Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago

3 doctors work here

Rated 9
Strongly recommend: 77%Neutral: 14%Don't recommend: 9%9
77% strongly recommend
112 reviews
Operations
9.3
9.3
Operations

Ratings of 1 indicate that a clinic was poorly operated.

Ratings of 10 indicate that a clinic operated very well.

Scheduling
9.1
9.1
Scheduling

Ratings of 1 mean it was difficult to schedule appointments with this clinic.

Ratings of 10 mean it was easy to schedule appointments.

Billing Department
8.6
8.6
Billing Department

Ratings of 1 indicate an unsatisfactory billing department.

Ratings of 10 indicate an excellent billing department.

Nursing Team
9.3
9.3
Nursing Team

Ratings of 1 indicate an unsatisfactory nursing team.

Ratings of 10 indicate an excellent nursing team.

Attention to Detail
8.6
8.6
Attention to Detail

Attention to detail is on a 1 - 10 scale, and is scored based on the rate, and severity, of errors committed by the clinic according to the patients.

For example, a severe error might be failing to inform a patient of critical information, while a small error might be failing to call a patient with results.

CDC Success Rates

This is the most recent data from the CDC. The CDC cautions that it should not be used to compare doctors and clinics. This data represents the outcomes of IVF cycles when using a person's own eggs.

For more information please see our FAQs.

Where you see a “?” on the chart, a clinic has done fewer than 20 cycles in this category and age range, so the CDC says showing percentages from this small data set would be misleading and unreliable.

Annual Cycles
1,107
National Avg
738
This Clinic
National Avg
00%
20%
40%
60%
<35
35-37
38-40
>40

Available Resources

Genetic counseling
Genetic counseling
Acupuncture
Acupuncture
Mental health counseling
Mental health counseling
Nutrition counseling
Nutrition counseling
Administration of shots
Administration of shots
Coordinating at-home nursing is not offered
Coordinating at-home nursing is not offered
Selling medication
Selling medication
Providing backup medication
Providing backup medication

This clinic has 3 offices

Chicago
4920 N Central Ave #2C
Chicago, IL 60630
Downers Grove
3800 Highland Avenue Suite 110
Downers Grove, IL 60515
Gurnee
30 Tower Court, Suite F
Gurnee, IL 60031
Show 1 more

