Colorado Center for Reproductive Medicine?

[Anonymous]

Has anyone tried, or have friends who have tried, IVF or IUI at the Colorado Center for Reproductive Medicine? I am 42 and have had one canceled IVF cycle and one failed one in the DC area. Colorado seems to have the best success rate for IVF for women in my age group in the US so I am thinking of going there for treatment. Just curious to know if anyone else has experience with them. Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

[Anonymous]

I don't have experience myself, but I think if you can afford it, it's a great choice. My other recommendation would be Cornell.

[Anonymous]

Oh, and I wouldn't bother with IUI. I think if you're going to spend the money to go to CCRM, you should do IVF.

[Anonymous]

Check out the Colorado board at ivfconnections.com (search under "IVF by location" and you'll find the state boards). There are many posts from women cycling at CCRM from out of town.

I too wouldn't travel for IUI----there's very little special they could do that a local DC clinic couldn't. IUI is pretty much IUI. However, the differences between IVF labs can be amazing.

[Anonymous]

I just did my final cycle w/ CCRM. I'm a really poor responder and didn't stim much better at CCRM than with my other local cycles, but I felt that CCRM's protocol plus the quality of their lab would give me a better shot than any local clinic, so it was worth it to us to go their for our final try. They do many little things that can add up to a better cycle, plus their lab is great, but they don't necessarily have a magic potion for poor responders. I will say that it was a pleasure cycling there - I really felt that everyone was nice, caring, and attentive. You can do an initial consult by phone (after sending in your medical records), so you can discuss your situation and what the docs think your chances are before you go out the for the one-day workout that they require before cycling.

I also agree w/ the PP the the Colorado board on IVFconnections is a great source of information.

[Anonymous]

Thanks all for these helpful responses! My husband and I had a consultation with Dr. Schoolcraft and he seemed very nice and helpful. My first IVF (lupron stop) cycle at Shady Grove was canceled because I was a poor responder. Shady Grove then increased my meds for the second cycle (also lupron stop), and I got five eggs, but only one fertilized so we transfered that one embryo. I didn't get pregnant, however. Dr. Schoolcraft said he would probably use an antagonist protocol with GGH (the genetic testing of the embryos where they test all 23 chromonsomes before the transfer). I would like to go to CCRM, but just spoke to their business office and an IVF cycle with ICSI and CCRM comes to about $28,000. They don't have any deals or special packages either to reduce the cost (only loans which we are not interested in taking out).

So we need to think seriously about whether this is worth this huge financial committment for us (we have already spent $20,000 at Shady Grove).


I just did my final cycle w/ CCRM. I'm a really poor responder and didn't stim much better at CCRM than with my other local cycles, but I felt that CCRM's protocol plus the quality of their lab would give me a better shot than any local clinic, so it was worth it to us to go their for our final try. They do many little things that can add up to a better cycle, plus their lab is great, but they don't necessarily have a magic potion for poor responders. I will say that it was a pleasure cycling there - I really felt that everyone was nice, caring, and attentive. You can do an initial consult by phone (after sending in your medical records), so you can discuss your situation and what the docs think your chances are before you go out the for the one-day workout that they require before cycling.

Could I ask the person who posted the above if you would recommend that we give it a try? I am assuming the cycle you did at Colorado did not work. It sounds like we are both poor responders. Did you by chance get the antagonist protocol at CCRM?

Many thanks!!!!

I also agree w/ the PP the the Colorado board on IVFconnections is a great source of information.

[Anonymous]

OP, I'm a poor responder to meds and was cancelled my first try at IVF with Shady Grove, but I was successful with NCIVF at Dominion Fertility. Unfortunately I mc at 9 wks, but I plan to try again with Df.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks all for these helpful responses! My husband and I had a consultation with Dr. Schoolcraft and he seemed very nice and helpful. My first IVF (lupron stop) cycle at Shady Grove was canceled because I was a poor responder. Shady Grove then increased my meds for the second cycle (also lupron stop), and I got five eggs, but only one fertilized so we transfered that one embryo. I didn't get pregnant, however. Dr. Schoolcraft said he would probably use an antagonist protocol with GGH (the genetic testing of the embryos where they test all 23 chromonsomes before the transfer). I would like to go to CCRM, but just spoke to their business office and an IVF cycle with ICSI and CCRM comes to about $28,000. They don't have any deals or special packages either to reduce the cost (only loans which we are not interested in taking out).

