redstar
Delay is not denial
Member since 5/05 2220 total posts
Name:
Michelle
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Re: NYU or Long Island IVF
Hey Kathy, I just thought that this was very interesting. I found it during my usual research. I can not agree with this person more. We are so fortunate to live in NY, where the best hospitals, labs and doctors come. Don't forget, the better the success rates, the more money a lab gets for research, better equipment and better care. A lot of the manhattan clinics have 'satellite' offices.
Choosing an IVF clinic
While there are plenty of IVF clinics to choose from, they are not created equal, and the playing field is by no means level. Rather, there is a wide spectrum among IVF clinics, and superior, top tier clinics clearly offer stronger diagnostic skills, more advanced laboratory technology, more refined clinical expertise, and better overall odds of having a baby. In view of this, I believe that before committing to a particular clinic for treatment, patients owe it to themselves to develop strong analytical skills that will permit them to make choices in an informed, logical, and discriminating manner.
The Traps
Unfortunately, many among us choose an IVF clinic using criteria that are questionable. I make this statement without the slightest note of condescension as when I was in treatment I too fell into this trap.
Here are some of the most common traps patients fall into:
Often patients choose IVF clinics based exclusively on hearsay and anecdotal information. They know someone who had success at a particular program or heard about a doctor there who is "good." I do believe that it is important to investigate the experiences of other patients who have accessed a clinic you are considering. However, many find sufficient encouragement in anecdotal stories and conduct scant research about a program beyond that. I believe that this is a mistake.
Others choose an IVF program based exclusively on the referral of a GP or gynaecologist. Often such referrals are also based on hearsay and anecdotal information, or sometimes on casual professional acquaintances. It is important that patients realize that some GP's and gynaecologists have not personally researched the world of IVF in great depth, and are often not in a position to make optimal recommendations.
Some patients choose an IVF program because it is close to their home or place of work. Many also choose an IVF program because it is less expensive than others. While there is no question that the IVF process makes terrible demands on our time and money, I believe that if it is at all possible (and I realize that unfortunately for many it is not possible) patients should avoid choosing an IVF program based on geographic proximity or reduced cost alone. Such a plan is unlikely to be cost effective or preserve you emotionally or physically if the clinic offers poor odds of success and you have the misfortune of experiencing multiple failures there. Choices based on geographic proximity and reduced cost will often lead to increased financial hardship and emotional and physical exhaustion.
Finally, many couples choose an IVF clinic because of their personal chemistry with a particular doctor at that clinic. I know well from my own experience that a warm relationship with a compassionate doctor is a very helpful stress reducer during the IVF experience. Nonetheless a warm and compassionate doctor who is constrained by the limitations of an inferior IVF clinic will not have the power to protect you from the heartache and despair of experiencing failure at that clinic. I believe that patients should first focus on the clinic, choose one for the right reasons, and then choose a doctor at that clinic with whom they are comfortable. I think we would all prefer to have a child with the help of a doctor who above all else offered exemplary clinical expertise at a superior IVF clinic. Excellent personal chemistry with a doctor is, in my opinion, a very wonderful and welcome bonus.
The Consequences
Unfortunately, many of my clients have chosen inferior IVF clinics using the criteria outlined above. By the time their paths cross mine, they have often experienced multiple IVF failures. Here are some of the consequences of their choices:
Some couples spin their wheels far too long at an inferior clinic, exhausting their financial resources, and/or emotional strength, only to find that they are no longer able to proceed with treatment. Those who exhaust themselves financially also unwittingly close the door to alternative means of building their families such as egg donation or adoption as they too require considerable financial resources;
Others find that the most precious years of the female partner's reproductive life have been lost. By the time they become aware of options that may have significantly increased their odds of achieving success, the woman is of advanced age and her reproductive potential is diminished;
Some couples are counselled to consider alternative means of building their families, not because IVF will never work for them, but simply because it has not worked for them at a clinic that is constrained by its own limitations. Many of these couples innocently follow the recommendation believing erroneously that all IVF clinics are created equal;
Still others are counselled to consider egg donation because they have not been able to satisfy a particular program's rigid entry criteria. What these couples often do not realize is that had they tried to gain admittance to an IVF clinic that accepted more challenging cases they would easily have done so.
Sadly, many of these couples would have had success with IVF had they been better informed.
The Reality
So how do patients develop an understanding of the full range of their best options before committing to one IVF clinic for treatment?
A common complaint among those who consult with a physician regarding IVF is that the physician did not spend enough time educating them about their treatment options. Thankfully there are exceptions, and those physicians who respond to the needs of their patients for information are very helpful. The reality is, however, that even those physicians who feel they have an obligation to provide full and complete information to their patients are constrained by high patient volumes, and unfortunately their time with each couple is limited.
When a physician does take the time to provide information to his/her patients the information is generally limited to the clinical and technological offerings at that particular clinic. In other words, when you consult with a physician at an IVF clinic you will typically learn about what that particular clinic can offer you. Most IVF clinics feel tremendous pressure in a fiercely competitive marketplace, and they have a vested interest in promoting themselves to the patients who consult with them. Although it does sometimes happen, it is out of the ordinary when a couple is referred by one IVF clinic to another in recognition of the fact that the second clinic offers more refined clinical expertise, more advanced laboratory technology, entry criteria that the female partner might be better able to satisfy, or overall better odds.
There is a great deal of information available on the Internet and in books, but it is extremely difficult for even the most sophisticated among us to synthesize it, and develop the analytical insights that would make a fully educated choice possible. The acquisition of this level of understanding would require an enormous commitment of time and energy, and those facing the daunting world of IVF generally have neither. The stress of infertility is overwhelming and emotionally draining, and most couples need to access treatment quickly in an effort to keep time on their side.
As an Infertility Consultant, I am an independent, unaffiliated resource who can provide valuable assistance to those in need of insight, analysis, and crucial information. In an effort to help my clients save time, money, and heartache I have thoroughly researched the IVF landscape in the United States, and will teach you how to choose an IVF clinic that is well suited to your needs, and that will increase your odds of having a child.
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