Frozen donor egg at Shady Grove?

[Anonymous]

Ready to move on to DE. I was starting to look into RBA, but found something online about frozen donor egg at Shady Grove. I looked back at my Shady Grove DE folder and don't see anything on cost, and my nurse just quit. Can anyone enlighten me? Do they do the same thing as RBA: guarantee two high quality embryos? Cost? Can you do two eSETs??

Thanks for any info.

[Anonymous]

SG is high if you ask me, it's 18k for one cycle, no guarantees. I think you get a batch of 6 or 7 eggs, FETs are not included. I would definitely do RBA over SG for frozen.

[Anonymous]

They offer shared risk for frozen also so you can do the guaranteed in six tries or your money back for 39,000. If you do a la carte and have leftover embryos from an initial batch of eggs it's 4500.

[Anonymous]

Thanks so much!

[Anonymous]

Just an FYI that starting January 1, 2014 RBA is only guaranteeing 1 high-quality embryo instead of 2.

[Anonymous]

Just a little plug for SG since they got me pregnant on the first try with DE. They are good at DE! And they only freeze top quality embryos there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just a little plug for SG since they got me pregnant on the first try with DE. They are good at DE! And they only freeze top quality embryos there.

so does RBA. I still would go with RBA (making sure you used a proven donor) even though they have switched to guaranteeing 1 HQE. We started with 6, only 3 fertilized yet still ended up with 3 HQE. Transferred 1 and have two frozen (19 weeks currently). I thought the frozen egg bank donor quality was lacking imo compared to RBA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just a little plug for SG since they got me pregnant on the first try with DE. They are good at DE! And they only freeze top quality embryos there.

You're one of the lucky ones.

I got pregnant the first time with DE at SG (fresh, the frozen is way too expensive) and miscarried at 9 weeks as did all three recipients. SG then tried to tell me I had to use the frozen embryos from that donor. After two months of fighting while I recoverd from the miscarriage, they sensed I would be pulling out (thus taking my money with me) they allowed me to switch donors. Someone I know in RBA's guarantee program ($30,500) didn't even have to ask after her m/c, her doctor told her he'd see if there were any m/cs in the donor's history, and if there were she could move on to a new donor. We don't come to DE to take on another woman's fertility problems. SG is pure corporate--and in this process, that kind of heartlessness can cost you physically and emotionally.

Now, due to my nurse's lack of responsiveness I had a compromised protocol (by the time she gave me the schedule, the day before lupron, no time for the scrapings that help me build up my lining) and totally due to my nurse's lack of responsiveness, an unacceptably late date for the frozen transfer from the last cycle, which didn't include a transfer due to the inadequacy of my lining, which has that last donor cycle starting in July and not finishing till the end of this year.

When I complain about the lack of responsiveness, there is never an apology, only excuses that I would expect from a child who hasn't done their homework, not professionals taking responsibility. It wouldn't fix the consequences but I definitely would have felt better to hear "I'm so sorry" as opposed to the patronizing "I understand your frustration". It's corporate, not medical or human.

I regret starting with SG, and even moreso, staying with them for a second cycle. I started with DE one year ago and have yet to have a second transfer. I've read people's experiences with RBA and no way does RBA cause this kind of headache and heartache. I will be going to RBA after this transfer if it doesn't work. I would leave now except that I already paid SG for the embryo that was created and can't get that donor fee back, but I'll be quite happy to be taking my cycle fees back from them.

RBA has been doing frozen donor egg a lot longer and their success rate is a little higher, that's the main reason to go there instead of SG, the next is price, the third is that SG makes me and others feel like I have to watch my back and I don't like that feeling from a doctor or service provider.

[Anonymous]

^^ PP's experience is just one of many. SG is a great clinic that has been getting lots of women pregnant for decades. That said, for frozen DE I would look into RBA as they are the pioneers of the vitrification process that has made their success rates so great.

[Anonymous]

I moved on from Shady Grove to RBA. I never tried the DE program at SG but did 4 IVF with OE with them. I did not have a good experience.

However, I do want to remind that while I love my Dr at RBA and the nurse I have, it is not a guarantee that you wont have problems.

We selected a donor that was proven. Transferred 2 perfect quality eggs. Had a miscarriage at 9 weeks-we were devastated and it has taken us over a year to get over it and move on since every time we think we are ready to move to our last 2 frozen ones, something comes up in the cycle.

So honestly regardless of where you go-this is a long and painful process. Just going with DE does not mean positive results, even if we so desperately need it.

So tread on carefully and keep expectations realistic.

[Anonymous]

I'm switching to frozen for the convenience of not syncing cycles and I am not even considering any clinic but RBA for that--they have the most experience with it and I've heard only good reviews, and the travel is not that expensive. I agree with PP, you have to be realistic--their success rates are not much higher than the national average.

[Anonymous]

Having a horrible experience with DE at SG, I would go to RBA. Their success rate is a little higher (55-60% live birth per cycle), the price is a LOT lower and from being on many forums the service is better and more compassionate. Not perfect, by any means but SG has caused me as much stress as the DE miscarriage I've had with them thus far.

[Anonymous]

SG is not good for DE, we moved to another local clinic and found success after two cycles.

[Anonymous]

Honestly, neither place is a guarantee of success at all. And individual donors are all different. You might get lucky and pick a good one, or not, no matter which place you go. Just so you don't get overly swayed by individual accounts of success or failure. For every failure story about SG there is a success story, same with RBA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, neither place is a guarantee of success at all. And individual donors are all different. You might get lucky and pick a good one, or not, no matter which place you go. Just so you don't get overly swayed by individual accounts of success or failure. For every failure story about SG there is a success story, same with RBA.

The objective facts are, though, that RBA is more experienced with frozen donor egg and is cheaper.

On the basis of experience with frozen donor egg and price alone, RBA wins.

Non-scientific reasons: on forums I rarely hear complaints about the service at RBA, but they are legion about SG, and I myself have not had a good DE experience there.