1. Will you really be my doctor?

This is an important one. It may sound like a strange question, but at many clinics, you might see one doctor on your first visit, a different one on your next visit, and a Nurse Practitioner on the next. At larger clinics, there may be multiple doctors and clinical staff that participate in your treatment and you may meet them for the first time at your ultrasound or retrieval. The emphasis at these clinics is getting as many patients through treatment as possible. The patients come to these clinics for their national reputation and are willing to sacrifice personal touch and interaction for the prestige of the large programs. This is an approach that seems to work for some practices, but it’s not our approach. The processes and protocols are important, but when they hamper the human connection, we feel like it is doing you a disservice. We truly feel like the personal connection has an impact on your happiness and well-being…and thus, has an impact on your success. So if you decide to pursue your treatment at Caperton Fertility Institute, we commit to providing you a consistent and caring experience. You’ll see Dr. Caperton or another staff member that you already have a connection with and that knows you as a person as well as a patient. Dr. Lee Caperton and Dr. Kelly Caperton will personally review and oversee all of your treatment. No surprises and no mystery doctors or nurses.

2. How do you measure success rates?

Notice that we didn’t say “What are your success rates?” That’s not to say that success rates are not important. But they are not the most important indicator of a good clinic. If a clinic is focused solely on the success rate numbers that they report to the CDC, they may have a tendency to make decisions about treatment and patient care based on how they will affect the clinic’s reported success rates. So if you are a 39 year old woman with 3 previous unsuccessful IVF cycles, how likely will they be to accept you as a patient using your own eggs?

At Caperton Fertility Institute, we measure success not just on pregnancy rates (though ours are pretty stellar), but on multiple additional criteria including on how satisfied our patients are with their experience at CFI, how they feel about our staff, and whether they feel like after all is said and done, they know that this is the right place for them – regardless of the outcome. That’s a high standard. A pregnant patient is happy to offer a glowing testimonial, but if a patient can say that they are glad they used a clinic even when they didn’t get pregnant, that is a real endorsement.

3. What are some of your clinic’s areas of research?

The field of IVF is progressing exponentially, with new techniques and breakthroughs coming at regular intervals. These areas include both in the embryology lab and in the clinic, in areas like egg freezing (vitrification), embryo transfer techniques, fertility testing procedures, Single Embryo Transfer (SET), embryo culture, and fertility preservation methods for cancer patients to name a few. The bottom line focus of all of this research is to improve the quality, reliability and success of treatment and reproductive options. In order to give patients the best chance of success, a clinic really does need to be focused on identifying, evaluating, testing and perfecting these practices and techniques.

4. How do you feel about twins?

There are a lot of women that feel like twins are like a “bonus” for all of their heartache and struggles with infertility – a 2-for-1 deal. We can appreciate this perspective, but in reality, there are a number of risks to both mother and babies with any multiple pregnancy. The vast majority of twin births come prior to the 40th week of pregnancy, and virtually all triplet or greater pregnancies deliver early. Prematurity carries a variety of potential complications, many with long-term effects. Almost without exception, the goal in most cases should be one embryo, one healthy baby. This is in the long term best interest of mom and babies. Remember, with good stimulation protocols, expert embryology techniques and effective egg freezing procedures, we can retrieve the maximum number of eggs, fertilize and preserve them for future transfers with relatively little expense compared to the long term costs of twin and triplet births.

5. Can you tell me about your embryology lab?

The first red flag here is a clinic that uses an outside lab for their embryology work. Embryos are the most sensitive and delicate of organisms and are highly susceptible to any contaminants in the air and lab environment. For this reason, it is critical to maintain a tightly controlled environment with the most advanced air filtration system available and the most skilled and conscientious staff possible.
…Which leads us to the corollary to this question, “Can you tell me about your lab staff?” Embryology is a field where the elite practitioners have international reputations for their experience, skill, research work and intuition. Caperton Fertility has some of the world’s best anchoring their onsite embryology lab. Read more about them and their outstanding work HERE.

6. What is your standard IVF treatment protocol?

This is a bit of a trick question, since it’s like asking “What is the standard infertility diagnosis?” Every case is unique, and the protocol should be custom tailored to each patient individually. There is no way the physician will know what approach to take without an in-depth consultation with the patient, a thorough review of the patient’s medical and reproductive history, results of specialized infertility testing and an understanding of the patient’s/couple’s goals, timeline. Yet, it is surprisingly common for doctors to use the same standard stepped approach with most patients… This is particularly common when starting with an OB/GYN. Which brings us to the next question…

7. Are you subspecialty trained and Board Certified in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility?

The typical infertility patient starts with her OB/GYN when the issue of a potential fertility problem first arises. In many cases, patients will spend a year or more with their Ob/Gyn before discovering that there are infertility specialists with extensive specialty training in the field. In fact, they undergo an additional three years of subspecialty training and a fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. That’s why they are referred to as an “RE” or “REI”. There is an additional rigorous board certification process for Reproductive Endocrinologists beyond the OB/GYN board certification. When you decide to seek medical help for fertility issues, please do yourself the favor of seeking out a physician that is subspecialty trained and Board Certified in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. It will save you money, frustration and above all, precious time.

We invite you schedule a consultation with Caperton Fertility Institute. We hope you’ll ask us all of these questions and any others you might have. Don’t hold anything back. We promise to do the same. We are confident that you will get the answers you are looking for.