112 patient reviews

Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2020 - 2021, Successful
NPS
10
NPS
10
Age 29 - 30
2 IUI
1 IVF
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
Unexplained
European
Income $500K+
2nd of 2 Docs
Strongly Recommends
Strongly Recommends
Successful
Dr. Catenacci provided excellent patient resources recommending one embryo per transfer, and advising us to the risks of multiple pregnancies...She answered the many, many questions we had at the initial consultation and during each clinical and telemedicine visit we had as we progressed through treatment. We saw Dr. Catenacci at our initial consult, at my mock embryo transfer, at our egg retrieval, at our frozen embryo transfer,
One new feature that came out at the end of my time with Advanced Fertility was the online patient portal...[the AFC of Chicago nurses made sure] Everything that happened at each appointment was carefully explained, and I was given detailed instructions in person, over the phone, and through the patient portal...It was scary at first giving myself shots in the stomach, but Advanced Fertility sent me some very helpful training videos...
How was your experience with Michelle Catenacci at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
Dr. Catenacci was a wonderful partner during our fertility treatment. She answered the many, many questions we had at the initial consultation and during each clinical and telemedicine visit we had as we progressed through treatment. We saw Dr. Catenacci at our initial consult, at my mock embryo transfer, at our egg retrieval, at our frozen embryo transfer, and after our first two embryo transfers did not result in pregnancy. When our first two embryo transfers (one fresh, one frozen) did not take, she walked us through all the possible additional testing we could do next if we desired, but also recommended that we do one more FET before pursuing additional tests. We became pregnant with our third frozen embryo transfer and are so glad we followed her recommendation!
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Michelle Catenacci at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
I was surprised when I was told another doctor would be performing our first fresh embryo transfer. Know that if you are doing a fresh transfer, you may not get the doctor you are working with for the transfer because all three doctors use the surgical clinic at scheduled times. Our mock embryo transfer, egg retrieval, and frozen embryo transfers were all able to be scheduled with Dr. Catenacci.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Michelle Catenacci at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
Our experiences during the many office visits were always positive. The waiting room in the Chicago office is nice, relaxing and spacious. The clinical rooms in Chicago and Gurnee are very nice as well. All of the nurses are friendly and knowledgeable. I worked with Chelsea Rose the most and she is wonderful. Dr. Catenacci answered all of our questions and concerns along the way, and provided a top notch patient experience and success in achieving a healthy pregnancy.
Describe the protocols Michelle Catenacci used in your cycles at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago and their degree of success.
Thankfully the medications I was on for the egg retrieval did not make me feel too uncomfortable before or after the procedure. It was scary at first giving myself shots in the stomach, but Advanced Fertility sent me some very helpful training videos. The shots didn’t hurt much so it quickly became no big deal. My husband did the progesterone shots for me and we grew comfortable with those pretty quickly too. The egg retrieval was the hardest part for me because of my “fear of IVs”, but even that wasn’t so bad. I was very thankful for a quick recovery from the egg retrieval and very little discomfort. The embryo transfers and IUIs were actually quite comfortable. I was so thankful to have four embryos from our first egg retrieval. We transferred one fresh BB embryo, one frozen BC embryo, than two frozen embryos (BC & CC) for the third transfer at our request to increase the odds of implantation. We became pregnant with twins from the third transfer!
Describe your experience with your nurse at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago. (Assigned nurse: Chelsea Rose)
My primary nurse, Chelsea Rose, the patient coordinator and the entire nursing staff were always cheerful, warm and welcoming. Even when things were busy they never seemed stressed. Everything that happened at each appointment was carefully explained, and I was given detailed instructions in person, over the phone, and through the patient portal. Fertility treatment can be overwhelming at times, so if I didn’t fully understand something I would always ask and would get the additional clarification I needed.
Describe your experience with Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
We had a great experience with the Advanced Fertility clinic. The waiting room in the Chicago office is nice, relaxing and spacious. The clinical rooms in Chicago and Gurnee are very nice as well. The atmosphere is positive and I never felt stressed or rushed during my visits. One new feature that came out at the end of my time with Advanced Fertility was the online patient portal. Before they would simply give me a paper handout with instructions or provide information over the phone. I didn’t mind getting information on paper and over the phone, but it is nice now to be able to pull up any of my results or instructions in the patient portal on demand.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Michelle Catenacci at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
The out of pocket costs for fertility treatments were very reasonable compared to other practices. Our insurance plan for fertility was based on a limited credit system, so we chose to pay out of pocket for IUI and use the insurance credits for IVF. The IUIs were $1,100/each, plus medication ~$150. We chose to use our Progyny insurance for IVF, and only had to pay about 5% of the costs for this. We only used 1/2 of our Progyny lifetime credits on the egg retrieval and 3 transfers we underwent to become pregnant. If you have Progyny fertility insurance, consider paying cash for any IUI treatments you elect and save your insurance for IVF.
Describe Michelle Catenacci's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
Dr. Catenacci provided excellent patient resources recommending one embryo per transfer, and advising us to the risks of multiple pregnancies. We decided not to do genetic testing on our embryos, and after the first two single embryo transfers failed, we elected to transfer our last two embryos together. While one embryo is always recommended, you are able to transfer up to two embryos at a time if they have not been genetically tested. We are now expecting twins!! We are over the moon to have two healthy babies on the way. Just know that transferring two embryos - even lower grade BC and CC embryos like we transferred - can result in twins. We were advised on this and knew the risks, but I can honestly say we couldn’t be more thrilled. :)
10
Doctor
Michelle Catenacci
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
3 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
10
Clinic
Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago
Chicago
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
5 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
6 of 5
Educational Resources
7 of 5
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2021 - 2022, Successful
NPS
9
NPS
9
Age 36 - 37
2 IVF
Unexplained
Income $100K - $199K
Operations
Only Doc Seen
Strongly Recommends
Strongly Recommends
Successful
Dr. Irani was very personable and spend a lot of time in the initial consult to go through my past medical and fertility treatment history...He does offer direct line of communication with his email...Dr. Irani had a virtual initial consult to accommodate us being out of town. He didn't rush us one bit and answered all our questions. We were initially very optimistic after the consultation since he gave us fairly good odds...
The nurse coordinator [from Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago] usually call in the afternoon after each check-up to give you instructions. She is also easily reachable via email or the portal. They usually answer on the same day even on the weekend. They also offered some donated drugs for me since I pay everything out of pocket. A very compassionate and professional group of staff...IVF multicycle package $20,250 (up to 2 IVF/2 FET with monitoring and ICSI, plan is complete when a baby is born), PGT $4000, ERA $1000...
How was your experience with Mohamad Irani at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
Dr. Irani had a virtual initial consult to accommodate us being out of town. He didn't rush us one bit and answered all our questions. We were initially very optimistic after the consultation since he gave us fairly good odds. He didn't offer us the shared risk program since we had previous IVF failure but encouraged us to continue using our own eggs. I then saw him again for the ERA test, the egg retrieval, and then a phone consult after the genetic testing shown no viable embryo. He was sympathetic and explained again our new odds based on the last retrieval. We went ahead with the second IVF cycle with him currently since we purchased the 2 IVF cycle package in the beginning. He did offer a small refund ($1500-$3000 depending on whether we want to give up or use donor eggs). I feel like his use of medication had achieved the best retrieval numbers compared to our last clinic. After genetic testing, we had 3 chromosomally normal embryos, we transferred one embryo and resulted in identical twins! We're very glad that we gave him a try.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Mohamad Irani at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
He does offer direct line of communication with his email.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Mohamad Irani at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
Dr. Irani was very personable and spend a lot of time in the initial consult to go through my past medical and fertility treatment history. Dr. Irani's team is also very approachable and organized, especially compared to my previous fertility clinic in Arkansas.
Describe the protocols Mohamad Irani used in your cycles at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago and their degree of success.
No OBC prior to the cycle since Dr. Irani suspect it may have been suppressing my egg production. First started the stimulation with follistim (~300IU) plus low dose HCG (8IU), Omnitrope (0.5cc), and Dexamethasone pill each day. After 5 days, added cetrotide/ganirelix. My stimulation lasted 14 days with retrieval on day 16, with lupron and low dose HCG trigger prior.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago. (Assigned nurse: Ashley)
It appears that the clinic monitoring (ultrasound and lab tech) and my primary nurse coordinator work separately. The nurse coordinator usually call in the afternoon after each check-up to give you instructions. She is also easily reachable via email or the portal. They usually answer on the same day even on the weekend. They also offered some donated drugs for me since I pay everything out of pocket. A very compassionate and professional group of staff.
Describe your experience with Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
strength- good success stats, great nursing and doctor team weakness/things you would want to know - they see a lot of patients, it's hard to imagine how they can operate at such capacity, but I never waited longer than an hour for my appointments so it's not too bad. The earlier your appointment is, the less you'd have to wait.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Mohamad Irani at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
IVF multicycle package $20,250 (up to 2 IVF/2 FET with monitoring and ICSI, plan is complete when a baby is born), PGT $4000, ERA $1000
Describe Mohamad Irani's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
We did genetic testing, and we chose eSET but he does give you an option for multiple transfer. Be aware that our eSET resulted in twins.
What specific things went wrong at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
  • Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
We received a different genetic testing result via phone vs. the official report we received. They indicated that it was a down syndrome trisomy 21 on the phone but the report showed monosomy 21.
9
Doctor
Mohamad Irani
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
2 of 5
Trustworthiness
4 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
4 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
9
Clinic
Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago
Chicago
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
4 of 5
Billing Department
3 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
4 of 5
Educational Resources
7 of 5
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2022, Successful
NPS
10
NPS
10
Age 33
1 IVF
Male Factor
European
Only Doc Seen
Strongly Recommends
Strongly Recommends
Successful
While time spent with the RE was usually brief, I always felt like Dr. Irani was compassionate and truly cared about his patients. Our treatment seemed to be based on our personal situation and diagnosis, and not a cookie cutter one-size-fits-all plan...
[Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago] Strengths: Excellent care. Great staff. Cycles aren't batched or timed to the clinic's convenience. Private recovery bays up in Gurnee where anesthesia procedures and embryo transfers take place. Minimal wait between diagnosis and starting IVF cycle. Worked well with insurance. Weaknesses...often a long wait past your appointment time for morning monitoring because they get overbooked. Bring a book and work with your boss if possible for late starts.
How was your experience with Mohamad Irani at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
While time spent with the RE was usually brief, I always felt like Dr. Irani was compassionate and truly cared about his patients. Our treatment seemed to be based on our personal situation and diagnosis, and not a cookie cutter one-size-fits-all plan.
Describe the protocols Mohamad Irani used in your cycles at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago and their degree of success.
Luteal phase estrogen priming for approx 3 days, then antagonist protocol with low dose HCG. Triggered with HCG after 12 days of stims and a day 5 fresh transfer was performed. AFC was around the average for my age and roughly the same number of eggs were retrieved.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
All workers at the clinic were extremely pleasant, even on weekends or in the early morning. Unfortunately monitoring appointments in the AM seem to get overbooked, resulting in being seen well after your given appointment time (average about 45 min late). This isn't the fault of the staff, but can be frustrating if you don't have flexibility on getting to work late.
Describe your experience with Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
Strengths: Excellent care. Great staff. Cycles aren't batched or timed to the clinic's convenience. Private recovery bays up in Gurnee where anesthesia procedures and embryo transfers take place. Minimal wait between diagnosis and starting IVF cycle. Worked well with insurance. Weaknesses: As mentioned earlier, often a long wait past your appointment time for morning monitoring because they get overbooked. Bring a book and work with your boss if possible for late starts.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Mohamad Irani at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
Hit OOP max through insurance. Still waiting to find out exactly how much of my lifetime maximum infertility benefit was eaten up by the one IVF cycle. Cryopreservation was not covered by insurance and cost $1000.
Describe Mohamad Irani's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
Dr. Irani strongly encouraged transferring one embryo due to maternal age (< 35) and no previous failed transfers. We fully agreed with this approach, and would not have been comfortable going against the current ASRM guidance to embryo transfers.
What specific things went wrong at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
  • Failed to order appropriate test
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
There was one appointment that was given in written instructions but not scheduled in the portal; a quick message to the staff to confirm that I should still come in easily fixed the issue.
10
Doctor
Mohamad Irani
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
2 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
10
Clinic
Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago
Chicago
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
4 of 5
Billing Department
4 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
4 of 5
Educational Resources
7 of 5
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2022, Unknown Success
NPS
8
NPS
8
Age 41
3 IUI
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
Income $200K - $499K
Only Doc Seen
Neutral
Neutral
Success w/ Doc Too early to know
Dr. Irani is a caring and optimistic provider who treats you with compassion and kindness...he manages a high volume of patients, but even so he's made himself very available to email and phone check ins...he never makes you feel rushed or that he has a million other things going on. My only issue has been a lack of information getting into my medical chart from conversations we did have, so I had to remind the staff of these conversations which resulted in additional stress + wasted time getting and starting medications.
