Brian Kaplan
Fertility Centers of Illinois
Available Lines of Communication
Doctor email
Nurse email
Nurse email
Direct line to doctor
Direct line to nurse
Direct line to nurse
Doctor personal cell phone
Medical SchoolU. of Witswatersrand
ResidencyMichael Reese Hosp
FellowshipMichael Reese Hosp
Chicago
900 N. Kingsbury
Chicago, IL 60610
312-222-8230
Highland Park
767 Park Avenue West
Highland Park, IL 60035
847-433-4400
64 assessments
2
Age
30 - 31
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
1 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
—
2
I never got more than one consultation with Dr. Kaplan. ... In person he was friendly and charismatic. But I hardly ever dealt with him. I felt I was just being told what I wanted to hear. At first I liked him but the more I wanted to ask questions or get a hold of him it was always pushed off to his nurses. And then they never knew our history. He sounded so promising but I felt like he just said the same things to everyone.
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Age
30 - 31
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
No
Race
European, Other
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1st of 2 Docs
Treatment
1 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
—
2
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
In person he was friendly and charismatic. But I hardly ever dealt with him. I felt I was just being told what I wanted to hear. At first I liked him but the more I wanted to ask questions or get a hold of him it was always pushed off to his nurses. And then they never knew our history. He sounded so promising but I felt like he just said the same things to everyone.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
If you want to feel like just a number and feel like you’re just another women going through a “routine” procedure then this is for you. Nothing seemed to be personalized to your needs.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
I never got more than one consultation with Dr. Kaplan. They never answered questions. Never followed up. And made every moment even more stressful. They even forgot a lot of times my history.
Describe the protocols Brian Kaplan used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
We wanted to try several IUI’s before we spend so much of our own money on IVF but he said it wouldn’t work for us. So we only did one. I reacted really well to the drugs for egg retrieval and they said it all looked normal. I don’t remember the specifics here. But I got a lot of eggs. But not very matured enough eggs.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
They were awful. All over the place. I felt like every week I had a different nurse. We had to keep reminding them that my husband couldn’t do in person sperm retrieval. And they never answered questions. I could hardly get a hold of them. It was possibly the most frustrating thing I’ve ever dealt with.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Strengths:they will fit you in. There wouldn’t be a weight list to get you started in treatment.
Weaknesses: they don’t care about you. They care about numbers. They don’t care about money or helping figure out finances. They just will help you till you run out. They are all over the place. Disorganized.
Even if insurance paid for this. I would never go here.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Waiting. Waiting. Waiting.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
It was a lot. We spent over 25k.
Describe Brian Kaplan's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Okay. So they never let me know the grade of my embryos. I didn’t even know there was a grade till I met with my new doctor. So we did the first transfer and he recommended just one. Even though later I found out the grade wasn’t great. So the chances of positive pregnancy was a very low percentage. I knew none of this. I would do multiple every time if I couldn’t do PGS testing.
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
- Lost paperwork
- Failed to call with results
- Lost results
- Provided conflicting information
- Failed to convey critical information
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4
Age
41
Treated
2019
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
5 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Poor Egg Quality
4
He [Dr. Brian Kaplan] is charismatic and charming...I was not always sure he remembered who I was, though he was very polite the few times I have directly interacted with him... I feel though unless you have a fairly easy case, easy to stimulate, lots of eggs, good rate of fertilization then he is willing to work with you. If you are a challenging or slightly difficult case, meaning you have DOR, poor eq quality, high attrition rate of your eggs then you should definitely look elsewhere. He seemed to have no added advice or plan of action if you had a poor stim cycle.
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Age
41
Treated
2019
Success with this Doc
No
Race
Black or African-American, Other
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Doctor
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 3 Docs
Treatment
5 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Poor Egg Quality
4
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
He is very charming. I feel though unless you have a fairly easy case, easy to stimulate, lots of eggs, good rate of fertilization then he is willing to work with you. If you are a challenging or slightly difficult case, meaning you have DOR, poor eq quality, high attrition rate of your eggs then you should definitely look elsewhere. He seemed to have no added advice or plan of action if you had a poor stim cycle.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
If you are older, 40 and over, DOR, this is not the doctor you should choose. He is very sweet, but if you are a difficult case, then I would choose another clinic.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
He is charismatic and charming. FCI is a busy clinic. I was not always sure he remembered who I was, though he was very polite the few times I have directly interacted with him.
Describe the protocols Brian Kaplan used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
Initially, he started me on OCP, which over suppressed me. That was stopped half way through. The 2nd time, he primed me with Estrogen and Progesterone and that helped my numbers. The Menopur and Gonal were high doses. I cannot recall the exact numbers. 5 eggs from this cycle. The 3rd time, he did Estrogen and progesterone priming, but added Lupron, and same doses of Menopur and Gonal. 1 egg from this cycle. My AFC was 10-11.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Eileen/Aileen, Carmen)
Aileen/Eileen is terrible. She is rude, condescending and snarky. In my second cycle no nurse from FCI called me to tell me when too trigger. I called at least 3 times in which they told me " to calm down, and a nurse will call me to trigger". No one did. The next morning, I finally reach Eileen. She never apologized for this mishap. She wanted me to drive an hour to Highland park to see if I ovulated, which I had. She never apologized, in fact she blamed me!!! I have heard other stories from other women about her. She is terrible.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
FCI is crowded. Runs like a factory. You will likely feel like a number but that was ok with me. I care about the results. The monitor days seem to be pretty efficient with labs and sono. They have hours that accommodate most schedules. They open at 6am.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
All my costs were covered by BCBS AFTER I met my deductible which was $2400 in network.Meds covered pretty much under my insurance.
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
- Lost appointments
- Failed to call with results
- Failed to send your chart to another clinic
- Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
- Lost results
- Provided conflicting information
- Failed to convey critical information
- Canceled a cycle due to clinic error
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10
Age
36 - 38
Treated
2017 - 2019
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
2 IVF
Diagnosis
—
10
Dr. Kaplan strongly recommended one embryo to be transferred and my husband and I were very comfortable with this decision... is a great listener and shares options that are best for you and your family. He always addressed me by name and greeted me if he saw me outside of his office. There were a few times he called me personally...listened to my tragic story and genuinely shared his optimism in helping me become a mom again. I never felt that he was BS'ing me or just trying to get my business. It's almost as if I instantly trusted him and believe me - I don't trust many people, especially right awa
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Age
36 - 38
Treated
2017 - 2019
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Other
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
Teacher
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
2 IVF
Diagnosis
—
10
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
If I could give more stars to Dr. Kaplan, his staff and everyone at FCI, I would. I have been working with FCI for over a year now and anyone who has undergone IVF knows it's quite the rollercoaster. From day one Dr. Kaplan was nothing but understanding, knowledgeable, compassionate and patient. He is extraordinary at listening to a patient's needs and explaining options.
As I told Dr. Kaplan, I walked into his office with so much heartache and pain. I was a grieving mother who lost her only child - a 2 year old to cancer just a year prior. Additionally, I was in remission from breast cancer. I didn't know if having another child was even a possibility for me but my husband and I thought it was worth a try to see "the best of the best."
Dr. Kaplan listened to my tragic story and genuinely shared his optimism in helping me become a mom again. I never felt that he was BS'ing me or just trying to get my business. It's almost as if I instantly trusted him and believe me - I don't trust many people, especially right away. Here I am a year later and pregnant with my second child. For the first in many years, I feel happiness that is authentic. It is because of Dr. Kaplan and his team of nurses that I am finally sharing happy news. When you're 8-9 weeks pregnant, FCI will release you to be seen by your OB regularly. Today was the day I was released by Dr. Kaplan and although I am very happy, I will admit that I have been very emotional. I loved working with him and his team and have been extremely comfortable. I know I will be in excellent care with my OB, however, Dr. Kaplan and his nurses made this experience even more meaningful. I pray to have the opportunity to work with them in the future!
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
If you don't understand something, don't be afraid to ask for clarification! Maintain optimism even if there are turning points. Always ask what your options are.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Kaplan is a great listener and shares options that are best for you and your family. He always addressed me by name and greeted me if he saw me outside of his office. There were a few times he called me personally.
Describe the protocols Brian Kaplan used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
Egg retrieval - Gonal, Menopur, Lupron, Cetrotide, trigger shot
Embryo transfer - Prenatal pills, Estradiol, baby aspirin
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Caroline and Ilynne)
I worked closely with Dr. Kaplan's team of nurses - all of which were incredibly organized, helpful and super prompt with responding to my questions (believe me when I say I have a lot of them). I especially felt connected with Caroline and Ilynne. Both women are so lovely to work with and I knew they genuinely cared for me as much as I cared for them.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
I had nothing but a wonderful experience working with Dr. Kaplan and everyone at FCI. I felt as if they were always supporting me. The only weakness I will mention is the billing / insurance component. While this may be easy for most to understand, there were times I felt overwhelmed because I didn't fully understand. Thankfully there were a few employees that helped me better understand. A big thanks to Rita and Tanya!
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
I really don't know exactly because I have two insurance policies, however, I am estimating it has cost us approximately $20,000 out of pocket (I had two egg retrievals and 1 embryo transfer)
Describe Brian Kaplan's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Dr. Kaplan strongly recommended one embryo to be transferred and my husband and I were very comfortable with this decision.
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9
Age
40 - 42
Treated
2017 - 2019
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
4 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Poor Egg Quality
9
Dr. Kaplan is direct and clearly communicates his opinion. I appreciate that he does not sugar-coat the situation ... He is, however, quite busy. ... Due to my age, diminished ovarian reserve and low AMH (0.6), we went straight to IVF. ... Dr. Kaplan informed us that he prefers to do frozen embryo transfers ... Dr. Kaplan likes to do his own procedures and, therefore, bases your protocol around his set procedure dates each month.
+ Read more
Age
40 - 42
Treated
2017 - 2019
Success with this Doc
?
Race
East Asian
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
4 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Poor Egg Quality
9
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Kaplan is direct and clearly communicates his opinion. I appreciate that he does not sugar-coat the situation since fertility treatment is too expensive and time consuming to operate under false pretense. He is, however, quite busy. After my failed or canceled cycles, it was difficult to schedule a consultation appointment that wasn’t a few weeks out (by then I would have missed the opportunity to start a cycle the month immediately following the cancellation/failed cycle). In each case, he was able to do a brief phone consult with me the week after, in between procedures (i.e., no specific time scheduled), so I did not need to wait weeks to speak with him. In interacting with Dr. Kaplan it is best to have done your research and prepared all of your questions in advance. The conversation goes very quickly so know what you want to say and what questions you want answered. Dr. Kaplan does not provide an email address which would be helpful but I understand that this would be impractical given the number if patients he sees. Dr. Kaplan likes to do his own procedures and, therefore, bases your protocol around his set procedure dates each month. I appreciate that he likes to do the procedures himself but at the same time it is frustrating having to wait to start a cycle based on his dates. Dr. Kaplan does his retrievals at the Highland Park location since his embryologists are onsite there. Transfers are done either at Highland Park or at his office on Michigan Avenue, which is beautiful. During my initial consult, Dr. Kaplan informed us that he prefers to do frozen embryo transfers to give the body a bit of time to recover from the retrieval. This is an important consideration for those who want to do fresh transfers.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
He is recognized as one of the best. As such, he is in high demand and, therefore, may not get to spend very much time with you. Therefore, you will need to interact more frequently with his nurses. If you want an RE that can spend more time with you, perhaps Dr. Kaplan is not the right doctor for you.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
When interacting with Dr. Kaplan, I felt like a human, however, those interactions were limited. My primary interaction was with his nursing team who usually interacted with me via email on the FCI portal. When I did speak with some nurses, half of the time the experience felt cold, i.e., they were short in answering my questions or seemed put off when I had several questions to ask or did not answer my questions completely. The other half of the time, the nurses were patient and empathetic, e.g., . After my third cycle when all of my embryos arrested, a nurse called me promptly to address my questions and talk through next steps. Each nurse has a different “bedside” manner.
Describe the protocols Brian Kaplan used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
Due to my age, diminished ovarian reserve and low AMH (0.6), we went straight to IVF. My first cycle was a standard antagonistic(?) protocol with Follistim (300 IU to start), Menopur (150 IU), Doxycycline, and Ganirelex (250). I was also taking a prenatal vitamin from my local pharmacy, and had started acupuncture and yoga at Pulling Down the Moon since I could no longer run as a form of exercise. We considered ourselves very lucky with the first cycle as after 4 embryos retrieved, we were able to transfer 1 PGS-tested 5-day embryo via FET. Unfortunately, that did not result in a pregnancy. For my second cycle, I was put on the Lupron microdose protocol since that is typically used with “poor responders.” This included 40mcg of Lupron BID, 450 Gonal, 75 IU Menopur. However, that cycle was canceled as my body did not respond to it. During this cycle, I also started taking the PDTM Prenatal multi-vitamin with supplements and added supplements Kaplan recommended (CoQ10, pycnogenol, L-Arginine). My third cycle was similar to my first but with a different dose of Menopur - 300. I also took 300 Gonal and 250 Ganirelex. All of my 5 embryos arrested before making it to Day 5. For my fourth cycle, I was on 100 mg Clomiphene, 300 Gonal, 150 Menopur then 250 Ganirelex. I had 5 eggs retrieved, 3 fertilized, 2 made it to Day 5. One came back PGS normal and the other designated as “special considerations.” One of my issues in preparing for FET is my lining not getting thick enough. I’ve had three canceled FETs due to this. One FET cycle I was on Estrace (initially 2 pills am/pm) and baby aspirin then doxycycline, Medrol, and PIO. Another FET cycle I was on delestrogen (0.3ml every 3rd day), baby aspirin, and 5 units of Lupron then Doxycycline, Medrol, PIO. The next cycle was a stimulated FET with 150 Gonal but I ovulated before the FET. I’m currently on another stimulated FET protocol - 5 units Lupron and 150 Gonal.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Initially Ilynne McGovern then Donna Gerbhart )
Ilynne is very knowledgeable and kind. Donna is getting better. I was upset after my initial interactions with Donna since they felt rushed and as if she was irritated by my questions. She has gotten better and seems to have more patience. She now spends more time explaining things and does a better job with answering my questions. In general, I do not understand the various nursing teams Dr. Kaplan has and what the responsibilities for each are. He has his Highland Park nurses which I understand are the IVF nurses and the River North nurses (unsure what they do compared to HP). I was annoyed that their process is not seamless. On one occasion, I was told by one of the River North nurses that I needed to contact Highland Park to receive my protocol. I already feel that I have to be my own advocate, ask questions about the protocol/why certain meds are used because they do not consistently explain this, and to have to sort out logistics because communication is poor on their end shouldn’t have to be my responsibility. It’s also challenging if you have a demanding job to be available for their phone calls since they typically do not have a set time that they call. So if you are in a meeting and miss their call but have questions, you often have to email the portal since they have left for the day and need to wait for a response. I do appreciate that the nurses will let Dr. Kaplan know that I want to speak with him after a canceled/failed cycle. Typically, you are asked to leave a message with his admin, Carmen, who never seems to answer her phone or be prompt with her return call. On one occasion, I had already spoken with Dr. Kaplan (nurses had asked him to call me) the week after a failed cycle before Carmen even returned my call!
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
It is challenging to work full time and manage monitoring appointments especially since you may only be given a 1-2 days’ notice that you need to come in. It is frustrating that the nurses call you in the evening to advise on next steps but likely by the time they call, the scheduling team is gone for the day. Because of the short notice, they often cannot accommodate me at my desired time, 6:30a. I work in the far north suburbs (~1 hour drive in average). I have had to cancel important meetings, work from home, take calls from the car. My work schedule is challenging because of my level and the fact I am in meetings most of the day. This adds a layer of stress with going to appointments and not having my work suffer as a result.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
My BCBS IL PPO insurance provided by my employer has different coverage for procedures vs. medications. My lifetime medication max was $15000 which was usurped with my first round of stim medications and didn’t cover the full expense. I have been out of pocket for meds ever since then. For 4 stim rounds and 5 FET preps, I’d estimate I’ve spend $20-25K in medication alone. Most of my procedures are still covered under my insurance so I’ve only had to pay deductible/co-insurance though do not know the amount. I’ve elected for PGS testing for the cycles where it was possible so for 2 rounds that was about $10K including biopsy, testing, and storage.
