Have you switched clinics?

[Anonymous]

SG did not make me repeat anything -- but I told the person who scheduled the appt that I would be bringing my medical records and that I wanted to start an IVF cycle ASAP and would only switch to SG if they would take me right away without waiting to repeat any tests. In this economy, I doubt they'd turn you away if you make it clear that you are not willign to repeat tests. That said, they may recommend additional tests.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"don't do this at dominion- i went there for a consult, and my records actually didn't get there in time; i had unfortunately relied on my previous RE to fax them over, so i had planned to have them there for the appointment.
dimattina would not entertain ANY of my questions or concerns. he just kept saying, "i'm not answering that until i see your records". and i know my history too, especially my condition. when i asked if he ever had other patients with the same condition he said not to insult his intelligence and continued to reiterate that there was absoultely nothing he could tell me w/o seeing my records."

Well, I actually did do this with Dr. Gorden and he was fine with it.

really? well it's too bad dimattina is such an asshole b/c they missed out making money off of me.
maybe gordon should teach him how to treat his patients and maybe then they would stop losing business b/c of him.

[Anonymous]

To the OP who is thinking of going for a consult at Dominion -

The person who has now posted on here twice bashing Dominion does this often. It's the same person; you can tell by certain language used and the fact that she doesn't believe in capitalization. I feel for her -- she clearly had or is going through a tough time, but please be assured that my experience with Dominion was very positive. Dr. DiMattina is abrupt, yes, but he's good at what he does. And Dr. Gordon is sweet mannered and good -- the whole package. I used Dr. DiMattina, and he was always appreciated my concerns and fears about costs. Just be up front about it and he'll understand.

Good luck to you.

[Anonymous]

silly girl! i only speak the truth! somebody suggested that prospective patients did not need to bring their own records to consults, and i was only speaking of my experience! (and will continue to do so on and off this website).

oh and btw i don't need your pity, but thanks anyway!

[Anonymous]

Yes, trust me, the OP has other forums where she has also gotten information about Dominion DIRECTLY from a patient who is willing to convey their name, where they live and detailed info about their treatment history and interactions with both Dr. G and Dr. D. The OP is astute enough to collect a great deal of information from many sources, especially sources beyond an anonymous board.

really? well it's too bad dimattina is such an asshole b/c they missed out making money off of me.
maybe gordon should teach him how to treat his patients and maybe then they would stop losing business b/c of him.

And to this poster...really? Come on! I respect your right to convey that you had a bad experience with Dr. D. Fine. But you do understand that it insults the intelligence of everyone on this board when you resort to posting using foul language and resort to such emotional and ridiculous statements about a highly successful and acclaimed local practitioner. It also negatively impacts YOUR credibility as a source for accurate and 'good' information. Both Dr. G and Dr. D are listed as "Top Docs" in the Washington DC area, and DF brings some of the newer, more innovative fertility practices to our area.

Its a shame to think that anyone just glancing over this site, might miss out on an opportunity to be a patient at this clinic, based upon your anonymous vitriol. Hopefully people do more research than just glance over an anonymous forum.

WLD

[Anonymous]

silly girl! i only speak the truth! somebody suggested that prospective patients did not need to bring their own records to consults, and i was only speaking of my experience! (and will continue to do so on and off this website).

I (a past patient at Dominion Fertility) suggested that she call before her records were released, FOR A CONSULT to see if she 'clicked' with the practice. I also suggested that I didn't know what the REs would suggest...but, at the same time, I feel if she just TALKS to them and lets them know that she is attempting to get her records released from SG, that they would talk with her about her options. I can only convey my thoughts based upon MY experiences, and they in NO WAY match yours.

Since you have posted so many times, I have derived some notions from what you have posted about your past treatment failures...I can only think that YOUR PERSONAL MEDICAL HISTORY, along with your personal affect, dictated the way that Dr. D interacted with you. Is it at all possible, that maybe YOU interacted with HIM in a way that was professionally or personally insulting to HIM? I mean, bad interactions between two people are usually NOT one sided!

