Institute for Reproductive Health
Available Resources
Genetic counseling
Acupuncture
Mental health counseling
Nutrition counseling
Administration of shots
Coordinating at-home nursing
Selling medication
Providing backup medication
Cincinnati
3805 Edwards Rd.
Cincinnati, OH 45209
513.924.5550
Florence
6900 Houston Rd.
Florence, KY 41042
513.924.5550
West Chester
7242 Tylers Corner
West Chester, OH 45069
513.924.5550
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155 assessments
8
Age
25 - 26
Treated
2017 - 2018
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
1 IVF
Diagnosis
—
8
Our clinic [Institute for Reproductive Health] prefers to transfer single embryos...This process is hard, and I would go back to IRH in a heartbeat if the funds ever allow for it. I felt comfortable at all times and I think they truly want the best for all patients- a happy, healthy pregnancy...My favorite nurse, Katie, was wonderful...She made me feel so comfortable and safe during the whole process. As a nurse myself, I hope to make my patients feel as cared for as she did for me. The nursing staff is extremely busy but always did a good job returning phone calls, even if you feel like you call their office 100 times a day.
+ Read more
Age
25 - 26
Treated
2017 - 2018
Success with this Doc
No
Race
European
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
Nurse or HC Services
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
1 IVF
Diagnosis
—
8
Describe your experience with Institute for Reproductive Health.
This process is hard, and I would go back to IRH in a heartbeat if the funds ever allow for it. I felt comfortable at all times and I think they truly want the best for all patients- a happy, healthy pregnancy.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Dr. Burwinkle was very down to earth and was up-front and honest with us. Although our cycle was unsuccessful, Dr. Burwinkle made sure to call me personally the day of the results to ensure I was doing okay and to answer any questions we may have at that point. He knew he would be out of town the following week and wanted to be the one to talk to us about our treatment and concerns. I thought that was really nice.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
My favorite nurse, Katie, was wonderful. She was the nurse who educated me on my last visit before egg retrieval and on the day of retrieval as well. She made me feel so comfortable and safe during the whole process. As a nurse myself, I hope to make my patients feel as cared for as she did for me. The nursing staff is extremely busy but always did a good job returning phone calls, even if you feel like you call their office 100 times a day.
How was your experience with Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Dr. Burwinkle was down to earth and to the point. He communicated well about our treatment plan and was very kind after our failed cycle. He might have even used a light-hearted curse word once which made my husband feel at ease (haha). Although our results were not what we had hoped for, doctors are humans, and we know it’s a risky business anyway. I truly feel like Dr. Burwinkle had our best at heart to achieve a healthy pregnancy.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Dr. Burwinkle does have a good bedside manor but a slightly dry sense of humor so don’t expect him to paint a pretty picture- he is going to be honest (in a kind way) with you.
Describe the protocols Thomas Burwinkel used in your cycles at Institute for Reproductive Health and their degree of success.
I have never been diagnosed with PCOS but my AMH level at the time of treatment was high. Because of that, we used a fairly low dose of injectable medications (Gonal F @ 125, a couple of doses of Cetrotide and Ovidrel). I produced approximately 8 follicles with 7 mature eggs of 4 fertilized. Unfortunately only one of them were able to be transferred and none left to freeze. Dr. Burwinkle stated after that he would increase the dose of medications in future cycles.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health.
One full cycle including ICSI, medications, the whole nine yards, cost approximately $15,000.00.
Describe Thomas Burwinkel's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Institute for Reproductive Health.
Our clinic prefers to transfer single embryos which I was fine with at the time. Knowing what I know now, I wish we would have transferred more but hindsight is 50/50. No one to blame for that. I understand and respect the reasoning behind only transferring one embryo at a time based on a fairly healthy and hopeful scenario.
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10
Age
33 - 36
Treated
2013 - 2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
3 IUI, IVF, Donor Eggs
Diagnosis
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Male Factor, Poor Egg Quality, Unexplained
10
Nursing staff [at IRH-Cincinnati] is fantastic, doctors are knowledgeable and ahead on all current and future technology. The laboratory is best in class. I never had trouble getting in for any appointments and never had to wait for an extended period. They also have great access to resolve resource groups as well as girls night in support groups.
+ Read more
Age
33 - 36
Treated
2013 - 2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Business Executive
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1st of 2 Docs
Treatment
3 IUI, IVF, Donor Eggs
Diagnosis
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Male Factor, Poor Egg Quality, Unexplained
10
Describe your experience with Institute for Reproductive Health.
Nursing staff is fantastic, doctors are knowledgeable and ahead on all current and future technology. The laboratory is best in class. I never had trouble getting in for any appointments and never had to wait for an extended period. They also have great access to resolve resource groups as well as girls night in support groups.
What specific things went wrong at Institute for Reproductive Health?
- Failed to call with results
How was your experience with Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health?
The battle to conceive was long and hard but Dr A kept fighting. He never gave up hope which gave us continued hope for success. He performed two D&C’svand a tubal pregnancy removal and always showed compassion. He was very candid that he thought my egg quality was the issue but gave me time and space to work through those thoughts. Ultimately he was 100% correctvand got us to the donor coordinator for further information. We gave two beautiful little girls now and are family is complete. Rainbows do come after storms.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health?
He is an amazing doctor. Sometimes he can be a bit blunt but that’s just because he is trying to get you the results you are trying to achieve. Trust him he’s brilliant.
Describe the protocols Sherif Awadalla used in your cycles at Institute for Reproductive Health and their degree of success.
PGD was prescribed with IVF after multiple IUI miscarriages with chromosome abnormalities. With PGD we discovered that 80-90% of our embryo is had issues. When healthy embryos were unsuccessful. He recommended egg donor cycle. Once we went that route we only had one cycle and now gave one fresh baby and one frozen
Describe the costs associated with your care under Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health.
IVF with ICSI and PGD was around 12-15k and donor cycle was 20-25k. Donor cycle charges in Clyde freezing of embroyos and frozen transfer. Cycle resulted in two Singleton pregnancies.
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10
Age
29 - 30
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
1 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor, Other
10
The clinic [Institute for Reproductive Health- Cincinnati] is very organized and has great practices set into place. The atmosphere is updated and nice and everything is done on site so the experience is easy. They call back quickly and are great at making sure your feel comfortable. The wait times for appointments are pretty much non existent. They are always ready for me at my appointment time.
+ Read more
Age
29 - 30
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
?
Race
Prefer not to answer
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
1 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor, Other
10
Describe your experience with Institute for Reproductive Health.
The clinic is very organized and has great practices set into place. The atmosphere is updated and nice and everything is done on site so the experience is easy. They call back quickly and are great at making sure your feel comfortable. The wait times for appointments are pretty much non existent. They are always ready for me at my appointment time.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Dr. Scheiber has always given me any information I needed and has always taken the time to listen and answer any questions or concerns I might have.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
The nursing staff is amazing and knowledgeable. They take their time to answer any questions and return call quickly.
How was your experience with Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health?
I feel that Dr Scheiber has a great deal of experience and is very knowledgeable. He tends to be more on the business side with the right amount of compassion. He is very detailed and I felt as if he gave me all my options at each step and made sure I knew what would be happening.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health?
I would suggest to have a list of questions ready and now be afraid to ask all of them. Doctors are busy but don’t feel rushed. It’s your appointment.
Describe the protocols Michael Scheiber used in your cycles at Institute for Reproductive Health and their degree of success.
The reason my husband and I needed IVF was because of a failed vasectomy reversal and there was no signs that I had an fertility issues so our protocol was pretty simple. Low dosages and we were able to have a great egg retrieval. After the first fresh transfer I miscarried and knew of was semi normal for that to happen since we didn’t do any embryo testing. Now that I have miscarriage twice, Dr Scheiber plans on doing more in depth testing to see if there is potentially something wrong with me.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health.
Ivf cycle with fresh transfer and medication roughly $14,000 (cash only)
Frozen transfer with medication $5000 (cash only)
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10
Age
32
Treated
2019
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
3 IVF
Diagnosis
Anovulation, Poor Egg Quality, Other
10
They [IRH] have 4 doctors and an abundance of knowledge. ... You wont see the same Dr every time since they have 4 but they have all been wonderful so far. ... I was disappointing though that they dont have an online patient portal. I liked being able to log in and see lab results, messages, billing , etc; all in one location but they did say they are still working on getting something like that in place. ... I am a very tough blood draw and they [nurses] got it the first time. ...
+ Read more
Age
32
Treated
2019
Success with this Doc
?
Race
European
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
Graphic Designer
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
3 IVF
Diagnosis
Anovulation, Poor Egg Quality, Other
10
Describe your experience with Institute for Reproductive Health.
I have heard of a ton of people now that have had no success in their previous clinics and came to IRH and had success there. I wish I would have started out at IRH instead of wasting money elsewhere. They have 4 doctors and an abundance of knowledge. They are very thorough when explaining things to you and they show true compassion. The first thing the doctors have told me when they met me was that they were so sorry that I have been through so much and that they were going to do everything in their power to help me. Just hearing that gave me hope and reassurance that I was in the right place now. I was disappointing though that they dont have an online patient portal. I liked being able to log in and see lab results, messages, billing , etc; all in one location but they did say they are still working on getting something like that in place. But, even though they have no portal they are still very good with their communication via email and phone. I have not felt at all like there has been any lack of communication so far. I am very pleased.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health?
I have had 3 retrievals and 2 failed transfers prior to going to IRH and seeing Dr Scheiber. He was very understanding and offered his apologies for everything that I have went through with my failed cycles through the years.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Institute for Reproductive Health. (Assigned nurse: Katie)
The nursing staff has been very helpful and compassionate. They shared in my sorrow when I shared my previous failures with them and they gave me hope that I was in good hands now. I am a very tough blood draw and they got it the first time. When I have questions they are quick to answer or get with the doctor to get the answer for me. They are thorough in their explanations and I dont feel rushed or confused when dealing with them.
How was your experience with Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Currently cycling with IRH. You wont see the same Dr every time since they have 4 but they have all been wonderful so far. He is very honest and thorough in his explanations. He described where he thought things have went wrong for me in previous cycles and what he plans to do so that I would see different results. I left feeling very hopeful.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Ask questions! I literally go to my appointments with a written list of questions. Dont be afraid to speak up if you dont understand something or if you disagree with something.
Describe the protocols Michael Scheiber used in your cycles at Institute for Reproductive Health and their degree of success.
Prior cycles with previous RE I was overstimulated which resulted in very poor outcomes and poor quality eggs. Dr Scheiber decided to cut my medication in half which should result in less eggs but higher quality. They seem to have a less is more approach with me which is fantastic. I have been high risk ohss and was pushed too far at my old clinic. We are hoping for less eggs, better quality and to be able to attempt fresh transfer this time around. I am VERY excited to see my results after this cycle is over.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health.
8200 for a self payivf cycle including fresh transfer. storage, icsi I believe are additional cost. They also have a grant they give away!
Describe Michael Scheiber's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Institute for Reproductive Health.
I have had two failed frozen transfers at old clinic so Dr Scheiber was open to allowing me to transfer 2 based on my recurrent implantation failure. I will make my decision on 1 or 2 to transfer when we see how many blastocycsts we have.
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10
Age
28 - 34
Treated
2012 - 2018
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor
10
I rarely waited for any long length of time [at Institute for Reproductive Health- Cincinnati]. Even when I was taken to a room the doctor was always in pretty quickly. In order to call in to a nurse you had to leave a message but the call was always returned in a timely manner.... One nurse in particular was amazing. She comforted me when I needed it and gave me the information when I needed it. She was always understanding and even when I had what I thought was a silly request she was fine with what I needed.
+ Read more
Age
28 - 34
Treated
2012 - 2018
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Prefer not to answer
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Sales Representative
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor
10
Describe your experience with Institute for Reproductive Health.
I rarely waited for any long length of time. Even when I was taken to a room the doctor was always in pretty quickly. In order to call in to a nurse you had to leave a message but the call was always returned in a timely manner.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health?
He always answered any questions I had. Dr. Awadalla made sure to be gentle, and he personally would call me after treatments to find out how I was and or our next steps.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
One nurse in particular was amazing. She comforted me when I needed it and gave me the information when I needed it. She was always understanding and even when I had what I thought was a silly request she was fine with what I needed.
How was your experience with Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health?
I immediately felt like Dr. Awadalla was incredibly knowledgeable. I was put at ease because in my opinion he was trustworthy. My husband and I could always ask him any question. This was also how the other doctors in the office were.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health?
I would say to trust Dr. Awadalla’s knowledge and process and know that he will do what is best for you.
Describe the protocols Sherif Awadalla used in your cycles at Institute for Reproductive Health and their degree of success.
The first time he had me on birth control before starting injection medication. I didn’t have as many eggs as he would like to have so he adjusted and took away the birth control. Then the third time he decided to add Femara. We did ICSI each time because we had male factor infertility and each time we put back 2 embryos.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health.
We did a money back guarantee. After we found out we qualified we did the guarantee that said if after 3 IVF fresh cycles and 3 frozen cycles we still didn’t have a baby we would get a percentage of our money back.
Describe Sherif Awadalla's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Institute for Reproductive Health.
Dr. Awadalla made it clear it was our choice about how many embryos we transferred.
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Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
9
Age
31 - 33
Treated
2016 - 2018
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
4 IUI, 3 IVF
Diagnosis
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, PCOS, Unexplained
9
IRH is a great clinic with an excellent success rate! The offices are beautiful, clean, and very comfortable. The equipment also seems to be very up to date. The biggest negative about IRH is that when you call the IVF nurse line, you have to leave a message and wait for a call back. I understand that the volume of people they serve is huge and its impossible for them to take all the calls as they come in, but its VERY frustrating to have to wait for a call back for EVERY question
+ Read more
Age
31 - 33
Treated
2016 - 2018
Success with this Doc
?
Race
Ashkenazi Jewish
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
4 IUI, 3 IVF
Diagnosis
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, PCOS, Unexplained
9
Describe your experience with Institute for Reproductive Health.
IRH is a great clinic with an excellent success rate! The offices are beautiful, clean, and very comfortable. The equipment also seems to be very up to date. The biggest negative about IRH is that when you call the IVF nurse line, you have to leave a message and wait for a call back. I understand that the volume of people they serve is huge and its impossible for them to take all the calls as they come in, but its VERY frustrating to have to wait for a call back for EVERY question. It would be nice if they could also provide an email or online chat for quick questions or verification.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Dr. Scheiber is really a fantastic doctor. He's incredibly kind, thoughtful, and careful with his exams and through the whole process. He somehow always remembers past conversations, and manages to smile and be encouraging even when things aren't going our way. He's also really great at giving you the full picture. He will tell you fairly clearly if there is a treatment that he doesn't like, or doesn't think you need.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
The nurses at IRH are wonderful! They fully take the time to answer questions, or just listen to you talk if you need to. They are all on your team so much and it really shows
How was your experience with Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health?
I think that Dr. Scheiber is really a great doctor. There isn't much negative to say at all. He seems to share in our frustration that the process isn't working and we don't know why. He's also been very upfront with his recommendations. I really appreciate that he also gives levels of treatment. Everything from "the gold standard" to something a little less expensive but he still fully backs. Also - he understands my need to try to do every little thing to try to help the process along - so he was ready with recommendations for acupuncturists and supplements. I always feel like he's one step ahead.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Ask a LOT of questions and don't be worried if you think your question is stupid. He's had almost every question asked before and there isn't anything stupid you can ask. He is VERY patient and will say the same thing a few times if you need that.
Describe the protocols Michael Scheiber used in your cycles at Institute for Reproductive Health and their degree of success.
This cycle is fairly similar to all my other cycles. He started me off with 14ish days of birth control ( to get control of the cycle), then a baseline scan, Then a few days of just gonal-f ( 200 units) and Menopur (one vial). After my second scan, cetrotide was added. I've had a couple scans since the addition of my cetrotide, and my gonal-f was bumped to 250 to try to encourage a bit more growth. I'm taking ovidrel for my trigger shot
Describe the costs associated with your care under Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health.
I know the cost of medicine for my full ivf cycle is around $4,000. I don't remember the exact cost of the procedure as they are now covered by insurance. But I believe around $15,000
Describe Michael Scheiber's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Institute for Reproductive Health.
Usually Dr. Scheiber only does single embryo at a time. Mostly this is because a singleton pregnancy has fewer complications then multiples. If you are older or - like me- have had several unsuccessful cycles and/or chemical pregnancies etc...there is a case to be made for doing multiple. It seems like he's trying to make sure that as far as can be controlled - everything is smooth as can be
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10
Age
23
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
3 IUI
Diagnosis
—
10
The nurses [at Institute for Reproductive Health] were very compassionate and understand of situations. They know why we’re there and they seem to care very much in making you comfortable and helping with your success in any way they can...The main negative with IRH to me was the fact that my doctor I was referred to, I only saw two-three times of the many appointments I had. I feel I’m not able to have as good of a relationship with one doctor because you don’t know which doctor you’re going to get that day for your visit or procedure (IUI in my case). I even had a nurse practitioner a couple of times because the clinic was double booked. I wasn’t happy I couldn’t build a closer relationship with the doctors since it feels like you’re always getting passed around.
+ Read more
Age
23
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
?
Race
European, East Asian
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1st of 3 Docs
Treatment
3 IUI
Diagnosis
—
10
Describe your experience with Institute for Reproductive Health.
The clinic is very organized. The whole staff is understanding and always in a pleasant mood. It’s a comfortable and inviting atmosphere. You can tell everyone enjoys their jobs and making a difference in people’s lives. The main negative with IRH to me was the fact that my doctor I was referred to, I only saw two-three times of the many appointments I had. I feel I’m not able to have as good of a relationship with one doctor because you don’t know which doctor you’re going to get that day for your visit or procedure (IUI in my case). I even had a nurse practitioner a couple of times because the clinic was double booked. I wasn’t happy I couldn’t build a closer relationship with the doctors since it feels like you’re always getting passed around.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Dr. Burwinkle always seemed to be able pick up right where we had left off from previous meetings and appointments. I never had to refresh his memory about previous discussions or treatments.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
The nurses were very compassionate and understand of situations. They know why we’re there and they seem to care very much in making you comfortable and helping with your success in any way they can.
How was your experience with Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Dr. Burwinkel is one of the best doctors that I have ever had. He actually listens to what you have to say, and he doesn’t belittle or make you feel you’re questions or feelings are silly, stupid, or unimportant. He’s optimistic and has a great bedside manner and attitude. I was diagnosed with PCOS (before Dr. Burwinkel) and my weight is a problem resulting from my diagnosis. I know a lot of clinics want you at a specific BMI or weight before they even consider tresteing you, and I was worried about that the most before meeting Dr. Burwinkel but that definitely wasn’t the case! He had a game plan and we started treatment right away! I have nothing bad to say about Dr. Burwinkel! Every meeting I’ve had with him has been as perfect as I could imagine.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Don’t be afraid to ask your questions, no matter how silly or stupid you may think it is! He knows this is hard, he gets it and he understands. He will hear you out and give you the answers you need!
Describe the protocols Thomas Burwinkel used in your cycles at Institute for Reproductive Health and their degree of success.
With Dr. Burwinkle I was prescribed 1400mg of metformin daily. He then prescribed me to take 5mg (two pills) of letrozole on days 3-7 of my cycle. We then would schedule a scan to check follicle progress on day 11-13 of my cycle. Depending on the progress and maturation of the follicles, I was told when to take my ovidrel trigger shot to induce ovulation. 36 hours after the trigger shot we had our IUI. The first cycle I had one mature follicle and I took my trigger shot approx day 16-18 of my cycle. The second cycle I had to be prescribed more letrozole in the middle of my cycle due to my follicles not being as mature when the doctor wanted. I had to come back for a second scan and was given my trigger shot around day 18-19. The third cycle I had one good mature follicle, and a second one that may or may not have been mature by ovulation day. None of my cycles resulted in any type of pregnancy or success.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health.
Copay for appointments: $35
Sperm wash: $225
IUI procedure: $250
Ovidrel trigger shot: $95
Letrozole: $15
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10
Age
28 - 29
Treated
2017 - 2018
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
2 IUI
Diagnosis
PCOS
10
I was surprised by the cost in a good way! [Institute for Reproductive Health] is much more affordable than most clinics I have heard of which is important because my health insurance does not cover fertility treatment...The staff is amazing! They are always so caring and seem to truly want to make our dream of having a family a reality. They are always so helpful with any questions we have. The only weakness I can think of is contacting them. When you call the office you are sent to a voicemail where you are to leave a message and then they call back. They usually return my call quickly though.
+ Read more
Age
28 - 29
Treated
2017 - 2018
Success with this Doc
?
Race
European
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
Nurse or HC Services
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
2 IUI
Diagnosis
PCOS
10
Describe your experience with Institute for Reproductive Health.
The staff is amazing! They are always so caring and seem to truly want to make our dream of having a family a reality. They are always so helpful with any questions we have. The only weakness I can think of is contacting them. When you call the office you are sent to a voicemail where you are to leave a message and then they call back. They usually return my call quickly though.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health?
I felt like he treated me like a human. I feel like he is truly doing everything he can to help us start a family. His bedside manner is great and talks to us like friends, not patients. I received not so great news from him over the phone after our first IUI and he told me he was praying for us. It really made me feel like he truly cared.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
The nurses are great with answering any questions I have and returning my calls promptly. They always seem so caring and compassionate.
How was your experience with Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Dr. Burwinkel is great! He is very kind but also does not sugar-coat things which I like. I feel like he gives us his honest opinion of our treatment options. He speaks to us like actual humans, not just a number or patient. My husband has no medical background or experience and Dr. Burwinkel speaks to us in terms that he understands. He treats us in a way that makes us feel like he truly cares about us and is doing everything he can to help us start a family. I highly recommend Dr Burwinkel!
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Have questions ready to ask before your appointment. He has been great at answering any questions we have. I feel like he gives us his honest opinion of our treatment options.
Describe the protocols Thomas Burwinkel used in your cycles at Institute for Reproductive Health and their degree of success.
We started with using Letrozole, Ovidrel, and timed intercourse. I had taken Letrozole with my regular OB doctor and knew it worked but Dr. Burwinkel increased the dose and also continued Metformin I had previously been prescribed for PCOS. After 3 rounds of timed intercourse we moved on to IUI.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health.
I was surprised by the cost in a good way! Much more affordable than most clinics I have heard of which is important because my health insurance does not cover fertility treatment.
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Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
8
Age
28
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
4 IUI, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
Other, Unexplained
8
I am 28 in good health with no known fertility issues, after 3 medicated IUIs femara and ovidrel, an HSG was recommended to explore reason for not being successful, the diagnostic procedure found no concerns with my Fallopian tubes or uterus, we then tried a fourth unsuccessful attempt medicated IUI with femara and ovidrel. We were then recommended for IVF [at Institute for Reproductive Health]...didn’t notify me of having a nurse practitioner instead of doctor Scheiber for one of my ultrasounds which I was surprised and caught off guard. You also cannot reach someone directly you are required to leave a message and then wait for a call back.
