Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

Strengths: - front desk staff friendly and personable - a few nurses were friendly and personable - most of lab staff was nice and efficient (aside from one lab person) Weaknesses: - a few bad nurses that make you feel like a number - care team didn’t seem to take time to understand our situation - we were not given any possible explanation for the underdevelopment of all of our embryos - our miscarriage was diagnosed immediately, and with 100% certainty before taking additional bloodwork or ultrasound to confirm— this seemed very insensitive, considering our entire process.

I met with Dr. Damario for an initial consultation and then once more two weeks prior to Stimulation start for a baseline ultrasound and trial transfer. During the entire course of IVF treatment, egg retrieval, and transfer I did not see or hear from Dr. Damario at all. His nurses were always the ones in contact with me about my progress and with orders for stimulation dosage changes. Dr. Damario would not have been to recognize me in the waiting room or recall my name at any point, even once completed with treatment.

Sue was great- explained everything in great detail, kept me informed about my lab work and my progress, described ultrasounds while doing them, remembered my name and things about me. Julie- great, very kind and personable; remembered my name and things about me. There were other nurses that didn’t even introduce themselves or attempt to build any rapport during the appt at all, were very blunt and jumped to worst case scenario. I don’t know their names because they never said their name.

He did not seem to be aware of what was happening with my care. He couldn’t recognize me and didn’t know my name. He always had his nurse contact me, except once— Dr. Damario called me after my first BHCG to tell me I was pregnant and had “an honest to goodness good pregnancy level.” But two days later, when my BHCG dropped, Dr. Damario had one of the nurses contact me to tell me I was going to miscarry. Dr. Damario miscounted my follicles during my baseline ultrasound. During my ultrasound after miscarriage diagnosis, Dr. Damario looked around for about 3 minutes before confirming miscarriage will be happening and giving me my options to proceed with the miscarriage. He diagnosed me with a “blighted ovum” at 6.5wks, which I have read should never be diagnosed before wk 9. I also had a visible yolk sac, which I also understand does not meet the definition for blighted ovum. Here I am at 9.6wks and still have not miscarried (will likely still miscarry), but have chosen to follow up with further ultrasounds at a different clinic with a new provider.

Do your research about your own situation and possible IVF protocols before meeting with Dr. Damario so you are prepared to ask specific questions & get the answers you need.

- Birthcontrol for downregulation 6 weeks prior to treatment start - Lupron 20IU for further downregulation for 10 days - Lupron decreased to 5IU from day 3-5 of stimulation, then stopped -Stimulation Start: Menopur 150IU morning & Follistim 150IU for 14 days (Follistim bumped up to 300IU after day 3 d/t slow ovarian response/possible over sensitivity to Lupron) - Trigger Shot: 10,000IU Novarel (HCG) injection 36 hours before transfer * my body was downregulated significantly prior to treatment start, which required doubling the dose of the follistim and added an extra 2-4 days of stimulation before trigger shot. I also had two lead follicles and was told of a potential risk for cycle cancelation * I had 16 follicles, but only 14 eggs retrieved. 8 eggs were mature and all 8 fertilized with ICSI. No embryos made to blastocyst stage. * we transferred a morula and 8-cell embryo on day 5. All other embryos stopped developing by day 6 and we did not have any leftover to freeze.

IVF retrieval/transfer/ICSI- $11,800 Medication- $7000 Monitoring/bloodwork: $2800 Prescreening: $800

Dr. Colleen Casey did the embryo transfer. She recommended transferring only 1 embryo because the next most developed one was only 8 cells. She told us transferring two could be harmful to the morula which was further developed. We told her we wanted to transfer two anyway and asked for more information on how it could be harmful and she then said that it probably wouldn’t be harmful, but it just wouldn’t be likely to implant. We transferred two and all remaining embryos arrested the next day.

I think this clinic is geared towards IVF patients, and, as someone undergoing IUI cycles, I felt a bit of a second-class citizen. The clinic set up did not enable me to feel that I was receiving personalized care. I do however think that the treatment provided is high quality and the facilities are fantastic.

Dr. Hopeman is very caring and treats me like a person, but I generally only see nurses when I go in for monitoring and IUIs. Over nine visits I saw seven or eight different nurses. The lack of continuity in nursing care made me feel like a number in many of my daily interactions at the clinic.

Each nurse I interacted with seemed competent and friendly, but over the course of nine visits, I believe I met with eight different nurses. The lack of continuity was a huge problem for me, and made me feel a bit like part of an assembly line. I felt that because the nurses didn't know me and my medical situation personally their clinical judgments were based on their experiences overall, and were not tailored to my situation.

My experiences with Dr. Hopeman have been largely positive. As a scientist myself, I appreciate receiving highly detailed information on my labwork, diagnosis, treatment, etc. Dr. Hopeman has been willing to provide these detailed explanations in a compassionate way. She has been available to speak by phone or meet in person as needed. In the course of a regular IUI cycle, however, I do not see her. I do, however, feel that Dr. Hopeman pushes IVF somewhat.

Be very clear with her about what your boundaries are in terms of types of treatments you are willing to consider, and tell her what level of detail you would like in terms of scientific information about diagnosis, testing, and treatment.

My first two cycles with Dr. Hopeman I had baseline ultrasound monitoring on cycle day 3, took letrozole (10mg) from cycle day 3 - 7, went in on cycle day 11 for a monitoring ultrasound, triggered that night (ovidrel) for IUI the morning of cycle day 13. I used progesterone suppositories during the luteal phase. My next cycle I will have estradiol measured on day 3, try clomid instead of letrozole, wait until cycle 12 for monitoring, and double the dose of ovidrel for triggering. The morning of the IUI and the following morning I will have progesterone measured to check the timing of ovulation, and I will again take progesterone suppositories during the luteal phase.

An IUI cycle cost approximately $1,500 (including drugs), without insurance coverage.

No comments.

The clinic overall is great. The only thing I don't like is the nurseline. You are unable to get a nurse on the phone and have to leave a message and have them call you back. When they call you back (usually hours later or even the next day depending on when you call) and if you miss the call, you have to call in again and leave a message all over again and wait again for a call back many hours later. This phone tag format is stressful for IVF and infertility. Otherwise the clinic is great. The scheduling staff is good, you can always get someone (besides nurses) on the phone. The financial coordinator Stephanie is very helpful and will go out of her way to help you troubleshoot any issues. The nurses are great. The office is clean and generally you don't have to wait too long in the waiting room.

