UPMC Magee

I believe this facility has the most current healthcare trends at their disposal however they don’t always think outside the box with protocols. You feel more like a number in the endless cycle that is infertility. I believe they do the best they can however the failure to communicate appropriately and in a timely manner is uncalled for.

Dr. Menke is very warm yet honest. Although I feel like her patients get lost in the shuffle. I have dealt more with the nurses than with the doctor. At our consult she told us her goal was to get us pregnant ASAP and it’s two years later, no pregnancy.

Unfortunately this clinic is an example of having too many hands in the pot. I spoke to someone different every time, and I constantly got conflicting information on my cycle. We were doing unmonitored due to my terrible insurance, and I’d call and they would tell me I needed to come in when I didn’t need to. Trying to get a direct message and response from the doctor was borderline impossible. And forget about going over your test results - you had to make an appointment to come in. This clinic is not near my house by any means and I requested to do monitoring and blood work at a local hospital but they refused. Instead I spent 2 hours before work traveling to the city at 5 AM to do all the testing.

Dr. Menke is honest about your expectations, but she’s not willing to go outside the box. I presented to her research of similar patients in my situation and requested injectables in addition to Clomid. Because my hormones were normal, she’s refused to add them.

Be prepared to see her and actually speak to her only a handful of times. I think she’s thorough when she gets the chance, however I feel that she’s overwhelmed with patients and they get lost in the shuffle.

We started at 50 mg of Clomid which didn’t result in ovulation so we stair-stepped immediately to 100 mg which resulted in a positive ovulation. I took Clomid with timed intercourse for three cycles and then after fighting with the nurses to try to move on to IUI, we did two IUI cycles that failed. I seemed to be the only one who knew my protocol because I constantly got misinformation from the office staff when I’d call on CD-1.

My insurance only covers a $2,000 lifetime max for infertility. I’ve had several bills from blood work and ultrasounds that I still haven’t paid off yet.

The strengths are they seem to have a great flow with getting people in and out of the waiting room and getting them in and our for their testing. Once you have an appointment you are fine. They know how to assist patients waiting and assist them well. The downside is trying to get an appointment. When you need to see the doctor, you have to wait months for the next appointment. For a new patient waiting to start treatment, I can understand. But for a patient, like myself, who has been going there for over a year, I find it very difficult to understand why I have to wait months at a time to see my Dr.

This is an emotional journey. There are expectations that people have. Some expectations are irrational and some are normal. My last IUI failed last week. I have no reasons as to why this did not work, for I was told this was a great option to do. I have fibroids - a lot of them. When calling to state my last IUI failed, the option they gave me was to make an appointment with the doctor. The earliest appointment they could give me is around mind December. I asked if the Dr. even knew that my procedure did not work, and they basically told me over the phone that no, they do not give them that information. If a Dr. is treating me, and a treatment failed, I feel like they should be the first to know, not the scheduling center. If the Dr. does know that 3 separate IUI's failed and I have a history of fibroids and nothing has been determined as to why an IUI would not work, I would think the Dr. would want to speak with the patient in a timely manner rather than a few months out.

THEY ARE FANTASTIC. I have had more interactions with the nurses at the clinic than anyone else. They are organized, they are detailed, and they are compassionate. Every time I had to call the nurse line after a failed IUI when the nurses returned my phone call one of the first things they would always say to me is how sorry they were that it did not work.

My heart would like to give my Dr. one review and my head would like to give her another. It is hard for a Dr. to get to know a patient when they are rarely seen by them. In the past year I have maybe seen my Dr. 3 times. However, I have probably visited the clinic sometimes twice a week. The majority of my interactions have been with the nurses and residents. Each time I go to our clinic I am seen by a different person. This was something I did not expect. I had 3 IUI's and they were all performed by different people, to my knowledge none of them were the Doctors in the clinic. I do not have anything negative to say about the individuals I saw for my various testing and procedures other than they were not my doctor. I feel like there should be a little more consistency with who is treating the patient. I had to have a pollup removed from my uterus before I could start my IUI's. My Dr. did not perform that procedure, She made it known that her schedule did not make her available and that a different doctor would need to do it. A Dr. who I had never met until they were wheeling me into surgery. To me, that is a bit odd. Infertility is dealing with emotions, it is dealing with intimate parts of your body and I feel that you should know and trust the person handling them. Dr. Katari did come to visit me and wish me luck before my surgery, which I thought was very nice. However, it is very odd that I am in her care and rarely speak or meet with her. On a phone consultation her and I had she told me that IVF is probably a better option. When I told her that I would like to know why I cannot have children before I consider putting a financial strain on my family because we could not afford such a costly procedure she suggested I get another job so I could afford the procedure. Whether her comment was meant to be helpful or not, it was hurtful and unprofessional. I also do not feel that I have received definitive answers on medical things that were found while doing testing. I think my Dr. could be more descriptive with what they found, such as fibroids, and if they are or are not hindering my ability to carry a child. I feel that a lot of the times I was reeving half answers instead of all possible scenarios. There were days where I really appreciated my doctor and felt I was in the best hands, and there were days where I did not believe that to be true at all. Does that have to do with me thinking emotionally vs. rationally? Maybe. However, I do not know anyone on an infertility journey that is not feeling the same way.

Be your own advocate. Be your own voice with your infertility journey and what you are and are not willing or able to do. You are in good hands, however you may struggle from time to time wondering if you are.

