I met Dr. Rakoff about 4 years ago when he was working at Scripps Green. I liked him immediately based on his honesty and upfront attitude about my chances of getting pregnant without assistance. I was never met with negativity but rather a "how can we get around this" approach. Having high FSH at the time but still a decent responder, we chose the IUI route. It took 7 cycles to finally get my daughter. When most doctors would have seen my failure rate at IUI after the standard 3 tries, they would have suggested IVF or even refused further IUI's. Dr. Rakoff listen to me and my body and knew that it was just a matter of tweaking things to get it right. He saved me thousands of dollars by allowing me to continue with my IUI protocol until I achieved success. Had I wanted to switch to IVF, I know Dr. Rakoff would have supported that choice as well. I never perceived Dr. Rakoff as anything but genuine and caring. Of course he is a Dr. and it's important for his numbers to match his efforts and for him to receive proper compensation, but I never ever got the feeling that he was in it for the numbers. It was one of the reasons why I stayed with him and why I chose to go back to him when we decided to try again. I followed him to SDFC with high hopes. After some preliminary testing, I was told that my high FSH was even higher (22.6) and my AMH (this was a test not available to me last time) was pretty low (.38) and my AFC was 10. We were met with some brutal honesty. It was hard to hear but the truth was that I had about a 1-2% chance of becoming pregnant and ending with a live birth. I won't lie, DE's were brought up, as naturally they should be when faced with these odds and numbers. I do not blame Dr. Rakoff for mentioning DE's to me as he was making sure that I understood what I was getting into and wanted to risk mitigate. I respect his honesty and ability to offer me all options. IVF was pretty much our only real option if we wanted results quickly. Being AMA (41), my window was closing in on me fast. Unfortunately, DE's or OE's with IVF were just not financially feasible for us at that time and we walked away a bit brokenhearted. After trying at home for a couple of months to negative results, I finally brought up the possibility of letting me try the IUI route. I knew my odds were very, very low, but I needed to feel like I was doing "something" to make things happen. Dr. Rakoff understood my need and never once mentioned statistics to me. I am sure privately he was a bit reluctant to put me on an IUI protocol just based on my numbers and not wanting me to suffer the heartbreak again and again, but knew that this was what I wanted and what I needed. He agreed to having me start stims and we kept our fingers crossed. Frankie at the front desk was a Godsend in rushing me through the cycle as I was already on day 3 and needed to start the stims that night. She made it happen and because of what she did, I will be forever grateful. Thank you Frankie. When I went in for a follicle check a few days into my cycle, we were pleasantly surprised to see how well I was responding to the medication. I was growing 7 follicles! Dr. Rakoff was genuinely happy for me. Lillie, Dr. Rakoff's nurse always greeted me with a smile and positive energy. They always listened to me ramble on and ask one too many questions and never made me feel rushed. Ever. Fast forward a month and I am about 7 weeks pregnant from that cycle. (He's 3yrs old now!) Was it a surprise to the clinic? Sure it was. Odds were not in my favor. Maybe I am a miracle, maybe I am just lucky. Was Dr. Rakoff wrong? No. He was right. When you play a numbers game, and that's all this is, he was right. Of course every once in a while the long shot wins. I guess I was that long shot. Will this change the way Dr. Rakoff looks at his numbers? I doubt it. It shouldn't. He is only going to give his professional opinion based on facts and numbers. At the end of the day, no one knows why one woman can get pregnant when all signs point to no and why one can't when everything looks perfect. All Dr. Rakoff and his staff can do is try and predict an outcome. The part that I love about Dr. Rakoff and his staff is that, predictions and all, my choice was still and always will be mine. At SDFC with Dr. Rakoff, I had a voice and it was heard. Thank you Dr. Rakoff for your utmost professionalism and unwavering support. I will never forget what you have done for me and I will continue to support you and your clinic as one of the best this country has to offer. Just remember, you are not always going to be able to make everyone happy all the time, but you can be happy with yourself and your decisions. They may not always be the most popular but it's the individual who is willing to step outside the box that gets noticed. Good or bad, cream always rises to the top. Dr. Rakoff and his staff are the cream of the crop. read more

This is the most caring compassionate person you'll ever meet. It was a pleasure! He is so competent and professional.

