Infertility and Mother’s Day
This is a guest post from our expert patient, Manju. Many infertile women who are…
Tag: director
Reaching out to patients directly
Hospital CEOs are smart and understand that in order to fill their beds and to maximize their revenue, they need to reach out to patients directly. This is after …
The most neglected person in the hospital
Hospitals are designed for doctors. They have been created so that the doctor can collect all his patients under one roof , and …
Can the level of HCG in blood tell me whether my pregnancy is a healthy one or not ?
Yes – but only to a certain extent. The HCG ( human chorionic gonadotropin) hormone is a remarkable …
The problem with Indian hospital websites
Most leading Indian corporate hospitals take pride in the world-class medical services they offer. They tom-tom the fact that they have …
IVF success story for couple from Bangalore
Each of our patient’s success stories provides us with the motivation and burning desire to keep on improving the services we offer . Sharing their joy…
The other side of the stethoscope
Everyone acknowledges that improving doctor-patient communication will go a long way towards improving healthcare. A lot of misunderstandings occur because of communication gaps, which is why there has been…
Why doctors don’t respect patients
Then there are doctors who see a packed waiting room as a badge of honour. Some doctors “routinely make patients…
Why are there so many "treatments" for failed embryo implantation ?
As an IVF specialist , one of the commonest questions patients ask me is – Why did my IVF cycle fail ?…
Healthwise, Aravind, healthcare, spirituality, nonprofits and missions
In the last two weeks , I have come across two remarkable organizations in the healthcare…
What can husbands do for their wives during their IVF cycle ?
This is a guest post from an expert patient ! If your wife is going through IVF, there are many ways you can support her…
IVF-FAQs – How long should I wait in between IVF cycles ?
How long should I wait between IVF cycles ? It depends on your physical, financial and emotional …
How much easier is it doing a second IVF cycle after you have had one IVF baby ?
This is a guest post from an expert patient whom I respect. I asked her – How much easier is it doing…
IVF- FAQs – Can I see my embryos before the ET ?
Yes, good IVF clinic routinely show you your embryos before they are transferred to your uterus. It…
IVF-FAQs – Why are my embryos of such poor quality ?
Your embryos are graded according to their microscopic appearance and are given a rank (like grade A, grade B, grade C and so on). A day…
IVF-FAQs – When should I test for pregnancy after the transfer?
The two week wait ( 2ww) is one of the most exciting as well as one…
IVF-FAQs – Why did my eggs fail to fertilize ?
This is a heart-breaking situation which some couples face when they go through IVF. You are very anxious to know the day after…
IVF FAQs – If my embryos do not implant , what happens to them ?
The embryo(s) which are transferred to your uterus are just microscopic ball of cells. You cannot see your embryo with your naked eye; …
Why medical care is so poor in India
Every once in a while , I get cynical and skeptical. Newspapers are full of scams and crooks…
IVF – FAQs – Part 2. Poor ovarian reserve and IVF
This is part 2 of our IVF-FAQs and talks about a major hurdle for women doing IVF – poor ovarian reserve. When a clinic advertises that they have…
IVF- FAQs – How does age affect IVF success rates ?
This is part 1 of our IVF-FAQ series. The woman’s age is the most important prognostic factor which determines IVF success. In sharp contrast, the age of the man …
The second IVF baby
Most infertile couples are so desperate to have a child that when their IVF cycle finally succeeds and they have a…
Should foreign gay couples be allowed to opt for surrogate children from India?
The Union Home Ministry’s new guidelines which restrict foreign gay couples from seeking surrogacy services in India and make it …
How to become a good IVF patient !
Being an IVF specialist is very satisfying, and we enjoy helping couples to complete their family ! However, we do expect our…
My IVF journey – a first hand account from a patient
This is a guest post . The writer was inspired to pen this after reading Manju’s blog at www.myselfishgenes.blogspot.com. She sent this to Manju, and I asked for…
Why are doctors rude ?
I cringe when I see rude doctors . Sadly, this happens all the time . Typically, the doctor cuts off the patient while he is talking; or is sarcastic about his …
IVF failure stories
Most IVF websites are full of IVF success stories . They highlight patients who did IVF treatment , and are now happily pregnant ! Such stories do serve …
Infertility is …
1) the love we carry for our unborn child 2) the happiness we feel when we see small children 3) the respect we develop towards all forms of …
Why are doctors afraid to say we do not know ?
All the doctors will accept the fact that medicine is an imperfect science and that there are lots of gray zone areas in medicine . Most patients will not come…
Do doctors charge too much ?
Most patients today feel that medicine is no longer a profession . The believe that it’s become a …
Why good IVF doctors do only IVF ( and nothing else)
IVF is a highly specialized branch of OB/GYN . IVF specialists all over the world stick to their core competence of providing IVF treatment , …
Your IVF cycle failed. What next ?
Patients are understandably disappointed and disheartened when an IVF cycle fails. Everyone starts an IVF cycle with the …
Do IVF drugs increase the risk of cancer ?
Infertile women go through lot of emotional turmoil, and to add insult to injury, there are lots of misconception…
Why do doctors want to be so busy ?
Some doctors are proud of the fact that they have a waiting room which is full of patients who are waiting patiently in line to …
Patients as teachers
The word doctor is derived from the word docere, which means “ to teach “. This means that every doctor needs to be a teacher…
A letter to my embryos, with love !
This is an excerpt from our forthcoming, book, The Expert Patient’s Guide to IVF. This being authored by our expert patient, Manju and me. Dear Blasties…
Is a blastocyst transfer better than a Day 3 transfer ?
This is an excerpt from our forthcoming, book, The Expert Patient’s Guide to IVF. This being authored by our …
How can we improve the clinical consultation
The traditional doctor-patient relationship has always relied upon an initial face to face consultation , to initiate the association…
How do I select the best IVF doctor ?
One of the greatest difficulties which IVF patients face is – How do I select the best IVF doctor for my IVF treatment. This is a major decision , and is…
Decoding Medical Gobbledygook – read the book free online !
Open publication – Free publishing – More patients One of my friends asked me , Who is this book intended for…
When making babies becomes a challenge !
This is a guest post from our expert patient, Manju. All of us want our life to be perfect. For most of …
Should IVF clinics be freezing all embryos ?
This is a guest post from our expert patient, Manju, In the past , the standard was – Transfer the best, freeze the rest ! Is a freeze all…
Should patients follow their doctor’s advise ?
Patients come to infertility specialists because we have a lot of technical expertise. We spend many years in medical school, mastering technical skills and…
IVF success story for patient from Dubai
We got married in Aug 2007 and immediately decided that we need to have our first kid ASAP. We kept on trying for a …
How computers can help doctors to improve empathy
Many people are worried that the introduction of computers into medicine will further depersonalize clinical care . Their concern is that technology will disrupt the…
How to keep your doctor honest
If you have a good doctor , you can be quite confident that you will get good medical care. However…
Medicine by the numbers
This is the age of data. Everyone is hopeful that based on number crunching and data analytics, we will…
A Perspective on Health Literacy’s Past, Present, and Future
This is a guest post by Helen Osborne. December 1995 was the first time I ever heard the term “health literacy.” I was working as an occupational…
Informed Consent and Low Literacy
The principle of informed consent—that patients have the right to participate in decisions about their own health care—is a widely accepted tenet of medical ethics and law. The reason…
Creating Health Literate Hospitals
The health literacy environment of a hospital describes how well the facility and its staff provide health information and services to their…