I believe I am diagnosed with unexplained infertility. I am not too sure since I was never told my exact diagnosis. The first year there were many tests. Egg quality, egg count, sperm quality, sperm count, more internal ultrasounds than I have ever experienced in my entire life, so much bloodwork that I actually began producing scar tissue in my arm from the amount of needles. The testing was thorough and necessary. When they said be patient during this journey they were right! I feel that all the testing was done appropriately. If there were negative findings, such as fibroids, we would do another test and another. From the time I met Dr. Katari the goal was to be healthy enough to have an IUI performed. After almost a year we go to that point. We did two u-nmonitored cycles and for the third cycle it was supposed to be monitored. I appreciated that Dr. Katari was trying to save us some money by not doing all monitored cycles and she said that I was ovulating very regular so doing at home testing would be fine. The third cycle she wanted monitored to give us the best chance. My communications for the IUI procedures were with the nurses and residents only. I never saw my Dr. through any of the procedures or testing. After my second IUI failed and I was told to get ready for my 3rd I received a phone call right before I was supposed to start taking the chlomid. It was the Dr. office stating the the Dr. would not like me to do the third IUI this round because she wanted to me have another ultra sound to check my tube stability. This threw me for a loop. I was prepared for another cycle and without much explanation the plans changed from one day to the next. I had to have an ultrasound in a different department, who always had difficulty scheduling me within the correct time period my infertility Dr. needed the apt. to be. When it was time for my third and final IUI I knew that it was supposed to be monitored. When I called to start this cycle I said I was told this cycle was to be monitored and asked for them to explain to me what else needed done. I was received with the response of "this one does not need to be monitored the Dr. said you can do the at home tests". Again, this was frustrating because I am preparing to get ready for our final cycle, and the information I am receiving is different than the information the Dr. had already given me as a game plan. Again, no explanation about the change in plan. I never knew if it was a miscommunication because I am dealing so little with the Dr. or what. I did end up doing a monitored cycle for round 3 but unfortunately it still did not work.

The testing and surgery to remove the pollup was handled by my insurance. The un-monitored first IUI cycle cost approximately $400. That was for the insemination only. The second un-monitored IUI cycle cost approximately $700 because aside from the insemination I also needed blood work done one time because my at home tests were not reading correctly. The monitored cycle I did, which was my last IUI cost approximately $1,300.

I have not had any bad experiences with this clinic. From billing to staff, everything has been great. It can be difficult to get to with traffic. It's in the city, so you just never know how long it takes to get there. They have always been understanding when I've been stuck in traffic. They also work around my work schedule.

Dr. Sanfillipo and his staff have always been wonderful. Dr.Sanfillipo is always kind and takes the time to make sure he answers any questions you have.

The nursing staff is fabulous. I am not easy to draw blood from and they would remember me. One nurse in particular was better at getting blood from me and she always made sure to grab me. Everyone is very kind.

Dr. Sanfillipo is always very thorough in all of my appointments. He is also very candid about any health risks that I might encounter during treatments, which I appreciate. He never makes me feel like any of my questions are stupid.

Healthy diet and weight is very important to him.

We used femara with an ovidrel shot for 4 cycles without ovulation. We then tried 1 clomid/ovidrel cycle during which I did have one small follicle and ovulation, but did not get pregnant. I am currently trying to lose weight before we try the clomid again with IUI. Dr. Sanfillipo did not recommend injectables without IVF for me due to the high number of immature follicles on each of my ovaries during my 5 cycles. I found this frustrating at times but I appreciate that safety is always his number one concern.

With my insurance, each femara cycle was roughly $150.00. My initial testing was around 500.00

I have cycled 2 other places for IVF, and would NOT recommend this clinic. They lacked compassion and knowledge. They may be ok for someone trying IVF for the first time. However, be prepared to advocate for yourself and play phone tag with the staff.

He did not take the time to review my extensive infertility records prior to our visit. Despite my going through IVF elsewhere 6 prior times (I had moved from another state), he went the basics of IVF with me. He did not provide any personalized care and I felt he was reciting a script that he uses for all his patients, but especially for first time IVF'ers. He was a poor communicator and I would not recommend at all.

Nursing was highly variable. I will say that I had one good experience with a nurse, who was kind and compassionate. However, more of my interactions were negative where the nurses made it feel like I was bothering them. They were not knowledgeable and felt they were disorganized. They were slow to call back, and sometimes never called back.

Dr. Sanfilippo was not knowledgeable compared to other RE's that I have worked with. He was not compassionate or willing to take ownership of his patients. It was a very impersonal visit with him reciting what seemed like a script. He had not even reviewed my records beforehand. It was an overall terrible experience. I would never do an IVF cycle with him or his staff. I had a special request, and they were unable to make any accommodations despite the circumstances. They definitely did not show any compassion.

Go elsewhere if you can.

He gave me very generic recommendations, and did not provide specifics at our consultation because he did not even formulate a plan.

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I believe this clinic works very well. I feel confident in their approach to treatment. They are well organized and allow for a one stop shop so to speak which eases the burden of having to travel to multiple clinics or facilities for frequent testing. They become your family.

This clinic is very busy but anytime you had a call or a need they were very prompt and helping and always happy to explain things. All of the office staff are friendly and eager to help you. My doctor went above and beyond and helped me to complete grant applications and is always available to help via email.

The office has a 24/7 RN line and they always called back the same day to help answer questions.

