My miscarriage was due to amnio given by Stern according to obgyn due it's timing. Had healthy pregnancy till that point. I agree with previous post that success rates can be manipulated and good bedside manner does not equal cautious technique.

I had an amnio about a month ago with Dr Broth and he was great. For or in responses to the PP who was questioning how you would know whether a doc doing an amnio is excellent outside of the outcome of miscarriage - I had an amnio with my DD 2 years or so ago and though the doc came recommended he didnt take enough time to find the right pocket of fluid and I was in contractions in his office doing the procedure for about 45 min. He barely retrieved enough fluid to do the test. It was too casual an environment and it was traumatic even though I didnt lose the baby. So I didnt go back. I asked my midwife to recommend someone who gets great feedback for the ease of the procedure from her patients knowing that miscarriage is not always linked to the amnio. She gave me Dr Broth as her choice saying that even with patients who had complications, CVS and amnio were done quickly and without issues. He took a lot of time finding the pocket and talking to the nurse about how he was going to go about the retrieval of fluid. He said the trick was to find the perfect spot and get in and out before the uterus can overreact. I was very nervous about it and it ended up only taking 2 minutes. He explained every step as he was going and the difference between my last amnio and this one is staggering -both pregnancies had no miscarriage after the procedure but the EXPERIENCE was so different. He was direct, calm, informative and did what he said he would do with confidence. We got our results within the week for the FISH and the full results without bugging them. That is what I call an excellent doctor for amnio - someone who listens to your history and concerns, addresses them, can back their words up with actions, and has a staff which is attentive and respectful of the process.
It is very difficult if not impossible to link a miscarriage to an amnio - miscarriages happen around that time without amnio. But I think you have the right to hope for and expect an experience as I listed above.


Tlc Perinatal
Richard Broth

10801 Lockwood Dr
Silver Spring, MD 20901
301-681-0004

10:44 - I'm sorry for your loss. If I may ask, was the miscarriage related to a procedure (if you know)?

Another vote for Dr. Harvey Stern. He's funny and puts you immediately at ease. He's one of the best out there.

Just had miscarriage with stern. While he has easy manner and is funny putting you at ease, upon reflection perhaps too casual of attitude. Had previous amino with doctor who conducted this procedure with much more caution and care. For example making sure you sat after procedure for 15- 20 minutes, gave antibiotics,gave more detailed list of precautions. Stern promised to call after learning of complications to follow up but did not do so on own till called by my obgyn with terrible news

I have seen Dr. stern for a cvs and Dr.Katz at VHC fir amnio, regular care and a fatal issue. I cannot say enough wonderful things about him, despite what someone posted, and wish he could have delivered my baby. VHC is great. Dr. Maclaren is also highly regarded and was at VHC before leaving nearly two years ago.
Stern was great, the genetic counselor awesome And I have had great experiences with DR Katz as a regular patient. Many of the names posted by otters are all the top folks in the area. I have friends who have seen Dr. Pinkert and ,I've him.
Good luck!

I saw Dr McLaren today and his office staff was great and saw me right on time. The tech did the extensive exam and was great even did 3d which was weird at 11.5 weeks but still cool. It was about 30 minutes before the dr came in but we spent that time with the tech so we never waited. I would complain to the office mgr or Dr Mclaren directly if you do not receive good customer service, he should know. I thought the staff was better than when he was at VHC and that was one reason he left the hospital (staff was hosptial employees who he had no say in). I just love his bedside manner and Shelly the tech is great, she even remembered me from 3 years ago. she also told me that when I come back for the 16 week blood draw that if they are not busy they will do an ultrasound to check for the sex which I thought was great.

I also heard bad things about Dr Katz and long waits/bad customer service from his techs.

Anonymous wrote:Just had my second appointment with Dr. Mclaren and this visit was worse than the last. Although Dr. Mclaren is competent his office staff is not and very unprofessional. Both times I've had to wait. For the first appointment (over 1 hour) and the second (30 minutes-just for someone to draw my blood) although there was no one in the waiting room. The office staff was patronizing, unapologetic and sarcastic. I've never seen any doctor's office like it.

I am quite surprised that you had this experience in Dr. McLaren's office. I have been a patient of Dr. McLaren's for years (several pregnancies) and have never had any problems. I find him and his staff (now that he is in his new location) to be very professional and competent. Were you late for your appointments? I once heard his receptionist explain to a patient that was late that they would work her in. She said they try to stay on schedule so that the patients that are on time are not penalized because of late arrivers. I really appreciated this because I am always on time or early for my appointments and do not think my appointment should be delayed because others think it is okay to show up late. My guess is you were late for your appointment. I also work in another physicians office and I know we often are delayed because of unforeseen circumstances. Rarely does a doctor's office run on schedule.

Since this thread has been revived, I'll jump in. I saw Dr. Pinkert when I had GD. He's awesome. Dr. Gallagher in the same practice did one amnio and two CVSs for me. I can't say enough good things about them both and their staffs.

Dr. Pinkert is great. By great I mean I saw him for a CVS and then when my pregnancy changed from normal to high-risk.

Another recommendation for Dr. Stern at Genetics and IVF Institute. Highly experienced, professional, very caring and personable.

Just had my second appointment with Dr. Mclaren and this visit was worse than the last. Although Dr. Mclaren is competent his office staff is not and very unprofessional. Both times I've had to wait. For the first appointment (over 1 hour) and the second (30 minutes-just for someone to draw my blood) although there was no one in the waiting room. The office staff was patronizing, unapologetic and sarcastic. I've never seen any doctor's office like it.

The OBs in the practice that I go to (Healthcare for Women at Arlington Hospital) say that Dr. McLaren is the best of the best, if that's any help. He helped me get through a very complicated first pregnancy and we are going back to him for our second.

Anonymous wrote:Dr Harvey Stern at Genetics and IVF.

I second Dr. Stern. He performed my CVS. Very nice and easygoing.

On the flip side...sorry to be a downer...does anyone know of someone who had a M/C as a result of an amnio by any of these, or other, doctors? Granted, as a PP mentioned, it would not necessarily have been doctor error but I am just trying to get a sense of how frequent M/Cs are among the experienced pool of doctors we have in the DC area...