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5
Age
32
Treated
2019
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
3 IUI
Diagnosis
Male Factor
5
The one time I did meet with Dr. Kaplan, he was very kind and spent time answering all of the questions we had - I did not feel rushed. ... I’m at the point now where I’m a bit frustrated as next steps are not clear to me. ...While meeting in person with Dr. Kaplan, he was very kind, caring and compassionate. Upon our initial consultation I was very excited to work with him and eager for what was to come.
+ Read more
Age
32
Treated
2019
Success with this Doc
?
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Engineer
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
3 IUI
Diagnosis
Male Factor
5
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
I’ve been visiting the clinic for four months and only met with him once, so very little to go off of. The clinic pushes most of the communication and forward plans through the nurses so I have much more experience working with them. The one time I did meet with Dr. Kaplan, he was very kind and spent time answering all of the questions we had - I did not feel rushed. I would overall like more interaction with him, but cost for appointments without insurance coverage is prohibitive so I’ve relied on email communications.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
I do believe the clinic is good and ultimately if your case is complicated I think the staff is strong and experience is significant that you are in the right hands. If you are expecting more personalized 1:1 with Dr. Kaplan himself, ensure that you are financially able to make the appointments with him.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
While meeting in person with Dr. Kaplan, he was very kind, caring and compassionate. Upon our initial consultation I was very excited to work with him and eager for what was to come. It was apparent that he has been doing this a long time, so was realistic about expectations, but also treated me as though I was not just the tenth person he had seen that day.
Following the consultation though, I have really just felt like a number at the clinic. Part of this, I believe, is a result of a large clinic and so many patients moving through the doors. Regardless, I do find it challenging to get personalized feedback on how I am progressing through treatment.
Describe the protocols Brian Kaplan used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
I was diagnosed with unexplained infertility while my husband has been diagnosed with mild male factor infertility. To date, we’ve gone through 3 IUIs with no success. I’m at the point now where I’m a bit frustrated as next steps are not clear to me. For each IUI treatment I started off on letrozole, followed by a trigger shot of Ovidrel, and progesterone to follow (Crinone). Monitoring throughout each cycle indicates I’ve responded positively and no changes were made to prescribed dosages.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
Nursing staff is primarily who you work with at this clinic and they are great! They are absolutely the messenger between the doctor and you. Feedback on monitoring is very timely, they are quick to respond to any questions, and have been very accommodating working around my schedules as needed.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
This clinic is massive and with multiple locations. As a result, I have found it very easy to make appointments and the available times have been very accommodating to my schedule (630am appointments!). The staff is very knowledgeable and helpful as well.
Improvements in this clinic would be in the billing department- as much as they say they want to make it easy I’ve only experienced stress and frustration. For me it has been challenging enough paying out of pocket, Chicago tiered, expenses and they have messed up my bill about 50% of the time. Not to mention the 30min waits I spend with the billing department trying to resolve. Huge opportunity for improvement here!
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
I have no comparison but costs seemed pretty as expected. I’ve challenged quite a few bills as an out of pocket patient as they do charge for everything! I’ve been able to lean on my insurance for some of the blood work related costs as they are willing to accept this as non-treatment related activity and reduce it significantly. I also was surprised to see that despite $1400 (for me) in IUI clinic related costs, there is also a $300 ‘management of ovulation’ fee that seems pretty excessive. For out of pocket patients, they discount $25.
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
- Failed to call with results
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5
Age
36 - 38
Treated
2017 - 2019
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
3 IUI, IVF, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Immunological
5
He closely monitored me, frequently I was going in daily. ... Dr. Kaplan prefers transferring two embryos. ... He’s willing to adjust treatment a bit but I think he’s been in the game so long that he’s looking at statistics and not considering individualized options to better help the specific needs of his patients. ... Dr. Kaplan is great, but doesn’t seem willing to think outside of the box. ... He will not order additional testing until you’ve reached 3 miscarriages.
+ Read more
Age
36 - 38
Treated
2017 - 2019
Success with this Doc
No
Race
European
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Lawyer
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
3 IUI, IVF, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Immunological
5
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Kaplan is extremely knowledgable but does not push the boundaries for treatment or looking for answers. He will not order additional testing until you’ve reached 3 miscarriages. Thankfully my OB ran a thrombophelia screen after two and discovered an issue. Dr. Kaplan added lovenox, but then after a 3rd miscarriage mentioned additional medications to consider. After having that many losses, and doing PGS, I was shocked to hear that there were additional low risk medications to add that could help. I wish he would have laid that all out ahead of time.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
If you aren’t having success push him on options. He’s willing to adjust treatment a bit but I think he’s been in the game so long that he’s looking at statistics and not considering individualized options to better help the specific needs of his patients. For instance 2/3 of my pregnancies have been twins. I luckily get pregnant easily, but don’t stay pregnant. I sought a second opinion and that RE suggested only transferring one embryo next time to avoid complications of a twin pregnancy cycle given my fertility issues. I was shocked Dr. Kaplan hadn’t suggested this as a means to lower the risks I face with a clotting disorder that would make a twin pregnancy especially difficult. Dr. Kaplan is great, but doesn’t seem willing to think outside of the box.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Kaplan made sure to meet with us a number of times to answer any questions.
Describe the protocols Brian Kaplan used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
Dr. Kaplan’s stimulation protocols for egg retrieval’s worked very well for me. He closely monitored me, frequently I was going in daily. I don’t recall the specific protocol.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
Dr. Kaplan’s nurses are mostly responsive. There are a number of them and there appears to be a fair bit of turn over (new names each cycle). Unfortunately I ran into a number of problems because FCI’s computer system had issues working with same sex couples and not generating paperwork the nurses wanted. Rather than communicate this issue to me I was left in the car waiting for responses. Also the nurses have difficulty if you deviate from their standard plans. For instance Dr. Kaplan added a drug (lovenox) for a FET that I had not been on previously. I spoke to Dr. Kaplan about it, he explained the drug and the. It wasn’t called in or added to my schedule. When I asked the nurse I was told I was mistaken twice. I had to explain to the nurse my history of loss and diagnosis to make it clear I wasn’t just asking for the medication and then the nurse admitted that Dr.Kaplan had added it to my chart. The nurses just missed it. When going through an already stressful process, it’s hard to have the nurses add to the stress.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
it’s easy to make appointments but there is very little done to make sure the process runs smoothly. I would routinely wait 45-75 minuets for bloodwork and ultrasound. No one is checking to make sure patients are seen timely. I was told part of this is a computer issue. Part of it is just sloppy office management. For patients to be called for ultrasound a sheet of paper is placed in wall holder for ultrasound techs to grab. I learned from one ultrasound tech that she will take a stack at a time because she likes to be busy. Well, if you’re at the bottom of that stack you’re waiting in a line you didn’t have to wait in because another tech could have seen you in a reasonable order.
That paperwork is not closeiy watches either. I had my name, DOB, MRN, home address and medical information disclosed to a third party because they mistakenly gave away my paperwork.
Finally scheduling to see Dr. Kaplan is a nightmare. His scheduler Carmen is horrible. I think she might only work one day a week. It takes approximately 5 phone calls and messages to get her to return your call. And when she does she doesn’t give possible dates,she just wants you to call back but she’s never there! So you can’t even call and leave a message saying those two dates work, please let me know which one you schedule me for. She is horrible.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Typically I had a $30 copay for ultrasounds and the costs for FET and ER were nominal under BCBS.
Describe Brian Kaplan's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Dr. Kaplan prefers transferring two embryos. He never discussed eset.
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
- Lost paperwork
- Failed to send your chart to another clinic
- Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
- Provided conflicting information
- Failed to convey critical information
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9
Age
32
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
6 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Anovulation, PCOS
9
I appreciate Dr. Kaplan's expertise and communication skills. He makes me feel as if he genuinely cares about me and my treatment plan. He will listen to my questions, ideas, and opinions, and really take the time to consider all options. He has given me advice as a medical professional, but has let me make my own decisions regarding how many embryos to transfer, etc. He is kind and considerate, and understands that this is a frustrating and overwhelming processes.
+ Read more
Age
32
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
?
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Consultant
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
6 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Anovulation, PCOS
9
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
As the second RE I have worked with, I appreciate Dr. Kaplan's expertise and communication skills. He makes me feel as if he genuinely cares about me and my treatment plan. He will listen to my questions, ideas, and opinions, and really take the time to consider all options. He has given me advice as a medical professional, but has let me make my own decisions regarding how many embryos to transfer, etc. He is kind and considerate, and understands that this is a frustrating and overwhelming processes.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
He does keep a specific schedule for retrievals and transfers, so if you don't like the idea of your cycle being controlled to fit into a group schedule, he may not be the doctor for you. Do be sure to book consultations in advance as his schedule does fill up quickly! I've gotten in the habit of always booking a consultation for a week after any big news - ie. retrieval results, PGS results, beta pregnancy tests after transfer. That way I'm already on the schedule in case I need to see him! If you ask his scheduler, she will have him call you to discuss anything one-off as needed as well!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Brian Kaplan is very kind and has great communication skills. He has the ability to "read the room" and understand what type of mood I am in and respond appropriately. He has listened to my family building goals, and makes me feel as though he understands and appreciates our situation.
Describe the protocols Brian Kaplan used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
I did my first egg retrieval with Dr. Kaplan - we planned for a freeze all cycle to do PGS testing, which my husband and I were already planning on even before he recommended it. I was on the pill for only a few days after my last IUI failure, then stopped the pill to start stimming. We used Menopur 75 IU and Gonal F Redi-ject 300 G, then added in Ganirelix Acetate 250 once my follicles really got going. We did lower the amount of the Gonal F during the cycle as I had 28+ follicles responding. We ended up with 14 eggs retrieved, 9 were mature, 9 fertilized with ICSI, and 4 made it to day 4/6 freeze. Of those 4, 3 came back PGS normal which is great for being age 32! I was slightly disappointed in the number of eggs retrieved and the number of mature eggs, based on the fact we were measuring upwards of 28 follicles. Dr. Kaplan said if we did do another retrieval cycle in the future, he would likely adjust my medication and start me out slower, instead of starting at the "standard" and then pulling back. The first cycle always seems to be a bit of a trial to see how you respond and what the results are.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
The one downside of Dr. Kaplan's staff is that it is a large group, and I never got to know one individual nurse well. They like everything to be communicated through the patient portal, and usually respond quickly. However, there were definitely a few times I was in panic mode and trying to call and talk to someone and couldn't get ANYONE on the phone. No one ever responds to any of my voicemails either, they just do not call you back.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
There are sometimes long wait times for scheduled appointments, but I believe that is because they never turn anyway away for their requested time. The front desk staff is great, as well as the staff who checks you out after an appointment. My financial coordinator, Victoria, under Dr. Kaplan was wonderful, though I think she is now working under a different practitioner.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
We had insurance coverage, so our costs were minimal. I did receive an estimate for an FET out of pocket for $3,500. The cost of ICSI was $500, assisted hatching was $500. PGS was partly through FCI and partly through a partner, but totaled around $4,000.
Describe Brian Kaplan's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Dr. Kaplan follows the guidelines that for a patient under 35, especially with PGS tested embryos, his recommendation is a single embryo transfer. However, he did still give me the option to transfer multiple if I wanted to. After our first PGS normal FET resulted in a chemical pregnancy, I was keen to transfer our two remaining embryos to up our chances. Ultimately, my husband and I chose to only transfer one on our second transfer (just this week!) but Dr. Kaplan was willing to let me decide what was ultimately best for us.
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
- Scheduled the wrong procedure
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10
Age
34 - 36
Treated
2016 - 2018
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
7 IUI, 2 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor, Unexplained
10
Dr. Kaplan was always warm and kind...He got "down to business" discussing our goals and his recommendations...our consultations were more brief than drawn out, but I never felt like he was rushing us...Follow his recommendations. He's really good at what he does :) He recommended IVF to us at the start but insurance required that we complete 6 (yes 6!) IUIs first. And then I was too nervous to do our first a medication-assisted IUI so our first was unmedicated. Needless to say, the IUI resulted in a BFN, as did the following 6
+ Read more
Age
34 - 36
Treated
2016 - 2018
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
7 IUI, 2 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor, Unexplained
10
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Kaplan was warm and compassionate. He got "down to business" discussing our goals and his recommendations but I know he is highly recommended and in demand (based on recommendations from my gyno, friends, and the number of people in his waiting room) so our consultations were more brief than drawn out, but I never felt like he was rushing us.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Follow his recommendations. He's really good at what he does :) He recommended IVF to us at the start but insurance required that we complete 6 (yes 6!) IUIs first. And then I was too nervous to do our first a medication-assisted IUI so our first was unmedicated. Needless to say, the IUI resulted in a BFN, as did the following 6 (we did a 7th after having a polyp removed, per recommended from my gyno). We finally completed our first retrieval (18>11>5), got pregnant from our 3rd transfer and now have an amazing 15 month old little lady. We just completed a new retrieval this weekend (9>4>?) since we used all of our embryos last time around.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Kaplan was always warm and kind. Some of his nurses were unfriendly and treated me like a number, particularly those at the River North location. However, his nurses at the Highland Park location (where he does all of his retrievals and transfers) are FANTASTIC! So kind, so patient.
Describe the protocols Brian Kaplan used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
Retrieval:
-OCP for about a week to align my cycle with his schedule
-Simulation with Gonal-F 450 IU (about 3 or 4mL of fluid) every evening and Menopur 150 IU (1mL of fluid) every evening in the abdomen for a total of 12 days
-Ovulation prevention with Ganirelix 250 (about 2 mL of fluid) every morning for a total of 8 days
-Trigger shot with Pregnyl 1mL/10,000 usp at exactly 36 hours prior to scheduled retrieval
-Infection prevention with a Z-pak, began at dinner the night before retrieval and continued for the following 4 days
I don't recall all the medications for the transfer, BUT, my nurse told me yesterday that Kaplan has updated his protocol to only one form of progesterone (IM injection in oil only; not the most pleasant but you get used to it!), which is generic, and oral estrogen instead of the SUPER expensive estrogen patches, which are only available as a brand. This is SUCH great news since we have used all of our insurance coverage :(
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Ilyne)
Ilyne is just the best. SOOO kind, patient, compassionate, and warm.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Fertility Centers of Illinois is great. The River North location is overwhelming and a bit of a "cattle call" but they do the best they can to take care of everyone. The locations in the suburbs couldn't be better however! So personal and caring.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
I haven't received my bill for the retrieval yet. I'm not sure if my deductible has been met yet so I'm unsure what I will be responsible for.
Up to this point, it's been about $275 for each monitoring appointment, which I've paid for with my FSA account.
Describe Brian Kaplan's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Kaplan is patient and explains that his recommendations are based on the evidence to support successful live births and the health of the mother. That said, he was supportive of our decision to transfer only one embryo the first time, and 2 each of the second and third transfers.
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
- Failed to call with results
- Failed to order appropriate test
- Failed to convey critical information
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10
Age
31 - 32
Treated
2017 - 2018
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
1 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
10
Dr. Kaplan is so genuine and has fantastic bedside manner. In a time of turmoil he made me feel like I was his only patient. However you only see the Dr. during consults and during egg retrieval and embryo transfer otherwise you work with nurses and his staff.... He diagnosed me with diminished ovarian reserve, so approaching our second round of injections I had a better idea on egg count.... The eggs didn't fertilize so he let us know of what the next protocol would look like, we talked about options and egg donors.
+ Read more
Age
31 - 32
Treated
2017 - 2018
Success with this Doc
?
