Preston Sacks

Dr Sacks was personable and sensitive. He did not make me feel rushed and took his time to answer my questions. He explained things in an easy to understand manner without being condescending...I had my first meeting with Dr Sacks via a Zoom call. He was punctual and had a laid back (but professional) demeanor. This made it easy to talk to him...Feel free to ask him any question. I had felt that some of my questions might perceived as basic or ridiculous. He made every one of them seem legitimate and took them seriously

The [Columbia Fertility Associates] coordinator was good about communicating details w my surrogacy agency, carrier and myself about the transfer calendar, meds and billing. She was pleasant to talk to. She explained to me how the transfer went...The only stressor was waiting for the transfer calendar and confirming the details of the transfer a few days beforehand. It’s hard to say whether this is customary or if it’s specific to my situation. Even still, I felt they cared and would respond in time. Their strength is their ability to communicate compassionately and effectively.

How was your experience with Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

I had my first meeting with Dr Sacks via a Zoom call. He was punctual and had a laid back (but professional) demeanor. This made it easy to talk to him. I already had embryos created at another lab and had them transferred to the Columbia clinic due to carrier BMI requirements. After introducing himself and discussing my embryos and the next steps in the transfer process, he asked about my journey to that point. He seemed to genuinely curious about my experience and interested in how I was feeling. He then, welcomed and answered all of my questions. The next time I would see him was on the day of the transfer. Actually, I did not interact with him on this occasion, but I did see him as he walked back to perform the transfer. My carrier said he and the nurse made her feel at ease and asked about her kids. She said the procedure was not uncomfortable at all and was over before she knew it. As far as the results, we are awaiting confirmation of pregnancy through lab values now.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

Feel free to ask him any question. I had felt that some of my questions might perceived as basic or ridiculous. He made every one of them seem legitimate and took them seriously.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

Dr Sacks was personable and sensitive. He did not make me feel rushed and took his time to answer my questions. He explained things in an easy to understand manner without being condescending.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Columbia Fertility Associates. (Assigned nurse: Lashonne)

The coordinator was good about communicating details w my surrogacy agency, carrier and myself about the transfer calendar, meds and billing. She was pleasant to talk to. She explained to me how the transfer went.

Describe your experience with Columbia Fertility Associates.

It really is hard for me to find any weaknesses so far. The only stressor was waiting for the transfer calendar and confirming the details of the transfer a few days beforehand. It’s hard to say whether this is customary or if it’s specific to my situation. Even still, I felt they cared and would respond in time. Their strength is their ability to communicate compassionately and effectively.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates.

Frozen Embryo Transfer fees: 3,700.00 Monthly storage fee of embryos:110.00

Doctor

Preston Sacks

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

LGBTQ+ Care

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Columbia Fertility Associates

Washington DC

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

LGBTQ+ Care

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Preston Sacks Columbia Fertility Associates

2021 - 2022, Unknown Success

Age 39 - 40

2 IUI

European

Ashkenazi Jewish

Income $50K - $99K

2nd of 2 Docs

2 IUI With Other Docs

Donor Sperm

LGBTQ+

Neutral

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

Preston Sacks Columbia Fertility Associates

Dr. Sacks is friendly and helpful. He was very sympathetic when he performed my HSG, which I was very nervous about. He gives me realistic expectations for my procedures, and listens to my questions and concerns...He has never hassled me about my weight...I have had very standard medicated IUIs. I chose to do medicated cycles because, while there is no evidence that I have fertility issues (I'm queer, and don't have access to sperm/reproductive sex), I'm also nearing 40, and want to make the best use of my time and money...

The nurse [at Columbia Fertility Associates] was very supportive...She was positive about the procedure, without being patronizing or making false guarantees. She communicates via email about test results, and is very prompt and clear...One concern has been that each time I've had sperm shipped/stored there, for any length of time, they try to charge me for a year's worth of storage fees. I have successfully had those charges removed each time, but it's a pain to explain that I won't pay for a year's storage for a vial that has been there for 2 weeks...

How was your experience with Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

Dr. Sacks is friendly and helpful. He was very sympathetic when he performed my HSG, which I was very nervous about. He gives me realistic expectations for my procedures, and listens to my questions and concerns. He did once have to take another call during an appointment, but otherwise, I feel that I've had his full attention. He has never hassled me about my weight.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

Things can move quickly, so make sure you know what you want to cover (questions and concerns) before your appointment, so you can make sure those are addressed.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

Dr. Sacks was friendly and his support staff was very helpful. While appointments were often short, he always answered my questions and listened to my concerns.

Describe the protocols Preston Sacks used in your cycles at Columbia Fertility Associates and their degree of success.

One cycle with Clomid, one cycle with letrazole (since I had done 3 total previous Clomid cycles, and I wanted to try something different). Otherwise, I have had very standard medicated IUIs. I chose to do medicated cycles because, while there is no evidence that I have fertility issues (I'm queer, and don't have access to sperm/reproductive sex), I'm also nearing 40, and want to make the best use of my time and money.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Columbia Fertility Associates.

The nurse was very supportive, particularly when I was doing my most recent cycle. She was positive about the procedure, without being patronizing or making false guarantees. She communicates via email about test results, and is very prompt and clear.

Describe your experience with Columbia Fertility Associates.

The clinic has mostly been fine. They're helpful when I call. I do frequently have to remind them that I have no copay (because I'm doing self-pay, and have already paid for my cycle). One concern has been that each time I've had sperm shipped/stored there, for any length of time, they try to charge me for a year's worth of storage fees. I have successfully had those charges removed each time, but it's a pain to explain that I won't pay for a year's storage for a vial that has been there for 2 weeks. Otherwise, the andrology lab has been helpful. The phlebotomist is excellent -- I wish she could do all my blood draws and IVs outside of my fertility care.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates.

For a self-pay (no insurance) medicated IUI, I pay around $1700 each cycle (not including the cost of sperm), plus the cost of medications ($15-$50) and the trigger shot ($150-$250).

Describe Preston Sacks's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Columbia Fertility Associates.

n/a

Doctor

Preston Sacks

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

LGBTQ+ Care

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Columbia Fertility Associates

Washington DC

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

LGBTQ+ Care

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Preston Sacks Columbia Fertility Associates

2020, Unknown Success

Age 37

1 Fertility Medications

Diminished Ovarian Reserve

Unexplained

Latinx

Income $100K - $199K

Lawyer

2nd of 2 Docs

3 IUI With Other Docs

Neutral

Doesn't Recommend

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

Preston Sacks Columbia Fertility Associates

During the only cycle I had with Dr. Sacks I feel I was treated like a human. Mostly all the time he was open to listen to my concerns. He also makes him available through email...It was good to have him performed mostly all of my sonograms, even though those happened very quick you can have your questions answered right away...I really appreciated his good bedside manner when he gave me the bad news of my nonviable pregnancy

I think the [Columbia Fertility Associates] clinic is a bit outdated. Everything is on paper, your file, forms, lab results. There is not an online system where you can communicate with the doctor/nurses or get your lab results. It's very difficult to have labs results sent through e-mail. I had to call more than three times to get them. The receptionists are not very helpful over the phone. In person they are nicer though.

How was your experience with Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

Strengths: Dr. Sacks was willing to explain the IVF procedure to me in detail. He seems knowledgeable about my condition and is also up to date with the latest research. He is patient and happy to answer mostly all of my questions. I really appreciated his good bedside manner when he gave me the bad news of my nonviable pregnancy, explaining also the possible procedures going forward. Weakness: My cycle was canceled because of poor response. During my monitoring sessions he saw I was not responding but he stayed with his protocol. He also decided to wait that my body responds without increasing the dose, even though I told him about how I responded in previous treatments so it was never clear that he took that into account. Also, during the cycle it was not very well communicated if the retrieval was possible or not. I guess he was hoping my body responds. However, all the cycle lasted 29 days and I ended up ovulating on my own. I would have expected him to see that my ovulation was coming and communicate it to me that the procedure was not possible (I got pregnant though but it was a blight ovum)

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

Be sure to ask all of your questions during the routine visits, and also via e-mail. Also, make sure to be honest and direct with him if you have any problems with the clinic or the nurses, he'll get involved.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

During the only cycle I had with Dr. Sacks I feel I was treated like a human. Mostly all the time he was open to listen to my concerns. He also makes him available through email, which I didn't experience with my previous doctor (although sometimes it took days to reply). It was good to have him performed mostly all of my sonograms, even though those happened very quick you can have your questions answered right away.

Describe the protocols Preston Sacks used in your cycles at Columbia Fertility Associates and their degree of success.

Estrogen priming, then 12 days of stim meds: First 3 days Menopur 150IU + Gonal F 150IU, remaining 9 days only Gonal F 150IU, and Estrogen. No eggs were retrieved, they weren't ready in size. I ovulated on my own though after 26 days since starting stimulation, and got pregnant (blighted ovum).

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Columbia Fertility Associates.

I was not assigned one nurse specifically, but I have interactions with Wendy Hemingway and Iman Khalil. I thing Wendy is the nurse coordinator. She was in charge of ordering my meds, giving basic information about the procedures, getting the approval forms signed, among other stuff. It was sometimes very painful to deal with her. She doesn't have any patience at all and she is not willing to answer questions. Once I sent her an email she requested with the complete information of the meds I was given and she told me she didn't have time to look at emails. Not only she is rude, but she doesn't seem very competent. Not only I had to remind her about my dose but also she asked me several times to sign the ICSI approval form when the doctor was advised conventional insemination for my case. It was very stressful to communicate with her. Iman was more helpful, and compassionate. She was most of the time during my monitoring sessions with Dr Sacks, and provided my lab results over the phone most of the time. Although sometimes I feel that I had to remind her about the meds I was taking, and when I asked medical-related questions she always had to get back to the doctor.