+ Read more
Age
28
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
?
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
4 IUI, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
Other, Unexplained
8
Describe your experience with Institute for Reproductive Health.
They should have a mental health person/social worker, feels kind of like a fertility factory in ways. Definitely need to have someone be able to answer the phone it creates more stress constantly playing phone tag and waiting for call backs.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Dr. Scheiber made us feel like humans by using our names, asking how we were, shaking our hands, and being consistent through our our treatment. The only way we felt like a number is based on the short amount of time of each appointment.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
They got my preferred name wrong several times, they also didn’t notify me of having a nurse practitioner instead of doctor Scheiber for one of my ultrasounds which I was surprised and caught off guard. You also cannot reach someone directly you are required to leave a message and then wait for a call back.
What specific things went wrong at Institute for Reproductive Health?
- Provided conflicting information
How was your experience with Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health?
It’s hard to trust someone in this very sensitive process. However, Dr. Scheiber was kind, consistent and confident in his manner when meeting with us. He also was always warm and understanding when we displayed strong emotions just providing us with all the information his recommendation but allowed for us to feel like we were making the decisions. Having him as our doctor makes me feel more calm in a setting that I naturally feel very anxious.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health?
I wish we had discussed having a diagnostic procedure done such as an HSG before moving forward with donor sperm due to the cost of donor sperm. We did an HSG after 4 unsuccessful medicated IUI’s. It made me feel like we wasted vials and had to switch donors to move forward.
Describe the protocols Michael Scheiber used in your cycles at Institute for Reproductive Health and their degree of success.
I am 28 in good health with no known fertility issues, after 3 medicated IUIs femara and ovidrel, an HSG was recommended to explore reason for not being successful, the diagnostic procedure found no concerns with my Fallopian tubes or uterus, we then tried a fourth unsuccessful attempt medicated IUI with femara and ovidrel. We were then recommended for IVF, we were offered to do double IUI with injectibles but our doctor expressed concern about high risk for multiples and IVF being safer for my body. Based on cost comparison, percentage of success; we decided to do IVF. We have male factor because of donor sperm female couple but other than that I at this point have unexplained infertility.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health.
125 for a consult, 300 per unltrasound, 250 per IUI, 92 per ovidrel shot, 275 per Sperm wash, we did four cycles that way. It may cost us 2200 for the HSG we are waiting on the bill currently we have also spent 7,000 in donor sperm so far.
Describe Michael Scheiber's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Institute for Reproductive Health.
I don’t have any experience with this. We talked about transferring the most of 2 embryos if we make it to that stage with IVF.
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10
Age
33 - 39
Treated
2012 - 2018
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
1 IUI
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
We had great experiences at IRH, but we did have some troubles getting timely test results and figuring out how to pay our bills. I understand that my husband and I are different people and we have separate files, but it was like our files weren’t referenced with the other. It took a few days to get any answers about my husband’s SA. They didn’t call him. We called them and they couldn’t find anything to tell us. I found that part of the process to be a bit exhausting. It was a lot of back and forth with the office to get the answers that they said they were going to call us with several days earlier. I do understand that they’re busy and all we needed was for someone to give us a realistic timeline and we would’ve been less frustrated. Other than that, we had a solid “10” experience.
+ Read more
Age
33 - 39
Treated
2012 - 2018
Success with this Doc
No
Race
European
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
1 IUI
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
Describe your experience with Institute for Reproductive Health.
We had great experiences at IRH, but we did have some troubles getting timely test results and figuring out how to pay our bills. I understand that my husband and I are different people and we have separate files, but it was like our files weren’t referenced with the other. It took a few days to get any answers about my husband’s SA. They didn’t call him. We called them and they couldn’t find anything to tell us. I found that part of the process to be a bit exhausting. It was a lot of back and forth with the office to get the answers that they said they were going to call us with several days earlier. I do understand that they’re busy and all we needed was for someone to give us a realistic timeline and we would’ve been less frustrated. Other than that, we had a solid “10” experience.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Dr. Burwinkel was always extremely patient. It didn’t matter how many questions we had or how many times we may have asked the same questions, he was always willing to answer them honestly and break down the answer to help us understand the process better, if necessary.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
The nursing staff was always very friendly and efficient. They were always helpful in the office and always available for a chat over the phone if we had questions. I never felt like I was being ignored or put off in person or over the phone. Knowing that every patient is a priority put my mind at ease.
What specific things went wrong at Institute for Reproductive Health?
- Failed to call with results
How was your experience with Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Dr. Burwinkel was always available for whatever we needed. He never rushed our visits, he was kind and patient, he was always thorough in explanation of drugs, procedures, next steps, risks, and outcome probability. I had to have a surgery at a local hospital and Dr. Burwinkel was right there updating my husband and performing the surgery before going into the clinic for the day. We couldn’t have had better care.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Don’t be afraid to ask questions and express your concerns. He will address any concern you have as many times as you need.
Describe the protocols Thomas Burwinkel used in your cycles at Institute for Reproductive Health and their degree of success.
We started with a routine clomid cycle with an ovidrel trigger because my cycles were normal and everything seemed to be “okay” with us. After that cycle failed, I had a hysteroscopy which showed some uterine polyps. Not long after I had a polypectomy and D&C to remove the polyps and thin out my uterine lining. Once that healed, we went back for another clomid cycle + IUI and that also failed. By this time, we had spent a lot of money out of pocket and had to take a break to recover.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health.
I honestly can’t remember. We spent a lot of money in a short period of time, but I can’t remember any specifics.
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10
Age
34
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
6 IUI, 1 IVF, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
—
10
They [the nurses at IRH] were always quick to respond to messages no matter how silly I thought they were. They were very positive and the nurses all seem to be in the right specialty. Each one told me good luck. One even made sure that my progesterone was no red pills because no one needed the additional stress of the pink. It was the little details... They offer global billing with my insurance so the pricing was great. Even without insurance it was a fraction of the cost of a normal cycle.
+ Read more
Age
34
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
?
Race
European
Income
—
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
3rd of 3 Docs
Treatment
6 IUI, 1 IVF, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
—
10
Describe your experience with Institute for Reproductive Health.
You may not see "your" doctor for everything but it is okay. I saw all 4 doctors at different points and liked them all. Dr. Schrieber did most of my scans, Dr. Adawalla did my retrieval and Dr. O'Leary did my transfer. All were really nice and good at what they do.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health?
The appointments were always on time but were also very fast, albeit effective. Sometimes if I didn't ask a question I didn't have things explained, but they knew what they were doing and were ALWAYS polite and the important bits made sure to make you aware.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
They were always quick to respond to messages no matter how silly I thought they were. They were very positive and the nurses all seem to be in the right specialty. Each one told me good luck. One even made sure that my progesterone was no red pills because no one needed the additional stress of the pink. It was the little details.
How was your experience with Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health?
He was always polite to us, and prior to treatment after my baseline he was extra nice getting me ready for my injections. I went into it more than feeling prepared for the cycle to begin. I had my options already laid out and decided.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Do it. The office is a great place. I love all the doctors.
Describe the protocols Thomas Burwinkel used in your cycles at Institute for Reproductive Health and their degree of success.
Took the pill for about 2 weeks. Then had a suppression check. Got my initial doses, which were updated at my first scan and adjusted from there. Adjusted again at my next two, and ended up with 100% fertilized from mature eggs!
Describe the costs associated with your care under Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health.
They offer global billing with my insurance so the pricing was great. Even without insurance it was a fraction of the cost of a normal cycle.
Describe Thomas Burwinkel's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Institute for Reproductive Health.
At first I was hesitant but then I understood. If the cycle isn't successful I will approach the issue of transferring two.
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10
Age
37
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
4 IUI, 1 IVF, Embryo Freezing
Diagnosis
—
10
[IRH-Cincinnati is a] Huge clinic with many locations and years of experience. The only weakness is that the physician who did my transfer did not follow Dr. Awadalla’s plan in how many embryos to transfer, so i feel that consistency in situations that you must see multiple MDs is imperative.... Penny is incredibly kind and knowledgeable. Her bedside manner is great. Our educator, i can’t remember her name, but she was an ARNP, was equally as incredible. She was excited to teach, patient, and very knowledgeable. You can tell she loves her job.
+ Read more
Age
37
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
No
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Nurse or HC Services
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
4 IUI, 1 IVF, Embryo Freezing
Diagnosis
—
10
Describe your experience with Institute for Reproductive Health.
Huge clinic with many locations and years of experience. The only weakness is that the physician who did my transfer did not follow Dr. Awadalla’s plan in how many embryos to transfer, so i feel that consistency in situations that you must see multiple MDs is imperative.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Dr Awadalla is amazing! He is funny and kind, honest, and really takes the time to get to know his patients on a personal level.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Institute for Reproductive Health. (Assigned nurse: I spoke with several RNs. Penny, and an ARNP who educated us)
Penny is incredibly kind and knowledgeable. Her bedside manner is great. Our educator, i can’t remember her name, but she was an ARNP, was equally as incredible. She was excited to teach, patient, and very knowledgeable. You can tell she loves her job.
What specific things went wrong at Institute for Reproductive Health?
- Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
- Provided conflicting information
How was your experience with Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health?
He made my husband and I feel comfortable immediately. He made sure both myself and my husband understood everything, and made us feel comfortable asking questions. He is honest and to the point, and has incredible bedside manner. We did one round of ivf with no eggs that survived to freeze and did not get a positive pregnancy test. He was so kind and called to check on us and offered an updated treatment plan. He is amazing.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health?
He is great and they will love him.
Describe the protocols Sherif Awadalla used in your cycles at Institute for Reproductive Health and their degree of success.
After 4 failed IUIs his recommendation was to go straight to IVF with ICSI. His plan was to transfer 2 embryos however we went in over the weekend and another physician was on call and only transferred one. Unfortunately it did not result in a positive pregnancy and our other 2 embryos degraded before they were able to be frozen. Dr. Awadalla called and discussed a plan for higher stim with drugs next cycle to hopefully get more embryos and with a plan to do assisted hatching as well.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health.
One cycle with ICSI that included a self pay discount was around $10,000 not including meds. My insurance covered visits and labs.
Describe Sherif Awadalla's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Institute for Reproductive Health.
Due to my age, he wanted to transfer two.
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8
Age
30 - 31
Treated
2017 - 2018
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
2 Fertility Medications
Diagnosis
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, PCOS, Other
8
The biggest strength [Institute for Repro Health] is the people - everyone is so friendly that it really puts my mind at ease. But the biggest weakness is the telephone system. Being basic therapy and never being able to get through to an actual person is irritating. Running late for an appointment? There's no way to let the staff know.... Nursing staff actually seem to care about patients. I don't feel like "just another number" when I talk to them.
+ Read more
Age
30 - 31
Treated
2017 - 2018
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European, Other
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
2 Fertility Medications
Diagnosis
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, PCOS, Other
8
Describe your experience with Institute for Reproductive Health.
The biggest strength is the people - everyone is so friendly that it really puts my mind at ease. But the biggest weakness is the telephone system. Being basic therapy and never being able to get through to an actual person is irritating. Running late for an appointment? There's no way to let the staff know. Trying to decide if you need to go to urgent care/ER or if you might be overreacting? Leave a message and they'll call back "sometime". Both of these are situations I've experienced and it has been incredibly frustrating each time. Being a non-IVF patient is like being a second class citizen - you're not really important in their grand scheme of things.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Dr. Burwinkel has typically made a lot of time to answer all of my questions, but sometimes is busy and clearly trying to get through his patient list as quickly as possible.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
Nursing staff actually seem to care about patients. I don't feel like "just another number" when I talk to them. They give the easiest and most painless blood draws I've ever experienced, and they actually seem interested in getting to know patients beyond what's on the chart.
How was your experience with Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Dr. Burwinkel is definitely a straight shooter. He's not one for false promises of success or sugar coating a point. However, this doesn't mean he's without empathy. He's provided wonderful care through my unsuccessful pregnancies and has always given me clear next steps for things we'll try next time.
In 2018, we had success with his treatment and welcomed our daughter into the world.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Be completely honest about your history and situation in your consultation. He can't help to the best of his abilities without full and complete information.
Describe the protocols Thomas Burwinkel used in your cycles at Institute for Reproductive Health and their degree of success.
Metformin for PCOS, folic acid/COQ-10 supplements for healthy eggs, Letrozole to boost egg health at time of ovulation, Ovidrel to stimulate ovulation. (RPL, basic therapy only)
Describe the costs associated with your care under Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health.
Do not remember all costs.
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9
Age
39 - 44
Treated
2013 - 2018
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
10 IUI
Diagnosis
Endometriosis, Tubal Blockage, Uterine Fibroids, Unexplained
9
The clinic [Institute for Repro Health] is organized, clean and runs well. The low-tech billing seems to happen very rapidly. The IVF billing seems to be delayed, which means a longer delay before I can check the claims status online with my insurance company.... Most of the nurses that I have dealt with have been wonderful. They are familiar with the treatment regimens and able to answer questions. When I did call to report a Day 1 and ask if we should continue with the same approach, the nurse I spoke to told me it was up to me.
+ Read more
Age
39 - 44
Treated
2013 - 2018
Success with this Doc
?
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Engineer
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
10 IUI
Diagnosis
Endometriosis, Tubal Blockage, Uterine Fibroids, Unexplained
9
Describe your experience with Institute for Reproductive Health.
The clinic is organized, clean and runs well. The low-tech billing seems to happen very rapidly. The IVF billing seems to be delayed, which means a longer delay before I can check the claims status online with my insurance company.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Dr Awadalla was honest with me and my situation at every step. He was compassionate when he delivered the news that I had miscarried.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
Most of the nurses that I have dealt with have been wonderful. They are familiar with the treatment regimens and able to answer questions. When I did call to report a Day 1 and ask if we should continue with the same approach, the nurse I spoke to told me it was up to me. When I counted that I would like a recommendation from the experts, she continued to tell me that it was up to me. I had to push to have Dr Awadalla contacted to give input. When he called me, he actually had a different recommendation, so I felt validated in pushing. That has been the only interaction that I was not satisfied with, however.
What specific things went wrong at Institute for Reproductive Health?
- Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
How was your experience with Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Dr Awadalla determined why I could not conceive (missed by my GYN) and recommended surgery, which he performed. I conceived naturally in 3 cycles after that. For TTC#2, I was older and he shared his concerns with the likelihood of success. Early IUIs were successful, but did not result in live births. After 10 total IUIs, my course of treatment was only adjusted because I asked if it made sense to continue or to look at other options. We have moved on to IVF, but it is still early in the first cycle. I find Dr A to be very accurate in his assessments and knowledgeable. I trust that I am in good hands, for as much as medical science can help me at my age.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Ask a lot of questions. Dr Awadalla is happy to explain the details to patients who are interested. Also ask at what point you should have a consult to evaluate the plans, so you know what to expect.
Describe the protocols Sherif Awadalla used in your cycles at Institute for Reproductive Health and their degree of success.
TTC #1 (age 38): Dx: uterine fibroids, blocked Fallopian tube. Tx: Myomectomy, salpingectomy (tube could not be saved and was removed). Resulted in live birth, conceived naturally in 3 cycles.
TTC #2 (age 41): DX: unexplained infertility (age). Tx: IUI with 5mg Femara CD 3-7. IUIs 1 and 4 resulted in pregnancy, but not live birth. Likely due to poor egg quality. Repeated for IUI 5-8 because successful getting pregnant, but waiting for a better quality egg. For IUI 9 and 10, added Follistim (IUI 9: CD 7-10, 50IU; IUI 10: CD 7-11, 100IU). BFN. Given option to select surgery to recheck remaining Fallopian tube or IVF. Started IVF. Currently on CD 9: 5mg Femara CD 3-7, Gonal-F 300IU CD5-10, Cetritide CD10, rest of days/dosage TBD.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health.
With insurance (assuming deductible was paid and yearly maximum for benefits not met), an IUI cycle was roughly $75 out of pocket, not including medications.
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1
Age
34 - 36
Treated
2016 - 2018
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
3 IUI, IVF, Donor Eggs
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
1
The clinic [Institute for Reproductive Health] is very clean and professional. The front desk person was always friendly and helpful! The donor coordinator was so helpful during the whole process, making me feel very comfortable. The main drawback was feeling like a number in the clinic without getting any further testing that was requested.... The nurses were very knowledgeable and answered questions very thoroughly.
+ Read more
Age
34 - 36
Treated
2016 - 2018
Success with this Doc
No
Race
European, Native American
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 3 Docs
Treatment
3 IUI, IVF, Donor Eggs
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
1
Describe your experience with Institute for Reproductive Health.
The clinic is very clean and professional. The front desk person was always friendly and helpful! The donor coordinator was so helpful during the whole process, making me feel very comfortable. The main drawback was feeling like a number in the clinic without getting any further testing that was requested.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health?
explanations of treatments were never given. Monitoring visits were always very rushed, and when I asked questions during he would refer me to the nursing staff as if he couldn’t be bothered to answer.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
The nurses were very knowledgeable and answered questions very thoroughly.
What specific things went wrong at Institute for Reproductive Health?
- Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
- Failed to send your chart to another clinic
How was your experience with Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Appointments always felt very rushed. If I had questions during the appointment, he didn’t answer, but referred me to the nursing staff. When asking for further testing after an early loss, I felt treated as a child asking for a second piece of cake. Treatment plans never changed, nor were any further tests recommended after several failed transfers. The only solution seemed to be to throw another complete round of donor egg ivf at us.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Be very knowledgeable about treatment options and advocate for yourself! Be very blunt in asking for answers to any questions you may have!
Describe the protocols Michael Scheiber used in your cycles at Institute for Reproductive Health and their degree of success.
For frozen embryo transfers 1-3, estrace was started at day 1, 3X per day. Progesterone was started 5 days before transfer. 1 early loss and 2 negatives. FET 4 was a “natural cycle” with with follicle monitoring. Once follicle was big enough, we did the trigger shot to release the egg. FET was then a week later. Progesterone was started 5 days before the transfer. Transfer resulted in a negative beta.
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10
Age
27
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
1 IUI
Diagnosis
Anovulation, Male Factor, PCOS, Other
10
The clinic [Institute for Reproductive Health] is clean. They explain everything that is expected of the patient. Everyone is welcoming and nice. The only negative that I have to say about the clinic is that when you do call it is hard to speak to a live person right away. Typically you have to leave a message and they will call you back if it is left before 4pm. That is the only negative that I have encountered.
+ Read more
Age
27
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
?
Race
European, Black or African-American
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
Nurse or HC Services
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
1 IUI
Diagnosis
Anovulation, Male Factor, PCOS, Other
10
Describe your experience with Institute for Reproductive Health.
The clinic is ran like a very well oiled machine. The clinic is clean. They explain everything that is expected of the patient. Everyone is welcoming and nice. The only negative that I have to say about the clinic is that when you do call it is hard to speak to a live person right away. Typically you have to leave a message and they will call you back if it is left before 4pm. That is the only negative that I have encountered.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health?
I never felt like a number to this doctor. After getting referred to a reproductive endocrinologist I felt like our infertility journey got real. I couldn’t believe that we were heading down the road of needing extra assistance to get to our ultimate goal of having a baby. To say that I was nervous before our first appointment is an understatement. In the days leading up to the appointment it was all that I could think about. On the day of our first consultation upon first meeting Dr. Scheiber my nerves instantly melted away. He was very personable and took his time with me and my husband. He listened to our concerns and wanted the full back story on what lead up to seeking treatment from him. He devised a plan for us and was very up front and honest about the entire process. Speaking to him almost felt like talking to an old friend. He made starting this whole process under his monitoring very easy for us and for that I am very appreciative.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
All nursing staff that I have encountered have been very nice and knowledgeable about procedures and processes. They return phone calls promptly which when you are going through this process can be very helpful in alleviating any anxiety that you may have.
How was your experience with Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health?
My experience as a patient of Dr. Scheiber has been nothing short of amazing. From the very beginning he made me and my husband feel very comfortable. Talking to him about our problems felt like talking to an old friend. He took his time with us to understand our problems and what led us to requiring further fertility treatment. Before the end of our first appointment he wanted to complete a full assessment of me, lab work and an ultrasound. He was straight forward about my diagnosis and very upfront about costs and expectations. I would recommend this doctor to anyone experiencing infertility issues.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Go into the appointment with an open mind and open ears. Prepare to be upfront and honest with the doctor because he will be the same with you. Come prepared with any questions that you may have. Try not to be nervous because you will instantly made to feel comfortable, wondering why you were so worried to begin with.
Describe the protocols Michael Scheiber used in your cycles at Institute for Reproductive Health and their degree of success.
Dr. Scheiber is currently treating us with femara, ovidrel and IUI. His rationale for starting there was that since my husbands sperm analysis came back not as good as it could’ve been, combined with my problems he believed IUI would work for us.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health.
Dr. Scheiber from the beginning was very transparent and honest about the expected costs associated with he treatment that we were receiving. I never felt deceived or lied to. Which I definitely appreciate.
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10
Age
31 - 32
Treated
2017 - 2018
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
2 IVF
Diagnosis
Endometriosis, PCOS, Tubal Blockage
10
We participated in a money back garuantee program [at Institute for Reproductive Health]. The cost was a little more than $20,000 not including medications. This cost about another $7,000. We were seen for 2 fresh cycles and 1 frozen during this time...The clinic was always clean, very professional, compassionate employees, and readily available staff to help. Our experience couldn’t have been better. They worked around my teaching schedule and helped make sure that I could maintain my job obligations and work on growing my family.
+ Read more
Age
31 - 32
Treated
2017 - 2018
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
—
Occupation
Teacher
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
2 IVF
Diagnosis
Endometriosis, PCOS, Tubal Blockage
10
Describe your experience with Institute for Reproductive Health.
The clinic was always clean, very professional, compassionate employees, and readily available staff to help. Our experience couldn’t have been better. They worked around my teaching schedule and helped make sure that I could maintain my job obligations and work on growing my family.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health?
The doctors and staff at IRH were exceptional. They knew me by name, listened to my concerns, and were always considerate of how emotionally trying IVF is. They became my cheerleaders and a major support system during this difficult time.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
The nurses were so helpful! They also knew me by name without my chart in their hands. They answered my questions constantly and never made me feel silly for asking the same questions over and over again. They were a huge part of my experience at IRH. The day we heard our babies heartbeat, they gathered around to see ultrasound pics in the hallway and cheered as we left when we “graduated.” I remember feeling so excited but so sad not to be with their amazing staff!
How was your experience with Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Dr. Burwinkel was exceptional. He was easy to talk to and took time to explain all of our options and each course of action. He was on time, readily available anytime we had questions, and showed compassion while being upfront and honest about the situation. I highly recommend him and the staff at IRH.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Be patient & Dr. Burwinkel and his staff will do anything they can to help you through this difficult process. Ask questions and when you forget the answers don’t be afraid to reach out and ask again. Dr. B and his staff are so kind and patient!
Describe the protocols Thomas Burwinkel used in your cycles at Institute for Reproductive Health and their degree of success.