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Sales Representative
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
1 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
10
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Kaplan truly is an amazing doctor and human. He isn't in this business for the money he is in it to make babies for people. He is totally committed to helping his patients make the best decisions to get the best outcome. He connects with people, my husband really loves him as well. He makes you feel at ease and that you are the only patient he has. He diagnosed me with diminished ovarian reserve, so approaching our second round of injections I had a better idea on egg count. During my prep for retrieval and IV he held my hand and told me he would take the outmost care of me. He put me at ease when I was worried that I wouldn't get any eggs, that is the type of doctor he is, the best beside manner I have ever received from any doctor regardless of discipline. The eggs didn't fertilize so he let us know of what the next protocol would look like, we talked about options and egg donors. He is very open no questions or suggestions of treatment are off the table. If anyone is going to get my husband and I a baby it will be Dr. Kaplan, he is the best at what he does! I have and will continue to recommend him to anyone experiencing fertility issues.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Be open to his suggestions and treatment plan he has been doing this for nearly 30 years, come in with questions as he is ready to answer whatever you throw at him and be as flexible as possible, not with the your end game of becoming a parent but with the steps along with way. It can get rocky and flexibility is key to keep your sanity.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Kaplan is so genuine and has fantastic bedside manner. In a time of turmoil he made me feel like I was his only patient. However you only see the Dr. during consults and during egg retrieval and embryo transfer otherwise you work with nurses and his staff.
Describe the protocols Brian Kaplan used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
First protocol included estrogen and progesterone priming for one month, after that finished I stated injections. 300 IU Gonal F, 150 IU menopur, day 5 of injections I added ganirelix for another 4 days. I wasn’t responding well and naturally ovulated so cycle was cancelled. Cycle two, 300 IU Gonal F and 300 IU menopur 7 days, I was slow going again, he added in ganirelix for one day for day 8. Day 9 I took a trigger shot to mature the follicles for retrieval. I only had two eggs and neither made it through fertilization. Cycle 3 I haven’t started but we do testosterone priming to help produce more follicles for one month and will go back to the lower dosage of menopur at 150 IU and 300 IU Gonal F and potentially ganirelix again.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
The nurses have a lot of patients, they aren’t super personable. They provide you numbers and next plan that doctor wants to go forward with. They are very quick to respond to emails.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
High ranking doctors, however you are more of a number when not directly dealing with the doctor. If you want hand holding from all the nurses you would believe this is a weakness. If you can be in charge of your own care and ask questions and want results, this clinic would get high rankings. If you need hand holding this clinic lacks in that category.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
$9050- IVf cycle monitoring, retrieval, fertilization with ICSI, one fresh transfer. Drugs were not included and that was about 10k.
Describe Brian Kaplan's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Dr. Kaplan informed us max he will transfer is 2 and it’s case by case basis of 1 vs 2.
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
- Lost paperwork
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10
Age
34 - 36
Treated
2016 - 2018
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
6 IUI, 2 IVF
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
I absolutely love Dr Kaplan - he treated me like a father would treat a daughter, with such care and compassion. He was incredibly kind, always patient and would answer all our questions. While he is an extremely busy Doctor with a lot of patients, I could always book a consult with him if we wanted to speak to him directly.... He would phone me personally when news wasn't good, and gave me his direct email address when I was abroad so that I could keep him updated on my pregnancy
+ Read more
Age
34 - 36
Treated
2016 - 2018
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
6 IUI, 2 IVF
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr Kaplan has been an amazing Doctor to me. Although he has so many patients, when I am meeting with him he makes me feel like I am his only patient. He is compassionate, kind and understanding. He always made me feel safe and reassured during procedures. I knew that he was going to do everything he could to give us a baby, and he was always positive and reassuring even when we faced set backs
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Don't be put off by the size of FCI...yes it is a big clinic and the reception feels like a train station when you go in for bloodwork and ultrasounds, but the volume of patients gives the Doctors the best data to work with. You need to understand that you will be dealing with the nurses most of the time, but Dr Kaplan is always there for you and will always make time for you. He would phone me personally when news wasn't good, and gave me his direct email address when I was abroad so that I could keep him updated on my pregnancy
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
I absolutely love Dr Kaplan - he treated me like a father would treat a daughter, with such care and compassion. He was incredibly kind, always patient and would answer all our questions. While he is an extremely busy Doctor with a lot of patients, I could always book a consult with him if we wanted to speak to him directly.
Describe the protocols Brian Kaplan used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
I have high antral follicle count, so Dr Kaplan was careful with dosages - I was on Menopur and Gonal-F (150/day). For both egg retrievals I was at high risk for Hyperstimulation because I had so many eggs, so Dr Kaplan recommended not doing a fresh transfer both times to reduce risk. Also my progesterone levels were too high and so he was very cautious. He triggered me with Lupron the second time instead of HCG because of my high risk for hyperstim. The first retrieval I got 26 eggs, 21 fertilized, 6 made it to day 5. We did PGS and 2 of the 6 were normal. because i was only 34 at the time Dr Kaplan recommended transferring 1, which ended up as a blighted ovum. Second transfer was a chemical pregnancy. Given we had done PGS Dr Kaplan didnt know why both embryos had failed to develop, so as a precaution he sent me for extensive bloodwork checking for autoimmune issues, as well as a hysteroscopy to check my uterus. both were normal so we proceedeed with another retrieval. This time I got 20 eggs, 14 fertilized but only one survived to day 6 and was frozen. We did the transfer a month later, and I am happy to say I am pregnant with Twins!! The only embryo we had split and we're having 2 babies!
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
The nursing staff is great. You do work with a number of different nurses because there are the day-to-day nurses at FCI River North and then the IVF Nurses at Highland park, but all were compassionate and extremely responsive with answering questions via the portal
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
FCI is organized and well run. Wait times for bloodwork and ultrasound can be long because there are so many patients, so that can be frustrating. Their Michigan avenue embryo transfer facility is amazing - feels like a spa and is a very calming environment, much nicer than Highland Park
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Monitoring was offered from early morning to 1pm so you could book a time slot that fitted your schedule. Depending on the day and time, you could breeze in and out in 15 min or be waiting over an hour if there were a lot of other patients there
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
We had insurance coverage, but we paid for our last frozen embryo transfer so I know that is $2300 excluding monitoring which is another $1200
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10
Age
28
Treated
2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
1 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor, Uterine Fibroids
10
Dr. Kaplan does not perform fresh transfers. He would only perform a frozen transfer. His rationale is that he wants the body to detox and rid of all the medications used during stimulation. He wants to create the best environment for a successful embryo attachment...allowed me to choose the option for a multiple embryo transfer or single...is very kind and has great bed side manner. I felt very comfortable with him.
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Age
28
Treated
2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Latino
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
1 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor, Uterine Fibroids
10
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
I honestly have no issues with Doctor Kaplan. Every time I’ve met with Dr. Kaplan he was informative. Dr. Kaplan answered any concerns that I may have had. I was reassured during the whole process. I am very satisfied with the services I received from Dr. Kaplan and his staff.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Trust the process. Have faith in your physician.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Doctor Kaplan is very kind and has great bed side manner. I felt very comfortable with him.
Describe the protocols Brian Kaplan used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
Dr. Kaplan does not perform fresh transfers. He would only perform a frozen transfer. His rationale is that he wants the body to detox and rid of all the medications used during stimulation. He wants to create the best environment for a successful embryo attachment.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Do not remember name )
Nurses where very responsive. I could call them or email them and they would give me a response as soon as they could.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
This clinic is very busy! Expect to wait for monitoring appointments. They try their best to be as quick and efficient as they can. I visited the River North Location for a majority of my appointments. I waited the most at this location. I would wait less when visiting the north suburb location for my monitoring appointments.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
I had a window that I could schedule my monitoring appointments. The office always gave me options. I chose the best time and location for me.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
I had pretty good coverage at the time. If your deductible is not met, they may ask you to place a down payment in the amount of your remaining deductible. Cryopreservation is not a covered expense. We paid $1500 for initial freeze and storage. We paid $500 for a back up semen specimen to be frozen. These are required. We did not perform any genetic testing on embryos, that would’ve been another $1000 plus I believe.
Describe Brian Kaplan's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Dr. Kaplan allowed me to choose the option for a multiple embryo transfer or single.
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7
Age
37 - 38
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
2 IVF
Diagnosis
—
7
My few consults with Dr. Kaplan were always great. I felt informed and understood exactly what we were doing. He is pleasant, caring, and always made me feel comfortable. The only issue is feeling like he isn't always accessible for further questions. It would have been nice to email him directly rather than to go through different nurses.... I didn't see him much and felt like I was a little bit part of an assembly line each time I came in to the office.
+ Read more
Age
37 - 38
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
No
Race
European
Income
—
Occupation
Consultant
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 3 Docs
Treatment
2 IVF
Diagnosis
—
7
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
My few consults with Dr. Kaplan were always great. I felt informed and understood exactly what we were doing. He is pleasant, caring, and always made me feel comfortable. The only issue is feeling like he isn't always accessible for further questions. It would have been nice to email him directly rather than to go through different nurses. Even to have had ONE assigned nurse would've been better.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Getting an appointment with him is tough, so plan far in advance. Do your own research and have all questions prepared before your visit with him in order to take full advantage of the consultation.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
He's a VERY popular doctor and sees A LOT of patients. My actual interaction with him personally was always great, however I didn't see him much and felt like I was a little bit part of an assembly line each time I came in to the office.
Describe the protocols Brian Kaplan used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
A thorough preparation of my uterus and lining using hormones, before my egg retrieval and before the transfer. He had me do pre-genetic screening on my eggs in order to get eggs that had the best chance of implantation. Also, he had us do intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) to increase the chances as well. Lastly, he recommended transferring 2 embryos at a time instead of one.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
They were all actually very pleasant, and friendly. I didn't have a problem with any of them. I think it would've made things a little easier however if I didn't have so many. I didn't feel like I got to know any one of them.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
The clinic had easy parking. It was clean. There was always a tv in every waiting room. The staff were always friendly. I had no bad experiences with the staff there. Felt a little bit like cattle at times, when the nurse would call a bunch of us to move from one waiting area to another waiting area. We would then fill every chair in the smaller waiting areas room.
Describe Brian Kaplan's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
It made sense to do the multiple embryo transfer for us.
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4
Age
36
Treated
2017
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
4 IVF, 4 Embryo Freezing, Donor Eggs
Diagnosis
Unexplained
4
During our initial consultation [with Dr. Brian Kaplan], we had full confidence in him and he said "you'll get pregnant, no problem". It was a lot harder and has taken much longer than what he led us to believe. When it came to communication, he didn't explain anything and in fact didn't spend much time with us at all. I only saw him during retrieval days in passing, we met him in person once for our consultation and twice for a meeting that my husband and I set up with him.
+ Read more
Age
36
Treated
2017
Success with this Doc
No
Race
South Asian
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Entrepreneur
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1st of 2 Docs
Treatment
4 IVF, 4 Embryo Freezing, Donor Eggs
Diagnosis
Unexplained
4
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
He was a really nice guy. During our initial consultation, we had full confidence in him and he said "you'll get pregnant, no problem". It was a lot harder and has taken much longer than what he led us to believe. When it came to communication, he didn't explain anything and in fact didn't spend much time with us at all. I only saw him during retrieval days in passing, we met him in person once for our consultation and twice for a meeting that my husband and I set up with him. All conversations were extremely short. I know he's busy and you have to move quick in a clinic as busy as theirs, but it led to a lot of frustration for my husband and I.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
You will feel like you're at a factory. Bug the office and ask as many questions a you can. If you don't ask, they won't tell you. You have to continuously check on them to make sure everything is on track, because they will not reach out to you. Never stop asking them questions until you understand.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
The office feels like a factory. There are always a good number of people in the waiting room when I'm there. Service is quick because it has to be in order to see the many people waiting in line. Nothing was never explained and if it was, I had to ask and it was never in detail. I was like a science experiment, they just 'did' and never explained the 'why'. A number of times my medication order was incorrect, whether that is FCI's fault or the pharmacy, I don't know. But every time I had medications delivered to me, it was never correct. One time I missed a whole cycle because I wasn't clearly communicated to me when I would start medication so that set me back a few months. All of our communication with the office was very, very quick and not thorough. He's a really nice guy and the nurse was very nice, but I just felt like they didn't spend time with me and it didn't matter if I got pregnant or not, it's so busy there, losing one patient won't hurt their business.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Ilynne)
Ilynne was the nicest nurse there and she was very good. The only thing that we didn't like was that the nurses were difficult to reach at the office. They didn't call back right away and it was hard to get a hold of someone when you needed a quick response (if I had general questions and was seeking answers from anyone from the nursing team). Luckily, we had Ilynne's cell number and she was always available and it didn't matter what time of the day I called, she always answered. They also came up with a portal where you can email messages, and that made communication better.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
The staff is very nice and the office visits are very quick (sometimes there is a wait, but the actual tests, ultrasounds, consultations, etc are all fast). Ask as many questions as you can to make sure you understand your cycle every step of the way. You'll need patience.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Monitoring appointments were easy to schedule and they were very fast. Many times though, the parking garage ran out of spots, so I had to park very far on snowy days and arrived very late for my appointments as a result.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Some of the most expensive out of pocket costs were medication and hysteroscopy that he ordered through my gynecologist. My insurance covered a lot of the other expenses.
Describe Brian Kaplan's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
It was our decision, ultimately, but our nurse suggested doing one at a time because I was a smaller woman and with a multiple transfer there are higher risks involved as far as losing a baby.
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
- Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
- Lost appointments
- Failed to convey critical information
- Failed to consider drug intolerance
- Canceled a cycle due to clinic error
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7
Age
33 - 34
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
1 IVF
Diagnosis
—
7
I only saw Dr. Kaplan two other times after our initial consult with him - during my HSG/saline ultrasound and then at my transfer and both times were less than 5 minutes each.... I wish they slowed down enough to ensure I was comfortable and clearly knew what was happening. While I know it's a big, complicated and often overwhelming process, I felt like when I asked for a "big picture" idea of the steps in the process, I was constantly told "we'll let you know what comes next." It started to feel secretive and I got frustrated.
+ Read more
Age
33 - 34
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
No
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
1 IVF
Diagnosis
—
7
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr Kaplan is a very kind man. He is friendly and seems knowledgeable. Unfortunately, he was running quite late for our initial consult which was frustrating for a work day. He did a good job of communicating what I had learned through my own research and seemed to help my husband understand things I wasn't able to.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Do your research ahead of time (especially if it takes you time to process or think through information) so you can have your questions ready to ask.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
We had one initial sit down with Dr. Kaplan, and then proceeded to be directed towards having bloodwork, ultrasounds, etc completed. Unfortunately, when everything got started, I didn't fully understand what was happening, and I quickly began to feel like I was being pushed through a general "infertility" process. This was frustrating as we don't have insurance coverage and before I knew it we had been through a bunch of monitoring that ultimately wasn't needed until a month or two later when we were going to actually start a cycle. It felt like a waste of time, energy and finances. I wish they slowed down enough to ensure I was comfortable and clearly knew what was happening. While I know it's a big, complicated and often overwhelming process, I felt like when I asked for a "big picture" idea of the steps in the process, I was constantly told "we'll let you know what comes next." It started to feel secretive and I got frustrated. I know this is the daily work for the nurses and staff, but there were a number of times that I felt like a cattle being herded when I went for my monitoring appointments. Only on occasion did I feel one or two nurses in particular actually took the time to treat me as an individual versus a checklist item on their to do list for the day. Additionally, I only saw Dr. Kaplan two other times after our initial consult with him - during my HSG/saline ultrasound and then at my transfer and both times were less than 5 minutes each. He was kind, but I didn't necessarily feel like an individualized patient.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Jill, Betsy, Erica, Tammy)
Dr Kaplan had a team of 4 nurses that oversaw and did the coordinating for his patients. The nurses were in the office at different times and on different days so it was difficult to know who to contact with questions as the "in office" contact seemed to change. Personally, I did not care for Jill at all & I (honestly) dreaded the days I called and she was the primary in the office. I got to a point that I stopped trying to follow up if she was who I was directed to. I felt she was "fake" & I never quite got answers to the questions I was asking. However, I LOVED Betsy and Erica. Both were fantastic at taking the time to hear what I was asking and helping me understand or directing me to where I was able to get further assistance (for example, giving me a specific list of meds so I was able to determine costs from various pharmacies as we didn't have insurance to cover anything fertility related [my husband's company is "self-insured" so they are able to avoid the Illinois state-mandated fertility coverage]). I hardly communicated with Tammy. One other thing I will say is it was hard to get answers from Dr Kaplan's team quickly, I believe for the mere fact that they have such a high patient load.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
FCI River North is hit or miss in terms of efficiency. On days they are in a groove, you can get in and out of your monitoring appointments in less than an hour. However, there were multiple days that they were behind and appointments took 90+ minutes. Since I was not working at the time, it often wasn't an issue for me, but I remember seeing a handful of frustrated patients who were coming in before or during work and the backlog was more than a nuisance. While the clinic can be efficient in seeing numerous patients in a fairly quick amount of time, it often felt as though I was part of a herd being herded from one waiting room to another. One of the most positive aspects for me was that the ultrasound techs and lab techs were extremely kind, personable and caring which helped to make me feel like a person again once I was having my bloodwork or ultrasound completed. They often answered any questions I had to the best of their knowledge and were fantastic at being as discreet as possible to help give you some level of privacy during a process that doesn't allow much. I would also recommend that you diligently watch your bills/charges. Make sure you aren't being charged more than you should be for procedures you did not have or for procedures you previously paid for.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
We bough a package "deal" for 2 rounds of IVF since our insurance didn't cover anything fertility related. We paid approximately $19,000 for this "deal," however, we quickly learned that this only covered the monitoring appointments from the baseline date of the cycle (nothing prior to), the actual retrieval and embryo transfer. We still had to pay for all medications (for our first cycle medication cost was approximately $6000 just for the stimulation portion for retrieval and then an additional $800 or so for the meds associated with the transfer), all cryopreservation fees ($500 for semen plus $1200 for the embryos), and all lab work and other tests deemed necessary (HSG, etc) prior to the cycle. We have currently spent close to $30,000 and still have another $10-15,000 to pay to complete our 2nd round (for which we are currently saving back up).
