Michael Slowey

Dr Slowey is a great doctor. He is blunt and honest but also shows compassion. I appreciated that he didn’t sugar coat anything and told us exactly what our chances were. He was also great about explaining every step of the process. He explained it in medical terms but also “dumbed it down” for us too. He never made me feel like I was bothersome by asking for clarification or asking other questions. We had a few setbacks during our treatment and he always made it a point to make sure we knew it wasn’t our fault. During one follow up appt my husband was visibly upset (quiet and just not himself—which dr Slowey noticed). At my next appt he asked me how he was doing with everything. It definitely made me feel good that he 1- recognized my husband wasn’t acting himself 2- remembered he was having a hard time and 3- cared enough to ask me about it. We had success with our second frozen transfer with dr Slowey. We unfortunately don’t have any frozen embryos to try for another child but we will 100% be back to dr Slowey. We owe him everything for helping us create our baby and I’m hopeful he will help us have additional children.

Be ready to hear the truth. Dr Slowey tells you as it is and doesn’t sugar coat. Which is not a bad thing. False hope is not a good thing so him being upfront is a huge positive.

We used the antagonist protocol. We have male factor fertility and no female issues. He believed we could get a good number of eggs from me (which we did— 20 retrieved, 18 mature). I was on the lowest dose of every medication. He said this would help us get a good amount of eggs while also reducing my risk of OHSS (I did not get this)

I believe our egg retrieval was around 10,000 which included an embryo transfer. A frozen transfer was around 2,500

Dr Slowey said he would only transfer one embryo for us. I was young (25), had never been pregnant, and didn’t have any female fertility issues. We also didn’t have any transfer failures prior to this. He believed I could have success with a single transfer (which I did)

He was very upfront with what to expect from IVF and told me with my previously diagnosed diminished ovarian reserve that there really was no point in trying to use my own eggs (I was under 40 at the time). He laid out the plan that would give us the most positive results, which were successful. He did all of my pre-procedural tests and one transfer out of two (don't remember why Dr. Schnorr had to do the first one, but it wasn't a problem). I feel comfortable with him and how he explains everything, enough to go back for another round of donor egg IVF.

Ask as many questions as possible. The process is very complicated as every cycle is different. He was very upfront about the pros and cons of anything I asked and never seemed condescending or offended if I questioned why he preferred to do something a certain way.

I really don't remember the protocol strategy used as it was over 5 years ago, but I did use donor eggs so I didn't have to worry about the egg retrieval process. I did become pregnant with twins on the second transfer. We did opt to transfer our last 2 embryos (mainly because we were so tired of trying and failing) and he gave us the odds of 50% of having twins. Our twins are 5 years old and healthy today!

both treatments (2014 and 2020) were around $30,000. The first time we chose a single donor without using the split cycle option. I believe we got 3 cycles with this option with no refund if we weren't successful (really can't remember). For 2020, we are using the split cycle option with a full refund with three cycle attempts without successfully bringing a baby home.

Dr. Slowey did strongly recommend not transferring any more than two embryos since they were donor eggs from a young, healthy person.

Dr. Slowey is incredibly knowledgeable and very thorough. He does talk quickly sometimes but will slow down when you ask. He never made me feel like I was bothering him asking questions or wanting to know more. He would talk me through everything he was doing or seeing. He explained every step of the way. He is straight forward and would try to be very compassionate but sometimes his straightforwardness could get in the way. I would definitely go back to Dr.Slowey. Even today after having my girl he is so happy to see us visit the clinic and talks about how things are going.

If you need someone to hold your hand and talk sweet and soft to you this is not the doctor. If you want someone who is going to talk to give you the facts and be straightforward this is the doctor for you. Also never be afraid to ask questions! You are not bothering anyone when you do!

I did a fresh transfer with IVF. I did have to take extra days of Gonal F because my eggs didn't grow large enough as fast as expected. I did have a frozen transfer after miscarrying the first baby at 8 and half weeks. We did a D and C with Dr.Slowey. We did genetic testing and found nothing wrong there. We then prepares for a frozen transfer of my last 2 embryos. I had a live, full term birth in May 2017. Dr. Slowey did say that if I chose to do IVF again he would change some of my protocol because of my lack of response to the medicine during this round. He didn't elaborate on that at the time of the visit. We have not been able to go back to do another round due to money.

For my first consultation I believe the testing and all was around 200 dollars but insurance covered many of the blood tests. The IVF was 12,500. I spent 9500 for medicine. I had 800 in two procedures I had to be put under anesthesia but received some.of that back from insurance. My D and C was covered by insurance. The frozen transfer was 3000 but I was given medicine so I didn't not have to pay for those and I had a little left for insurance for that. All in all after 15000 in insurance we paid just under 18000 for everything, 2 transfers, all testing, monitoring, genetic testing and the D and C.