We owe Dr. Rakoff and his a team a world of thanks for our 2 1/2 year old girl and our baby boy due in 2 months! I've read the other reviews here and must say that since fertility is such an incredibly personal and emotional process, I understand why some women feel frustrated and angry. However in now having successfully conceived 2 babies with Dr. Rakoff's help, it's been my experience that he is nothing but professional, thorough, caring and persistent. At least 1 of the reviews portrays him as irresponsible and flighty and I just couldn't disagree more. I have PCOS (which he diagnosed) and went through fibroid surgery, countless tests, Clomid, natural IUI, and finally Follistim with IUI - all under Dr. Rakoff's care. Each step of the way was done with careful planning and consideration for possible risks. In fact, with my current pregnancy, I was having an unpredictable and erratic response to the Follistim and we almost gave up on the cycle altogether. But Dr. Rakoff suggested we persist with modified dosage and careful monitoring. Thanks to him we were successful and I'm looking forward to giving birth in 2 months. After struggling with fertility issues and going through the process with 2 children, I feel fairly well versed in today's standard protocols and methods. Dr. Rakoff consistently presented us with both potential upside and risk to anything we tried and ALWAYS respected our decisions. He's not only a great doctor but a caring and kind man who gave us our best gifts ever. Thank you so much! read more

Dr. Rakoff has been my fertility doctor since 2005. He is an outstanding fertility specialist and a compassionate physician. He was always a good listener and very caring about my health and well-being while trying to help us conceive a child. My husband always appreciated Dr. Rakoff's insight on the research and statistics and I always felt he was supportive, well-informed and highly skilled. Dr. Rakoff has helped me achieve two pregnancies and I am now returning to him for my third. He is extremely genuine and thoughtful and I have never once felt that he was just trying to improve his statistics by suggesting alternative methods such as egg donation. I am 40 yrs old and my husband is 15 yrs, my senior. We are grateful for having such a knowledgeable and supportive doctor like Dr. Rakoff. I have also appreciated Dr. Rakoff's protocols and procedures. He has always used the lastest procedures and techniques while individualizing to my needs. At his practice at Scripps Clinic, he was very good about freezing embryos and freezing semen samples. Our first child was a frozen embryo and she is a very healthy, active 3 1/2 year old, who is above age level in most areas of development. We were also able to use a semen sample from 5 years ago because Dr. Rakoff had frozen backup samples that we had not used. Dr. Rakoff has such a wonderful bedside manner which has always made me feel that I was in good, caring hands. The SDFC is very fortunate to have such an experienced and compassionate fertility specialist at their clinic. While, I miss the intimate care of his Scripps office, it is so great to work with him again. Dr. Rakoff was the first fertility specialist in San Diego to conceive a child through IVF. read more

We started seeing Dr Rakoff in Rancho Bernardo in 2010 to help with fertility problems. We followed him to the San Diego Infertility Clinic where we started the process. From day one, he was upfront with us and yes he did talk from a MAD Science view; we welcomed both points emotionally and scientific. Infertility was our only option to hVe children in that I have no fallopian tubes, he and the staff were helpful and understanding as well as professional about our chances. Science can be tricky and hurtful news at times, but our positive spirit led us to try 3 times and we now have a baby girl that is 8 weeks old and healthy! Dr Rakoff followed up, was caring and professional the whole year we consulted with him and his staff- Carrie, Cecy, Fankie I recommend Dr Rakoff and his staff and we thank him for helping us conceive our miracle baby... read more

when one is faced with a devastating diagnosis such as infertility, dr. rakoff is a kind and compassionate medical provider who has been in the fertility field for 30+ years. san diego fertility center is a beautiful office and with the new addition of dr. rakoff is sure to be blooming with babies! *as for the review from jen d., she has absolutely no idea what she's talking about! dr. rakoff follows all policies and procedures and seeing as he's been in this business for 30+ years with thousands of successful pregnancies under his belt perhaps people should review his medical abilities as opposed to his personality! read more