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10
Age
33 - 34
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
3 IUI, 1 IVF, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
Male Factor, Uterine Fibroids
10
He [Dr. Kaplan] was incredibly informative, empathetic, and I really enjoyed being his patient. He did a great job of giving us some comfort during difficult times without creating false hope or expectations. He was always available for phone calls, or appointments when we needed them...I had high AMH, so we made sure to stim very gently. Two of my IUI's were with 50mg of Clomid, the other was with a very low dose of follistim. My egg retrieval triggered with lupron/hcg since I had a very high follicle count at the time of trigger, and we went to a freeze all cycle since I had pretty severe OHSS.
+ Read more
Age
33 - 34
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Ashkenazi Jewish, Black or African-American
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Lawyer
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
3 IUI, 1 IVF, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
Male Factor, Uterine Fibroids
10
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
He was incredibly informative, empathetic, and I really enjoyed being his patient. He did a great job of giving us some comfort during difficult times without creating false hope or expectations. He was always available for phone calls, or appointments when we needed them. I really couldn't have expected more from a doctor in this situation and I recommend him! Just make sure that you take time to connect with him and be prepared. I always had a list of my questions and made the most of the time we had with him.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
He has a very busy practice, and sometimes you will feel like a number. If you have questions, ask to speak to him, or make an appointment with him to go over your future plans. Make sure to check in after each step of the process to ensure your happiness and success.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
During routine monitoring appointments, I definitely felt like a number. There were also times when it felt like the nurses were on autopilot, just giving me the "script" for the phases of my diagnosis. As things moved along (first failed IUI), Dr. Kaplan became more personally involved and we began to build a very close relationship with him.
Describe the protocols Brian Kaplan used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
I had high AMH, so we made sure to stim very gently. Two of my IUI's were with 50mg of Clomid, the other was with a very low dose of follistim. My egg retrieval triggered with lupron/hcg since I had a very high follicle count at the time of trigger, and we went to a freeze all cycle since I had pretty severe OHSS.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
They generally got back to me with results on the same day, but definitely felt like they were following a script and hadn't reviewed my results with the doctor besides saying "Dr. Kaplan says X". There were a few times that they were completely confused or unaware of my situation, and one nurse was particularly rude. The IVF consult with a nurse coordinator was awful, I left that appointment feeling worse than I had at any point, it didn't provide a ton of information and left me questioning a lot of decisions. It was also scheduled far too late into my cycle, and didn't leave me adequate time to get all of my meds.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
It's a huge clinic, so they can really get you in and out very quickly for monitoring appointments. I've very rarely had a long wait there and things generally move really quickly. However, you do get treated like a number.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Completely covered by insurance
Describe Brian Kaplan's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
He initially recommended eSet, but after a miscarriage gave us the option to transfer two embryos but clearly explained the risks.
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
- Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
- Lost appointments
- Failed to send your chart to another clinic
- Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
- Provided conflicting information
- Failed to convey critical information
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Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
10
Age
33
Treated
2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
2 IVF, 2 Egg Freezing, 2 Embryo Freezing
Diagnosis
Endometriosis
10
After my first retrieval, we were left with only 1 embryo to freeze. Dr. Kaplan called me personally to discuss the changes we would make in the next cycle, and I appreciated the fact that he took time out of his day to call and follow up personally with me.... He takes the time, lots of it, to meet with you and explain everything. He is warm and genuine...Dr. Kaplan recommended a special brand of nutritional bars during my second stimulation.
+ Read more
Age
33
Treated
2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Teacher
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
2 IVF, 2 Egg Freezing, 2 Embryo Freezing
Diagnosis
Endometriosis
10
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
My husband and I were so happy with the treatment we received from Dr. Kaplan. He takes the time, lots of it, to meet with you and explain everything. He is warm and genuine. After my first retrieval, we were left with only 1 embryo to freeze. Dr. Kaplan called me personally to discuss the changes we would make in the next cycle, and I appreciated the fact that he took time out of his day to call and follow up personally with me.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Trust in him and his team!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Kaplan and his team take the time to sit down with you and discuss the treatment. They are supportive and have wonderful bedside manners. They responded in an appropriate time to my phone calls and emails. A few times, I even requested some medications because I was about to run out and they got them for me, without hesitation.
Describe the protocols Brian Kaplan used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
For both of my stimulations, we utilized an antagonist-dexamethasone protocol. I was on Menopur (75iu), Follistim (225 iu for my first stimulation, and 150 iu for the second), .5mg of dexamethasone, and Ganirelix added later in the stimulation. We changed the Follistim to hopefully produce more eggs that would fertilize normally. Additionally, Dr. Kaplan recommended a special brand of nutritional bars during my second stimulation.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Jill and Eileen)
Jill was always quick to respond to emails and messages. Eileen was a little harder to get a hold of.
Rosa and Alyssa were two of my favorite ultrasound techs- They knew me by name and always had the best bedside manner.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
The clinic is organized and the staff (with the exception of 1 at the check-out counter) were friendly.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
The wait time could be a little long on some days, especially if you had a later appointment, however I preferred the early morning appointments and I was typically in and out within 20 minutes.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Each visit required a $50 copay, $722 was the largest bill I received. $1200 for cryopreservation of embryos (paid this twice, as we had 2 retrievals) $400 for cryopreservation of sperm, 1 time.
Describe Brian Kaplan's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Because of my age, Dr. Kaplan felt confident that an eSET would be the best route, and he was right- I'm currently 26 weeks pregnant!
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9
Age
32 - 33
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
1 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor, PCOS
9
Dr. Kaplan has an excellent bed-side manner and has always spent time with me to address any questions or concerns I have had. He has never made me feel rushed or that my concerns were not valid. He adjusted my protocol and transfer date based on my responses to the medications. He gave me assurances when I felt nervous and made me feel at ease during retrieval and transfer procedures...Dr. Kaplan always treated me like a human, and a special one and never made me feel rushed to leave and seemed to sincerely care about my outcome and well-being.
+ Read more
Age
32 - 33
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$500K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
1 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor, PCOS
9
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Kaplan has an excellent bed-side manner and has always spent time with me to address any questions or concerns I have had. He has never made me feel rushed or that my concerns were not valid. He adjusted my protocol and transfer date based on my responses to the medications. He gave me assurances when I felt nervous and made me feel at ease during retrieval and transfer procedures.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
He is very busy and it can be difficult to get on his schedule, so do so early. But he is understanding and willing to listen and answer questions.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Kaplan always treated me like a human, and a special one and never made me feel rushed to leave and seemed to sincerely care about my outcome and well-being. The clinic is really large and at blood and ultrasound appointments I felt like a number at times because there are SO many people there each day.
Describe the protocols Brian Kaplan used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
Based on our history (1 baby conceived with femera) and diagnoses he recommended we go straight to IVF after trying 5 cycles of femera with my OB. We used the Luteal Lupron protocol for stimulation/retrieval. I was monitored closely because I had a lot of follicles due to having PCOS. I had 43 eggs retrieved, 10 of which made it to 5 day freeze. We did PGS testing and 4 of the 10 were genetically normal. We transferred 1 frozen during our first transfer and it ended in a chemical pregnancy. We transferred another frozen 2 months later and I am currently 6 weeks along with that one.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
Dr. Kaplan's nurses were good, but not great. Erica was always very helpful, quick to respond to questions and compassionate. Jill at times seemed frustrated with questions and didn't always sound sincere when showing compassion when delivering bad news.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
The clinic is very large and is therefore organized and timely. At times this can make you feel like a number because there are so many people getting bloodwork and ultrasounds. Billing has been confusing at times and was slow to respond to inquiries on 2 occasions. It is easy to get an appointment for monitoring but can be difficult to get on the Dr's schedule. Overall I would recommend because I think they get results and treat the patients fairly.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
We have insurance coverage for IVF, so our costs were not high, aside from PGS.
Describe Brian Kaplan's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Dr. Kaplan suggested we only transfer 1 embryo because we already have 1 child and I am only 33 years old.
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9
Age
35 - 40
Treated
2012 - 2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
1 IUI, 5 IVF, Donor Eggs
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Poor Egg Quality
9
Dr Kaplan is aggressive and willing to take risks with patients that have had a poor response to stimulation drugs. He is honest and compassionate....He tried a range of protocols and had several transfers using my own eggs prior to suggesting donor eggs...He is not afraid to give his honest expert opinion, which we relied on to make difficult decisions. ... Dr Kaplan does not mind taking risks and is not concerned about his statistics. He was willing to cycle us even though my response was low.
+ Read more
Age
35 - 40
Treated
2012 - 2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Teacher
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 4 Docs
Treatment
1 IUI, 5 IVF, Donor Eggs
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Poor Egg Quality
9
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
I have a long history with Dr. Kaplan, after being cancelled at another clinic due to poor response from stimulation drugs and having miscarried from my first IVF at an additional clinic. Dr Kaplan does not mind taking risks and is not concerned about his statistics. He was willing to cycle us even though my response was low. We have done many cycles with him and can attest to his compassion and expertise. During our 6th cycle, we finally became pregnant with twins, but lost them after being born premature. We were devastated and he and his team handled us with kid gloves until we became pregnant again during our 7th cycle. During this time, one transfer was cancelled due to lining concerns. Dr Kaplan wanted to make sure conditions were optimal. He is not afraid to give his honest expert opinion, which we relied on to make difficult decisions. We have had two additional unsuccessful FET's since our daughter was born and are still hopeful one of our remaining embryos will lead to a healthy pregnancy. We are limited to eSET, so it may take a few times. Our last FET was done from out of state and the coordination between his staff and our out of town monitoring clinic was excellent.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Understand that sometimes it takes a few cycles, but Dr Kaplan is aggressive and willing to take risks with patients that have had a poor response to stimulation drugs. He is honest and compassionate.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
They are a successful clinic and treat a lot of patients. They call several patients to blood and ultrasound at the same time, which can make you feel like a number; however, the care you receive is individualized and the nurses are empathic.
Describe the protocols Brian Kaplan used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
He tried a range of protocols and had several transfers using my own eggs prior to suggesting donor eggs.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
Dr Kaplan has several nurses that work for him. I was not assigned a main nurse, but I would copy all of his nurses on emails and I would get a response typically within an hour or so. Whenever I called to speak to them, I was always able to reach one of them for answers to my questions. I was monitoring from out of town and there were a few times they had to repeatedly follow up with the monitoring clinic- they were on top of getting the information that they needed.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
It can be overwhelming as a new patient because it's such a large practice. I would advise staying on top of your meds, checking and double checking information, and ask as many questions as you need to in order to feel comfortable. There is a lot to juggle when doing IVF- don't be afraid to get things clarified.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
We have spent tens of thousands of dollars here. A lot of it was covered by insurance when we were living in the state; however none is covered by insurance now that we moved.
Describe Brian Kaplan's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Recommendations for how many embryos should be transferred are up to the discretion of the couple and Dr. Kaplan. We are now limited to eSET due to prior loss of twins at 24 weeks.
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
- Lost appointments
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Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
10
Age
34 - 35
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
1 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
Dr Kaplan is an excellent doctor who has taken the time to answer all our questions and has full discussions with me to make sure I am informed and confident before each procedure...We did a full month of tests and monitoring, then an egg retrieval and planned from the beginning of that to take a month after the retrieval before the transfer and freeze the embryos. He says he does this for most patients as he's seen better success rates and for me in particular because I had some high levels that put me at risk for ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome.
+ Read more
Age
34 - 35
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Ashkenazi Jewish
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Consultant
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
1 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
I've heard some people say he's not the most personable, but I thoroughly disagree. I felt like I connected with him and had complete trust at our very first consultation. He said very candid but understanding and explains things quite well to manage my expectations through this process. He's worked with a lot of celebrities, but he treats me like I'm just as important as every one of his patients and gives me whatever attention I need. He guides me to informed decisions instead of trying to tell me what to do, but if I ask his opinion he will give it. My husband likes him too!
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
You won't go wrong with him! He won't rush the process and it may take longer than you think but everything he does is to get the best outcomes possible! Just be prepared for extremely long waiting room times
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr Kaplan is an excellent doctor who has taken the time to answer all our questions and has full discussions with me to make sure I am informed and confident before each procedure. Unfortunately, the clinic feels a little like a factory where there are multiple waiting rooms and you have to sit in line when you get there, again to get an ultrasound, then another for blood work. The techs don't really know me and I wind up waiting a total of nearly an hour at each appointment. This is frustrating, but dr Kaplan has an excellent reputation and I think he has done a great job for me so far, so it's worth staying with him, despite the long wait times and anonymity in his lab/clinic. Also his nurse is available for me any time I need her and has been so patient with the million questions I've had at every step
Describe the protocols Brian Kaplan used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
We did a full month of tests and monitoring, then an egg retrieval and planned from the beginning of that to take a month after the retrieval before the transfer and freeze the embryos. He says he does this for most patients as he's seen better success rates and for me in particular because I had some high levels that put me at risk for ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. We talked with him and decided to have my embryos genetically tested- he said that increases your chances of implanting 1 embryo to about the same as if you transfer 2 untested, and we could screen out any chromosomal abnormalities. We are now in the middle of a frozen embryo transfer which will happen later this month.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Ilynne McGovern )
Ilynne is always available by phone, explains things very well, very prompt in giving me results, and very patient!
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Nice facility, no free parking though- have to park in a paid garage, then walk outside to get to the office. Very long wait times and you have to wait for each thing you're having done that day. Friendly techs mostly, friendly staff at checkout
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
They set up a very specific time, but a dozen other people are scheduled for the same time and it's a packed waiting room with long wait times every day
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
They charge for everything but you know what they will be ahead of time. There are costs for the retrieval plus anesthesiologist, medications, then you pay for the freezing, we chose to do the genetic testing which was an additional charge, then you have to pay to have the embryo thawed, then the transfer itself. Insurance didn't cover anything other than the 1st month of labs and ultrasounds, so for us the cost has been about $15,000-$20,000 when it's all said and done
Describe Brian Kaplan's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
If you have the embryos tested first, it increases your success rate and mostly eliminates chrimosomal abnormalities he said transferring 2 tested embryos would give me a high chance of multiples and I asked him what he would do if this was his family. He said he would only transfer 1, so that is what we are doing
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
- Lost appointments
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10
Age
35 - 38
Treated
2013 - 2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
1 IUI, 5 IVF, Donor Eggs
Diagnosis
Poor Egg Quality, Unexplained
10
With six rounds of IVF, it’s hard to remember specifics from each one. However, I do remember that with Dr. Kaplan, no two cycles were the same. Each time I went through a cycle, he’d try a different amount of meds or an alternative medicine to see how my body would react. Once he saw progress, he’d keep that in mind when or if a cycle failed. We always met in person to talk about the protocol and what to expect in the cycle moving forward.