Describe your experience with Columbia Fertility Associates.

I think the clinic is a bit outdated. Everything is on paper, your file, forms, lab results. There is not an online system where you can communicate with the doctor/nurses or get your lab results. It's very difficult to have labs results sent through e-mail. I had to call more than three times to get them. The receptionists are not very helpful over the phone. In person they are nicer though.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates.

I have an insurance coverage of 50K for procedures, I have a $20 copay for every visit. Meds were mostly cover for this cycle and I payed approx. $700, but already reach my coverage of 10K.

What specific things went wrong at Columbia Fertility Associates?

Failed to call with results
Provided conflicting information

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Columbia Fertility Associates.

The billing/financial department is a mess. I almost missed the planned cycle because they sent the authorization request to the wrong insurance policy, even though I told them several times that it expired. They even told me they got the approval from them until I realized it didn't correspond to my current insurance. What is worse is that once I told them about the mistake I did not receive any updates on the new approval process. I had to call several times to see if they were going to amend their mistake which gave me a lot of stress and anxiety since I didn't know if I was going to start with the treatment. I had to involve the doctor, and at the end they tried to fix it by providing me with back up medications, until I got the ones from my insurance.

Doctor

Preston Sacks

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Columbia Fertility Associates

Washington DC

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Preston Sacks Columbia Fertility Associates

2018 - 2020, Unknown Success

Age 32 - 34

4 IUI

Unexplained

European

Ashkenazi Jewish

Income $200K - $499K

Only Doc Seen

Fertility Medications With Other Docs

Strongly Recommends

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

Preston Sacks Columbia Fertility Associates

He [Dr. Preston Sacks] did a number of tests when I first started working with him to confirm I didn't have various fertility issues. Then after it was decided I had unexplained infertility, we moved to IUI...Very warm, personable. Remembers details about my work and background. Takes the time during consults to explain, but also talk about light things to ease my mind...I've really enjoyed being a patient of Dr. Sacks. He is warm, straightforward and optimistic about my chances of having a child. He has answered all my questions and taken us through what feels like a logical progression of fertility testing and treatments.

The nurses staff are mostly wonderful [at Columbia Fertility Associates]. They are supportive, organized, and kind. My one complaint is completely understanding the timing after I leave. Some nurses are much more thorough in calling and telling me all of my blood counts, when I should start clomid and when I should plan on coming back in. My guess is that they explain a lot of these things on a daily basis many times and sometimes forget whether they've explained the why behind a treatment or schedule to me. I think it's important for all patients to try to repeat back their understanding to help gain clarity.

How was your experience with Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

I've really enjoyed being a patient of Dr. Sacks. He is warm, straightforward and optimistic about my chances of having a child. He has answered all my questions and taken us through what feels like a logical progression of fertility testing and treatments.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

No advice for Dr. Sacks. I have advice for the nurses.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

Very warm, personable. Remembers details about my work and background. Takes the time during consults to explain, but also talk about light things to ease my mind.

Describe the protocols Preston Sacks used in your cycles at Columbia Fertility Associates and their degree of success.

To be honest, I don't remember all the treatment strategies and protocols and I have been seeing him for over two years with a year break in between. He did a number of tests when I first started working with him to confirm I didn't have various fertility issues. Then after it was decided I had unexplained infertility, we moved to IUI. I go into the clinic when my period starts for blood work and a transvaginal ultrasound. Then I've started clomid shortly after, taken a trigger shot, and had an IUI. Still working with him.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Columbia Fertility Associates.

The nurses staff are mostly wonderful. They are supportive, organized, and kind. My one complaint is completely understanding the timing after I leave. Some nurses are much more thorough in calling and telling me all of my blood counts, when I should start clomid and when I should plan on coming back in. My guess is that they explain a lot of these things on a daily basis many times and sometimes forget whether they've explained the why behind a treatment or schedule to me. I think it's important for all patients to try to repeat back their understanding to help gain clarity.

Describe your experience with Columbia Fertility Associates.

I LOVE the woman who draws blood at this clinic. It doesn't hurt, she's so nice, and she's very efficient. If I just need to go in for bloodwork, I can be in and out in 5 minutes. The front desk staff are polite and I've also found the billing staff to be helpful and polite. There's also usually some parking available on the street, which is nice. And I appreciate that they open at 7:30 am so that I can go in for treatment before the workday starts. No need to sneak out at lunch from the office.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates.

An IUI without insurance costs $1,620 plus copay and medications.

Doctor

Preston Sacks

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Columbia Fertility Associates

Washington DC

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Preston Sacks Columbia Fertility Associates

2018, Unknown Success

Age 36

2 IVF

Diminished Ovarian Reserve

European

Income $100K - $199K

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Doesn't Recommend

Success w/ Doc Not sure

Review of

Preston Sacks Columbia Fertility Associates

He [Dr. Preston Sacks] was personable and friendly. I felt like we had a good relationship. I felt he listened to me, but sometimes I wasn't sure what the next step was and had to ask. He was easy to talk to during visits and was present for every one of them, which made it a little easier to come in... The backend administrative team is next to impossible to work with. Their financial team would call to harass me for payments, despite the fact that I had previously spoken to them to get further information about what I owed. They were impossible to get ahold of unless they called you, they wouldn't respond to or even check their emails, and typically didn't seem to know what was going on with your account.

The nursing staff [at Columbia Fertility Assoc-DC] was very hit or miss. Sometimes they were great -- there were one or two who were always helpful and trustworthy, but the weekend staff and the rest of the team seemed like they were completely overworked and under-resourced. It was sometimes painful having to deal with them and get appropriate information.

How was your experience with Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

He was personable and friendly. I felt like we had a good relationship. I felt he listened to me, but sometimes I wasn't sure what the next step was and had to ask. He was easy to talk to during visits and was present for every one of them, which made it a little easier to come in

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

Stay on top of your care and be honest with him. While I liked him as a doctor, the back end systems of his clinic are very messy and painful to work with at times.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

Dr. Sacks made time to talk with me and my husband. He addressed our concerns and had an easy and personable manner. He was mindful of the fact that our budget was limited. He was present for every single monitoring session I had with the exception of 2 or 3 when he was on vacation during part of one cycle.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Columbia Fertility Associates. (Assigned nurse: Wendy)

The nursing staff was very hit or miss. Sometimes they were great -- there were one or two who were always helpful and trustworthy, but the weekend staff and the rest of the team seemed like they were completely overworked and under-resourced. It was sometimes painful having to deal with them and get appropriate information. One time I went in for monitoring on a Sunday morning and was told I needed to trigger that day. The weekend nurse (not my usual one) promised she would call in the trigger shot to the pharmacy by 10am and then call me (since the pharmacy closed early on Sunday). By noon I still had not heard from her and I was frantically trying to call the on call team to get a call back from her. When I finally got ahold of her, she had confused me with another patient who also needed a trigger shot and had completely forgotten to call in mine. It all worked out in the end and we got the shot with an hour to spare, but it added much unnecessary stress and had I not been proactive, we would have missed out window. This is just one example of how the nursing staff was not always able to adequately serve patients. I don't completely blame them, as they all seemed lovely and competent, they just seemed to be put into a difficult work situation that leaves the patient at risk.

Describe your experience with Columbia Fertility Associates.

Dr. Sacks is great, but the clinic is a disaster. The backend administrative team is next to impossible to work with. Their financial team would call to harass me for payments, despite the fact that I had previously spoken to them to get further information about what I owed. They were impossible to get ahold of unless they called you, they wouldn't respond to or even check their emails, and typically didn't seem to know what was going on with your account. During my last cycle, I got a call asking to make a payment, and it seemed higher than what I was expecting, so I asked for an itemized invoice so that I could verify the charges. I was sent it and then responded to that email with questions, because it didn't look right. I also called the person back and left a voicemail. I sent a subsequent email to the same person two days later. When they finally called me one week later, they stated that they hadn't checked their email in that period of time and had no idea what my questions had been. It then took another few hours to work out and by the time I was done with paying for that last round I had decided I was also done with Columbia Fertility, despite the fact that I liked my doctor. Dealing with every other aspect of the clinic was just too stressful.

Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Columbia Fertility Associates.

Usually a cattle call, would typically take anywhere from 20-45 minutes to get blood drawn and monitoring completed. Clinic seems understaffed and under-resourced.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates.

Canceled cycle $2,000. Embryo Transfer approx $12,000, Egg Retrieval $10,000+

Describe Preston Sacks's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Columbia Fertility Associates.

Dr. Sacks was open to whichever we wanted and had an appropriate conversation with us about our options.

What specific things went wrong at Columbia Fertility Associates?

Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Lost paperwork
Failed to call with results
Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Columbia Fertility Associates.

The backend admin of this clinic is a nightmare. Its unfortunate because Dr. Sacks is great, but its very hard to work with the rest of his team. It seems like this this clinic is severely under-resourced and mis-managed no matter how good their doctors are. It needs some serious management changes.

Doctor

Preston Sacks

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Columbia Fertility Associates

Washington DC

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Preston Sacks Columbia Fertility Associates

2009 - 2018, Unknown Success

Age 26 - 35

3 Fertility Medications

Anovulation

Male Factor

PCOS

Uterine Fibroids

Black or African-American

Income $100K - $199K

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Neutral

Success w/ Doc Not sure

Review of

Preston Sacks Columbia Fertility Associates

I started with Preston Sacks prior to TTC. He was always forthcoming with results and painted clear pictures of the obstacles to come. He is very easy to talk to and was very responsive to emails. Early on he determined that the issue was a male factor and referred us to one of his colleagues. He even took the time to set expectations on what to expect when working with the specialist which was extremely comforting.