I do believe this is a well run clinic [Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago] who hires great staff. Because of the popularity of Dr. Irani, there have been long wait times on occasion for monitoring appointments, but I know they were trying as best as they could to remedy the situation, and they were always apologetic. You have to be on top of your medical care and your best advocate.
How was your experience with Mohamad Irani at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
Out of the three consults I had, I chose Dr. Irani because he seemed very knowledgeable and up to date about the best fertility practices for my case. He also provided me with hope and examples of how he has helped other women with DOR. When I had a question about the treatment approach, he called me promptly to discuss (vs. getting no answer at all, or dealing with nursing staff only). And when you are talking with him, he never makes you feel rushed or that he has a million other things going on. My only issue has been a lack of information getting into my medical chart from conversations we did have, so I had to remind the staff of these conversations which resulted in additional stress + wasted time getting and starting medications.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Mohamad Irani at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
I would say to definitely be your best advocate and don't be afraid to push and ask questions when needed. You deserve the best.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Mohamad Irani at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
Dr. Irani is a caring and optimistic provider who treats you with compassion and kindness. He has gained popularity due to his expertise, and therefore the clinic can get very busy for monitoring appointments. I imagine he manages a high volume of patients, but even so he's made himself very available to email and phone check ins. On two occasions, however, I had to remind the staff who had to communicate with Dr. Irani of a conversation we'd had to add in a medication and to switch to oral medications from injectables. Having to remind the staff and doctor of this did make me feel like a name on a spreadsheet and created more back and forth. However, overall I do believe the staff at AFCC has the best intentions.
Describe the protocols Mohamad Irani used in your cycles at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago and their degree of success.
To date, I have completed three unsuccessful IUIs. My goal was to do egg retrievals but I have not had enough follicles (3+) for an egg retrieval due to my DOR. The first IUI, I took IVF injectables which was converted to an IUI when I did not produce enough follicles. I primed with Estrace, started with Omnitroupe, Letrozole, and 300 units of GonalF daily. The second cycle, I just took Letrozole, and the third I took Clomid + 450 units of GonalF daily.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago. (Assigned nurse: Christine)
All the nurses and ultrasound techs I have encountered are warm, caring, responsive and dependable.
Describe your experience with Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
In my limited experience with fertility clinics, I do believe this is a well run clinic who hires great staff. Because of the popularity of Dr. Irani, there have been long wait times on occasion for monitoring appointments, but I know they were trying as best as they could to remedy the situation, and they were always apologetic. You have to be on top of your medical care and your best advocate. Fertility treatments are a steep learning curve but the staff and Dr. Irani are there to help you learn and understand, never making you feel that you were asking a silly question. Dr. Irani was very responsive to my questions and my advocating to try certain things. He collaborates very well with his patients.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Mohamad Irani at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
Some of these costs are covered by my medical insurance, Progyny. Initial Consult ~$500. Hysteroscopy under anesthesia was ~$1,000. Each IUI is ~$1,800. Plus Medications Cost (~$0.00 for orals plus thousands for the Gonal F, Lupron, Cetrotide that I bought). Omnitroupe was a pricey out of pocket expense that I wish I would have not used.
What specific things went wrong at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
  • Failed to call with results
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
I asked to biopsy my uterus for Endometriosis out of extreme precaution and never received these results.
8
Doctor
Mohamad Irani
NPS
Humanity
4 of 5
Communication
4 of 5
Frequency Seen
1 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
4 of 5
8
Clinic
Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago
Chicago
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
5 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
4 of 5
Educational Resources
6 of 5
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2022, Unknown Success
NPS
9
NPS
8
Age 39
Unexplained
European
Native American
Income $200K - $499K
Sales Representative
3rd of 3 Docs
1 IUI With Other Docs
2 IVF With Other Docs
Strongly Recommends
Neutral
Success w/ Doc Too early to know
Dr. Irani is very knowledgeable and he makes sure you understand what is going to happen and why when he meets with you. If you have additional questions, he reaches out personally via email or phone to discuss...[he] can talk quickly, but if you need more time to process/understand the information he'll say it again in a different way. He really wants to make sure you are comfortable and understand the process.
As someone new to the overall fertility process [the AVC of Chicago] might be overwhelming with the lack of communication. They simply do not have enough time to see patients, while answering messages and taking/making phone calls. However, the Dr. is great and the nurses know what they are doing and what is needed. Dr. Irani sent me an email reply at 4AM once. He goes out of his way to make sure his patients have the information needed.
How was your experience with Mohamad Irani at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
Dr. Irani is very knowledgeable and he makes sure you understand what is going to happen and why when he meets with you. If you have additional questions, he reaches out personally via email or phone to discuss. Makes this journey that much more bearable and the communication is appreciated.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Mohamad Irani at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
Dr. Irani can talk quickly, but if you need more time to process/understand the information he'll say it again in a different way. He really wants to make sure you are comfortable and understand the process.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Mohamad Irani at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
Dr. Irani is great at explaining the process and expectations. He emails quickly and calls if needed. However, I feel like the clinic is all over the place and not very well organized.
Describe the protocols Mohamad Irani used in your cycles at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago and their degree of success.
I'm about to go through the protocol with Dr. Irani. He's using a completely different protocol and different stim meds than I have used in the past with other doctors. First, I'm NOT going to start with birth control which I think my body did not react well with. I'm starting after ovulation before the baseline/stims start with estrogen. Then I will be using HCG rather than menopur, and Cetrotide rather than ganorelix. Lupron to trigger rather than ovidrel. The only stim that is staying the same as I have used in the past is Gonal-F. I have not yet started this cycle. Looking forward to seeing the difference, especially without using birthcontrol.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
There seems to be very little organization at the clinic. You call the office and it's a 3rd party that answers and they transfer you to the clinic if someone is available and it's an emergency. They may or may not call you back if you do not get through. On my first visit, I was supposed to get an ultrasound and bloodwork, I only got my blood drawn. I think if they had more individuals working in the clinic this place would be great. I think they are understaffed, which makes it seem a bit chaotic.
Describe your experience with Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
As someone new to the overall fertility process this place might be overwhelming with the lack of communication. They simply do not have enough time to see patients, while answering messages and taking/making phone calls. However, the Dr. is great and the nurses know what they are doing and what is needed. Dr. Irani sent me an email reply at 4AM once. He goes out of his way to make sure his patients have the information needed.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Mohamad Irani at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
NA
Describe Mohamad Irani's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
NA, we haven't really talked about this yet. However my insurance only covers single embryo transfer.
What specific things went wrong at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
  • Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
My Gonal F script was sent for 300IU, Dr. Irani mentioned that it should be 450IU. I needed to correct it before ordering my stim meds.
9
Doctor
Mohamad Irani
NPS
Humanity
4 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
8
Clinic
Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago
Chicago
NPS
Operations
3 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Nursing Staff
2 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
4 of 5
Educational Resources
7 of 5
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2021, Unknown Success
NPS
3
NPS
4
Age 28
Latinx
Income $50K - $99K
Only Doc Seen
Doesn't Recommend
Doesn't Recommend
Success w/ Doc Too early to know
Although I am grateful for her [Michelle Catenacci] insight I was completely disappointed in her lack of bedside manner...all she said to me was if you can’t handle this pain I don’t know how much there is left for me to do for you... After my last visit with her I was left heartbroken and confused and without an idea of what the next step is. Nor did I ever receive a call or a follow up...
I really liked the facilities. The clinic [Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago] was very clean and organized. They worked like a well oiled machine which is why I was really hell-bent on making it work. The nurses down to the receptionist were all very nice...the nurse stood at the door and waited for me as I sobbed in the bathroom and was extremely compassionate and held my hand during the procedure that wasn’t able to be done because of my pain tolerance. The one good memory I have from that day is her.
How was your experience with Michelle Catenacci at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
I think that Dr. Catenacci is extremely knowledgeable and intelligent in her field which is why a lot of things are overlooked by other patients. Although I am grateful for her insight I was completely disappointed in her lack of bedside manner. Going through infertility is not something easy or something I would wish on my worst enemy and I think that sometimes doctors who know they are good at what they are doing think they can get away with not showing compassion to their patients. After my last visit with her I was left heartbroken and confused and without an idea of what the next step is. Nor did I ever receive a call or a follow up. It wasn’t until I spoke with my gynecologist who helped me figure out the next steps were along with my primary care doctor that I felt encouraged to keep going. I expected better after seeing the reviews and was left extremely disappointed. I also want to make it clear that this isn’t a situation of not hearing what I wanted to hear and being upset over it. We weren’t even able to get that far.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Michelle Catenacci at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
She is a great doctor if personality and bedside manners don’t matter to you.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Michelle Catenacci at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
I saw her twice which I completely understand because we were in the early stages of diagnostics however when we were going through some thing delicate all she said to me was if you can’t handle this pain I don’t know how much there is left for me to do for you. Which a lot of doctors have told me that that’s not the way to go about talking to someone and that those were not my only options .
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
After my saline sonogram that failed the nurse stood at the door and waited for me as I sobbed in the bathroom and was extremely compassionate and held my hand during the procedure that wasn’t able to be done because of my pain tolerance. The one good memory I have from that day is her. I wish I still remembered her name because she was awesome.
Describe your experience with Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
I really liked the facilities. The clinic was very clean and organized. They worked like a well oiled machine which is why I was really hell-bent on making it work. The nurses down to the receptionist were all very nice.
What specific things went wrong at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
  • Failed to call with results
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
The only issue I had with the staff was that they forgot to call me about a medication that I was supposed to start sooner rather than later and to schedule an appointment that had to be done ASAP.
3
Doctor
Michelle Catenacci
NPS
Humanity
2 of 5
Communication
3 of 5
Frequency Seen
1 of 5
Trustworthiness
2 of 5
Compassion
1 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
1 of 5
4
Clinic
Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago
Chicago
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
5 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
6 of 5
Educational Resources
6 of 5
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2019 - 2020, Unsuccessful
NPS
8
NPS
8
Age 37 - 38
4 IUI
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
Immunological
European
Income $100K - $199K
2nd of 3 Docs
2 IUI With Other Docs
Neutral
Neutral
Unsuccessful
Dr. Irani is very approachable and kind. I only met with him one time, but After each procedure, he would personally call to go over options and was willing to answer all of my questions. He also gave me his email address and was very responsive, often returning my emails within just a few hours, even on evenings and weekends...The first cycle, we used letrozole. That did not work so we moved to injectables. Each month, he prescribed an increasing dose of Follistim
The nursing team [of Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago] is a major strength for this clinic. I think I technically had a nurse assigned to me, but they all made phone calls, and did procedures and blood draws...They do not batch patients, which was important to me...The biggest disappointment to me was that they do not have a portal. I have a few doctors that I work with and that made coordinating care a bit challenging because I had to request copies of my lab results, which was no big deal but sometimes I felt like I had to explain why I wanted them
How was your experience with Mohamad Irani at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
Dr. Irani always treated me with respect and explained things both compassionately and scientifically. He was careful to go over the probabilities of success with my low AMH and antral follicle count. I am a complex patient, with premature ovarian failure and autoimmune issues. I felt that he was open to working with outside specialists to a degree; he never disputed other doctor's recommendations but he also did not fully endorse them or actively collaborate with them. He was willing to work with me using my own eggs, but he had a strict limit of antral follicles to proceed to an IVF retrieval. I consistently had only 1-2, so he would only do IUI. After 6 months, I felt that I was on a merry-go-round each month. He made adjustments each IUI cycle, but generally followed a high-stim protocol and did not deviate much from that, unless I specifically asked to try something.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Mohamad Irani at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
I would recommend Dr. Irani to someone who has a more straightforward health profile without any reservations. For women with complex issues, such as DOR or POF/POI, particularly if their follicle count is low, I would recommend seeing someone with more expertise in those conditions.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Mohamad Irani at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
Dr. Irani is very approachable and kind. I only met with him one time, but After each procedure, he would personally call to go over options and was willing to answer all of my questions. He also gave me his email address and was very responsive, often returning my emails within just a few hours, even on evenings and weekends.
Describe the protocols Mohamad Irani used in your cycles at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago and their degree of success.
The first cycle, we used letrozole. That did not work so we moved to injectables. Each month, he prescribed an increasing dose of Follistim. He added estrogen priming and ganirelix. He also prescribed progesterone suppositories after IUIs. He adjusted dosages and made tweaks to that general protocol each month.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
The nursing staff in the Chicago office are excellent. The nursing team is a major strength for this clinic. I think I technically had a nurse assigned to me, but they all made phone calls, and did procedures and blood draws. Most of them remembered me, and they were all friendly and easy to work with.