+ Read more
Age
35 - 38
Treated
2013 - 2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
Teacher
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
1 IUI, 5 IVF, Donor Eggs
Diagnosis
Poor Egg Quality, Unexplained
10
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Brian was recommended to me from a friend. He was always optimistic about getting me pregnant. One thing I always keep in my head about Brian is that he said, “One way or another, you are going to become a mother. It may not be the way you dreamed it would be, but it will happen.” This stayed in my head when times got tough and I’d get discouraged. When finally deciding to go through a donor, I felt that I should have listened to his advice sooner. He never pushed us to look into donor eggs, but kindly waited for us to determine that time on our own. We exhausted every other option to have our own children and when we were ready, he guided us to the right people.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Listen to the advice of your doctor. He or she has worked with many patients and knows what is best for you. Kaplan has nothing but good intentions to help you create a family.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
I always felt that Kaplan was available for me to contact him, by email or phone. He actually listened to me and showed concern in our situation. He gave hugs and helped wipe away many tears!
Describe the protocols Brian Kaplan used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
With six rounds of IVF, it’s hard to remember specifics from each one. However, I do remember that with Dr. Kaplan, no two cycles were the same. Each time I went through a cycle, he’d try a different amount of meds or an alternative medicine to see how my body would react. Once he saw progress, he’d keep that in mind when or if a cycle failed. We always met in person to talk about the protocol and what to expect in the cycle moving forward. If something did work, or offered poor results, he’d alter the plan. I remember my cycles all taking a long time to produce eggs and he would alter the meds to get the eggs growing so that our cycle wouldn’t be canceled.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Tammy, Jen)
All of the nurses I had encountered at FCI were sincere and helpful. I will never forget being low on a med during a holiday weekend and needing to get more meds to continue my cycle. I was so upset because I knew I wouldn’t be able to get a prescription filled on a Sunday. The office was 45 minutes away from my home. The nurse brought home extra meds from the office, gave me her home address and allowed for me to use the office “extras”. She went above and beyond to make sure I had enough meds to last me through the weekend! It was so sweet and really helped ease my anxiety and mind!
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
All of the locations from the office to the hospital where the transfers occurred are very private and welcoming. The office staff was always very friendly, and knew me by my first name. I absolutely loved the ultrasound technician, Roberta! She shared so many helpful hints with me, made me laugh, cried with me and kept me calm. I think at times, she was the closest person to knowing what’s going on inside my body and she always shared everything she saw. When cycling, she’d give me photos to take home of my growing embryos. She’d write down the measurements and how many there were. I am so very thankful to have met her and had her to work with while going through such a difficult process. After getting a BTP, she was the first to tell me that I had TWINS! After years of going through this process with Roberta as our tech, she too cried happy tears with us as we saw the two heartbeats on the screen! I still keep in touch with her today too and send her updates on the girls as they reach various milestones.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Four cycles were covered by insurance, but the last two cycles were paid out of our pocket. Each cycle we had to pay for cost approximately $3,000 out of our pockets until we applied for a medical loan. We had most of our meds covered, but every so often there was an expensive med that insurance wouldn’t cover. My husband and I had to seek support through family members and a medical loan to cover the costs that insurance wouldn’t approve. We used a donor egg agency that guaranteed a live birth, but had a cost of $45,000. After all that we had been trough, we felt we needed to go through the guaranteed route. To us, the guarantee gave us reassurance. Otherwise we’d have paid $15,000 for one round of IVF with donor eggs that wasn’t guaranteed to work. If those eggs didn’t work, we’d try again and need to spend an additional $15,000. All of this doesn’t include the cost of acupuncture, massages, nutritionist, and yoga classes that were suggested to help increase fertility rates or egg quality. I feel that if it was suggested, or would increase our chances of getting pregnant, we tried it.
Describe Brian Kaplan's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
I was definitely educated on the results of transferring more than one embryo, however with the quality of embryos that we were transferring, he knew the likelihood of creating multiples was slim. My husband and I had tried for so long that we welcomed multiples, if or when they were to occur. Due to my egg quality, this was never a problem.
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7
Age
34 - 37
Treated
2013 - 2016
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
2 IUI, 4 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Poor Egg Quality, Unexplained
7
Dr Kaplan did show compassion during appointments which was important to us. He was always very understanding of the emotional impact of IVF as well as the financial. I did very much respect his knowledge and opinions. However, I sometimes felt like our course of treatment was not specifically tailored to us. The biggest issue was the inability to communicate with him directly. Perhaps I could have been more of an advocate for myself in this area, but I did wish I could have gotten more background information as the procedures went on. Without that, I was left wondering why certain decisions were being made and it was not a good feeling. I do thin
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Age
34 - 37
Treated
2013 - 2016
Success with this Doc
?
Race
Latino
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1st of 2 Docs
Treatment
2 IUI, 4 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Poor Egg Quality, Unexplained
7
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr Kaplan did show compassion during appointments which was important to us. He was always very understanding of the emotional impact of IVF as well as the financial. I did very much respect his knowledge and opinions.
However, I sometimes felt like our course of treatment was not specifically tailored to us. The biggest issue was the inability to communicate with him directly. Perhaps I could have been more of an advocate for myself in this area, but I did wish I could have gotten more background information as the procedures went on. Without that, I was left wondering why certain decisions were being made and it was not a good feeling.
I do think the biggest issue is the number of patients he has which likely does not allow as much time for each patient, or to allow much direct communicate. At a smaller clinic I think the experience with Dr Kaplan would have been much better in that regard.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Be prepared with every question you have when going to your consultations with him. It may be the only opportunity you have to ask him. Everything else will have to filter through his nurses.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
After every failed transfer, there was no discussion as to what could have happened. It was more just always heading toward the next transfer without having time to regroup. When I had questions, I had to go through the nurses which sometimes left me feeling unsure if the information back was coming from the doctor or if it was just a standard response.
Describe the protocols Brian Kaplan used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
My first IVF was the standard birth control followed by low doses of Follistim. It resulted in 3 eggs, 2 embryos. I was oversupressd by the Bcp.
Second IVF was estrogen priming with high dosage of Follistim and menopur. Much better response at 11 eggs and 6 embryos. This resulted in a healthy live birth.
3rd IVF (3 years later) was the same as the previous but resulted in 6 eggs, 2 blastocysts. The hope was that by replicating the successful cycle we would again be successful. Negative pregnancy test.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Jill)
Jill was always very nice and expressed compassion during any negative pregnancy tests. My only issue was getting replies by email that were too short or not answering every questions. I always got the impression that emails were getting rushed through wish made me nervous about the care I was receiving and the potential for mistakes.
Otherwise I found all the nurses to be kind and always answered my emails.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
FCI can run like a well-oiled machine most of the time. Their early morning monitoring is perfect for squeezing them in before work, for the most part. However, because they batch their patients, there comes a point where they have so many patients coming in at the same time that the wait can be long and excruciating.
The office staff is always pleasant and the atmosphere is comforting.
It is overall a good clinic but you will feel like a number.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
IVF - $11,000
Frozen transfers - $3500
Describe Brian Kaplan's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
We only did multiple embryo transfers but only 2 at a time. I asked his opinion to transfer 3 once but he suggested only transferring 2, and we went along with that.
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
- Failed to call with results
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Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
10
Age
39 - 40
Treated
2015 - 2016
Success with this Doc
19 Eggs Frozen
Treatment
2 Egg Freezing, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
—
10
Dr. Kaplan took the time to sit down with me before I began this process to explain all of the details on what I could expect. He never sugar coated anything- but talked to me like a real human being. He helped to personalize what could have been a very intimidating process. His bedside manner is truly second to none...I froze my eggs twice with Dr. Kaplan. After the first round i had 7 eggs to freeze. For the second round, Dr. Kaplan made some adjustments and the results showed as I had 18 eggs! It's obvious why all of Chicago trusts Dr. Kaplan with their fertility treatments- whether you're trying to get pregnant or wanting to preserve your fertility.
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Age
39 - 40
Treated
2015 - 2016
Success with this Doc
19 Eggs Frozen
Race
Ashkenazi Jewish
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
2 Egg Freezing, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
—
10
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
I know from seeing him on tv and in the media that Dr. Kaplan is extremely successful so was worried I wouldn't have much face to face contact with him. but I was wrong. I met with Dr. Kaplan before I began this process, the day of my retrieval and after the retrieval. Going with a doctor I have 100% trust in is the only way I could have made this decision and I couldn't feel better about it.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Trust the process- it may seem intimidating but it's not at all. I was scared about doing the shots and if I was doing it right but really they're worth the little. Knowing Dr. Kaplan is monitoring your results the entire time, day by day should make you feel 100% confident about this process.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Kaplan took the time to sit down with me before I began this process to explain all of the details on what I could expect. He never sugar coated anything- but talked to me like a real human being. He helped to personalize what could have been a very intimidating process. His bedside manner is truly second to none.
Describe the protocols Brian Kaplan used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
I froze my eggs twice with Dr. Kaplan. After the first round i had 7 eggs to freeze. For the second round, Dr. Kaplan made some adjustments and the results showed as I had 18 eggs! It's obvious why all of Chicago trusts Dr. Kaplan with their fertility treatments- whether you're trying to get pregnant or wanting to preserve your fertility.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
My first round I was very intimidating by the process and relied heavily on the nurses to communicate often and answer my questions. Even by the second round I constantly had questions that I needed answered. They did a great job even though I'm sure they answer the same questions over and over again to all of their egg freezing patients. Forming a relationship with the nursing staff is extremely important as they'll be the ones delivering results during every monitoring appointment. I was glad to have a good relationship with mine.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
It was great to work with aParent- the nurses and staff couldn't have been nicer and more organized. I always felt like I was in good hands especially with the lab right there. The only thing that felt strange was going through this process (waiting in waiting rooms, etc). with IVF patients near me. It seems like a strange mix as they were trying to get pregnant and I was trying to preserve my fertility.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Lucky to say insurance covered a lot of my egg freezing costs, so the lower amount that I spent on this process was worth every penny (and then some!). Think about how much money we spend on vacations, etc and then think about this as an insurance policy. It's the most important money you can spend.
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10
Age
38
Treated
2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
1 IUI, 2 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Endometriosis, Poor Egg Quality, Uterine Fibroids
10
He [Dr. Kaplan] really listens to what you want, and doesn't just force his medical opinions on you. He doesn't seem concerned with his stats and is willing to take risks, if you as a patient want to try some out-of-the-box ideas. The only critique I have is that he is very busy and has many patients so he doesn't always explain every detail of the process, however he will answer any questions and if you forget to ask while there or think of your question later, the nursing staff will respond quickly...
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Age
38
Treated
2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European, Ashkenazi Jewish, Other
Income
$0 - $49K
Occupation
Teacher
Order & Number of Docs Seen
3rd of 3 Docs
Treatment
1 IUI, 2 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Endometriosis, Poor Egg Quality, Uterine Fibroids
10
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
He is extremely personable and patient. He really listens to what you want, and doesn't just force his medical opinions on you. He doesn't seem concerned with his stats and is willing to take risks, if you as a patient want to try some out-of-the-box ideas. The only critique I have is that he is very busy and has many patients so he doesn't always explain every detail of the process, however he will answer any questions and if you forget to ask while there or think of your question later, the nursing staff will respond quickly.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Be very honest with him about how you feel and what you want. He will treat you like a human, not a statistic and although he will be blunt, he will give you hope when you may have lost all of it. He's a great balance of realistic and optimistic! Also, bring a list of questions to be sure you go over everything you're wondering about!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
He understood we wanted to try with our own eggs before moving onto donor and not only did he support that, he encouraged us. We did 3 IVF cycles and he always took my ideas (from my own research) seriously and was open minded to trying anything. Finally, he told me, "I am determined to make you pregnant" which made me feel like he had a vested interest in our success.
Describe the protocols Brian Kaplan used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
First IVF cycle was pretty standard since we didn't know how I would respond. We suppressed with BCP, and started with Menopur and Follistim. He upped the dosage of my follistim pretty high (I don't remember exact dosages anymore) because I turned out to be a slow responder. That cycle ended with 2 eggs, and one fertilized and was transferred. It was a 3 day fresh transfer and 6 cells at the time with minimal fragmentation. Unfortunately, the embryo did not stick and we ended up with a negative.
Second cycle we decided (upon my request and his approval) to try estrogen priming. I only got 4 days into stimming when we learned I had one very large leading follicle and not much else. He had a safety concern for that one follicle getting too big so we cancelled that cycle and I was put on BCP to help shrink it back down.
My 3rd cycle we were going to do a long Lupron protocol. I started priming with Lupron 2 weeks prior and ended up getting very sick from it. The doctor felt at that point the Lupron could still have benefited me even if it stopped, so we cut that off early and just moved onto stims (menopur and follistim). This time he kept my follistim at an average dosage but upped the menopur to 5 vials a day. He had me stim for 18 days to get the follicles mature. Although it was longer than most, I was monitored very carefully. We got 3 eggs at retrieval. One fertilized and we did another 3 day fresh transfer. This time our embryo was 10 cells with minimal fragmentation. I am now 26 weeks pregnant from that embryo with a healthy, strong baby girl!
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
Mostly fantastic. I talked with 3 different nurses regularly. Only once did I speak with one who was a bit rude and didn't answer my questions, but she was filling in for someone else that day.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Some people don't like how busy they are, but I think they do a fantastic job at squeezing every patient in, even when it seems impossible. The wait time can get bad at times (not always) but I see them doing that to make sure everyone who needs to be seen on a given day is able to
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
We had insurance coverage so I had very little out of pocket and whatever was out of pocket was explained thoroughly by the financial coordinator before cycles began. I don't remember my specific costs.
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10
Age
28 - 31
Treated
2013 - 2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
3 IUI, 2 IVF
Diagnosis
Endometriosis
10
He [Dr. Kaplan] is energized and comes into every meeting with a game plan. He is totally open to patient questions and ideas, and can thoughtfully explain why something is a good option or not. He is considerate of the fact that the infertility treatment is not the only thing going on in one's life, and willing to work around timing conflicts. He always keeps in mind and informs the patient about financial implications of decisions so that you can weigh that piece as well. There was never a one-size-fits-all approach: when things didn't work, he changed them.
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Age
28 - 31
Treated
2013 - 2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Lawyer
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
3 IUI, 2 IVF
Diagnosis
Endometriosis
10
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Kaplan has a reputation for being the best for a reason. He is energized and comes into every meeting with a game plan. He is totally open to patient questions and ideas, and can thoughtfully explain why something is a good option or not. He is considerate of the fact that the infertility treatment is not the only thing going on in one's life, and willing to work around timing conflicts. He always keeps in mind and informs the patient about financial implications of decisions so that you can weigh that piece as well. There was never a one-size-fits-all approach: when things didn't work, he changed them. When we experienced failure after failure, he never let us give up hope. I truly believe that we would not have our amazing daughter without him, simply because I could not have kept going with the treatment without his support and encouragement.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
This would be my advice no matter who the doctor was - do your own research. Go into meetings with the doctors with ideas, so that you never feel like a stone was left unturned.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Everyone knew us by name, including the wonderful Erika who brought us back, the phlebotomist Jamie who we had every time, and even the people at the front desk/check out. Our nurses celebrated our successes and truly sympathized with our setbacks. Dr. Kaplan clearly sets the tone in this way - after 3 failed cycles and a miscarriage, he was so happy for us when we finally got to bring home our baby. Despite their volume, I felt like I was truly important and they were all rooting for us.