We used chlomid for two cycles and then moved on to two fresh cycles of IVF and one frozen. The fresh cycles caused excessive bloating and Dr. B monitored me very closely. I never felt unsafe and always felt like they took my care at the highest priority.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health.
We participated in a money back garuantee program at IVF. The cost was a little more than $20,000 not including medications. This cost about another $7,000. We were seen for 2 fresh cycles and 1 frozen during this time.
Describe Thomas Burwinkel's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Institute for Reproductive Health.
Dr. Burwinkel did a single embryo transfer the first time and then two embryo transfers with two. He talked us through the pros and cons of both, told us his recommendation, and listened to our concerns and wants. Ultimately it was a collective decision that I felt very good about.
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10
Age
27 - 29
Treated
2016 - 2018
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
2 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Endometriosis
10
They [Institute For Reproductive Health] know what they are doing and are almost like a well oiled machine. They all work very well together and are very professional. Their compassion goes a long way...The nursing staff are just as passionate about their jobs as the doctors. They love to celebrate your success with you. Nurse Melinda was the one with me during egg retrieval and transfer day. She called me the day of my beta with the results and told me she wrote down when my beta day was because she wanted to be the one to call me with good news. It touched my heart that she felt that invested and excited for me!
+ Read more
Age
27 - 29
Treated
2016 - 2018
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Teacher
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
2 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Endometriosis
10
Describe your experience with Institute for Reproductive Health.
They are a very successful clinic. They know what they are doing and are almost like a well oiled machine. They all work very well together and are very professional. Their compassion goes a long way and the fact that they host a “baby reunion” every other year shows just how much they love the OUTCOME of their jobs. Not the money they are making.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Dr. Scheiber was so great with us. He was the second doctor we were seeing, after two failed rounds of IUI. Our doctor was leaving the practice and we didn’t like the other doctors in the practice. We went to IRH because we heard good things about them and knew their results were good. He took the time to do a consult, examine me again for his own evaluation and then told us our best shot was to go straight to IVF. He said usually they wouldn’t allow us to do the money back program because of how bad my endometriosis was, but he fought for us with the rest of his team and talked to the board to get us approved for it. Luckily it worked after just one cycle, but it gave us piece of mind to know we had a certain number of tries to have a successful live birth. We had our son in March 2017 and ended up getting pregnant on our own, not even trying, in May 2018. We went back to him for the first few weeks and he was happy to take us under his care even though he didn’t actually help with this pregnancy. That definitely made me feel like more than just a number.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Institute for Reproductive Health.
The nursing staff are just as passionate about their jobs as the doctors. They love to celebrate your success with you. Nurse Melinda was the one with me during egg retrieval and transfer day. She called me the day of my beta with the results and told me she wrote down when my beta day was because she wanted to be the one to call me with good news. It touched my heart that she felt that invested and excited for me!
How was your experience with Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Dr. Scheiber clearly cares about his patients. He always came in, addressed you by name, shook your hand and sat down to really take the time to explain things and listen to ALL questions. He was happy when things were going well and clearly loves what he does.
Describe the protocols Michael Scheiber used in your cycles at Institute for Reproductive Health and their degree of success.
I have stage 4 endometriosis in both ovaries, he knew this could cause issues with my egg quality when retrieved so he was very careful during retrieval to try and avoid the large cysts. He did have to go through one of them to get some of my eggs and explained that this could mean they were basically contaminated and wouldn’t fertilize. Well it ended up working out and all 24 eggs retrieved were healthy. During my cycle I don’t remember all the medicine I took, but I do remember that at my last scan, he could see I had a LOT of eggs and was worried I’d have issues after retrieval. So instead of taking all of my ovidrel the night before retrieval, he had me take a small amount of that mixed with another drug that was shown to help reduce inflammation after retrieval. Whatever he did worked, because I had no issues after retrieval and we were able to do a fresh transfer.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health.
We paid around $20,000 for the IVF money back guarantee program.
Describe Michael Scheiber's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Institute for Reproductive Health.
Dr. Scheiber was great with us for our transfer. My husband and I went into it thinking we wanted to transfer two. Dr. Scheiber explained to us that based on our embryos grade, plus my age and health of my uterus that we had a VERY good chance of getting pregnant. He said if I transfer two that because of my size, I’d most likely have trouble carrying twins, so for the health of me and the baby he recommended just one. We are so thankful we listened to his advice.
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9
Age
34 - 35
Treated
2017 - 2018
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
3 IVF
Diagnosis
Uterine Fibroids
9
The staff is friendly and supportive but its so many people that you dont know who is who. Going through IVF, I was not assigned a personal care nurse and I had one at my other clinic, so be prepared to have anyone call you back or assist you ... You never speak to a live person which I also do not like. ... There is a nurse team and you never know who you will work with. I do not like this approach because I dont want a different nurse everytime I have a question or concern. I can not tell you any of the nurses names in the practice and if you call, you get a voicemail.
+ Read more
Age
34 - 35
Treated
2017 - 2018
Success with this Doc
?
Race
Black or African-American
Income
—
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1st of 2 Docs
Treatment
3 IVF
Diagnosis
Uterine Fibroids
9
Describe your experience with Institute for Reproductive Health.
The staff is friendly and supportive but its so many people that you dont know who is who. Going through IVF, I was not assigned a personal care nurse and I had one at my other clinic, so be prepared to have anyone call you back or assist you
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Dr. Burwinkle is a very passionate physician and took the time to go over all of my medical history as well as my spouse and has always been present for all of my transfers and retrievals. With 3 doctors now in that practice, anyone could handle your transfer. He has always given us the good and bad but alwaya remains positive to give us peace of mind. He is an awesome physician
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
There is a nurse team and you never know who you will work with. I do not like this approach because I dont want a different nurse everytime I have a question or concern. I can not tell you any of the nurses names in the practice and if you call, you get a voicemail. You never speak to a live person which I also do not like.
How was your experience with Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Dr. Burwinkel makes you feel like you matter and not a science experiment. We had gotten a negative pregnancy result (January 2018) and he called me on a Saturday morning and explained our next steps and just took the time to sympathize with me. We've been going through fertility treatments for several years now and hes by far the best doctor Ive had. I had a miscarriage in June 2018 and he sat down with myself and husband just to talk about how we were feeling.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health?
In the beginning he may not say much because he's doing alot of assessment and trying to find the best plan for you. But once he starts to share his plan and concerns, here comes all the compassion and long talks :)
Describe the protocols Thomas Burwinkel used in your cycles at Institute for Reproductive Health and their degree of success.
For our transfer, we collectively decided to do ERA testing ( since we had 2 consecutive failed transfers) during a mock transfer to determine if we were transferring on the correct day. I took estradiol and progesterone 3xs/day and until transfer and then we did the procedure. The test turned out to be very useful. After the results came back and we did our normal transfer we go pregnant (ended in miscarriage).
Describe the costs associated with your care under Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health.
General cost was around 7k
Describe Thomas Burwinkel's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Institute for Reproductive Health.
For multiples, he has made suggestions to us to try it but ultimately it was our decision on what we wanted to do.
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10
Age
35 - 36
Treated
2017 - 2018
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
4 IUI
Diagnosis
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Male Factor, Unexplained
10
I love the IRH nursing staff. They showed as much compassion as the doctors do. Many times I saw the nurses more often, due to blood draws. They are just as informed as the doctors and always answered any questions that I had.... Every time I walked into IRH, I felt as if people knew who I was. There was a receptionist who greeted us upon entry. We never had a long wait time in the waiting room, they valued our time as employed adults.
+ Read more
Age
35 - 36
Treated
2017 - 2018
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Teacher
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
4 IUI
Diagnosis
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Male Factor, Unexplained
10
Describe your experience with Institute for Reproductive Health.
IRH has no weaknesses. I would, and have, recommended IRH to anyone who is going through fertility problems. I never had an issue with scheduling or appointments. The wait time in the waiting room and the treatment room was minimal. My husband and I were very lucky to be able to cover the cost of our fertility treatments; however, I know that they are great with working with families on payment plans if they cannot cover the cost at once.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Every time I walked into IRH, I felt as if people knew who I was. There was a receptionist who greeted us upon entry. We never had a long wait time in the waiting room, they valued our time as employed adults. Dr. Burwinkel and staff always greeted us by name and remember what it was that we were here for. He celebrated with us in successful treatment and mourned with us with each loss of pregnancy.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
I love the IRH nursing staff. They showed as much compassion as the doctors do. Many times I saw the nurses more often, due to blood draws. They are just as informed as the doctors and always answered any questions that I had.
How was your experience with Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health?
I owe my chance at becoming a mother to Dr. Burwinkel. From our first visit he treated myself and my husband with respect and always gave us the most honest information. He never promised that he would make me a mother, but told me that he would do anything to help me become one. He answered every question that I had, and I had a lot of them. Every treatment was fully explained. I never felt as if I was unaware of what was happening to my body. He was compassionate with each loss that we experienced and gave us the facts each time there was a setback. When we were finally able to have a full term pregnancy and I gave birth to my little boy in April 2018.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Do your own research and never be afraid to ask questions.
Describe the protocols Thomas Burwinkel used in your cycles at Institute for Reproductive Health and their degree of success.
I took Letrozole (similar to Clomid), we did the injection to release my eggs and then did IUI. I had four rounds of IUI. Two resulted in miscarriages and one was a viable pregnancy.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health.
Fertility treatment is not cheap. Each round of IUI cost about $900 including pills, shots, doctor appointments, and procedures. In addition to the IUIs, I had to have laparoscopic surgery for the chemical pregnancy and a D&C for the miscarriages. Each of these procedures was an additional cost.
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10
Age
33 - 37
Treated
2014 - 2018
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
2 IUI, 2 IVF
Diagnosis
Endometriosis, Tubal Blockage, Unexplained
10
I have to say this clinic [IRH-Cincinnati] is great so no negatives to note. Very professional and courtesy as well as caring staff. They always make you feel welcome and have never made us feel unwelcome or a bother to them.... Nursing staff had always been pleasant to work with. They are compassionate and always get back to you in a timely manner.... For self pay we paid around $20,000 in 2014 with meds and all. This included a failed cycle and a full IVF cycle then our last egg was frozen which resulted in a baby girl. We now have insurance and it’s nice that they have a global with our insurance because that helps a lot!
+ Read more
Age
33 - 37
Treated
2014 - 2018
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Other
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1st of 2 Docs
Treatment
2 IUI, 2 IVF
Diagnosis
Endometriosis, Tubal Blockage, Unexplained
10
Describe your experience with Institute for Reproductive Health.
I have to say this clinic is great so no negatives to note. Very professional and courtesy as well as caring staff. They always make you feel welcome and have never made us feel unwelcome or a bother to them.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Dr. Scheiber always put my feelings first and was very understanding with my problems and what I was going through. He is a very caring doctor.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Institute for Reproductive Health.
Nursing staff had always been pleasant to work with. They are compassionate and always get back to you in a timely manner.
How was your experience with Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Dr. scheiber helped me understand fully everything that would be done and was so positive through our entire process. He never once made me feel like our IVF wasn’t going to work. He was always very upfront and honest but also caring and helpful at the same time.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health?
He’s the best! There isn’t anyone better! We made the mistake of seeing another RE (because we thought it would be cheaper) and have since went back to him!
Describe the protocols Michael Scheiber used in your cycles at Institute for Reproductive Health and their degree of success.
I was on stims like most and our first cycle was cancelled because I had one follicle taking over on one side. He cancelled and started a new protocol that worked better for me. We ended up with 6 eggs and 3 fertilized. The first two were transferred and we were pregnant but miscarried and the last egg was put in from frozen and we became pregnant again. She is 3 years old and the best blessing ever!
Describe the costs associated with your care under Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health.
For self pay we paid around $20,000 in 2014 with meds and all. This included a failed cycle and a full IVF cycle then our last egg was frozen which resulted in a baby girl. We now have insurance and it’s nice that they have a global with our insurance because that helps a lot!
Describe Michael Scheiber's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Institute for Reproductive Health.
I agree with whatever he thinks is the best.
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10
Age
24 - 26
Treated
2016 - 2018
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
1 IUI
Diagnosis
PCOS
10
Both the Cincinnati and Florence locations of the clinic [IRH] are clean and organized. The Cincinnati location in particular is actually quite beautiful! The environment is warm and professional, with elegant furniture and a clean space.... The nursing staff is always friendly and knowledgeable. Prior to conceiving my first born, they always showed compassion and interest. Once I had conceived, before being released to my OBGYN, the nurses were always quick and happy to answer the many questions I had and to offer comfort and understanding for my concerns.
+ Read more
Age
24 - 26
Treated
2016 - 2018
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
Teacher
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
1 IUI
Diagnosis
PCOS
10
Describe your experience with Institute for Reproductive Health.
Both the Cincinnati and Florence locations of the clinic are clean and organized. The Cincinnati location in particular is actually quite beautiful! The environment is warm and professional, with elegant furniture and a clean space.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Dr. Awadalla was so warm. He always seems excited to see me. He is open and direct, while also taking emotions into account. Our whole infertility experience changed when we went into his office.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
The nursing staff is always friendly and knowledgeable. Prior to conceiving my first born, they always showed compassion and interest. Once I had conceived, before being released to my OBGYN, the nurses were always quick and happy to answer the many questions I had and to offer comfort and understanding for my concerns.
How was your experience with Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Dr. Awadalla is wonderful: he is both kind and extremely knowledgeable. My experience conceiving my first son was vastly different from attempts with a previous doctor. I felt Dr. Awadalla was taking care of me and my family rather than just trying to help us get pregnant.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health?
GO FOR IT!
Describe the protocols Sherif Awadalla used in your cycles at Institute for Reproductive Health and their degree of success.
I have PCOS. I took progestin to induce a period and then took Femara for (I believe) about a week. Then I went in for an ultrasound to determine if my follicles were ready. As they were, that night my husband gave me a triggering shot in the thigh and the next morning we went to the Cincinnati office to collect my husbands sample and complete the IUI. We found out several weeks later that we were pregnant with our son.
We are now preparing to attempt baby number two and will follow the same process, minus the progestin as I have had a period since I stopped breastfeeding my son.
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10
Age
29 - 31
Treated
2016 - 2018
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
2 IVF
Diagnosis
PCOS, Tubal Blockage
10
When I have called [the nurses at Institute for Reproductive Health], and been sent to voicemail they always have called me back in a timely fashion, and any paperwork that I have needed has also been sent quickly...The nursing staff works very hard, yet they always have a smile on their faces. When we received that dreaded phone call that says "I'm so sorry, but your test was negative," the nurses were compassionate, and disappointed along with us. You can just tell that phone call is one that they absolutely do not like making. It is not routine to them.
+ Read more
Age
29 - 31
Treated
2016 - 2018
Success with this Doc
?
Race
European
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
Teacher
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
2 IVF
Diagnosis
PCOS, Tubal Blockage
10
Describe your experience with Institute for Reproductive Health.
The strengths I would hit on when I talked to a new patient would be about waiting. I would tell the patient that the wait time is not long. They get us in and out in a timely manner. I would also tell them that their opinions do matter, and their wants also matter to this medical team. The weakness that would hit on would be about awkward situations. Fertility procedures can get awkward. This is something that they do every day, not much can surprise them. An example, when my husband went in to give a sample of his sperm, we were taken back when the nurse asked, "Would your wife like to join you." Yes we are all adults, but that was just not something that we thought would be asked or even thought about. To them though, it happens, and its ok.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health?
He has always called me by my first name, and he doesn't have to look at my chart to remember my history. When we did get pregnant, and we went for the first ultra sound he asked us to come to his office, told us delicately that we would only have a 50% chance to carry the baby because of a small sack. After the second ultrasound he said "go ahead get dressed, and meet me in my office." I told Dr. A that I didn't want to meet in his office because last time we didn't get good news. He complied, let me get dressed, and he came back into our room. We found out that the baby had a heart beat, but the sack was just getting smaller. Dr. A then gave us a 25% chance. He let us come back for a third ultrasound. and that's when we found out that the baby no longer had a heartbeat. Dr. A gave me the options that I needed, a box of Kleenex, and let me cry in his office until I was ready to leave. He has also called me himself, and asked me not to give up because the embryos we have now are high quality, and he believes that we will have a healthy pregnancy.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
The nursing staff works very hard, yet they always have a smile on their faces. When we received that dreaded phone call that says "I'm so sorry, but your test was negative," the nurses were compassionate, and disappointed along with us. You can just tell that phone call is one that they absolutely do not like making. It is not routine to them. When I have called, and been sent to voicemail they always have called me back in a timely fashion, and any paperwork that I have needed has also been sent quickly.
How was your experience with Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Dr. Awadalla has great bed side manners, patience, and compassion for his patients. He gives time to explain what needs to be explained, and questions that need to be answered. He also abides by our wishes. I have a very short stature, one of the first things that I told Dr. A was that I was not ok transferring more than two embryos. Dr. A completely understood, and actually the clinics policy is to only transfer one or two embryos.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health?
I would tell a prospective patient to be ready. Dr. A and his team are on it. It's a tough journey, but it can also be a quick journey. After meds, and cycles are figured out its a whirl wind from there. Everything with fertility has to be timed just right, and from my experiences Dr. A has timed it just right. I would also tell them to listen to the doctors, they know what they are doing.
Describe the protocols Sherif Awadalla used in your cycles at Institute for Reproductive Health and their degree of success.
Both my cycles have been very similar. I have started off with about 17 days of birth control. I was then off three days, and than I started injections for 10 days. I had injected Gonal F, Menopur, and Centrotide. I can't remember which injection out of the three, but he only added it during my second cycle. After that, I had taken my trigger shot. He also had me taking Estrodial and Progesterone. I was taking those two even after my transfer.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health.
I don't remember the full cost, but I believe around $8200 for a fresh cycle, and $7000 for a frozen cycle.
Describe Sherif Awadalla's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Institute for Reproductive Health.
The Cincinnati of Reproductive Health approach on multiple embryo transfer is most usually only two at the most, but from my experience if the embryos are high quality they only like to transfer one.
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8
Age
34 - 36
Treated
2016 - 2018
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
3 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Anovulation, PCOS
8
The clinic [Institute for Reproductive Health] is very nice. They have a few satellite offices that really help since Greater Cincinnati is so big. They have recently added a nurse practitioner who is able to help with some appointments which makes wait times better and scheduling easier. I know they often have support group nights but I have never attended.... My appointments were scheduled within the monitoring window and it worked out well.
+ Read more
Age
34 - 36
Treated
2016 - 2018
Success with this Doc
No
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Sales Representative
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
3 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Anovulation, PCOS
8
Describe your experience with Institute for Reproductive Health.
The clinic is very nice. They have a few satellite offices that really help since Greater Cincinnati is so big. They have recently added a nurse practitioner who is able to help with some appointments which makes wait times better and scheduling easier. I know they often have support group nights but I have never attended. My biggest suggestion would be for them to have an actual counselor on site who is able to help couples mentally and emotionally prepare. It is by far the scariest and hardest thing I ever had to go through and I felt like I was just winging it so much of the time. Someone like this or even information on resources that people can reach out to on their own would be a giant help. All of the doctors are really great. I can't speak for any other clinics, but overall I have been very happy with Dr. Scheiber and IRH. We are just still waiting for our happy ending. Sadly, a lot of times things just come down to finances and that is just a sad fact of life in this country.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Most of the time I completely felt like a human but there were a few times that it was so busy that I could tell I was being rushed through.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
They were always very warm and caring. They work very hard. Sometimes it would take awhile to hear back but that is only because they are busy with their patients in the office too.
How was your experience with Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health?
He is a wonderful doctor and person. I don't think the reason we have been unsuccessful is his fault. I wish we hadn't rushed into IVF, but he did feel that my age was a bigger factor than I feel it is. He is warm and caring but he is very by the book and often hesitates to change protocols. But he knows what he is doing. He has been in the business a very long time.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Understand that he is a human doctor, not god. He has limitations and nothing is guaranteed. Know that he is always willing to sit down and talk to you, just make sure you call and schedule the time for the sake of his time and yours.
Describe the protocols Michael Scheiber used in your cycles at Institute for Reproductive Health and their degree of success.
We started out with Letrozole, which I did respond to, but I was not conceiving. We moved onto Letrozole with Trigger Shot and IUI, and I still was not successful. I took a break for a few months and then did IVF. We did this because I was approaching age 35. 8 eggs were retrieved and we ended up with 3 embryos. My first transfer was fresh and it ended in a Chemical Pregnancy. I took a break for several months before I transferred a frozen embryo but that failed. Right now we are just waiting before we do anything else because of finances.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Institute for Reproductive Health.
Pretty efficient. I definitely never waited in line or anything like that. My appointments were scheduled within the monitoring window and it worked out well.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health.
I know our insurance helped cover our inseminations, so I can't remember the cost of those. I believe our fresh IVF cycle was $9000 and my frozen cycle was $4500, not including meds.
Describe Michael Scheiber's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Institute for Reproductive Health.
Dr. Scheiber always let me choose. He is very pro eSET, which makes a lot of sense. Financially, I see why people often transfer more than 1, but eSET is the safest option for the health of the babies should you conceive so that is what we always did.
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0
Age
31 - 32
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
1 IVF, Donor Eggs, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Male Factor, Poor Egg Quality
0
The clinic [Institute for Repro Health] was clean and support staff was great. Be prepared for several canceled appointments due to scheduling issues on their part... The nurses were kind and patient but we had many scheduling mistakes. On more than 3 occasions we had to change appointment times because of a scheduling conflict on their end. They also wrote down a protocol completely wrong & scratched out everyone to rewrite it after we pointed out their mistake.
+ Read more
Age
31 - 32
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
No
Race
European, Latino
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1st of 2 Docs
Treatment
1 IVF, Donor Eggs, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Male Factor, Poor Egg Quality
0
Describe your experience with Institute for Reproductive Health.
The clinic was clean and support staff was great. Be prepared for several canceled appointments due to scheduling issues on their part, we had about 5. Ask all of the questions and do your own research.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Never present, never remembered us.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
The nurses were kind and patient but we had many scheduling mistakes. On more than 3 occasions we had to change appointment times because of a scheduling conflict on their end. They also wrote down a protocol completely wrong & scratched out everyone to rewrite it after we pointed out their mistake. Another big reason you should educate yourself. My husband has very low spent count so we wanted to freeze a few vials to be safe before egg retrieval. There was a miscommunication there & they were never frozen so he had to go back in. We were 100% out of pocket so taking time off of work & scheduling these appointments was very hard for us.
What specific things went wrong at Institute for Reproductive Health?