Describe your experience with Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
I appreciate that they are open 7 days a week and 364 days a year. They do not batch patients, which was important to me. The clinic is clean and the waiting room is comfortable. The exam rooms in the Chicago office are spacious and they offer feminine hygiene items without having to ask. The biggest disappointment to me was that they do not have a portal. I have a few doctors that I work with and that made coordinating care a bit challenging because I had to request copies of my lab results, which was no big deal but sometimes I felt like I had to explain why I wanted them. My husband expressed some dissatisfaction with the semen collection process. The receptionist would sometimes discuss financial matters with reference to specific procedures to patients while they were still in the waiting room. It would have been more respectful of patients' privacy to invite them to simply walk through the door next to her desk to have a conversation away from the other patients. That said, I found her to be friendly and otherwise respectful.
What specific things went wrong at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
  • Provided conflicting information
  • Canceled a cycle due to clinic error
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
Overall this clinic is very well run. There was one time when one nurse gave conflicting information from another nurse because she couldn't find something in my chart. Nothing bad came of it but for a patient who is not savvy to the process, or to someone who is uncomfortable questioning doctors and nurses, it might have lead to confusion. I had an IUI canceled once as a result of some unexplained clinical error or oversight. I had been in for monitoring leading up to ovulation, and was told to return again the next day for labs and monitoring. When I went in 24 hours later, I had ovulated already. No explanation was offered.
8
Doctor
Mohamad Irani
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
1 of 5
Trustworthiness
4 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
3 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
8
Clinic
Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago
Chicago
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
4 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
5 of 5
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2019 - 2020, Unknown Success
NPS
7
NPS
8
Age 33 - 34
1 IVF
Unexplained
European
Income $50K - $99K
Only Doc Seen
Fertility Medications With Other Docs
Neutral
Neutral
Success w/ Doc Too early to know
Dr. Jones has a good bedside manner and does a good job of explaining protocol and procedure. ... If you're coming in without any knowledge, I'm not sure if the level of communcation and understanding would be the same. ... As a side note, I suspect that Dr. Jones might be on the conservative end with regard to additional procedures and protocols, and cancellations and postponements of the aforementioned if the conditions aren't just right, which can be a bit frustrating at times.
As a patient [at Advanced Fert Center of Chicago], you mostly deal with your care coordinator, one of the nurses. My initial care coordinator, Diane, was phenomenal. She was consistently available to answer questions or give reassurance. She has since left the clinic, but my new care coordinator, Denise, appears to be just as attentive. It is still too early to know outcomes, as my next transfer has been delayed - like many - due to current events.
How was your experience with Gary Jones at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
Dr. Jones has a good bedside manner and does a good job of explaining protocol and procedure. I admit, however, that this is because my husband and I already had a strong foundational knowledge of fertility diagnostics and treatment. If you're coming in without any knowledge, I'm not sure if the level of communcation and understanding would be the same. Overall, the patient doesn't seem the doctor very much, you deal mostly with your nurse care coordinator. When I did have questions for the doctor or needed an additional consult, he made himself available quickly. As a side note, I suspect that Dr. Jones might be on the conservative end with regard to additional procedures and protocols, and cancellations and postponements of the aforementioned if the conditions aren't just right, which can be a bit frustrating at times.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Gary Jones at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
Be as specific as possible when asking about next steps and all the possible iterations of next steps.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Gary Jones at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
As a patient, you mostly deal with your care coordinator, one of the nurses. My initial care coordinator, Diane, was phenomenal. She was consistently available to answer questions or give reassurance. She has since left the clinic, but my new care coordinator, Denise, appears to be just as attentive. It is still too early to know outcomes, as my next transfer has been delayed - like many - due to current events.
Describe the protocols Gary Jones used in your cycles at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago and their degree of success.
I did an antagonist protocol for stims although I'm not entirely sure of the specifics anymore. No complications and cancellations and I had a good turnout of 11 fertilized embryos. We did a freeze all due to progesterone being low and a small fibroid needing to be removed.
Describe your experience with Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
Strengths - very responsive, excellent care coordinators, compassionate staff on the whole, doctor available to speak quickly if you need additional consults, shared risk plans available Weaknesses - not much access to doctors routinely, battery of tests needed before each transfer (which I'm unsure how typical this is, but hurts the billfold if you're paying out of pocket, even on the shared risk plan)
Describe the costs associated with your care under Gary Jones at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
We paid entirely out of pocket, save for a few procedures which were covered by our insurance. Because fertility treatment is not covered we pay for every consult, and many diagnostic services - bloodwork and imaging. Once we entered the shared risk plan we still had to pay for initial battery of testing before we entered into the program, then testing before each transfer as well as medication.
Describe Gary Jones's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
The clinic strongly recommends single embryo transfer for someone in my age bracket and diagnosis (33, unexplained,) but with our transfer we were able to do a multiple embryo transfer with a signed waiver (no more than 2 for my age bracket and diagnosis.)
7
Doctor
Gary Jones
NPS
Humanity
4 of 5
Communication
3 of 5
Frequency Seen
2 of 5
Trustworthiness
4 of 5
Compassion
4 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
4 of 5
8
Clinic
Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago
Chicago
NPS
Operations
4 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
4 of 5
Nursing Staff
4 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
4 of 5
Educational Resources
6 of 5
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2019 - 2020, Successful
NPS
10
NPS
10
Age 40 - 41
2 IVF
European
Income $500K
2nd of 2 Docs
2 IUI With Other Docs
Strongly Recommends
Strongly Recommends
Successful
Dr Irani personally called me several times with updates on fertilization results and PGTA results. He was always super responsive to emails... is the most kind, compassionate and caring doctor I have ever experienced in my life...He was patient, and gentle...changed the protocol and added Human Growth Hormone. I was stimulating for longer but the second IVF cycle ended up with more viable eggs, and 4 made it to PGTA testing and then 2 came back PGTA normal...he was the one to do my egg retrieval’s and to do the ultrasound to find a heartbeat after a positive pregnancy test
the second IVF cycle [at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago] ended up with more viable eggs, and 4 made it to PGTA testing and then 2 came back PGTA normal...the most compassionate and knowledgeable staff. This clinic is somehow able to offer very fair pricing and amazing one on one personalized care...My main nurse was Diane and she was simply amazing. She would respond to emails and calls immediately. They seem to work 24/7. Every single nurse I dealt with was the most sweetest and smartest nurse I have ever encountered. Cathy, Deanna, I cant thank all of them enough.
How was your experience with Mohamad Irani at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
Dr Irani is the most kind, compassionate and caring doctor I have ever experienced in my life. I feel so blessed to have found him and I truly believe he is a saint. He was patient, and gentle. It meant the world to me and built absolute trust that he was the one to do my egg retrieval’s and to do the ultrasound to find a heartbeat after a positive pregnancy test. He is world class.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Mohamad Irani at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
Listen and trust him. He knows his stuff and he is always looking out for your best interest.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Mohamad Irani at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
Dr Irani personally called me several times with updates on fertilization results and PGTA results. He was always super responsive to emails.
Describe the protocols Mohamad Irani used in your cycles at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago and their degree of success.
Our first IVF round was about 10 or 12 days of stimulation medicine. That retrieval led to zero quality eggs. They all arrested. Dr Irani changed the protocol and added Human Growth Hormone. I was stimulating for longer but the second IVF cycle ended up with more viable eggs, and 4 made it to PGTA testing and then 2 came back PGTA normal.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago. (Assigned nurse: Diane )
My main nurse was Diane and she was simply amazing. She would respond to emails and calls immediately. They seem to work 24/7. Every single nurse I dealt with was the most sweetest and smartest nurse I have ever encountered. Cathy, Deanna, I cant thank all of them enough.
Describe your experience with Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
This clinic is somehow able to hire the most compassionate and knowledgeable staff. This clinic is somehow able to offer very fair pricing and amazing one on one personalized care. Their SART results are stellar and I think the reason is because f their excellent care.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Mohamad Irani at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
I believe we spent $40,000 in total including drugs for 2 rounds of IVF. All was out of pocket.
Describe Mohamad Irani's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
I completely agree with Dr Irani’s and the center for choosing eSET. The health of the mother and child come first. Twins are very high risk. When you have single PGTA normal embryos- I agree 100% to implant just 1.
10
Doctor
Mohamad Irani
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
4 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
10
Clinic
Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago
Chicago
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
5 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
6 of 5
Educational Resources
7 of 5
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2018 - 2019, Unsuccessful
NPS
0
NPS
2
Age 36 - 37
2 IVF
Unexplained
European
Income $50K - $99K
1st of 2 Docs
Doesn't Recommend
Doesn't Recommend
Unsuccessful
I first saw Dr. Jones for unexplained secondary infertility...I went through five rounds of natural cycle IUI's with no consultation from Dr. Jones...I do not feel that Dr. Jones carefully examined my individual case and that he has a one-size-fits-all approach to medicine. It's very striking that I was never given a diagnosis or reason for my infertility. I am extremely disappointed that he failed to identify my ismothecele since it's a common cause of secondary infertility and potentially dangerous
The [Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago] clinic does not have a good online patient portal which forces communication to be entirely on the phone or in-person...All surgical procedures (including transfers and egg extractions) happen in Gurney which is about an hour outside of Chicago. The biggest strength of the clinic is that they have Saturday appointments.
How was your experience with Gary Jones at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
I first saw Dr. Jones for unexplained secondary infertility in spring 2018. I also reported chronic pelvic pain in addition to infertility. He encouraged me to go through IVF during my first consult before doing any diagnostic testing. He failed to find a c-section scar defect known as an ismothecele, which is a well-known cause of secondary infertility. He did not run a saline ultrasound, which is how ismotheceles are typically identified. (My current doctor discovered the ismothecele and sent me to a surgeon who had it repaired.) I went through five rounds of natural cycle IUI's with no consultation from Dr. Jones. The nurses did the consulting around my IUI's, not him. In retrospect I was left in the dark during my IUI treatment and proceeded for far too long. When I decided that I wanted to do IVF, he was not optimistic about the outcome even though he never gave me a diagnosis or reason for my infertility. During my treatment with Dr. Jones, he insisted that my uterus was so severely retroverted that I needed to be put under anesthesia during both a mock embryo transfer and an embryo transfer. I later found out that it is highly unusual to put patient under anesthesia during transfers. I do not feel that Dr. Jones carefully examined my individual case and that he has a one-size-fits-all approach to medicine. It's very striking that I was never given a diagnosis or reason for my infertility. I am extremely disappointed that he failed to identify my ismothecele since it's a common cause of secondary infertility and potentially dangerous.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Gary Jones at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
It's time consuming, but make consultation appointments with at least three doctors from different clinics. Write down questions and see how they respond. If you feel compelled to go to Advanced Fertility, consider the other doctors at the clinic. They have higher ratings for good reasons.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Gary Jones at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
Dr. Jones was amiable and good natured.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
They were communicative, prompt, compassionate, and well-organized.
Describe your experience with Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
The clinic does not have a good online patient portal which forces communication to be entirely on the phone or in-person. Rather than printing off a cycle calendar, for example, they give you a handout and tell you to write your medication details in the template. All surgical procedures (including transfers and egg extractions) happen in Gurney which is about an hour outside of Chicago. The biggest strength of the clinic is that they have Saturday appointments.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Gary Jones at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
The insurance covered a significant amount, and we paid around 5-6K.
Describe Gary Jones's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
n/a
What specific things went wrong at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
  • Provided conflicting information
  • Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
I did not receive consults from my doctor as much as I did through the nurses. Also, they tell you that it's unsafe to take Sudafed while trying to conceive, which is simply untrue.
0
Doctor
Gary Jones
NPS
Humanity
3 of 5
Communication
1 of 5
Frequency Seen
2 of 5
Trustworthiness
1 of 5
Compassion
4 of 5
Explained risks
2 of 5
Adaptability
3 of 5
2
Clinic
Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago
Chicago
NPS
Operations
4 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
5 of 5
Nursing Staff
4 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
3 of 5
Educational Resources
1 of 5
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2019, Unsuccessful
NPS
8
NPS
8
Age 39
1 IVF
Male Factor
Uterine Fibroids
Unexplained
Black or African-American
Income $50K - $99K
2nd of 2 Docs
2 IUI With Other Docs
Neutral
Neutral
Unsuccessful
Dr. Irani was patient, kind, and I felt very much at ease with his good bed side manner and demeanor. ... Strengths- patient to answering questions, non intimidating, feelings of ease and comfort. Empathized with me on the pain emotionally I was dealing with and understood my husband’s anguish and disappointment. ... Surgery for the removal of uterine adhesions Injections and clomid to stimulate and grow eggs (daily ultrasounds) Trigger shot that led to egg retrieval Two embryos transferred- no pregnancy resulted Remaining embryos did not make it to freezing.
Daily (morning) appointments are rough [at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago] if employed, especially located near Chicago. Staff is actually friendly. ... even the receptionist was wonderful. She consoled me the day I had to make the payment in full because my anxiety was out of control. ... They are very busy during the morning, but will take a quick minute to explain information. Weakness...actually retrieval and transfer are further away...long drive, wish I could rest more after procedures at the location, especially due to long drive.