All of my issues are with the finance department [at Columbia-DC]. The are extremely unorganized and seem to be all over the place. On several occasions I was told to expect a call back and did not receive one for days at a time. After following up myself, I would find out there was no action done. It's extremely frustrating when you're paying for a portion or all of your procedures and still have to deal with rude people.

How was your experience with Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

Don't be afraid to ask questions. Even if you think they are silly.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

He was always open to listen to my concerns and answer any questions I have. He thoroughly explained every step of the process

Describe the protocols Preston Sacks used in your cycles at Columbia Fertility Associates and their degree of success.

We used clomid and timed intercourse for 3 cycles. When I didn't respond to clomid he used the step up method. After the 3 cycle, he ordered an SA for my husband. Upon the results he suggested IVF. Due to insurance/money issues we took a break.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Columbia Fertility Associates.

The nurses that I encountered were extremely nice with perfect bedside manner. Even when they called to say the pregnancy test were negative they were very gentle. These ladies are gems.

Describe your experience with Columbia Fertility Associates.

The billing department is HORRIBLE. They have no problem informing you of a balance, yet are extremely slow providing information or answering questions. On several occasions I've had to follow up as well as get very stern. I'm not sure if they are understaffed or not good at their jobs. There are 2 women in particular I try to avoid at all cost. They are very brash and have somewhat of an attitude.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates.

Competitive compared to other clinics

What specific things went wrong at Columbia Fertility Associates?

Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Columbia Fertility Associates.

All of my issues are with the finance department. The are extremely unorganized and seem to be all over the place. On several occasions I was told to expect a call back and did not receive one for days at a time. After following up myself, I would find out there was no action done. It's extremely frustrating when you're paying for a portion or all of your procedures and still have to deal with rude people.

Doctor

Preston Sacks

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Columbia Fertility Associates

Washington DC

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Preston Sacks Columbia Fertility Associates

2014 - 2017, Successful

Age 31 - 34

12 IUI

1 IVF

Tubal Blockage

Unexplained

European

Ashkenazi Jewish

Income $100K - $199K

Consultant

2nd of 2 Docs

Donor Sperm

LGBTQ+

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Preston Sacks Columbia Fertility Associates

He's [Dr. Preston Sacks] very chatty and personable, which helped put me at ease during a number of procedures. One example: Before my egg retrieval, the nurse had trouble getting the IV started and I ended up passing out. I was very nervous about whether it would affect what happened that day, but he came in and immediately put me at ease, shared stories about himself passing out, etc.! He also remembered personal details about me in a really thoughtful way that I think went above and beyond.

The nurses at CFA are wonderful! I've been with them long enough that the nursing staff has changed, but everyone I've interacted with has been so helpful and compassionate. Some are responsive over email, though not all. But they have been extremely helpful at all stages of the process -- whether figuring out prescriptions, helping me get seen "off schedule" or rushing some blood work, or generally being understanding and compassionate and reassuring and friendly. I really feel like they are pulling for me and know me as an individual.

How was your experience with Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

I have been very happy with Dr. Sacks. He's been doing this a long time and really knows his stuff and knows the latest research, etc. He's always very responsive over email, which I really appreciate. And I have felt like overall he does a good job of balancing being realistic with being gentle. Like most fertility doctors, he's not overly emotional or super outwardly compassionate, but I always felt like he cared (he wasn't harsh) and also like he was telling me how it is (not sugar coating). He's often hesitant to give specific chances/percentages, but when he has them, he shares them. There have been a couple times where I wondered why he didn't suggest or say something different, but overall I have been very happy. He also has a really good, calming bedside manner. He's very chatty and personable, which helped put me at ease during a number of procedures. One example: Before my egg retrieval, the nurse had trouble getting the IV started and I ended up passing out. I was very nervous about whether it would affect what happened that day, but he came in and immediately put me at ease, shared stories about himself passing out, etc.! He also remembered personal details about me in a really thoughtful way that I think went above and beyond.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

Be prepared for the fact that he's very chatty :)

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

Dr. Sacks and everyone at Columbia Fertility always made me feel like an individual. He (and they) always knew my name, remembered personal details about me (in a comforting, not creepy way) and I always felt like they were giving me advice based on who I was, not some standard. Dr. Sacks is very responsive over email and is very personable.

Describe the protocols Preston Sacks used in your cycles at Columbia Fertility Associates and their degree of success.

In summary: 6 natural IUIs with donor sperm; 1 cycle with Clomid where I had the bad side effect that affected my vision; 5 IUI cycles with Letrozole. That included an ectopic pregnancy (after an HSG test) and ultimately doing another HSG test and finding a blocked tube (likely from the ectopic). Then moved to IVF and egg retrieval followed by PGS/PGD. Resulted in two embryos. First resulted in a miscarriage. After that, did a bunch of tests via bloodwork to rule out immunological issues. As of this writing, six weeks pregnant from second FET.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Columbia Fertility Associates.

Describe your experience with Columbia Fertility Associates.

Overall, I've been very happy with CFA and feel like I get much more personalized care and treatment than I hear about people getting with Shady Grove.

Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Columbia Fertility Associates.

Monitoring is done between 7:30-9:30 and generally I found it to be pretty efficient. Some days I'd be out of there in 5 minutes, if all I needed was blood work and there weren't many people there. Other days, it might be more like 30 minutes or so, if it was more crowded and I needed blood work and a sonogram.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates.

I did not have insurance coverage so it was very expensive. Natural IUIs were $500. Monitored IUIs were $1,000. Medicated IUIs were $1,500. IVF with FET was about $18,000 not including medication or the PGD testing, which added about $2,000. Just the FET was $3,500.

What specific things went wrong at Columbia Fertility Associates?

Provided conflicting information

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Columbia Fertility Associates.

No, not really. I think just once I got slightly different information from a nurse and then a doctor about what the plan was for when I would come back to the office and what the protocol would be. It wasn't a huge deal.

Doctor

Preston Sacks

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Columbia Fertility Associates

Washington DC

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Preston Sacks Columbia Fertility Associates

2006 - 2017, Unknown Success

Age 22 - 33

3 IUI

PCOS

European

Income $200K - $499K

Only Doc Seen

Neutral

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

Preston Sacks Columbia Fertility Associates

Dr. Sacks diagnosed me with PCOS approximately 10 years ago. He treated my PCOS with metformin and later birth control pills....Dr. Sacks is extremely knowledgeable and is able to speak to current literature and studies clearly while taking your individual situation into account. Dr. Sacks is always on time and addresses any questions you ask, though during standard monitoring appointments, his time is somewhat short. For consultations, he will take all the time necessary...Be prepared with questions you want to ask him...

Columbia Fertility sees a high volume of patients. They are efficient in seeing all patients, particularly during routine blood tests and sonograms. The front office staff and nurses are friendly and helpful...The nursing staff are capable and compassionate. Columbia Fertility has a variety of nurses who all participate in your care...I occasionally had miscommunication about scheduling of my appointments. However, given that Columbia Fertility has flexible morning hours, the office staff was able to fit me in without a problem.

How was your experience with Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

Dr. Sacks is extremely knowledgeable and is able to speak to current literature and studies clearly while taking your individual situation into account. Dr. Sacks is always on time and addresses any questions you ask, though during standard monitoring appointments, his time is somewhat short. For consultations, he will take all the time necessary.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

Be prepared with questions you want to ask him

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

Describe the protocols Preston Sacks used in your cycles at Columbia Fertility Associates and their degree of success.

Dr. Sacks diagnosed me with PCOS approximately 10 years ago. He treated my PCOS with metformin and later birth control pills. When trying to conceive, I completed approximately 12 months of treatment with clomid while monitoring my cycles, Dr. Sacks recommending clomid for PCOS treatment. For most of those cycles, I also utilized ovidrel to trigger ovulation. At the end of approximately 1 year, Dr. Sacks conducted a laparoscopy and recommended we proceed with IUI. Following this, I complete IUI, again using clomid and ovidrel. To date, all cycles have resulted in negative pregnancy tests.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Columbia Fertility Associates.

The nursing staff are capable and compassionate. Columbia Fertility has a variety of nurses who all participate in your care.

Describe your experience with Columbia Fertility Associates.

Columbia Fertility is a high volume operation, but they are efficient, responsive, and on time with knowledgeable practitioners, reasonably friendly office staff, and friendly and capable nurses.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates.

IUI was partially covered by my insurance, so that cost was $500 per cycle plus approximately $85 for ovidrel.

What specific things went wrong at Columbia Fertility Associates?

Failed to call with results

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Columbia Fertility Associates.

I occasionally had miscommunication about scheduling of my appointments. However, given that Columbia Fertility has flexible morning hours, the office staff was able to fit me in without a problem.

Doctor

Preston Sacks

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Columbia Fertility Associates

Washington DC

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Preston Sacks Columbia Fertility Associates

2017, Unsuccessful

Age 34

1 IUI

2 IVF

Unexplained

European

Income $200K - $499K

2nd of 2 Docs

2 IUI With Other Docs

Strongly Recommends

Unsuccessful

Review of

Preston Sacks Columbia Fertility Associates

While we're still in the midst of our treatment and have had several setbacks, including a recent miscarriage, Dr. Sacks has been empathetic and present throughout our entire time with him. He's always done our exams; our procedures; and been responsive to our emails/calls. After a very negative experience at another doctor's office, I have nothing bad to say about Dr. Sacks or his team.

