Carolinas Fertility Institute - Winston Salem, United States

I cannot speak highly enough of the team at Carolina Fertility Institute. As a husband, watching my wife undergo treatment and knowing she has support means the world to me. The staff is always warm and friendly, and Dr. Yalcinkaya has shown exceptional care for my wife, Amy. I also want to give a special thank you to the patient financial coordinator, Carissa Saad. She is outstanding, goes above and beyond, and truly understands us from the heart. Every time we need any help, she is always the first to show up and assist. Having such a reliable and caring team looking after us is incredibly important! Although we are still on the path of treatment, we feel well-supported.

Be cautious before partnering with CFI. Even if your process goes smoothly, there are many hidden costs. Although they quoted approximately $20,000, our IVF treatment through CFI and its partner institutions has cost nearly $30,000 in total so far. There are many more ethical organizations available on the market, and I do not recommend choosing CFI. Update: Although I have been with CFI for several months, I only saw the doctor for embryo transfer a few days ago. However, even though another staff member had already contacted me earlier today, he still took the time to call and harass me, questioning my Google review. Second update: Over a year ago, we submitted a large amount of documentation authorizing the disposal of remaining embryos. Recently, I received a bill for storage fees. This is especially shocking given that North Carolina is currently working to legislate embryos as having the right to life. I called, and they confirmed that for over a year, they had not disposed of our embryos as required by law. They told us it was due to a backlog of samples. I can hardly believe they would treat someone else's DNA so recklessly.

I had a hysterosalpingogram today and was very nervous after reading other people’s horror stories. Dr. Thongtuem was wonderful, and her nurse Amanda was absolutely amazing!! It was somewhat uncomfortable but completely manageable!!

My infertility journey began at another clinic and eventually brought me to CFI. Thank God I chose this place. They are truly among the best in the field. We now have an almost two-year-old CFI child, and I am currently 25 weeks pregnant with our second CFI baby. Dr. Y is a gem in reproductive medicine. CFI's laboratory is also amazing, with cutting-edge technology and first-rate laboratory staff. Keep up the great work, embryologists! Words cannot express how grateful we are to everyone at CFI and WVFI. CFI is not only a leader in reproductive medicine; their financial counselor Carissa is also outstanding. Before my most recent embryo transfer, I changed insurance and received a huge bill for more than $1,700. Carissa helped me throughout the process, explaining step by step how to handle the insurance issue. She also made calls on our behalf and ultimately had the bill corrected to $25. With a new baby on the way, that was a tremendous relief. We love this clinic so much. I cannot put my gratitude into words. I have referred many friends and relatives here. If you are considering assisted reproductive technology, this is absolutely the best choice.

I am incredibly grateful to CFI. Dr. Yalcinkaya and his team went above and beyond and were always available to answer our questions and concerns. I will be forever grateful to Dr. Y and his team! We found them after four recurrent miscarriages. They carefully reviewed our history and listened closely to our concerns. We are now 11 weeks and 2 days pregnant and are deeply thankful to the CFI and WVFI teams. ❤️ Dr. Y is absolutely the best! We highly recommend them!

My husband has called every week for the past month to schedule an appointment and can only leave messages. We still have not received a reply, so it appears we must go elsewhere.

I had a wonderful experience with Dr. Yalcinkaya and the team at Carolina Fertility. Without them, I would not have my daughter!

Going to CFI and seeing Dr. Yalcinkaya was the best decision I ever made. Dr. Yalcinkaya is the best reproductive endocrinologist in the area. He and his team not only helped me become pregnant, but also found the cause of my infertility and saved my life. Dr. Yalcinkaya is highly professional and knowledgeable and orders every necessary test. With his extensive experience, he immediately identified the reason I could not become pregnant during an ultrasound. He is kind, compassionate, and a genuinely good person. I am prone to anxiety, but Dr. Yalcinkaya and his team made me feel completely at ease. The nurses explained everything clearly, and the financial team was efficient and always helpful. I will forever be grateful to Dr. Yalcinkaya. I had been unable to become pregnant for ten years and had seen two other doctors, but only Dr. Yalcinkaya helped me fulfill that dream and have my daughter. He found two causes of my infertility, so it is no longer a mystery. My diagnosis made my condition complex and treatment difficult, but Dr. Yalcinkaya's experience and hard work made the process much easier. I highly recommend Dr. Yalcinkaya and his team.

Dr. Y and his team have supported us since I began my infertility journey. From learning at age 25 that I was in menopause, through miscarriage, adoption, and eventually childbirth, Dr. Y supported us throughout. Despite my difficult diagnosis and need for donor eggs, he accepted me as a patient. He helped me find the right medications and hormone replacement therapy, and ultimately transferred our last and only successful embryo. After bad experiences at other clinics, he accepted us, believed in me, and involved me in decisions. He let me cry and became more than a doctor—he was someone I could share all my feelings with. Without his team and God, we would not have our little girl. I am so grateful for his support during our break to adopt. I have referred 3 other families to CFI, and they all now have children. We thank God for giving him the ability to help families like ours.