She was very knowledgeable about infertility and was willing to explain things in an easy to understand way. She was very upfront about options and potential outcomes and tried to make you feel confident about the decisions you were making.

Go in knowing that you will have a strong support system

We had 3 IUI cycles. They all included a pregnancy blood test to confirm negative during period. These all were done using 5mg of letrozole cycle days 3-7. I was instructed to use ovulation predictor kits at home. Then a vaginal US on cycle day 12 or 13 and based on follicle size I was instructed to give the Ovidrel trigger shot and within 24-48 ours they did the insemination with a urine pregnancy test 15 days post insemination.

So far OOP for 2019 I have spent over $600. However, it might have been more if this MD was not considered in my preferred network

If you have infertility, this is a GREAT place to get answers. They are amazing all around. I have never had a bad experience there and I see them quite often. You are not a number and you should never be treated like one. Don't settle for less than you deserve.

Dr. Sanfilippo is always very attentive to us. He sees hundreds of patients and had never treated us like a number. He realizes that each case and couple are unique and different in their needs/treatment and you can see he truly believes it.

The ladies in the office are always pleasant. They are organized and get everything situated before you're called back so that you may see your doctor as soon as they're able.

Dr. Sanfilippo has amazing bedside manner. He takes the time needed at EACH visit to go over everything and always makes sure he answers any questions you have. He also will go over your history at each visit to make sure HE stays caught up on changes and refreshes his memory for any specifics to you and your case. He sees hundreds and it's refreshing to know he always has YOU on his mind during your visit.

Listen to him. He knows what he's doing. Do all the tests, they ARE necessary and he will find a treatment plan suited to you and your needs. He has a positive pregnancy test as his main goal when it is yours.

First you will have a sit down consultation with him and potentially one of his partners. He will go over your previous history and what you wish to accomplish in his care. He orders a full panel of blood work depending on your case (you'll also find out your blood type!). He then ordered a sonohysterogram (SHG) to check on uterus health. From there, he ordered a Hysterosalpingogram (HSG) to check on Fallopian tubes and more detailed uterus health. After all results, he goes over them with you during a follow up and together you make a plan of treatment. He then prescribed timed intercourse with either clomid or letrozole. We would do a few treatments of that and if nothing worked, we would do some monitored cycles with ultrasounds and continue from there.

Costs are average to above average for infertility treatments. He bills appropriately, it really depends on your insurance and what is covered. This is not his fault.

Strengths would be how through they are and how they explain the journey you will go on. A weakness would be how long it actually takes to get an appointment (months). But it was so worth the wait. They make you feel so comfortable in very uncomfortable situations.

The entire staff was very kind and considerate of my feelings. Speaking with Dr.Menke was like sitting down talking to a friend. I wasn’t just another number.

Very compassionate and kind. They know you are going through something so hard and are mindful of that.

From our very first visit she was very down to earth. It was like sitting there talking to a friend. She was very warm and answered all of our questions. We told her to be as blunt and up front as she can and she did exactly that. She throughly explained the testing process for me, she even came in unexpectedly when one of the tests they were doing were not going well with two of the other PA’s. She made sure I was ok and asked if I was ok to get home/back to work. She’s very considerate and very through and she makes sure you understand the process before leaving her office.

Go with an open mind and heart. She can either beat around the bush and be soft but we asked her to be brutally honest and she was- as an RE should be in my opinion.

I used clomid 100mg from cycle days 3-7. Ovulation kits starting day 9. They had me come in for an ultrasound on day 12 to see how my follicles were. If I had a surge when I tested on day 12 or before I was to come in for bloodwork. Unfortunately I didn’t have a surge the first 2 times so they did Ovidrel on day 12 or 13 and did the IUI 48 hours after that and used progesterone 100mg suppositories until my next period. My 3rd IUI they waited until cycle day 17 ( I surged later in my cycle than most women) but I still had a negative pregnancy test.

Each cycle was about 1,300. A visit with her was only 40.00 (my copay) And my preliminary testing was not covered by my insurance, which I had to pay my deductible (1,200)

Strength- small flexibility with scheduling. Weakness- answering services. When calling to schedule and appointment you never get ahold of a human. You get a voicemail for the nurse line. They do call you back in a timely manner. However, you have to leave a detailed message (which isn't easy to call and say "I'm calling because I got my period and this round of IUI didn't work so I need to do this all over again". When they call you back, you have to restate everything you just said on the voicemail in more detail. IUI failures are hard enough to talk about, much less have to leave a voicemail about them.

There were times I felt treated like a number and times I felt treated like a human. When being taken back for the IUI, the nurses would ask (all four times I did IUI), "this is your first IUI, right?". Talk about rubbing salt in a wound. The staff for the most part was amazing with the exception of being asked questions that should be avoided when they have access to your medical charts.

The nursing staff asked me each time I went in for an IUI if this was my first IUI. I never understood why they asked that. There was a moment of awkward silence and then a no from me. Questions like that really rub salt in the wound, certainly they could check medical charts before asking questions like at about such a sensitive subject. The nursing staff however was always compassionate and caring.

Dr. Marie Menke was caring and compassionate. She was also professional, she offered hope but didn't offer false hope. She always remained professional. Dr. Menke was easy to talk to and have difficult conversations with.

I would advise them to go in with an open mind. Dr. Menke doesn't sugar coat odds, however she does give you hope.