We discussed the concerns of doing two embryos but felt with my test results two was the best. He was very good about really looking and talking through this choice.

He was very thorough in clarifying our goals, understanding our concerns, and updating care plan and interventions to meet our needs. He was very available both phone and email and staff called me multiple times just to check in on me. He was also very good at presenting the facts and our difficult prognosis with compassion

Don’t be afraid to ask questions, he’s very kind and thorough and wants to make sure you feel comfortable with your decisions and plan

My treatment involved a lot of high doses due to my low function, I took hcg, max of gonal F, and another drug that burned a lot. Frequent blood tests and ultrasound to check progress with dose adjustments every 24-48 hours, it was a very specific and personalized approach. We managed to get 15 eggs and 4 good embryos so I’m over the moon

Well oiled machine and always speedy

Dr Slowey was about half of what we were paying and they had a lot more options

Not to this point yet

Doctor Slowey knows his job and has done a lot of research himself about infertility. I completely trust his judgement on our treatments. He can be blunt, but wants you to have an honest, realistic opinion. He is always friendly and genuinely mannered.

Be prepared for worst case scenario. He is honest and wants you to be prepared. Ask questions and be understanding. He knows what’s best and is extremely knowledgeable.

Doctor Slowey started us off with a low dose for our first IUI treatment which I appreciate. If overdosed, your cycle is likely to be canceled. He upped that dosage for our second IUI cycle and had the clinic monitor us closer. The cycle was perfect, but didn’t work due to our unexplained infertility. He is now suggesting move straight to IVF for sake of time, money, and emotional state which we agree on.

Our insurance doesn’t cover any fertility fees. We have paid out of pocket for every single appointment. Their prices were competitive with our local OB. Appointments were to be paid in full as they were administered in Mt. Pleasant. If we had an appointment in Myrtle Beach we could pay it at our next Mt. Pleasant visit which was convenient for us.

He was very stern on single embryo transfer. He explained due to our young age, healthy records, and no past miscarriages. Transferring 2 embryos can lead to a risky/dangerous pregnancy.

I think Dr. Slowey is a brilliant man. So brilliant that he might ignore or dismiss simplistic items that could improve treatment results. I've had mixed interactions with him ranging from very cold and short to very compassionate. I care more about him getting me pregnant than his bedside manner. But I haven't gotten pregnant yet, so my patience is growing thin.

I would say expect to do things his way in the beginning. I had so many cycles cancelled because he wanted to stick to his protocol. So either be very up front in your initial consultation about wanting an individualized plan or be patient. The problem with being patient though, is that time, money, and precious embryos may be wasted in the process.

IVF 1: Stimming and egg retrieval went well. We got 3 PGS tested normal embryos. The first transfer was cancelled due to my lining not thickening up and we went to transfer (just barely- again, due to lining) the following cycle. This resulted in a negative pregnancy test. We had a consult with Dr. Slowey following that failed transfer and he gave us the option to have the ERA test done, which we decided to move forward with. The ERA revealed that I was pre receptive which indicated adjustments needed to be made for the following cycle. The second transfer failed, after another two cancelled cycles due to my poor lining. I expressed my concern that I felt the protocol I was on was not working for my body, but he wanted to stick with it. We surprisingly moved directly into our third and final transfer for that round (it was our last embryo) which resulted in a chemical pregnancy. I felt so frustrated because I felt like my voice wasn't being heard and we ended up losing all of our precious embryos. In Dr. Slowey's defense, he was going off what the ERA told us and wanted to stick with the protocol that gave us that information. I understand that. IVF 2 & 3: My husband and I met with Dr. Slowey after our final failed transfer to discuss next steps. I was very clear in that consultation that I would not do another round of IVF if it entailed the same thing we did for nearly a year. He completely agreed and apologized profusely for all the time and heartache we wasted in the process. I think perhaps his experience with me as a patient has given him a new perspective on what might work for some, doesn't work for all. We decided to batch our second and third rounds because of my age and so that we could get more embryos to work with. We ended up with a combined 9 embryos, which were PGS tested, and only 5 were normal. Dr. Slowey tried a brand new protocol for my frozen transfer prep which entailed completely different medication than the previous 3 transfers. My lining seemed to respond much better right away! We just had our fourth frozen transfer three days ago, so I'm currently in my "two week wait" to see if this new protocol worked for me or not.