Wow...this fertility clinic is exactly what I had been looking for! The staff are patient, compassionate, and knowledgeable. Every interaction with the clinic was pleasant, especially with IVF coordinator Liz. She was enormously helpful during this stressful time! Absolutely wonderful!!!

Everyone here is very friendly. From the moment I checked in, I felt genuinely welcomed. Nurse Liz helped me understand the process and carefully reviewed every step with me.

Special thanks to Liz at the Winston-Salem clinic. Whenever I call the Winston nurse line, Liz quickly calls back. She always listens patiently to my questions and made me feel more comfortable during my first procedure in Winston. Although Winston-Salem is not my primary clinic, Liz made me feel at home. She is highly compassionate, and you can genuinely sense how much she cares about her work and patients.

We are traveling patients at CFI. After extensive research about where to go next, my husband and I decided to try CFI. It was one of our best decisions! Everyone is very kind, and Liz always goes out of her way to help whenever I have a question or concern. I know I am not a typical patient, but I trust Dr. Y and his team to help us succeed, and when they do, we will bring home one or two babies.

CFI and Dr. Yalcinkaya helped me grow my family, and I will always be grateful! Everyone I encountered at the clinic was highly helpful and professional. I am glad to have such a world-class team in Winston!

Your story may be like mine. After my OB-GYN offered one option—a traditional C-section-style myomectomy—to remove the tumors in my body, I began searching. I learned about the robotic myomectomy performed here and had my referral transferred, expecting no obstacles. I quickly received a response asking whether I wanted to address any fertility issues. I was confused. The surgery was meant to help me become pregnant later. But they were clearly addressing something else, and every email implied it. I realized they would not perform a robotic myomectomy unless I was also addressing fertility issues. I was later referred to a facility more than two hours away. Hmm. The website should state: Our staff will not provide other services unless they relate to fertility issues, as defined by us. Keep in mind that I was told there was a 6-8 month backlog. But no one ever asked whether I wanted to join the waiting list.

A heartbreaking experience. I would not recommend this group. They are 100% about money. We had been trying to have a child for more than nine years and were referred to CFI Fertility Center at Lyndhurst Gynecology. We met Dr. Yalcinkaya, and after testing and laboratory work, he immediately told me I was a good candidate for IVF. He assured us that IVF had an 80% success rate at age 41, which sounded optimistic and gave us hope of a successful pregnancy. During my first IVF cycle, the doctor and his support staff provided very little information, and I felt forced to accept it. The procedure was also extremely painful. Even a simple blood draw was very painful; the nurse stuck me about six times just to draw blood. After consulting other clinics, I learned there were other options, such as IUI and medication. The doctor had not even suggested these options, and when I asked him about them, he dismissed them. During the first egg retrieval, my husband noticed problems with equipment in the embryo laboratory, but Dr. Y told us it was only temporarily down. After the procedure, they said they had retrieved more than 20 follicles and expected many embryos. However, the laboratory technician called the next day to say only 3 had fertilized, then 5, and ultimately only 1 had 'succeeded.' When we reached Dr. Y, he assured us that this embryo was 'in good condition and had formed, so we should not worry...' Then came heartbreaking news: genetic testing showed that the first embryo had Down syndrome, so they discarded everything. When I asked the laboratory whether this was normal, they said 'no.' A laboratory technician should not be responsible for calling a woman with such devastating news. A medical professional, especially a doctor, should communicate it and help the patient understand the next steps. CFI has so many patients that it does not make time for these calls or incorporate this level of patient empathy and bedside manner into its process. When I gave the clinic feedback about the laboratory technician calling me with these results, I did not get the impression that CFI was interested in improving its patient care process. Throughout the process, I felt like another number and a patient being rushed through. We spent more than $20,000 on medication and procedures and had nothing to show for it. When I discussed it further, I was told it was my fault because of my AMH level and age—41, by the way. If you want to become pregnant, stay away from this facility. They are only interested in your money.

Edit: A few hours later, the nurses put my insurance back on file and I was able to schedule the appointment. The staff were wonderful, helped me relax throughout the process, and the procedure was quick. Hopefully it works—fingers crossed and prayers! I am still somewhat bothered that I received no notice before the appointment that my insurance was no longer on file. In any case, the nurses worked hard to resolve the problem, and I appreciate that. (Original review) The technicians are always kind and pleasant. My concern is professionalism. I scheduled an appointment to begin IUI, and after the ultrasound they told me they did not have my insurance on file and that I had to pay $1,300 within three days. I have insurance, but it had been removed from my file. No one had ever called me to ask about it.