I had various blood work and ultrasounds, including a sonohystergram in January 2018. All bloodwork and US's came back normal, providing no answers to why we are not able to conceive on our own. We decided to move forward with IUI/Clomid cycles. After each IUI I also used vaginal progesterone. During my second round of IUI I got severe headaches from the Clomid, the headaches were solid all day for over a month. For the third and fourth cycles I was switched to letrozole. After 4 failed IUI cycles, we re-evaluated and decided to move forward with IVF. After deciding to move forward with IVF we switched Dr's.

My insurance covered office appointments and some testing/diagnostics. It did not cover the IUI rounds themselves, which were $485 each.

Although we discussed moving forward with IVF with Dr. Menke, we did not discuss in details the IVF procedure.

The nurses are wonderful, the office is always busy and has difficult hours for anyone that works full time. If doing IVF you will have to go to Pittsburgh for it. The nurses answer all questions the day or day after you call and leave a message. They have a rep that works on the insurance aspect, but you can't always trust their answers.

The nursing staff was thorough whenever the face to face visits were being completed. However, we had decided not to do IVF at the time in November. My husband was awaiting a semen analysis after having his Hep C cured. We received the results via online portal. The Doctor's office never called. I called them to ask if it would be possible to do another IUI. I feel that they should have been checking the results and calling with further information. Also, I was told in Jan 2017 that IVF would be covered with my insurance. I didn't change insurance or jobs, and then in Nov 2017, the office rep in charge of insurance stated that it was not covered.

Since I was there over many months/years I had multiple different nurses. The first one I had was the best, but she was not there when I went back in November. They always call back same day or next morning with any questions comments or concerns. They are the best part of the office.

He was able to explain items in common terms, however did not appear to always state all the steps to the process. Twice he approved for nurses to order drugs for the next step prior to testing being complete, this resulted in me paying over 1,000 in drugs that I can't use.

Make sure you know your nurses name. They are the most important.

He discontinued my metformin after having a blood sugar test, and stated I did not need it. He uses letrazole for ovulation for PCOS, as he stated that Clomid does not work well with PCOS. They have changed to a different drug for IVF, so they can control when you have your period, as they only have embryologists on certain weeks in Pittsburgh/Magee now. They used to use Ganirelex. He uses pregnyl, follistim, progesterone oil/injections for IVF.

My IUI was covered with insurance. IVF would cost 12,000 for a single cycle with ICSI.

He prefers single embryo transfer for decreased risk of miscarriage.

All scheduling is done through a outside central scheduling center. There is not a phone number to get a hold of someone directly in the office unless you call the nurse line but then you must leave a message and wait for a return call. The front desk staff is unapproachable. Very short while speaking with you and rude. Staff in back, nurses and medical assistants, are wonderful.

I feel that Dr. Menke took her time while explaining with my husband and I what her plan was. She answered every question we had in detail and then some.

The nursing staff was great. Very friendly.

Dr. Menke has a very pleasant bedside manner. She was very open with what her expectations were. She listened to our questions and answered appropriately. The only negative thing I can say is she was not very open when I suggested other options. I questioned possibly adding a new medication to the regime multiple times after researching success with other patients in our situation. She quickly shut it down and told us it wouldn't work.

Stand your ground. You need to sometimes be your own advocate.

I have tried Clomid unsuccessfully for many cycles with a previous doctor. Due to that, Dr. Menke decided that we should try 7.5mg of Letrozole to bring on ovulation. After roughly 4 cycles she suggested adding an Ovidrel trigger shot along with the 7.5mg of Letrozole. That cycle, I ovulated on my own without the trigger shot resulting in negative pregnancy test. We have unsuccessfully done two more cycles with 7.5mg of Letrozole alone. Dr. Menke suggests going to IUI next. I asked her to add Metformin to the regime, she refused. She stated that my levels were fine. When explaining the research I had found showing the success with women who have PCOS, she said that my case was different than those women.

Charged roughly $500 per ultrasound in a treatment cycle. Cost of Ovidrel through special pharmacy was approximately $100 without insurance.

The clinic is organized and clean. The wait time from check in to appointment time are efficient. It's nice that if they are running behind they will come out and let you know instead of having you sit there wondering what's going on. The team work there is amazing!

I only met Dr. Menke once. I always met with and talked directly to her nurse concerning my care. Btw she was awesome! My iui's were done by who ever was staffed at the time. I would have preferred the same RE everytime.

Lacey was awesome! She is a great communicator, very organized, and will return calls and emails in timely manner. I only had one disappointment with her. She brought me in for a consult for injectables I feel knowing that the RE didn't want to proceed. Total waste of a copay! Sometimes I felt like she was pushing me in the direction to do ivf after the second iui which was not of my interest.

I met her once. I know that all of my care was communicated to her through her nurse. After my first iui I never seen her again. I thought we would have had more communication face to face concerning my care so my experience with her was distant, meaning no connection. I just didn't feel like I received or was able to establish a patient and RE bond with her.

At consult let her know your expectations.

Femara CD 3-7 to induce ovulation and increase mature follicle count. Femara worked but once a follicle became mature I had to trigger because she don't want multiple mature follicles. Clomid cd 3-7produced less follicles but gave me several mature. I asked about injectables to better my chances and she declined stating that I was doing well on oral medications.

Copays collected at registration, insurance covered 80/20 after my deductible.