You can tell Dr. Lebovic is busy because his responses are generally short in emails but he is very responsive. He always responds to my messages within about 15 minutes of me sending which is impressive. When I got OHSS he checked in with me daily for weeks and always asked how I was doing. He is calm and doesn't make you feel rushed when you are asking questions about treatment.

CRM uses a team of multiple nurses so you do not have one specifically assigned. All have been very helpful, knowledgeable, and kind.

He is very responsive to email and always answers questions right away and directly. He is quiet and patient and seems to really care.During consults you don't feel rushed and he makes sure that you have time to ask all the questions you have. When I had complications with my retrieval after hyper stimulating he checked in with me daily asking how I was doing and was always available to talk to me or the hospital. I've been really happy working with him. The only thing I would mention that has been mildly frustrating is that he has a somewhat conflicting viewpoint on our diagnosis as my 2 of my other OBs. We are diagnosed as Unexplained Infertility but Dr. Lebovic seems to think I might also have very mild PCOS despite the fact that I do not meet the diagnosis requirements for PCOS. I personally don't think I have PCOS and neither do 2 different doctors I've seen. This hasn't gotten in the way of my treatment to my knowledge because the protocol would remain the same but it has been frustrating at times being my own advocate making sure we are on the right path.

If you are looking for a cheerleader, moral support type doctor he is probably not a good fit for your needs. But if you want someone who gets to the point, is very responsive, and clearly cares about you and your well being he will be a great fit.

For all 6 IUIs: - Protocol remained the same because I was appropriately responsive - 2.5 mg letrozole days 3-7 and HCG trigger. Resulted in 2 mature follicles each time. For IVF: resulted in 33 eggs retreived and 7 blastocycts - Birth control as a down regulation - Stimulation was 75 IU Menopur and 150 Gonal - F (Gonal - F dosage went down to 75 after first ultrasound because I was very responsive) - Ganirelix once follicles were getting mature - Trigger was dual Lupron and HCG to prevent OHSS - Was also given cabergoline to help prevent OHSS * I only did 8 days of stims before triggering because I was so responsive and I still got OHSS Frozen Embryo Transfer: Still in progress - birth control for down regulation - Estrace pills and baby aspirin - Progesterone suppositories

$10,000 single cycle IVF without PGS not including medication or monitoring which is billed separately. Without insurance each ultrasound for monitoring is around $500.

Dr. Lebovic feels we should do 1 embryo at a time based on our age and the fact this is our first IVF cycle. We agree with his advice.

The nurses, ultrasound techs, and lab techs are great. They are very sensitive, caring, and compassionate. I feel that overall, the clinic is very busy, so it can be difficult to get a preferred appointment time, and the process seems to take a while just to be fit in to start each process.

When I actually met with Dr. Casey, she was very personable. She was encouraging, although I wish she would have been more blunt and provided more realistic expectations. At times, I feel like she is encouraging so I will continue to spend money, even though it's probaby not likely to work. Also, from what I have learned, my treatment plan is the same as every one else - so not very personable.

The nurses, ultrasound techs, and lab techs have been great! Very compassionate and willing to answer questions. Some at the front desk are friendlier than others. No one was rude or unhelpful - just some were less personable.

I chose Dr. Casey because she was relateable - having children close to my age, being female. When I first met with Dr. Casey she was very encouraging and explained everything very well. However, I wish she would have encouraged donar eggs sooner, as my AMH level was very low.

Consider all of your options (donar eggs, adoption, etc.) in the beginning because the process rarely works the first time and can be very lengthy. Also, the treatment is mentally and financially exhausting. I don't think the mental side effects were fully explained to me.

With my own eggs, I was on bc to get my cycle in line with theirs. Then I was on Lupron for 10 days, then started Menopur in the a.m. and Follistem in the evening. During this time I had ultrasounds and bloodwork every other day. Took HCG prior to retrieval. Then, started endometrin twice a day and did day 5 transfer with fresh embryo. After transfer, started Vivelle patches and continue Endometrin. Unsuccessful. Switched to donar eggs with fresh transfer. Birth control to coordinate my cycle with donor. Lupron for 10 days. Then reduce Lupron (but continue) and start Estrace 3 times/day. After a couple of weeks, start Endometrin 3 times/day and Doxyclycline 2 times/day. Transferred only 1 embryo (per doctors very strong recommendation). Resulted in pregnancy, and then miscarriage after 4 weeks. Currently doing frozen embryo transfer with donor eggs. Started birth control to coordinate with clinic schedule. Lupron 20 U for 10 days. Drop to 5 U Lupron for 10 days and start Estrace (with Lupron) for approximately 21 days. Will also do Endometrin approximately 5 days prior to transfer and after.

It was approximately $21,000 for IVF cycle with my own eggs, approximately $25,000 for cycle with donor eggs, and approximately $5,000 for frozen transfer. Medication was an additional $1,000-$4,000 per cycle.

In talking with nurse and doctor Casey, I was encouraged to transfer 2 for higher success rate, understanding risk of multiples. Day of transfer, Dr. Kuneck was only willing to transfer 1 embryo because of high quality embryo. It was not successful, so I wish I would have done 2. Now doing FET with plan to transfer 2 embryos.

This clinic is a factory. There are quite a few doctors, a lot of nurses, and many, many patients. This means that it is very unlikely that you will see your identified provider after the initial consult or that you will notice many familiar faces at your appointments. On egg retrieval and transfer days you could have any provider in the practice assigned to you and, be warned, they do not all have superb bedside manner. This results in unecessary stress on very important days. This is also a clinic that schedules cycles quite far out (2+months after consult) and seems to run patients in 'batches' meaning that they may have you on birth control for months to sync up your cycle with their schedule.

Dr. Lebovic does his best to be a clear communicator and to be responsive. The problem is just that there is no sense of warmth. He is neutral in every way one can imagine. Flat affect, flat intonation, provides limited opinions and observations, etc. We could tell he was trying but it was just all very cold.

