IVF consultations with out of town doctors

[Anonymous]

I'm considering an out of town consultation with one of the "big" guns (Cornell, Colorado) and believe I remember others on this board noting that at times doctors from these clients are willing to do phone consultations without cost.

Has anyone done this? I need a second opinion.

[Anonymous]

Did one with SIRM, they are fantastic. SIRM = Sher Institute. They do free phone consults.

[Anonymous]

They all do them. Just call and schedule but be prepared to have your pertinent medical records sent (and that can be costly).

[Anonymous]

I have not done it, but I have several friends who have had consults with Colorado/CCRM. I think it costs about $250 and you have to send them their records, and their schedules for this book up fairly quickly, so you may have to wait several weeks.

[Anonymous]

send them YOUR records...

[Anonymous]

Thx. Why is it costly?

I'm fairly straightforward- one lost tube, did IVF in the past. It was successful but my chances went from something like 70% to 40% given my response to the meds, and I want to make sure I'm on the most appropriate protocol next time.

If I have handwritten copies of my records (which are mostly how I responded to meds, again, the info the nurses give), can I just send those?

[Anonymous]

I guess costly is in the eye of the beholder -- sometimes doctors' offices can charge rather high rates just to copy your records. I got three copies of my files from CFA and it cost somewhere in the $50-$60 range for all three. Which is a lot just to run a copier machine, but it didn't break me. More extensive files with a lot more pages would cost more, I would imagine.

I suspect that if you're getting a second (or third, fourth, etc) opinion that those doctors want actual copies of your medical files, not just your own handwritten notes. And it might just be a good idea for you to read them, too. I was surprised at the depth that my medical records went into...there was far more info there than what the nurses would routinely give me.

[Anonymous]

Definitely get a copy of your records - even for your own eyes.

[Anonymous]

+1 NP here also advocating that you get your own records and ahve them sent to you Because A) YOU need to understand what happened in the past - there are always thing in there you didnt catch during your conversations. That way you can use the time effectively, make sure you ask him the most important questions and B) you can make copies and send to multiple places if needed down the road.

[Anonymous]

I wanted to follow up on this thread to inquire whether those who have sought a consult at one of the out-of-town centers (Cornell, CCRM, SIRM) requested a particular RE (and if so, who), or whether you just called the clinically generally and asked for the first-available consult with whoever was available.

I'm just finishing up my third IVF attempt locally (cycle #1 yielded only 1 egg and it didn't fertilize, cycle #2 was cancelled because I ovulated early, and cycle #3 yielded 1 mature egg and 1 embryo to transfer, but BFN) and believe it's time to get a second opinion about whether it is worth trying another IVF with a different protocol -- or with the same protocol but just playing the numbers -- or whether my history simply suggests that I do not respond well to IVF and therefore it isn't worth spending additional time or money on it.

In case it's relevant to anyone who's reading my post and has thoughts or experiences to share, our diagnosis is no male factor issues, but on my end, secondary infertility with very low AMH (0.29), medium high FSH (13), and AMA (I am 37).

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

[Anonymous]

For CRMI, you need to make an appt with the individual RE. I don't believe there is a centralized way to make a consult appt (different than when you are cycling).

I'd try for Davis. But if you can't wait that long then try Chung, Spandorfer, or Goldschlag. All great REs.

Definitely get a copy of your records - at least for yourself. You might be surprised to see what is in there.

[Anonymous]

I had a phone consult with CCRM and you request who you want to talk to. I requested Surrey b/c I had heard a lot of good things about him. He was very thorough during the phone consult, very articulate and very open to questions and made suggestions for future protocols.

[Anonymous]

I went up to NYC for a consult with Davis (I don't think he does phone consults and I wouldn't recommend one - better to meet him in person). when I did it you had to submit your records in advance and I even went to NYC to have day 2 bloodwork done in advance. Each RE at Cornell has their own secretary who handles scheduling I think - but you call the main number and they'll tell you who you need to go to.

[Anonymous]

I'd recommend talking with Dr. Peters in SIRM's NJ office or Dr. Tortoriello in the Manhattan location. Both are top-notch.

[Anonymous]

I had a consult with ccrm earlier this year and it was free. I also got a BFP with them 2 weeks ago after 2 failed tries locally. Send ur records-the dr goes over them in detail. Good luck!