They are very quick about getting an appointment and the wait is not long at all. If you don't want to get blood work at the hospital they will send your paperwork to a Quest if it is closer to make it easier on you if the drive is long. The results from the blood work are very quick and they call you the same day. Also when you call to take to a nurse they get back to you very quickly.

She takes her time and listens. She is very nice and understands what you are going through.

The nursing staff were all very caring and supportive. With my IUI my bladder was not full enough and they didn't give up trying with the procedure. They couldn't get the cathador in place and went and did an ultrasound to make sure everything was okay. They gave me water to full up my bladder and then had sucess with the cathador. They were very encouraging and made me feel comformatable about the whole procedure!

When I first saw the doctor she was willing to move forward. She was not giving me a run around and was willing to help. I was ready to move forward and she was with me the whole time. She explained the process were going to try with the IUI and what to expect each time. She is very easy to talk to and I don't feel rushed during my appointments. I'm hoping the second IUI will be a success!

If you are ready to move forward so is she! She is willing to help you get to where you want to be!

My treatment was insemination with my husbands semin. To inject the semin with a cathador to help the sperm arrive close to an egg. I was told to take a pregnancy test the first day of my period to make sure I was not pregnant. They would call in Clomid and take for five days. I was told to have intercourse every other day starting day 9 of my cycle. I was told to use the ovulation predictor kits day 11 and when a positve ovulation test appeared I would have an IUI the next day. After my IUI they had me use Prometrium after until 15 days past insemination. Day 15 check pregnancy and report results to the nurse. If negative stop Prometrium and your cycle should start within a few days and start the procedure all over again. She was clear as to what each medication was for and why I need to take it.

My copays to meet with Doctor Menke were $50. It didn't matter if I was there for 5 minutes or an hour. I feel she could have emailed the information one time for a five minute conversation. My blood work I never had a copayment but received bills in the mail. My IUI is covered under insurance but was billed later for I believe $247.00 but it may be all the payments for bloodwork that they didn't know for my insurance.

Strengths - long history of treating patients in our area, experience with difficult cases, clean, convenient hours for scans and bloodwork. Weaknesses- after initial appt with doctors, you only see and speak to them for retrieval and transfer. The nursing staff could be a little more compassionate considering where they are working. For out of pocket (we were completely out of pocket), the estimates should be more realistic. We stimmed for a long period of time and spent $15,000 on the medication alone, this was completely underestimated during our earlier appts with finance team, and finally, this clinic doesn’t have adjusted guidelines for patients that have only one ovary. You have to hit a set number of follicles and E2 level or they won’t continue. This can be difficult for patients with DOR or in my case, one ovary.

For the first part of the treatments (consultation, work-ups), he was very kind and listened to everything we had concerns with. Once in treatment, we were only able to speak with the nurses which made us feel more like a number, and very stressful.

During the treatment this was the most stressful part. I was never able to speak to dr. Wakim if I had any questions. I was on cancellation notice for the first 7 days due to poor initial response (before it was increased). The nurses were generally cold and straight down to business. There was no flexibility in assisting with medication needs short notice, no compassion for a bad bloodwork, or scan. No suggestions on ways to help my body respond (ended up doing acupuncture to help E2 levels). The phlebotomist team though was AMAZING!

Dr. Wakim has years of experience helping women in our area with becoming pregnant. He is hands down the best for difficult cases as mine was (1 tube, 1 ovary, only tube blocked, diminished ovarian reserve). He was thoughtful during consultation and no nonsense during the procedures.

Ask all your questions when you are with him. You speak to the nurses for the rest of the treatment (other than during retrieval and transfer). He is blunt, tells you exactly what is going on, but not harshly. I actually prefer this.

Antagonist protocol. We were “going to squeeze out all the eggs we could” as he said. I was on an average dose of Gonal-f, and menopur. I was not on birth control prior as this doesn’t help a sleepy ovary (my ovary was in temporary POF due to a traumatic ovarian rupture from an ovarian ectopic). The dosage was adjusted after no major change in Estrogen level after 5 days. I was maxed out on both and continued to stimulate for another 10 days. We added the holding drug in at day 10. He was successful in getting my ovary to respond with this protocol. The goal was to take an aggressive approach and it worked. We had 8 eggs retrieved (again, only one ovary so this was great for us), 6 fertilized, 4 made it to day 3. Our clinic has a requirement on number of embryos to do a day 5. So we did a 3 day transfer of 2, then held our breath for our other 2. We ended up being able to freeze the remaining 2!!

They offered early morning monitoring appts which while early, worked wonderfully for anyone working long hours.

Procedure - $11000 (retrieval, transfer, scans, etc) Medications - $15000 Storage - $750

Due to my age at transfer (33), they recommended one but left it up to us. He made sure to explain why they recommend one at my age.

