How do I find a better IVF doctor ?

Patients often ask me for a second opinion when their IVF cycle fails, and it breaks my heart when I see how poor the quality of their IVF medical records is. The documentation is pathetic, and there are no details even about the number of eggs retrieved and the number of embryos transferred. Sadly, even the leading “brand name” IVF clinics don't bother to provide photos of the embryos to their patients.

This means it's very hard to judge the quality of care they have received. Often it's obvious that the care they received was suboptimal ( for example, when the doctor transfers 4 Day 2 embryos), and that this is the reason why their IVF cycle failed. Often the only advice I can give them is to find a better IVF doctor.

However, it’s very hard for them to implement this. In fact, many of them are very unhappy with their doctor and know that their quality of care has been poor, but they don’t know how to find a better doctor. They seem to be stuck with the clinic, even if they suspect it’s bad, because they feel they are not able to judge the technical competence of the doctor, and are very worried that if they change the doctor, they may end up going from the frying pan into the fire ! After all, what’s the certainty that the new doctor will be any better than the old one ?

Sometimes their constraints are geographical. Most patients will find a clinic which is close to where they live, and will not have the courage or the financial resources to explore out of town options. Some IVF clinics also make it very difficult for their patients to extricate themselves from their clutches . Thus, they will hold onto the records , and will refuse to share information with the patient , claiming that the records are their property !

Others will use financial ploys,  such as offering discounts , in order to make sure that the patient remains loyal to them and doesn't go anywhere else . However, sticking to a bad doctor creates a lot of harm. You can actually use your hard earned expensive experience to find a better doctor. This is often the most effective option which is available for many IVF patients whose cycle failed because of poor quality medical care . While they can't undo the past and recover the sunk costs , they can use their knowledge to find a better doctor , because they now have a basis for comparison, and know what questions to ask !

Need help in finding a better doctor ? Please send me your medical details by filling in the form at www.drmalpani.com/free-second-opinion so that I can guide you better !