So we need to think seriously about whether this is worth this huge financial committment for us (we have already spent $20,000 at Shady Grove).


I just did my final cycle w/ CCRM. I'm a really poor responder and didn't stim much better at CCRM than with my other local cycles, but I felt that CCRM's protocol plus the quality of their lab would give me a better shot than any local clinic, so it was worth it to us to go their for our final try. They do many little things that can add up to a better cycle, plus their lab is great, but they don't necessarily have a magic potion for poor responders. I will say that it was a pleasure cycling there - I really felt that everyone was nice, caring, and attentive. You can do an initial consult by phone (after sending in your medical records), so you can discuss your situation and what the docs think your chances are before you go out the for the one-day workout that they require before cycling.

Could I ask the person who posted the above if you would recommend that we give it a try? I am assuming the cycle you did at Colorado did not work. It sounds like we are both poor responders. Did you by chance get the antagonist protocol at CCRM?

Many thanks!!!!

I also agree w/ the PP the the Colorado board on IVFconnections is a great source of information.

Just FYI -- I was on an antagonist protocol at Shady Grove after being a poor responder. I did get pregnant twice on the protocol. Once was a miscarriage and once was a successful twin pregnancy. Also, we did PGD at Shady Grove, but I've read hear that they (Dr. Kearns lab) are switching away from PGD to a new technique so it may also be GGH. It might be worthwhile for you to discuss both of these with your RE at Shady Grove to see if they can work something out for you.

[Anonymous]

I'm the PP who cycled at CCRM. Are you sure about the quote? We paid 15K with ICSI but not genetic testing - I think it would have been 19K with the genetic testing (which we didn't do because we had such few follies that I knew that I would transfer everything that we would get). We did ICSI because there was only 1 egg, not because of MF. Did SG try ICSI on your last cycle? If not, it may be worth trying CCRM to see if they can get more fertilized for you - I do believe that their lab is really good.

I did estrogen priming, with clomid, saizen and dexamethasone. I'm pretty sure they use the saizen and dexamethasone with the antagonist protocol as well. Obviously it didn't help with my response, but you probably know that there is no predicting what will happen with you. So I really can't tell you if it would be worth it to cycle there. For us, we wanted to be able to say we gave it our best before we called it quits, so it was worth it.

[Anonymous]

I have three friends who've had successful cycles at CCRM after unsuccesful cycles at other very well-known clinics. I spoke with them myself and they attribute their success to their lab. The protocol essentially was the same at least for FETs. I'd give it a try.

[Anonymous]

I am the OP. Thanks everyone for your helpful input. I went back and looked at CCRM's prices, and actually it comes to just over $23,000 for one IVF cycle with ICSI and the genetic testing (the CGH). So, 28,000 was my exaggeration, though 23,000 still seems like a lot. At SG, we paid for one caceled cycle and one failed cycle and it came to about $20,000. BUt our insurance is probably going to cover us now at SG (they had declined coverage because we had had a miscarriage just before initiating IVF, but it has been a year since that miscarriage, so they will cover us in the DC area, but not out of state).


Just FYI -- I was on an antagonist protocol at Shady Grove after being a poor responder. I did get pregnant twice on the protocol. Once was a miscarriage and once was a successful twin pregnancy. Also, we did PGD at Shady Grove, but I've read hear that they (Dr. Kearns lab) are switching away from PGD to a new technique so it may also be GGH. It might be worthwhile for you to discuss both of these with your RE at Shady Grove to see if they can work something out for you.

Thanks for sharing this information. We may try the antagonist protocol at SG first before seriously considering CCRM. Congratulations on your twins. Do you mind if I ask your age? I am 42 and SG's success rates for my age group are not so great.

I did call Dr. Kerns a couple of months ago to ask about CGH. Apparently, his lab is ready to offer it, but they are waiting for the green light from their parent company, Labcorps. So, there's some administrative issue that's in the way, and Dr. Kerns cannot say exactly when CGH will be available. so I would love to try CGH because the procedure is apparently less invasive so you can do it even if you have a small number of embryos.


JB