When Malissa and David Pineda struggled to have a baby, they contacted Dr. Rifaat Salem at the Pacific Reproductive Center in Torrance, CA. He helped them deliver a daughter. His clinic had one of the highest IVF success rates in the country and Dr. Salem was highly regarded. For their second child, the Pinedas were not so fortunate.
The same clinic had 14 fertilized eggs from the Pinedas for their second child. Then they asked Malissa and David to come to the clinic ASAP. The clinic’s embryologist explained that although the clinic had transferred three fertilized eggs into Malissa’s uterus, there was a problem. The problem? The eggs were not hers. They were from another patient. That meant that Malissa Pineda was carrying someone else’s child. Then the doctor whisked her into an exam room. She felt lots of pain and a feeling of scraping on the interior of her uterus. She thought it was just an exam.
The Pinedas trusted Dr. Salem. The next day they returned to the clinic and the nurse told Malissa that she couldn’t believe what she had been through. Malissa was confused. “Been through what?” she wondered. She asked the nurse and the nurse told her she would have to talk to Dr. Salem. The procedure that Dr. Salem performed was actually a D & C or dilation and curettage, used for first-trimester abortions.
The Pinedas sued the doctor and the clinic. Dr. Salem said he accidentally put someone else’s embryos inside her. He removed them in the exam room. Malissa Pineda was given a shot and was led to believe it was to stop the bleeding. It was a shot used to induce a chemical abortion. The lawsuit was settled out of court and Dr. Salem remains in good standing with the Medical Board of California. The doctor claims that he explained the procedure to the Pinedas.
In another case, Anni and Ashot Manukyan tried for months without success to get pregnant through IVF (in-vitro fertilization). Then they received a call from the clinic that was trying to help them, CHA Fertility Center. They were asked to come into the clinic right away. The reason? They were told that their son had just been born 3,000 miles away in New York City. Again, a mix up with the eggs.
There have been numerous cases of transferring the wrong embryo into a woman’s uterus and numerous lawsuits and devastation. Many clinics seem very competent at first and compassionate. The best thing to do is tons of research. Look for articles on the internet. Look for lawsuits. Even if lawsuits are settled out of court they are often covered by the press.
The Medical Board of California has secured legislation that will remove the 10-year time limit on many types of discipline. A doctor’s disciplinary record will be available on computers, phones, and game consoles forever. This ruling started Jan. 1, 2015 although it could be contested if it ever gets to the Supreme Court.
It shows that you have to be really careful with fertility clinics. These are sad stories.