Boston IVF – The Brookline Center

This review is for Dr. Attaman. Horrible doctor and even worse human being. I don't know why she would want to be a fertility doctor when she actively seems to hate her patients. We had to switch fertility companies after just one visit with her. She was clearly checked out, wanted to rush through the appointment (even though she was ten minutes late herself), and she got angry when I tried to ask a question in the middle of a conversation ("I wasn't finished, you can ask your questions after I'm done"). If there was a certain flow of conversation she wanted us to follow, she could have easily communicated that or shared an agenda, rather than chastise me. We had a procedure planned after the meeting but because I felt unsafe asking her questions without being humiliated, I didn't trust her, and we ultimately decided to go to take our business elsewhere. She did not create a safe environment in which I could ask questions, so I was left with a lot of lingering questions and I did not think she would take good care of me during the procedure. In her bio she says "I share my core values of kindness and respect with every patient I meet and every family I encounter". Absolutely laughable. Not only is she a terrible doctor, she does not have self-awareness. Do not go to this clinic or doctor. You will leave feeling dejected and want to give up.

I just was seen by another doctor and I’m so irate at Boston IVF. Aside from the joke of an idiocy of nurses there, I was told I had 11 follicles and they pulled the plug on my treatment. I’m seeing a new clinic now and they said I need 9-10. Reading on others they are even doing egg retrieval on people who have 8. This new doctor who reviewed my case told me there was so much more that could have been done and Boston IVF told me to give up and adopt. The nurses in my ultra sounds told me how they saw follicles and tried to batter me up that things were working. On day 2 of my cycle I was told to be seen by their doctor and I went in and the nurse told me I didn’t need to be seen until my day 2. I literally had to say yesterday morning I started my period. So yesterday was day one, now today (what comes after one) seriously. If you can’t count you shouldn’t be a nurse. Outside of all the above I had to pay for all the medication up front. Then after the cycle was eliminated I was told I could donate my $7k worth of drugs back to the facility. Predatory practice. Not there to help you. I could have had a chance. Now after a move and a new doctor I decided to try one more time out of devastation and my case has worsened. Boston IVF may have cost me my opportunity for something to work.

Though my experience with Boston IVF was not great, I want to begin this review by saying that the nurses, phlebotomists and sonographer I worked with were amazing. 5 stars. Stephanie, Krysten, Kendra: thank you for making a hard journey easier. I was referred to Boston IVF in fall 2022. At my initial consult Dr Vaughan told me IVF was unlikely to work and that I would probably need donor eggs. This message was delivered without compassion and before we even tried any treatment, and left me devastated. In 2 of my 3 conversations with Dr Vaughan over the coming months I felt like nothing more than a number to him. Only in our 3rd and final conversation did I feel like he really listened and considered me as anything more than a walking statistic. We did two cycles, both failed or were canceled with no eggs being retrieved. I was told I had empty follicles the first time and the second time I just didn't respond to the medications. In June 2023 I got a second opinion from Dr Penzias, also at Boston IVF (Waltham location) . While his message was delivered with more compassion it was essentially the same: the chances of this working for you are very low. At this point though I could start to see gaps in the information I was being given. For example, Dr Penzias said he wakes up every morning hoping that a solution to infertility has been found, yet was completely unaware of the large body of research on red light therapy and fertility that has come out of Denmark and Japan (or that such a machine now exists in Boston, one of only eight in the country). A week or so before I met with Dr Penzias, I had a consult with Dr Check at the Cooper Institute in PA. His methods are quite unconventional but he believed I could get pregnant! When I asked Dr Penzias about these methods he made some reference to doctors providing 'false positivity' and was generally fairly dismissive of Dr Check's approach. I felt much more positive working with Dr Check (given that he himself had a positive outlook on my chance of success) and decided to stop working with Boston IVF. One year later I am home with my newborn, and contrary to what the Boston IVF doctors said, I did not need donor eggs or even IVF to conceive her. I'm incredibly grateful that I found Dr Check - who treated me with kindness and compassion, and whose methods were remarkably effective - and did not listen to the doctors at Boston IVF. Boston IVF doctors would benefit from learning more about his methods to better help the 'poor responder' patients they see, and avoid needlessly recommending donor eggs and high stimulation cycles.

I have recently been diagnosed with Breast cancer and was trying to figure out the next steps with possibly freezing my eggs. I called and left a message and then heard back once from someone that said they would call me the next day and then never heard from them again. She was very rushed and rude on the phone. Which clearly means they are busy and as a fellow healthcare worker I understand that. But during a hard time in someone’s life you shouldn’t be made to feel like that. I will not go here nor recommend anyone to go here.

DO NOT GO HERE. The staff is completely rude, and not genuine, especially during this tough time for any couple experiencing infertility issues! When we told Boston IVF we were leaving, they did not care, as they treat you as a number not a human. The billing department is not ethical and told us they can't work with our insurance because they are " too picky." They don't keep good track of records, and the place is VERY disorganized. This is at the Brookline/ Chestnut hill location.