- Lost appointments
- Failed to call with results
- Failed to order appropriate test
- Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
- Lost results
- Provided conflicting information
- Failed to convey critical information
- Lost or damaged samples
- Canceled a cycle due to clinic error
- Scheduled the wrong procedure
How was your experience with Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Several miscommunication errors. On our first day one one D.R. Schiber had us down for an IUI when we have to do IVF, we were prescribed the wrong medicine and 2 months lost. (Travel following month). Once we started our IVF cycle we were anticipated to get 4 eggs but only retrieved one. We did know that there was this possibility but we never got a clear answer of why. The retrieving doctor (Dr Awadalla) told us something different from Dr Schiber. Dr Schiber said he would get back to us after discussing with Dr Awadalla but that never happened. We never had a follow up call after our one embryo arrested. I had to follow up and wait two more months for another ‘consultation. Our next IVF cycle was canceled due to inconsistent growth. Following the canceled cycle we decided to go with donor embryos. Our nurse practitioner told us that the quality of the two donor embryos was good & great. Once I received my medical records from the Institute for Reproductive Health it showed that the embryos were actually rated good & poor. The donor cycle resulted in a chemical pregnancy and once my beta numbers dropped I never received a call from the doctor. I even went in with terrible left side pain and never received a call following up with me. We have very specific fertility problems yet didn’t feel like we were on a tailored plan. I left the practice and found that my next doctor did throughout testing before starting an IVF cycle with us. We felt as if they just wanted out money and did not truly care if it worked for us, especially since we would never receive a call when each cycle did not result in a pregnancy. We never felt like Dr Schiber truly knew who we were and he was very quick during office visits. We never felt like we had a chance to ask him questions & felt as if we were a bother to him.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Ask questions even if you feel rushed and educated yourself before your visit. You know your body best and if you have specific concerns do your best to be heard.
Describe the protocols Michael Scheiber used in your cycles at Institute for Reproductive Health and their degree of success.
Antagonist - Femara, 75 Menopur/200 Gonal F adding certrotide. Canceled cycles was a Microdose Lupron flare.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health.
9500 for full IVF cycle not including Medication. 4500 for donor embryo transfer.
Describe Michael Scheiber's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Institute for Reproductive Health.
We did not make it this far with our own embryos and we had to transfer the two donor at the same time because they were frozen together.
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10
Age
30
Treated
2017
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
3 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor
10
I felt comfortable with all aspects of the clinic [Institute for Reproductive Health]. As a patient of a previous fertility clinic, this one is clean, modern, and very welcoming, as opposed to the first clinic my husband and I visited. The staff was very helpful and knowledgeable...I had a couple of nurses and they were all fantastic! My primary nurse coordinator was Sarah, and she was incredible! She was so sweet and patient with me during my egg retrieval (which resulted in a funny story), and she cried with me when I got my period (TWICE!), and subsequent negative pregnancy tests.
+ Read more
Age
30
Treated
2017
Success with this Doc
No
Race
Other
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
Teacher
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
3 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor
10
Describe your experience with Institute for Reproductive Health.
I felt comfortable with all aspects of the clinic. As a patient of a previous fertility clinic, this one is clean, modern, and very welcoming, as opposed to the first clinic my husband and I visited. The staff was very helpful and knowledgeable.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Dr. A. was always so kind and answered any and all questions I had. He seemed to genuinely care about my case and was always compassionate when we didn’t get the news we hoped for.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Institute for Reproductive Health. (Assigned nurse: Sarah)
I had a couple of nurses and they were all fantastic! My primary nurse coordinator was Sarah, and she was incredible! She was so sweet and patient with me during my egg retrieval (which resulted in a funny story), and she cried with me when I got my period (TWICE!), and subsequent negative pregnancy tests.
How was your experience with Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health?
I loved Dr. Awadalla. From the very first consultation, I could tell that he loved his job and wanted to help couples get pregnant and have a baby. After both negative pregnancy tests, he personally called me and was encouraging and shared what he would like next steps to be. When we are able to afford another treatment, we will definitely be seeing Dr. A. again!
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health?
He hits the ground running. On your first consultation, be prepared with questions because he is ready to get your treatment started!
Describe the protocols Sherif Awadalla used in your cycles at Institute for Reproductive Health and their degree of success.
I used two injectable medicines as my follicle stimulations as well as an injectable trigger shot during my fresh IVF cycle. During both my IVF and FET, I used progesterone suppositories. I used estrogen supplements during my FET cycle. I was also prescribed pre-natal vitamins to take for the duration of all treatments.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health.
For our IVF cycle, we got a loan for $13,500 with $12,000 going toward the treatment and $1,500 going toward medication. We did spend more than what we were loaned, probably close to $3,000 for medication during this cycle. For our FET, we were charged $4,500 for the cycle, not including medication. We also pay a frozen embryo fee, but I am not sure what the cost is.
Describe Sherif Awadalla's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Institute for Reproductive Health.
Dr. A. told me that since I was young, and seemed to be healthy, with 4 embryos, we should do single transfers for my fresh IVF transfer and my FET. He explained during our last conversation that he would like to transfer the remaining two frozen embryos for my next treatment since the first two treatments were unsuccessful.
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Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
10
Age
29 - 30
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
2 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Anovulation, Other
10
Jackie (and the other IRH nurses) are so caring patient, and thorough (unlike the other local clinic I had been at prior to IRH). They squeezed me in on the very last day possible to start an IVF cycle (before the lab did their yearly temporary close) when I called them crying and desperate (bc my original clinic started me on IVF meds and then told me they were full and I had to wait another 3 months!)
+ Read more
Age
29 - 30
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Nurse or HC Services
Order & Number of Docs Seen
3rd of 5 Docs
Treatment
2 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Anovulation, Other
10
Describe your experience with Institute for Reproductive Health.
The Rookwood office is absolutely beautiful and looks more like a spa than a doctors office. They have multiple financial advisors on site. He other locations are smaller but still very organized, clean, and modern looking.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health?
He spent plenty of time chatting w me during consultation, answering all of my questions and even giving me advice on tough decisions I had to make
Describe your experience with your nurse at Institute for Reproductive Health. (Assigned nurse: Jackie)
Jackie (and the other IRH nurses) are so caring patient, and thorough (unlike the other local clinic I had been at prior to IRH). They squeezed me in on the very last day possible to start an IVF cycle (before the lab did their yearly temporary close) when I called them crying and desperate (bc my original clinic started me on IVF meds and then told me they were full and I had to wait another 3 months!)
How was your experience with Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health?
He was very patient and explained things thoroughly at consultation and retrieval day. He was thorough and empathetic. He gave me advice when I had some tough decisions to make. He was also patient and thorough at our visits post-embryo transfer, and gave us a great personal recommendation for our OB too.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Write down the questions you want answered before consultation
Describe the protocols Thomas Burwinkel used in your cycles at Institute for Reproductive Health and their degree of success.
I have the hormone profile of someone w hypothalamic amenorrhea but ovaries that appear like PCOS. I don’t have periods nor ovulate. So we did OCPs, gonal F and menopur (which I bought from overseas to save money and he allowed), Ovidrel, and PIO (which I prefer to suppositories so he allowed it). I believe gonal f is good when you have low FSH (to improve number of eggs retrieved) and menopur is good when you have low LH (to improve egg quality) - if I remember correctly - this may be reversed if I’m not remembering right. But since mine were both low, we used both! Gonal F was cheaper shipped on ice from Israel and the menopur was a cheaper generic version from the UK. Both obviously worked fine bc we have a live Singleton and one frozen we have yet to try: Ten eggs retrieved, 5 embryos, one was day 5 blastocyst 4aa and the frozen one is a day 6 blastocyst 4bb. I felt Dr. Burwinkle allowed me to give input on how I wanted to do my stims/cycle (I had a lot of opinions due to transferring from another local clinic that I had been very unhappy with).
Describe the costs associated with your care under Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health.
We paid $20,000 cash for the “money back” program which allows I think up to six (??) fresh/frozen cycles with a two year (??) period. I forget the exact details but we decided to do that knowing that if it failed or I miscarried we could try again without paying more. The other option was lying $8500 (ish?) cash for one frozen cycle. My insurance really was no help so we went the cash route. It worked the first time so we call her our $20,000 baby! But it was worth it.
Describe Thomas Burwinkel's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Institute for Reproductive Health.
I would’ve like to transfer two embryos, but I only had one day 5 blastocyst. The other two needed another day to (try) to get to blastocyst stage - so I really didn’t have that option. They do feel strongly about “one healthy baby” at a time, but I believe would allow two embryos transferred if patient prefers
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2
Age
38
Treated
2017
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
—
2
The care at IRH is set up to be treated like a number. There was no personal care and i'm not even sure they knew my name. I had to repeat my issues, why we were there and our current status multiple times...We were not informed of the options before our procedures, specifically ICSI and transfer strategy for optimal results. When asking questions it was hard to get consistent answers across nurses.
+ Read more
Age
38
Treated
2017
Success with this Doc
No
Race
European
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Sales Representative
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1st of 2 Docs
Treatment
IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
—
2
Describe your experience with Institute for Reproductive Health.
The clinic definitely has strength in numbers based on the number of patients they have, however you are treated like that, a number. I believe their intention is great but not having any email access and only voicemail makes for a challenging communication exchange throughout the day. Not being able to contact them in any other way but voicemail is next to impossible in my line of work. We couldn't get our questions answered in a timely fashion based on this.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health?
The care at IRH is set up to be treated like a number. There was no personal care and i'm not even sure they knew my name. I had to repeat my issues, why we were there and our current status multiple times.
What specific things went wrong at Institute for Reproductive Health?
- Lost paperwork
- Failed to call with results
- Failed to send your chart to another clinic
- Lost results
- Provided conflicting information
- Failed to convey critical information
How was your experience with Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health?
I am sure Dr. Burwinkel is a find physician but I wouldn't know too much since I saw him only twice during my care. I did not feel as though he was treating me but rather the entire staff at IRH. Had we had a consistent set of information and communication we would have made different choices. I feel I wasted time and money going there.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Know what you need and expect in your fertility treatment before you go.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health.
The costs were pretty straight forward. They provided a pricing sheet up front for all of the procedures but there was no coordination with my insurance company beyond the pre authorization paperwork. I had to contact the insurance company in order to determine what would be covered. I was never able to get a straight answer from either party. It was unclear to me how much I would owe. In total with my company's coverage ($5,000) and I paid $6K out of pocket for a round of IVF and single transfer. We had no embryos left to freeze and did not do ICSI.
Describe Thomas Burwinkel's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Institute for Reproductive Health.
It would have been nice to discuss this strategy and options before the transfer. We had no idea we would be faced with the choices while i was in the transfer procedure. These important details of how many and odds should be discussed in advance.
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6
Age
29 - 30
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
4 IUI, 4 IVF
Diagnosis
—
6
The nurses [at Institute for Reproductive Health] were always nice and caring. They didn’t however provide a lot of detailed information...The clinic is large with multiple providers which can be good or bad. They always have someone to take care of you, it just may not be someone who is super familiar with you in particular. It is easy to get an appointment and their multiple locations are helpful. For the most part they are compassionate but I did have one provider who somewhat scolded me that I needed to make IVF a “priortiy.” This was after I had gone through several less invasive procedures and a previous egg retrieval and transfer over the course of a year and a half. I was also continuing to work full time and drive 90 minutes one way just to get to my appointment. I think I was making it a priority and was kind of offended by how that was mentioned to me.
+ Read more
Age
29 - 30
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
No
Race
European
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Nurse or HC Services
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1st of 2 Docs
Treatment
4 IUI, 4 IVF
Diagnosis
—
6
Describe your experience with Institute for Reproductive Health.
The clinic is large with multiple providers which can be good or bad. They always have someone to take care of you, it just may not be someone who is super familiar with you in particular. It is easy to get an appointment and their multiple locations are helpful. For the most part they are compassionate but I did have one provider who somewhat scolded me that I needed to make IVF a “priortiy.” This was after I had gone through several less invasive procedures and a previous egg retrieval and transfer over the course of a year and a half. I was also continuing to work full time and drive 90 minutes one way just to get to my appointment. I think I was making it a priority and was kind of offended by how that was mentioned to me.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health?
I really enjoyed Dr. Burwinkel’s bedside manner however, a couple times I felt like he wasn’t 100% informed on who I was in particular. I had to have surgery and saw him for a post-op appointment which was fine. I then started back on treatment which was a timed intercourse cycle and when I came in for an ultrasound to check for follicles, he just looked at my uterus with the ultrasound and didn’t measure any follicles. He made it seem like he thought this was a post-op follow up and didn’t really provide the correct information for me for my trigger timing. I started to lose confidence after that visit but continued with him for multiple other cycles, eventually leading me to IVF.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
The nurses were always nice and caring. They didn’t however provide a lot of detailed information.
How was your experience with Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Dr. Burwinkel has 2 partners that cover him when he is off which is really nice. However, after my first IVF cycle did not result in pregnancy and few eggs/embryos with nothing to freeze, the protocol was not really changed. I don’t know if this was because his partner was covering but I never understood why a similar protocol would have different results. When I had even fewer eggs retrieved and only 1 embryo, I started to wonder if something else was wrong with me as I knew I had a high AMH and should have a lot of eggs. That transfer did result in pregnancy but ended in a second trimester miscarriage due to Down’s syndrome. When I saw Dr. Burwinkel following my miscarriage, he was very compassionate but was unable to come up with a plan for me to get more, better quality embryos in a future cycle. I think I lost all confidence at that time.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Provide details and keep patients informed.
Describe the protocols Thomas Burwinkel used in your cycles at Institute for Reproductive Health and their degree of success.
My first IVF cycle was done with Follistim which was initially started at a moderate dose. When my estrogen jumped up, the dose was greatly reduced which later caused my estrogen to drop and I was offered to the chance to cancel the cycle. Since I had insurance coverage, I decided to proceed. I had 5 eggs retrieved. On day 1, none had fertilized so we did rescue ICSI that resulted in 2 embryos which were both transferred on day 3. This resulted in no pregnancy. For my second cycle, the Follistim was pretty much the same. I did take letrozole in the beginning with this cycle. Again my estrogen quickly increased so my Follistim was decreased and again my estrogen dropped and resulted in fewer eggs. I did have one 3 day embryo with ICSI which resulted in pregnancy, but later a miscarriage.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health.
I had insurance coverage so I can only guess for the cab pay price. I believe IVF with ICSI and hatching is around $12,000 a cycle. A transfer is about $1000.
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10
Age
37 - 38
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
4 IUI
Diagnosis
PCOS, Unexplained
10
IRH is a fantastic clinic all around. The staff are people too, so even though service is provided every day, you may not have the same staff each visit. This didn't bother us at all since they work seamlessly together and we had regular check-in visits with our primary doctor (Dr. Scheiber) there...All of the nurses we encountered during our treatment were professional and caring...we found the costs to be competitive (for the U.S.)
+ Read more
Age
37 - 38
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Marketer or PR
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1st of 3 Docs
Treatment
4 IUI
Diagnosis
PCOS, Unexplained
10
Describe your experience with Institute for Reproductive Health.
IRH is a fantastic clinic all around. The staff are people too, so even though service is provided every day, you may not have the same staff each visit. This didn't bother us at all since they work seamlessly together and we had regular check-in visits with our primary doctor (Dr. Scheiber) there.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Dr. Scheiber always treated us like people. He was patient to explain our case and options with us.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
All of the nurses we encountered during our treatment were professional and caring.
How was your experience with Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health?
We were thoroughly impressed with Dr. Scheiber and the entire team at IRH. He was very personable and extremely professional. We ended up relocating to a different state without getting pregnant, but even after we left, he and his staff were helpful in providing necessary records and recommendations to resume treatment elsewhere. We'd highly recommend Scheiber!
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health?
The team at IRH work seamlessly to provide care every day of the week. For the in-office treatments and some investigative procedures, you will probably be seen by other doctors. They're all very good at IRH.
Describe the protocols Michael Scheiber used in your cycles at Institute for Reproductive Health and their degree of success.
We started on a low-dose pill I took during 5 days of my menstrual cycle. I didn't respond as much as hoped (in terms of follicle growth), so the dosage was increased 50% for the remaining 4 cycles.
We tried IUIs 4 times. Had we not relocated to another state, we would have skipped the intermediary option and gone straight to IVF. This was recommended because of my age (and weight).
Describe the costs associated with your care under Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health.
Our medical insurance coverage was quite good. I don't remember exact costs, but we found the costs to be competitive (for the U.S.)
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10
Age
32 - 35
Treated
2014 - 2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
6 IUI, 2 IVF
Diagnosis
PCOS
10
Everyone at IRH is amazing and kind. I never came across any rude people in all my many visits to the office. I remember being told good luck by other nurses who I had before, just not that day. I believe they all genuinely care for all their patients and they all want to help you have a baby.... The only weakness is their new phone system. I’m not a huge fan of automated. But I know it helps them help more people. I would just like to talk to a real person.
+ Read more
Age
32 - 35
Treated
2014 - 2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
6 IUI, 2 IVF
Diagnosis
PCOS
10
Describe your experience with Institute for Reproductive Health.
IRH strengths:
-The Drs/nurses work well together. They all enjoy being there. That makes their patients more comfortable about being there.
-they’re knowledgeable about their field. They’re very confident on their treatment plans.
-the wait times aren’t usually long. I don’t think I’ve waited longer than 10 minutes in the room.
- they have 3 offices for patients convenience.
The only weakness is their new phone system. I’m not a huge fan of automated. But I know it helps them help more people. I would just like to talk to a real person.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Dr. Schieber always greeted me with a smile, and was always positive about the treatments I was doing. He answered mine and my husband’s questions. He was always approachable.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
I wish I was better at names. Everyone at IRH is amazing and kind. I never came across any rude people in all my many visits to the office. I remember being told good luck by other nurses who I had before, just not that day. I believe they all genuinely care for all their patients and they all want to help you have a baby.
How was your experience with Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Dr. Scheiber was very quick to diagnose me with PCOS. A quick ultrasound confirmed his diagnosis. I had to have a surgery before we started treatments to clear tissue out of my uterus. We started with femara. That wasn’t working well so I was given injectables. We did 5 or 6 iui’s all with femara and injectables without success. Dr. Scheiber was positive during the whole process but also realistic. He saw that iui’s weren’t working and suggested a meeting to discuss new ideas. Which was IVF. We were lucky to have some insurance coverage so we were able to start right away. We did education day the middle of January and injections started the second week of February. I had my first retrieval 2/24. Transfer was 2/27. We transferred two 3 day embryos. They didn’t stick. Second retrieval was 4/14. Transfer was 4/19. We transferred two 5 day embryos. They also didn’t stick. That was a very low point for me. If it wasn’t for Dr. Scheiber I would have quit right there. He convinced me to try a frozen transfer with our remaining 2 embryos. Our last chance. Dr. Scheiber was super upbeat and during the transfer on 5/25 he was like this is it! This time is going to work! On June 8 2016 I received the best phone call ever. I was pregnant! We had our first 2 ultrasounds at IRH then we graduated to my OB/GYN. On February 10,2017 I had a healthy baby boy!!
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health?
You’ve made the right choice choosing IRH and Dr. Scheiber. He’s kind but will tell you the truth. Don’t be afraid to ask questions.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Institute for Reproductive Health.
I was going like every other day or every 2 days for like two weeks during the cycle. I was usually able to schedule appointments when it was convenient for me. But obviously some days don’t work as well as others.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health.
We were lucky and had insurance coverage. The drugs were expensive. I think for the Iui and ivf cycles we paid close to $10,000 on drugs and $10,000 for the cycles. Our costs would have doubled or tripled had we not had coverage.
Describe Michael Scheiber's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Institute for Reproductive Health.
We chose to transfer two embryos. We thought it would give us a better shot at atleast one sticking. The office suggests one, but won’t do any more than two.
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7
Age
32 - 33
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
2 IUI, 1 IVF, Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
Endometriosis, PCOS, Unexplained
7
The clinic [Institute for Reproductive Health] was very clean and organized and there was a private place for us to discuss our cycle and plan with the nurse and with the doctor. The check in and check out was always fairly smooth. Getting financial information for bills and services paid was difficult at times and there was some confusion about what had been paid for and what was still owed, but they were able to make some calls to get it figured out.
+ Read more
Age
32 - 33
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
No
Race
Other
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Nurse or HC Services
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
2 IUI, 1 IVF, Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
Endometriosis, PCOS, Unexplained
7
Describe your experience with Institute for Reproductive Health.
The clinic was very clean and organized and there was a private place for us to discuss our cycle and plan with the nurse and with the doctor. The check in and check out was always fairly smooth. Getting financial information for bills and services paid was difficult at times and there was some confusion about what had been paid for and what was still owed, but they were able to make some calls to get it figured out.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Early in the treatment process we were treated very well by all the staff and the doctor. We were given high expectation throughout the process and everyone was very positive and reassuring. After the retrieval and fertilization results came in we were told we’d be a freeze all cycle due to hyper stimulation but then received multiple calls the following days saying we were a fresh transfer, when in fact we were not able to go that route. It was rather upsetting. After our last frozen embryo transfer we were notified of the negative hcg via phone by one of the nurses and had expected we would hear from the doctor as we used our last 2 embryos. When we didn’t hear from him after a few days of getting the results, we called the office a few times to speak with him because we were never given the opportunity to discuss what happened or what the next steps are or what our options were or what could possibly be done differently if we chose to continue with another retrieval. We felt like we were just unsuccessful and dropped from the radar with no guidance or explanation as to where to go from there. Overall the people seemed to care throughout the process but after we felt like we were left in a cold and limbo like state.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
The nurse I seen in the office and the one who reviewed the plan and medications were absolutely amazing. The one making the call didn’t seem to care and I was just a number she was reporting information to in order to cross me off the to do list. There were also multiple times I was contacted by the same nurse who gave me false (and very upsetting) information, she didn’t seem to know my case or what was going on.
What specific things went wrong at Institute for Reproductive Health?
- Provided conflicting information
How was your experience with Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health?
He reviewed all of my medical records and discussed options in detail with us during our initial consultation. He made of feel very comfortable, hopeful, and informed. During each visit we got additional information to help guide us with medications and what to expect. When we were unsuccessful after our last frozen transfer we were never contacted by him to discuss the cycles or any future plans of continuing treatment. We contacted his office and were given a time he would call back for us to ask questions. I don’t feel like we really got any answers as to why the cycles failed or what the next course of action would be or what could be done differently if we decided to do an additional retrieval and transfer.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Ask a lot of questions and be well informed every step of the way.
Describe the protocols Sherif Awadalla used in your cycles at Institute for Reproductive Health and their degree of success.
Cycle day 3 started birth control pills and a profilactic antibiotic, last bcp was day 22, had an ultrasound for follicles on day 23, cycle day 2 started using follistim 200 IU SQ at a given time daily for 4 days and then had a repeat follicle scan on day 6 with lab draw and continued on follistim 200 IU SQ, day 7 I took the follistim 200 IU SQ and Ganirelix SQ, day 8 follistim 200 IU SQ and ganirelix SQ, cycle day 9 had follicle scan and labs and changed follistim dose to 125 IU SQ with the ganirelix SQ, cycle day 10 follistim 100 IU SQ and ganirelix SQ, day 11 follicle scan and labs and took follistim 100 IU SQ and ganirelix SQ, cycle day 25 follistim 25 IU SQ and ganirelix SQ, day 13 Lipton trigger shot and started destinex tablets, day 14 dostinex tablet, day 15 egg retrieval (15 eggs retreived). Day 16 six eggs fertilized and told we would be a freeze all cycle due to ovarian hyper stimulation, day 18 above average growth and development on 4 of the eggs and regular on 2. Next cycle started - day 2 three embryos made it to blast stage and were frozen and need to postpone frozen transfer to next cycle. Started birth control pills for a few weeks and then started cycle day 1, started taking estradiol 3 times daily, day 13 had ultrasound and labs, day 18 started prometrium 3 times a day, day 23 frozen embryo transfer, negative hcg 11 days later, after the next cycle started and completed we did the 2nd frozen transer with our last 2 embryos which were grade A, 14 days later we had a negative hcg.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health.