I was referred to Dr. Rakoff from Scripps after being diagnosed with PCOS. I'm in my mid-thirties and wanted to be as aggressive as possible with infertility treatment. After hearing my options my husband and I decided to proceed with IVF which would give us our best chance. Dr. Rakoff is well aware of PCOS and the special requirements of the patients who have it. The first cycle ended up being cancelled due to ovarian hyperstimulation risk. Even though I was disappointed I can't thank him enough for avoiding a potentially horrible situation and putting my health first instead of pushing ahead. I have two friends whose cycles were not cancelled and ended up and in the hospital with OHSS. Only two months later we were able to start a new cycle and this time his protocol modifications were spot on and I had a very successful cycle. I can now happily say that I am pregnant and we are beyond thrilled. My husband and I found his calm demeanor comforting and he is clearly a expert and I felt very safe in his care. I had a great experience with Dr. Rakoff and the San Diego Fertility Center! The nurses there including Carrie are wonderful too! read more

After struggling for over 18 months to get pregnant I cam to see Dr. Rakoff and I am so happy that I did. It turns out I had several fertility issues adn he fixed many of them. He was not just out for our money and every three months he consulted with us! I have PCOS and was able to get pregnant on my 6th and final IUI! I love Dr. Rakoff and his staff. Please see him, I can not thank him enough for my baby girl! read more

Dr. Rakoff has been nothing but wonderful to my husband and I since we met him a couple of years ago at Scripps Clinic. Now that he is with San Diego Fertility Center, we have felt like we were very well taken care of. The doctors all work as a team with a staff meeting daily to discuss each case and make group decisions about the proper protocol for each individual. The front desk girl Frankie is so welcoming and always greets me by name. And despite the fact that I have been pretty high maintenance, they are very understanding. I'm happy to report that after one m/c and trying to conceive for 4 years, I am 8 weeks pregnant! Thanks to Dr. Rakoff and the San Diego Fertility Clinic! read more

My experience with Dr. Rakoff at Scripps Clinic was excellent. The staff was friendly & answered all my questions. I found his demeanor to be warm & compassionate. But the best part of being his patient was the baby boy I delivered! If it wasn't for Dr. R, this little miracle would never exist! I am writing this review because I recently googled Dr. R to find his new location which is San Diego Fertility Center. I checked Yelp & read these 2 horrible reviews about him & questioned who are they talking about??? My Dr. R, no way. Everything they said about him was outrageous & made no sense so I had to add my 2 cents. In closing, I am getting ready to make an appointment for my second IVF baby with Dr. Rakoff & have complete confidence in his technique, skills & ability to give me another baby. Paula Marina del Rey, CA read more

Just looked up Dr. Rakoff so that I could make a recommendation to a friend, and was surprised to see the two negative reviews. He performed my myomectomy, removing one large fibroid tumor and dozens of smaller ones. I later found out, from several doctors, that because of the location and size of the large tumor, many doctors would have considered me inoperable. I was able to get pregnant without any other "help", and delivered two healthy boys. He had even put me back together again so well that I did not have to have a c-section. read more

My husband and I tried to start a family for 4 years before we were sent to the San Diego Fertility Center. Let me just say, Dr. Rakoff is the greatest! He and his staff are so very knowledgeable and experienced that it gave my husband and I a lot of comfort in trusting our treatment with them. From the first phone call until our last ultrasound appointment, the San Diego Fertility Center proved to be very professional! They have a beautiful office in Carmel Valley. Dr. Rakoff and the staff are so friendly and really treated us like family from day one. Our IVF experience was better than we ever could have hoped for. We are now pregnant with twins and owe everything to Dr. Rakoff and the WONDERFUL people at the San Diego Fertility Center. read more