You are not assigned an individual nurse here and this is a large clinic. This means that every time you go in you are dealing with a new person. When things come up there is no easy access point. You can call the nurse line but you will consistently be directed to the voicemail system and can expect to wait all day for a call back. When you do get a call you should be prepared for the nurse to be entirely unfamiliar with your case and to have 'skimmed' your voicemail at best. I had mutliple experiences where the nurses called back and provided inaccurate information about my case which instills very little confidence. When I lost a pregnancy it was very difficult to reach anyone for help about what to do and when I finally did the contact was neutral at best.

Dr. Lebovic is obviously intelligent and takes a very evidence-based approach to treatment. He is a fine choice for standardized care if you are a straightforward case. If not, however, you may find yourself frustrated as there is limited openness to tweaking protocols, adding supplements, etc. Dr. Lebovic tries to connect and is very responsive (called/emailed immediately with test results and to answer questions) but his bedside manner is lacking in warmth. I'm not typically one that needs a lot of warmth, in fact I am sometimes irritated by it! But his was just such an anxious, cold presentation that it made me uncomfortable and added to the stress of it all. Infertility treatment is stressful enough, do yourself a favor and only choose to work with a provider that you feel good about!

Give him a shot, perhaps your personalities will jive better than mine did with him. Be prepared to ask a lot of direct questions and receive very brief answers. Don't hesitate to reach out to him for guidance as needed as he is happy to help.

Birth control leading into things. Antagonist protocol (ganirelix) + 300IU Follistim + 150IU Menopur. Ovidrel trigger. The rationale for using this protocol was never explained to me.

The actual cycle was about $14,000. Meds were probably another $3000.

Prefers eSET but open to multiple embryo transfer when appropriate.

This clinic has many strengths. I have found the nursing team and doctors to be incredibly supportive and informative. I do not see my doctor on every visit and I understand for some people that would be a problem. I do know that my doctor is very actively involved though and reviews my case each time I get bloodwork or have an ultrasound done. I think the clinic runs efficiently.

Dr. Kuneck is very direct but kind in his manner. He's incredibly knowledgeable and always makes me feel welcome.

The nursing staff has been incredibly responsive to my questions and concerns. I had some initial insurance issues and they were very supportive along the way and helped me make sure that I got all of my medications on time.

Dr. Kuneck is very direct and upfront with his recommendations. He did a lovely job of balancing giving his opinion with also giving space for my husband and I to make decisions. I am still in the course of my first IVF treatment, but I really appreciate his honesty and optimism. Dr. Kuneck also was quite comfortable with moving straight to IVF rather than spending time on IUIs that would only marginally increase my chances of success.

I would say be open to any option. Dr. Kuneck wants you to achieve success but will also defer to your decisions.

This is my first IVF cycle, so we decided to go with the typical course knowing that it might take a cycle or two to figure out how my body responds. I am still in my cycle. I did 22 days of bcp, on day 19 on bcp I started Lupron. Then I began menopur and gonal f on day 11 of lupron. On day 3 of STIMS I went in for bloodwork and then had my dosages adjusted. My next step is an ultrasound and blood work on day 5 of STIMS.

I have a strong insurance package but this requires reimbursement. Medications cost $2000 so far (after insurance reimbursement) and I needed to pay up-front $10000 for the IVF cycle.

No comments

They take confidentiality seriously - but that also gives off a cold and secluded vibe. This could also be due to the nature that is infertility - a silent battle for each couple. The scheduling/office staff is always friendly and returns phone calls promptly.

I didn't get to see Dr. Casey much throughout our fresh cycle. All of the ultrasounds scans, med modifications, and communication is done through the nursing staff. In addition, Dr. Casey was not the physician who performed the egg retrieval or the transfer of our embryos. That was disappointing.

The nursing staff handles most, if not all, the communication between patient and doctor. It is nice to be able to talk with the nurse after each appointment to discuss current plan and any changes that may need to be made by the doctor. One weakness about the nursing staff at CRM, is that they often times don't call back the same day to answer important questions or respond to time sensitive information (i.e. got my period - when should I start birth control pills, etc.).

Dr. Casey is very knowledgeable and passionate about helping couples become parents. When our fresh transfer resulted in a negative pregnancy, she personally called me to discuss the results, what potentially happened, and what our next steps forward would look like. She was positive and reassuring that we would some day be parents.

Ask ALOT of questions and be sure you really understand the plan - the only dumb question is the one not asked!!

We had an antagonist protocol for our first egg retrieval cycle. I was on the lowest dose of stimulation meds. My meds included: 75 units of Menopur & 150 iu of Follistim. I stimulated extremely quickly and already had 5 mature eggs at my first ultrasound (stim day 5). I hadn't started the antagonist (Ganirelix) until immediately after that first ultrasound. However, I was a little worried that I stimulated so quickly - would they be good quality eggs? would my lining be ready to accept a transfer? ... At my ultrasound the next day, I had 8 mature eggs so they decided to have me trigger that night. I triggered with 10,000iu of HCG. I was also a little concerned that there wasn't any lining checks or measurements throughout the process of this fresh cycle. Overall, the process was pretty seamless. I was lucky and didn't have many side effects or discomfort during stimulation or after retrieval.

Baseline Ultrasound ($263 ea.) - 1 Follow-Up Ultrasounds ($216 ea.) - 2 Office Visits ($89 ea.) - ? Labs ($181 ea.) - 3 Egg Retrieval - $3791 Embryo Transfer - $1669 Embryo Culture - $1810 Identification - $680 Anesthesia - $374 ICSI - $1200 Cryopreservation of Embryos - $1200 Ultrasounds (retrieval and transfer) - $635 Lab prep for transfer - $450 Medications - $2850.84

The doctor who did our transfer didn't put up much of a fight or invite any sort of discussion around the topic. We only had 1 blastocyst at day 5 (transfer day) and a less mature morula (day 4 cell). He also said that we likely wouldn't have any that made it to freeze. So... we decided to transfer 2 because that increased our chance of getting at least one by 10%. He didn't give us any explanation about why he only recommended an eSET and just said, "it's up to you". This was disappointing - especially now on the other side of transfer still not pregnant. In addition, I have done an incredible (spent HOURS on google) amount of researching on the best route and why - something that should be presented as pro's and con's at time of transfer.

Strength - allowing you to do monitoring in St Paul or Minneapolis. Weaknesses - (1) not always giving more than 24 hours notice for the amount you have to prepay per visit, if you don't have insurance. (2) No communication from management to clinic finance person that their contract with health insurance provider was updated and patient wasn't supposed to prepay anything

He never seemed to study up on the current cycle's prior visits and it felt like we were telling him what happened.