I think it would be SO much healthier for you, if you spent more time finding a clinic that can help YOU meet your goals, than sitting here on an anonymous board trying to consistently bring down one practitioner and one fertility clinic.

We get your point...you were unhappy with Dr. D. Done. Move on, tell us who you WERE happy with and tell us who has helped you reach your goals. It would, in the end, have more impact on me to hear you say something positive once in awhile.

WLD

[Anonymous]

I swithced from SG to CFA. Other than getting records switched, it was easy. I was more upset about leaving my awesome nurse, Cerone, than "cheating" my doc, who I never saw.

[Anonymous]

"silly girl! i only speak the truth! somebody suggested that prospective patients did not need to bring their own records to consults, and i was only speaking of my experience! (and will continue to do so on and off this website).

oh and btw i don't need your pity, but thanks anyway!"

No -- you did much more than the OP asked, and you know it. You used the opportunity of her question to defame a doctor. Please own up. You don't like Dr. DiMattina -- anyone who frequents this board knows that. And that's okay. But the OP didn't ask for your opinions on him. You can't deny that you seek opportunities to bash his clinic.

Also, I'm sorry for empathizing with you. As a veteran of IF, I assumed that some of your frustration with this particular doctor reflected your frustration with IF overall, and this was not correct of me to do.

As always, I wish you and everyone on this board much success in getting the family they want.

[Anonymous]

PP 11:27: I'm not the OP (I'm the one who switched from SG to Cornell but I previously did have a consult with DF). But I thought the other poster's comments about Dr D not wanting to discuss a patient's case before looking at her file to be a helpful comment. And even though I'm not a fan of Dr D, I think that was probably not an unreasonable call -- there may have been things in her record that would have affected his recommendations that she did not fully understand/convey to him.

Bottom line is that the OP is going to meet with DF and then make her own decisions. The merits of DF has been widely debated on this board -- there probably isn't much more to add at this point.

[Anonymous]

"We get your point...you were unhappy with Dr. D. Done. Move on, tell us who you WERE happy with and tell us who has helped you reach your goals. It would, in the end, have more impact on me to hear you say something positive once in awhile. "

Shady Grove got me pregnant on the first try after trying for years with other clinics, and we are more than thrilled! And yes it has been a struggle, just as it is for everyone else on this board.

[Anonymous]

I have only visited this board a few times since I finally got results from the bashed Dr DiMattina, it cracks me up how people get so emotional about their doctors. I've been a patient at VCRM, SG, and DF and I truly believe they all tried their best to make it work, but ultimately DF made it happen so I feel the need to defend their honor. I really don't think anyone should choose a doctor based on emotions or what you read on an anonymous board, the DF bashers could be competitors and likewise. Go with the facts and a real live interaction before you spend your money.

[Anonymous]

I left SG and went for a consult at both Dominion and GWU. I didn't bring records but had all the numbers and everything. SG knew we were leaving; they had zero faith in my conceiving via IVF and were not willing to let me try it. (Okay, that's harsh, it felt that way -- point being: I didnt' feel like I was cheating on them as much as they were kicking me out.) I had great consults w/ both Dominion and GWU; clicked with GWU and had my records sent there. All clinics have different cutoffs or protocols, it is a numbers game.

[Anonymous]

I started with GIVF and then did a consult with DF and CFA. Both DF (Dr. DiMattina) and CFA (Dr. Sacks) were willing to meet with me with out having my entire case file. The only tests that they wanted to repeat were my husbands SA and my day three (which they would do when I started a cycle). DF also required a mock transfer before IVF, CFA did not. It is never a bad thing to have copies of your records. If you do get them before your consult, I would make an additional copy to keep for yourself.

As I am sure you have gathered from all the DF talk on this board, the two doctors are very different. I would definitely pick according what type of doctor you are comfortable with.