How was your experience with Mohamad Irani at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
Strengths- patient to answering questions, non intimidating, feelings of ease and comfort. Empathized with me on the pain emotionally I was dealing with and understood my husband’s anguish and disappointment. He even mentioned to take time to recover and not rush into another treatment. Wish I can see him more, but during treatment, you deal more so with nurses.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Mohamad Irani at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
I would advise perspective patients to ask as ma y questions to Dr. Irani and the staff members. Don’t feel shy, especially when paying out of pocket like we did. ASK questions.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Mohamad Irani at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
Dr. Irani was patient, kind, and I felt very much at ease with his good bed side manner and demeanor. He even placed a call after office hours after we our pregnancy test was confirmed negative to explain the process and reassure that it wasn’t my fault.
Describe the protocols Mohamad Irani used in your cycles at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago and their degree of success.
Surgery for the removal of uterine adhesions Injections and clomid to stimulate and grow eggs (daily ultrasounds) Trigger shot that led to egg retrieval Two embryos transferred- no pregnancy resulted Remaining embryos did not make it to freezing.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
Courteous, funny, even the receptionist was wonderful. She consoled me the day I had to make the payment in full because my anxiety was out of control.
Describe your experience with Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
Daily (morning) appointments are rough if employed, especially located near Chicago. Staff is actually friendly. They are very busy during the morning, but will take a quick minute to explain information. Weakness...actually retrieval and transfer are further away...long drive, wish I could rest more after procedures at the location, especially due to long drive.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
Well run and not having to walk into a waiting room of no more than 6 women tops.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Mohamad Irani at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
Cost for IVF treatment ~ $11,500 Medication~ $4900
Describe Mohamad Irani's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
Preferred at most two embryos transfer. Did explain risk and provide documentation regarding multiple embryo transfer.
8
Doctor
Mohamad Irani
NPS
Humanity
4 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
3 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
8
Clinic
Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago
Chicago
NPS
Operations
4 of 5
Scheduling
4 of 5
Billing Department
3 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
4 of 5
Educational Resources
6 of 5
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2019, Unsuccessful
NPS
10
NPS
10
Age 35
1 IVF
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
Poor Egg Quality
Tubal Blockage
Income $50K - $99K
Nurse or HC Services
2nd of 2 Docs
1 IVF With Other Docs
Strongly Recommends
Strongly Recommends
Unsuccessful
Dr. Irani is very compassionate and warm. He took his time explaining everything to my husband and I. We never felt like our appointments were rushed through or that Dr. Irani had somewhere else to be. He took the time to call us from his home the morning he wanted us to come in for transfer. He also called us on a Saturday afternoon after our cycle failed to check on us and offer his support and encouraged us to get out for a date night.
AFCC is very organized and can always get you scheduled when needed, which is very comforting when going through fertility treatments. You always get a call back shortly after you call and never have to wait long for an appointment. ... The nurses and the ultrasound technicians at AFCC are all compassionate and friendly. Everyone there remembers you from visit to visit and you never feel like just another number.
How was your experience with Mohamad Irani at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
Dr. Irani is very compassionate and warm. He took his time explaining everything to my husband and I. We never felt like our appointments were rushed through or that Dr. Irani had somewhere else to be. He took the time to call us from his home the morning he wanted us to come in for transfer. He also called us on a Saturday afternoon after our cycle failed to check on us and offer his support and encouraged us to get out for a date night. He has followed up with us himself since to check in on us and to make sure we remain hopeful to try again.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Mohamad Irani at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
I would definitely recommend making an appointment with Dr. Irani. He takes his time to explain everything to you and is even available by phone and email with any further questions you have. My husband and I knew immediately after our consultation with him that we were going to switch clinics and come to AFCC to see Dr. Irani.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Mohamad Irani at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
At AFCC you talk with the nurses regularly on the phone. Dr. Irani has called us several times himself as well, even over the weekend and after our cycle failed to check on us. At my previous clinic, the nurses only messaged you online through my chart. We never heard from our doctor directly.
Describe the protocols Mohamad Irani used in your cycles at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago and their degree of success.
I did estrogen priming and an Agonist protocol I believe. I did Lupron with high dose Follistim (400 units). I also did Omnitrope for 8 days of stimulation. We retrieved 3 eggs and all 3 fertilized with ICSI.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago. (Assigned nurse: Diane and Michelle)
The nurses and the ultrasound technicians at AFCC are all compassionate and friendly. Everyone there remembers you from visit to visit and you never feel like just another number. The US techs are very supportive and encouraging and always made me feel comfortable during my scans.
Describe your experience with Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
AFCC is very organized and can always get you scheduled when needed, which is very comforting when going through fertility treatments. You always get a call back shortly after you call and never have to wait long for an appointment.
Describe Mohamad Irani's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
Dr. Irani provided us with the percentages of success and left the decision of how many embryos to transfer up to us. We chose to transfer 2 of our 3 embryos. The 3rd did not make it to freeze and I had a negative pregnancy test from this cycle.
10
Doctor
Mohamad Irani
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
4 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
10
Clinic
Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago
Chicago
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
5 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
5 of 5
Educational Resources
7 of 5
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2018 - 2019, Successful
NPS
10
NPS
10
Age 30 - 31
1 IVF
Poor Egg Quality
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss
Unexplained
Income $100K - $199K
Teacher
2nd of 2 Docs
4 IUI With Other Docs
2 IVF With Other Docs
Donor Eggs With Other Docs
Strongly Recommends
Strongly Recommends
Successful
He made sure we understood and were comfortable with each step of our journey. He was patient and understanding and let us express and validated all of our concerns along the way. ... Dr. Irani is very personable and truest cares for his patients. ... he took the time to sit down with us and explain all of our options again. He was thorough and companionate. He comforted us when we were upset and called to check on us after the fact.
Everyone [Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago] we had the pleasure of working with was great. The donor process was simple and so well taken care of, that I felt confident from the start. A few nurses at the Gurnee office smoked which bothered me during appointment bc it smelled but nothing else to complain about! ... Ashely [nurse] was amazing! She really takes the time to bond with the patients that work with her and was an amazing help throughout the process!
How was your experience with Mohamad Irani at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
Dr. Irani is very personable and truest cares for his patients. He made sure we understood and were comfortable with each step of our journey. He was patient and understanding and let us express and validated all of our concerns along the way.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Mohamad Irani at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
Give him a chance. He is new to the practice but really knows what he’s doing and cares for his patients.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Mohamad Irani at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
Dr. Irani is very personable and truest cares for his patients. He made sure we understood and were comfortable with each step of our journey. He was patient and understanding and let us express and validated all of our concerns along the way.
Describe the protocols Mohamad Irani used in your cycles at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago and their degree of success.
I did my 3rd egg retrieval with Dr Irani in hopes it would result more positively than my previous clinic. When it didn’t, he took the time to sit down with us and explain all of our options again. He was thorough and companionate. He comforted us when we were upset and called to check on us after the fact. We proceeded with donor eggs and were successful on the first round. I am so thankful for everything he has done for us!
Describe your experience with your nurse at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago. (Assigned nurse: Ashley in Crystal Lake )
Ashely was amazing! She really takes the time to bond with the patients that work with her and was an amazing help throughout the process!
Describe your experience with Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
Everyone we had the pleasure of working with was great. The donor process was simple and so well taken care of, that I felt confident from the start. A few nurses at the Gurnee office smoked which bothered me during appointment bc it smelled but nothing else to complain about!
Describe the costs associated with your care under Mohamad Irani at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
We paid about $15k for donor expenses. My insurance covered most of the other procedures
What specific things went wrong at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
  • Failed to order appropriate test
10
Doctor
Mohamad Irani
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
3 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
10
Clinic
Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago
Chicago
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
3 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
4 of 5
Educational Resources
7 of 5
2018 - 2019, Unknown Success
NPS
10
NPS
10
Age 35 - 36
1 IVF
Male Factor
European
Income $200K - $499K
Nurse or HC Services
3rd of 3 Docs
3 IUI With Other Docs
1 IVF With Other Docs
Strongly Recommends
Strongly Recommends
Success w/ Doc Too early to know
She [Dr. Catenacci] is extremely knowledgeable and was right up to speed with my history with our initial appointment. She makes the room feel less stressful when she enters with her smile and contagious laughter. She is extremely knowledgeable and skilled. She noticed a c section scar defect and was able to refer me to a top surgeon right away to get it fixed.
They [Advanced Fertility] do monitoring appointments from 6-10am even on the weekends. It was never crowded. ... The website has all the costs listed. Nothing has hidden fees. ... You normally only see the MD for consult and procedures, which is fine because the nurses are on top of everything. ... They work every single day, so if your cycle falls on the weekend or holiday, they still come and do labs or procedures.
How was your experience with Michelle Catenacci at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
My MD that did my initial IVF with my first TWO sets of twins retired and I was terrified to find a new MD. She is extremely knowledgeable and was right up to speed with my history with our initial appointment. She makes the room feel less stressful when she enters with her smile and contagious laughter. She is extremely knowledgeable and skilled. She noticed a c section scar defect and was able to refer me to a top surgeon right away to get it fixed. I appreciate that she knew when I needed outside care and guided me in the right direction. I’m looking forward to transferring more embryos in the future with her as my MD.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Michelle Catenacci at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
she’s the total package. She smart, highly skilled in IVF and surgery, and has a great personality.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Michelle Catenacci at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
She wants a baby for us just as much as we do. She laughs with us and is open and honest when it comes to making those difficult decisions.
Describe the protocols Michelle Catenacci used in your cycles at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago and their degree of success.
I have 2 sets of twins from IVF and FET with another MD from her group that retired. I met Dr. Catenacci when we consulted with her for a FET of our last embryo. First, I had a hysteroscopy which found a polyp. The polyp was surgically removed by Dr. Catenacci. We did a FET that did not result in pregnancy. I did a cycle of IVF with follistim, HCG and Ganirelex. Eggs were retrieved on day 14. 21 eggs were retrieved. 16 mature. We chose to freeze 10 eggs and fertilize 5 with ICSI (male factor). We transferred 1, 5 day blastocyst and froze 3, 5 day blastocysts. During the cycle, I had fluid in my uterus and cervix that was not going away. Dr. Catenacci reached out to Dr. Charles Miller and discussed my case. They realized I had an isthmocele (c section scar defect) that may be causing the fluid. They recommended to cancel the transfer and fix the isthmocele prior to transferring. I chose not to, and transferred one embryo. That did not result in pregnancy. I have since had a surgery with Dr. Miller and will return to Dr. Catenacci for additional FET.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago. (Assigned nurse: Deena)
Deena is organized, is extremely knowledgeable, and very compassionate. When I got the horrible phone calls that I wasn’t pregnant, I felt a little better when it came from her. I know she wants me to have a baby just as much as I do. Whenever I have questions, she is quick to get back to me whether phone or email. She is fantastic at what she does and I know the mds depend on her in the procedure room.
Describe your experience with Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
They are quick to respond to any questions by phone or email. They have a streamlined process that really works. The labs are always done in the mornings. The nurse will call you in the afternoon. You normally only see the MD for consult and procedures, which is fine because the nurses are on top of everything. They are highly skilled and knowledgeable. They work every single day, so if your cycle falls on the weekend or holiday, they still come and do labs or procedures. They are miracle workers!
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
They do monitoring appointments from 6-10am even on the weekends. It was never crowded. I never had to wait more than 15mins. It was easy and convenient before work. They have a great system in place to make it easy for everyone.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Michelle Catenacci at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
The website has all the costs listed. Nothing has hidden fees. They double check insurance.
Describe Michelle Catenacci's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
I’ve transferred two embryos, twice with another MD and successfully had two sets of twins. They recommend transferring one embryo from this point on.
10
Doctor
Michelle Catenacci
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
4 of 5
Frequency Seen
2 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
10
Clinic
Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago
Chicago
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
4 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
5 of 5
Educational Resources
7 of 5
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2017 - 2018, Successful
NPS
8
NPS
10
Age 31 - 32
1 IVF
European
Income $100K - $199K
2nd of 2 Docs
1 IUI With Other Docs
Neutral
Strongly Recommends
Successful
He [Dr. Sherbahn] will tell it to you straight, exactly how it is. He doesn’t beat around the bush with things and will bluntly be honest about what he sees and finds. He did not communicate the best with us, but his nurses were wonderful...The thing he lacks is feeling any compassion as to the reason that brought you to a fertility clinic. He’s obsessed with showing his data and his numbers. He answers questions relative to all his data, not necessarily you as a patient.