I really like the way monitoring is set up. It is every weekday morning between 7 and 9am, so it was very flexible.

Our first round was approximately $10,000, which included insurance assistance. Medication was an additional $1,700, PGS testing was an additional $3,250 and we were charged a "cycle management fee" of $900 per cycle (including all the cycles that were cancelled). Plus $400/yr for embryo storage (which we had to pay right before we lost our last embryo- so messed up). For the second and third round, we did the Attain program which cost $23,000 up front (which covered two egg retrievals, ICSI, embryology, and all frozen transfers), medication was paid for out of pocket for approximately $4,000, PGS testing was $3,250. Monitoring was not included in our Attain program, which was another $2,000-$3,000. Embryo storage $400/yr.

My doctor is adamant about transferring a single embryo when is PGS tested normal because it has a greater chance of splitting. Multiple pregnancies have a higher risk of preterm labor, and other health complications for the mother, and more health risks for the babies.

I always came away with the impression that Dr. Slowey is extremely knowledgeable in the field of fertility. I trust him with my care. I like that he is conservative in his approach and very well-informed. But the level of personalized care you receive from him leaves a lot to be desired. You rarely see or talk to him, and when you do, it is rushed and seems like he is rushing through your allotted time so he can move along to the next thing he has to do that day.

If you are looking for personalized, in-depth conversations and emotional guidance during your fertility treatment , this is probably not the right doctor for you. If you are more interested in no-nonsense, get-to-the point, knowledge and protocol-centered experience, then Dr. Slowey is a good choice.

Close to $40k for 8 rounds of Clomid, 1 IUI, and 2 rounds of IVF under the Atain insurance program (including monitoring and meds)

Dr. Slowey is very conservative. He will suggest single transfer unless you have unique circumstances.

Dr. Slowey was a very kind and professional doctor. I only met with him a few times but each time he made sure I understood anything I needed to know and answered any questions I had. He was very thorough in explaining the options we had and our diagnosis.

Make sure to write down any questions or concerns you may have to ask Dr. Slowey during your appointment. No question is a stupid one!

During my first IUI we used the lowest dosage of Gonal f and letrozole to hopefully prevent me from overstimulating. I only produced one follicle during my first cycle and unfortunately it was unsuccessful. On my second IUI we increased the amount of Gonal f injections as well as the dosage but had the same result, only one follicle and a negative pregnancy test.

My insurance covered the monitoring and blood work so I was left to pay for the procedure as well as the medicine. The IUI procedure cost $625 and the medicine was $300-350.

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At first Dr. Slowey did not seem to show much empathy but as our appointment went on and the discussion of not being able to afford IVF came up how personality shifted. He showed compassion and explained that he knew what it felt like to be in our position. He seems To be incredibly knowledgeable and was able to answer every question we had. Although we have only had one appointment thus far, we are looking forward to our appointments in April and hopefully starting the IVF process then as well. Dr. Slowey made us genuinely feel as though he wanted us to start our family as much as we do ourselves.

If male factor infertility (what our case is), be patient. Dr. Slowey will not start the IVF process until both male and female have had labs done, male has had genetic testing done and has gone to see the urology specialist recommended by Dr. Slowey. Very frustrating wait but I can appreciate covering all of the bases.

Initial visit, intrauterine ultrasound, semen analysis, all lab work, all covered by insurance. $400 for anesthesia for egg retrieval. Approx $11,800 for ivf with ICSI. $3,250 for embryo biopsy and PGD/PGS testing. We do not have a cost for medications yet as we are still awaiting for other test results.

Dr. Slowey was very compassionate, but honest with his answers to all of our questions and concerns. When all seemed hopeless, he was reassuring about our struggle with infertility.He was very thorough and caring.

Ask any questions and about any concerns, he will take the time, no matter how long it takes, to explain everything.

My husband and I went to Coastal for a consultation and had a follow up for checkup but have yet to complete the process due to the financial cost. We due not qualify for the infertility coverage our insurance offers due to the fact that my husband had a vasectomy during his first marriage. We saved up $7500.00 to have a reversal done in 2016 but it did not work out. We are waiting to complete the process in the future when we can cover the cost of IVF out of pocket. We are looking forward to eventually continuing with Coastal Fertility and Dr. Slowey in the future.

He was direct and effective. We didn’t waste time, which was important to me. I went in August for consult and was pregnant by October. The clinic was very clean and professional and I felt like they knew what they were doing.

Train your head nurse to be more empathetic.

