. I have been waiting to go back for a follow-up appointment.

With insurance, the most expensive treatment (IVF), would have been around $8000.

He was compassionate and caring, but also not afraid to consult with another physician to find the best path forward for me. I think I covered that in my previous answer and I really have no more to add. He was compassionate and caring, but also not afraid to consult with another physician to find the best path forward for me.

Come with your questions, even the ones that seem pretty silly or like something you think everyone else knows because he does a good job of explaining things on your level and adjusts very well to varying degrees of familiarity with certain topics.

The strategy for me was an abdominal myomectomy after a failed hysterscopic myomectomy. He arrived at that treatment after a SHG and MRI showed at least 3 fibroids inside the uterine cavity. I have had 2 unmedicated cycles of lab work recently and previous records that indicate that I ovulate on my own. Having finally reached 12 weeks post-op, I can try to conceive naturally for 2-3 cycles before intervention.

Dr. Tarnawa is a good communicator and he makes sure to explain not only the recommended course of treatment but also the reason that course of action was chosen. Dr. Tarnawa always provides us with a thorough explanation of the risks and benefits of the various choices facing us. He is sharp, and I appreciate that he takes the time to fulling explain things to a point we understand them.

I would just say the he is very busy and you won't see him at every visit, but rest assured he is involved/supervising every step of the way.

My wife suffers from PCOS and does not have a regular cycle/doesn't ovulate on her own. Dr. Tarnawa examined her thoroughly and said that we could take medicine that would cause her to ovulate. He explained clomid and letrozole could both cause ovulation. He told us the positives and negatives of using each and allowed us to make the choice. We went with letrozole and after getting a base line reading of her follicle size, we completed a round of the medication and he began to measure her follicles shortly after to see the growth. He wanted a follicle to reach 20 mm. He also made sure to measure her endometrium to see its thickening. My wife's body responded and a follicle measured 20 mm so a trigger shot of ovidrel was administered. We then had an IUI, not the immediately falling day, but the day after that. The first time we discovered she did not ovulate. He increased the dosage amount of the letrozole for the second IUI attempt and followed the same procedure as before. This time she did ovulate and we home tested positive for pregnancy but it ultimately ended up being a chemical pregnancy. We followed the same procedure for our third IUI and got eleven weeks into a pregnancy but miscarried. We just completed our fourth IUI, again following the same procedure of taking letrozole, three 2.5 tablets per day for seven days, measuring follicle growth and endometrium response, doing a trigger shot after one follicle reaches 20mm or more, and the IUI a day and a half later.

We have to pay for ultrasounds, blood draws, testing, semen analysis, IUIs, consultations, lab work.

We have not engaged in either of those.

Dr. Tarnawa always takes the time to explain everything throughly. I am a ob/gyn nurse and was afraid he was going to assume I already knew about IVF. I was wrong. He always takes time to explain everything in great detail. He does not "sugar coat" the negative side of treatments. He explains the risk at each step of the process but he always gives an explanation of how is going to try to avoid any negative outcomes if possible. He does most ultrasounds himself and explains what he is looking out during the scan. He only explains one step of the IVF process at a time. I am a planner therefore I wanted to know what was going on over the following few weeks. Looking back, I appreciate him taking things one step at a time as I feel that it helped me from becoming overwhelmed.

If there is anything you don't understand, ask! He is great at explaining things on a level you can understand. My husband has no medical background but always had a clear understanding of everything when we left PREG.

I don't remember the specific protocol but I do know we use to lupron trigger instead of a HCG trigger. We had 17 eggs at retrieval. 13 were fertilized. 6 made it to day 5 for cryopreservation. We are waiting for transfer at this point.

We do not have fertility coverage so everything was self pay. You must pay the say of your procedure, ultrasound, consultation, etc. The cost they quote you for IVF does not include medications. They give an estimate of what medication will cost. My medication cost more than the estimated amount. They give a breakdown of everything included in the cost of your treatment. Baseline ultrasounds are not included in the cost of IVF.

PREG gives specific guidelines on the number of embryos you can transfer. Typically one embryo is transfered first.

Dr Tarnawa is a knowledgeable, kind, understanding, creative and flexible provider. He is through in his explanations and like to get to the bottom of things. He includes the patient in the treatment plan, giving me the option to wait longer to pursue an IUI. His consultation was detailed and provided me and my husband with lots of information and educational material. I really felt comfortable around him and trusted his input and suggestions.

Be patient and flexible. Ask as many questions as you can to feel comfortable.

I completed one round of Clomid for 5 days right after my period. Unfortunately my cycle was 42 days which was rare for me so I did have to come in for multiple ultrasounds along the way. I did end up with follicles that we’re mature and received and injection right before the IUI was completed. The pregnancy test results were negative and when I came back in for the next cycle I had a large cyst so took a month break. I decided to take another month break with my schedule but plan on going back for my next cycle to try another attempt at IUI if I am not pregnant by then.

My deducatable had not been met so costs added up to about $700 for me to personally pay for the one IUi because of multiple ultrasounds

Not applicable