The nurses showed more compassion following our miscarriages than the dr. did. They were also always willing to answer questions.

Dr Demario always seemed wishy washy and not assertive enough with his opinion and assessment of the cycle status. I would have preferred someone who was more confident. He also never followed up with me after the 2 miscarriages.

Ask lots of questions if you don't understand something.

2016 we had 3 iui's with follistim, femara, and ovidrel to trigger. 2017 we had 2 ivf cycles (stims, retrieval, icsi, embryo transfer. First round was birth control for initial suppression, then follistim, menopur, endometrin, minivelle patches, hcg injection for trigger. Second round was the same except for increased follistim, coQ10 supplement, and I think we added in microdose Lupron. In 2018 we had 1 FET with the 2 remaining embryos from 2017 round 2, with birth control for initial suppression, estradiol tablets, and PIO injections.

I believe our reimbursement for the ART side of the first cycle was $9870. That does not include any bloodwork, monitoring appointments, or medication. The reimbursement we got the 2nd time was slightly higher due to needing embryo cryopreservation.

We only ever got grade 3 embryos. When we arrived at our FET in January 2018 he encouraged us to consider transferring 2 which would increase the chance of 1 sticking.

The clinic is in a good location in downtown Minneapolis and parking is free. Most of the people (scheduling, secretaries, lab staff, nursing staff) are very nice. The person in the billing office is very rude.

I didn't actually see Dr. Kuneck often during the time I was his patient which made me feel like just another patient or statistic. But when I did see him he made me feel less like a statistic so it averaged out.

Some of the nurses were amazing- very kind and compassionate and understanding of how challenging and painful the situation could be. Some nurses were not as kind, or had personality types that weren't as understanding, and eould leave me feeling worse about things.

He is very direct and information focused. There isn't a lot of "touchy-feely" stuff with him, just facts. This was helpful for us because we didn't want to feel like we were being coddled, we wanted to know the facts of our situation even if the facts were difficult to hear.

He is great at what he does but don't expect a lot of emotion.

I did 5 cycles of Femara with trigger shots. The first cycle required 5 mg femara on cycle days 5-9 and 20-24 then a trigger on day 29 of novarel; this was unsuccessful. The second cycle was 7.5 mg of femara on cycle day 3-7 then a trigger shot with novarel on day 16; this was unsuccessful. Cycle 3 was 7.5 mg of femara on cycle day 3-9 and ovidrel trigger on day 14; this was unsuccessful. Cycle 4 was 7.5 mg of femara on cycle day 3-9 and ovidrel trigger on day 13; this was unsuccessful. Cycle 5 was 7.5 mg of femara on cycle day 3-10 the ovidrel trigger on day 12; this was also unsuccessful. I also used progesterone suppositories during all these cycles between the expected ovulation date svc the date of a negative pregnancy test. We then moved on to our first IVF cycle with menopur and gonal-f on cycle day 2-9, added Ganirelix on day 8-9, triggered with hcg on day 9, egg retrieval on day 11, and day 3 embryo transfer on day 14. I had 3 eggs at the time of retrieval which I was told was unexpected (I'd had 12+ mature follicles at the ultrasound immediately prior to retrieval. Two of the eggs fertilized and were transferred. I then used minivelle patches and endometrin inserts. This IVF cycle was successful and I am currently 11 weeks pregnant.

Oral medications with triggers were around $150 per cycle. IVF medications were $2000. Ultrasounds were around $50 after my insurance (needed 3-7 per cycle). We chose to use the Attain program for our IVF cycles which was $20,000 (in the end we only needed one cycle so this wouldn't have been necessary).

They transferred 2 embryos because that was all we had. Had there been more we would have been able to decide whether we wanted to transfer one or two.

You will be working with multiple nursing staff throughout your treatment. You will always leave messages fir nursing staff and then they will call you back after they pull your chart. Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Dr. Lebovic took the time to fully evaluate our case. He was our 2nd fertility specialist and he thoroughly evaluated our medical records, pursued additional testing, changed out protocol, and provided us with realistic outcomes based on our history.

We had a great experience with Dr. Lebovic. We were considering using donor eggs and my eggs. He gave us realistic statistics on both scenarios. He provided us with medical facts to assist with our decision. We appreciated his realistic, straight forward approach. We also appreciated that he understood each individual is different and he was willing to change my protocol based on my previous failed cycle at another clinic. He had excellent communication with us as well. He personally emailed me with some test results and personally called me with our pregnancy test results.

I feel Dr. Lebovic is an excellent, intelligent physician. He will provide you with realistic expectations and medical facts to assist you with your decision making. He has a straight forward approach, which we greatly appreciated.

14 Days of stimulation based on my previous history of poor stimulation. Additionally, increasing my stimulation medications and changing my trigger. 150 menopur, 300 follistim. 4 days of certitude. Hcg plus lupron trigger.

36,000 including medications

CRM is a very busy clinic. It can be difficult to get appointments at the time convenient for you since you visit so many times per cycle. They do a nice job making sure you fully understand the IVF process. Once you are at the clinic it is usually pretty quick at getting you in and out. I think clinics like CRM should consider adding an infertility psychologist.

Somewhere in the middle- our doctor is so smart she is more facts based.

Overall I really appreciated the nursing staff. They were almost all compassionate and knowledgeable. It was a bummer that I have a different nurse just about every time I visit. I had one encounter where there was some sort of miscommunication on the date of my FET which was concerning and the nurse blamed it on me that it was my misunderstanding where I did not feel that was appropriate.

Dr. Hopeman is very smart, and this is where some of the compassion and relations is lost a bit. I can see she wants the best but has a tough time communicating that. Although our processes were based off our situation and circumstances, our plans did seem to be heavily based on standard procedures.

Make sure to ask specific questions, as I have left wondering what the next steps are. She is honest with her answers.

Strategies were based off of the male infertility factor and the positive response my body had to medicines. None of the 5 IuIs or one IVF cycle worked so it is hard to say whether this was best for our situation

17k for IVF cycle including medicine. Roughly 1.5k for iui cycles. Not sure specifically how much an ultrasound, blood work, and other routine visits cost. Trial transfer and saline test roughly $600. Will be between 4-6k for FET

The clinic as a whole is very against multiple embryo transfer- so she was the same way.