The building interior [at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago] is a bit dated. They don’t spend money on updates...The waiting room for procedures was very small and crammed. On a few occasions we had to stand and wait for a bit because they were so busy...Cathy [nurse] was amazing. I think she pretty much runs the place and responds to all emails on behalf of sherbahn. She was always very timely in responding to questions or messages I had left her. She had so much compassion and understanding for how emotional this journey is.
How was your experience with Richard Sherbahn (retired) at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
He definitely knows what he is doing and I firmly believe he will give his patients the best chance at conceiving. He will tell it to you straight, exactly how it is. He doesn’t beat around the bush with things and will bluntly be honest about what he sees and finds. He did not communicate the best with us, but his nurses were wonderful.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Richard Sherbahn (retired) at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
Don’t go in expecting to get a warm fuzzy feeling from him. He is very knowledgeable and he will analyze your collected data and tell you your chances straight up.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Richard Sherbahn (retired) at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
He was very blunt in our consultation, which I actually didn’t mind. The thing he lacks is feeling any compassion as to the reason that brought you to a fertility clinic. He’s obsessed with showing his data and his numbers. He answers questions relative to all his data, not necessarily you as a patient.
Describe the protocols Richard Sherbahn (retired) used in your cycles at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago and their degree of success.
We did a standard schedule for IVF. He recommended we do a fresh transfer first and frozen after if we were unsuccessful and had any embryos to freeze. Our first transfer we transferred two day 5 embryos as a fresh transfer. This resulted in a miscarriage. The second round was using the one frozen embryo we had left. He prescribed estrogen patches and progesterone injections in oil. To prep for both transfers.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago. (Assigned nurse: Cathy )
Cathy was amazing. I think she pretty much runs the place and responds to all emails on behalf of sherbahn. She was always very timely in responding to questions or messages I had left her. She had so much compassion and understanding for how emotional this journey is.
Describe your experience with Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
The building interior is a bit dated. They don’t spend money on updates and making it look like a flashy expensive place. This was more than fine with me! However, I found it interesting that my husband said the room he had to leave his sperm sample was VERY dated with no technology for porn or other images to help a man leave a sample. I was very surprised by this, luckily I think today most men carry a smart phone. The rooms are pretty small and nothing fancy either. Overall, I didn’t care about this because the updates and decor of the facility are the least of my concerns. The waiting room for procedures was very small and crammed. On a few occasions we had to stand and wait for a bit because they were so busy.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Richard Sherbahn (retired) at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
We had fertility insurance coverage, but with our coverage I believe our first round with egg retrieval and fresh transfer was $17,500 total.
Describe Richard Sherbahn (retired)'s approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
He was open to transferring two embryos because of it increasing the chances for success. We did two embryos for the first transfer and only one for the second because that’s all we had left. If we had more, we would have transferred two again.
8
Doctor
Richard Sherbahn (retired)
NPS
Humanity
3 of 5
Communication
3 of 5
Frequency Seen
1 of 5
Trustworthiness
4 of 5
Compassion
3 of 5
Explained risks
4 of 5
Adaptability
2 of 5
10
Clinic
Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago
Chicago
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
5 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
4 of 5
Educational Resources
6 of 5
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2014 - 2018, Successful
NPS
10
NPS
10
Age 30 - 34
2 IUI
5 IVF
1 Egg Freezing
Surrogacy
Male Factor
PCOS
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss
Income $100K - $199K
Sales Representative
Only Doc Seen
Strongly Recommends
Strongly Recommends
Successful
Dr. Catenacci is very knowledgeable and truly cares for her patients and wants the best for them. I was never afraid to contact her directly and she always got back to me in a timely manner. If my husband and I saw something different or intriguing in treatment on the Internet, she was always open to listening and suggesting her thoughts and new ways to see what would work....Each cycle was pretty much the same. We did five egg retrievals and all of them were about the same dosage of Follistem/Gonal F (300iu-450iu).
Ashley in the Crystal Lake office was incredible. She answered any and all questions or concerns we had via phone or email almost instantly. The nursing staff in general at AFCC are extremely compassionate and I'm forever thankful for how I was treated by them....Our surrogacy coordinator didn't show a ton of compassion and could be rude at times...I was actually happy with them doing their monitoring appointments in the early mornings. It meant that we would have results sooner.
How was your experience with Michelle Catenacci at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
Dr. Catenacci is very knowledgeable and truly cares for her patients and wants the best for them. I was never afraid to contact her directly and she always got back to me in a timely manner. If my husband and I saw something different or intriguing in treatment on the Internet, she was always open to listening and suggesting her thoughts and new ways to see what would work.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Michelle Catenacci at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
I wouldn't say this with just Dr. Catenacci, but to RE's in general, I wish they would better accept the fact that sometimes there are immune issues that are working against the patient to carry a pregnancy. I would always say you need to be your own advocate. You know your body more than anyone.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Michelle Catenacci at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
Dr. Catenacci was always there for me through EVERYTHING we have been through. When we had a miscarriage, she would call me personally to check on me. If we ever had any questions or concerns, she genuinely took the time with us to answer them.
Describe the protocols Michelle Catenacci used in your cycles at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago and their degree of success.
Each cycle was pretty much the same. We did five egg retrievals and all of them were about the same dosage of Follistem/Gonal F (300iu-450iu). I'd stim for about 10-11 days with retrieval on days 12 or 13. She paid close attention to my estrogen levels and was very careful to avoid OHSS - which I greatly appreciated. The clinic uses the patients weight when prescribing PIO so I was usually on 2.4cc of PIO. I was on 2-3 pills a day of Estradiol and also baby aspirin.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago. (Assigned nurse: Ashley)
Ashley in the Crystal Lake office was incredible. She answered any and all questions or concerns we had via phone or email almost instantly. The nursing staff in general at AFCC are extremely compassionate and I'm forever thankful for how I was treated by them. Def as a patient and not a number.
Describe your experience with Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
AFCC def has a lot of strengths and I think their success rates prove that. I'm thrilled that over 98% of their staff truly show compassion and care towards the patient and truly want the end result - a child - for everyone. Our surrogacy coordinator didn't show a ton of compassion and could be rude at times, but overall, I love AFCC.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
I was actually happy with them doing their monitoring appointments in the early mornings. It meant that we would have results sooner. The only frustrating thing was that monitoring was done in their Gurnee office, which was a lot farther for me on the weekends.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Michelle Catenacci at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
I had insurance coverage for 85% of our treatments, so it is hard to say. But for our surrogate cycle, we paid $4000 for our frozen transfer and $800 for each time we froze embryos.
10
Doctor
Michelle Catenacci
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
3 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
10
Clinic
Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago
Chicago
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
5 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
4 of 5
Educational Resources
7 of 5
2018, Successful
NPS
8
NPS
10
Age 28
1 IVF
Endometriosis
Male Factor
PCOS
Income $100K - $199K
Accountant
2nd of 2 Docs
2 IUI With Other Docs
Neutral
Strongly Recommends
Successful
[With Dr. Richard Sherbahn] We did a month of BC, then for the stims we did gonal-f and low dose HCG. We used the Lupron for trigger because of my PCOS leading to a high risk of OHSS (which I had with my prior doctor for my IUI's). I had so much less pain/hyperstimulation when we did the Lupron trigger, which was an extremely pleasant surprise. I thought IVF would be worse than IUI, and it wasn't - at least for this aspect!
Sue [a nurse at AFC-Chicago] was wonderful. I live about 3 hours from the clinic so I was concerned about coordinating the bloodwork/monitoring. This did make things a little more difficult, and we had a few mix-ups when other nurses were sending my orders in, but nothing major. I had a few extra ultrasounds/bloodwork due to mix ups, but my insurance covered everything (as I already hit my out of pocket), so it wasn't a big deal. Sue called very promptly once my beta results were in, and also called very quickly with my updates on number of fertilized eggs, embryos, etc. and genuinely seemed happy when all my results were positive!
How was your experience with Richard Sherbahn (retired) at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
He was very helpful and informative at our initial consult. You do need to bring the questions you have, because that will lead the conversation. A large portion of the beginning consult is him discussing success rates, risk of multiples, etc. I am 28 years old with high AMH, so I do think he knew we would be an "easier" case.... but either way, I came out of our first meeting feeling very positive that we would have a good chance to get pregnant. He also gave us personally calculated success rates based on my age, AMH, antra-follicle count, etc. which I thought was a nice touch.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Richard Sherbahn (retired) at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
Come to your first meeting with all of the questions you have! I saw him at the initial consult, and the next time I saw him was at the egg transfer (a different doctor did our retrieval), so make sure you are prepared.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Richard Sherbahn (retired) at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
I was assigned a single nurse, Sue. She was my main contact point and was very easy to reach via e-mail and to answer all my questions. The only complaint I had at all was with a different nurse who was angry with and scolded me because my lab results did not come in one time at one occurrence, and told me I would need to start traveling to their own clinic (which is 3 hours from me) for simple blood tests. There was a mix-up in my lab and I got the results over as quickly as possible, but her demeanor was upsetting to me.
Describe the protocols Richard Sherbahn (retired) used in your cycles at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago and their degree of success.
We did a month of BC, then for the stims we did gonal-f and low dose HCG. We used the Lupron for trigger because of my PCOS leading to a high risk of OHSS (which I had with my prior doctor for my IUI's). I had so much less pain/hyperstimulation when we did the Lupron trigger, which was an extremely pleasant surprise. I thought IVF would be worse than IUI, and it wasn't - at least for this aspect!
Describe your experience with your nurse at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago. (Assigned nurse: Sue)
Sue was wonderful. I live about 3 hours from the clinic so I was concerned about coordinating the bloodwork/monitoring. This did make things a little more difficult, and we had a few mix-ups when other nurses were sending my orders in, but nothing major. I had a few extra ultrasounds/bloodwork due to mix ups, but my insurance covered everything (as I already hit my out of pocket), so it wasn't a big deal. Sue called very promptly once my beta results were in, and also called very quickly with my updates on number of fertilized eggs, embryos, etc. and genuinely seemed happy when all my results were positive!
Describe your experience with Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
Strengths - receptionist was always kind, my nurse coordinator was awesome. My meds always arrived on time. I honestly don't have any weaknesses aside from the one nurse blaming me for lab results not getting there on time.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Richard Sherbahn (retired) at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
My costs were mostly covered under insurance. He does provide discounted plans for cash payers, which I felt were very reasonable. I know my insurance billing was high, but it didn't directly affect me. Also, monitoring and meds are not covered under his plans, and I know those can add up!
Describe Richard Sherbahn (retired)'s approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
He was very persuasive in us doing a single transfer. He said that there was such a high risk of multiples. I had every intention of transferring 2 embryos when we went to our first meeting with him, and wasn't even sure once we got to transfer day what we were going to do, but we decided on the single transfer as he continued to explain the high risk while I was laying on the table. I am so happy we only did one!
8
Doctor
Richard Sherbahn (retired)
NPS
Humanity
4 of 5
Communication
4 of 5
Frequency Seen
1 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
4 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
10
Clinic
Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago
Chicago
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
5 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
3 of 5
Educational Resources
6 of 5
2017 - 2018, Unsuccessful
NPS
6
NPS
8
Age 35 - 36
2 IUI
1 IVF
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
Poor Egg Quality
Latinx
Income $200K - $499K
Lawyer
Only Doc Seen
Doesn't Recommend
Neutral
Unsuccessful
My first round of IVF [with Dr. Michelle Catenacci] was a typical IVF however it didn't produce enough eggs so it was converted. After that, we became very aggressive and did the Microdose Lupron flare. This produced 11 eggs but only two were retrieved. Additionally, I took Coq10 and DHEA on a daily basis...I appreciated that she personally called me when my eggs did not make it to Day 2; however that was my only interaction with her. All other interactions was with her nurse which was frustrating. I would have liked her to at least check in with me during the cycles
The clinic [Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago] has multiple locations, is clean and all of the staff (even technicians) are super friendly and inviting. The doctors are extremely knowledgeable. The weakness is lack of direct communication with the doctors...Cathy [nurse] was absolutely amazing. She was beyond supportive and would spend as much time with me as I needed. There is literally nothing negative I could say about her. I would recommend her to anyone!
How was your experience with Michelle Catenacci at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
Dr. Catenacci is great to meet in person; however, the only time I spoke with her was our initial consultation, another consultation that I specifically requested and when she called to tell me that my embryos did not make it. It is very disappointing that she never calls me to discuss next steps or even to check-in as this is a very expensive, stressful process. I honestly thought about leaving her office after my first failed IVF but I stayed because of her nurses. It is disheartening that everything is run by the staff and not Dr. Catenacci.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Michelle Catenacci at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
Don't expect to hear from Dr. Catenacci except for initial meeting and failed IVF embryos.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Michelle Catenacci at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
I appreciated that she personally called me when my eggs did not make it to Day 2; however that was my only interaction with her. All other interactions was with her nurse which was frustrating. I would have liked her to at least check in with me during the cycles
Describe the protocols Michelle Catenacci used in your cycles at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago and their degree of success.
My first round of IVF was a typical IVF however it didn't produce enough eggs so it was converted. After that, we became very aggressive and did the Microdose Lupron flare. This produced 11 eggs but only two were retrieved. Additionally, I took Coq10 and DHEA on a daily basis.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago. (Assigned nurse: Cathy)