My only complaint about Columbia has been their billing--there are some times that they ask for my co-pay, other times that they don't, and we get billed for three or four visits at a time, which can be frustrating...[Nurse] Heather is amazing--she's warm, positive, and always responsive. She has been a great resource over the course of our treatments...Dr. sacks is very empathetic--very patient and answered all our questions. When he delivered good or bad news, we've gotten it all, he was always responsive and always was the one we heard from.

How was your experience with Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

Come prepared with what you want to know, questions/concerns/etc.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

Dr. sacks is very empathetic--very patient and answered all our questions. When he delivered good or bad news, we've gotten it all, he was always responsive and always was the one we heard from.

Describe the protocols Preston Sacks used in your cycles at Columbia Fertility Associates and their degree of success.

for IVF: I was on 150 mL of Gonal F and 150 of Menopur (plus ganirelix) to stop ovulation. The first cycle, none of my embryos made it to blastocyst. Second cycle, Dr. Sacks didn't change my treatment (he said that he was happy with our response, so hopefully, we'd get a different batch of embryos) We got 10 embryos--3 made it to blastocyst--and after PGS, we got two back One was transferred, which subsequently ended in a miscarriage.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Columbia Fertility Associates. (Assigned nurse: Heather)

Heather is amazing--she's warm, positive, and always responsive. She has been a great resource over the course of our treatments.

Describe your experience with Columbia Fertility Associates.

Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Columbia Fertility Associates.

I found the experience to be efficient...I can get in and out in less than 30 minutes in the morning, before even going to work.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates.

I couldn't tell with you with certainty--some things our insurance covered...we paid for drugs out of pocket, to save on our lifetime insurance maximum.

Describe Preston Sacks's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Columbia Fertility Associates.

We asked Dr. Sacks for his recommendation--and he said one. So we went with one. He talked us through the risks of both.

What specific things went wrong at Columbia Fertility Associates?

Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Provided conflicting information

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Columbia Fertility Associates.

I had one nurse tell me conflicting information about when to start my protocol--called Dr. Sacks to confirm and within 2 minutes, had the right answer. Another time, one of the other nurses forgot to call in a prescription to CVS, but they fixed the issue in a few hours.

Doctor

Preston Sacks

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Columbia Fertility Associates

Washington DC

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Preston Sacks Columbia Fertility Associates

2016, 2 Eggs Frozen

Age 32

1 Egg Freezing

Diminished Ovarian Reserve

Ashkenazi Jewish

Income $100K - $199K

Marketer or PR

Only Doc Seen

Neutral

Strongly Recommends

Success w/ Doc Not sure

Review of

Preston Sacks Columbia Fertility Associates

Dr. Sacks takes his time to explain answers to all of my questions. I found the most benefit from this during our consultations. When doing quick sonograms or blood tests, I did feel the time crunch but Dr. Sacks always answered me thoughtfully and honestly. He has a nice bedside manner and does make you feel like he cares... He has always been patient and willing to explain procedures and outcomes in great detail. Dr. Sacks always has a good bedside manner and is very kind and friendly...

Strengths [at Columbia Fertility Associates - Washington DC]: Appointments always on time, front desk staff is nice, clinic is convenient to downtown area of DC. Weaknesses: The finance department is one woman who is quite nice, but I've found over 3 errors in our financial communications when first starting out on round 1. I would love if it was standard procedure to tell patients their test results each time on voicemail or email. It felt like I was bothering them to ask for it...

How was your experience with Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

Weakness: I feel that Dr. Sacks could have better explained my initial test results and what that meant for my likelihood to produce low # of eggs with stim meds. I did most of this research on my own but know he could have prepared me for the less than optimal results BEFORE choosing treatment. Strengths: Dr. Sacks is clearly an expert in what he does and is more than capable of answering the most complex questions. He has always been patient and willing to explain procedures and outcomes in great detail. Dr. Sacks always has a good bedside manner and is very kind and friendly.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

To ask for detailed explanation of test results and what he will be looking for in continuous testing before and during rounds of treatment. He has the answers, there is just so much to cover to coming prepared with pointed questions is helpful.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

Describe the protocols Preston Sacks used in your cycles at Columbia Fertility Associates and their degree of success.

First round of stim meds for egg freezing was 300 IU of menopur. I only needed one ganorelix shot before retrieval as I ended up on the menopur for longer than expected - 13 days.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Columbia Fertility Associates.

The service provided by nursing staff varied quite a bit. In person, most are pleasant and helpful. However, I find myself regularly asking for them to leave my test results on email or phone, only to get a call with instructions for next steps and no context. As someone who like to always know all of the information, this was frustrating. I was also originally assigned to one specific nurse for questions but found she didn't always respond and in person did not have great bedside manner. I do with there was one nurse per physician to handle questions/follow up, or at the very least, pass along communications better. Lastly, there were a few instances where I know the nurse had not looked at my chart before answering questions and then would adjust her response/suggestion accordingly. This was only a few times, but there is room for improvement on patient-nurse connection.

Describe your experience with Columbia Fertility Associates.

Strengths: Appointments always on time, front desk staff is nice, clinic is convenient to downtown area of DC. Weaknesses: The finance department is one woman who is quite nice, but I've found over 3 errors in our financial communications when first starting out on round 1. I would love if it was standard procedure to tell patients their test results each time on voicemail or email. It felt like I was bothering them to ask for it.

Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Columbia Fertility Associates.

Very efficient monitoring appointments. Even when it seemed crowded, their system is optimized for quick visits to get you out the door. I also like that the time frame is early morning so we aren't forced to miss work.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates.

First found of egg freezing was about $8,300 plus the cost of meds. Second round is a little lower to account for freezing cost already covered, about $7500. The third round (not yet completed) will be free besides cost of anesthesia ($500) and meds. This is part of a "buy 2, get one free" egg freezing package.

What specific things went wrong at Columbia Fertility Associates?

Failed to call with results

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Columbia Fertility Associates.

As mentioned, if I request the results, I would like those to be told to me. I have to ask every time!! There were two instances where I had to write back and ask for exact numbers of blood work.

Doctor

Preston Sacks

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Columbia Fertility Associates

Washington DC

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Preston Sacks Columbia Fertility Associates

2015 - 2016, Successful

Age 37 - 38

8 IUI

1 IVF

Uterine Fibroids

Unexplained

European

South Asian

Latinx

Black or African-American

Income $100K - $199K

Writer

2nd of 2 Docs

Donor Sperm

Strongly Recommends

Neutral

Successful

Review of

Preston Sacks Columbia Fertility Associates

Dr. Sacks personally responded to my emails and phone calls and was always available for appointments. I only met with nurses and other support staff after discussing my care directly with Dr. Sacks... Dr. Sacks recommended a conservative approach.... He worked closely with me to develop a treatment plan and communicated every step in language I could understand. He gave his opinion frankly, but was kind and supportive.

As mentioned before, the nursing team [at Columbia] could be more professional and better trained. Thankfully, Dr. Sacks was easily accessible and perhaps aware of the nursing staff's deficiencies, so my care did not suffer, but the staff should be reliable as they interact closely with patients...It did not feel like a cattle call. There were other patients present in the waiting room, obviously, but I never felt rushed.

How was your experience with Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

Dr. Sacks has an excellent bedside manner and treats patients as if he is personally invested in their well-being and success. He worked closely with me to develop a treatment plan and communicated every step in language I could understand. He gave his opinion frankly, but was kind and supportive.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

Be honest and open to honesty

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

Dr. Sacks personally responded to my emails and phone calls and was always available for appointments. I only met with nurses and other support staff after discussing my care directly with Dr. Sacks. Any problems I had were resolved personally by Dr. Sacks. I never felt like a number or just another patient. He has an excellent bedside manner and treats patients as if he is personally invested in their well-being and success.

Describe the protocols Preston Sacks used in your cycles at Columbia Fertility Associates and their degree of success.

Because of my favorable initial testing, Dr. Sacks recommended a conservative approach. We began with unmedicated IUIs (3 chemical pregnancies, 3 negative tests) and progressed to IVF--for insurance coverage reasons--with low-dose medications (9 eggs retrieved, 7 fertilized, 4 frozen embryos, eSET) which resulted in a chemical pregnancy. Dr. Sacks helped me overcome my reluctance to medicated IUIs (1 negative, 1 positive), the second of which resulted in a vanishing twin and birth of a singleton.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Columbia Fertility Associates. (Assigned nurse: Julianna)

I had a mixed experience. Care was far from terrible, but I often had to go directly to Dr. Sacks for confirmation and follow up of details as communication from the nursing staff was inconsistent and sometimes inaccurate. One of the nurses in particular was not well informed and almost caused me to cancel a cycle unnecessarily.

Describe your experience with Columbia Fertility Associates.

As mentioned before, the nursing team could be more professional and better trained. Thankfully, Dr. Sacks was easily accessible and perhaps aware of the nursing staff's deficiencies, so my care did not suffer, but the staff should be reliable as they interact closely with patients.

Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Columbia Fertility Associates.

It did not feel like a cattle call. There were other patients present in the waiting room, obviously, but I never felt rushed.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates.

About $16,000 in totol

Describe Preston Sacks's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Columbia Fertility Associates.

Because of my strong aversion to having twins, Dr. Sacks advised an eSET, which proved to be the right choice as I still conceived twins (one vanishing at 8 weeks).

What specific things went wrong at Columbia Fertility Associates?

Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Columbia Fertility Associates.

As mentioned, I had to go directly to Dr. Sacks on a few occasions as the information conveyed by nurses was inaccurate or incomplete. There was one occasion when a nurse attempted to act unilaterally and it was only through my close interaction with Dr. Sacks that I was able to keep my treatment on course.