Everything is located in one location. Parking is free. Once you are an extavlished patient, appointments are generally easy to get. They do a benefits check for you. There are free educational sessions on the IVF process that are open to the public. The nurse line always goes to voicemail, but they always call back.

Dr. Kuneck's office is a business-like setting. He verbally reviewed my medical history but did not review, at least not in front of me, the several page packet I filled out about my medical and family history. With the exception of one time, he got back to me promptly an encouraged me to call with other questions.

All the the nurses were very knowledgeable. Most nurses were very warm, though I was only asked how I was feeling during a small percentage of my appointments. They are very focused on the medical treatments. They had good tips for obtaining medications and it was clear they hoped we would achieve pregnancy.

Dr. Kuneck is clearly is an expert in his field. He sees a large volume of patients which has at times made me feel like a number, but also provides him with a lot of experience. I am a person that likes to know the "why's" of he treaments and know the impacts of my body beyond attempting pregnancy. I felt that I had to advocate for myself to get through answers to these questions, at times.

Write down and ask any questions you may have.

I utilized letrozole and ovidrel for 2 IUI cycles. I did ovulate, but pregnancy was not achieved. I will be attempting IVF with a low dose protocol.

Basic IVF procedures are roughly $9000, with additional costs for freezing, genetic testing​, etc. Monitoring appointments are charged separately. Shared risk plans are offered.

Dr. Kuneck seemed to favor single embryo transfer due to my age and predicted success. We were in agreement on this. He also provided education verbally and in written form regarding risks of multiples.

The clinic has been helpful through this process with booking appointments and helping with the financial portion - letting us know what is owed at what time (mainly the up front cost). I do wish they could help more with insurance/medications, etc as that’s been a frustrating part. It was great the nurse gave us a heads up on the medications and to check with insurance but it’s been a complicated process (financial and insurance wise).

He responds to any questions I have almost immediately and makes sure he’s thorough with his explanation and next steps.

They’ve been wonderful throughout this process. We don’t have a nurse assigned to us (and perhaps that would be easier so they know everything going on versus just nursing notes) but they’ve all been very knowledgeable and helpful. I’ve called the nurse line multiple times throughout this process and they’ve been so great at getting back to me and making me feel at ease!

He’s been very responsive to questions I have which has been a huge help! He makes sure to adjust my treatments as needed after blood work. I did think we’d see him more during this process but understand the nurses roles and what they’re able to help us with!

I’d recommend going to him - he’s very knowledgeable and responsive!

We did 3 IUI treatments in hopes it would work before turning to IVF. Dr Lebovic changed up my prescription amounts after our first IUI after seeing how my body reacted to the medications. This helped my body produce more eggs but unfortunately with such a small success rate, we were not part of that. Also, once I started IVF and he viewed my blood read, he adjusted my follistim to a small dosage due to my E2.

We are still in the process of IVF and we are doing genetic testing but I believe the cost will be around $22K including our medications.

It's nice to know that they are constantly collaborating. It's a convenient location for all of the procedures and it's nice that everything is done in one facility. It's unfortunate that the monitoring hours are so limited though they were able to generally get me in when I needed to see someone.

Colleen Casey spoke to us about our individual case. She was encouraging and understood the multiple considerations one needs to consider with IVF.

Communication with the nursing staff is almost impossible. They never answer and if you don't answer it's impossible to get information. I'm a teacher and I learned pretty quickly I needed to step out of my class and run down the hallway for privacy if I ever wanted any information. They were kind during the in patient procedures.

Colleen Casey answered all of our questions thoroughly and never made us feel dumb for asking. She was receptive and offered alternative options. The clinic operates such that you have minimal contact with your actual doctor so we only spoke with her a total of 4 times, including once on the phone. She did seem a bit annoyed when we called with an after hours question about embryo transfer. We felt we needed time to consider all of our options but she mentioned that they were going to call the next day. I was a bit taken back by this.

In general Dr Casey is encouraging but if you see her realize that other doctors at the clinic are more clinical and aren't always exactly familiar with your situation.

We had infertility due to my husband having anejaculation due to cancer treatment. I am 38 but with a health 4.8 AMH and they counted 22 follicles pre treatment. We were prescribed Menopur, follistim and ganirelex. I only stimmed for 6 days, they retrieved 9 eggs, only 5 mature, 3 blasts on day 6, all tested abnormal with PGS. Trying again this time with Lupron, Menopur and Follistim. Dr Casey is hoping to slow down stim process a touch in order to have more mature eggs to work with.

12,000

Dr Casey was wonderful in recommending PGS when we said that we were really uncomfortable risking a Twin pregnancy. With PGS we can do single transfer and be pretty confident that we are implanting a healthy embryo.

This clinic had a long waiting period to see a doctor (months). When I had a fail IUI the nurse asked me what I wanted to do next, my answer I don't know, what are my options (cause I honestly didn't know) I said IVF? The nurse goes you need to make an appt with the doctor to discuss that and he is book for weeks. Found that very frustrating to not be able to see a patient in a timely matter especially when everything with this is timely.

I felt like we had no direction in where to go with our treatments. We filled out a questionnaire and basically when we met with Dr. Damario he just read it back to us. My husband and I walked out of the clinic wondering if we should even continue. This clinic is where our insurance sent us first. Thankfully before we go fully into our treatment we were able to switch clinic and doctor. This was a night and day difference for us.

The nursing staff was nice. When I was at this clinic they didn't have an online portal where you could easily ask questions. I found that very frustrating and a little old school to not be able to email a nurse with a simple question.

We didn't feel like we had any understanding of our treatment or what they could do for us to help us start a family. He basically read back our questionnaire when we met with him and kept reading and showing us statistics. The statistics were not encouraging at all. We were mostly confused and didn't have any idea what the plan was. He didn't explain chromosomal/genetic testing with us very well, even though I'm over 35 years old. He was big into selling us on buying multiple IVF sessions, but didn't really give us a reason why we would need to do IVF multiple times.

For us, it was a blessing that our insurance had us switch clinics. This clinic was not the place for us. We do have friends that liked this clinic and Dr Darmario and had success here.

We did IUI because I had unexplained infertility and felt like it would work for us. Really with my age, we should of went straight to IVF and skipped IUI. Now it's clear to me why I was a great candidate for IVF, and not IUI. But this wasn't explained to me at this clinic.

We did not do IVF with this clinic.

