Shady Grove or Columbia Fertility?

[Anonymous]

Which one do you prefer? I saw an old post, so trying to get more updated info. I have a Telehealth appt with Dr. Nair and I also saw here that Dr. Sacks is good, and I called and I could get an appt within 2 weeks (compared to Dr. Nair : 2 months). Which one would you prefer? Is Columbia Fertility cheaper?

I'm 32, I have been trying for #2 for a year, got pregnant but miscarried.

[Anonymous]

I only used CFA but I think go for the one that is more convenient for lots and lots of appointments. I liked CFA because I could easily get meter parking and not pay a ton for garage parking. But it was also close to my work.

[Anonymous]

I would try SGF. I write this as having been to both. SGF is cheaper than CFA. SGF probably has a better lab. You have no known issues and have been able to get pregnant. You are hopefully an easier case.

In some ways, CFA was better for me. CFA was out of hte box enough for me to figure out my issue, but I did not get very good embryos and I ended up getting pregnant at SGF using CFAs protocol.

[Anonymous]

Totally agree on convenience. It’s a lot of appointments for testing then once you start treating you’ll be going very frequently for monitoring. If one is much closer to you I’d consider using that place if it’s otherwise a toss up.

[Anonymous]

Dr Sacks is wonderful. We went to him after discovering that we had male factor. I now have a three month old. He is compassionate and very caring.

[Anonymous]

I've been to both, and highly recommend CFA. My insurance wouldn't cover my IVF unless I was going to carry the pregnancy, but it seemed like I might need a surrogate (but wasn't entirely clear that I would need one). Shady Grove wouldn't do IVF on me unless I had a signed contract with a surrogate, which would have cost tens of thousands of dollars, PLUS I would have paid out of pocket for IVF. There's no way I was going to spend all that money without even knowing if I'd have any good embryos to transfer. CFA wrote up the paperwork as if I was carrying the pregnancy myself and got my insurance to cover my IVF.

If it matters to you, I think there is at least one doctor at CFA who doesn't treat LGBTQ patients (is it Dr. Sacks?). But the other doctors do, and I have friends who are LGBTQ who had treatments there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would try SGF. I write this as having been to both. SGF is cheaper than CFA. SGF probably has a better lab. You have no known issues and have been able to get pregnant. You are hopefully an easier case.

In some ways, CFA was better for me. CFA was out of hte box enough for me to figure out my issue, but I did not get very good embryos and I ended up getting pregnant at SGF using CFAs protocol.

What was your CFA protocols if you don't mind me asking? How did you convince SGF to follow CFA's protocol?

[Anonymous]

If you are eligible for shared risk, go with shady grove. SGF also has a much higher IVF success rate.

The nurses at CFA have high turnover. They are extremely disorganized and insensitive. One time they were chatting about one of them just having a new baby right in front of the patients. They wouldn't send you an ivf calendar unless you keep nagging. The 2-hour driving every day in DC traffic also add to the stress. The doctor (Dr. Abbasi,) however, is great, very responsive, willing to listen, willing to try everything outside the box.

SGF's nurses are much better. I got the calendar on day 1 of the cycle, phone call after each monitoring, email replies even on weekends or holidays. The protocols are more textbook, and you only talk to your doctor to decide protocols. Other doctors on call do the monitoring and procedures.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would try SGF. I write this as having been to both. SGF is cheaper than CFA. SGF probably has a better lab. You have no known issues and have been able to get pregnant. You are hopefully an easier case.

In some ways, CFA was better for me. CFA was out of hte box enough for me to figure out my issue, but I did not get very good embryos and I ended up getting pregnant at SGF using CFAs protocol.

What was your CFA protocols if you don't mind me asking? How did you convince SGF to follow CFA's protocol?

They were humoring me in a last ditch attempt after pleading with them. It's a very different situation then OP or the majority of posters on this board. The protocol was very specific to my problems. SGF did not think it would work.

[Anonymous]

This is a very personal decision. I saw Dr. Sacks for a long time and then switched to SGF because we needed a change since nothing was working. Dr. Sacks is a nice man but a bit old school. The big difference for me were the nurses - mine at SGF have been light years better than at CFA. For one of my CFA IVF rounds the nurse never contacted me on the day I was supposed to trigger. That's something I just can't get over.

[Anonymous]

I'm the PP and I forgot to add that CFA has lower success rates because they take patients that other clinics don't accept (for age, BMI, or other reasons). I admire Dr. Sacks for giving these women a chance.

[Anonymous]

OMG, I can't believe the CFA nurses never called you to trigger. I am so sorry. What did you end up doing?

[Anonymous]

Doctors are worse at SGF than Columbia but nurses are better. And SGF Lab is one of best in country.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OMG, I can't believe the CFA nurses never called you to trigger. I am so sorry. What did you end up doing?

Plus 1. I hope they gave you a free round, at least!

[Anonymous]

does anyone know if the Bethesda location of CFA is still open?