The nursing staff is great. Dr. Collins is a really intelligent guy who definitely knows what he's doing. My notes of caution would be that you do need to be prepared to ask anything if you're not sure and that because they work with the MaGee clinic in Pittsburgh, the hours can be kind of crappy, especially around the holidays. I was bumped back a whole month because they basically only work the first half of December (obviously not dr collins fault but it definitely sucked)

Dr. Collins sat down with us for as long as we wanted each time. He was genuinely (or at least seemed genuinely) happy when I got pregnant and made sure we knew each and every step. I was pretty distressed coming into his clinic fresh off a miscarriage from my old doctor and he made sure to tell me what he thought my old doctor had missed and he was right because I was able to get pregnant

The nurses in the office were sweet and attentive and I always felt like they were just waiting for me to get there to help me out (I understand that's not the case but I was the first appointment of the day, usually, so it always felt like the whole thing was for me). They answered all my questions, let me cry when I needed to cry, and celebrated when we needed to celebrate

Dr. Collins was able to pin point what went wrong with my previous doctor. My previous doctor had not mentioned that I could have PCOS and based on my egg retrieval numbers (done with previous dr) he said there was no way I don't have it and was able to adjust the plan he originally thought we'd do to compensate for that. He's a very smart guy and maybe not the most personable (kind of quiet) but I don't care as long as you get the job done

Make sure you ask him anything you're thinking. He might not always answer your concerns outright, but if you ask him about it he definitely already has considered it (at least in his head) and can give you a good answer/plan.

I did a FET. He kept me on birth control for 2 months then we moved to gentle stimulation with estradiol. He used PIO for my progesterone as he didn't want to risk it with crinone or endometrin (not being as effective).

The transfer itself was ~$4000. Ultrasounds & Appointments came in around $1000. Medication was ~$6000

My last cycle before Dr Collins was a fresh, single embryo. I (probably/definitely) had OHSS but my previous dr had implanted anyway (at my request since it was my last day living in that state/being on that insurance). I miscarried. Dr. Collins allowed me to do 2 embryos and we were able to get one live birth

As a patient I have been extremely happy with everything about this facility, not only did he find my precancer but treated it and I'm now on my way to fertility treatments.

The entire staff tgere is so caring, and explains everything in great detail.

The nurses are always going above and beyond for us. When I call with questions they always have the reassuring answer for us.

He goes though everything and explains everything that needs to be done, hes never in a rush to get to the next patient and always makes dure we understand evevything. But its not just Dr. Sanfilipo but his entire staff that works together, if we have questions we cab call anytime and get an answer that same day, and we always have lots of questions. If tests need to be completed they always have room for us. The entire staff if so caring and we definitely aren't just a number in the patient world, we are there to help make our dream come true of having a baby and he is there to do everything in his power to make it happen. When we started this process i was diganosed with endometrial hyperplasia with atypia. So I had to go see the oncologist before we could move on with my fertility treatment. After treatment for my precancer and lots of biopsies I got the ok to go back to the fertility treatments but only have 6 months to try. This would be an absolute dream for us to get this grant and make our dreams come true.

Ask questions, they are there to give you the answers your looking for.

We recieved a paper with all the costs the day we went in for our fertility treatment, everything was very clear, yet, very expensive.

The clinic is very good and because it is in Pittsburgh with so many resources, they have good results. I would recommend to advocate for yourself and no what you want to do and to not wait a long time before trying other options.

She spoke to me personally and my case specifically versus talking about "cases like mine.". She understood and respected I was in the healthcare field and needed to understand everything.

They were so kind and considerate compassionate and helped explain things that I didn't understand. They also respected that I was in the medical field and wanted to understand everything detail.

She was very helpful and understanding and compassionate. She respected my medical knowledge and my needing to understand things. She respected my worries and hesitations. Even though I did not get the results I wanted with those 2 IUI procedures, I would recommend her. We just moved back to State College, PA and that is why I'm not still seeing her.

Advocate for yourself and trust her.

We used IUI without injectables at this point because I am ovulating on my own and she didn't want me to hyperstimulate. My husband's count is good so she wasn't worried about that. My ovarian reserve is low so that is why we are starting these treatments early rather than trying oral medication and intercourse for longer.

It was expensive but manageable because I had good insurance as well as the amount t that UPMC will put towards your infertility care if you have it done at a UPMC hospital. It helped that I worked at the hospital where I was having treatment.

N/A

It was easy to feel like a number with the clinic but they are organized. There is some amount of taking control of your own care (like calling for an appointment instead of waiting for nurses). They stay pretty on track time wise. Be aware this is in a maternity hospital so you frequently have to see babies and kids running around.

Dr Menke cares about her patients and it shows. She tends toward bluntness (which I appreciate) but she was never rude. She also would do phone consultations and I didn’t feel rushed or annoying for asking lots of questions.

The nursing staff would sometimes take a long time to call back but always did. The phlebotomist was really sweet!

I liked Dr. Menke’s bluntness and straightforwardness because she is also caring. I was getting frustrated with lack of success and she scheduled a phone appointment with me during a busy time for me at work. She listened and explained why our course of treatment was the best.

Don’t expect her to sugar coat! But she is so kind and caring.

We need to use donor sperm. First cycle was 50mg Clomid and IUI. I had 5 follicles but still was not successful. The next cycle was Femara but I only had one giant follicle that took forever to grow. She was able to walk me through when to test with ovulation strips since we weren’t sure when the ultrasounds should be. The next cycle I did 25 mg Clomid but only got a few slow growing follicles yet again. The final cycle she (at my insistence) put me back on 50 mg Clomid and we’re successful. We did an ovidrel trigger shot with every cycle.

We were extremely fortunate to have insurance coverage for everything except donor sperm, which was approximately $900 per cycle. Visits with Dr Menke were a $50 copay.

We've been going to this Clinic for the last 4 years. Everybody there is amazing, there is relatively minimal turn around so there's a lot of continuity of care. The nurses and staff really get to know you and make what can sometimes feel like a terrible situation, actually be a pleasant one

She was open and honest with us. It was obvious she cared but didn't want us to be lead down a path that wouldn't work.