12/2011- * regarding Amy d's comment about me: I don't know why she would say I don't know what I am talking about. I stated what happened to me under his treatment and my experience getting a second opinion from a good doctor ( Dr. Kettel at SDFC) and educating myself about IVF/PGD. She may have had a better experience, but I did not and I wanted to let people know. - JD 3/2010 - Scripps Clinic kicked him out completely and took away his lab and he is no longer at the Rancho Bernardo clinic either. I am guessing Scripps first moved him out of La Jolla where he had been for years, took away his lab, and then finally got rid of him after they moved him to RB. SDFC is now allowing him to work out of their clinic so Rakoff is now there but is like an independent contractor per se and is not part of Kettel/Hummel's practice. SDFC uses the latest techniques and protocols, while Rakoff is still in the 80s. He does not use or know about the microdose lupron or estrogen priming protocols, doesn't use alot of the drugs that help the transfer ( predisone, doxycycline, dexamethasone, etc) and does not use ultrasound guidance for transfer which pretty much everybody else uses. He only offered me two protocols(standard follistem and menopur with lupron, or the "1985 protocol" which used clomid, which my new doctor raised his eyebrows about), which if I had known what I know now, would have walked out right then. Rakoff never offered to use the microdose lupron protocol ( flare protocol) or the estrogen priming protocol. I don't think he knows what they are or he would have offered them. They are typically used when other standard protocols are not working. My new doctor clued me in on these protocols which Rakoff never mentioned. My response to the new protocol more than doubled my egg take ( 20 versus 8). Besides not diagnosing the uterine septate I had noted below, I also came to realize that he triggered too early; my new doc waited until the lead follicle was mid twenties; Rakoff would trigger when the lead got to 18-20; this lead to alot of immature eggs. And he told me I was a low responder. This really shows you that you need to shop around. 20 eggs is not a low response; my new doc said I was a high responder and was at risk for hyperstimulation! With Rakoff, I was put on a protocol that did not work for me and was not offered anything else and was told my body was the problem. My advice would be to research what you want to do and educate yourself on protocols, drugs, etc so you can weed out the good doctors from the bad. It is your money and your body. 12/09: Scripps moved him to RB's new Scripps clinic. They shut down his lab at Scripps La Jolla so he uses the lab at San Diego Fertility Center. The doctor at SDFC told me this. Original review: I went to Rakoff at Scripps Clinic Torrey Pines where he has been for years since I am a genetic carrier and wanted to do PGD/IVF to avoid passing on a genetic condition. I agree with the last writer on Dr. Rakoff's care. I had a horrible experience with him recently and am going to a new doctor who offered me an eye opening second opinion. He didn't diagnose a uterine septum I had which I have had removed recently by someone else and my new doc said it could have hindered my chances at getting preg via IVF by about 30-50 percent. His drug protocol is very standard and he doesn't vary it much according to the woman and her response to the drugs. He also "forgot" to call us on our last cycle with him, and we came in for our embryo transfer appt , waited two hours in the transfer room undressed, before somebody noticed we were there and told us, oh by the way, the embryo was no good so go home. The lab nor the doctor ever called with an embryo update which most fertility clinics do every day after egg retrieval, so I was left guessing how many I had until day 3 or 5. To add insult to that I received a reminder message five weeks later telling me to come in for my follow up appt with him to do a ultrasound and verify a heartbeat. He apparently forgot to cancel that appointment for us. They also did not do a benefit check for me with my insurance, which I later found out from my new doctor that some of the drugs were actually covered, so we switched to the brands that were covered. I spent thousands of dollars on drugs with him that I could have saved simply by switching brands. Most Fert doctor offices do a benefit check for you. This is just the highlights of many problems we had with this office. I would not recommend them for anyone. Scripps ended up paying me back 8,000.00 due to all of the problems with this doctor. read more