Customer service is a weakness. They do not answer phone with identifying themselves. They put the incorrect appointment time for my husbands sample and my IUI, even though they had written the agreed upon time on my take home sheet. They are often behind schedule 15 minutes to 30 minutes. I'm struggling to find a strength...they are open half days on weekends.

A change in my care plan was presented to me at check-in by being asked to pay for an IUI up front, when IUI had never been discussed. It was later told to me by the nurse that Dr. Lebovic had charted this was the next step. This was not communicated to my husband or I prior to the appointment and obviously not by Dr. Lebovic. I requested a call from Dr. Lebovic and never did receive an apology.

Poor customer service. Nobody introduces themselves nor do they answer the phone with their names. I'm constantly asking for more information regarding how other patients approach obtaining out of pocket medicines, prescriptions are sent to the wrong pharmacy, the nurse line is never answered which leads to leaving a voicemail which they do not listen to carefully and call back to "clarify" information that was left in the voicemail.

We received poor communication regarding the treatment plan as well as diagnoses. Although compassionate in the first and only meeting, I do not feel that he is even directing my care due to the nurses making the care plan after a follow up and then checking with Dr. Lebovic later.

Inquire at your initial meeting regarding his communication regarding the treatment plan as well as his direct incolvement with follow up appointments.

I have no clue if a specific protocol is being used. Our first cycle with Dr. Lebovic was 7.5 mg of Femara days 3-5. Ultrasound CD 2 and 10. Ovidrel shot on CD 11. Our second cycle was the same dosage of Femara then I was prescribed Follistim CD 7-9 with an ultrasound on CD 10. I was told to wait to trigger until CD 12, timed intercourse on CD 12 and IUI on CD 14. We are in the middle of our third cycle. Same plan as cycle 2 except when I went for my ultrasound on CD10 they wanted me to continue Follistim through CD 13 and I go back on CD14 for another ultrasound.

IUI - $284 Density Gradient- $388.70

NA

It's a busy clinic with a good success rate; they know what they're doing! Billing and the business end is very efficient and straightforward. they do everything over the phone which can be tough if you're working a standard desk job, I wish they would do some things online. You always see different care providers which can make you feel a little like a number. But you're in and out in a short amount of time. Plus they pay for parking!

Dr Kuneck is very forthright but also kind and genuinely cares about his patients' success. The nursing staff in general is also very kind, but you see a different nurse/ultrasound tech every time you're in so it's hard to build a relationship with the caregivers you see daily. However Dr. Kuneck personally reviews your chart daily and makes all decisions about your care.

You do see a different nurse pretty much every time you're in, which makes it hard to build a relationship with your day to day caregivers. However all except one were extremely kind and thoughtful to me. In particular the nurses on retrieval and transfers were amazing.

I trust Dr. Kuneck completely. He was willing to adjust the treatment plan to what I felt like my body needed and he was genuinely disappointed along with us when our transfer didn't work. He was optimistic but also direct, and I appreciate his candor. He's very experienced and I value his insight.

You won't see him very much! Take the opportunities to have consults with him even if you don't think you need them. Know that he is making all of your care decisions.

First cycle: standard Lupron cycle, cancelled after only one large follicle developed. Diagnosed with diminished ovarian reserve. Second cycle: microdose lupron flare cycle, retrieved five mature eggs from three follicles, one fertilized, transferred three day embryo. Negative pregnancy test. Third cycle (in progress): natural antagonist cycle (no birth control per my request).

Approximately $10k out of pocket for IVF itself, which you can submit to insurance for reimbursement (I got some dollars back). My insurance covers monitoring and bloodwork as well as medications.

Dr Kuneck talked to us about the risks and rewards of multiple embryo transfer, and shared with us that at my age, the risks of a multiples pregnancy (bedrest, prematurity, etc) were about equivalent to the increased rate of success. My husband and I are both not interested in twins, and appreciated his frank feedback and advice.

Very busy. Wait times for consults or cycle starts are usually 3+ months. However, all the doctors I've had contact with have been great and many of the nurses are too. They run a tight schedule - appointments for ultrasounds and blood draws are usually right on time and you'll be in and out in no time.

Only contact with Dr. Campbell was during office consults (either prior or post treatment cycle) and during some testing (SIS, trial transfer). He did call to personally deliver PGS testing results (2 of 3 cycles) and was willing to consult with me over the phone after failed cycles to answer immediate questions. All other contact is with nursing staff. I do wish I would have had more contact with Dr. Campbell, but am appreciative that he did not rush during consults, etc.

The nursing staff seems very busy and,at times, can seem annoyed with questions, etc. Some of them seem guarded with your medical information - for instance, not willing to give up information regarding estradiol levels and follicle counts (I was told on more than one occasion, "you don't need to worry about it."). It is frustrating that you may not see the same nurse more than once in s treatment cycle.

I think Dr. Campbell is a good doctor. At consults, he took the time to answer questions and address concerns and was ready to adjust treatment plans when things weren't working. And, he admitted when he didn't know why things weren't working! He was willing to be as aggressive with treatment as we wanted. And I think he does truly care about his patients. After our 2nd cycle with nothing to transfer, I thanked him when leaving our consult. He stopped and looked at me with sincere compassion and said, "don't thank me, I haven't gotten you pregnant yet. You can thank me when I do".

Be patient! He is very busy and wait times for consults and cycle starts can run 3+ months.

Cycle 1 - long Lupron, menopur, Gonal-f. All embryos arrested before reaching blastocyst stage. Cycle 2- menopur, Gonal-f, ganirelix. Switched to antagonist to see if it would make a difference with egg quality. 2 embryos reached blastocyst stage and were PGS tested abnormal. Cycle 3 - menopur, Follistim, ganirelix, HGH, prednisone, testosterone cream. One embryo reached blastocyst stage and was PGS tested normal.

Strengths are that they will see you on the weekend so no time is wasted with waiting extra days. However, if you are at the St. Paul clinic, you will need to go to Minneapolis for your weekend appointments. Dr. Damario is great and the nursing staff are also mostly great. You just have to stay on top of them to ensure they are sending in proper insurance paperwork in a timely manner. Weakness is that they only see you for certain procedures during the weekend. So if your baseline ultrasound ends up happening on a weekend, they will prefer you do it during a week day.