I cannot say enough wonderful things about the nursing staff at this Clinic. They're wonderful nurses who care about their patients and want the best for them.

She was wonderful. She laid out a clear plan and adjusted when necessary. She was very honest with us during each step of the process and gave us the ability to make decisions based on all information available, not just her recommendations.

She's wonderful and even though you might not see her every time, she knows exactly what is going on and is always happy to give you a call and talk about it

Our first cycle together was planned by another doctor, so she followed through with the previously designed protocol. However our second cycle we did an long cycle with Lupron priming followed by 4 vials of menopur, two times a day (8 total) for stimulation. For my donor cycle, we did a uterine scratch the month before.

All monitoring appointments were done between when the clinic opened at 6:30 in the morning until 9:30 in the morning. This way doctors could discuss results at noon conference and call the patients with the results and update their plan of care if necessary. I never felt like a cattle call, it never felt rushed. It was great that the appointments were able to be scheduled before working hours so that it did not eat into my work day in any way, shape, or form

All of our procedures were covered by insurance however I did have a $10,000 deductible for medication that was met early on. I think we ended up spending an additional $12,000 on medication between all three cycles out of pocket

All transfers were recommended as one embry. Because I was under 35 and all embryos were excellent quality

strengths: small, easy to get in weakness: unprofessional receptionist, very long wait even when we were the first appointment of the day, billing issues, unorganized

He would never remember our names, what cycle we were on, or any of my medical history. He would often ask, now what cycle is this? never spent more than 5-10 minutes with us

she was good about emailing me back promptly and was friendly.

My 2 friends recommended him and had success with him so I had high hopes. They said he had poor bedside manner but they were pregnant. I felt like just a number and not human. I felt confused and like my questions were not answered. He often would refer me to his nurse to answer my questions and they gave sketchy responses. I feel like he is a very inelegant man and knows what he is doing but needs to tell his patience what that is. I was very confused most of my appointments and often expressed my anxiety and was teary eyed. Never once did he suggest therapy or resources to help me cope. I felt like he was rushing through treatment and I was excited to start but also felt overwhelmed and did not fully understand the process.

If you are an easy fix, you will like him but if you are unexplained and would like to know details of your cycle he is not the doctor for you. He lacks compassion. I remember him saying "sperm count is very low under 2,000 oh well lets hope this works." In my fertility support group, I have heard similar stories

I was never really given a reason why we chose the proceures we did. I just knew we would try three cycles of iui with meds and monitoring and after that move on to IVF. I remember crying and feeling hopeless after the first cycle. I had no idea that fertility drugs were such an emotional roller coaster.

it was very high, double what I am paying now. We constantly told him we were paying entirely out of pocket and feared we couldn't afford to continue. He offered no ways to help and money was upfront

We did not get this far. I left for another doctor

Strengths- they treat a lot of patients with complex diagnoses. They are honest about success rates and available options. They are willing to let you take lead on treatment if you really feel strongly. Weaknesses- communicationing with your doctor directly is very limited. They treat a lot of patients so beyond your care coordinator, most staff may not remember you.

When I would meet with him, he always had a good handle of my diagnosis and never confused me with other patients. He never seemed rushed to leave and move on to his next appointment. He is always willing to listen and answer all of my questions.

My care coordinators were always very accessible and available to answer my questions via email or phone.

He answers all of your questions honestly and without judgement. He is always willing to explain his thought process behind his choice of treatment. He's shown compassion when I've shown signs of pain during a procedure.

Don't be afraid to ask him anything and everything.

I'm 29 with diminished ovarian reserve as a result of multiple surgeries to remove ovarian cysts. We started with IUI since I was still young, but Sanfilippo made it clear he thought IVF would be our best bet. The IUIs failed.I was told to be cautiously optimistic once it was time for IVF. He chose a protocol designed for poor responders, but it didn't work. My cycle was canceled due to low response. Next, I was told that my chances of success with a second IVF were less than 10%, but he understood I was still young so he would be willing to try again if I wanted to. He said it was time to start thinking about donor eggs as the alternative. I ended up deciding to use donor eggs and we are in this process right now.

A single IVF cycle was around $12,000 plus medication. Donor IVF was $16,000 plus medication.

Always running late, rude, not clean, just another number

I rarely saw Dr. Menke and when I did, my appointments always seemed rush and I never got answers on all my questions. Information that I needed for treatment was NEVER communicated, including pricing.

Rude, disingenuous, too busy to be bothered

Dr. Menke was the first fertility doctor I saw during my fertility journey. I didn't have an expectation or even know what to expect, but having been seen by another doctor, at a different clinic I can reflect on my visits as rushed, not thorough. I also felt like just another number, more money in their pocket. I also felt like there was nothing genuine about my interactions with her on what was the beginning of a very difficult journey.

