Dr. Katria Mertz, MD 330 South Garden Way, Eugene, OR 97401

"I went to Dr. Mertz as a young twentysomething in want of an elective tubal ligation. I didn’t “need” one, but this was post-Dobbs and I was SCARED. I thought I was going to have to fight for it, but Dr. Mertz proved me wrong! I found her using my insurance’s in-network provider lookup tool then took her name and office to my PCP to get referred. It took a HOT MINUTE to get seen, because she’s an excellent doctor in high demand, but once I got in it was smooth like butter. During my first appointment, I explained what I wanted and why. Dr. Mertz asked me a lot of questions – was I sure, was I being pressured, how long had I wanted this, were my friends and family supportive, and more. She was doing her due diligence and making sure that I wasn’t doing something I would regret, but she did not make me feel like she was trying to dissuade me from doing it. She was just being thorough in making sure that I was SURE I wanted this life-changing procedure. It was a truly impressive balance! I never felt pressured one way or the other. I just felt like I was being seen by a really caring, thorough provider. When she agreed that this was going to be a possibility for me, she explained that she prefers to do salpingectomies (tube removal) rather than clipping or burning the tubes. Methods that leave the tubes in leave a chance of failure; if she’s going to do it, she wants to do it RIGHT. I agreed that this was what I wanted and she gave me a rundown of what the procedure would entail. I also told her that I had never successfully had a pelvic exam due to pain and fear, and she said she could do one while I was under! I have never felt relief like that in my life. The procedure itself was ludicrously uneventful. It was laparoscopic, three tiny incisions on my tummy. The whole procedure took like an hour. I went home a couple hours after I got there and just slept the rest of the day. I basically had no pain during the recovery – the worst of it was that I felt TOO good and got up and did stuff, so the CO2 they inflated my abdomen with floated into my shoulders and gave me a wicked shoulder-ache. This was entirely my fault! Many friends have testified that if I had just laid down like a good patient, I would have had no pain at all. I was prescribed a couple of Norco and didn’t need to take any of them. I had the procedure on a Friday and was back to work on my feet Monday morning! AND I got my pap smear done with 0 fear or trauma because I wasn’t awake for it! Since I am low-risk I don’t have to get another one for several more years. I don’t have words for my gratitude. Basically, Dr. Mertz is an incredibly good doctor and I recommend her wholeheartedly for any kind of care you need. 10/10, A+++!"

"I had a great experience with Dr. Mertz as my OB. She’s very gentle and takes her time with you at appointments to answer any questions you may have."