Doctor

Preston Sacks

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Compassion

Adaptability

Clinic

Columbia Fertility Associates

Washington DC

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Preston Sacks Columbia Fertility Associates

2014 - 2016, Successful

Age 33 - 35

6 IUI

2 IVF

PCOS

European

Ashkenazi Jewish

Income $200K - $499K

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Preston Sacks Columbia Fertility Associates

Dr. Sacks was incredibly warm, concerned with our personal circumstances, straight with us in terms of managing our expectations but also helping us remain hopeful and not worry unnecessarily. He ALWAYS took the time to answe my questions thoroughly and also was extremely responsive by email the few times I had urgent concerns or questions...Dr. Sacks was incredibly warm, concerned with our personal circumstances, straight with us in terms of managing our expectations but also helping us remain hopeful and not worry unnecessarily. He ALWAYS took the time to answe my questions thoroughly and also was extremely responsive by email the few times I had urgent concerns or questions.

[Columbia - DC] Strengths -- more personable compared to larger clinics, excellent doctor, mostly great nurses, high frequency of seeing doctors, responsiveness of doctor and nurses by email, choir follow up / communicating test results and answering questions Weaknesses -- billing team is at times disorganized, difficult to contact to resolve question or their errors, and sometimes callous (calling to demand late peymebt even though bills were not mailed)

How was your experience with Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

I can't recommend him highly enough. Dr. Sacks was extremely caring and thorough. He is very knowledgeable on all subjects related to fertility and was able to help us understand what was known by science and not known by science related to our particular circumstances. Sometimes he felt rushed at non critical visits, but if I initiated he was always available to answer questions. When it came time to handling difficult times/news with us, he was always patient and caring. Dr. Sacks also helped us avoid unnecessary procedures by helping us weigh the pros and cons of different options. I am so grateful that he was our doctor.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

Be sure to ask all of your questions. He may seem rushed at times at routine visits (e.g. Ultrasounds) if the schedule is backed up, but he will always provide valuable answers to your questions. Also, he's very responsive by email.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

Dr. Sacks was incredibly warm, concerned with our personal circumstances, straight with us in terms of managing our expectations but also helping us remain hopeful and not worry unnecessarily. He ALWAYS took the time to answe my questions thoroughly and also was extremely responsive by email the few times I had urgent concerns or questions. Dr. Sacks also took time out of his very busy schedule to attended the Bris of our son. He honestly came to feel like part of our family. We were definitely not numbers to him!

Describe the protocols Preston Sacks used in your cycles at Columbia Fertility Associates and their degree of success.

I started with Climid, then the off-label breast cancer drug (can't remember the name) combined with six IUIs, then two fresh IVF cycles. My first IVF cycle none of the eggs fertilized properly (initial failure then ICSI after 24 hours but none implanted). The second IVF cycle we did ICSI and had 7 embryos, one of which we implanted and gave us our beautiful baby boy! (I have PCOS but it seems, perhaps, that the issue was the egg-sperm interaction).

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Columbia Fertility Associates.

There was some variability with the bedside manor of the nurses. One in particular was extremely caring from the beginning. The others were better once my treatment got further along in the process (more intensive treatment). A few didn't study my chart carefully before talking with me, which I found annoying and also at time upsetting depending on the confusion. However, by in large the nursing care was good.

Describe your experience with Columbia Fertility Associates.

Strengths -- more personable compared to larger clinics, excellent doctor, mostly great nurses, high frequency of seeing doctors, responsiveness of doctor and nurses by email, choir follow up / communicating test results and answering questions Weaknesses -- billing team is at times disorganized, difficult to contact to resolve question or their errors, and sometimes callous (calling to demand late peymebt even though bills were not mailed)

Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Columbia Fertility Associates.

The early ones were strssful for me when I was new and leaning the system, and only one nurse seemed sensitive to this. Once I got the drill down, the monitoring visits were fine.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates.

We had Fertility treatments covered by insurance, so it was the cost of the premium (I opened a secondary plan to cover IVF), copays, and some of the drugs for IUI

What specific things went wrong at Columbia Fertility Associates?

Provided conflicting information

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Columbia Fertility Associates.

The billing team billed insurance for a seventh IUI that I didn't have and was very unhelpful/rude in resolving the problem. I had to get the head nurse involve to help me fight with them, which ultimately worked. In the meantime I got a FRANTIC call from someone helping the billing team demanding that I give my credit card number to pay a thousand dollar bill or i would be sent to collections, even though I had not been sent a bill (by that time I was pregnant and no longer coming in to the clinic). They did a similar thing with my husband even though the error was on their side (he had requested sperm disposal and paid the remaining bill but their system didn't show it). The errors wouldn't be such an issue if their main billing person, Kim, was more responsive or less rude.

Doctor

Preston Sacks

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Columbia Fertility Associates

Washington DC

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Preston Sacks Columbia Fertility Associates

2012 - 2016, Unsuccessful

Age 32 - 36

2 IVF

Unexplained

Ashkenazi Jewish

Income $100K - $199K

Marketer or PR

2nd of 2 Docs

2 IUI With Other Docs

Neutral

Unsuccessful

Review of

Preston Sacks Columbia Fertility Associates

Dr. Sacks has a very nice beside manner. He takes the time, particularly at the beginning, to make you feel comfortable. As you go in for more and more ultrasounds, he spends less time with you, but he is always kind...On my second round of IVF, Dr. Sacks used the same protocol and medicine for me, although I was four years older, and now over 35. That resulted in only one usable embryo, and I wished that he would have changed the protocol to accommodate for changes in my eggs and body. That transfer did not work, and as we were paying out of pocket for that round, we are not able to try again.

The office [Columbia Fertility Associates] is decently run, but be careful if you're paying out of pocket. My insurance didn't cover IVF, so I paid out of pocket for the full IVF procedure. That included blood tests and other monitoring. However, I found that the clinic was also charging my insurance company for all of these tests. I had to ask several times for them to remove the charges to my insurance company, or pay me back for those tests. They eventually pulled the charges from my insurer. The woman who does the blood tests during the week is all business, but remember that she's taking blood for several hours a day, so be nice and you'll eventually get her to crack a smile.

How was your experience with Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

I really enjoyed working with Dr. Sacks. He even responded to emails and followed up with me when I had complaints about his staff. My first two transfers with him resulted in pregnancies, and we would have had two children now, but I had a rare occurrence of amniotic band syndrome in the 12th week of my first pregnancy that resulted in the internal amputation of the baby's arms and a portion of its skull, which likely would have resulted in a miscarriage later in the pregnancy or a child who could not survive outside of the womb. For those reasons, we decided to end that pregnancy. On my second round of IVF, Dr. Sacks used the same protocol and medicine for me, although I was four years older, and now over 35. That resulted in only one usable embryo, and I wished that he would have changed the protocol to accommodate for changes in my eggs and body. That transfer did not work, and as we were paying out of pocket for that round, we are not able to try again.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

Ask as many questions as you need. Never feel like you can't reach out to Dr. Sacks with questions. If you want a doctor with a very gentle and lovely bedside manner, Dr. Sacks is a good bet.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Columbia Fertility Associates.

Nurses were occasionally helpful, but seemed more interested in getting in and out of the room. I was very disappointed that after the loss of our first baby at 12 weeks, the nursing team called at the baby's due date to ask for information for their statistics. They were made aware that we had to terminate the pregnancy and a phone call at the due date was extremely upsetting.

Describe your experience with Columbia Fertility Associates.

The office is decently run, but be careful if you're paying out of pocket. My insurance didn't cover IVF, so I paid out of pocket for the full IVF procedure. That included blood tests and other monitoring. However, I found that the clinic was also charging my insurance company for all of these tests. I had to ask several times for them to remove the charges to my insurance company, or pay me back for those tests. They eventually pulled the charges from my insurer. The woman who does the blood tests during the week is all business, but remember that she's taking blood for several hours a day, so be nice and you'll eventually get her to crack a smile.

Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Columbia Fertility Associates.

The monitoring appointments were a bit of a cattle call. Earlier in the morning took longer. But this was fine for me because I couldn't guarantee I would be there on time if I had a specific appointment time.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates.

$10k for IVF, another $2k for ICSI, ~$2,400 for freezing, plus medication

Describe Preston Sacks's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Columbia Fertility Associates.

The doctor asked what we were comfortable with -- would we be OK with twins? When i expressed that my husband was terrified of twins, he said he would only do one embryo at a time. It seems like he would not do more than two at a time.

What specific things went wrong at Columbia Fertility Associates?

Failed to call with results

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Columbia Fertility Associates.

When my third transfer resulted in a period before I could come in to test (I was traveling), I called to ask if I should still come in. They said I should come in when I got back from vacation. I did go in and they tested my blood with the idea that they would call and confirm that I was not pregnant and my HCG levels were back to normal. I never received a call. I called the clinic to see if they could tell me the results and they never called back. I had to email the doctor to get him to get the nurses on the ball and have them review their procedures.

Doctor

Preston Sacks

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Columbia Fertility Associates

Washington DC

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Preston Sacks Columbia Fertility Associates

2011 - 2015, Successful

Age 38 - 42

1 IUI

6 IVF

6 Egg Freezing

61 Embryo Freezing

Diminished Ovarian Reserve

Poor Egg Quality

Ashkenazi Jewish

Income $200K - $499K

Investor

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Preston Sacks Columbia Fertility Associates

We came to Dr. Sacks after our third 10 week miscarriage within 20 months. He listened to our history and spent hours discussing options and treatment... He remained engaged, thoughtful, and empathetic throughout the next 6 cycles of IVF to retrieve eggs and create enough embryos to test via PGD. He discussed every step in detail; shared studies; and introduced me to my therapist - we even laughed along the way.