Describe the protocols Brian Kaplan used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
I never had trouble with stimming, so I don't recall much about those protocols. I was a good responder and had lots of eggs, my issue seemed to be with implantation. The cycle that finally worked included 2 months of Depot Lupron, and a hysteroscopy. Then when I went back to try for baby #2, Dr. Kaplan strongly advised that we skip all of that and just do a really straightforward FET (Lupron, patches, PIO every 3rd day and progesterone suppositories, along with a few other things like Medrol/baby aspirin). I wanted to recreate the cycle that worked with my daughter so we didn't waste time/embryos. He argued that after carrying a full term pregnancy and nursing for 10 months, my body was a completely different environment. He was right, I got pregnant on the first try without all the additional/invasive/expensive extras.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Tammy)
I am forever grateful to our nurse Tammy. I had a million questions and overthought everything throughout our very long fertility journey. Tammy was available by email and was always quick to respond. We dealt with a variety of other nurses, notably Jamie and Jill, and every one of them was well versed on our case, compassionate and patient with my many questions and squeamish nature.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
There are a lot of people moving through the clinic, but it is well organized and the waits are not usually very long. The space is very well-appointed and doesn't feel sterile/hospital like. It's very comfortable to wait there and the entire staff is friendly. It's not a scary place to go.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
We were covered at about 90%. There was a copay to see Dr. Kaplan (I think $60). But we didn't see him that often. I would say a significant part of our out of pocket expenses were parking ($6 every monitoring appointment adds up!). We also paid out of pocket for PGS testing.
Describe Brian Kaplan's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
I was only 27 when I first went to Dr. Kaplan, so he always encouraged us to do one embryo at a time. We did 2 out of 6 transfers with 2 embryos instead of one, so it wasn't like he wouldn't let us. I don't think he has a set policy that applies to everyone. It felt like he considered a lot of factors in our case - my age, our good insurance coverage, and the fact that our embryos were high quality (and pgs tested after the first round).
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
- Provided conflicting information
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5
Age
42 - 43
Treated
2014 - 2015
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
3 IUI, 4 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
5
He [Dr Brian Kaplan] is incredibly caring, will try with you until you give up, will not pressure you, but will inform you of your options. The bad thing is that he has too many patients, and therefore no time to really tailor treatment to someone that is not responding well to drug stimulation, he just couldn't keep track of who you were or what your situation was.
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Age
42 - 43
Treated
2014 - 2015
Success with this Doc
No
Race
European, Latino, Other
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Engineer
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
3 IUI, 4 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
5
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
He is incredibly caring, will try with you until you give up, will not pressure you, but will inform you of your options. The bad thing is that he has too many patients, and therefore no time to really tailor treatment to someone that is not responding well to drug stimulation, he just couldn't keep track of who you were or what your situation was.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Be your own advocate, he is a kind doctor, but way too busy and might not give you the attention and tailoring your case might need.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Doctor Kaplan when I was able to talk to him in person was very compassionate and never made me feel like he was going to stop working with me after we had several failed and/or cancelled cycles, which other doctors would do immediately, as you would mess up their "stats". Having said that, he has too many patients, and he is just not very in tune with your specific case, so if you have a tricky situation like mine, he is a great guy, but did not tweaked my treatment as he should in my opinion
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
Dr Kaplan's nurse communication was short, abrupt and gave very little in the form of information. It felt like pulling teeth. She was Incredibly unhelpful and truly jaded. She seemed like she was really tired of the same questions and had no patience with the patients. It is a pity, as we all are so lost and scared when we are walking the assisted fertility route.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
The clinic was well run, the receptionist were fast and efficient, the ultrasound techs were very nice and fast. It just seems so busy and like your case is not getting much attention. Then, when doing the retrieval, the whole process was great, fast and efficient, same with IUI.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Under Illinois law, I was lucky to be mostly completely covered by insurance. The deductibles plus some test that were not covered were the only expense, but not significant if you compare it with out pocket expense other people experience.
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
- Failed to convey critical information
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10
Age
33
Treated
2015
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
4 IUI, 2 IVF, Surrogacy
Diagnosis
Anovulation, PCOS, Immunological
10
Dr. Kaplan was my third infertility doctor, so I was sadly an infertility "pro" by the time I got to him. He was perfect for me at that stage of treatment because he was very open to my feedback and how I wanted to direct my care. He let me try new things that were somewhat controversial, but he did hold me back from things that he thought had no chance. However, Dr. Kaplan's biggest negatives are as follows. He is extremely busy, and he doesn't always seem to read through your file carefully before he meets with you. So you have to be very on top of things, and sometimes remind him of where things stand. He also can seem a little bit rushed du
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Age
33
Treated
2015
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
—
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
3rd of 3 Docs
Treatment
4 IUI, 2 IVF, Surrogacy
Diagnosis
Anovulation, PCOS, Immunological
10
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Kaplan was my third infertility doctor, so I was sadly an infertility "pro" by the time I got to him. He was perfect for me at that stage of treatment because he was very open to my feedback and how I wanted to direct my care. He let me try new things that were somewhat controversial, but he did hold me back from things that he thought had no chance.
However, Dr. Kaplan's biggest negatives are as follows. He is extremely busy, and he doesn't always seem to read through your file carefully before he meets with you. So you have to be very on top of things, and sometimes remind him of where things stand. He also can seem a little bit rushed during conversations because he has so many patients to see. Another negative is that Dr. Kaplan likes to "batch" his cycles so that most retrievals and transfers occur around the same time of the month. This didn't personally bother me but I know this really irks some of his other patients that I've talked to.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Be proactive. Know your own case. Be your own advocate. Don't be afraid to speak up and ask to try new treatments that he might not mention to you. Dr. Kaplan is kind and flexible and caring, but he's busy. So you have to work together as a team to get to the best outcome.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Kaplan is extremely caring. He is very touchy - frequently gives hugs and kisses after a transfer - this could be a negative if you don't like that, but to me it was reassuring and he felt like a caring father or uncle. He looks you in the eye and is very open to new treatment options if you're at the end of the road.
Describe the protocols Brian Kaplan used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
9 days before transfer. Immediately prior to transfer doxycycline and medrol. Progesterone supplementation included PIO injections, endometrin. Lining was 5.3 with triple pattern, estradoil 749 on last lining check. Result was a positive pregnancy test. Repeated the IV of intralipids 16 days after transfer (6 days after first positive pregnancy test). Pregnancy is currently at 12 weeks.
September 2015 (cycle on gestational carrier): Priming included lupron, vivelle dot patches, baby aspirin daily. Immediately prior to transfer doxycycline and medrol. Progesterone supplementation included PIO injections, endometrin. Lining was 8.8 with triple pattern, estradoil 1,101 on last lining check. Result was a positive pregnancy test. Pregnancy is currently at 7 weeks.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Jamie)
Jamie was a very good nurse, and I recommend her. She was organized and rolled with the punches with me. I was not always an easy patient because I had very strong opinions about my treatment plan. She always listened, and would go back and ask Dr. Kaplan before telling me no on whatever I was asking. I really appreciated that.
I also worked with Donna as my IVF nurse in Highland Park. I have equally good things to say about her. Very high quality nurse, very on top of things. Only complaint is that she didn't always call back with instructions until I reached out to her late in the day.
On the gestational carrier side of things, we worked with Jen at River North, and with Carrie in Highland Park. Both of these nurses were wonderful, two of the most optimistic and happy nurses I've worked with throughout the entire journey.
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
- Failed to call with results
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7
Age
39
Treated
2015
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
1 IUI, 2 IVF, 1 Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
7
He's very honest and upfront, but not in a curt way. He does care about his patients, but having said that, he doesn't really get to know you...You have very limited contact with Dr. Kaplan, so you feel sometimes as though he's the wizard behind the curtain...He does have an easy way about him - a good sense of humor, and he's competitive, which I like...I totally understand that he can't personally call everyone, but it would have been nice to receive a follow-up call a day or two later when he has some time. Just a feeling that we're all still in this together would have been nice.
+ Read more
Age
39
Treated
2015
Success with this Doc
?
Race
European
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
1 IUI, 2 IVF, 1 Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
7
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
I started with a different doctor at FCI that was not a good fit at all. Having had that experience made Dr. Kaplan seem like a God-send. He's very honest and upfront, but not in a curt way. He does care about his patients, but having said that, he doesn't really get to know you. I'd be surprised if he knew where I lived or what I did for a living. He does have an easy way about him - a good sense of humor, and he's competitive, which I like. I think you want your doctor to be competitive - to have a stake in the outcome. We've had some trials over the last year, and the nurses were always the ones to make the call. I totally understand that he can't personally call everyone, but it would have been nice to receive a follow-up call a day or two later when he has some time. Just a feeling that we're all still in this together would have been nice.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Be your own best advocate and learn the process. This is not just advice for Dr. Kaplan. This is advice for anyone going to FCI. They have so many patients, and things slip through the cracks. There has been more than one occasion where I've realized not all my meds were ordered or that I was told conflicting information about diet or exercise. You need to do some research and talk with others who have been through it and critically evaluate what they are telling you to do and then ask questions and double check things. It sounds intimidating, but it doesn't need to be. I think you want to be your own best advocate in this process anyway. And, ultimately, they are choosing the protocols and have had good success, so that's a plus for going to FCI in spite of some of the drawbacks.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Plain and simple, FCI is a factory. You know that going in, and it makes things much easier. They, however, also get results, so you "put up" with a little because of that. The nurses in Highland Park are incredibly awesome. Knowledgeable, caring, all of it. They treat you like a human. The nurses in River North are prompt to respond to questions but aren't exactly "warm and fuzzy." You have very limited contact with Dr. Kaplan, so you feel sometimes as though he's the wizard behind the curtain. It would be nice to have a bit more contact with him.
Describe the protocols Brian Kaplan used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
My first two cycles resulted in 4 and 3 eggs respectively, which they were honestly pleased with given my age and diagnosis (low ovarian reserve). The 3rd cycle he did what is called a Schoyer method - it was a week of priming before stimulating. He then stimulated me with Clomid, Follistim and Menopur. The Clomid was just 5 days. He either had me on Lupron or Ganirelix as well. I was a slow responder, so they kept me on the stim meds for about 20 days. It was nerve-wracking to keep having the retrieval postponed, but in the end, they retrieved 10 eggs from me - a huge success. 2 made it to 5 day blasts.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
The 2nd retrieval was tough physically and emotionally for a few different reasons. I received a call 2 days later just to check in. We immediately froze eggs, so there was no update they needed to give on the conditions of the embryos. It was just a call to let me know they were thinking of me.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Insurance covers most of it but sperm, embryo and egg freezing. We also had a $50 copay every time we stepped foot in the center. Ultimately though, we're very lucky.
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
- Failed to order appropriate test
- Provided conflicting information
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10
Age
38 - 39
Treated
2014 - 2015
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
2 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor
10
While Dr. Kaplan may not be the most warm and fuzzy doctor, he is compassionate and brilliant and talented at his craft. I feel lucky to have been able to be under his treatment. He is straightforward and I would say not to anticipate seeing him outside of the initial consult and the procedures. However, I trust his judgment implicitly and while I typically like a doctor who is more warm and fuzzy and accessible, I also knew he was the best around so I went with him and we had success!
+ Read more
Age
38 - 39
Treated
2014 - 2015
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Ashkenazi Jewish
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
2 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor
10
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
While Dr. Kaplan may not be the most warm and fuzzy doctor, he is compassionate and brilliant and talented at his craft. I feel lucky to have been able to be under his treatment. He is straightforward and I would say not to anticipate seeing him outside of the initial consult and the procedures. However, I trust his judgment implicitly and while I typically like a doctor who is more warm and fuzzy and accessible, I also knew he was the best around so I went with him and we had success!
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Be prepared to not interact with him beyond initial consult and follow ups and procedures. Make a good connection with a nurse and be proactive about your care due to the large number of patients at fci and under his care.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
I owe being treated like a human at fci to Dr. kaplans nurse Tami Bono. She was there for my every need and without her I am not sure I could give the same response.
Describe the protocols Brian Kaplan used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
For my first ivf cycle, I was put on birth control followed by injectible doses of menapur, follistim and ganerelix for about 12 days. My husband had been on clomid for male factor infertility. I had a 5 day transfer of two lower graded embryos followed by crinone and estrogen patches. The cycle did not result in pregnancy. The second ivf round took place 2 months later with the exact same protocol. Unfortunately, my estrogen levels were very high after retrieval and therefore a frozen transfer would be planned for a later date. Dr. Kaplan was not confident that a pregnancy would take with the high estrogen. I then started two months later with birth control, followed by Lupron and then pio injections with the transfer of two embryos. I became pregnant with one embryo and had 10 more weeks of pio and estrogen patches. We had a boy in November 2015.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
So, I made a connection with nurse Tammy. She was essentially my guide through the entire process. However, I don't think it is a typical situation. We connected on a personal level and she went above and beyond for me and my husband. However, I don't believe I could give fci a high rating for communication and organization outside of Tami. If she hadn't been there for me, I do believe my entire experience there would not have been as it was.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Strengths: Great doctors, Dr. Kaplan's lab and embryologists.
Weaknesses: Poor communication, long wait times for blood work and ultrasounds, not personal
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
- Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
- Provided conflicting information
- Failed to convey critical information
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10
Age
35
Treated
2015
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
3 IUI, 2 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor, Poor Egg Quality
10
Dr. Kaplan told my husband and I straight out what we should expect with our cycle. I was told with the previous MD that I would need donor eggs and Dr. Kaplan did not agree with that and gave my husband a lot of confidence when we went into our next cycle of IVF...Dr. Kaplan is very knowledgeable in his field. He has practiced dealing with infertility for many years and gives it to you straight. He doesn't beat around the bush and lets you know everything. Very awesome MD. If we had the extra income I would be doing another round of IVF with him!
+ Read more
Age
35
Treated
2015
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Other
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
3 IUI, 2 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor, Poor Egg Quality
10
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Kaplan was amazing. He was confident in me using our own eggs and ICSI with my husband. We were very defeated after our first IVF cycle failed with another MD and after leaving Dr. Kaplan's office we were ready to try again and very glad we did. Without him I would not have my 13 month old Norah!
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Kaplan is very knowledgeable in his field. He has practiced dealing with infertility for many years and gives it to you straight. He doesn't beat around the bush and lets you know everything. Very awesome MD. If we had the extra income I would be doing another round of IVF with him!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Kaplan told my husband and I straight out what we should expect with our cycle. I was told with the previous MD Dr. Todd Deustch that I would need donor eggs and Dr. Kaplan did not agree with that and gave my husband a lot of confidence when we went into our next cycle of IVF.
Describe the protocols Brian Kaplan used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
I had about 10-11 days of medication stimulation. I used Follistim, Menopur, Ganirelex, and 5 days of growth hormone. I can't recall the exact protocol, but I had 20 follicles, 9 were retrieved and 6 were mature. Five embryos fertilized and we went to day 5. We have a 4BB blast transferred and an early blast. We have one morula that they were going to try and keep and see if it grows by day 6 and it arrested.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Kathleen Brady)
I worked with Kathleen Brady whom was a Godsend. She always responded to me emails promptly or phone calls. She was very compassionate as this process is very emotional and stressful. Tammi Bono was also very helpful with obtaining extra medications for me and she was very nice.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
I don't have any concerns with how the clinic was ran
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Unfortunately our insurance only covered the workup and monitoring during the IVF process. We have to pay out of pocket for the medications, retrieval and transfer. It was about $15,000 for everything.
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8
Age
32 - 34
Treated
2013 - 2015
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
3 IUI, 2 IVF, Surrogacy
Diagnosis
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Unexplained
8
Early on, I felt that he was so confident I was going to have quick success that he didn't spend a lot of time with me and try to get to know my case. He frequently seemed in a rush and too busy to stop and explain things thoroughly. However, after a couple failed attempts he seemed more determined to help and investigate new approaches to understand my 'unexplained infertility'.
