After 2+ years struggling with infertility due to PCOS and endometriosis, over 30 doctor's…read moreappointments, a year of medicated cycles... WE ARE PREGNANT. And it's all thanks to an endometriosis excision surgery by Dr. Camran Nezhat. After being told by my IVF doctor that we had a 5% chance of conceiving naturally, we conceived naturally in our own home just THREE months after my surgery. I myself am a physician assistant & wanted to provide a medical professional's perspective. This review will be long but comprehensive & I hope you will take the time to read it.
If you've struggled with infertility, you are familiar with the grueling process. I spent over a year being pushed off by REI doctors in my hometown & at UCSF. When I was failing to get pregnant with medicated cycles, I was told the best option was to progress to IUI/IVF. When I asked about endometriosis and described my symptoms of painful periods and dyspareunia (pain with sex), I was told I most likely did not have it. Even the experts at UCSF said that if I did have endo, the "evidence-based" treatment of choice for infertility due to endometriosis is IVF, and that there would be little benefit from surgery.
This is when I began researching endometriosis surgeons and the implications of endometriosis and infertility. I spent hours, days, weeks scouring the internet. I considered traveling out of state &out of the country to find the best. In the end, it was Dr. Nezhat who I found to be the most experienced&impressive. I won't lie to you, the claims on Dr. Nezhat's website & the reviews on the internet seemed almost too good to be true, and I was hesitant and nervous for my appointment. I have never been more thankful to be wrong for my anxieties.
His office is bright, open, and filled with pop music, most notably Taylor Swift. Cards & photos of miracle babies he has helped women to conceive litter the walls, no exaggeration numbering in the 100s-1000s. There are stacks of medical literature, including textbooks published by Dr. Nezhat himself - all of which supporting the evidence-based work he does for patients with endometriosis.
By the time I stepped into Nezhat's office, I had already been to several different specialists and honestly felt like a number at those offices. By contrast, from the moment we stepped in, my husband and I felt as though we were treated like family.
We were greeted by the kindest, most encouraging young women from all different backgrounds. None kinder and more empathetic than Dr. Nezhat's PA, Lindsey Chuang. She has fielded many an email & made many an extra phone call for me, & I've been so grateful. I believe Dr. Nezhat's entire staff understand they are working in a vulnerable area of medicine and are sensitive to that.
My impression of surgeons is similar to IVF doctors, they will offer the solution they are trained to provide - surgery. To my surprise and comfort, Dr. Nezhat did not immediately say he could help us & made it clear that it was a real possibility that he would not operate unless he truly believed I had endometriosis. Only after a thorough assessment, including imaging and a physical exam did he clinically diagnose me with endometriosis & recommend surgery. We discussed the innovative techniques he uses for surgery, including the tools he uses for excision and ovarian drilling which is used to restore normal ovulation in PCOS. He was so kind and empathetic. He made it clear we could keep him in the room as long as we wanted until all of our questions were answered. I was most struck by his degree of humility given all he has accomplished. In my experience as a PA, even ordinary surgeons are not so empathetic and humble.
I felt very safe in his hands on the day of my surgery, even safer that my friend Lindsey Chuang the PA was there. They are truly a very caring team and as far as patient experience, I was very impressed. Again, as a PA myself, and as a patient at multiple fertility clinics - I am sadly not accustomed to this level of genuine care. Dr. Nezhat called me the day after surgery, saw me two days later and then again 8 weeks later for post op. He takes so much time for his patients. He left me with the encouragement that our "prognosis is excellent," and that we could achieve pregnancy on our own, despite what everyone else said.
I tried to believe him at that final appointment, but as many who struggle with infertility know - it can be hard to keep the faith. Well. To my shock. I had no idea that at that very final post op appointment while Nezhat was encouraging us, our baby was actually actively implanting in my uterus. What I believed to be impossible, happened naturally. When I emailed to share our news, I immediately received a phone call & tons of advice from Lindsey & Dr. Nezhat. I could write pages, how do you thank someone for giving you the opportunity to start a family? There aren't words. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you forever to the entire Nezhat team.