Washington Fertility Associates - the clinic - is a bit chaotic and you must actively manage your care - but it's all worth it for Dr. Sacks!! The nurses that work directly with Dr. Sacks both in the examination room and in the procedure theater are great - compassionate, helpful, knowledgeable. Unfortunately, when it comes to ordering your meds, tracking your bills, and basic information the nurse coordinator and the financial coordinator must be heavily managed.

How was your experience with Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

See earlier comment

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

He is incredibly knowledgeable and up to date with the latest research; therefore I would not hesitate to engage him and ask as many questions as necessary to make you feel comfortable.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

Dr. Sacks is fantastic! We received and currently receive first rate care. We came to Dr. Sacks after our third 10 week miscarriage within 20 months. He listened to our history and spent hours discussing options and treatment. Due to insurance, we had to try an IUI prior to moving to IVF, although we knew it was an egg quality (chromosomal) issue. Dr. Sacks negotiated the insurance down from 3 to 1 IUI. However, 21 weeks into the pregnancy, the amnio revealed fatal chromosomal abnormalities. We made the decision to end the pregnancy. After that horrific experience, Dr. Sacks was simply amazing! He remained engaged, thoughtful, and empathetic throughout the next 6 cycles of IVF to retrieve eggs and create enough embryos to test via PGD. He discussed every step in detail; shared studies; and introduced me to my therapist - we even laughed along the way. We now have a 7 month old incredible little girl and are just about to return to transfer one of the two male embryos we have frozen. Washington Fertility Associates - the clinic - is a bit chaotic and you must actively manage your care - but it's all worth it for Dr. Sacks!!

Describe your experience with your nurse at Columbia Fertility Associates. (Assigned nurse: Wendy Hemingway)

The nurses that work directly with Dr. Sacks both in the examination room and in the procedure theater are great - compassionate, helpful, knowledgeable. Unfortunately, when it comes to ordering your meds, tracking your bills, and basic information the nurse coordinator and the financial coordinator must be heavily managed.

Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Columbia Fertility Associates.

Monitoring is easy - everyday from 730-900 and the wait is not that long.

What specific things went wrong at Columbia Fertility Associates?

Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Failed to order appropriate test
Failed to send your chart to another clinic
Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
Provided conflicting information

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Columbia Fertility Associates.

Most of the issues are specifically related to the nurse coordinator; therefore as long as you are your own advocate and on top of your protocol, this clinic will be great since Dr. Sacks and the rest of the nursing staff is fantastic!

Doctor

Preston Sacks

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Columbia Fertility Associates

Washington DC

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Preston Sacks Columbia Fertility Associates

2012 - 2015, Successful

Age 32 - 35

1 IVF

Male Factor

Ashkenazi Jewish

Income $100K - $199K

2nd of 2 Docs

1 IUI With Other Docs

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Preston Sacks Columbia Fertility Associates

The billing at Columbia Fertility was a mess, I had a lot of back and forth to ensure that I was billed appropriately for a frozen cycle - the first cycle was cancelled and then I did another back-to-back, so there was a lot of items that had to be "credited" before I paid for the real cycle. They seemed to never remember a phone conversation I had with them, so it was like starting from scratch each time. The billing office was fine when dealing with the insurance company though. The people at the front desk who I saw each day/week were all lovely.

How was your experience with Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

I want lots of clear information about process and pros and cons of any options, to help me make decisions. Dr Sacks took tons of time to explain all of the treatment options we had to choose from, why he recommended IVF over IUI and what was a reasonable success rate. When deciding on how many embryos to transfer, he spoke to my husband at length about the statistical possibilities of multiple embryos leading to multiple births from an educated, well versed position. He was supportive of all of our decisions. He had a great sense of humor and brought levity to the tense medical procedures. Two years after a successful IVF cycle, I emailed Dr Sacks out of the blue to ask him to participate on an educational panel to teach people about fertility treatment and options and he jumped at the opportunity to help out - on a Sunday! He is an all-around great doctor and person.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

Try to get him talking about his personal life or his kids :)

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

Dr. Sacks knew me and my husband and took the time to talk to us during our consultation and during each monitoring appointment. He was warm and friendly. He even saw me on the street (fully clothed!) and stopped to talk.

Describe your experience with Columbia Fertility Associates.

Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Columbia Fertility Associates.

Monitoring was in the morning, but always made me a little late to work. I think hours started at 730am

Describe the costs associated with your care under Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates.

A frozen cycle was $5K plus a mandatory $500ish for cracking the embryo. I can't remember the full fresh cycle from 2012.

Describe Preston Sacks's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Columbia Fertility Associates.

Dr Sacks recommended transferring 1 embryo due to my age and the way the embryo looked. He would have been ok if we wanted to do 2. He spoke at length to my statistics-expert husband about the rates of success with one or two embryos.

Doctor

Preston Sacks

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Columbia Fertility Associates

Washington DC

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Preston Sacks Columbia Fertility Associates

2013 - 2014, Successful

Age 34 - 35

7 Fertility Medications

Anovulation

PCOS

Tubal Blockage

Black or African-American

Income $0 - $49K

Operations

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Preston Sacks Columbia Fertility Associates

Dr. Sacks was the only doctor that treated me like my issue was important. He tested every hormone under the sun until he figured out the issue...He tested everything and finally found the issue with my pcos. It was a hormone imbalance. ...He was by the book. Started with clomid and then moved to injections. He didnt linger. If it wasn't yielding results he looked for he had no problem moving on to something else which is what i liked

Because they [Colmbia] are in high demand it can be crowded but its a peaceful place. Getting an appointment is easy and everyone is compassionate...He [Dr. Sacks] didnt linger. If it wasn't yielding results he looked for he had no problem moving on to something else which is what i liked...Dr. Sacks was the only doctor that treated me like my issue was important. He tested every hormone under the sun until he figured out the issue...He tested everything and finally found the issue with my pcos.

How was your experience with Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

He tested everything and finally found the issue with my pcos. It was a hormone imbalance. He prescribed a medication and after about 7 months my period became regular. He started off with a low dose to gradually bring on change. My period was on time and fantastic for the first time in 18 years. He did a uterine xray to check for blockage which no one ever did before. And with that info we talked about what was best. He started with clomid slowly increasing the dosage, then injections. After no success I took a break for about a year. I went back to him in 2014 and we picked up right were we left off. We did clomid, and he did a uterine xray. things were still the same and then boom pregnant on first cycle back. He monitored me for the first 8 weeks and then I left. He is AMAZING

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

Have patience. He is knowledgeable and kind. This is a long process and frustrating at times. He will be there to walk you through it and keep you hopeful.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

Dr. Sacks was the only doctor that treated me like my issue was important. He tested every hormone under the sun until he figured out the issue.

Describe the protocols Preston Sacks used in your cycles at Columbia Fertility Associates and their degree of success.

He was by the book. Started with clomid and then moved to injections. He didnt linger. If it wasn't yielding results he looked for he had no problem moving on to something else which is what i liked

Describe your experience with your nurse at Columbia Fertility Associates. (Assigned nurse: Julie)

I just remember her first name (Julia) but she was amazing.

Describe your experience with Columbia Fertility Associates.

The only issue I have is location. I would love for them to open up an location in Maryland. Because they are in high demand it can be crowded but its a peaceful place. Getting an appointment is easy and everyone is compassionate

Describe the costs associated with your care under Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates.

Minimal. My shots were covered ( i paid $75) and my clomid was covered. I paid a typical copay of $20

Doctor

Preston Sacks

Humanity

Communication

Trustworthiness

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Columbia Fertility Associates

Washington DC

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Preston Sacks Columbia Fertility Associates

2014, Successful

Age 34

1 IUI

European

Income $50K - $99K

Lawyer

Only Doc Seen

Donor Sperm

Neutral

Doesn't Recommend

Successful

Review of

Preston Sacks Columbia Fertility Associates

The nurses were great, but other than our initial consultation, I never really saw Dr. Sacks except for procedures. Then, he basically came in and did the fertility test or the IUI and left. It felt very clinical and impersonal, particularly given that it was the start of the most meaningful and important thing I've done in my life...Dr. Sacks helped me get my son for which I am forever grateful, but it all felt very clinical and impersonal.

The staff at the clinic [Columbia Fertility Associates] is terrible. I would call the financial coordinator over and over, have to leave a message, and never get a call back. Because of miscommunications with the clinic, my IUI wasn't covered by insurance, even though the clinic had told me in my initial meeting that my insurance would cover it...I had to wait longer to start than I planned because they lost the paperwork they needed to send in to sign me up with the sperm bank I chose to use, and no one would call me back when I left a message. Also, they told me that my cycle was covered by insurance but never sent my insurance company the information they needed for pre-approval and, again, never returned my calls about financial issues or insurance. It's partially my fault since I should have held off until I was sure about insurance coverage, but that would have been frustrating too since I couldn't get them to call me back and wasn't sure they would ever do the paperwork correctly.

How was your experience with Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

Dr. Sacks was very friendly at the initial consultation, but I never really spoke to him again. It may have been different if I'd had a longer relationship with him, but I got pregnant after my first IUI. Basically, after the initial consultation, I saw Dr. Sacks at the HSG and the IUI, but he didn't really talk to me. The nurses handled all communications.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

Dr. Sacks helped me get my son for which I am forever grateful, but it all felt very clinical and impersonal.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

Describe the protocols Preston Sacks used in your cycles at Columbia Fertility Associates and their degree of success.