$8500 to begin the process (MD visit, ultrasounds, labs, retrieval and one fresh transfer, nurse education day) they wouldn’t let us do the fresh transfer so we did frozen which cost an additional $5000 (counting the second frozen transfer), medications and travel expenses roughly $3500 - totaling around $17000
Describe Sherif Awadalla's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Institute for Reproductive Health.
I feel like at least 2 embryo transfer is the best route when you are doing IVF.
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10
Age
32 - 33
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
4 IUI, 2 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor, PCOS
10
I absolutely LOVE the nursing staff [at the Institute for Reproductive Health]. They are ALL caring and compassionate and go out of their way to help us. I could not imagine going through this journey without them!... The only weakness is when you call the office, you always have to leave a voicemail. However, the nurses/staff are quick to respond.... For IVF, we did the money back guarantee program with ICSI and that was around 22k (or 70% back if no live birth).
+ Read more
Age
32 - 33
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Other
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
4 IUI, 2 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor, PCOS
10
Describe your experience with Institute for Reproductive Health.
The only weakness is when you call the office, you always have to leave a voicemail. However, the nurses/staff are quick to respond.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health?
I always felt like a human and not just a number. Dr. B did what was right for me and my situation and always gave me the honest information.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
I absolutely LOVE the nursing staff. They are ALL caring and compassionate and go out of their way to help us. I could not imagine going through this journey without them!
How was your experience with Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Dr. Burwinkel is such an amazing doctor. He has gone above and beyond to help get my pregnant, and always listens to me. I had a miscarriage after an IUI in the summer of 2016. During my D&C, right before I was put under, I started crying. Dr. B. came to my side and held my hand as I was put to sleep for the procedure. I will never, ever forget the compassion he showed during that difficult time. Dr. B is always honest with me and does what is right for me and my situation. I could not ever imagine seeing another doctor or going ot another practice.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Be open and honest with Dr. B about your thoughts on your protocol. He WILL listen! Advocate for yourself, too.
Describe the protocols Thomas Burwinkel used in your cycles at Institute for Reproductive Health and their degree of success.
IUIs 1-4: 5mg Femara and Ovidrel
IUI 1 resulted in miscarriage with a D&C at 9 weeks.
IUIs 2-4 were negative.
IVF 1: 175 Follistim, then increased to 225. Ganirelix and Ovidrel--rationale, I have PCOS and did not want my to hyper stimulate. Prometrium after retrieval and through transfer. 2 Blasts, 1 transferred and did not result in pregnancy.
FET 1: Estrace 2mg a day, then PIO. Frozen embryo transferred and did not result in pregnancy.
IVF 2: 150 Follistim and 75 Menopur. The last twp days of stims, we upped the Follistim to 225. Ganirelix and Ovidrel. Added in medrol and baby asprin after the retrieval. Added PIO after retrieval. 7 total blasts. 2 transferred. Currently pregnant and waiting for my first ultrasound to determine if it's a singleton or twin pregnancy.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health.
We used insurance for the IUIs, so the cost to us was around $100 per IUI. For IVF, we did the money back guarantee program with ICSI and that was around 22k (or 70% back if no live birth).
Describe Thomas Burwinkel's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Institute for Reproductive Health.
With my first IVF cycle, we did one embryo. Same with the FET because we only had 1 embryo left. After those two cycles failed, Dr. B decided to transfer two embryos moving forward. I trusted his judgement with the single and multiple embryo transfers.
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10
Age
29 - 32
Treated
2014 - 2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
3 IUI, 1 IVF, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
Male Factor
10
All the IRH nurses are wonderful, but every time Heather was working when I was there she requested to work with me. We really connected at the West Chester office and she remembered me each time I was in. She has such a positive energy and exudes the hope all staff at a place like this should. She was a huge cheerleader for us through the whole process and when we got our positive. She was in the room when we found out we lost our baby and cried right along with us. I will never forget her or her compassion.
+ Read more
Age
29 - 32
Treated
2014 - 2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
Operations
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
3 IUI, 1 IVF, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
Male Factor
10
Describe your experience with Institute for Reproductive Health.
Weaknesses: the phone system is a bit confusing, even for seasoned patients. Also really have to pay attention to your bill for errors.
Strengths: multiple locations around the city. Drs belong to The Christ Hospital which is the best in Cinci in my opinion. They offer an online and inperson support group which has been so wonderful.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Dr. Scheiber always takes time to explain everything and makes sure I understand. He answers my questions thoroughly and honestly.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Institute for Reproductive Health. (Assigned nurse: Heather)
All the IRH nurses are wonderful, but every time Heather was working when I was there she requested to work with me. We really connected at the West Chester office and she remembered me each time I was in. She has such a positive energy and exudes the hope all staff at a place like this should. She was a huge cheerleader for us through the whole process and when we got our positive. She was in the room when we found out we lost our baby and cried right along with us. I will never forget her or her compassion.
How was your experience with Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Dr. Scheiber is very much to the point but makes sure I understand what's happening. He listens and responds to my questions no matter how long it takes. He was very straightforward about our chances of conceiving without giving false hope or seeming overly negative. What really makes me feel great about seeing him is the way he treated me when I miscarried. He had to deliver the news to us and even though he sees this all the time was visibly upset, which made me feel he truly cares. He then came in several hours early on his surgery day to fit me in so I wouldn't have to wait several days for a d&c. We are about to do our first frozen embryo transfer with him this month. We were having trouble getting the money together so shopped around for a cheaper clinic. We found one and I called IRH to see if he would match their price. He did far better than match it to keep me there and to not risk transporting our precious embryos elsewhere. Because of that we're able to do the transfer now rather than 6 months to a year from now. I feel like every bit of my treatment protocol has been spot on and I trust him implicitly. I know we're in excellent hands and feel 100% confident we'll have our miracle baby soon!
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Ask questions! Even if you think of them later. He gives minimum detail unless you ask.
Describe the protocols Michael Scheiber used in your cycles at Institute for Reproductive Health and their degree of success.
3 IUIs: only medication used was Ovidrel since we have male factor infertility. All 3 resulted in negative tests.
IVF: can't recall the protocol but started birth control to suppress my cycle so it could be easily fracked and timed. Went off that and began stim injections to produce a number of eggs. Was closely monitored via ultrasound to check progress and retrieval was set based on follicle size. We had 12 follicles, 9 eggs retrieved, 6 5-day old blastocysts. We transferred 1 embryo which resulted in pregnancy but ended at 10 weeks due to chromosomal abnormality. Dr. Scheiber did not recommend pre genetic screening for the embryos because I do not have infertility and have high quality eggs.
FET#1: prescribed Estrace beginning cycle day 1. Will be monitored for ovulation via ultrasound. Once I've ovulated the transfer will be scheduled for 5 days later. Upon transfer I'll begin progesterone therapy until at least the beta test 8-10 days later, longer if the test is positive.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health.
IUI: about $1k/cycle
IVF: $10k plus around $4k for medication
FET: $4500 plus about $350 for medication
Describe Michael Scheiber's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Institute for Reproductive Health.
Dr. Scheiber is a huge proponent for eSET unless there is a strong medical reason to transfer more than one. His logic is technology has advanced to a point it's no longer necessary to transfer multiple to be successful and since a multiples pregnancy is riskier than a singleton he avoids recommending it if possible. At the end of the day though it's the patients decision, but he will make sure you have all the facts to make an informed choice.
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10
Age
31 - 32
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
6 IUI
Diagnosis
Male Factor, PCOS
10
The nursing staff [at IRH-Cincinnati] always responded quickly when I called the office. I had a terrible time with my insurance and the specialty pharmacy it used to get my injections and the nursing staff handled it very well (even though I probably drove them nuts calling so much). I had to come in on several saturdays for IUIs and the staff was always friendly and welcoming. They never made me feel like an inconvenience.
+ Read more
Age
31 - 32
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Nurse or HC Services
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
6 IUI
Diagnosis
Male Factor, PCOS
10
Describe your experience with Institute for Reproductive Health.
The clinic was wonderfully decorated with big windows in the waiting room. The lab was right down the hall so we didn’t have to travel far to pick up our specimens. Almost every time I was there I was taken back early and never had to wait past my appointment.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Dr Awadalla was excellent. Our first first visit we were emotionally drained and frustrated. Dr Awadalla did an ultrasound and reviewed the tests from my OB and then took an hour to explain what was causing our infertility, answered our questions, and formed a plan to help get us pregnant. He was easy to talk to and really made us feel at ease and hopeful. Every time I went in for an IUI it was like he knew exactly how I was feeling and knew what to say to make us confident to continue treatments. He even called me on my cell phone once to help me to decide my next step in treatment. He is excellent!
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
The nursing staff always responded quickly when I called the office. I had a terrible time with my insurance and the specialty pharmacy it used to get my injections and the nursing staff handled it very well (even though I probably drove them nuts calling so much). I had to come in on several saturdays for IUIs and the staff was always friendly and welcoming. They never made me feel like an inconvenience.
How was your experience with Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Dr Awadalla was compassionate, easy to talk to, thorough in his explanations, so easy going he made us feel like there was no doubt we would get pregnant, and very knowledgeable. Every time we came in after a failed attempt we would review the statistics of the treatments, form a plan for the next cycle and he would hand write the exact dosages of medications I needed to take and when. He would also draw little cartoons/symbols indicating us getting pregnant at the end. He really helped keep our stress levels down while giving us all the facts we needed which is not an easy task. Even though I didn’t see him every visit I saw him most of the time. The other doctors and NP were also very good so I never felt uncomfortable having them do a treatment for me.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health?
You are in the best place for getting pregnant. It’s an emotionally difficult journey (sometimes physically difficult), so going in make sure you ask questions. Dr Awadalla is very approachable and smart so knowing all the facts will help put you at ease a bit.
Describe the protocols Sherif Awadalla used in your cycles at Institute for Reproductive Health and their degree of success.
We tried a new treatment every three months until I got pregnant. It was explained to me that after three rounds of a treatment not working statistically my chances of getting pregnant with that treatment dramatically decreased. I started taking metformin daily to help counteract some of my hormones with PCOS. So first I did oral medication and IUI for three rounds, then Injections and orals for three months and got pregnant on the third round. We started with oral medication and IUI first because I had tried oral medication and timed intercourse for three months with no result with my OB. I also switched from clomid to femara with Dr Awadalla because I did not ovulate with my third round of clomid. Every time we did a cycle before I took my ovulation injection Dr Awadalla did an ultrasound to verify how many healthy eggs I had so I didn’t have too many or too little. That also helped him adjust my medication doses as needed. So after 6 IUIs 3 with orals and three with injections I got pregnant and now have twin boys:)
Describe the costs associated with your care under Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health.
My insurance and my husbands insurance covered most of the cost.
Describe Sherif Awadalla's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Institute for Reproductive Health.
We never had to do IVF.
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7
Age
39 - 40
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
2 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Tubal Blockage
7
Very nice facility [Institute for Reproductive Health]. Clean and comfortable. I always got a call back when calling with questions from for the staff. The clinic seems to be organized, overall and it was not overcrowded. I never had to wait too long. They also helped me to find my medications at the best possible price at that time...The nursing staff was overall very caring and more willing to spend time answering questions I had.
+ Read more
Age
39 - 40
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
?
Race
European
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
Sales Representative
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
2 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Tubal Blockage
7
Describe your experience with Institute for Reproductive Health.
Very nice facility. Clean and comfortable. I always got a call back when calling with questions from for the staff. The clinic seems to be organized, overall and it was not overcrowded. I never had to wait too long. They also helped me to find my medications at the best possible price at that time.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health?
When consulting with Dr. S via phone after my failed IVF cycle, I felt like he was not even looking at my chart. He mentioned uterine fibroids, when previously he mentioned my uterus looking perfect. I didn’t feel I was getting the individual treatment I was wanting at this moment when discussing this huge disappointment in my life.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
The nursing staff was overall very caring and more willing to spend time answering questions I had.
What specific things went wrong at Institute for Reproductive Health?
- Provided conflicting information
How was your experience with Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Dr. Scheiber performed a laparoscopy on me and I was under his care for IUIs and IVF. He was very comforting at the time of surgery. He does explain things in a way that it is easy to understand. I did not like the fact that I barely saw him after my surgery. The majority of treatment was performed by his counter parts. I was surprised when I went in for my egg retrieval that he was not even there for that. I thought for sure I would see him then, and I was disappointed that no one informed me he would not be doing the procedure. I did not see him one time during my IVF cycle, and it was pretty much the same for the IUIs I had the year before.
When consulting with him after the egg retrieval (failed cycle), I felt as though he offered generic advice and did not have my chart to look at. He offered no change in protocol when I asked about future treatment, which was discouraging.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Don’t expect to see him much.
Describe the protocols Michael Scheiber used in your cycles at Institute for Reproductive Health and their degree of success.
I do not remember specifically the protocols that were used specifically for me. I used injectables for three IUI attempts (one was cancelled due to large follicle being on the side where I did not have a tube) and an IVF cycle. I will say that the protocol that was used and rationale behind it was not explained to me. Maybe I should’ve asked more questions, but I just followed directions. There was no explaining of ‘why’ they were doing things this particular way.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health.
I do not remember specifically.
Describe Michael Scheiber's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Institute for Reproductive Health.
No comment
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3
Age
27 - 28
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
7 IUI, 2 IVF, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
Unexplained
3
The IVF nurses are mostly good (though the other day one contradicted the doctor so that was frustrating), and they are more professional and compassionate than the other staff. Other nurses have been rude, homophobic, incompetent, or unprofessional. One seriously offended me and then had the dr. apologize on her behalf instead of doing it on her own like an adult.
+ Read more
Age
27 - 28
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
?
Race
Ashkenazi Jewish
Income
$0 - $49K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
7 IUI, 2 IVF, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
Unexplained
3
Describe your experience with Institute for Reproductive Health.
Strength: efficiency, high reported success rates
Weaknesses: human compassion, personalization of treatment, making you feel like they have time for you
Do your homework before you go
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Other than passed tissues across a table and a few reassuring head nods, the doctors seemed to have minimal empathy for the pain and frustration associated with this invasive, frustrating, and traumatic process. My miscarriage was described (by another doctor at the clinic) as "disappointing." I'm sure it was disappointing for them and their statistics, but for me it was one of the saddest experiences of my life. Disappointing doesn't begin to cover it. There are also so many different nurses there that until IVF, I was just another patient. Once a nurse called me back and asked if my partner and I were having sex to increase our chances of IUI success. I'm a lesbian, so this wouldn't have helped. The nurse simply didn't think to open our chart before calling us...the first page would have told her that we're two women. The number of LGBT related microaggressions we experience is through the roof. We cross out mislabeled forms and correct their language on a regular basis. They also failed to manage my thyroid condition appropriately or advise me to seek treatment from an endocrinologist who could. This clinic has the best success rates in the area and switching at this point would cost us an additional thousand dollars at least, but I wish I had other options.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
This is so mixed. There might be 50 nurses working there. The IVF nurses are mostly good (though the other day one contradicted the doctor so that was frustrating), and they are more professional and compassionate than the other staff. Other nurses have been rude, homophobic, incompetent, or unprofessional. One seriously offended me and then had the dr. apologize on her behalf instead of doing it on her own like an adult.
What specific things went wrong at Institute for Reproductive Health?
- Failed to order appropriate test
- Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
- Provided conflicting information
- Failed to convey critical information
How was your experience with Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health?
I answered this on an earlier question. On one foot, this experience has been very frustrating and sad in its own right but also additionally so because of issues at the fertility clinic. Dr. Scheiber himself has been the best out of the three doctors we've seen but is still only so so, and I wish it felt more like he cared about me as a person rather than a case.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Make sure you do your homework and ask lots of questions along the way. There are times when my treatment course was adjusted or explanations were corrected because of information I supplied as opposed to information that they offered.
Describe the protocols Michael Scheiber used in your cycles at Institute for Reproductive Health and their degree of success.
5 natural iui at my request. 1 iui with femara (bad reaction).
IVF #1 fresh transfer, 225 follistim, ganirelix, ovidrel. Eset. Pregnancy...missed miscarriage at 9 weeks. D&C.
IVF #2 in progress, 225 follistim, 75 menopur, ganirelix, ovidrel. PGS (to reduce chance of additional miscarriage...at my request)
Describe the costs associated with your care under Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health.
IVF with ICSI 9,600. IUI total about $1000 (x7).
Describe Michael Scheiber's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Institute for Reproductive Health.
I'm young (27) so he prefers eSET, and I had "success" with it once and we will probably do this again this cycle.
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10
Age
38 - 40
Treated
2015 - 2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
5 IUI
Diagnosis
Other
10
I didn't like that you can never talk to a live person [at Institute for Reproductive Health] but they are very prompt about returning calls. I never had a bad experience with a nurse on the phone or in person...Strengths- Multiple locations, flexible hours, reasonable cost, good success and quality doctors and staff. All three doctors are great. Weaknesses- I didn't like when I was given an appointment to see the nurse practitioner (or felt like I was forced to see her) when I was told I was seeing one of the doctors. She, in my opinion, is very rough during examinations.
+ Read more
Age
38 - 40
Treated
2015 - 2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Lawyer
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
5 IUI
Diagnosis
Other
10
Describe your experience with Institute for Reproductive Health.
Strengths- Multiple locations, flexible hours, reasonable cost, good success and quality doctors and staff. All three doctors are great.
Weaknesses- I didn't like when I was given an appointment to see the nurse practitioner (or felt like I was forced to see her) when I was told I was seeing one of the doctors. She, in my opinion, is very rough during examinations.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Dr. Scheiber and his staff have always been very warm and compassionate. When I had a chemical pregnancy he called me after I had had several conversations with the nursing staff. He had very kind words for me and gave me some peace in a very emotional situation.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
I didn't like that you can never talk to a live person but they are very prompt about returning calls. I never had a bad experience with a nurse on the phone or in person.
How was your experience with Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health?
He was extremely caring and always asked about our daughter when we saw him. He had a great sense of humor during the whole process (which was appreciated!) while being frank with us about the challenges we would face trying to conceive at our ages.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Trust him. He will be frank with you.
Describe the protocols Michael Scheiber used in your cycles at Institute for Reproductive Health and their degree of success.
For my first pregnancy it took several rounds of Clomid before I ovulated. When I did finally ovulate I took Ovidril and he gave us the option to do IUI or not. We elected to do IUI (because we didn't know how long it would take before I would ovulate again) and I got pregnant.
The second time around was not so easy. I had three IUIs (with Clomid and Ovidril) and had a negative result, a chemical pregnancy, a month off and a negative result before taking another month off to mentally regroup. After that month to regroup (and stop stressing about it!) I got pregnant on our fourth IUI (still with Clomid and Ovidril).
Describe the costs associated with your care under Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health.
I think it was $475 for my first IUI in 2015 and $500 per IUI in 2016/2017.
Describe Michael Scheiber's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Institute for Reproductive Health.
N/A
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9
Age
27 - 28
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
1 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor, Other
9
You must leave a message and wait for a call back [at Institute for Reproductive Health]. Inconvenient for me working In healthcare field as well. Billing/financial is helpful but not as helpful as I wish they would be when it comes to insurance benefit and helping me figure out what is best. Nursing staff is helpful. Catering to me when I need to lay down for bloodwork. Drs schedules are hard to work with if you only want to see one doctor! Need to be flexible but everyone has been great!
+ Read more
Age
27 - 28
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
No
Race
Other
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Nurse or HC Services
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1st of 2 Docs
Treatment
1 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor, Other
9
Describe your experience with Institute for Reproductive Health.
You cannot speak to someone directly. You must leave a message and wait for a call back. Inconvenient for me working In healthcare field as well.
Billing/financial is helpful but not as helpful as I wish they would be when it comes to insurance benefit and helping me figure out what is best.
Nursing staff is helpful. Catering to me when I need to lay down for bloodwork. Drs schedules are hard to work with if you only want to see one doctor! Need to be flexible but everyone has been great!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Dr. Scheiber was always very welcoming, accepting, and comforting. He spoke to both myself and my husband frequently in the office. He cared & answered all of my questions.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Institute for Reproductive Health. (Assigned nurse: Jacquie )
Nursing staff is great! They're helpful, but hard to get ahold of. We have to leave a message every time we have a question. We request they return a call between certain times and they do their best with that. A trend we have seen is they tend to return calls around 3:45-4:00 pm which is inconvenient because they don't return calls after 4. So if you miss the call between 3:45-4:00 you have to wait until the next day.
How was your experience with Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health?
We enjoy seeing Dr Scheiber. He cares for us and answers our questions. We have been with him from October 2016-current. We had done a lot of leg work in the beginning of treatment so he was ready to get started with us as soon as we arrived. We had all of our info in place and were just as eager to get started with treatment!
We wish we were able to see him each time we went but there are 3 locations and 3 doctors. We have had to be flexible.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health?
You will not see Dr Scheiber at every appointment. All of the doctors in the practice have different bedside manners and some are way different than others! I was shocked!
He is a very smart man, & I believe has the best interest in all of his patients.
Describe the protocols Michael Scheiber used in your cycles at Institute for Reproductive Health and their degree of success.
IUI with Femara days 3-7, once IUI was complete we had intercourse that evening and the next day - negative
Another semen analysis was completed and nothing had changed since husband changed diet and started Clomid.
IVF - BCP, Menopur, Follistim, Ganirilex, & HCG trigger - egg retrieval while under conscious sedation. ICSI performed, 5 day transfer of one blastocyst rated perfect. Started endometrin -negative test at 10dp5dt.
Beginning 1st FET - Estradiol & baby aspirin day 1-day20. Day 14 ultrasound and will start endometrin at that time. Day 20 thaw and transfer of hopefully two blasts.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health.
IUI - $350ish
IVF w/ ICSI - $20,000 billed to insurance. Roughly $11,000 if self pay. Meds were ordered through online pharmacy at $3,000
FET - $8,000 billed to insurance, $4500 if Self pay
Describe Michael Scheiber's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Institute for Reproductive Health.
Drs only wanted to transfer 1 embryo first cycle. We were disappointed as we wanted to transfer two. We were told it would only increase chances by 2%. We "had great odds with my age & the rating of our embryo". Resulted in negative pregnancy test. We are pushing for 2 embryos transferred this time.
We had a lot of pushback transferring two the first round and was talked down upon when we asked about transferring two from another dr within the practice.
