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Preparing For Your First Visit
It is our pleasure to welcome you to Southern California Reproductive Center. We are here to guide you through the process of diagnosis and treatment, starting with your initial consultation with your physician and nurse coordinator here at our clinic. The goal of this first visit is to thoroughly evaluate your medical history, outline a diagnostic plan to determine the specific needs of your case, and to design a treatment plan that is customized to your individual situation. Your doctor and nurse coordinator will be spending one-on-one time with you during this initial visit, making you an informed and knowledgeable participant in your treatment.
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To assist you in preparing your first visit, we have outlined some commonly asked questions regarding what to expect during and after your consultation, materials and information to bring with you, and important pre-consultation reminders.
Commonly Asked Questions Regarding Initial Consultation
1) How should I prepare for the initial consultation?
Prepare to bring with you a copy of your medical records from your OB/GYN, primary care physician, or any other fertility programs that add to your medical history. This copy will be for the office to keep on file as a part of your medical record, so make sure that you have your own personal copy as well. Your doctor can also fax these records to us directly, but arranging this will be your responsibility.
Related reading: How to Prepare for Your First Fertility Clinic Appointment
2) Should my partner come with me for this visit?
Because this is a time for asking clarifying questions, we invite and encourage your partner to accompany you to your initial consultation both to learn with you, and to support you. However, this is ultimately your decision as your partner’s presence is not necessary during this visit.
3) Can I meet with a financial counselor to discuss payment options?
After the initial consultation, there is also an opportunity to discuss the financial package options available to you. Our on-staff financial counselor will assist in explaining a price breakdown of the services provided by SCRC, ART Reproductive Center, as well as the Roxbury Surgery Center so that you can have a clear idea of the costs and timeline of payments with respect to your treatment plan.
4) Do you take insurance?
Our doctors do hold contracts with a number of PPO plans and some HMO plans as well. When planning for financing your treatment, it will be your responsibility to contact your insurance provider and check your coverage options for fertility. Once you have visited our office and become an established patient, our staff will also be checking with your insurance company to ensure that you receive all of the coverage that your plan provides. This screening process typically takes 5-7 working days to confirm.
5) What forms do I need to complete before my initial consultation?
Please visit our New Forms Page to download the New Patient Package. This form gives the doctor details of your medical background, and should be completed prior to your initial consultation for the doctor’s reviewing purposes. You can download these forms from our website, and they will also be sent to you directly before your scheduled appointment time (either via email, fax, or post). If you are unable to receive and/or complete these forms before your appointment, please plan on coming to our office at least 30 minutes before your appointment time to fill them out.
6) How soon can I schedule my initial consultation?
Typically we will be able to schedule your appointment within 2-3 days after your call to the front desk, sometimes sooner.
7) How long does it take to determine the diagnosis and construct a treatment plan?
Because diagnoses vary significantly from patient to patient, consultation with your physician will establish the details and time frame of your treatment plan.
8) How long will my first visit take?
From arrival to checking out, expect to be in the office anywhere between 45 to 90 minutes. Remember, if you haven’t filled out your New Patient Forms prior to your appointment, arrive at least 30 minutes early to give yourself time to complete them. Otherwise, please arrive 10-15 minutes before your appointment.
9) Do you treat patients outside of Southern California?
We treat patients from anywhere within the United States and abroad. If necessary, patients can coordinate between their doctors at home and an SCRC fertility specialist to create a cycle calendar that works with their schedules. Phone consultations are also available for patients from out of town.
10) What will be the total cost of my treatment and what are my options for payment?
Once your treatment plan is outlined and a schedule is created, our financial counselor will be able to give you an itemized list of costs and fees for all necessary services.
11) What tests are administered at my initial visit?
Your initial consultation most likely will include an ultrasound to assess your ovaries and may also include a few standard blood tests, typically including the following:
- FSH (follicle stimulating hormone)
- LH (luteinizing hormone)
- Estradiol
- TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone)
- PRL (Prolactin)
Please know blood tests and ultrasound services are charged in addition to your initial consultation with the physician.
Note: Your doctor may recommend more testing, based on your medical history and assessment. You can choose to have testing done at any time before beginning treatment.
12) After our diagnosis on the first visit, how long will it be until we can start treatment?
Treatment may begin as soon as the information is sufficient to work up a recommendation. Treatment can often start within one cycle, approximately one month.
13) How long should I expect to undergo treatment?
Because every patient’s unique case is contingent on so many different factors, the duration of your individual treatment can only be determined by your doctor.
14) What are your success rates?
After reviewing your individual clinical situation, your doctor will be able to give you a more accurate idea of what to expect from your treatments. You can also check our SART report for success rates by age group. The SART report compares pregnancy estimates for most IVF pregnancies in the United States.
15) How many times will I have to attempt IVF before becoming pregnant?
It is our hope that you will become pregnant after your first attempt. There is no policy at SCRC regarding the number of recommended cycles to achieve pregnancy. The average number of IVF cycles to achieve a successful live birth depends on embryo quality, age of the woman and quality of the sperm.
16) What is the rate of success at your clinic for IVF per embryo transfer? What is the number of embryos generally transferred each time?
At SCRC, we hope to achieve a pregnancy resulting in a single healthy baby. For this reason, we do not usually encourage transferring multiple embryos.
17) What is the monitoring process for my treatment, and how frequent will it be?
The standard process for monitoring during treatment involves ultrasound and blood work every several days during an IVF cycle. This typically lasts 10-14 days. An IUI cycle typically involves ultrasounds and using an ovulation predictor kit at home.
18) Is it always my doctor who performs monitoring during my treatment, or will other physicians or nurses be monitoring me as well?
Our offices are open every day to provide services to our patients whenever they are required, and your doctor will be here perform egg retrieval and embryo transfer over 90% of the time. However, if they cannot be present, there will always be one of our experienced physicians and skilled RN’s available to carry out these procedures.
We understand that these are only the first few questions you may have in preparing for your first visit. Remember that you can contact us any day of the week with further questions or clarifications. Our clinical staff is also available after hours to answer any clinical question that arises during your cycle, and provide support so that you always feel informed and empowered as you go along. To schedule your initial consultation, you may call our offices at (877) 735-1182 or request an appointment online. We hope to see you soon!