I was with Dr. Sacks for two cycles. The first was unmedicated and unmonitored, but the home ovulation tests were never positive, so I asked the nurse if I could do an unmedicated, monitored based on my Internet research. I never spoke to Dr. Sacks about strategies or protocols. When the nurse scheduled my IUI, she told me that Dr. Sacks wanted me to have a trigger shot, so that was the only medication I used for my one IUI.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Columbia Fertility Associates.

The nurses were primarily responsible for communicating with me both by phone and in the office. They did all of the ultrasounds to monitor my ovulation and gave me all of the doctor's instructions in preparation for my IUI. They were all very nice and were prompt about calling me after a blood test. They weren't quick about calling back if I called them though.

Describe your experience with Columbia Fertility Associates.

The staff at the clinic is terrible. I would call the financial coordinator over and over, have to leave a message, and never get a call back. Because of miscommunications with the clinic, my IUI wasn't covered by insurance, even though the clinic had told me in my initial meeting that my insurance would cover it.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates.

I don't remember exactly. The testing, bloodwork, and ultrasound appointments were covered by insurance either at my usual co-pay or under the terms of my deductible. I had to pay for the IUI. I think it was about $750.

What specific things went wrong at Columbia Fertility Associates?

Lost paperwork
Provided conflicting information

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Columbia Fertility Associates.

I had to wait longer to start than I planned because they lost the paperwork they needed to send in to sign me up with the sperm bank I chose to use, and no one would call me back when I left a message. Also, they told me that my cycle was covered by insurance but never sent my insurance company the information they needed for pre-approval and, again, never returned my calls about financial issues or insurance. It's partially my fault since I should have held off until I was sure about insurance coverage, but that would have been frustrating too since I couldn't get them to call me back and wasn't sure they would ever do the paperwork correctly.

Doctor

Preston Sacks

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Clinic

Columbia Fertility Associates

Washington DC

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Preston Sacks Columbia Fertility Associates

2010 - 2011, Unsuccessful

Age 35 - 36

Endometriosis

East Asian

Income $50K - $99K

Teacher

1st of 3 Docs

13 IUI With Other Docs

2 IVF With Other Docs

Donor Sperm

Doesn't Recommend

Unsuccessful

Review of

Preston Sacks Columbia Fertility Associates

Dr Sacks is a very kind man. He has a good bedside manner. My only critique is that he did not seem to be that focused on my treatment plan. I did 12 IUI's (half medicated and half unmediated) and had 3 miscarriages. I know that hindsight is 20/20 but I would have liked to see him try harder to determine a cause for the miscarriages and recommend more aggressive treatment...I would tell a prospective patient that she should make sure she doesn't stay on the same protocol for too long if success is not happening with whatever Dr Sacks is doing. Although it is super hard to go on the internet and research other things, and we tend to assume that the doctor with the training knows what he is doing, and there is always value in being patient while TTC, sometimes you have to push!

There was a lot of variability in the followup of the nurses and the bedside manner of the nurses who take your blood. The Bethesda CFA was fabulously staffed. The D.C. CFA was always much more crowded and relatively more impersonal, so I preferred getting my monitoring done in Bethesda. I had an amazing nurse in Bethesda and am mortified that I cannot remember her name!...Only once I was waiting for results on my beta HCG when I had a pregnancy that did not seem to be progressing. They were going to call me with the results before I left for a vacation but I did not hear from them.

How was your experience with Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

I would tell a prospective patient that she should make sure she doesn't stay on the same protocol for too long if success is not happening with whatever Dr Sacks is doing. Although it is super hard to go on the internet and research other things, and we tend to assume that the doctor with the training knows what he is doing, and there is always value in being patient while TTC, sometimes you have to push!

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

He was personable.

Describe the protocols Preston Sacks used in your cycles at Columbia Fertility Associates and their degree of success.

I myself wanted to do unmediated IUI to start since I had a good HSG, good ovarian reserve and was 34 years old. I did 5 rounds. Then I went medicated with a trigger shot and Clomid. I had a miscarriage on my second medicated IUI. I had two more miscarriages with medicated IUI. Then I went for the gonadatropins but the change in protocol was at my request. I did not get pregnant on any IUI with gonadatropins. At this point I decided to change doctors and take a break!

Describe your experience with your nurse at Columbia Fertility Associates. (Assigned nurse: Lorna)

There are many nurses at CFA but Lorna was particularly excellent and compassionate during one of my miscarriages that was treated as a possible ectopic pregnancy and was thus resolved with methotrexate.

Describe your experience with Columbia Fertility Associates.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates.

I did only IUI with Dr Sacks. I will have to go back to my records to look at the price for unmedicated but the fee for medicated was around $1000 per cycle not including meds.

What specific things went wrong at Columbia Fertility Associates?

Failed to call with results

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Columbia Fertility Associates.

Only once I was waiting for results on my beta HCG when I had a pregnancy that did not seem to be progressing. They were going to call me with the results before I left for a vacation but I did not hear from them.

Doctor

Preston Sacks

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Columbia Fertility Associates

Washington DC

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Preston Sacks Columbia Fertility Associates

2009 - 2012, Successful

Age 39 - 42

1 IUI

1 IVF

1 Egg Freezing

Poor Egg Quality

Income $500K

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Neutral

Successful

Review of

Preston Sacks Columbia Fertility Associates

Dr. Sacks was responsive and attentive. He has a great bedside manner; he's caring but straightforward. His staff didn't always communicate very well, though he responded quickly whenever I raised concerns.

I trust Dr. Sacks more than I trusted his nurses [at Columbia Fertility Associates], so I would stay in close touch with him and always double[check] directions...I thought the nurse gave very confusing directions leading up to the transfer.

How was your experience with Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

I thought he was great. I trusted his judgment and always found him to be very responsive. He gave us his email address and always followed up quickly on any questions or concerns. I had several miscarriages before we saw him and now have two healthy children.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

I trust Dr. Sacks more than I trusted his nurses, so I would stay in close touch with him and always doubleck directions.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Columbia Fertility Associates.

The nurse assigned to me for our first child was very good and seemed to be on the ball. I went through two other embryo transfers and had a mixed experience. For our last embryo transfer, which did not work, I thought the nurse gave very confusing directions leading up to the transfer. When I raised concerns with her, she was a little cold.

What specific things went wrong at Columbia Fertility Associates?

Provided conflicting information

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Columbia Fertility Associates.

We harvested eggs once then transferred embryos three times, two of which resulted in healthy pregnancies. For the final process using our last frozen embryo I thought the nurse gave confusing instructions, which made me very nervous leading up the procedure about whether I had followed the right protocol. I raised the concerns with the nurse, who was a little cold, then with Dr. Sacks, who was very responsive.

Doctor

Preston Sacks

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Columbia Fertility Associates

Washington DC

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Preston Sacks Columbia Fertility Associates

2007 - 2011, Successful

Age 38 - 42

6 IUI

3 IVF

European

Income $50K - $99K

Operations

Only Doc Seen

Donor Sperm

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Preston Sacks Columbia Fertility Associates

I had an overall great experience with Dr. Sacks. He is very knowledgeable, sympathetic and a great communicator. CFA and Dr. Sacks was first recommended to me by another single mothers by choice (SMCs) in the DC area for his single-mom friendly attitude...We tried 6 or 7 IUIs (few last ones were medicated) and then moved on to IVFs...Dr. Preston Sacks has a very warm and SMC-friendly personality. He was very personal and sympathetic during the treatment and is a great doctor!

This was over seven years ago, so things might have changed now, but CFA [Columbia Fertility Associates] was known for great doctors and a not very strong admin team...They thawed my frozen embryo for a transfer once - but for a wrong date. They refroze it, apologized profusely and refunded costs of that cycle to me. We still went ahead with the cycle as scheduled and transferred that frozen-thawed-frozen-thawed embryo, but that cycle didn't work.

How was your experience with Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

I have no advice...

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

Dr. Preston Sacks has a very warm and SMC-friendly personality. He was very personal and sympathetic during the treatment and is a great doctor!

Describe the protocols Preston Sacks used in your cycles at Columbia Fertility Associates and their degree of success.

Frankly, I don't remember the protocols as my daughter is 7 years old now. We tried 6 or 7 IUIs (few last ones were medicated) and then moved on to IVFs.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Columbia Fertility Associates.

I spent almost two years trying to conceive, so had several nurses during that period. I was happy with all of them.

Describe your experience with Columbia Fertility Associates.

This was over seven years ago, so things might have changed now, but CFA was known for great doctors and a not very strong admin team.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates.

Oh, I don't remember anymore as I had a good insurance at that time and they did help me navigate it.

What specific things went wrong at Columbia Fertility Associates?

Lost appointments
Scheduled the wrong procedure

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Columbia Fertility Associates.

They thawed my frozen embryo for a transfer once - but for a wrong date. They refroze it, apologized profusely and refunded costs of that cycle to me. We still went ahead with the cycle as scheduled and transferred that frozen-thawed-frozen-thawed embryo, but that cycle didn't work.

Doctor

Preston Sacks

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Columbia Fertility Associates

Washington DC

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Preston Sacks Columbia Fertility Associates

2016 - 2017, Unknown Success

Age 41 - 42

3 IUI

4 IVF

Unexplained

European

Income $100K - $199K

Only Doc Seen

Donor Sperm

Strongly Recommends

Success w/ Doc Not sure

Review of

Preston Sacks Columbia Fertility Associates

Dr. Sacks is not a big believer in overwhelming the body with a large amount of fetility drugs. A set drug regimen hoping to obtain a small amount of good quality eggs over a large batch of low quality eggs is the goal...Dr. Sacks shares his knowledge of both the IUI and IVF process. He is straight forward and does not require additional procedures if they are not needed. He takes his time and understands this is a frustrating and stressful undertaking for his patients...Dr. Sacks has taken the time to explain everything throughout the cycle process. I was never left with unanswered questions...