Cathy was absolutely amazing. She was beyond supportive and would spend as much time with me as I needed. There is literally nothing negative I could say about her. I would recommend her to anyone!
Describe your experience with Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
The clinic has multiple locations, is clean and all of the staff (even technicians) are super friendly and inviting. The doctors are extremely knowledgeable. The weakness is lack of direct communication with the doctors (it is my understanding that all of the doctors are like this).
Describe the costs associated with your care under Michelle Catenacci at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
My insurance covered a lot of the expenses - we ended up paying out of pocket around $15,000
Describe Michelle Catenacci's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
For my case, she recommended that I transfer 2 embryos (assuming there were 2 embryos) due to my low quality
6
Doctor
Michelle Catenacci
NPS
Humanity
3 of 5
Communication
4 of 5
Frequency Seen
1 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
8
Clinic
Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago
Chicago
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
5 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
5 of 5
Educational Resources
7 of 5
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2017, Unsuccessful
NPS
8
NPS
9
Age 39
3 IUI
1 IVF
Endometriosis
Unexplained
European
Income $100K - $199K
Marketer or PR
2nd of 2 Docs
1 IUI With Other Docs
Neutral
Strongly Recommends
Unsuccessful
After my first retrieval, I was diagnosed with endometriosis. Dr. Sherbhan quickly reconfigured my treatment and we started again... He did debrief us after my retrieval and we spoke to him after my negative pregnancy test to discuss next steps. It would be nice to feel more comfortable reaching out to him in-between or during cycles...Go in for the facts, not for a shoulder to cry on.
I have my main nurse contact [at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago] , Diane, who is responsive and they have worked very hard to get me my medications quickly when running low/need to start a cycle right away...it would be nice to feel more comfortable being able to contact the doctor with questions during my cycle...The Chicago office is closed on the weekends so if you have weekend monitoring you need to drive to the Gurnee office, about 50 minutes away.
How was your experience with Richard Sherbahn (retired) at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
I went to Dr. Sherbahn because he is seen as a no-nonsense doctor who gets good results. After my first retrieval, I was diagnosed with endometriosis. Dr. Sherbhan quickly reconfigured my treatment and we started again. From the research I have done, I think Dr. Sherbhan is well educated in the current best practices in fertility, which is what you want. He did debrief us after my retrieval and we spoke to him after my negative pregnancy test to discuss next steps. It would be nice to feel more comfortable reaching out to him in-between or during cycles. It was noticed by my nurse that I do have fluid in my uterus during cycle day 10 and on. This is not something I would have known unless my nurse told me and it doesn't seem to be a concern of Dr. Sherbhan's, but it is a concern to me and I've gone for acupuncture treatment. I would like to talk to the doctor about the fluid and how it may be contributing to my fertility issues.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Richard Sherbahn (retired) at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
He's on top of the fertility game, so trust his judgment. Go in for the facts, not for a shoulder to cry on.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Richard Sherbahn (retired) at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
Dr. Sherbhan's staff is very responsive. They don't act like you're asking silly questions. I have my main nurse contact, Diane, who is responsive and they have worked very hard to get me my medications quickly when running low/need to start a cycle right away. Even with all of this, it would be nice to feel more comfortable being able to contact the doctor with questions during my cycle.
Describe the protocols Richard Sherbahn (retired) used in your cycles at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago and their degree of success.
IUI: I chose to use injectables for two IUI cycle. IVF: Prepared for IVF twice, one cycle was canceled and we did IUI instead. For the first IVF cycle I took CoQ10, DHEA, baby aspirin, omnitrope, Follistim (up to 550 units), Ganirelix, dexamethasone, and probably a few other things I can't remember. IVF 2: Same as above, but started by month in-between by taking estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. This cycle was canceled and the nurse asked if we wanted to do IUI and we said yes.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago. (Assigned nurse: Diane Swanson)
Diane was very on top of communication. She worked tirelessly to get my medications when they were needed at the last minute - working with Braun Pharmacy in Chicago (also a great pharmacy). She was very timely with communications as well. She often seems rushed, but it's mostly b/c she's doing a lot at once. She's not making you feel like she doesn't have the time, so just has a lot on her plate.
Describe your experience with Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
Everyone is very communicative and appointments are easy to get. Usually get you in quickly, though sometimes it can be backed up depending on the morning. Though this is rare. The Chicago office is closed on the weekends so if you have weekend monitoring you need to drive to the Gurnee office, about 50 minutes away. This can be a pain, but the staff is very nice.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Richard Sherbahn (retired) at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
Our fertility treatment was covered by insurance after a deductible. The omnitrope and testosterone were not covered by insurance.
Describe Richard Sherbahn (retired)'s approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
At AFC, if you do genetic testing, they will only transfer one embryo, b/c they have a 65% success rate. B/c we only got two eggs, and both fertilized, it was suggested that we transfer on day 3 b/c it would be our best chance, rather than waiting for day 5. we have decided that b/c we only got two eggs we were not going to do genetic testing.
8
Doctor
Richard Sherbahn (retired)
NPS
Humanity
4 of 5
Communication
4 of 5
Frequency Seen
2 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
4 of 5
Explained risks
2 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
9
Clinic
Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago
Chicago
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
5 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
4 of 5
Educational Resources
6 of 5
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2015 - 2017, Unknown Success
NPS
10
NPS
10
Age 27 - 29
1 IVF
Tubal Blockage
Black or African-American
Income $100K - $199K
Marketer or PR
2nd of 2 Docs
Strongly Recommends
Strongly Recommends
Success w/ Doc Too early to know
Dr. Sherbahn knows his stuff. I was won over by his confidence, intelligence and no-nonsense attitude. I trusted all of his decisions and believe in his plan for us....Dr. Sherbahn and his staff always knew the details of my case and customized my protocol based on my labs and needs....He takes the time to answer all of your questions during the consult and this is the most face to face time you will have with him so take advantage of it!...He was unable to do my retrieval due to a schedule issue.
The clinic [Advanced Fert - Chicago] seems to be pretty organized....The nurses here are truly the fuel of the clinic. My nurse, Sue was so caring and compassionate. Every nurse that we came in contact with was excellent....I asked my nurse to place an order for some numbing cream and had to ask a few times before it was done. The numbing cream is something extra I wanted to try - not a part of my actual protocol...We had insurance that we enrolled in specifically for the purpose of being able to cover fertility treatments at AFCC.
How was your experience with Richard Sherbahn (retired) at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
Dr. Sherbahn knows his stuff. I was won over by his confidence, intelligence and no-nonsense attitude. I trusted all of his decisions and believe in his plan for us. Dr. Sherbahn did my mock embryo transfer and will soon be doing my FET. He was unable to do my retrieval due to a schedule issue.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Richard Sherbahn (retired) at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
Do your research and ask questions. He takes the time to answer all of your questions during the consult and this is the most face to face time you will have with him so take advantage of it!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Richard Sherbahn (retired) at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
Dr. Sherbahn and his staff always knew the details of my case and customized my protocol based on my labs and needs.
Describe the protocols Richard Sherbahn (retired) used in your cycles at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago and their degree of success.
For stimulation I was on BC and follistim. Triggered with Lupron and HCG. For FET: BC and estrogen patches followed by PIO injections.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago. (Assigned nurse: Sue)
The nurses here are truly the fuel of the clinic. My nurse, Sue was so caring and compassionate. Every nurse that we came in contact with was excellent.
Describe your experience with Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
The clinic seems to be pretty organized. We were shocked at the decline of our eggs from day to day after retrieval and that's a sign of the clinic. But I'm unsure how much of that is an egg / sperm quality issue.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Richard Sherbahn (retired) at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
We had insurance that we enrolled in specifically for the purpose of being able to cover fertility treatments at AFCC. So we were responsible for our annual out of pocket max (6000) plus any other fees that were not covered by insurance (PGS 4500, remaining balances, etc) I would estimate we've spent about 12k so far.
Describe Richard Sherbahn (retired)'s approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
We are waiting to discuss further- I believe he bases it on age and prognosis of patient. Since we elected to do PGS testing- we were told that he may not allow us to transfer more than one PGS normal blast.
What specific things went wrong at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
  • Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
I asked my nurse to place an order for some numbing cream and had to ask a few times before it was done. The numbing cream is something extra I wanted to try - not a part of my actual protocol.
10
Doctor
Richard Sherbahn (retired)
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
1 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
4 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
10
Clinic
Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago
Chicago
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
5 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
5 of 5
Educational Resources
7 of 5
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2016, Unsuccessful
NPS
5
NPS
5
Age 29
1 IUI
1 IVF
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
European
Income $100K - $199K
Accountant
2nd of 3 Docs
2 IUI With Other Docs
1 IVF With Other Docs
Doesn't Recommend
Doesn't Recommend
Unsuccessful
Dr. Catenacci was always nice, but I didn't interact with her that much...Dr. Catenachi is personable, friendly and easy to talk to... I decided to change clinics after my first cycle was cancelled and my second one only resulted in 1 embryo. I do have lower reserve, but i was given a 40% chance of success based on my AFC during the initial consult. I decided to change doctors because I didn't feel she was that invested in achieving success for me.
AFCC uses their nursing staff to do all the communication, even for big decisions like cancelling a cycle or calling with a negative pregnancy test result. While the nurses were kind, I would have appreciate more communication from the doctor directly...Nurses were all friendly and usually pretty prompt in responding to calls and emails. They do seem to have a high caseload and be extremely busy.
How was your experience with Michelle Catenacci at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
Dr. Catenacci was always nice, but I didn't interact with her that much. I decided to change clinics after my first cycle was cancelled and my second one only resulted in 1 embryo. I do have lower reserve, but i was given a 40% chance of success based on my AFC during the initial consult. I decided to change doctors because I didn't feel she was that invested in achieving success for me.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Michelle Catenacci at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
Expect the communication to be only through the nurses unless she is the doctor performing procedures the day of your procedures or if you schedule a meeting with her.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Michelle Catenacci at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
Dr. Catenachi is personable, friendly and easy to talk to. However AFCC uses their nursing staff to do all the communication, even for big decisions like cancelling a cycle or calling with a negative pregnancy test result. While the nurses were kind, I would have appreciate more communication from the doctor directly. I believe they see alot of patients, so the communication style did make me feel like a number.
Describe the protocols Michelle Catenacci used in your cycles at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago and their degree of success.
While my AMH and AFC are somewhat lower for my age, they never expected for the cycles to go as badly as they did. My first cycle was birth control and then antagonist. It was cancelled due to poor response and converted to IUI. Given my lower reserve, I don't think we should have ever tried birth control suppression. The second cycle we did estrogen priming with microdose lupron and HGH. Results were somewhat better, but we only retrieved 2 eggs and got 1 embryo. I know the doctors can't be blamed for poor response, but on my third IVF (at a different clinic), I was able to get 12 eggs (8 mature) from an estrogen priming and antagonist protocol with max stims. So the protocol and the administration of the cycle (doses, triggering, etc) can make all the difference.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago. (Assigned nurse: Donna)
Nurses were all friendly and usually pretty prompt in responding to calls and emails. They do seem to have a high caseload and be extremely busy.
Describe your experience with Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
I was drawn to AFCC due to their transparency in pricing and success rates on their website. I also found their success rates to be very good. As previously mentioned, I didn't like the communication style of all communication through nurses, even for important decisions like cancelling cycles and negative pregnancy test results.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Michelle Catenacci at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
I have some insurance up to a lifetime max, so things were covered once we hit deductible and OOP max.
5
Doctor
Michelle Catenacci
NPS
Humanity
3 of 5
Communication
2 of 5
Frequency Seen
1 of 5
Trustworthiness
3 of 5
Compassion
4 of 5
Explained risks
4 of 5
Adaptability
2 of 5
5
Clinic
Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago
Chicago
NPS
Operations
4 of 5
Scheduling
4 of 5
Billing Department
4 of 5
Nursing Staff
4 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
4 of 5
Educational Resources
6 of 5
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2016, Successful
NPS
10
NPS
10
Age 40
Donor Eggs
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
Poor Egg Quality
European
Income $50K - $99K
2nd of 2 Docs
3 IUI With Other Docs
IVF With Other Docs
Strongly Recommends
Strongly Recommends
Successful
After a disastrous year with another RE it was just over three months from our initial consultation to our positive beta. We went to Dr. Sherbahn with a clear goal, knowing that we were going to use donor eggs. This made our treatment path clear from the start. Regardless, Dr. Sherbahn took the time to explain the process (though we had been through it before) and help us decide between using fresh or frozen donor eggs (the latter not being an option at our previous clinic). He was considerate, confident and had a great sense of humor. This put me at ease for our embryo transfer at which I was comfortable and relaxed.
The clinic [Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago] is quite busy and not overly fancy or roomy. I often waited anxiously for lab results or return phone calls which didn't come until sometimes late in the afternoon. Regardless it is comfortable and sufficient...We paid 27,000 for shared risk which would have given us up to six transfers to have a live birth. We got pregnant on the first transfer. Lab and ultrasounds would have been included in this but because I did these off site they were additional. These however were mostly covered by our insurance under the diagnostic benefit (as was my hysteroscopy and husbands semen analysis--though we had to pay $150 oop for sperm cryopreservation)
