Ralf Zimmermann (retired)

I had a wonderful experience with Dr. Zimmermann. I felt he had both the expertise and excellent bedside manner. He was sensitive, respectful, and supportive while also being very knowledgeable and experienced. I appreciated that he was there for all of my appointments and procedures and found him to be very patient and thorough.

8 medicated iui cycles with a small dose of clomid (25 mg) — I had already had 3 unmedicated IUI cycles at a different clinic. Each time I used Ovidrel shot to trigger ovulation. After the failed iui, we decided to move on to ivf and I did 7 days of gonal f. I don’t remember the dose but I know it was pretty low and he lowered it several times because of concern about overstimulation. I also did injections to put off ovulation. I had one egg retrieval that resulted in 32 eggs, 25 fertilized with ivf and icsi, and 18 embryos made it to day 5. The 18 embryos were frozen because I needed to recover — I had mild OHSS. I skipped a cycle and then transferred one embryo resulting in a pregnancy and live birth of a baby boy. I took vagibal and injectable progesterone and estrogen for the first 13 weeks of pregnancy.

Almost no wait times, same doctor each time.

Much was covered by my insurance but I had to pay copays and coninsurance. I ended up spending about $3500 including medications.

Dr. Zimmermann very clearly knows this area very well. His knowledge of the biology and science behind it all was very reassuring. Sometimes our meetings could feel rushed, but he always thoroughly answered my questions when I asked them. He made candid recommendations while also remaining sensitive.

Come to your meetings with him prepared with the questions you want to ask.

I do not ovulate or get my period, so after the initial tests, we did cycles with Clomid to induce follicle growth and then an Ovidrel injection to induce ovulation, followed by timed intercourse. We did six timed intercourse cycles, all with negative results. There was no issue with my husband's sperm, but we decided to try one or two rounds of IUI before proceeding to IVF. After the first IUI procedure (done again with Ovidrel and Clomid), I became pregnant.

There was a co-pay for each visit, and I think that was it.

He was kind, intelligent, and informative- particularly at the initial consult. However, as time went by I found it more and more difficult as I rarely saw him when at the clinic and had an extremely difficult time reaching him by phone and he never seemed to remember who I was or the details of my case/treatment. On one occasion he forgot to include his DEA number on my prescription causing me to waste extra time as I had to return to the clinic to get a new prescription. And ultimately I felt he just followed a "one size fits all" approach. I lost my first pregnancy (due to a chromosomal abnormality) which was the result of my second natural cycle IUI (no medication). Despite this, Dr. Zimmermann strongly advised that I take Clomid for any subsequent IUIs. I followed his advice once however, the Clomid caused significant discomfort and did not result in a pregnancy. I then got a second opinion from another reproductive endocrinologist who indicated that would not have been his recommendation due to some adverse effects of Clomid and due to the fact that I had already gotten pregnant with a natural cycle, had no known documented fertility problems and good ovarian reserve. Against Dr. Zimmermann's advice, I decided to go back to a natural cycle (no Clomid) on my next try which resulted in a healthy pregnancy.

You probably have to stay on top of him by calling or going in constantly otherwise things may get missed.

Advised Clomid after a miscarriage even though I had no documented fertility problems and had gotten pregnant on my second natural cycle of IUI because he said that at my age (39) it would improve my chances.

Most were covered by my health insurance

He was very experienced and took the time to explain the next steps and answer questions. He was not judgmental and very encouraging. Whenever I left a message he responded in a timely matter. Although he didn't perform my procedures he did make sure to walk me through every step and process before it occurred.

I would say that although the clinic is big and it seems like a factory being run, Dr. Zimmerman will be there to help you if you reach out.

He first did a blood test and discovered I had Beta Thalasemia trait. That helped me to pick a sperm donor that did not have that. I also had to do an HSG to make sure the Fallopian tubes were clear. I also had blood tests and ultrasounds to track and time ovulation. Finally I did the iui. After I became pregnant, he continued to monitor my hcg with bloodwork and had an ultrasound at 6 weeks before he released me.

My insurance covered most of it. However, the iui was around $800 and then I had to pay $50 to intake the sperm that I ordered.

He is very thoughtful in his approach. Comes across as both authoritative and caring. He provided a lot of additional information on fertility that was helpful. With each round he talked us through what happened, why it happened (when possible) and what changes could be made each time.

Ask for a full timeline of the process. I think when you live this every day you may assume that the patient knows ... I did not!

This is a tough one ... I know we used an antagonist though I cannot remember too many details. I also know this changed each round - both the dose and I think even the drug.

It was well organized. I knew when I could go in and there was rarely a wait.

I have to admit, I don't remember but they sat down with us and gave us all of the information upfront!

He has a strong preference for single and explained the consequences associated with multiple births.

Dr Zimmermann was extremely patient with me and all my questions. He seemed to be very concerned about my exams and my wish to get pregnant. He explained to us the procedure in detail and took all necessary exams prior the IUI

The bottom line for me is ultimately results, and we had a successful IVF pregnancy in one cycle. We're into the third trimester and knock on wood everything has gone very well. We always felt like Dr Zimmerman was highly competent, and have nothing but positive things to say about him as a doctor.

Be patient and understand that the clinic itself is a little over worked and you will be frustrated by some things.

Our case didn't really involve too much starter.

There generally was a long wait, but they have now shifted to an appointment based system.

Dr. Zimmermann is the best. He is a very smart man and treatment me with the utmost respect. He would call back immediately when he was not able to answer my calls. He's always available through emails.

Be proactive and ask questions.