+ Read more
Age
32 - 34
Treated
2013 - 2015
Success with this Doc
No
Race
European
Income
$500K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1st of 2 Docs
Treatment
3 IUI, 2 IVF, Surrogacy
Diagnosis
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Unexplained
8
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Early on, I felt that he was so confident I was going to have quick success that he didn't spend a lot of time with me and try to get to know my case. He frequently seemed in a rush and too busy to stop and explain things thoroughly. However, after a couple failed attempts he seemed more determined to help and investigate new approaches to understand my 'unexplained infertility'. He mentioned a few times that he had discussed my case to a few of his colleagues. Overall, I really like his demeanor and feel at ease with him and able to talk not only about the course of treatment but also about the emotional toll of infertility (note - a few times he seemed really busy and our meeting felt a little rushed). I still believe he is focused on finding the best approach to get us a family with the least amount of stress and cost.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
I would say don't be discouraged if you don't hear directly from him frequently and you have to communicate through his nurses. If you find a helpful nurse, he will get your messages and I believe he does sit and think about his patients carefully.
On a similar note, he may not be right for you (or the FCI clinic in general) if you prefer a very hands-on one-on-one type of doctor.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
I Dr Kaplan definitely remembered me and treated me like an individual and not a number. A few of the nurses did too, but I did occasionally get mixed up with other patients. The clinic is very large and I think they do a good job considering how many patients go through there.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
I can't say this for all of them, but the few that I communicated with most often were very friendly and approachable. They responded quickly to emails and relayed messages to Dr Kaplan when needed.
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
- Lost paperwork
- Failed to send your chart to another clinic
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10
Age
35 - 36
Treated
2013 - 2014
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
2 IVF
Diagnosis
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Uterine Fibroids, Unexplained
10
I just cannot say enough good things about Dr Kaplan. Not only is he amazing at what he does, but he is patient and kind and there is no ego despite him being one of the best. He has no problem adjusting treatment or taking the time to explain everything to his patients. I've already referred multiple people to him who love him just as much as I do!...During my first cycle, I used only one injection per day and no steroids. When I didn't produce many eggs, he adjusted to morning and evening shots and oral steroids with more progesterone and blood thinners. It produced more ( and higher quality eggs) and the blood thinners allowed multiple eggs to attach.
+ Read more
Age
35 - 36
Treated
2013 - 2014
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
2 IVF
Diagnosis
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Uterine Fibroids, Unexplained
10
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
I just cannot say enough good things about Dr Kaplan. Not only is he amazing at what he does, but he is patient and kind and there is no ego despite him being one of the best. He has no problem adjusting treatment or taking the time to explain everything to his patients. I've already referred multiple people to him who love him just as much as I do!
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
The infertility process is long and hard, but it helps to have a doctor who cares so much. Make sure you are open and honest and ask questions or tell him what you are feeling, he has no problem sitting there as long as you need.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr Kaplan is one of the best doctors that I have ever seen. He held my hand (literally) through the treatments, explained everything thoroughly, was available himself throughout the entire process and let me cry, laugh or whatever I needed in his office.
Describe the protocols Brian Kaplan used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
During my first cycle, I used only one injection per day and no steroids. When I didn't produce many eggs, he adjusted to morning and evening shots and oral steroids with more progesterone and blood thinners. It produced more ( and higher quality eggs) and the blood thinners allowed multiple eggs to attach.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
The nurses were always available for calls and emails, patiently explained the medications to me, sometimes multiple times, empathized with me when something went wrong and called multiple times to check how I was feeling. They also had no problems asking Dr Kaplan, if they felt that he may know something more.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Everything at FCI was easy. The phlebotomist were amazing and done quickly - the best blood draws I've ever had. The ultrasound techs were quick, efficient, and understanding, while still being excellent at their jobs. Scheduling was a breeze, as was checkout. Even the billing department was easy to work with. Plus, every single person hugged and congratulated me when I finally had a viable pregnancy.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
FCI was so great about working with my insurance company that most of my costs were only from medicines that the insurance wouldn't cover. Everything else was covered. Estimate $2500 per cycle out of pocket.
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10
Age
38 - 40
Treated
2012 - 2014
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
3 IVF, Donor Eggs
Diagnosis
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Male Factor, Poor Egg Quality, Uterine Fibroids
10
I think the clinic is so busy, and I saw Dr. Kaplan at two different clinics, so I wasn't always sure that he recognized me. But, of course, when it counted--in meetings, procedures, appointments, etc., he did know who I was...I fully trusted Dr. Kaplan's opinion and course of action. I turned out to be a hard case, so I appreciated that he was always up front and honest with me. I also appreciated that he made an effort to meet with me when I needed him to--early mornings, squeezing me in his busy schedule, etc.
+ Read more
Age
38 - 40
Treated
2012 - 2014
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Teacher
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
3 IVF, Donor Eggs
Diagnosis
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Male Factor, Poor Egg Quality, Uterine Fibroids
10
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
I fully trusted Dr. Kaplan's opinion and course of action. I turned out to be a hard case, so I appreciated that he was always up front and honest with me. I also appreciated that he made an effort to meet with me when I needed him to--early mornings, squeezing me in his busy schedule, etc.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Don't be afraid to ask questions. Don't expect things to go the way you think they will--there will be bumps in the road! Trust your doctors.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
I think the clinic is so busy, and I saw Dr. Kaplan at two different clinics, so I wasn't always sure that he recognized me. But, of course, when it counted--in meetings, procedures, appointments, etc., he did know who I was.
Describe the protocols Brian Kaplan used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
It's been awhile, so I don't recall many specifics. We did three rounds of IVF with ICSI and 3 rounds of frozen donor egg transfers. We skipped IUI because of male factor issues and my poor egg quality. In the last round or two of donor eggs, I took a blood thinner injectible due to an antibody issue. I stayed on progesterone inserts far beyond what most women do (I think). I had miscarriage with one IVF round and with one donor egg round. The last donor egg round produced my son. We never had embryos or eggs leftover to freeze.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Tammy Bono)
Tammy was my favorite thing about FCI, hands down. She was always there for me. I had so many roadblocks and issues, and she was so compassionate. She even just emailed me sometimes just to check in to see how I was feeling--not for anything other than that. She always got back to me quickly, helped me find donated meds if necessary, and I just always felt that she was a great support along this journey. When I got transferred to a different nurse b/c I switched to a donor egg protocol, I really missed Tammy, and I still even contacted her for help during these times b/c I knew I could count on her.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Weakness: Too busy. Sometimes the right hand didn't know what the left was doing. Front desk staff was sometimes rude.
Strengths: Reputable doctors and nurses, easy to schedule appointments, accommodating, multiple locations
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
I paid for everything out of pocket. In total, we paid more than $100,000. That includes, meds, procedures (in clinic and hospital), tests, donor egg acquisition, etc. My insurance didn't cover much of anything.
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
- Failed to call with results
- Provided conflicting information
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9
Age
31 - 33
Treated
2012 - 2014
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
4 IUI, 2 IVF, Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
Unexplained
9
Even though I did not get pregnant under his care, I have the utmost respect and care for Dr. Brian Kaplan and his team. They felt like my second family for several years... He never pressured me to go beyond my comfort zone and even encouraged me to seek a different provider when he sensed I needed a change and fresh start after many failed attempts.
+ Read more
Age
31 - 33
Treated
2012 - 2014
Success with this Doc
No
Race
European
Income
—
Occupation
Graphic Designer
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 3 Docs
Treatment
4 IUI, 2 IVF, Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
Unexplained
9
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Kaplan and his nurses always made me feel like I mattered. They were sympathetic to my personal situation and allowed me to take an active role in determining the best steps for my treatment. He never pressured me to go beyond my comfort zone and even encouraged me to seek a different provider when he sensed I needed a change and fresh start after many failed attempts. He was very sensitive and gentle during all procedures and even made me laugh during the tense moments. He has a very kind and gentle demeanor with his patients, even affectionate at times. When I found out I miscarried my first pregnancy at 8 weeks, he leaned across the exam room table to comfort me and hold my hand through the tears and didn't seem fazed to wrinkle his fancy suit or get it dirty by doing so. After I got pregnant through a different clinic out of state, he and his nurses still agreed to manage my care locally throughout the first few weeks of my pregnancy until I was transferred to my OBGYN. Even though I did not get pregnant under his care, I have the utmost respect and care for Dr. Brian Kaplan and his team. They felt like my second family for several years.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
FCI is a very large clinic that sees many patients every month. In order to stand out from that crowd, make sure you speak up when you have questions or concerns. Make yourself known to the doctor, nurses and staff. I also chose to maintain positive interactions with them, even when I felt sad, frustrated or disappointed with the results of my treatment. The old saying you catch more flies with honey than vinegar is very accurate in this case. Stay positive, polite and respectful of them and their efforts and time and they will return it to you as their patient. However, I think that is key advice for any clinic!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
I felt very much like Dr. Kaplan and his team knew me as an individual, even though he sees a large number of patients every month. I always felt like he listened intently to my questions and concerns and answered them in a manner I could easily understand. He was always very hopeful for my success and encouraged me through every setback. His nurses were kind and sensitive and very committed to my treatment. When I had questions, his nurses were prompt in their response time.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Tammy)
Tammy was very prompt in returning phone calls. She never forgot to call me back, even if it meant stay at the office until very late at night. She was very clear with her instructions and never made me feel dumb for asking too many questions.
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
- Failed to call with results
- Failed to send your chart to another clinic
- Provided conflicting information
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10
Age
36 - 38
Treated
2014 - 2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
10 IUI, 4 IVF, Surrogacy
Diagnosis
Anovulation, PCOS, Other
10
I would highly recommend Dr. Kaplan. He was always trying to figure out my 'case' and why things haven't resulted in a positive outcome. He consulted other doctors in his practice regarding my course of treatment and has also suggested supplemental treatment (such as vitamin packs) which dramatically increased the number of high quality eggs that were retrieved...Dr. Kaplan has a wonderful bedside manner and is always empathetic. He holds your hand as you go through a transfer and explains everything that may happen. He was always available for a follow up call when a transfer resulted in a negative outcome and was open to changing medications or trying new things to get different results. I was having negative skin reactions to the progesterone in oil, so we worked to find an alternative that felt better.
+ Read more
Age
36 - 38
Treated
2014 - 2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
10 IUI, 4 IVF, Surrogacy
Diagnosis
Anovulation, PCOS, Other
10
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
I would highly recommend Dr. Kaplan. He was always trying to figure out my 'case' and why things haven't resulted in a positive outcome. He consulted other doctors in his practice regarding my course of treatment and has also suggested supplemental treatment (such as vitamin packs) which dramatically increased the number of high quality eggs that were retrieved.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Utilize all of the resources available to you at FCI (e.g., fertility counselors) and keep asking questions about your treatment, especially if you feel that you aren't reacting well to certain medications etc.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Kaplan has a wonderful bedside manner and is always empathetic. He holds your hand as you go through a transfer and explains everything that may happen. He was always available for a follow up call when a transfer resulted in a negative outcome and was open to changing medications or trying new things to get different results. I was having negative skin reactions to the progesterone in oil, so we worked to find an alternative that felt better.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Many nurses through different stages)
Always available for questions regarding medication protocols etc.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
The only negative comment I have is regarding wait times for ultrasounds because of the number of patients going through cycles at the same time. I got around this by taking the first available appointment of the day (usually between 6:30 and 7am) or coming in the middle of the day after the rush was gone.
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Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
10
Age
47
Treated
2013
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
IVF, Donor Eggs
Diagnosis
Tubal Blockage
10
I went through 2 cycles with Dr. Kaplan. My 1st cycle ended in a miscarriage due to an eptopic pregnancy. He encouraged me to be hopeful if I wanted to try again. I did decide to try again after having corrective surgery to remove the tubes. The treatment protocols didn't change very much and the 2nd cycle was successful with twin pregnancy!...Even though I didn't see him at every visit (I didn't expect to), I still felt cared for by Dr. Kaplan
+ Read more
Age
47
Treated
2013
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Black or African-American, Prefer not to answer
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
Operations
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
IVF, Donor Eggs
Diagnosis
Tubal Blockage
10
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
I started my fertility experience seeing Dr. Lederer decided not to continue because we weren't ready. Once I was ready to start again, Dr. Lederer had passed away and I asked to be transferred to Dr. Kaplan. I had no issue whatsoever with my request and was transferred to Dr. Kaplan and he took care of me beautifully from the first day!
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
He is caring, explains the process and procedure very well and is encouraging and sensitive to the process. Even though I didn't see him at every visit (I didn't expect to), I still felt cared for by Dr. Kaplan
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Every visit for me was a pleasant one despite the outcome of my visit. The front staff, lab, techs and nurses were always a pleasure.
Describe the protocols Brian Kaplan used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
I went through 2 cycles with Dr. Kaplan. My 1st cycle ended in a miscarriage due to an eptopic pregnancy. He encouraged me to be hopeful if I wanted to try again. I did decide to try again after having corrective surgery to remove the tubes. The treatment protocols didn't change very much and the 2nd cycle was successful with twin pregnancy!
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Tammy Bono)
Tammy is the best! She was caring and truly a gem. She went as far as reaching out to me after I transferred to my OBGyn just to see how I was doing. Great staff!
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
I don't have anything I would change. The clinic is a warm place and friendly staff. They seemed to truly care and were always encouraging.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
I don't remember the exact costs but do remember the medications being costly even with insurance.
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10
Age
37 - 39
Treated
2014 - 2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
2 IVF, 3 Egg Freezing, Donor Eggs, Surrogacy
Diagnosis
—
10
Dr. Brian made this journey a simple choice. We had all of the information required to make decisions quickly and his compassion was second to none. We lost all five of our initial fertilized eggs and Dr Brian was there to keep our spirits up and not losing the faith. The second retrieval resulted in our two amazing girls.
+ Read more
Age
37 - 39
Treated
2014 - 2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Sales Representative
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
2 IVF, 3 Egg Freezing, Donor Eggs, Surrogacy
Diagnosis
—
10
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Brian made this journey a simple choice. We had all of the information required to make decisions quickly and his compassion was second to none. We lost all five of our initial fertilized eggs and Dr Brian was there to keep our spirits up and not losing the faith. The second retrieval resulted in our two amazing girls.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Brian is THE best fertility Dr. avalible. He will work with you to achieve your dreams of a family while never losing faith. He will speak to your level and make sure you have the support and knowledge needed to succeed.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Brian was magical. He had a gentle way of taking something extremely complex and making it seem simple. It was such an easy decision after our very first meeting. From that day to the day we welcomed our twin girls into the world was only 13 months.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Teresa Newell)
We were always impressed with Teresa's responsiveness and thoroughness. Going through the journey comes with loads of paperwork and steps but Teresa kept us on track and on task.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
I can't think of any weaknesses as the staff and teams were all wonderful. The facilities were nice and everyone made us feel comfortable.
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8
Age
31 - 32
Treated
2014 - 2015
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
1 IUI, 1 IVF, Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
Male Factor
8
He was very positive but also has a reputation for being aggressive...I know of other friends who he told to go to another clinic because he straight up told them he couldn't help them anymore.
+ Read more
Age
31 - 32
Treated
2014 - 2015
Success with this Doc
?
Race
European
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Consultant
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
1 IUI, 1 IVF, Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
Male Factor
8
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
He was very positive but also has a reputation for being aggressive. I know tons of people who are pregnant from him. The dissenters say he is a "pusher" of repeated IVF cycles where there is no hope, but I have not experienced that. I know of other friends who he told to go to another clinic because he straight up told them he couldn't help them anymore.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
FCI is generally a well-oiled machine. You do not see Dr Kaplan except during the initial consult, egg retrieval, transfer, and each pregnancy ultrasound. You need to be an informed, proactive patient and advocate for yourself.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
They kept good records of what had happened in the past. They also had special procedures in place for patients who had experienced a loss. I'm not sure they remembered me specifically, but they always reference my past history.
Describe the protocols Brian Kaplan used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
In my first IVF cycle with him he used the antagonist protocol and it produced good results (pending.)