First they checked my husbands sperm and once that checked out I went and got my Fallopian tubes checked. I did have to travel further for that procedure. The experience was good though, minus having to have a catheter put in. The clinic had me with different doctors though so I did not see Dr. slowey for that. Then I was on medication and shots. I got my blood drawn and ultrasound every 3 days to make sure my follicles were growing. Then I was instructed to use a trigger shot. There was a storm and the head nurse told me they wouldn’t be able to do my iui if the hurricane hit. That we would have to try again. So I ovulated a day early without the trigger shot and just had intercourse instead of the iui and we got lucky.

I truly don’t remember it was a couple thousand and then meds were 200-300$ I was suppose to get iui which was another thousand but didn’t end up needing it.

Dr. Slowey is compassionate and no nonsense. He deals in facts and science, but will also tell you what he doesn't know (and there is a lot the doctors do not know in infertility!). He is not "touchy-feely", but yet is very kind and gentle. We were always getting new bad news (not their fault, just facts) and he never hid from telling us the truth, yet told us gently. He's a great doctor, has a tremendous amount of experience and cares about his patients.

Do not expect to fed rainbows - he will tell you the truth, even if it means not having you as a patient. That said, he is also willing to try/test certain theories, but not if he doesn't have any evidence that they will work (and not without making sure you understand what is going on). The staff will give you the hugs - he will give you his expertise, with a mix of hope and compassion too.

600 IU Ubiquinol for 3 months before starting. IVF 1: micro flare (short Lupron) protocol started with birth control pills Results: suppression did not work, "broke through" Lupron. Cycle cancelled. IVF 2: Antagonist Protocol w/Cetrotide No birth control given (too strong) - used Estrace before stims instead. Results: 6 eggs retrieved, 4 fertilized. Day 3 transfer of 3 embryos (4th arrested on Day 4). Positive pregnancy - saw heartbeat - miscarriage at 9 weeks IVF 3: Antagonist Protocol w/Cetrotide (same as #2) Results: 5 eggs retrieved, 5 fertilized. Day 5 transfer of 3 Morulas (no blastocytes). Remaining 2 arrested Day 5. Negative pregnancy

Monitoring was easy and as pleasant as it is ever going to be. We were told to show up in a time frame (for example, between 7:30 and 9am). Once we were there, we never had to wait more than 10 minutes, if that. It seems that they would know in advance their busy times, and if they needed more time with us, would give us a specific time. Monitoring was really efficient.

Drugs were about $6k, and each round of IVF was about 13k. We were a difficult case, with a lot of monitoring.

Dr. Slowey is very knowledgeable and easy to talk to however if he does not agree with something he will definitely let you know that. He can be a little direct sometimes and not very open to other approaches to treatment. He always treated me respectfully and I did develop a trusting relationship with him. But ultimately I decided to go with another clinic this time around because I felt like as the years have gone by, he has become less personable and I felt more like a number. I wish he would have been more open to my concerns and suggestions as I had done quite a bit of research of my own and spoken to several other REs and was just trying to weigh all of my options. But all in all I would still say that coastal fertility and Dr. Slowey is the best practice in our area.

Make sure to establish your expectations and goals up front and let him know what you need from him to feel at ease.

I did two IUIs and one IVF cycle. I can’t remeber the exact dosages for my stim cycle but it was a pretty traditional approach. No extras as far as supplements other than prenatal vitamin and no real suggestions about lifestyle changes, etc. 10 eggs retrieved, 9 fertilized, 2 transferred day 3. Unexplained failure other than my egg qualitiy. Labs and everything else all normal. Nursing staff was wonderful during this very difficult time

12,000 with insurance 20,000 plus without

He was upfront and honest from the very first appointment. He never once told us things were impossible but he was clear it would not be easy. He didn’t try and tell us to attempt a treatment that wouldn’t work and he listened, I’ve been to so many doctors who never listened to me or what I was saying. To know that he listened and heard me and tried to adjust for what I needed based on my feedback was everything.

It’s hard, sometimes, to trust a doctor, but trust him. He will not steer you wrong. He wants this as much as you do.

The only thing I remember specifically is that we did NOT use clomid, as I had used it before with a different doctor and had a bad reaction.

It was general 7-9am and they added offices while I was in their care so if I couldn’t drive the 2.5 hours to mt pleasant from where I lived there were offices that were closer.

I can’t recall the pricing for egg retrieval but I know that each cycle (at the time) was 1800 after the few expenses that could be billed to my insurance

After my first cycle miscarried, he was willing to try a multiple embryo transfer, but he was upfront about the dangers. And he would not try more than 2 embryos at once.

