Successful
Dr. Brown was very honest, made us feel like we were the only patients, took his time to explain process, procedure and plan. He scheduled retrievals and transfers when the timing was best for eggs and embryos, even if it meant weekends...He was very meticulous and thorough throughout the course...He does not have the warmest bedside manner but I did feel like he valued me as a patient and cared
She [Reproductive Institute of South Texas nurse] was very organized, would go over the plan with me, answer any questions, she'd always call me back, she was very knowledgeable...His clinic is easy to get to and it made it easy for me while I was working. People will answer the phone. Retrieval and transfer in the same clinic. It is close to the pharmacy. It is close to the lab. It is clean.
How was your experience with Esteban Brown at Reproductive Institute of South Texas?
Dr. Brown was my second IVF specialist. I had already been treated in Houston with IUI, IVF fresh cycle and had remaining frozen embryos in Houston when we started seeing Dr. Brown. I had not gotten pregnant. In our initial consult with Dr. Brown, he showed much confidence explaining what he thought had been the issue and how we'd work through it and that we would get pregnant. We did not achieve pregnancy with the frozen embryos from Houston, but our first fresh cycle with Dr. Brown, we got pregnant. He was very meticulous and thorough throughout the course. He had us see him more often than the specialist in Houston adjusting doses along the way. It wasn't just the set plan I had experienced before - here is your schedule now follow it and we will see you on such and such date. No, with Dr. Brown it was "this is the dose for these days and we will rescan or we will draw a lab and we will readjust". It was very important for him to get us pregnant, and I think he feels this way for all his patients. Later, we wanted to get pregnant again. This time we also had a surrogate. Both she and I got pregnant with a fresh cycle. Dr. Brown is very dedicated. Dr. Brown is very honest. He does not have the warmest bedside manner but I did feel like he valued me as a patient and cared. Compared to my previous IVF doctor, I had a better relationship with Dr. Brown.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Esteban Brown at Reproductive Institute of South Texas?
Dr. Brown is honest. He is experienced. Be prepared to hear what he thinks it will take to get you pregnant and trust him. IVF can be a very emotional course, have supportive partner, friend or family member.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Esteban Brown at Reproductive Institute of South Texas?
Dr. Brown's staff was very friendly, answered questions, they were compassionate and worked with my work schedule. Dr. Brown was very honest, made us feel like we were the only patients, took his time to explain process, procedure and plan. He scheduled retrievals and transfers when the timing was best for eggs and embryos, even if it meant weekends.
Describe the protocols Esteban Brown used in your cycles at Reproductive Institute of South Texas and their degree of success.
I'm sorry, I don't remember the medications it was so long ago. I do remember him making adjustments along the way based on scans and/or labs depending. I responded very well to his treatments. My previous IVF specialist sent me into hyperstimulation and I believe it was because it was not a personalized protocol or strategy. Dr. Brown tailors his protocols - You can't ask for anything better.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Reproductive Institute of South Texas.
Nursing staff was compassionate, friendly. My nurse coordinator - I wish I remembered her name - she was great. She was very organized, would go over the plan with me, answer any questions, she'd always call me back, she was very knowledgeable. Her demeanor was positive and happy, which made her very approachable and easy to talk to .
Describe your experience with Reproductive Institute of South Texas.
His clinic is easy to get to and it made it easy for me while I was working. People will answer the phone. Retrieval and transfer in the same clinic. It is close to the pharmacy. It is close to the lab. It is clean.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Esteban Brown at Reproductive Institute of South Texas.
It was comparable to my treatment in Houston.
Describe Esteban Brown's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Reproductive Institute of South Texas.
Dr. Brown gave us risks and benefits to single versus multiple embryo transfers along with success rates he's seen with both. He'd tell us how many best graded embryos we had, he recommended transfer 1-3 and then we decided how many embryos to transfer.