Richard Chetkowski

I came to Dr Chetkowski after 3 failed FETs from a clinic that felt like an IVF mill. I was broken and felt at a loss. My previous Dr didn’t have the time or understanding to know why my previous 3 FETs had failed. I decided on Dr Chetkowski because of his wisdom, research and ability to take the time to personalize my treatment. Dr Chetkowski also helped my mother 23 years ago achieve pregnancy for my younger brother, when others could not help her. This history with his vast knowledge was why we changed clinics.

Ask every question you can think of. He will answer it and give you a full explanation without making you feel rushed. Also find street parking, it’s much cheaper than the garage!

His first treatment was an ERA cycle and NK Cell testing, something my previous clinic would not do. From this he decided to put me on lupron injections for almost 5 months (my ERA showed inflammation) and Intralipid Infusions (I had high Natural Killer Cells) every 3 weeks before and after transfer. Also, another difference is that he prescribed progesterone compound capsules and PIO. He also had me on a different amount of estrogen both patches and pills.

He was not in network for my insurance but their office worked with us and even though we did pay out of pocket they sent off the receipts to insurance to speed up the process for us to receive a payback sooner. Each visit out of pocket $400 Transfer $3,000 ERA $700

He was open to both 1 and 2 embryo transfers for me personally because of my previous failures.

Dr. Chetkowski very clearly explained each procedure before hand, and all potential risks. We decided as a team what was best for our next step, and how to acheive it. We have done three IUI's with him, and each one, made new adjustments according to our changing situation. We trust him, and feel comfortable asking for advice and his opinion on what step we should take next. We had a pleasant and great experience working with Dr.C and his staff.

One piece of advice would be to ask him to talk slowly if you have trouble understanding him, as he has an accent. He is always happy to repeat himself.

Our treatment strategry was to focus on our initial diagnosis of male factor infertility, and go from there. We started with an unmedicated IUI cycle, which unfortunately ended with a negative pregnancy test. Our second and third cycle, my wife was on Clomid, and took a trigger shot to ensure ovulation. Again, we unfortunately found no success with any of our IUI's, but understood that there was no guarantee and understood the risks. Ultimately, Invitro will be our best bet to try for our circumstances. Dr.Chetkowski was very supportive of letting us try what we felt was right, combined with his medical advisement.

IUI's cost around $300.00, and the sperm washing around $150. Ultrasound check-ups were around $250.00 each.

Dr. Chetkowski was an excellent doctor! He always had time to sit down and explain every procedure and next step we took. I never felt uninformed or uncomfortable around him. He had a great bedside manner and was very quick, but still gentle. He understood my husbands and I situation very well and was concerned with all aspects of our life. He was supportive of our decisions, and listened well to the concerns we had. Although our procedures didn't end in pregnancy, I had a very positive and hopeful experience with him!

Don't be afraid to ask questions! He will listen and explain any concerns that you may have.

We came to Dr. Chetkowski aware that we had male factor infertility, and were looking into IUI. After getting to know each other, we decided as a team that an IUI would be the right choice for us. For our first IUI, I was prescribed 25 mg of clomaphine, and was to do at home ovulation testing until I received a positive to go in for the procedure. I also had a couple ultrasounds leading up to ovulation to make sure I was on the right track. Unfortunately our first IUI ended in a negative pregnancy test, but we were eager to try again for a second time. Our next IUI, was much like the first, but I was on 50 mg of Clomid and didn't go in for the procedure until a positive at home ovulation test. Unfortunately that one wasn't successful either. Our third IUI, a few months later, I was on 50 mg of Clomid and took a tigger shot before our procedure to ensure ovulation. This third IUI resulted in a negative pregnancy test as well. All three of these procedures we used my husbands sperm and each time his average after washing was about 2-3 million. We were saddened that none of the IUI's were successful for us, but hopeful we still have more options. We are now looking into IVF.

We paid out of pocket for our IUI's which was around $300 for the procedure, and $200 for sperm washing. I also paid $100 for the trigger shot and $10 for Clomid.

Dr. Chetkowski is a great doctor; I am glad I did my freezing with him. Positives: He has been doing this for decades so really understands what he is doing and how to course correct to make things work. He is through and makes sure that he does what is best for you and your body, not what would be fastest/ make the most money for the clinic. For example, right before I was going to start treatment, I became ill for an unrelated reason and he insisted that we not move ahead with the treatment so that I could get the other issue addressed. Weaknesses: Dr Chetkowski is not an overly emotive person. I am OK with that, as I value my doctors expertise over all other things but if you need a "warm and fuzzy" doctor, he may not be the right person for you. For example, it took a while for my follicles to develop and he called them "sluggish." I remember thinking if were more sensitive, this might have been hurtful but I realized that he was just telling the truth about my follicles!

Make sure that his tone works for you (and your partner if applicable). If you need an emotive doctor, he may not be a good fit for you.

I had egg freezing with Dr. Chetkowski. I took both pills and injections to get my eggs mature and then had them retrieved at Pacific Fertility Center in SF. I initially was on lower doses of the drugs but after it was clear my follicles were not responding quickly, I was increased to max dosage for about 7 days of my treatment. Dr. Chetkowski and his staff were very throughout about tracking my follicle growth progress.

I had about $700 of drug payments to make out of pocket; the rest of the drugs and procedures was covered by my insurance

Found him to be cold at the initial intake, but he seemed to warm up at subsequent appointments. I also found that his team did not take enough time to explain the process clearly. I wouldn't say don't go to him, as he has a good track record, but definitely be prepared to advocate for yourself, for as much information and alignment on the process.

Advocate for yourself.

I spent out of pocket about $4000 because much of my costs were covered by insurance.