Dear Eggsperts— I have so many questions, and I don’t even know where to start. I was hoping you could give some guidance on how I might go about picking the right doctor. It’s seems as though every doctor claims to be the best, but how do I know for sure. I only have one shot at this! –Only the Best in Bakersfield
Dear Best–We hear you loud and clear, that’s a big question. No one ‘wants’ to undergo fertility treatments, much less more than once. We also agree that it can be difficult to decipher great marketing from validated scientific results in today’s world of digital graphics and social media. To cut through the fluff, we’ve put together a few bullet points to consider when choosing your clinic:
- Consider where you live. No, seriously. Hear us out. Do you have a Reproductive Endocrinologist (RE) in your town? This is important. For the most up-to date fertility care, we advocate that you see reproductive specialist who has sought out additional years of training and a board certification in the field. Fertility is specific and complicated, and may require more than an Obstetrician/Gynecologist (OB/GYN) may be able to provide. Your RE also studied to become an OB/GYN and Surgeon prior to becoming an RE, so bear that in mind.
- If you don’t have an RE in your town, you will need to consider how far you are willing to travel and to see your specialist. Some RE clinics will offer telephone consultations for visits that don’t require specific procedures. Remember that IVF will require many appointments, sometimes day after day and with little or no notice. It is time consuming, emotional, and expensive. Some patients will even travel to another city or state and live out of a suitcase/hotel for weeks at a time to see a specific doctor. Now, not all of us have that flexibility, but it is done regularly.
- Next, ask around! Do you know anyone who has seen a fertility specialist? Have your friends or family (in person or on social media) shared their stories? Who did they see? This is a nerve-wracking process and if you know someone who has already had success, you may find comfort in seeing your friend’s doctor too!
- Don’t be afraid to read the reviews! Our only word of caution is as follows: there is no guarantee with IVF or any fertility treatments. A patient who has spent a lot of time and money who comes home with nothing more than a broken dream and a large debt is extremely likely to post a heartbreaking and hurtful review. Quite honestly, she/he has every right to. We just feel it worth adding that a patient’s failure to achieve pregnancy or a live birth may not be the fault of the physician or clinic. Sadly, there are things that just can’t be overcome and are hard to predict. That said, the physician absolutely has control over how his or her patients are treated while he/she is in the office. If you see a trend that makes you uncomfortable, look for another alternative. Life is about choices. You get to choose your specialist!
- Get their Stats! There are several sites where IVF results are posted. There are several nuances to interpretation of the numbers, and it can be confusing. Treatments other than IVF are not reported. Because it takes time to analyze and report all of the data, these reports are often about 2-3 years behind. If a clinic is new, their results may not be available. Also, clinics as a whole report consolidated results. You will not find data for individual physicians if he/she practices as part of a larger group. Only sole practitioner practices will, by default, publish individual results.
- By law, clinics are required to report their IVF results annually to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Data is collected and analyzed and reported annually. You can see the latest report, and archived reports at www.CDC.gov/ART. If a clinic is more than a few years in practice, and does not report to the CDC, you may want to ask why they don’t.
- Many clinics also report annually to the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology at www.SART.org. This is a voluntary membership organization, so there may be some clinics that do not report here, but they use a lot of the same data as the CDC.
- A more user-friendly site is www.fertilitysuccessrates.com. This site extracts data from the CDC, but some people find it easier to use when comparing clinics in their area.
Well, Best, admittedly that was a lot of information, and likely more than you ever wanted in a response. If you are lucky enough to have multiple clinics in your area to choose from, the decision can be tough, but we hope this gives you a place to start.
We hope we met your Eggspectations—An Eggspert
To stay up to date with our content, please bookmark our page www.askaneggspert.com and follow-us on social media. We welcome questions and will answer them in our posts as soon as possible. Please email us at questions@askaneggspert.com
- Facebook.com/askaneggspert
- Twitter.com/ask_an_Eggspert
- Linkedin.com/in/askaneggspert-a-team-of-2-195956199
- Instragram @ask_an_eggspert
Disclaimer: All of the comments on this page are for basic information only. They are based on the opinions and expertise of the authors and are not meant to provide a substitute for medical care or specific treatment recommendations. Each person is unique and requires individualized diagnosis and treatment plans. Any specific questions should be directed to your personal healthcare provider.