Dr. Damario personally meets with you to explain your treatment options. Then when you do your first pregnancy ultrasound, he is the one who does it (NOT a nurse).

I have had mostly wonderful experiences with the nursing staff. They are kind and understanding. The only big hurdle I've run into was getting approval from my new insurance this year and having the nurses send in the proper paperwork for approval in a timely manner. Other than that, all previous interactions have been very good.

From my first time meeting Dr. Damario, I knew he was a caring doctor. Compared to my first doctor, he is much more hands on with my care. I have seen him more in my one IUI cycle than I saw my other doctor in my 4 IUI's. Dr. Damario takes the time to explain things to you to make sure you understand the course of action. I highly recommend him.

Make sure you ask lots of questions.

For my one IUI cycle with Dr. Damario, we used Gonal-F (150 IU) and then Ovidril. We decided to go with this route because this is what worked in my last IUI which resulted in my son with a different doctor. This worked again as I got pregnant right away and we found out it was twins. Unfortunately, we lost the twins at 8 weeks gestation.

I'm covered by insurance so I have a $30 co-pay almost every time I go in. I am unsure what the other costs are.

Overall, CRM did a great job, and we of course were so grateful for our positive outcome. I do think they could show more compassion and grace while dealing with patients that have so much riding on their care. I think that the doctors are smart, and their protocols have worked for many of my friends, including us. Also, when my daughter was born, I sent a birth announcement, and I heard crickets. I really do think the least they could do is send a congratulations card. We have spent so much money and time, and there was no response. For example, I sent a birth announcement to my acupuncturist, and they sent a card and a Onsie. I just think CRM's overall customer experience could be upped, especially when people have poured their heart, soul, time energy and cash here.

Dr. Erickson was very patient and kind. She always had a smile on her face, and she was always very optimistic. She was truthful, but caring. I felt in very good hands with Dr. Erickson.

They seem distant and not engaged. I truly wish they had more compassion and empathy. It seemed like they were disengaged and just there doing their job. Going through fertility treatments is so emotionally exhausting that I wish that the nurses were more engaged.

Dr. Erickson was the first doctor we met with at CRM back in 2014. She explained that I should have a laparoscopy as a first step to confirm if I did or did not have endometriosis. Once I found that out, she advised we jump right into IVF, because outcomes are best. We were hesitant because of the cost, but she really seemed to push IVF. At first, we didn't appreciate the strong push, but once our IUI cycle failed, we decided to look into IVF. She was always very encouraging and compassionate. She was always hopeful and she seemed to have a very positive outlook for us.

Ask questions and take notes, and see if there is anything that would work before the cost of IVF. I think the best advice is to get educated on all of the terminology and scenarios.

I initially had two laparoscopies to excise the endometriosis. We then tried for six months with no luck, and tried IUI. IUI was not recommended, but we wanted to try anyways. We did a pretty straight and simple cycle with egg monitoring and a trigger shot. I had two mature eggs, and the cycle failed. We waited two months before we decided on IVF. When we went in for our IVF consultation it was January, and they didn't have an opening for a retrieval until May. I started birth control in late February, and then Lupron. I then used Menopur and Follistim. I was closely monitored and my eggs weren't where they should be, so we bumped up everything. I had my retrieval in early May, where I had 12 eggs retrieved. We decided before the cycle, that if I had anything more than 12 eggs, we were going to freeze the eggs, and just fertilize the 12 to limit the amount of embryos. We ended up with a perfect dozen, and of that 12, 8 were mature, and by day five we had three viable embryos. I used Minivalle patches and Endometrin. I feel like I had a pretty standard protocol, and we were happy with the outcome. We transferred one on day five and nine months later, our miracle daughter was born! We have two embryos on ice and we are just deciding on when would be a good time to grow our family again.

It was a well-oiled machine. I never had to wait more than five minutes. I really appreciated how efficient they kept appointments.

Cycle Monitoring Medications Lab Work All said and done it was around $15,000

Our doctor strongly encouraged a single embryo transfer for the fresh cycle. For FET, she encourages multiples.

Making appointments for anything (ultrasounds, blood work, doctor visits) is easy. Many same day appointments available. The waiting room is very cozy and inviting and doesn't make it seem like you are at a "clinic."

Each couple's infertility story is different and unique. Dr. Erickson takes that into consideration when creating a diagnosis and treatment plan. She was careful with her words and very sympathetic when she was explaining our diagnosis and our odds of conceiving.

They all worked as a team with their doctors. Appointments ran quick and smooth.

During our consultation, Dr. Erickson made sure she explained everything in terms we understood. She came in the ultrasound room with me and explained everything she was seeing, instead of waiting for her to read the results and tell us at another appointment. Before leaving that appointment, we had a diagnosis, a surgery date set up, and a tentative treatment plan. It was information overload but everything we have been waiting to hear. We finally got answers.

Ask lots of questions. You will go over a lot of information in a short period of time. Think of questions before your appointment and bring that list with you.

During our consultation, we set up a surgery date and a tentative treatment plan following surgery. After surgery, I was prescribed Femara and ovidrel injection, along with IUI. I did 2 IUI's following the same protocol and then it was recommended we do IVF. With Stage 4 endometriosis, your odds of conceiving on your own is very low.

Our total IVF cost included ICSI and genetic testing. Freezing remaining embryos was not included. Medications were not included either. We were quoted around $15,000 for one IVF session

We didn't get this far into our treatment yet.

CRM has a high success rate, which is the whole point of fertility treatment so that's great. Patients are treated like numbers so if you're someone who needs compassion and to build a relationship with your doctor, this isn't the place for you. Nurses show no compassion and cycle you in and out quickly. I don't feel like treatment is customized.

I felt like a number at CRM. During my 3 IUI cycles and my IVF cycle I never saw my doctor one time. I had an issue with Lupron, and with that was able to speak with my Dr. on the phone. At one point during my IVF cycle monitoring a polyp was found on my cervix. This was very scary as I didn't want my cycle to be canceled. After my appointment I was leaving the exam room and heard a nurse say 'ya you can just throw that cervical polyp chart over there'. This made me feel even more like a number, like I wasn't being treated with any type of customization and that they honestly didn't care if I got pregnant or not. I ended up getting pregnant, which of course I can't complain about, but I wouldn't choose this clinic again.

I had a different nurse at each visit, so no primary. Also as I mentioned previously from the comments I overheard from a nurse, it's obvious they treat their patients as numbers and not real people.