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10
Age
32 - 34
Treated
2015 - 2017
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
1 IUI, 1 IVF, 1 Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
—
10
I am a nurse, but being a patient is totally different. The nurses there [at Institute for Reproductive Health] are sweet and always considerate of your feelings. They know what to say when your feeling nervous and overwhelmed. Very comforting... I really can't speak about any weaknesses, other than maybe billing. They submitted some things to my insurance and I'm a self pay patient, my insurance covers nothing for infertility.
+ Read more
Age
32 - 34
Treated
2015 - 2017
Success with this Doc
No
Race
European
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
Nurse or HC Services
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1st of 3 Docs
Treatment
1 IUI, 1 IVF, 1 Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
—
10
Describe your experience with Institute for Reproductive Health.
I really can't speak about any weaknesses, other than maybe billing. They submitted some things to my insurance and I'm a self pay patient, my insurance covers nothing for infertility. They have GREAT success with IVF so that's why I chose to go there!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health?
He has a wonderful bedside manner, he also really cares about his patients and even when things don't go the way I wanted he called me to answer my questions and to genuinely check on me.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
I am a nurse, but being a patient is totally different. The nurses there are sweet and always considerate of your feelings. They know what to say when your feeling nervous and overwhelmed. Very comforting
How was your experience with Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Again he was really compassionate and he also was very truthful from the start and took his time with us and answered all of our questions. He's awesome! He was the doctor that I saw every visit during my first IVF round, only one time during that 1st round I had to see one of his partners (it was a holiday weekend), but he told me that I was going to have to see one of his partners, so I was prepared and I was ok with that.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Come prepared to answer some questions from him and know that he is ok with you having a voice in your treatment!
Describe the protocols Thomas Burwinkel used in your cycles at Institute for Reproductive Health and their degree of success.
I was on birth control for 22 days, started a period and the started follistim, then added menopure, and ganarellix. Then eventually a Hcg shot and progesterone vaginal suppositories. I can't exactly remember how many days of the follistim, I think it was 12, I remember I had to increase 1 time and then had to order more of it and the menopure. My egg retrevial was intense, I was hyperstimed and he retrieved 21 eggs and I was put on some medication to help with my HSS. Out of the 21 eggs we had 5, 5 day embryos. We transferred 1 and froze the other 4. BFN on day 14, post transfer, I also started my period that day. I'm currently waiting to test, I will on Thursday, we used 2 frozen embryos on Friday March 24th. I don't think I am pregnant though.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health.
IRH has the best price for IVF in the area.
Describe Thomas Burwinkel's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Institute for Reproductive Health.
I told him whatever he thought was best I trust him and that's why I travel over an hour to see him.
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8
Age
29 - 32
Treated
2014 - 2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
6 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Endometriosis, PCOS, Poor Egg Quality, Tubal Blockage
8
New patient is a bit of a wait and you need to be aggressive and direct about what you want....I think the only weakness could be they [Inst for Repro Health] are so busy at this clinic the office phone is always a call back but other than that they do call back...The clinic is great at what they do if your specific provider isn't available the other two will see you as well and are just as good....They will call you back to get an appt by the end of the day that you call....
+ Read more
Age
29 - 32
Treated
2014 - 2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
Nurse or HC Services
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 3 Docs
Treatment
6 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Endometriosis, PCOS, Poor Egg Quality, Tubal Blockage
8
Describe your experience with Institute for Reproductive Health.
New patient is a bit of a wait and you need to be aggressive and direct about what you want.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health?
He gave me a grant to do another frozen transfer with our last two embryos we have. But we and he feels the fresh cycle is going to give us the best result. We cannot afford another Ivf fresh cycle at this time though.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
They are all great as well. I think the only weakness could be they are so busy at this clinic the office phone is always a call back but other than that they do call back
How was your experience with Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health?
The clinic is great at what they do if your specific provider isn't available the other two will see you as well and are just as good. Dr. Schieber saw me as well and did the transfer for two cycles I had. I love all the providers there. Dr. Awadalla has a great bedside manner and is very compassionate to my situation that is why I prefer him. But I do see other providers there as well. He is very detailed and is not pushy. I wouldn't choose another clinic to do Ivf.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Be direct with what care you want and they will do their best to make it happen.
Describe the protocols Sherif Awadalla used in your cycles at Institute for Reproductive Health and their degree of success.
I did 4 iuis before going to Ivf. I did 2 previous iui I believe with another provider and clinic. We did the fresh cycle Ivf and it went very smoothly. I took femara. I did menapur injections along with Follistim. It was 2 years ago so I don't remember my exact doses but my charts would have all this information. I think I was going to have to icsi but then the egg and sperm were good so I didn't have to. We retrieved 7 eggs 5 of which were all day 5 embryos. One was transferred and resulted in my son. And 4 were frozen. We used 2 this past year and they did not take. I only have tubal blockage and endometriosis which makes me a good candidate for fresh cycle Ivf. The frozen I am not sure about how well since the last one didn't take. We cannot afford to use the last two yet. But would really like to do another fresh since this is more promising outcome
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Institute for Reproductive Health.
They will call you back to get an appt by the end of the day that you call. So prompted based on what they are dealing with
Describe the costs associated with your care under Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health.
So far we have spent near 19,000
Describe Sherif Awadalla's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Institute for Reproductive Health.
They do what is best based on history they will not transfer anymore than 2 at a time though
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10
Age
34 - 35
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
7 IUI
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
I've always been pretty happy with the nurses there [Inst for Repro Health]. Usually if I call before for Mike the message says I get a call back. There have been a few times where I haven't gotten a call before four and it definitely is frustrating but they usually apologize and we go on with life...The main thing that I've only really been upset with them about is not calling in prescriptions and then have been once or twice but it all worked out
+ Read more
Age
34 - 35
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
No
Race
Black or African-American
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
Graphic Designer
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1st of 2 Docs
Treatment
7 IUI
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
Describe your experience with Institute for Reproductive Health.
This is the second fertility doctor I've seen and they are by far the best that I've been to. A lot of family also has been patient of theirs and they've all been satisfied. It does give little overwhelming because people are going in and out and sometimes it feels a bit not like a doctors office because people are spending so much money. But once you become a patient and have to deal with your actual doctor you do get treated like they really do want what's best for you.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health?
He's honest and seems to want the same outcome we want
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
I've always been pretty happy with the nurses there. Usually if I call before for Mike the message says I get a call back. There have been a few times where I haven't gotten a call before four and it definitely is frustrating but they usually apologize and we go on with life
What specific things went wrong at Institute for Reproductive Health?
- Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
- Provided conflicting information
How was your experience with Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health?
He's hands on, takes the time to explain and waits for all my questions. At first I felt like just another patient but after our first loss he seemed more compassionate. Sometimes when I call the clinic he's the one that will call me back instead of the nurses and I appreciate that.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Don't be embarked to ask anything and everything.
Describe the protocols Michael Scheiber used in your cycles at Institute for Reproductive Health and their degree of success.
If I remember correctly we don't really have any issues but Dr. Scheiber put his on our drill to increase our our number of follicles. He said it would probably take a few tries to work, but likely we got pregnant with the first two are you I cycles. And we even got pregnant with our fourth cycle. We had a third loss and that was the hardest and it was a situation that Dr. Scheiber had never dealt with as well. We all decided that a D&C would be the best option. He explained the risk.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health.
We had fortunately insurance provider most of our coverage all we had to pay really was our $45 co-pay each cycle plus an eight dollar bill from the insurance so we're pretty blessed. These only cover are you why so anything after that we haven't done and I don't know how much they cost
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10
Age
36 - 37
Treated
2015 - 2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
6 IUI
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
[Institute for Reproductive Health] Has multiple locations but the cincinnati location in rookwood is the best. The other offices are so-so. At least they were in 2016. Most of my treatments were done in rookwood, one in the florence ky office. Used Christ hospital for all of my procedures. The clinic is well organized, the sperm collection clinic is in the same hallway. Billing in the same lobby. Private...[nurses were] Friendly, warm, quick to return calls
+ Read more
Age
36 - 37
Treated
2015 - 2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Nurse or HC Services
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
6 IUI
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
Describe your experience with Institute for Reproductive Health.
Has multiple locations but the cincinnati location in rookwood is the best. The other offices are so-so. At least they were in 2016. Most of my treatments were done in rookwood, one in the florence ky office. Used Christ hospital for all of my procedures. The clinic is well organized, the sperm collection clinic is in the same hallway. Billing in the same lobby. Private.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Dr. Awadalla was very warm. Understood that my husband is stand offish and that Im an information junky. Spent time, explained gently, listened to our needs.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
Friendly, warm, quick to return calls
How was your experience with Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Dr. Awadalla did almost all of my iuis, did my exploratory laparoscopy, and my d&c. A few iuis were done by a practice partner if Dr. Awadalla was in surgery that day. Remember, we are working with incredibly tight windows :) Dr. Awadalla is a family man, a people person, an expert in his field, compassionate. He understands that most of his patients aren't as exposed to the ups and downs of the infertility world as he and his practice partners, so he never takes any lost pregnancy, negative test result, patient fear, etc for granted.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health?
If it's on your heart to be a parent, trust that. Then trust the process. And even if it seems bleak, keep showing up and keep going. Speak openly, find support, ask questions. Try to live a healthy lifestyle.
Describe the protocols Sherif Awadalla used in your cycles at Institute for Reproductive Health and their degree of success.
1. Tested sperm
2. Gave husband Clomid
3. Husband became a jerk
4. Took husband off clomid
5. Gave me Clomid, edu fertility windows
6. Started iuis including ovulation trigger injection
7. Had tubes flushed and flouroscopy uterus
8. Started follistim injections alongside Clomid, ovulation trigger and iuis
9. Exploratory laproscopy, rule out anatomical abnormality, cyst, cancer, or endometriosis
10. Cont current regimen
9. Got pregnant, miscarried
10. D&c
11. Added progesterone
12. got pregnant. Gave birth to my wonderful daughter Dec 2016!! She is the light of my life!
Describe the costs associated with your care under Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health.
I don't really remember, we spanned over a year and I switched insurances part way through. It gets very complicated. Some meds are $8, some are $500, surgery is very itemized and expensive, etc. My husband's sperm collection and cleaning was billed to his insurance, the iuis to mine, etc. They will council you through the billing dept if you get confused.
Describe Sherif Awadalla's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Institute for Reproductive Health.
Does not apply to me
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10
Age
30 - 31
Treated
2015 - 2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
4 IUI, 3 IVF
Diagnosis
Poor Egg Quality, Unexplained
10
The nurses always called back promptly for all messages I left and knew my file/case....They [Institute for Reproductive Health] were very timely with their visits, which was so appreciated during the numerous visits requiring missing work, etc.... I rarely had to wait longer than 10 min in the lobby....The nurses were always efficient... I always recommend IRH and dr. A to others experiencing infertility...
+ Read more
Age
30 - 31
Treated
2015 - 2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Prefer not to answer
Income
—
Occupation
Accountant
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1st of 2 Docs
Treatment
4 IUI, 3 IVF
Diagnosis
Poor Egg Quality, Unexplained
10
Describe your experience with Institute for Reproductive Health.
I never realized how efficient and timely IRH clinic was until under care at a new clinic now (closer to home). I traveled 3 hours round trip to IRH and I rarely had to wait longer than 10 min in the lobby. They were very timely with their visits, which was so appreciated during the numerous visits requiring missing work, etc. Aside from the distance from my home, I would go back to IRH in a heartbeat. I’m now trying for baby #2 and really struggled to decide whether I should use the new clinic 10 min from my home, or IRH which I trusted and had success. I always recommend IRH and dr. A to others experiencing infertility and wish I lived closer to Cincinnati.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Dr. A was very patient with us and always answered all our questions. He took my ideas, questions and suggestions into consideration rather than just ignoring me. During an unexplained infertility diagnosis, you feel like you have no control, but Dr. A did a great job of listening to us and our ideas, which made me feel like I gained back some control during our medical journey.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
The nurses were always efficient, which I valued since I traveled three hours round trip to the doctor. The nurses always called back promptly for all messages I left and knew my file/case.
How was your experience with Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Dr. A made our dream of becoming parents come true. I am thankful for him everyday. Our journey with Dr. A was about a year and a half, which can is much longer than I had originally expected. However, he never lost hope in our case which helped me stay positive. He was always honest, straightforward and can be blunt, which I appreciate. When it came to our chances of conceiving, I appreciated honesty. There were many times I became frustrated with our unsuccessful results, but Dr. A was very good about setting a new plan and explaining the changes he would make from the last unsuccessful try. This was always helpful to me so I knew we weren’t just throwing money and time away while trying the same thing over and over. Dr. A was always very professional and is very experienced. He truly wants to see you conceive and does his best to make your dream successful.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Dr. A will be honest with your chance of success, so make sure you are ready to hear that. Also be sure you understand the medical plan and don’t be afraid to ask questions until you understand everything. Dr. A never rushed us and made sure we were on the same page for the plan moving forward.
Describe the protocols Sherif Awadalla used in your cycles at Institute for Reproductive Health and their degree of success.
Follistim with menopur on ivf #3 did the trick for me. The menopur was what really improved the quality of eggs retrieved.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health.
I had wonderful infertility insurance, so each ivf cycle was approximately $1,000.
Describe Sherif Awadalla's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Institute for Reproductive Health.
Dr. A always told us the quality and quantity of our embryos, gave his recommendation for quantity to transfer, but left the final decision up to us.
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5
Age
31 - 32
Treated
2015 - 2016
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
1 IUI
Diagnosis
Endometriosis, PCOS
5
Knowing that they [IRH] are a large facility and it might be easy for patients to get lost in the shuffle, more emphasis should be placed on patient care...The communication is by far the worst part, there is no way to talk to anyone once you leave. You leave a voicemail and hope to get a call back. It took three days to get a returned call once and when I explained that my question was time-sensitive (like many questions are with infertility) the girl on the phone seemed very annoyed.
+ Read more
Age
31 - 32
Treated
2015 - 2016
Success with this Doc
No
Race
Other
Income
$0 - $49K
Occupation
Teacher
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1st of 2 Docs
Treatment
1 IUI
Diagnosis
Endometriosis, PCOS
5
Describe your experience with Institute for Reproductive Health.
Knowing that they are a large facility and it might be easy for patients to get lost in the shuffle, more emphasis should be placed on patient care. Infertility is truly a nightmare and a lot of our visits were upsetting or made us extremely anxious. We didn't need our hands held but a little compassion can go a long way in times like that!
The communication is by far the worst part, there is no way to talk to anyone once you leave. You leave a voicemail and hope to get a call back. It took three days to get a returned call once and when I explained that my question was time-sensitive (like many questions are with infertility) the girl on the phone seemed very annoyed.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health?
The appointments felt rushed. He never spent more than a few minutes in the exam room with us and gave us only a small window for questions.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
We met a LOT of different staff members at their offices, they are a large facility. None of them showed the compassion that we were hoping for and several were rude on the phone.
What specific things went wrong at Institute for Reproductive Health?
- Failed to call with results
- Failed to send your chart to another clinic
How was your experience with Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health?
We felt like we were on an assembly line at each visit, being passed from station to station with little compassion. The appointments were very short and not very thorough considering what we were (and still are) going through
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Be ready with questions beforehand, you will not be able to reach anyone once you leave the office. Try to think of different scenarios that could happen during the exam and be prepared with your questions for each one.
Describe the protocols Michael Scheiber used in your cycles at Institute for Reproductive Health and their degree of success.
We started with Femara and trigger injections. We eventually did an IUI using this method but nothing worked. He wanted to move forward with injectables but when we brought up the chances of having multiples he seemed to brush it off a little bit.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health.
We paid out of pocket for almost everything including exams, ultrasounds and procedures. Part of my surgery for endometriosis was covered, but we still paid $4700 after the fact.
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8
Age
31
Treated
2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
2 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Endometriosis
8
The nursing staff [at Institute for Reproductive Health] were very quick to return phone calls and answer any questions we forgot to ask while in the office. They were also accommodating when I had a subchorionic hematoma and wanted to come in at 5 weeks pregnant to check on my baby. I even had a nurse take a medication home with her for me to pick up from her since I lived way too far away to get to the office before they closed. We had a very positive experience with the nurses.
+ Read more
Age
31
Treated
2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
Nurse or HC Services
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
2 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Endometriosis
8
Describe your experience with Institute for Reproductive Health.
This practice has 3 different office locations in order to accommodate people from different areas. It was very nice to be able to visit the office in Northern KY for shorter appointments since we live in Louisville, KY. All offices were very clean and well kept. I have no complaints about the clinic.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Dr. Awadalla took his time with us at each appointment and we never felt rushed. He and Dr. Schieber were so understanding and patient with us. It was very much appreciated.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
The nursing staff were very quick to return phone calls and answer any questions we forgot to ask while in the office. They were also accommodating when I had a subchorionic hematoma and wanted to come in at 5 weeks pregnant to check on my baby. I even had a nurse take a medication home with her for me to pick up from her since I lived way too far away to get to the office before they closed. We had a very positive experience with the nurses.
How was your experience with Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Dr. Awadalla was very patient and thorough in his explanations of what to expect with each procedure. We were never talked down to or made to feel ignorant. He seemed to genuinely understand the emotional toll infertility takes on you.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Don't be afraid to vocalize concerns, questions, etc.
Describe the protocols Sherif Awadalla used in your cycles at Institute for Reproductive Health and their degree of success.
My treatment was a year ago. I know I did quite a few days of injectable medications and had to add in an extra injectable closer to my egg retrieval.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health.
We had office visit costs, lab work, and then the complete charge for the entire IVF procedure. Transferring our frozen embryo and freezing charge were additional.
Describe Sherif Awadalla's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Institute for Reproductive Health.
Dr. Awadalla was only open to transferring more than one embryo for us if they were day 3 embryos. We did transfer 2 day 3 embryos and they were unsuccessful. We had one day 5 embryo make it to freeze and that perfect little embryo was born 4 months ago.
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10
Age
30 - 31
Treated
2015 - 2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
6 IUI, 2 IVF
Diagnosis
—
10
IRH offers a money back program. I believe it was $18,000 which gave you 2 egg retrievals, 2 fresh cycles, and 2 frozen cycles. If at the end of all of that you have not had a live birth, they give you 70% (I believe) of your money back.... The office is incredibly organized! Your appointment will ALWAYS be right on time and every department of that office is very responsive to calls and questions. The nursing staff goes above and beyond and you will never leave the office feeling like you don't have a full understand of anything going on.
+ Read more
Age
30 - 31
Treated
2015 - 2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European, Other
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
Accountant
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
6 IUI, 2 IVF
Diagnosis
—
10
Describe your experience with Institute for Reproductive Health.
The office is incredibly organized! Your appointment will ALWAYS be right on time and every department of that office is very responsive to calls and questions. The nursing staff goes above and beyond and you will never leave the office feeling like you don't have a full understand of anything going on.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Dr. S had compassion, understood what my husband and I were going through, and refused to give up. He was determined to make our dreams come true and I felt I could ask him anything.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
The nursing staff is one of the best I've had the pleasure of working with. They were kind, understanding, incredible at making you feel at ease, and are sympathetic to what you are going through. They are always available to answer any questions and happy to help.
How was your experience with Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health?
After having been a patient of Dr. Scheiber, I could not imagine having any other doctor. My husband and I underwent 12 cycles of treatment (we switched to Dr. S after the 9th or 10th cycle - he only needed 2 cycles to get the job done), and once the issue was identified, he went head on in finding a solution. When one cycle failed, he got a little more aggressive in treatment and adjusted our plan until we conceived our daughter. He didn't speak to us like a doctor, he spoke to us like human beings. He was thorough, always made sure we understood what was going on, and most importantly, made me feel so absolutely confident. Our transfers with him were the smoothest embryo transfers compared to other doctors and I always knew that he was right on the money.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health?
The only advice I can offer a prospective patient is to take the leap of faith! Dr. Scheiber will not let you down. Whether you get the outcome you dream of or not, you will always know he did everything he could.
Describe the protocols Michael Scheiber used in your cycles at Institute for Reproductive Health and their degree of success.
Dr. Scheiber didn't become my primary until later in my journey, and my diagnosis of factor II had just been discovered, but the minute I came to him he switched my medicines up to target the issue. Our first transfer resulted in a chemical pregnancy, so right away he made a few adjustments and the next cycle resulted in my daughter. I don't remember specifics, but I remember him being very vigilant in finding the right combination of medicine/injectibles.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health.
IRH offers a money back program. I believe it was $18,000 which gave you 2 egg retrievals, 2 fresh cycles, and 2 frozen cycles. If at the end of all of that you have not had a live birth, they give you 70% (I believe) of your money back.
Describe Michael Scheiber's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Institute for Reproductive Health.
Every time we did a transfer, we placed two embryos which I thought was perfect. Two was where he drew the line for me and I was very happy with that.
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Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
10
Age
30 - 31
Treated
2015 - 2016
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
1 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Endometriosis, PCOS, Other
10
This clinic [Cincinnati Fertility] is amazing. However, be forewarned that there are 3 locations that the doctors rotate through, so be prepared to switch between doctors. They will schedule you for who is available at the day and time you need an appointment. But it honestly didn't bother me at all because all of the doctors were absolutely amazing and caring....IVF standard - $8,200 IVF Money-back Guarantee - $18,000 (3 cycles) ICSI - $1,100 Embryo Cropreservation Initial - $200 Embryo Cryostorage Quarterly - $400
+ Read more
Age
30 - 31
Treated
2015 - 2016
Success with this Doc
?
Race
European
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Consultant
Order & Number of Docs Seen
3rd of 6 Docs
Treatment
1 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Endometriosis, PCOS, Other
10
Describe your experience with Institute for Reproductive Health.
This clinic is amazing. However, be forewarned that there are 3 locations that the doctors rotate through, so be prepared to switch between doctors. They will schedule you for who is available at the day and time you need an appointment. But it honestly didn't bother me at all because all of the doctors were absolutely amazing and caring.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Our treatment was very personalized and he took the time to get to know us and our situation.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Institute for Reproductive Health. (Assigned nurse: Sarah and Jackie)
They are all amazing and very, very willing to answer all questions. Feel free to call the nurses line and ask even the silliest questions!
How was your experience with Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Dr Burwinkel is amazing. Caring, compassionate, yet knows when to give you the hard truths. Plus, he looks at you as individuals and as a couple, not as a "diagnosis box". Each month the treatment is personalized.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Ask all the questions you want! Don't be scared that he needs to be in charge. He listens and respects all of your questions and knows when it's best to push back with his own experience and knowledge.
Describe the protocols Thomas Burwinkel used in your cycles at Institute for Reproductive Health and their degree of success.
- 2.5mg Femara due to high AMH with timed intercourse, no luck (x3)
- 2.5mg Femara with IUI, no luck (x1)
- No injectible IUIs due to high AMH and significant chance of high multiples
- IVF with low-dose gonal-f, Cetrotide, and Ovidrel for trigger... Nervous about OHSS so set the expectation to only retrieve first cycle, then FET next cycle. Didn't end up needing to because the dosage was perfect and no OHSS!