I came to Dr. Rakoff after my husband and I tried to conceive on our own for about 2 years. It took us some time and courage to make the initial call and appointment. After meeting Dr. Rakoff we felt very comfortable with his experience, abilities, and desire to help us achieve our goal of becoming pregnant. Dr. Rakoff and the staff and nurses at SDFC are all very knowledgeable and caring. My husband and I felt the staff got to know us personally and we were not "just a number" as I had read on other reviews. I did read the negative review below but after meeting Dr. Rakoff and the staff and nurses at SDFC, I was reassured and comfortable with trusting them with my infertility issues. As an attorney with a high volume of demanding clients under a great deal of stress when they come to me, I know there will always be a client that will be unsatisfied and find ways to say you made a mistake to justify their unhappiness. I was actually recommended to Dr. Rakoff through the physicians and nurses at Scripps and from what I understand Dr. Rakoff continues to have a great report and continues to work with Scripps so I'm not sure about the comment from the Yelper below. Although I feel I am very fortunate to have conceived on our first attempt with Dr. Rakoff, I know that he and his staff/nurses were very thorough in monitoring my hormone levels, follicle sizes/reaction to injections, and timing of procedures that increased my chances of success. It is amazing with the volume of patients that they are so flexible with appointments even when it's not an emergency or "time sensitive" appointment. SDFC is a very well run, professional, and beautiful center. The pricing seems competitive or slightly higher than other fertility clinics at first glance but I felt that because Dr. Rakoff knew we were paying out of pocket for our treatments, testing, and meds, he tried to minimize our costs by minimizing the tests performed and prescibing us the injectible meds that were less expensive (and lower dosages and days of injectible). He also thoroughly explained the pros and cons of low costs meds (Clomid) vs. injectibles and IUI vs. IVF and even though most doctors would probably have preferred we do the route that would insure the best success rates for their business, he let us make our own choice based on what we were comfortable with financially and emotionally. So I think in the end we were able to save some money even if the package price was slightly higher because we did not do extra testing or meds that other clinics may have required we do before commencing our treatment. The entire process and world of infertility is confusing, overwhelming and stressful, I felt that Dr. Rakoff and the entire staff at SDFC does all they can to try to minimize that. read more

Dr. Rakoff is a knowledgeable, kind, and caring professional who keeps up to date with the research in the cutting edge field of fertility medicine. Without him, my husband and I wouldn't have our perfect, healthy children. Thank you Dr. Rakoff! read more

Dr Rakoff is very good at what he does. He is knowledgeable, straightforward but also compassionate.

Dr. Rakoff is the most amazing doctor. He is so knowledgeable, gentle, and positive. My husband and I were referred to Dr. Rakoff for our fertility needs and he had me do all the tests he deemed appropriate. He covered all the bases to make sure he had a thorough understanding of what we were dealing with. Throughout our time with Dr. Rakoff he followed up personally after each test and spoke to us in terms we could really understand. Before you know it we were expecting! I am now 3 months pregnant with a healthy baby and we owe it to Dr. Rakoff! read more

Dr. Rakoff helped us concieve our 2 beautiful boys through ivf. He truly is a blessing in our lives. This process is never easy and Dr. Rakoff's knowledge and warm bedside manner made all the difference. If you are having fertility issues, I highly recommend Dr. Rakoff. He is professional, kind and caring. He has been helping couples concieve for over 25 years and has a breadth of knowledge on infertility that one could only attain through such experience. We could not be happier with the results we obtained with Dr. Rakoff. read more

Dr. Rakoff was so warm, patient and made the infertility experience much easier because he explained everything to us. My secretary recommended Dr. Rakoff and he was wonderful! She had had the Micro Flare Lupron IVF, very high tech, and was pregnant with her twins. Now, I've got my own little 2 month old twins. I am SO grateful! read more