Dr. Erickson was compassionate and friendly, but I never saw her besides during our initial consult so I don't feel like I can evaluate her. But since I have to use 200 characters I will say, that if a clinic is so busy, that their doctors don't even see a patient through their treatment, then they should take on less patients. Why even have a doctor?

See your patients during their cycles so they feel confident. My doctor is now retired so it doesn't really matter, but I'm sure CRM still operates like this.

During my 3 IUI cycles I too femara to stimulate follicle growth. During my last cycle I had NINE measurable follicles (it still didn't work). During my IVF cycle I was on follistim, menepur and lupron. I only produced 7 follicles. It seems like if I was able to produce so many by just taking a pill, that I should have produced a lot more by the invasive injectables. My Dr. and I weren't on the same page as far as a goal for eggs. Again, we're thankful it worked, but have no eggs frozen which means another round of IVF.

We purchased the attine program for about $22,000

We transfered one embroy which is all we had.

I think this clinic is best for those who are the typical infertility case. Those who require a different and more customized approach, would do better elsewhere.

CRM is the busiest fertility clinic in Minneapolis with a high patient volume. Despite the countless office visits and appointments, it still felt as though I was a stranger to the staff.

The nurses were great. They were always available to answer questions. I rarely saw the same nurse twice, so I never felt like any of them really knew me. But one nurse in particular (Theresa) was amazing. I was fortunate enough to have her 2 or 3 times. She was so caring and supportive. She listened to my concerns, and really helped ease any worries or fears I may have had.

Dr. Kuneck is very intelligent and was thorough when we actually saw him. However, that was not often. We mostly communicated with the nurses and other staff. Our only embryo transfer (which failed) was not performed by him, but rather a doctor I had never even met. My egg retrieval also was performed by another doctor in the clinic. The lack of presence was something I did not anticipate when we initially chose him as our RE. I had hoped for a doctor who was more hands on and who was more directly involved with us throughout the entire process.

You really need to be our own advocate. Do your research and question any and everything you are doubting or concerned about.

For my retrieval, I initially was put on BCPs for 2-3 weeks, then lupron for 10 days, menopur, and Gonal F. This seems to be their go-to protocol. Fortunately, I responded well to the meds and didn't need any tweaking. They retrieved 19 eggs, 12 mature. For my FET cycle, again did BCPs for over a month. Once stopped, started lupron, then added estrace orally 3 times a day. Also 1 low dose aspirin. I started Progesterone in oil 5 days before transfer. This time I didn't respond well to the protocol, as my lining wasn't getting thick enough. I only measured 6.1 mm on day 14, so my transfer date was pushed out a week. They increased my estrace to 3 2mg tablets orally and 1 vaginally at night. On day 21, I measured 7.6 mm which they seemed to be satisfied with. I was very concerned that my lining wasn't thick enough, and suggested that maybe we cancel. We only had one embryo, so I wanted every precaution to be taken. I was told not to worry, that my lining was just fine. We went ahead and transferred our only beautiful, hatching embie, which resulted in a negative pregnancy.

We did 1 cycle of IVF with ICSI, 1 MicroTESE surgery and 1TESE surgery for my husband, egg freezing, embryo freezing, and 1 Frozen Embryo Transfer. Total our costs were upward of $30,000.

This clinic puts everyone on birth control pills for both retrieval and transfers, in order to control your body to fit their schedule. For me, and for many other women, birth control pills wreak havoc on our emotional well being. So you will be an emotional mess while you wait two months on your birth control pills so you can fit into their schedule.

Long wait times to get on their schedule for retrieval, transfer, etc. They obviously had a much bigger patient load then can appropriately carry. Not a single person there from receptionists, doctors, and nurses ever remembered your name, despite going there nearly daily at some points in the retrieval cycle. Not a single person ever asked me how I was doing with everything and their attitude was generally get em in and get em out.

The only strength I can think of is timely responses to messages/voice mails, and a few of them showed compassion and caring. Most of them seemed to just want to get your visit/phone call/etc. over with so that they could get to the next person.

He was friendly and had good bedside manner. We trusted him as a doctor....until we had two back to back transfer failures of PGS normal embryos and he didn't want to make any changes to our protocol. Just wanted to keep doing the same thing. I was the one who had to do all the research on things to try and bring ideas to him, most of which he shot down and seemed unwilling to do.

This clinic and doctor are very standardized - they put every patient on the same protocol and rarely change it, even if it's not working. If that's the situation you want to be in, by all means go to this clinic and doctor.

For egg retrieval: priming with birth control pills, then lupron, then stim with menopur and gonal f. No cetrotide/ganirelix. HCG trigger. For frozen transfer: birth control pills, then lupron, then prepare with estrace pills (worked up to 2mg three times a day), PIO injections after lining check. Baby aspirin.

28k not including meds.

The clinic was located in a rather busy area however the parking structure and the way they provided free parking to patients was very easy to work with. I felt the staff was very professional and knowledgeable too. The patient accounts staff was also very good to work with and responsive. The front office staff was professional and welcoming which made the waiting area have a nice welcoming atmosphere. The lobby had a warm and professional look to it which made you feel as though they cared enough to make their patients comfortable.

She knew who we were by name at every appointment and was always candid with us on what steps to take. She was always caring and very understanding of our needs and fears. She never rushed us in our appointments.

They were all nice. Front desk staff was very polite at all times and the lab staff was warm and welcoming each time i was there to draw blood.

I liked that she wanted to try different things with us and was willing to try them. Especially when our old doctor wouldn’t and made us feel like it wasn’t possible. She was very understanding of our fears and worries. She worked hard to explain thumbs to us and to make sure we understood the process.

Ask a lot of questions and never feel that a question is too dumb to ask. Lisa is great at explaining things. Trust her judgement.

Since we had already home through 2 previous cycles with another doctor which resulted in the embryos becoming pregnancies but eventually miscarrying, she wanted us to try 5 day versus 3 day even tho I didn’t have as many eggs. She explained her reasoning and we felt it was worth the try. She also suggested a frozen embryo transfer instead of fresh and have us background detail to support her reasoning which we understood and agreed to even tho it was added cost for us. She was very thorough with her supporting information and her own experience that we felt we could trust her judgement.

Roughly 22,000

I do not have any comments because we did multiple embryo transfer without any issues.