How was your experience with Richard Sherbahn (retired) at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
Dr. Sherbahn is a genius! After a disastrous year with another RE it was just over three months from our initial consultation to our positive beta. We went to Dr. Sherbahn with a clear goal, knowing that we were going to use donor eggs. This made our treatment path clear from the start. Regardless, Dr. Sherbahn took the time to explain the process (though we had been through it before) and help us decide between using fresh or frozen donor eggs (the latter not being an option at our previous clinic). He was considerate, confident and had a great sense of humor. This put me at ease for our embryo transfer at which I was comfortable and relaxed.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Richard Sherbahn (retired) at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
Go with an open mind. Dr. Sherbahn's success rates speak for themselves. When he reviews his statistics, his confidence could be interpreted by some as arrogance. I however, did not get that impression. I went in with a positive attitude. I just "knew" we would be successful!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Richard Sherbahn (retired) at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
Because I did my monitoring at a clinic closer to home I only actually saw Dr. Sherbahn for our initial consultation, hysteroscopy and embryo transfer. Because of this, and the fact that we achieved success so quickly I did not particularly establish a repoire with the doctor or any particular staff member. Regardless, the few times we did see Dr. Sherbahn we felt we had his full attention and that he was truly invested in our success.
Describe the protocols Richard Sherbahn (retired) used in your cycles at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago and their degree of success.
Having had a failed donor cycle at a previous clinic (we never even got to transfer) we knew our plan before we even went to see Dr. Sherbahn. This made out treatment plan easy and it went smoothly from start to finish. Our only decision was whether to use fresh or frozen donor eggs. Because we are from out of town logistically it made more sense to use frozen donor eggs, even though their use is fairly new and success rates are slightly lower. We were given a username and password to access the donor profiles and photos and once we selected our donor I was suppressed with bcp then Lupron. I started taking low dose aspirin daily. I then started estrogen and then IM progesterone starting the day before thaw and fertilization. Husband had been to the clinic previously and had his sperm cryopreserved so we didn't have to travel to the clinic until transfer. My monitoring was done at a clinic closer to home. I was also on medrol for several days prior to transfer.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago. (Assigned nurse: Aminty)
Because I did remote monitoring my interaction with the nursing staff at this clinic was fairly limited but when I did talk to them on the phone, or via email they were always friendly and accommodating.
Describe your experience with Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
The clinic is quite busy and not overly fancy or roomy. I often waited anxiously for lab results or return phone calls which didn't come until sometimes late in the afternoon. Regardless it is comfortable and sufficient.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Richard Sherbahn (retired) at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
We paid 27,000 for shared risk which would have given us up to six transfers to have a live birth. We got pregnant on the first transfer. Lab and ultrasounds would have been included in this but because I did these off site they were additional. These however were mostly covered by our insurance under the diagnostic benefit (as was my hysteroscopy and husbands semen analysis--though we had to pay $150 oop for sperm cryopreservation)
Describe Richard Sherbahn (retired)'s approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
We were given the option of transferring one or two embryos. We discussed this with Dr. Sherbahn prior to transfer. He gave us likely percentages of success with either option (if we transferred two we had about a 60% chance of a singleton and 20% chance of twins). We transferred two and I am currently 21 weeks pregnant with a singleton.
10
Doctor
Richard Sherbahn (retired)
NPS
Humanity
3 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
2 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
4 of 5
Explained risks
4 of 5
Adaptability
4 of 5
10
Clinic
Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago
Chicago
NPS
Operations
4 of 5
Scheduling
4 of 5
Billing Department
4 of 5
Nursing Staff
3 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
3 of 5
Educational Resources
7 of 5
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2015 - 2016, Successful
NPS
10
NPS
10
Age 29 - 30
1 IVF
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
Tubal Blockage
Income $100K - $199K
Operations
2nd of 2 Docs
3 Fertility Medications With Other Docs
Strongly Recommends
Strongly Recommends
Successful
Our first meeting he [Dr. Sherbahn] laid out all of the facts, all of the options, all of the data and made our situation very clear and easy to understand. Whenever we met with him we never felt rushed or talked down to how some doctors can make you feel. We never left feeling confused. I have no bad experiences to speak of in regards to Dr. Sherbahn...
They [Advanced Fer - Chicago] open early (I believe 6) and are able to get you in before work to monitor you. The clinics are very clean, decorated nicely and appealing. They are very up to date on technology, procedures with a quality lab and technicians...I did not feel like a number here, the clinic seems very patient driven. The care felt very personal. They have a few locations which make it easily accessible for those who are not very close to the city...
How was your experience with Richard Sherbahn (retired) at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
Dr. Sherbahn is extremely knowledgeable in his field. Before choosing him I saw an OBGYN who "specialized in infertility" but I did not feel confident in her ability re: infertility, or trust her plan she laid out for me. Then, we had a consult with a reproductive endocrinologist and knew immediately she did not have our best interest in mind. Finally, we had our consult with Dr. Sherbahn we knew immediately he was the doctor for us. Our first meeting he laid out all of the facts, all of the options, all of the data and made our situation very clear and easy to understand. Whenever we met with him we never felt rushed or talked down to how some doctors can make you feel. We never left feeling confused. I have no bad experiences to speak of in regards to Dr. Sherbahn.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Richard Sherbahn (retired) at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
He is very honest. I read another review that said "He isn't the warmest fuzziest doctor but I do think he cares a lot". This is true that he may not seem very "warm and fuzzy" but if you have a consult with him, try not to let that immediately affect your decision of him. He is extremely intelligent and talented in his field. My husband and I were seeking successful treatment by a knowledgeable doctor, not to make best friends with the doctor.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Richard Sherbahn (retired) at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
The care and attention I received was personal. The plan he created was fit for me and my situation/diagnosis. The staff remembers your name, they are always friendly and responsive. We were never talked down to and we were explained everything in a way we could easily understand. We never felt like our care or time was rushed.
Describe the protocols Richard Sherbahn (retired) used in your cycles at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago and their degree of success.
No suppression, fresh transfer. High doses of FSH, Human Growth Hormone (HGH), Low-dose HCG and Ganirelix. I had a low follicle count, fairly low AMH and higher FSH. The HGH and HCG are to help with the egg quality as it develops.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago. (Assigned nurse: Diane)
Diane is amazing. She is good and knowledgeable at what she does, on top of things, very organized, quick to respond if you call or email and made sure everything was taken care of. She is truly a valuable asset to their team. The whole AFCC staff is wonderful. I do not have anything negative to say about any of the team. They are all very friendly, helpful and good at what they do.
Describe your experience with Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
I did not feel like a number here, the clinic seems very patient driven. The care felt very personal. They have a few locations which make it easily accessible for those who are not very close to the city. They open early (I believe 6) and are able to get you in before work to monitor you. The clinics are very clean, decorated nicely and appealing. They are very up to date on technology, procedures with a quality lab and technicians.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Richard Sherbahn (retired) at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
My IVF cycle was covered by insurance.
What specific things went wrong at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
  • Lost paperwork
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
For my very first appointment, I sent over my new patient paperwork and it was not entered into their system. I almost had to take the time to fill them out all over again, but they were able to locate it in Sue's email.
10
Doctor
Richard Sherbahn (retired)
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
3 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
10
Clinic
Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago
Chicago
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
5 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
6 of 5
Educational Resources
7 of 5
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2016, Unsuccessful
NPS
5
NPS
6
Age 35
1 IVF
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
European
Income $100K - $199K
Marketer or PR
2nd of 2 Docs
IUI With Other Docs
1 IVF With Other Docs
Doesn't Recommend
Doesn't Recommend
Unsuccessful
While he [Dr. Sherbahn] was very blunt and matter of fact, relying and touting his success rates, he did seem to genuinely want to help us get pregnant and wanted us to know our chances...Come prepared to ask questions. He turns it over to you, basically, to steer the conversation and ask the questions. You may also have to ateee him back to your specific situation. He told a lot of stories illustrating successes but they weeenr necessarily women in my situation...
They are so busy, you do sometimes feel like they're just rotating you in [at Advanced Fert - Chicago]. I like that they are matter of fact about your chances, just wish they were more genuine in person-to-person patient care...She [the nurse] was informative, typically responsive (via email was the usual method), thorough when confirming procedures and medications). I had to ask forbid my results, though; otherwise they never told me...
How was your experience with Richard Sherbahn (retired) at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
I like the nurses; it's clear they do this a lot and are happy to answer questions so you feel informed. The compassion is slightly lacking compared to the other clinic I went to. I also get a feeling that money talks. They want to help but they also really want your money.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Richard Sherbahn (retired) at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
Come prepared to ask questions. He turns it over to you, basically, to steer the conversation and ask the questions. You may also have to ateee him back to your specific situation. He told a lot of stories illustrating successes but they weeenr necessarily women in my situation.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Richard Sherbahn (retired) at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
While he was very blunt and matter of fact, relying and touting his success rates, he did seem to genuinely want to help us get pregnant and wanted us to know our chances.
Describe the protocols Richard Sherbahn (retired) used in your cycles at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago and their degree of success.
He thought t was ludicrous that my previous doctor put me on BCP before an IVF cycle given I have a low antrall follicle count and lower AMH. But then my lead follicle developed way faster and we had to cancel that cycle. Next cycle we did do BCP and I developed more, went to transfer but still only got 3 follicles out of the 7 they predicted. I was on 450iu follistim/gonal f, 1/2ml of omnitrope, 10iu low dose HCG and a pill (methyl-?) that was supposed to improve things.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago. (Assigned nurse: Crissy)
She was informative, typically responsive (via email was the usual method), thorough when confirming procedures and medications). I had to ask forbid my results, though; otherwise they never told me.
Describe your experience with Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
They are so busy, you do sometimes feel like they're just rotating you in. I like that they are matter of fact about your chances, just wish they were more genuine in person-to-person patient care.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Richard Sherbahn (retired) at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
Expensive. $10,500 for single cycle plus cost for any blood work ($75 each test), plus cost of any ultrasounds. We are now looking at donor egg IVF and a frozen cycle is $15,500 + med + local monitoring + $150 to freeze sperm + cost if we would need to freeze any embryos.
What specific things went wrong at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
  • Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
Again they just didn't provide me with test results unless I specifically asked.
5
Doctor
Richard Sherbahn (retired)
NPS
Humanity
4 of 5
Communication
3 of 5
Frequency Seen
1 of 5
Trustworthiness
3 of 5
Compassion
3 of 5
Explained risks
4 of 5
Adaptability
3 of 5
6
Clinic
Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago
Chicago
NPS
Operations
4 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
4 of 5
Nursing Staff
4 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
4 of 5
Educational Resources
6 of 5
2020, Successful
NPS
10
NPS
10
Age 33
1 IVF
1 Egg Freezing
Income $200K - $499K
Only Doc Seen
Strongly Recommends
Strongly Recommends
Successful
Dr. Irani is a compassionate, genuine, and trustworthy man. I would highly recommend him. very caring and empathetic with the patient. He is willing to answer all my questions and emotionally support me during the treatment...I started the medications after my first ultrasound ( the second day of my cycle). Dr. Irani prescribed a high dosage from the hormone due to my problem with the number and size of the eggs.
I appreciate all Chicago office teams including the front desk [at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago]. The nurse and doctor are very responsive to emails and phone calls. They are very caring. I recommend the Chicago office. My experience with the Gurnee clinic front desk is not the best. I think they need training on how to work with diverse patients.
How was your experience with Mohamad Irani at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
Dr. Irani is a compassionate, genuine, and trustworthy man. I would highly recommend him. very caring and empathetic with the patient. He is willing to answer all my questions and emotionally support me during the treatment. From the office staff to their reputation to their willingness to help, I am forever grateful for them.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Mohamad Irani at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
Continue your excellent job. God bless you.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Mohamad Irani at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago?
Dr. Irani is a compassionate, genuine, and trustworthy man. I would highly recommend him. very caring and empathetic with the patient. He is willing to answer all my questions and emotionally support me during the treatment. From the office staff to their reputation to their willingness to help, I am forever grateful for them.
Describe the protocols Mohamad Irani used in your cycles at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago and their degree of success.
I started the medications after my first ultrasound ( the second day of my cycle). Dr. Irani prescribed a high dosage from the hormone due to my problem with the number and size of the eggs.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago. (Assigned nurse: Ashely)
Helpful and available when need it.
Describe your experience with Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
I appreciate all Chicago office teams including the front desk. The nurse and doctor are very responsive to emails and phone calls. They are very caring. I recommend the Chicago office. My experience with the Gurnee clinic front desk is not the best. I think they need training on how to work with diverse patients.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Mohamad Irani at Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
I am self-pay. I can't remember exactly how much but it's worth it.
10
Doctor
Mohamad Irani
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
4 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
10
Clinic
Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago
Chicago
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
5 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
5 of 5
Educational Resources
7 of 5