Get to know your patients, take your time with them, have a general interests in their struggles, and help them understand their diagnosis and what will or can happen next. Also provide your patients with accurate cost information

After my first visit and initial blood work, I was put on 50 mg of Clomid for 6 months unmonitored. Keep in my I already ovulate on my own. Then we moved to monitored clomid with IUI. After my first ultrasound, i had too many mature follicules. Therefore the first IUI was canceled and I was proscribed 25 mg of clomid. That dose allowed for an IUI but no pregnancy. I did one more cycle with Dr. Menke of 25 mg of clomid and IUI which resulted in no pregnancy

Nope, of fact she gave me the wrong code sheet to check with our insurance for IUI. I never met with a fianial advisor. This is the beginning of many financial issues

A weakness is that anytime you call in you get the voicemail. And if you're like me and can't take personal calls while you are working it ends up being unending phone tag with the nurses. If you want very specific questions answered be sure to ask otherwise they'll just tell you things "look okay" without giving you actual results/information. The nurses don't always know why you are there on a given day and there seems to be a lot of miscommunication at times. Be prepared to advocate for yourself. It is so very important for you to understand what you are doing and why, and what each visit is for, and what the expectations are for your cycle. You are your own best advocate! You need to take charge of your own care and be sure that you are being provided the best care possible. The strengths would be having Dr. Menke on their staff as she is wonderful.

Dr. Menke was so compassionate and treated me with kindness and understanding. It was obvious that she truly cared about my feelings throughout treatment, as well as my health and getting results. She was always very thorough in explaining things and took the time to answer every question.

In the beginning I had a lot of issues with the nursing staff - scheduling appointments, knowing why I was there, having prescriptions called in, getting specifics of my results. It was very frustrating and if it hadn't been for Dr. Menke I would have switched to a different practice. Things seemed to have improved a lot in the past 4 months though. Everyone there seems in a better mood and they seem to be running a little smoother now.

Dr. Menke did two laparoscopies on me, multiple medicated cycles, IUIs, and eventually IVF. My first IVF cycle was cancelled before we ever made it to retrieval because I only had 3 mature eggs when expectations were for a lot more. She took the time to call and go over all of the details, talk about next steps and what we would do differently. I had been so upset that I really didn't absorb everything and had a lot more questions the next day - she called me back and went over everything again and answered all of my questions. She helped prepare me for the next cycle and was encouraging that we could get much better results with a different protocol, knowing how my body has reacted to medications in the past and with injectables. The new protocol (estrogen priming) worked much better! We made it to retrieval, transfer, and even have 5 embryos that are frozen! I am cautiously expecting right now and Dr. Menke is following that until I can be released from their office. I really feel she went above and beyond my expectations - she seemed to anticipate my needs (emotionally and otherwise) and tailored her treatment to my specific case. I will be glad when I don't *have* to see her anymore but will miss her and the excellent care she provided me!

Don't be afraid to ask questions or to have her explain things to you! She will, and she'll ensure that you understand.

My successful IVF cycle used the estrogen priming protocol. She chose that for me as my previous IVF cycle (and previous medicated cycles) never produced more than 3 follicles. Since my antral follicle count suggested I should get many more she suspected that I may have premature ovarian aging. She didn't want to risk over suppression by using birth control pills or lupron, and so estrogen priming it was. That would allow receptors in the follicles to open up and basically "wake up" my sleepy ovaries so that they'd accept the hormones and actually grow. My follicles grew slower (which was a good thing!) and I required more medication at higher doses, but in the end it was very effective and I ended up with good quality embryos. Out of 11 mature, 9 fertilized, we transferred the best looking one on day 3, and 5 made it to day 5 to freeze. We are cautiously expecting our first child now.

I was fortunate that my insurance covered the cost of all diagnostics and IUIs. Medications were not covered, and everything associated with IVF was out of pocket. They provided a list of what everything would cost up front, some things were optional, so we were aware of what we were getting into with IVF.

I would recommend Magee to anyone in the Pittsburgh area. I've had nothing but wonderful experiences.

Dr Menke was open and honest with us. We were patients of Dr. Nayaks before she moved, and I was very nervous switching, as I had a wonderful experience with Dr. Nayak. Because of our issues, we know our chances of conceiving using my eggs are low, and while Dr. Menke doesn't sugar coat things, she is kind and warm and I really believe that she cares about us as people.

They're wonderful. I was always greeted with a smile, and when I got my daily calls, they let me ask a million questions. I am so grateful for how caring they are, it really makes a difference.

She's warm and welcoming, but doesn't give a false sense of hope, and that is extremely important to me. Coming into something as complex and emotional as IVF, my husband and I wanted to find a doctor who was caring and compassionate but who also was honest and upfront with the realities of our situation. And Dr. Menke is that person. The ONLY downside is that while she is always available via phone or email, she generally only sees scheduled patients one day a week. But even with that, when I was in a cycle, I heard from her regularly and she was at key ultrasounds.

Don't be discouraged if it takes a bit to get an appointment with her, it's worth the wait.

My first cycle was designed by my previous doctor, Dr. Menke followed the protocols that she had laid out, I have diminished ovarian reserve, so they maxed me out on Menapur and Gonal F. My second cycle was designed by Dr. Menke. I was maxed out on Menapure and Gonal F in my first cycle and was only able to get 2 eggs. She suggested an experimental priming protocol. This time, she was hoping to increase my egg count (I was told it wouldn't be a miracle, that maybe we could get from 2 to 3 or 4) and slowly bring me up. She thought that maybe one follicle showed it was dominate and that stopped all others from growing. This second cycle was a long cycle, 10 days after I ovulated, I took estrogen for three days and then added cetrotide for another three days, then when I got my period, I began the stim medication on day two (I took menapur twice a day). My eggs did increase, they were able to get three

Insurance covered all of the procedures, however we maxed out on our drug coverage, so most of the medications during the second cycle were out of pocket.