I cannot emphasize enough how dangerous and unprofessional this facility is. My experience with Dr. Yalcinkaya and the nurses and staff at CFI's Winston-Salem location was absolutely terrible. My entire experience there was chaotic. The nurse assigned to my care did not have me sign any consent forms before treatment, gave me no preoperative instructions—which could have led to my death—did not provide leuprolide as part of my prescribed trigger shot, and failed to perform the saline ultrasound recommended by Dr. Y. I was also misled about the number of follicles retrieved on the day of surgery. When I asked Dr. Y about it, he literally ran out of my recovery room to avoid answering the question. My recovery was also much worse than after procedures at other fertility clinics. I bled more heavily and for longer than in previous cycles, making me concerned that Dr. Y's care of my body was seriously inadequate. The financial coordinator was no better. Megan tried to send me a template form for a completely different patient who had undergone a completely different procedure. This led me to pay nearly $3,000 more than required. Even during monitoring appointments, many care staff seemed exhausted and uninterested in their work. The nurse who drew my blood was visibly ill with a cold but still working, placing patients at unnecessary risk. If you value your time, safety, and investment, avoid this place.

This facility is slowly declining. Sadly, the nurses are mean and rude and do not care about you at all! Dr. Y cares more about money than anything else. They truly do not care here.

An excellent practice. Simply put, our case was unique and complex, with a maze of administrative paperwork, claims, and other issues. CFI's billing and insurance team went above and beyond to help my family and ensure our needs were met. The doctors and medical staff are knowledgeable, professional, and helpful. We look forward to continuing our IVF journey with CFI.

If you want to feel like just a number, this is the place for you. They do not communicate, forget you in the waiting room, and even forget scheduled telehealth appointments. The doctor's office clearly does not care about patients, which is incredibly demoralizing. If I could do it again, I would drive two extra hours to avoid this place.

The quality of this practice has declined greatly. I first visited more than a year ago after my gynecologist referred me. The appointment went well because the doctor was knowledgeable. Later I called for follow-up and was told there was a billing problem. I immediately contacted my insurer, which then contacted Amanda about the bill. Days later, the insurance representative said she had reached out but no one returned her call. I personally called Amanda to correct the issue and became frustrated after leaving messages for two weeks. I called other offices asking for this location's manager, but calls were never answered or promptly returned. I was told to speak with Melissa at the Winston office, who works with Amanda. I left Melissa several messages and received a callback months later saying it would be investigated. I followed up again. More than a year later, I returned because my primary doctor said I needed to be seen. I arrived after the appointment time and had to reschedule, which was fine, but then was told I had an outstanding balance. I asked to speak with billing and again got Amanda. I sat in her office for more than an hour discussing the office's lack of communication. She promised Melissa would contact me the next day and that she would contact me by day's end after speaking with billing. Before leaving, I said my insurer would reach out. She said that would be good, although the billing deadline had passed. I called my insurer as soon as I reached my car. They called the office three times. No one responded to messages left a month earlier, and to this day we have received no follow-up. This is the worst display of professionalism—or lack of it—I have experienced. There is no excuse. I excel in service, and this practice fails in that area.

Care was attentive until my plan changed from IVF to corrective surgery. I left messages and have heard nothing for more than a month.

CFI helped us conceive, and our IVF baby is now almost nine months old. Dr. Yalcinkaya was excellent, as were all the nurse practitioners we met at CFI. However, I gave four stars because of some setbacks during IVF. First, we had recurring billing problems. We frequently received CFI bills only to discover claims had been denied because they billed our primary insurance rather than fertility insurance. Although the issues were eventually resolved, frequent errors added unnecessary stress to an already difficult time. Second, we had a poor experience with Dr. Mesen, who was supposed to perform the embryo transfer while Dr. Yalcinkaya was away. A pre-transfer ultrasound showed we needed to postpone one month. Unfortunately, Dr. Mesen communicated this change without the sensitivity and empathy we expected. His answers felt curt, nearly callous, and left my wife in tears. I understand doctors may encounter this often, but the lack of compassion was surprising and painful. I hope CFI sees this feedback and works to improve an otherwise amazing experience.

I do not recommend this clinic unless you do not want to learn why you cannot conceive naturally. Their only goal is to push IVF, and they treat you poorly if you are not interested. After two years of infertility, I spent several months there. Because I declined IVF, they put me through several medicated cycles. I saw a different person at every visit, and no one knew my history, so I had to explain everything each time. They were visibly annoyed whenever I asked questions and pushed IVF at every visit. I eventually found a real doctor who cared enough to investigate the root cause of my infertility. I had surgery and conceived naturally three months later. I am now naturally pregnant with baby number 2.