The staff [at Columbia Fertility Associates - DC] will try to get each patient through the morning walk-ins for ultrasound and blood work in a decent time frame...Both [nurse] Heather and Sarah explained the process each time. They would share if any of the pharmacies had a sale of the fertility medications because everything adds up in cost...So far I've spend roughly $45.000 on treatments. An additional $8,000 on medications and $6,000 of donor sperm...

How was your experience with Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

Dr. Sacks shares his knowledge of both the IUI and IVF process. He is straight forward and does not require additional procedures if they are not needed. He takes his time and understands this is a frustrating and stressful undertaking for his patients.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

If having a child is truly your goal, have patience and understand the road may be (really) long but so worth the process when rewarded with a child.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

Dr. Sacks has taken the time to explain everything throughout the cycle process. I was never left with unanswered questions.

Describe the protocols Preston Sacks used in your cycles at Columbia Fertility Associates and their degree of success.

I was diagnosed with unexplained infertility after trying to have a second child. Dr. Sacks is not a big believer in overwhelming the body with a large amount of fetility drugs. A set drug regimen hoping to obtain a small amount of good quality eggs over a large batch of low quality eggs is the goal.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Columbia Fertility Associates. (Assigned nurse: Heather and Sarah)

Both Heather and Sarah explained the process each time. They would share if any of the pharmacies had a sale of the fertility medications because everything adds up in cost.

Describe your experience with Columbia Fertility Associates.

The staff will try to get each patient through the morning walk-ins for ultrasound and blood work in a decent time frame.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates.

So far I've spend roughly $45.000 on treatments. An additional $8,000 on medications and $6,000 of donor sperm.

Doctor

Preston Sacks

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Columbia Fertility Associates

Washington DC

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Preston Sacks Columbia Fertility Associates

2013 - 2014, Successful

N/A

Age 29 - 30

1 Fertility Medications

Diminished Ovarian Reserve

European

Ashkenazi Jewish

Income $200K - $499K

Lawyer

Only Doc Seen

Successful

Review of

Preston Sacks Columbia Fertility Associates

Dr. Sacks was wonderful! I was a secondary infertility patient... I found him very responsive by e-mail, and very willing to provide me with the research base supporting his treatment decisions, which I really appreciated.

Try to be in contact with him [Dr. Sacks] directly as much as you can. The nurses are fine, but the quality varies, and I find him to be much more responsive and on top of things... Dr. Sacks was wonderful!

How was your experience with Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

Dr. Sacks was wonderful! I was a secondary infertility patient, who saw him on the recommendation of several dear friends after we struggled to get pregnant a second time. He seemed to strike an appropriate balance for a secondary infertility patient between running tests on the things that had changed (in my case, a precipitous decline in my ovarian reserve) and proceeding to treatment on the assumption that other things were unproblematic (my husband's fertility, tubal issues, etc.). He was incredibly compassionate during a very difficult time; I had had a complicated miscarriage right before I started seeing him, and he was very supportive and thorough when I subsequently became pregnant and had some complications that required a lot of early monitoring. I found him very responsive by e-mail, and very willing to provide me with the research base supporting his treatment decisions, which I really appreciated. We've since left the area, but I would absolutely consult with him when and if we try to get pregnant again.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

Try to be in contact with him directly as much as you can. The nurses are fine, but the quality varies, and I find him to be much more responsive and on top of things.

Humanity

Review of

Preston Sacks Columbia Fertility Associates

2014, Unsuccessful

Age 32

1 IUI

Male Factor

Unexplained

European

Income $100K - $199K

Operations

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Unsuccessful

Review of

Preston Sacks Columbia Fertility Associates

Dr Sacks was wonderfully, understanding, and hopeful....He agreed to try one more IUI and it worked! We are thankful that he steered us in this direction, and didn't just let us go ahead with IVF (which is much more profitable). He has always been attentive and confident that we would be able to have a baby, and always suggested what would be best for us.

[Dr. Sachs] is also extremely accessible via email and I always had positive experience with his nurses and the rest of the hospital staff. We would wholeheartedly recommend Dr. Sacks and Columbia Fertility and would use them again in a heartbeat (but are hoping we don't have to!)...We went in to talk to Dr. Sacks about moving forward with IVF, and he suggested we try one more IUI, as they like to try 3 times before moving onto something else.

How was your experience with Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

I'm actually 16 weeks pregnant now - our 3rd IUI with Dr. Sacks worked! My husband and I had originally agreed to try IUI twice before moving onto IVF (which I'm sure you know has a much higher success rate). We went in to talk to Dr. Sacks about moving forward with IVF, and he suggested we try one more IUI, as they like to try 3 times before moving onto something else. We agreed to try one more IUI and it worked! We are thankful that he steered us in this direction, and didn't just let us go ahead with IVF (which is much more profitable). He has always been attentive and confident that we would be able to have a baby, and always suggested what would be best for us. He is also extremely accessible via email and I always had positive experience with his nurses and the rest of the hospital staff. We would wholeheartedly recommend Dr. Sacks and Columbia Fertility and would use them again in a heartbeat (but are hoping we don't have to!)

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

You're in good hands!

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

Dr Sacks was wonderfully, understanding, and hopeful.

Doctor

Preston Sacks

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Columbia Fertility Associates

Washington DC

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Preston Sacks Columbia Fertility Associates

2004 - 2011, Successful

Age 43 - 50

4 IUI

PCOS

Income $200K - $499K

Consultant

Only Doc Seen

Donor Sperm

Doesn't Recommend

Neutral

Successful

Review of

Preston Sacks Columbia Fertility Associates

Felt that Sacks ( who I love) still spent too much time looking at the numbers and not at ME...Sacks is caring but with me at least, was not as creative or thoughtful as he could have been. It took me three years to get pregnant and I felt more like he was following his standard playbook than thinking through what I really needed. I finally did some of my own research and after 3 years of trying, I suggested I should be on Metformin. Given my history of PCOS this seemed like an obvious choice and he was not especially receptive when I suggested it.

Staff [at Columbia Fertility] was outstanding - compassionate, thoughtful, clear, encouraging. fabulous...Sacks is caring but with me at least, was not as creative or thoughtful as he could have been. It took me three years to get pregnant and I felt more like he was following his standard playbook than thinking through what I really needed...Felt that Sacks ( who I love) still spent too much time looking at the numbers and not at ME.

How was your experience with Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

Sacks is caring but with me at least, was not as creative or thoughtful as he could have been. It took me three years to get pregnant and I felt more like he was following his standard playbook than thinking through what I really needed. I finally did some of my own research and after 3 years of trying, I suggested I should be on Metformin. Given my history of PCOS this seemed like an obvious choice and he was not especially receptive when I suggested it. But we did try it and I was pregnant within 6 weeks. A miracle!

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

Push to see him directly (as opposed to just reviewing your data) and encourage him to review your chart beyond the numbers. I was just within the range of normal in several categories so he never identified me as a candidate for different treatment. But in retrospect, the aggregation of these data points created a very different picture when put all together.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

I eventually succeeded with a drug that I found through my own research. Felt that Sacks ( who I love) still spent too much time looking at the numbers and not at ME.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Columbia Fertility Associates.

Staff was outstanding - compassionate, thoughtful, clear, encouraging. fabulous

Doctor

Preston Sacks

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Columbia Fertility Associates

Bethesda (closed)

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Preston Sacks Columbia Fertility Associates

2013, Unsuccessful

Age 35

Diminished Ovarian Reserve

European

Income $500K

Entrepreneur

1st of 3 Docs

IVF With Other Docs

Doesn't Recommend

Unsuccessful

Review of

Preston Sacks Columbia Fertility Associates

I truly felt that Dr. Sacks cared about his patients... We ultimately did not cycle with him because we were unbelievably frustrated with our inability to get him to return phone calls in a timely manner, and the ineptitude of the billing department.

Be forewarned that the admin and billing department can be very frustrating and this added frustration will come with an already emotionally trying and time consuming process.

How was your experience with Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

Dr. Sacks was recommended by my OB/GYN. During our initial visits, he was very pleasant and informative. We ultimately did not cycle with him because we were unbelievably frustrated with our inability to get him to return phone calls in a timely manner, and the ineptitude of the billing department.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

Be forewarned that the admin and billing department can be very frustrating and this added frustration will come with an already emotionally trying and time consuming process.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Preston Sacks at Columbia Fertility Associates?

I truly felt that Dr. Sacks cared about his patients. We did not initiate a cycle with him because we did not feel the team around him was the right fit for us.

What specific things went wrong at Columbia Fertility Associates?

Lost paperwork
Failed to call with results
Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Columbia Fertility Associates.

I had a very bad experience with a fellow doctor in the clinic who failed to call me with his review of an HSG test and then when he did reach did not give an accurate picture of what they meant.

Doctor

Preston Sacks

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Compassion

Clinic

Columbia Fertility Associates

Washington DC

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Educational Resources

Review of

Preston Sacks Columbia Fertility Associates

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Preston Sacks

Columbia Fertility Associates

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Columbia Fertility Associates
Rated 7.5

31 patient reviews

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Preston Sacks

Columbia Fertility Associates

Education

How Doctor Communicates

Columbia Fertility AssociatesRated 7.5Strongly recommend: 47%Neutral: 31%Don't recommend: 22%7.5

31 patient reviews

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Columbia Fertility Associates
Rated 7.5