Dr Slowey is incredibly smart and explained things to my husband and I very clearly. Whenever he saw us he took his time and was compassionate. When we got pregnant after four rounds, he gave us a book with a message in it that meant a lot to my husband and I.

That the wait time is worth it. Be patient, and know that you are in excellent hands.

I have pcos and clomid, nor Femera were making me ovulate so we went straight to injectables. I was monitored by ultra sound and blood work every other day and then given a trigger shot to make me ovulate. We did timed intercourse the month that we conceived.

My insurance didn’t cover any of our procedures so we paid about 10,000 out of pocket in the four months we saw him.

He is very thorough. He tells it to you "just like it is." I prefer a doctor who is very blunt and realistic, and he is. However he is very kind, and you can tell he wants you to be successful! He also will let you make some of the decisions if they are within his suggested parameters.

I saw Dr. Slowey initially at MUSC, as he is a professor there. It helped my insurance cover my initial consultation.

I did IUIs with Gonal F, Letrazole and a trigger shot. I have unexplained fertility and I have had one successful pregnancy with Letrazole and one missed miscarriage with natural conception.

My costs were somewhat covered by my insurance. I typically paid about $600 out of pocket for meds and procedure per IUI.

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Dr. Slowey is very knowledgeable and understands this process very well. He wants the best outcomes for all patients and knows how stressful this is. We are very impressed with him and know that he treats his patients with respect and compassion.

He does not sugar coat. Which is a good thing but can be difficult to hear. He is amazing and talented and very realistic.

Antagonist protocol: birth control pills for 2 weeks. We believe this oversuppressed me and i didn’t produce many eggs. Microflare Protocol was better and i produced 6 eggs. 4 were great quality and we did a fresh 3 day 2 embryo transfer. Negative pregnancy. 2 made to blast. Transferred the remaining 2 embryos and miscarried at 8’weeks.

Over 16k for procedure and medications

With my condition of low ovarian reserve, he decided to implant 2 each time in hopes one would implant and be successful.

He is a little stand-offish at times but I believe that is cultural difference; i.e., North vs. South. It is also hard to actually meet with him rather than the nurses. I believe that is due to the size and number of branch offices the practice has rather his personal doing. However, he is very compassionate and when meeting, is fully present in the moment with you as a patient.

I would tell them to be prepared to rarely see him but trust in his plan for you, barring a major setback.

He is very smart but speaks in complex medical terms. He gave poor news over the phone and did not give us any hope. I have undergone no treatment to date and yet he immediately jumped to donor eggs.

Do your own research.

Baseline tests, start coq10 (type was not discussed), hsg. We declined to move forward with him and donor eggs.

Maxing out $15k insurance and still needing to pay $4,500 out of pocket without meds.

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Dr Slowey has been absolutely wonderful. He is very informative and shows genuine concern for his patients. He is companionate and passionate about the work that he is doing. He explains everything thoroughly and provides information to take home to read for even more understanding.

Stay positive, keep persevering and your dream to have a baby will happen!

The first time we transferred one embryo because of the risk of multiples. We were unsuccessful, so the second transfer we used 2 and 1 resulted in a sweet healthy baby boy.

He is very thorough and offered us a lot of help in determining our best treatment plan, in addition to giving us a clearer sense of our time line. I would recommend him to anyone seeking fertility treatment

Utilize the consultation to address all questions and concerns. We asked some questions that I feel silly about now but he is a great professional and answered them as a credible. He seems to realize these are scary procedures

Polyp removal and iui

About $2500 per iui cycle

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We went to him for a second opinion consult and it was a great meeting. He listened to all our concerns and fears. He was both knowledgeable and compassionate. He shared his detailed plan for his course of treatment.

Go for it.

The second opinion consult was free and the semen analysis was covered by insurance.

Dr. Slowey has been very thourough running every test he can think of for my husband and I both. Unfortunately reoccuring miscarriages are my issue, but he has been very comforting and kind. What’s left for us is IVF.

Do not be afraid to ask questions!

We’ve ran every test there is on both my husband and I. We’ve done metformin for my PCOS, we’ve done HSGs and injectable medications, and progesterone. I usually get pregnant but don’t stay pregnant.

My insurance covers the appointments, but treatments are expensive.

I would just recommend him to anyone. He gave me the reality but also left me with a clear plan of action. I felt informed and hopeful. As I said before, he treats you as a person and not a statistic.

I don't have any.

We started with ultrasound, RPL and HSG to make sure that there weren't some other issues before delving into my treatment plan. He looked at my full health and fertility history.

Some of our costs were covered by insurance but we still had out of pocket and we had to pay upfront for all treatment and the portion that was not met by our insurance deductible.

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