Describe the costs associated with your care under Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health.
IVF standard - $8,200
IVF Money-back Guarantee - $18,000 (3 cycles)
ICSI - $1,100
Embryo Cropreservation Initial - $200
Embryo Cryostorage Quarterly - $400
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10
Age
26
Treated
2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
1 IVF, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
—
10
We were told all of [the costs at Institute for Reproductive Health] upfront with their financial coordinator and we continue to pay for sperm storage which is once a year...I was able to do the majority of my appointments at the west chester location which is closer to me (I live just ourtside of Dayton) but the procedures all had to be done at the Cincinnati office which I was informed of day one. It’s a longer drive but definitely worth it...Heather was amazing she was at all of my appointments besides the education and the embryo harvest and transfer. I also had a nurse line to call and talked to her and other nurses several times. One particular frustrating time I was having with the pharmacy (not associated with the clinic) heather helped me through that and took the time to just let me vent about my frustrations.
+ Read more
Age
26
Treated
2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
Nurse or HC Services
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
1 IVF, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
—
10
Describe your experience with Institute for Reproductive Health.
I was able to do the majority of my appointments at the west chester location which is closer to me (I live just ourtside of Dayton) but the procedures all had to be done at the Cincinnati office which I was informed of day one. It’s a longer drive but definitely worth it.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health?
He called us by name and remembered past conversations ect. He never seemed rushed or bothered by my multiple questions.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Institute for Reproductive Health. (Assigned nurse: Heather)
Heather was amazing she was at all of my appointments besides the education and the embryo harvest and transfer. I also had a nurse line to call and talked to her and other nurses several times. One particular frustrating time I was having with the pharmacy (not associated with the clinic) heather helped me through that and took the time to just let me vent about my frustrations.
How was your experience with Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health?
I instantly trusted him in my care, and the care of my wife. I do not do this lightly, he seemed confident, and competent without arrogance, and did so with compassion. I felt like he had done this so many times he probably could have done it with his eyes closed however he still took his time to explain and answer questions with the understanding that this was our first time going through this.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Ask questions, and tell him what you want, listen but also know that he will listen to you.
Describe the protocols Thomas Burwinkel used in your cycles at Institute for Reproductive Health and their degree of success.
We did co maternity IVF this was our desire going in. He gave us information on sperm donors and did a mock ultrasound guided transfer during the first visit, also lab work. Then we scheduled our education visit where we received all of our prescriptions up front and the protocol, we were seen for our scheduled visits at the west chester location and then Cincinnati location for the procedures. 11 eggs were retrieved and 5 fertilized and the best two were transferred on day 3 unfortunately the others didn’t continue to divide. This resulted into a healthy Singleton pregnancy which was confirmed with blood work and then an ultrasound at 6 weeks and another at 10 weeks, then our care was transferred to my OBGYN.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health.
Ours were covered through insurance and we were responsible for 15 percent. We were told all of this upfront with their financial coordinator and we continue to pay for sperm storage which is once a year.
Describe Thomas Burwinkel's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Institute for Reproductive Health.
I followed his recommendation of transferring 2 on day 3 or one on day 5. I felt comfortable with this approach and was explained the risk of course of having multiples.
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10
Age
31
Treated
2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
3 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Endometriosis, PCOS
10
I remember the egg retrieval day [at Institute for Reproductive Health]. A massive snow storm was supposed to hit and emergency personnel for the city were already on call. I phoned the clinic the night before terrified that the roads would be too bad and hat the clinic would be closed. They assured me no matter what they would be there (I couldn’t believe it. They understood how much money I had spent on meds and how much till this had taken on my body). They knew that if we missed he window the egg retrieval wouldn’t be possible. At one point the nurse told me that if hey had to have the police pick them up and take them in they would be there.
+ Read more
Age
31
Treated
2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Other
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Doctor
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
3 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Endometriosis, PCOS
10
Describe your experience with Institute for Reproductive Health.
They were so easy to work with and explained things so well and never once made me feel bad for calling back and asking any question I needed. They also
Have an office located in northern Kentucky (and since I was traveling from Lexington Ky) they tried to fit in as many appointment in the northern Ky office as possible instead of having to go into Ohio each time. I remember the egg retrieval day. A massive snow storm was supposed to hit and emergency personnel for the city were already on call. I phoned the clinic the night before terrified that the roads would be too bad and hat the clinic would be closed. They assured me no matter what they would be there (I couldn’t believe it. They understood how much money I had spent on meds and how much till this had taken on my body). They knew that if we missed he window the egg retrieval wouldn’t be possible. At one point the nurse told me that if hey had to have the police pick them up and take them in they would be there. Probably about 4 hours after my retrieval we got 16 inches of snow. And at the time I thought of people scheduled the day after me and knew that hey would be taken care of. That to me was such a blessing.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Every visit someone (usually Dr. Awadalla sat down with me and explained each step of the process). He gave me realistic expectations while still making me hopeful. And he also knew when to slow me down and recommended waiting for all of the hormone shots to have time to get out of my body, and to do an initial frozen transfer once I was feeling better after he egg retrieval. THis resulted in my son. I will never be able to thanks him enough.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
They were always very sweet and very easy to work with.
How was your experience with Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health?
I met Dr. Awadalla at a time in my life where I had almost given up that hope of being a mom. He sat me down and told me we could do this and if I trusted the process and listened to what they told me he had full confidence that IVf would work for us. He knew how much I wanted a baby, and after the egg retrieval I was counting down the days for the implant day. He looked at me as a whole person and sat me down and explained that based on new research and based on my labs he truly felt that we should wait until my body had time to recover. I remember being devastated to wait another month but I trusted him so we waited. As the hormones subsided I started feeling much better and I started to understand his decision. In March of 2016 on our frozen implant day I felt good and ready; and 9 months later I was holding my sweet baby boy. I can never ever thank him enough for what he did for our family.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Trust him. Trust him. If he tells you you need to wait it is for a reason. If he wants to change a med in the middle of a cycle there is a reason. Because he looks at everyone individually and works for what is best in their situation. Infertility is not an exact science and we have to be willing our give into the process. If you trust dr Awadalla he will do everything in his power to get you to the sweet baby.
Describe the protocols Sherif Awadalla used in your cycles at Institute for Reproductive Health and their degree of success.
We had already tried clomid and IUI before meeting with Dr Awadalla so he knew from the beginning we were there for IVF. He never pushed me on that matter. He started to explain to me the process and the risks. He looked at my small stature and told me from the beginning that we were going to try for a single birth (which was exactly what we wanted). I am a pharmacist so all of the drugs and the process made sense to me, but what I didn’t expect was after the egg retrieval how bad I would fee. I thought ‘this surgery doesn’t involved any cutting I will be fine the next day. That was not the case. But I pushed on and was ready to implant ASAP. But he sat me down and told me he thought that we should wait. That we should freeze our embryos and let my body rest and get back to normal. He suggested his based on research he had just learned from a conference. At the time I was devastated but I listened and gave into the process. A month later we did one frozen transefer which 9 months later resulted in my son. He was so right. I felt good throughout my whole pregnancy and had no complications. My son is almost 2 and I look at him in awe sometimes. Without Dr awadalla he would not be here and I cannot imagine that
Describe the costs associated with your care under Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health.
I was able to purchase a plan that was basically the price of two IVF procedures but guaranteed that we could have 6 tries under that price. That was amazing for us because it took away the pressure of ‘what if it doesn’t work the first time’. It’s been several years but I also believe if it didn’t work after 6 tries you got over half your money back. I can tell you after my son was born I never once again thought of that money, but at the time it made the process less stressful.
Describe Sherif Awadalla's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Institute for Reproductive Health.
Dr awadalla told me we could transfer two embryos if we demanded it but he highly recommended just one embryo transfer based on my stature. I was prepared for thre possibility of twins and knew that two embryos would increase our odds but I listened to him and I’m glad I did. Having one baby was perfect for our family and was an easy pregnancy for me.
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10
Age
40
Treated
2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
1 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor, PCOS, Other
10
The location, at first, was a bit daunting to find [for IRH-Cincinnati]. But after we learned our way around and learned a few traffic tricks...we usually just made a day of it. There is a shopping center next door, several restaurants and a couple of nice hotels. We live 2 hours away and fighting with rush hour traffic was misery.... Meds were the most expensive, i think they were about 6 thousand. Our total cost was around 13 thousand. With hotel stays and time off work the process cost close to 18 thousand. All out of pocket. Our insurance does not cover treatment and due to advanced age we didnt qualify for most programs.
+ Read more
Age
40
Treated
2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Prefer not to answer
Income
—
Occupation
Nurse or HC Services
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
1 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor, PCOS, Other
10
Describe your experience with Institute for Reproductive Health.
The location, at first, was a bit daunting to find. But after we learned our way around and learned a few traffic tricks...we usually just made a day of it. There is a shopping center next door, several restaurants and a couple of nice hotels. We live 2 hours away and fighting with rush hour traffic was misery.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Very professional, answered all questions in a timely manner.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Institute for Reproductive Health.
Always very caring and descrete. For such a large practice we still felt important.
How was your experience with Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Just felt very comfortable even in the most uncomfortable situations.
Dr Burwinkle, and his associates were able to get us through a very trying time. Infertility is stressful. We had male factor infertility which was doubly hard on my husbands psyche. The fact we had trouble conceiving was devastating to him after he found out. They made the process bareable, and helped us overcome all of our hurdles.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Expect to cultivate patients...the ivf journey imparticular is long and tedious. The exact combination of medicines may take more than one cycle. We were lucky, but i read the book the clinic put out by Dr Awadalla to help prepare. Started a vitamin regimen to increase egg health and went on a diabetic diet to help control my pcos before we started.
Describe the protocols Thomas Burwinkel used in your cycles at Institute for Reproductive Health and their degree of success.
I dont remember
Describe the costs associated with your care under Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health.
Meds were the most expensive, i think they were about 6 thousand. Our total cost was around 13 thousand. With hotel stays and time off work the process cost close to 18 thousand. All out of pocket. Our insurance does not cover treatment and due to advanced age we didnt qualify for most programs.
Describe Thomas Burwinkel's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Institute for Reproductive Health.
They do, but due to my advanced maternal age it was decided one embryo tranfer might not be in our best interest. We opted for 2, Five day blastocyst transfers and placed the others on ice for future...we were blessed with a healthy baby boy after the first fresh transfer. And still have 2 frozen embys.
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10
Age
33 - 36
Treated
2013 - 2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
5 IUI
Diagnosis
—
10
The wait time [at Institute for Reproductive Health] is usually under 10 minutes. They can schedule new patients within a few weeks. They were very flexible with my schedule. They are very kind and compassionate...They [nurses] were excellent! Always called me back within hours. Were very kind and compassionate to me. Also, very knowledgeable...I think our IUI's (including monitoring appointments and sperm collection) were around $800. This did not include medication, as my insurance fortunately covered those.
+ Read more
Age
33 - 36
Treated
2013 - 2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$0 - $49K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
5 IUI
Diagnosis
—
10
Describe your experience with Institute for Reproductive Health.
The wait time is usually under 10 minutes. They can schedule new patients within a few weeks. They were very flexible with my schedule. They are very kind and compassionate.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Dr Schieber was very kind and compassionate. When I had failed cycles he validated my sadness and then we came up with next steps together. And when we finally got pregnant he was very excited for us!
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
They were excellent! Always called me back within hours. Were very kind and compassionate to me. Also, very knowledgeable.
How was your experience with Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Dr Schieber is very kind and compassionate. He has a really good sense of humor which was helpful to us during this season of life. There was one day that he seemed really rushed (but that was not the norm so I'm not sure if something was going on in the clinic that day that he needed to get to...?).
One thing that I needed to adjust to initially was he didn't really seem to think taking "natural routes" would really help much... I asked him if I should go on a gluten-free or fairy-free diet and he just kind of chuckled. He said I could if I wanted to, but didn't think it would make much difference. The doctor I had seen before him was very much an advocate of the natural route so I had to adjust to Dr Schiebers mindset.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Go see him sooner than later!
Describe the protocols Michael Scheiber used in your cycles at Institute for Reproductive Health and their degree of success.
For my first child we did IUI with injectibles (follistim) 3 times. And the 3rd time worked! I wasnted to move onto IVF after the second cycle failed but Dr Sheiber encouraged me to do 3 cycles before moving on. I'm so glad he did. I was also on progesterone starting in the latter half on my cycle and when I had a positive pregnancy test I was kept on it for 10-12 weeks. We started with this protocol because with my first Dr I had done 8 rounds with Femara/Progesterone and al had failed. I had also done an HCG and had a laparoscopy with my previous Dr and was diagnosed with stage 2 endometriosis.
With my second child we also did injectibles (Global-F) and IUI twice. The second one resulted in a positive pregnancy test. I was also on Progesterone until week 10 of pregnancy.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health.
I think our IUI's (including monitoring appointments and sperm collection) were around $800. This did not include medication, as my insurance fortunately covered those.
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10
Age
32 - 35
Treated
2013 - 2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
8 IUI
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
IRH has awesome positivity and support! The only downfall I experienced was their phone system, it's automated and you must leave a voicemail and then wait for them to call back. I was a little impatient to wait for a response from them while in cycles....The nursing staff were always friendly, informative, and compassionate whether we had a negative or positive cycle....we were happy and successful with 2 different pregnancies under Dr. Scheiber's care.
+ Read more
Age
32 - 35
Treated
2013 - 2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Other
Income
$0 - $49K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1st of 3 Docs
Treatment
8 IUI
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
Describe your experience with Institute for Reproductive Health.
IRH has awesome positivity and support!
The only downfall I experienced was their phone system, it's automated and you must leave a voicemail and then wait for them to call back. I was a little impatient to wait for a response from them while in cycles.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health?
He talked to me like I was a friend, a person with feelings.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
The nursing staff were always friendly, informative, and compassionate whether we had a negative or positive cycle.
How was your experience with Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Dr. Scheiber was a blessing to us, he always had our best interest at heart and always made sure we weren't wasting time or money on treatments. We were always on top of how cycles went and how to move forward for future cycles. He was always compassionate, caring, and a kind person. I always felt comfortable under his care, and he always helped me have a positive outlook. I would and have recommended him to anyone that needs to see a Reproductive Endocrinologist. I am forever grateful for his care and helping us to achieve a family.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Trust him, and his plan for you! He knows what he's doing.
Describe the protocols Michael Scheiber used in your cycles at Institute for Reproductive Health and their degree of success.
After years of trying to conceive and complaining to my gynecologist, I knew something was wrong. I found a new Gynecologist and we started cloned right away (4 cycles) all were negative so we were referred to see Dr. Scheiber at IRH. A huge blessing!!! Dr Scheiber jumped right into treatment cycles- IUI with femara and ovidrel for trigger. He monitored me with bloodwork and ultrasounds before the actual IUI, and although it always took my body at least 4 cycles, we were happy and successful with 2 different pregnancies under Dr. Scheiber's care.
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10
Age
29 - 31
Treated
2014 - 2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
5 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
PCOS
10
I absolutely loved every appointment there [at Cincinnati Fertility]. He [Dr Sherif Awadalla] always took the time to explain anything I didn't understand an d address any concerns I had. Our next plan of action was always in place when we left after a failed cycle. He's a very compassionate man and always gives us hope.We have NO infertility coverage. IUI's generally cost us $2500, the biggest expense being medicines. Our IVF plan is a money-back grantee. We paid $17,500 (plus the cost of meds) We get 3 fresh cycles and 3 frozen cycles. If we do not have a live birth we get 70% of our money back.
+ Read more
Age
29 - 31
Treated
2014 - 2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Other
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1st of 2 Docs
Treatment
5 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
PCOS
10
Describe your experience with Institute for Reproductive Health.
They are very knowledgeable about treatment plans and helping you find out what works best to achieve success.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health?
He was VERY compassionate and reassuring at every appointment.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
Amazing, compassionate, the best ever! I loved working with them. They truly care about you and are more than eager to help you with any problem.
How was your experience with Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health?
I absolutely loved every appointment there. He always took the time to explain anything I didn't understand an d address any concerns I had. Our next plan of action was always in place when we left after a failed cycle. He's a very compassionate man and always gives us hope.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health?
He's a very compassionate man. His plan of action were more aggressive than my previous doctor. I feel he is very knowledgeable in the infertility field and will do everything in your best interest to help you conceive.
Describe the protocols Sherif Awadalla used in your cycles at Institute for Reproductive Health and their degree of success.
We did 5 IUI's with Follistim and ovidrel trigger. After no luck, we decided that IVF would be our best option. Our first IVF cycle was cancelled due to over stimulation. I have PCOS and over stim very quickly. He monitored me closely for three days and decided it would be best to cancel the cycle to avoid OHSS. With our 2nd cycle he reduced my follistim, my does range anywhere from 175IU to 225IU. He also worked with pharmacy companies to get me discounts on the med and samples to save me some money on our next cycle. It's hard to find a happy medium with my condition. We retrieved 17 eggs, 13 fertilized and 10 made it to freeze. We decided that it was best to freeze all of our eggs and do a FET, to prevent pregnancy induced OHSS. Our first transfer (1 embryo) resulted in a miscarriage at 5 1/2 weeks. We are currently in our TWW with our 2nd transfer (2 embryos).
Describe the costs associated with your care under Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health.
We have NO infertility coverage. IUI's generally cost us $2500, the biggest expense being medicines. Our IVF plan is a money-back grantee. We paid $17,500 (plus the cost of meds) We get 3 fresh cycles and 3 frozen cycles. If we do not have a live birth we get 70% of our money back.
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0
Age
29 - 30
Treated
2014 - 2015
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
7 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
PCOS, Tubal Blockage
0
Make sure to ask questions [when you go to the Institute for Reproductive Health-Cincinnati]. Don’t be afraid to advocate for yourself if you feel like you are being treated like a number. Ask them for resources for paying for procedures if you don’t have health insurance that covers procedures and medications. The staff was very helpful with that.... During an IUI procedure, my husband couldn’t be at my portion of the procedure. I had been in a lot of pain and the doctor doing the procedure that day was not very kind. I was crying and he sat back and said “I’ll wait until you’re calm”. The nurse in the room stepped up and talked to me, held my hand, and encouraged the doctor to be more gentle.
+ Read more
Age
29 - 30
Treated
2014 - 2015
Success with this Doc
No
Race
Other
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
Marketer or PR
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1st of 2 Docs
Treatment
7 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
PCOS, Tubal Blockage
0
Describe your experience with Institute for Reproductive Health.
Make sure to ask questions. Don’t be afraid to advocate for yourself if you feel like you are being treated like a number. Ask them for resources for paying for procedures if you don’t have health insurance that covers procedures and medications. The staff was very helpful with that.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Appointments were always rushed and very rarely even with him.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
During an IUI procedure, my husband couldn’t be at my portion of the procedure. I had been in a lot of pain and the doctor doing the procedure that day was not very kind. I was crying and he sat back and said “I’ll wait until you’re calm”. The nurse in the room stepped up and talked to me, held my hand, and encouraged the doctor to be more gentle.
What specific things went wrong at Institute for Reproductive Health?
- Failed to order appropriate test
- Failed to send your chart to another clinic
- Lost results
- Failed to convey critical information
- Failed to consider drug intolerance
How was your experience with Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Upon meeting with him, I was hopeful. He seemed like he would be able to help us and would get to the bottom of our problem. I had the test done to make sure my tubes were clear and was given the “all clear” to start IUI’s. We had 4 failed cycles and met with him again to discuss what we thought would be the next step (IVF). He then informed me that the reason the IUI’s failed was most likely because I had a blockage in one Fallopian tube and the other was “crooked”. I couldn’t believe that he allowed us to do so many cycles without telling me that information and even allowed us to do IUI’s knowing it probably wouldn’t work. He then suggested surgery to repair my tubes and explore if there were any other issues. I was broken, desperate, but hopeful so went ahead with the surgery. Following recovery, he was adement that we needed to start doing IUI’s right away but at the point my body needed a break and all trust with him was gone. I felt like he was just taking money from us without any regard to the fact that we were human beings. I should also add that my body just didn’t respond well to the follicle stimulating medication he chose to use for me. I expressed my concern to another doctor in the practice during a visit, that my joints were aching and I felt so run down that I could barely get through the day. His response was “Hm, have you gotten a new pair of shoes recently?”. It turns out that is an although uncommon, serious side effect of the medication. We left his practice and took a break before finding a new doctor where we had success after one IVF cycle.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Ask questions. Reach out to other resources for information and be educated in the questions that you should be asking.
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10
Age
31
Treated
2015
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
1 IVF
Diagnosis
Tubal Blockage
10
This clinic [Institute for Reproductive Health] has very positive attitudes and compassion in what they do. They let it be known that they want to help you achieve your miracle. They are there for you every step of the process. They also offer a support group which is very helpful during the time of treatments. I can’t say enough about this clinic. It’s outstanding!... Nurses were very helpful, they returned calls pretty quickly and answered questions if they knew the answers. They were there to help you and cheer you on.
+ Read more
Age
31
Treated
2015
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Native American
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
1 IVF
Diagnosis
Tubal Blockage
10
Describe your experience with Institute for Reproductive Health.
This clinic has very positive attitudes and compassion in what they do. They let it be known that they want to help you achieve your miracle. They are there for you every step of the process. They also offer a support group which is very helpful during the time of treatments. I can’t say enough about this clinic. It’s outstanding!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health?
He was very knowledgeable in explaining the procedure and very optimistic in what he was doing.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
Nurses were very helpful, they returned calls pretty quickly and answered questions if they knew the answers. They were there to help you and cheer you on.
How was your experience with Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Dr. Awadalla is very good at what he does. He is very knowledgeable and knows what best in your interest. He was never hesitant and was very reassuring to me and the procedure. He was very optimistic and never once was doubtful. If someone is looking for a dr that has bed side manners, knowledgeable, and a expertise in fertility he would be the one to see.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health?
He will not let you down. He will help you in every way he can and explain everything along the way. He has a very positive attitude and very caring in what he does. If you want to be in very good hand and achieve your miracles I would give Dr. Awadalla a call.
Describe the protocols Sherif Awadalla used in your cycles at Institute for Reproductive Health and their degree of success.
I had hormone injections for a couple weeks for egg retrieval then waited five days and had the embryo transfer, couple weeks later I had a blood test for pregnancy and it was positive. I had two ultrasounds with Dr. Awadalla to make sure baby was growing and doing well and after that he released me to my ob/gyn.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health.
I done a fresh ivf cycle which was around 8,000 and then around 3,000 for medicine/injections.
Describe Sherif Awadalla's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Institute for Reproductive Health.
They were very persistent in only transferring one strong embryo.
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10
Age
33
Treated
2015
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
3 IUI, 2 IVF
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
The nurses at IRH are caring, compassionate and extremely knowledgeable. They always answered my questions clearly and made sure I understood each step along the way. The only weakness is the phone answering system. You always have to leave a message and have your phone call returned.... I participated in the money-back IVF program. It was $17,900 for up to three fresh cycles and three frozen cycles. If treatment didn't result in a live birth, I would have received a 70% refund. My medications were an additional expense. I believe I spent about $1800 on medications for my first cycle and $2200 for my second cycle.