It is an understatement to say that infertility is a very sensitive challenge to deal with... Having your doctor and the staff be caring and know who you are - for them to make you feel like you're not just a statistic or a dollar is huge! The fact that Dr. Rakoff didn't push us to the most easily "guaranteed" method or the most expensive solution, but helped to tailor an appropriate and cost conscious plan is something I am so very thankful for. My husband and I have seen Dr. Rakoff through both Scripps and SDFC. During my initial diagnosis and treatment at the Scripps facility, I found Dr. Rakoff to be well informed and straightforward, yet willing to listen and allow us to help direct our own care. We started slow with what my husband and I were initially comfortable with emotionally and financially. We then decided together, Doctor and Patient, that it was time to take more aggressive steps (but not too aggressive) which Dr. Rakoff tailored to our specific needs. Voila, we conceived and have a healthy, beautiful little darling! When it was time to try for our second child, I found that Dr. Rakoff had moved from Scripps. I learned of this through my regular OB's office at Scripps. Even with him no longer under their roof, they were still speaking very highly of him and referring out to him at the new facility. We reconnected with Dr. Rakoff at SDFC and could not have been happier. As wonderful an experience as we had through Scripps, it simply can't compare to SDFC. The facility is beautiful and convenient. The staff is amazing! I felt like I had my own personal coordinator with his medical assistant Paula... I could email or call her anytime and had answers immediately. She was especially helpful when we had to deal with a pharmacy/medication mix-up under extremely sensitive timelines. If only I could get all of my physicians to communicate via email, I'd be thrilled! In addition to Dr. Rakoff, I interacted with 2 different PAs and both made me feel very comfortable. We even ended up needing to come in for weekend appointments due to my cycle timing, and they were amazingly accommodating. Here we are pregnant with our second child now with Dr. Rakoff's assistance, and I feel like I can't say enough how well it all went. read more

Dr. Rakoff and all of the staff at SDFC and the Del Mar Surgical Center were fabulous. My husband and I were recommend by our regular doctor and we couldn't be more happier. We made our first appt. in Sept. Went through the consultation and a few fertility tests in the following months. Once we decided to move forward with their recommendation of IVF in the end of Dec. we were immediately taken care of and put on a plan. The plan was executed seamlessly by all parties and after 3 months, my husband and I are preparing for our first baby. We couldn't be more happier with the result and with the staff. Everyone was friendly and supportive and there for us for every question every step of the way. We couldn't have asked for a better experience. Thank you SDFC!! read more

Thank you Dr. Rakoff! After years of struggling with infertility, I came to dr. Rakoff and he discovered on my first visit that I have pcos. He explained what it is and possible treatment options to overcome this obstacle. My husband and I decided to go the IVF route since it gave the highest success rates. It worked the first try! Dr. Rakoff and his staff made this process run smoothley. You can tell that the staff has great communication and after my egg retrivel I received a number of follow up calls from the staff and embryologist seeing how I was recovery and updating me daily on my embryos process. I would highly recommend Dr. Rakoff and SDFC if you are struggling to have a baby and looking for successful solutions. read more

I have been a patient of Dr. Rakoff for the last 4 years. He helped me conceive my daughter 3 years ago while he was at Scripps and more recently I underwent IVF under his care at the San Diego Fertility Clinic and am pregnant with twins. I think the previous negative reviews are not representative of the type of care you will receive with him. It took us a long time to be ready to do IVF and so leading up to it I tried various other treatments. Dr. Rakoff was extremely accessible and available to consult with to figure out my next step. He is very experienced and knowledgeable and will spend as much time as you need answering your questions. The staff at SFDC was great and making appointments at times that were convenient for me was easy. The IVF procedure was extremely smooth and efficient and well organized. If you are considering fertility treatment you will be in great hands with Dr. Rakoff. read more

Me and my husband had a wonderful experience with Dr Rakoff and his excellent staff. We have not used birth control for 13 years without success. I never wanted to go the route of IVF but as I approached 41 years old I realized it would be my only option for us to have a family together. Dr Rakoff came highly recommend from a girlfriend's daughter who got pregnant on the first try through IVF at his center. I got pregnant on our first try as well and his entire staff including the receptionist, finance team, ultrasound technicians and especially the embryo specialists were very patient, helpful, explained every step to me from the very beginning, taught and re-taught the process for administration of the injections to me and communicated very well whether it was communicating appointments, changing appointments, guiding me on which meds to take when, etc.. We so appreciate Dr Rakoff being very honest with us from the beginning and never over-promising what the outcome could be. He is a true researcher and not a salesman, which we appreciated. We are 8 months into our pregnancy and me and my husband are so grateful to him and his staff for helping make our dreams come true. read more