+ Read more
Age
33
Treated
2015
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
3 IUI, 2 IVF
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
Describe your experience with Institute for Reproductive Health.
One of IRH's greatest strengths is the free support group they offer patients. They offer a Ladies Night In one evening a month with yoga, a light supper and group support, and they also have a very active private Facebook group. I found the support from other patients so helpful during my treatment. IRH's website is also excellent. It provides so much information about infertility, the treatment options they offer, their success rates, and the cost of treatment. Really, the only weakness I can think of is the IVF nurse phone answering system (not being able to reach anyone directly and always having to have your phone calls returned).
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Dr. Awadalla, his partners and the nurses in his practice are kind, compassionate professionals. I felt like they really cared about me and were just as upset when our first IVF cycle failed and just as happy when our second succeeded!
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
The nurses at IRH are caring, compassionate and extremely knowledgeable. They always answered my questions clearly and made sure I understood each step along the way. The only weakness is the phone answering system. You always have to leave a message and have your phone call returned. I was working full time during my treatments, and I didn't have a private office, so it was sometimes stressful to have to take unplanned return phone calls during the work day.
How was your experience with Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Dr. Awadalla is an extremely knowledgeable and candid doctor. I felt like he took my treatments very seriously and carefully assessed our issues when planning our IVF cycles. I think he was genuinely surprised and disappointed when the first fresh cycle failed, and he made adjustments to our treatment for the second cycle, which resulted in the birth of our son. He does treat a lot of patients and is very busy, so I didn't always feel that I was able to ask him all of my questions (I often have a lot of questions!), but he also has a knowledgeable staff who were able to pick up the slack in that area.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Prioritize your questions before your appointments to make sure you get to the most pressing ones.
Describe the protocols Sherif Awadalla used in your cycles at Institute for Reproductive Health and their degree of success.
For my first cycle (which was unsuccessful), I used birth control to start, then I stimmed with Follistim, then added Cetrotide and triggered with Ovidrel. For my second cycle (which as successful), I used the same medications with the addition of Menopur during the stimming period.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health.
My health insurance covered my initial consultation and diagnostic tests, but all of my treatment costs were out of pocket. I participated in the money-back IVF program. It was $17,900 for up to three fresh cycles and three frozen cycles. If treatment didn't result in a live birth, I would have received a 70% refund. My medications were an additional expense. I believe I spent about $1800 on medications for my first cycle and $2200 for my second cycle.
Describe Sherif Awadalla's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Institute for Reproductive Health.
At my initial consultation, Dr. Awadalla specifically said that he preferred single transfers when possible and that he didn't see multiples as a preferred outcome. However, he did recommend transferring two embryos for both of my cycles, and we followed his advice.
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10
Age
33 - 35
Treated
2013 - 2015
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
8 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor, PCOS
10
I didn't like that I always had to leave a message that nurses didn't answer the line once during my treatment. They [the staff at Cincinnati Fertility] did however always return calls the same day if message was before 4pm. That is my only con. Everything else was great. I especially loved the peer support group they offer that meets once a month. I made great friends there and I'm pregnant with 3 of them now!...He [Dr Burwinkel] was always very personable and would engage in conversation about things other than our fertility. He spoke of his family and we spoke about ours and even joked about politics during embryo transfer. Very warm and friendly.
+ Read more
Age
33 - 35
Treated
2013 - 2015
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Other
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
8 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor, PCOS
10
Describe your experience with Institute for Reproductive Health.
I didn't like that I always had to leave a message that nurses didn't answer the line once during my treatment. They did however always return calls the same day if message was before 4pm. That is my only con. Everything else was great. I especially loved the peer support group they offer that meets once a month. I made great friends there and I'm pregnant with 3 of them now!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health?
He was always very personable and would engage in conversation about things other than our fertility. He spoke of his family and we spoke about ours and even joked about politics during embryo transfer. Very warm and friendly.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
They are all very nice and seem committed to helping you understand everything and are pulling for you to succeed.
How was your experience with Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health?
He was my primary dr saw I saw him a lot and was never unhappy with any interaction with him. He's a very kind man and even printed me ultrasound pictures of my follicles when I asked him to. He always gave me a great hug the day I graduated at 8 weeks pregnant and posed for a picture with my husband and I.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Be a partner in the process. Do research and ask questions so you can make decisions with your dr.
Describe the protocols Thomas Burwinkel used in your cycles at Institute for Reproductive Health and their degree of success.
We started with IUI with clomid since I'd had ovulation success with that drug with my ob. When that didn't work we moved to femara with IUI. That also failed so he added gonal-F. I agreed to try that twice before moving to IVF. Both those cycles failed and we got started with IVF. Since I have pcos and high AMH he didn't use a high does and monitored me closely.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health.
We spent about $8K on IUI procedures. We we in the money back program and paid about $20K for that including ICSI and then $500 for freezing our embryos.
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7
Age
33
Treated
2015
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
3 IUI, 1 IVF, 1 Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
Unexplained
7
Around $300 per IUI + $100 for Ovidrel, so around $400 each time [at Institute for Reproductive Health]. I was on a payment plan and did not know that each procedure was meant to be paid for up front, until we started talking about IVF and they said it had to all be paid in full. I asked why I was able to pay by month and they said that mine was a "unique situation", which I'm unsure of why since I never discussed my finances with them.
+ Read more
Age
33
Treated
2015
Success with this Doc
No
Race
Other, Prefer not to answer
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1st of 2 Docs
Treatment
3 IUI, 1 IVF, 1 Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
Unexplained
7
Describe your experience with Institute for Reproductive Health.
The clinic itself wasn't too bad. The one in Hyde Park was always clean and very open and welcoming. The lady at the front desk always greeted me but that was about the extent of it.
I never usually had to wait too long to be seen, either.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health?
I did not see Dr. Burwinkel for very long. It was my first experience with a fertility doctor. I felt like they cared, however, just wanted to get me in and out and made the decision for me, rather than listening to what we wanted or were concerned about. Hard to get a hold of them too. Always had to leave a message and wait for them to call back. Never got anyone to directly answer, which is very annoying.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Institute for Reproductive Health. (Assigned nurse: Kristi, I think.)
She gave me her email and responded to all of my crazy questions via email, which was good for me being a first timer and being really freaked out.
How was your experience with Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Dr. B is very "dry" meaning, he doesn't show much emotion and is very monotone. Which might be just what some people need. My very first experience with an RE, I was obviously very nervous and had no idea what to even think. I did not feel much compassion/care from him. More as if he was like, ok the goal is to get you pregnant, so let's do this and we'll start tomorrow. Didn't give us much time to think or breathe or process what was being said.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Just be prepared to advocate for yourself. Dr. B will listen to you and even if it seems like he's not, he is. He is a good person and a good doctor, just not the right fit for us. Be prepared to not be coddled with him. He'll tell you what needs done and move on. Which may be ok for some, it was not a good fit for me. I needed more compassion and bedside manner.
Describe the protocols Thomas Burwinkel used in your cycles at Institute for Reproductive Health and their degree of success.
We did 3 IUIs. Started on Femara and then had an Ovidrel trigger shot and that was it.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Thomas Burwinkel at Institute for Reproductive Health.
Around $300 per IUI + $100 for Ovidrel, so around $400 each time. I was on a payment plan and did not know that each procedure was meant to be paid for up front, until we started talking about IVF and they said it had to all be paid in full. I asked why I was able to pay by month and they said that mine was a "unique situation", which I'm unsure of why since I never discussed my finances with them.
Describe Thomas Burwinkel's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Institute for Reproductive Health.
N/A Did not do IVF with this doctor.
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10
Age
26 - 29
Treated
2012 - 2015
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
8 IUI, 2 IVF, Donor Eggs
Diagnosis
Other
10
I could go [for monitoring at Institute for Reproductive Health] when most convienant for me...Our money back Ivf program was around 20,000. Our split DE cycle was 12,500...Strengths would be knowledge and success. Weakness would be waiting for calls back when calling for a question. I understand they are extremely busy and not sure of a different solution though...Penny wasnt always my primary nurse but she took it upon herself to always help me or answer any questions when I was there. She was amazing!
+ Read more
Age
26 - 29
Treated
2012 - 2015
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Prefer not to answer
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 4 Docs
Treatment
8 IUI, 2 IVF, Donor Eggs
Diagnosis
Other
10
Describe your experience with Institute for Reproductive Health.
Strengths would be knowledge and success. Weakness would be waiting for calls back when calling for a question. I understand they are extremely busy and not sure of a different solution though.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health?
He was determined to find the reason for my infertility and failed cycles. He said to me once that my case was 99 percent more difficult than most, but he was gonna solve it.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Institute for Reproductive Health. (Assigned nurse: Penny)
Penny wasnt always my primary nurse but she took it upon herself to always help me or answer any questions when I was there. She was amazing!
How was your experience with Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Dr. Awadalla was a very thorough and compassionate doctor. Even though we tried many many cycles, he never made me feel like I was a science experiment. He never wanted to put me through a retrieval he felt would fail, and even though the devastation of failed cycle over and over was very difficult, It was better than going through with a cycle that just wasnt going to work.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Trust him and his plan. Even when you may question his reasoning, and when things get difficult he knows what hes doing such as cancelled cycles.
Describe the protocols Sherif Awadalla used in your cycles at Institute for Reproductive Health and their degree of success.
We started with iui and femara. Then iui with injectables. Went on to IVF and my first two cycles were cancelled. We removed birth control before stimulation and my third cycle made it to retrieval and ended in a chemical pregnancy. We did 5 more cycles after, 1 of which made it to retrieval before realizing my body just didnt respond well on any protocol even those that had made it to retrieval before.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Institute for Reproductive Health.
I could go when most convienant for me. Even though it was a 1.5 hour one way trip I was able to go first thing and make it back in time for work at 10AM.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health.
Our money back Ivf program was around 20,000. Our split DE cycle was 12,500.
Describe Sherif Awadalla's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Institute for Reproductive Health.
When the embryo quality was not great he was fine with multiple embryo transfer. However during my DE cycle where the embryo quality was GREAT, they strongly suggested only transfering one.
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7
Age
29 - 30
Treated
2014 - 2015
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
10 IUI
Diagnosis
Male Factor, PCOS
7
I feel that the clinic [Institute for Reproductive Health] overall is very suited to handle people with multiple conditions. They even took care of us in a snowstorm, reassuring us that everyone would be there to assist us in our needs.... It is never easy to break sad news to someone, however I felt that the nursing staff showed compassion.... I felt that he [Dr. Awadalla] was focused on getting me in and out.
+ Read more
Age
29 - 30
Treated
2014 - 2015
Success with this Doc
No
Race
Other
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
Graphic Designer
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1st of 3 Docs
Treatment
10 IUI
Diagnosis
Male Factor, PCOS
7
Describe your experience with Institute for Reproductive Health.
I feel that the clinic overall is very suited to handle people with multiple conditions. They even took care of us in a snowstorm, reassuring us that everyone would be there to assist us in our needs.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health?
I had done extensive research on my condition, and it seemed that my treatment was not even close to theirs. Some people had multiple egg size ultrasounds to watch egg growth, this used to determine egg quality. where I only had one.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
It is never easy to break sad news to someone, however I felt that the nursing staff showed compassion.
How was your experience with Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health?
I felt that he was focused on getting me in and out. He was recommended by a close friend, so I trusted their choice/experiences. I believe there was more that could have been done with my treatment. He seemed to be knowledgeable about the condition, but didn't seem to like ideas of natural supplements. Seemed to push drugs like metformin as a cure.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health?
If you're a patient suffering from polycystic ovarian syndrome, I would make sure that you were aware of treatment options for you before visiting. Both natural And with medicine. Also understand what the common practices are for fertility treatments for someone with PCOS.
Describe the protocols Sherif Awadalla used in your cycles at Institute for Reproductive Health and their degree of success.
First three cycles of treatment we used only Clomid and timed intimacy. After that we did two rounds of Clomid and injections for timed IUIs. After the Clomid didn't produced quality egg sizes we switched to a different fertility medication. Sorry I cannot remember which one. We continued the IUIs for five cycles. All resulted in larger egg sizes, but no successful takes.
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10
Age
33
Treated
2015
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
4 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor
10
Heather [nurse] is an outstanding, compassionate, delightful, warm, personable nurse who made us feel welcome the very first day of our appointment at Institute for Reproductive Health...One of the best strengths they have is that the team of Drs. and staff work cohesively and show some of the best bedside manner I have ever seen. I would also like to add that they are very patient with you when it comes to the payment process...It was $16,500 for the IVF... $100 added quarterly for embryo storage. It was between $1000 to $1,500 for medications.
+ Read more
Age
33
Treated
2015
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Black or African-American
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
4 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor
10
Describe your experience with Institute for Reproductive Health.
In terms of weaknesses, I would say the location may be an issue if you are located further away from the Montgomery/Cincinnati area. The cost of IVF is costly enough, but if there was a way for all states to mandate coverage then this would be a benefit to all people out there suffering with infertility. I also think they should have a room set up with a day-care. We found it difficult to find someone to watch our daughter on a Saturday morning to get our first IVF cycle achieved. We ended up taking our daughter with us and my husband went in first while I waited in the car, then I went in. I wanted him to be in the room with me during the retrieval process. One of the best strengths they have is that the team of Drs. and staff work cohesively and show some of the best bedside manner I have ever seen. I would also like to add that they are very patient with you when it comes to the payment process.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health?
I always felt my questions and concerns were answered and that I was in a place where the right people were there to help me continue to build my family.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Institute for Reproductive Health. (Assigned nurse: Heather)
Heather is an outstanding, compassionate, delightful, warm, personable nurse who made us feel welcome the very first day of our appointment at Institute for Reproductive Health. She immediately introduced herself and waved to us as we were backing out of the parking lot. I had concerns about reasons we were not conceiving this time around she said,"there is no reason based on your medical history IVF should not work because the infertility issue is mechanical." I secretly tested using Clear Blue Easy and told no one not even my husband of the results. The day I had my blood drawn to test my BETA levels, I requested she called me with the results. She called me back with a congratulations. She is literally one of the best nurses I have ever encountered and when we go back we'll definitely request to work with her.
How was your experience with Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Right off the bat, Dr, Awadalla and his staff at Institution for Reproductive Health, made us feel welcome and that we mattered. At every appointment if we had concerns about our failed IUI cycles, we were not pushed away or treated as just another infertile couple, but as people with valid issues that needed to be resolved. We suggested moving onto IVF and a staff member said. "we need to step up our game." I had reservations about my IVF cycle due to the number of eggs retrieved and he reassured me that IVF is not a numbers game but a way to get you there. Dr. Awadalla said, "it's not about the number of eggs we retrieve, but about getting pregnant now." Dr. Awadalla has one of the best bedside manners I have ever seen. He is funny, insightful and brilliant! If we had not of switched over to Institute for Reproductive Health when we did, we not have conceived our beautiful daughter and had the pleasure of knowing such a wonderful Dr and staff. Thank You a million times! Looking forward to going back in the near future.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Laughter is the best medicine during a trying time such as infertility no matter the cause. Dr. Awadalla definitely eases the burden this painful issue through joking. My advice, be cautiously optimistic because if you do not laugh you will cry. You can put your faith in Dr. Awadalla because he will help you through your journey.
Describe the protocols Sherif Awadalla used in your cycles at Institute for Reproductive Health and their degree of success.
No Birth Control. Start Lupron 10 QD (Sub Q) in PM on Cycle Day 21, CD 32 appointment for blood work and follicle check, continue with Lupron 10 adding Gonal F 150 AQ (Sub Q) in AM on Cycle Day 33. CD 37 another blood work appointment with follicle check. Continue with Gonal F 150 for a total of 10 days from Cycle day 33-43. On CD 41alst blood work up with follicle check. On cycle day 43 Trigger with Ovidrel 250 in PM. CD 44 No Shots. CD 46 - Egg Retrieval Day! 11 retrieved, 5 matured, 5 fertilized. No ICSI, Natural Fertilization. Start Endometrin 100 mgs 3x's per day on CD 47. CD 51 Embryo Transfer of two blastocyst. Two week wait continue with Endometrin. On 12dp5dt beta test results revealed Positive. On 13dp5dt start Endometrin 100 mgs 2x's per day. At 6 weeks of pregnancy attend first ultrasound.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health.
It was $16,500 for the IVF but with insurance it came out to be $1,250 with $100 added quarterly for embryo storage. It was between $1000 to $1,500 for medications.
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10
Age
29 - 30
Treated
2012 - 2013
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
3 IUI, 2 IVF
Diagnosis
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Endometriosis, Male Factor, Unexplained
10
This clinic [Institute for Reproductive Health] is great at what they do. They are so innovative and tailor your cycles to you, its not a one size treatment fits all. There are now 4 doctors at this clinic and all are fantastic. On occasion my physician would be out of the office or my transfer would fall on a wknd and I would be placed with a different physician and I could tell they had read up on my chart and were knowledgeable on my case prior to meeting me. It is truly a fantastic office!
+ Read more
Age
29 - 30
Treated
2012 - 2013
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Other
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
Nurse or HC Services
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
3 IUI, 2 IVF
Diagnosis
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Endometriosis, Male Factor, Unexplained
10
Describe your experience with Institute for Reproductive Health.
This clinic is great at what they do. They are so innovative and tailor your cycles to you, its not a one size treatment fits all. There are now 4 doctors at this clinic and all are fantastic. On occasion my physician would be out of the office or my transfer would fall on a wknd and I would be placed with a different physician and I could tell they had read up on my chart and were knowledgeable on my case prior to meeting me. It is truly a fantastic office!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Dr. Scheiber could not have been more personable abd caring or invested in my care than he was. I'm 100% positive I would not have continued through so many cycles and have my beautiful children it weren't for him. When my husband and I grieved, we felt he grieved with us.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
Everyone was so kind and caring. I was extremely nervous our first IVF cycle with the injectable medication and they were always so happy to answer any questions or concerns I had. They made everything super easy to understand she kept my schedule of medications on an easy to read calendar/flow sheet.
How was your experience with Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Dr. Scheiber is everything an infertility doctor should be. He was always honest and upfront with us and when cycles weren't progressing as planned he made fast adjustments to medications to "save" the cycles. He believed in us and our goal to have children when we had given up. He kept the faith abd helped restore ours when we temprarily lost ours. We felt he was truly invested in our mission to have children. He celebrated every gain with us and grieved the hard losses. He was truly a god send to us during an extraordinarily difficult time.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health?
Be prepared for a possibly hard, long road but know that you are in wonderful, great hands and under the care of a Dr who will do everything in his power to help you succeed abd support you through this journey.
Describe the protocols Michael Scheiber used in your cycles at Institute for Reproductive Health and their degree of success.
My 1st 3 cycles were strictly Clomid, with a trigger shot and timed intercourse. We then moved to femara with a trigger shot and IUI for 3 cycles. I used estrace vaginally during 1 of the cycles due to prolonged spotting and blood in my uterus close to the day of trigger shot. The last cycle resulted in a chemical pregnancy. I then moved on to IVF. I did follistim i believe, i believe 16-18 eggs were retrieved and we ended with 4 embryos with ICSI. My 2nd IVF fresh IVF cycle I did follistim but Menopur was added as well as I was prescribed a baby aspirin in thoughts i was forming a small clot that stopped blood flow to the embryos as a cause for my miscarriages although I tested negative for a clorting disorder. That cycle resulted in approx 12 eggs and we ended up with 4 embryos with ICSI. We implanted 2 of those embryos and I continued with a baby aspirin up until delivery of 2 healthy babies. During ebery transfer I was also prescribed endometrin tablets.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Michael Scheiber at Institute for Reproductive Health.
Under $1,000 for IUI. I qualified for the money-back guarantee for IVF which cost $18,500 & included 3 fresh & 3 frozen cycles with guarantee of a live birth. Cost of separate frozen cycle was $4,500
Describe Michael Scheiber's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Institute for Reproductive Health.
My Dr went over every option possible and discussed all of our concerns at length. He recommended 2 embryos be transferred each time due to my high rate of misscarriage but was never pushy and the decision was ultimately my spouse and mine.
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10
Age
30
Treated
2012
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
2 IVF
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
I went to both the Northern Ky and Cincinnati offices (mostly Cincinnati) [of IRH] they were both very clean and everyone was very nice. Always willing to explain or answer any questions we had. On the day of the egg retrieval and sperm donation, somehow my husbands appointment did not get put on the schedule! We were understanding since everyone makes mistakes but we also were concerned that he wouldn't be able to do. The staff assured us that they would handle everything and they did. Things went on smoothly and all was well!
+ Read more
Age
30
Treated
2012
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
2 IVF
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
Describe your experience with Institute for Reproductive Health.
I went to both the Northern Ky and Cincinnati offices (mostly Cincinnati) they were both very clean and everyone was very nice. Always willing to explain or answer any questions we had. On the day of the egg retrieval and sperm donation, somehow my husbands appointment did not get put on the schedule! We were understanding since everyone makes mistakes but we also were concerned that he wouldn't be able to do. The staff assured us that they would handle everything and they did. Things went on smoothly and all was well!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health?
When I came to Dr Awadalla I was in a bad place since I had recently experienced 2 failed IVF attempts. I was convinced I would never have children. The first time we met I said something about "if I have a baby" and he said "No, Mrs. K****, when we have a baby". He made me feel like I was his only patient every appointment. He never rushed me, always took extra time and answered all my questions. So very thankful I had the opportunity to be his patient!
What specific things went wrong at Institute for Reproductive Health?
- Lost appointments
How was your experience with Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health?
My course of treatment went pretty smoothly until after the egg retrieval. That night I was in horrible abdominal pain and could not stand up. It was after hours and I called the emergency line. He immediately called me himself and explained what he thought was happening and asked me to come in the next morning. I drove in from Louisville and sure enough it was what he thought. I had so many eggs removed and the sacs had filled with fluid causing a great deal of pressure. He said if the swelling did not go down we would not be able to the transfer as planned and would have to freeze the embryos. I was devastated to say the least. He asked me to come back in 2 days to re-examine and see how things looked. When I returned he said I looked great and we could go ahead with the transfer, yippee!!! Several weeks later we received a call that we were in fact pregnant, I could not believe it. When we returned back to the office for an ultrasound he said "Well the good news is there is only 2!" I had always imagined myself with twins and thanks to Dr. Awadalla, my dreams were becoming a reality!
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health?
For me, the biggest reason we did not see him sooner was location. I am in Louisville and the thought of driving to Cincinnati for all those appointments seemed a little crazy. After 2 unsuccessful IVF attempts with a local Dr, I made the consultation and we drove up. After our first meeting I could have kicked myself for not having seen him sooner. He is the best!
Describe the costs associated with your care under Sherif Awadalla at Institute for Reproductive Health.
They were high, but not any higher than what we had already paid at a local office.