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
Very happy to take time to explain things to you or address a problem if you needed it. Always had an understanding of what was going on with your specific case.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
$12,000 for an IVF cycle - ours was covered by insurance.
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
- Provided conflicting information
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9
Age
30 - 34
Treated
2011 - 2015
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
1 IVF, Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
Male Factor
9
He took notes and listened carefully and helped us with terminology for insurance forms. I'm about to return for my second round and I'm glad I had a good experience with him during the first round.
+ Read more
Age
30 - 34
Treated
2011 - 2015
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European, Other
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
1 IVF, Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
Male Factor
9
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
He is clearly very busy but once we were in his office, we felt like we had his full attention. He took notes and listened carefully and helped us with terminology for insurance forms. I'm about to return for my second round and I'm glad I had a good experience with him during the first round.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
He appreciates thorough answers to his questions. Know your cycle length and if you have had issues, have dates/details ready.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
While Dr. Kaplan treated us with care and compassion and got to know us - genetic as well as infertility issues - I will say that the rest of the clinic tends to run like an assembly line. Which is ok if you're progressing normally but would be frustrating if not. One nurse was brisk and rude by phone but overall the staff was kind and competent.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Don't recall)
The clinic delivered my pre-egg retrieval drugs without a clear start date. When I called the nurse she was flustered and rude and told me I should have started earlier. They are overwhelmed sometimes, which I understand, but I felt very frustrated by this misstep.
Once we got going, everyone at the Chicago and especially highland park office was very kind and competent.
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
- Failed to convey critical information
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10
Age
40
Treated
2014
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
1 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Endometriosis
10
I am so lucky to have had Dr. Kaplan help us with our infertility journey. His positive attitude and encouragement were a tremendous help during a stressful and uncertain time. I never felt like a number and he was personable every time we saw him. His energy helped me to keep a positive attitude throughout the process. I felt safe and trusted him completely.
+ Read more
Age
40
Treated
2014
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Other
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
1 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Endometriosis
10
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
I am so lucky to have had Dr. Kaplan help us with our infertility journey. His positive attitude and encouragement were a tremendous help during a stressful and uncertain time. I never felt like a number and he was personable every time we saw him. His energy helped me to keep a positive attitude throughout the process. I felt safe and trusted him completely.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Though Dr. Kaplan will be candid about facts, and some things may not be what you want to hear, he is honest about the reality of your situation. He has a warm bedside manner and great energy.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Immediately I felt a warm connection with Dr. Kaplan. I truly felt that he genuinely cared about our situation and was both sincere and candid at our meetings.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
There was a LOT of information to absorb and the nurse was very good about answering our questions, all one million of them. She did not mind if we asked a question more than once because we did not understand or forgot. Turnaround time with a response was very good.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
This clinic is very busy, but also very efficient. It's a bit stressful in the waiting room because most everyone is anxious, however the staff, from the receptionists to the nurses to the check-out staff were all compassionate and kind.
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10
Age
29 - 30
Treated
2012 - 2013
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
IVF, Donor Eggs, Surrogacy
Diagnosis
—
10
The thing that always stands out to me the most is when we had a false pregnancy where we thought we were pregnant for a few days and then ended up not being pregnant. We were heartbroken but Dr. Kaplan called us on his vacation from a family get together to talk to us for an hour about what happened, the process moving forward and made sure we were comfortable with what was going on. Not may people we take the time to do that and he cared a lot about how we were doing and what the next steps were.
+ Read more
Age
29 - 30
Treated
2012 - 2013
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$500K
Occupation
Entrepreneur
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
IVF, Donor Eggs, Surrogacy
Diagnosis
—
10
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
The thing that always stands out to me the most is when we had a false pregnancy where we thought we were pregnant for a few days and then ended up not being pregnant. We were heartbroken but Dr. Kaplan called us on his vacation from a family get together to talk to us for an hour about what happened, the process moving forward and made sure we were comfortable with what was going on. Not may people we take the time to do that and he cared a lot about how we were doing and what the next steps were.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Hold on to him, he is the best!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Kaplan always went out of his way to make sure we knew everything that was going on and also him and his staff checked with us constantly during the process to make sure everything was goign well. We always felt very informed with the process.
Describe the protocols Brian Kaplan used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
I do not remember a lot of the protocols... I am sorry
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
Nursing staff always did a great job. They always followed up with us and made sure our experience was great!
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Clinic was awesome no complaints!
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
I do not remember other than it was reasonable and affordable.
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
- Failed to convey critical information
– Read less
10
Age
35
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor, Tubal Blockage
10
Dr Kaplan has been sensitive and caring. He seems very passionate about his work and helping couples achieve their dreams. He has a great bedside manner. He communicates well and explain everything in detail but still in a manner that non medical people will understand.... Dr Kaplan has a great bedside manner so far, he seems compassionate and caring.
+ Read more
Age
35
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
?
Race
Other
Income
—
Occupation
Nurse or HC Services
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor, Tubal Blockage
10
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr Kaplan has been sensitive and caring. He seems very passionate about his work and helping couples achieve their dreams. He has a great bedside manner. He communicates well and explain everything in detail but still in a manner that non medical people will understand.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Do a lot of research and be informed
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr Kaplan has a great bedside manner so far, he seems compassionate and caring. We are in the middle of treatment but I would def recommend him so far
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
very attentive and communicates well, they keep you updated on your next stepsk and have a great patient portal to communicate through
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
The clinic has been great so far, very accommodating, if you get there early they have taken us in early, we come from Indiana so we end up getting there pretty early if traffic isn't bad. They have been very detailed and very informative, The clinic itself is very nice and very clean. I haven't seen any weaknesses yet.
Describe Brian Kaplan's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
I appreciated that they have a policy of no more than two embryos, for the health and safety of baby (babies) and mom.
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Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
8
Age
38 - 40
Treated
2015 - 2017
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
4 IUI, 3 IVF, 3 Embryo Freezing
Diagnosis
—
8
Very personable and informative. With my first miscarriage from IUI, his [Dr. Kaplan] manner was not as warm. With my second miscarriage from IVF, his manner was warmer with more empathy for us. Even though I did not get the outcome I hoped for, his experience and credentials make him a top doctor in the area...Drugs were Follistim, Menopur, Lupron, progesterone shots and suppositories, estrogen patches, baby aspirin. Resulted in 14 eggs and 5 embryos for freeze.
+ Read more
Age
38 - 40
Treated
2015 - 2017
Success with this Doc
No
Race
Black or African-American
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Marketer or PR
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1st of 2 Docs
Treatment
4 IUI, 3 IVF, 3 Embryo Freezing
Diagnosis
—
8
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Very personable and informative. With my first miscarriage from IUI, his manner was not as warm. With my second miscarriage from IVF, his manner was warmer with more empathy for us. Even though I did not get the outcome I hoped for, his experience and credentials make him a top doctor in the area.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Stop saying when there is a miscarriage that the baby may have been genetically abnormal and it was nature doing its job. As women going through that in the moment, we hate hearing that because it was a baby that was wanted.
Describe the protocols Brian Kaplan used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
Drugs were Follistim, Menopur, Lupron, progesterone shots and suppositories, estrogen patches, baby aspirin. Resulted in 14 eggs and 5 embryos for freeze.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Lots of patients. Sometimes they run behind on appointments. Just started a support group which I think is a good thing for patients.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
We paid out of pocket for everything. Medicine had some coverage under insurance
Describe Brian Kaplan's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Recommended transfer of two embryos because of my age.
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
- Provided conflicting information
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10
Age
26 - 28
Treated
2014 - 2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
3 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
PCOS
10
Dr. Kaplan is caring, kind and friendly. He makes us feel welcome and comfortable, like family. He is also extremely good at what he does, which explains the two babies we have from his work. Unlike other doctors we went to, Dr. Kaplan gives us a hug at every visit and genuinely cares about our well-being and the success of our fertility treatments...Ilene, the nurse coordinator, was integral to the team and the success of our treatment. We had to change the course of treatment due to a mistake on our end and she was there all along to work with us and make sure we were back on track. We love seeing her at the office and she makes us feel like family.
+ Read more
Age
26 - 28
Treated
2014 - 2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Ashkenazi Jewish
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Lawyer
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1st of 3 Docs
Treatment
3 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
PCOS
10
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Kaplan is caring, kind and friendly. He makes us feel welcome and comfortable, like family. He is also extremely good at what he does, which explains the two babies we have from his work. Unlike other doctors we went to, Dr. Kaplan gives us a hug at every visit and genuinely cares about our well-being and the success of our fertility treatments.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Trust him.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Kaplan met with us and talked to us like individuals, humans he cared about. He was interested and invested in our interests. We could not have felt better after meeting with him.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Ilene )
Ilene, the nurse coordinator, was integral to the team and the success of our treatment. We had to change the course of treatment due to a mistake on our end and she was there all along to work with us and make sure we were back on track. We love seeing her at the office and she makes us feel like family.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
FCI is busy, like factory. Be patient, it takes time and isn't always super efficient.
– Read less
10
Age
31
Treated
2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
2 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
He [Brian R. Kaplan was a grea Dr. He helped us start our family! Although we didn’t see him often when we did see him he answered all our questions, he made sure we knew what was going to happen. Dr. Kaplan treated us like the only patient....He was very compassionate and truly cared about how we felt and what happened throughout the process....Strength is the doctors, weakness would have to be how busy they [FCI - Chi] are and also the lack of communication the staff sometimes has. Sometimes you can be seen within 10min and other times your appointment can be over 2 hours long
+ Read more
Age
31
Treated
2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Latino
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
2 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
He was a grea Dr. He helped us start our family! Although we didn’t see him often when we did see him he answered all our questions, he made sure we knew what was going to happen. Dr. Kaplan treated us like the only patient.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Trust him!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
He was very compassionate and truly cared about how we felt and what happened throughout the process.
Describe the protocols Brian Kaplan used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
I wish I could remember!
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
The nurses that I would talk to or usually email mostly got back to me in a good amount of time. They were also very compassionate when they would call
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Strength is the doctors, weakness would have to be how busy they are and also the lack of communication the staff sometimes has. Sometimes you can be seen within 10min and other times your appointment can be over 2 hours long
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Our insurance covered 15k lifetime so with our first iuis and the beginning process of Ivf we payed OOP then once the big stuff started (the Ivf process) insurance kicked in. We initially payed about $16k OOp at the end of it all
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
- Lost paperwork
– Read less
3
Age
29 - 30
Treated
2014 - 2015
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
3 IUI, 3 IVF, Donor Eggs
Diagnosis
Poor Egg Quality, Unexplained
3
Kaplan had a good bedside manner, etc, but ultimately did not seem to be involved enough in the detail of my care. It was very frustrating to me that he recommended trying the same type(s) of procedures over and over, despite repeatedly getting the same poor results...They were not very organized; did not follow-up with specific results in a timely manner...
+ Read more
Age
29 - 30
Treated
2014 - 2015
Success with this Doc
No
Race
Prefer not to answer
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Marketer or PR
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
3 IUI, 3 IVF, Donor Eggs
Diagnosis
Poor Egg Quality, Unexplained
3
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Kaplan had a good bedside manner, etc, but ultimately did not seem to be involved enough in the detail of my care. It was very frustrating to me that he recommended trying the same type(s) of procedures over and over, despite repeatedly getting the same poor results.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Don't go here
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Very busy - need to manage your own care
FCI as a clinic seemed ok. It was definitely a "cattle call" but I got used to that quickly. The problems I had were when things went poorly or there were quick decisions that needed to be made. For example, I had embryos that were supposed to be frozen, but were not looking like they were developing well (repeated problem). Given this had happened before and we'd ended up with nothing, I pushed FCI to do a 3 day transfer. Just to get this done took many, many phone calls, and time was of the essence. They did not have a sense of urgency or real willingness to try something different.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Insurance covered most of it - I paid about $2,000 per round
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
- Failed to call with results
- Failed to convey critical information
– Read less
10
Age
41
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
1 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
10
Dr. Kaplan is an amazing doctor. He keeps up on all new studies- I also have a clinical background and he took the time to go into all details that I needed to understand. He was very kind and compassionate...He made sure I was okay when he told me it wasn’t a viable pregnancy. He also explained every step thoroughly... make sure to ask all questions because you won’t see him again until retrieval...The strengths is that there are several branches [FCI] so I could get monitored either in the city if I was working from home or the suburbs (highland park) if I was at work. Weakness is that you are just a number and no one knows who you are because they have so many patients
+ Read more
Age
41
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
No
Race
Middle Eastern
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Marketer or PR
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
1 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
10
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Kaplan is an amazing doctor. He keeps up on all new studies- I also have a clinical background and he took the time to go into all details that I needed to understand. He was very kind and compassionate
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
One of the best in Illinois - make sure to ask all questions because you won’t see him again until retrieval
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
He made sure I was okay when he told me it wasn’t a viable pregnancy. He also explained every step thoroughly
Describe the protocols Brian Kaplan used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
Agontist protocol was used
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
The strengths is that there are several branches so I could get monitored either in the city if I was working from home or the suburbs (highland park) if I was at work. Weakness is that you are just a number and no one knows who you are because they have so many patients
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
- Failed to call with results
- Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
- Provided conflicting information
- Failed to convey critical information
– Read less
9
Age
33 - 40
Treated
2010 - 2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
3 IUI, 1 IVF, Donor Eggs
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
9
he [Dr. Brian Kaplan] is very kind and cares for his patients...Dr. Kaplan held my hand literally and figuratively through the process. I felt supported and he was honest with expectations throughout the process. Every time I needed to see him, he made himself available...always behind time. never on time for an appointment
+ Read more
Age
33 - 40
Treated
2010 - 2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Other
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Operations
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
3 IUI, 1 IVF, Donor Eggs
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
9
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Kaplan held my hand literally and figuratively through the process. I felt supported and he was honest with expectations throughout the process. Every time I needed to see him, he made himself available.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
ask a lot of questions and quarterback your whole fertility journey
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
he is very kind and cares for his patients
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
not as connected or compassionate at Dr. Kaplan.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
always behind time. never on time for an appointment. the clinic was clean and respectful of your privacy. the nurses were fine but no one ever seemed super happy to be there. I can't think of anything else to say.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
$60K+
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
- Lost appointments
– Read less
8
Age
44 - 46
Treated
2014 - 2016
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
3 IUI, 2 IVF, Donor Eggs
Diagnosis
Poor Egg Quality, Uterine Fibroids
8
He [Dr Brian Kaplan] was very warm and friendly when we spoke.He wasn't always available to address concerns when I called in.Also,we never spoke while I was going through my miscarriage on 2015....He was very open and frank about the possible outcomes of my cycles.He was also very encouraging in spite of low probability of me carrying full term.
+ Read more
Age
44 - 46
Treated
2014 - 2016
Success with this Doc
No
Race
Black or African-American
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Teacher
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
3 IUI, 2 IVF, Donor Eggs
Diagnosis
Poor Egg Quality, Uterine Fibroids
8
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
He was very warm and friendly when we spoke.He wasn't always available to address concerns when I called in.Also,we never spoke while I was going through my miscarriage on 2015.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
none.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
He was very open and frank about the possible outcomes of my cycles.He was also very encouraging in spite of low probability of me carrying full term.
Describe the protocols Brian Kaplan used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
i'm sorry i can't remember them all,there were many.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
Talked very quickly, calls were returned often a day or two later
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
They are friendly for the most part.Not very talkative and very busy most of the time.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
A lot of patients in the a.m. Even more in the afternoon before 12.Very quick,however,in and out.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
i have spent about $20,000 there.Of which I have been responsible for about 20%
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
- Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
- Lost paperwork
- Provided conflicting information
– Read less
3
Age
42 - 43
Treated
2015 - 2016
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
3 IUI, 3 IVF, 3 Egg Freezing, Donor Eggs, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
Poor Egg Quality, Unexplained
3
[Dr. Brian Kaplan was] kind, but I did not get accurate information and lost my child due to preeclampsia which I was not made aware I was high-risk for. Seemed to ignore my high-blood pressure readings. In fact never once even mentioned it...So many patients, I rarely spoke to or saw the actual doctor...Very efficient. Friendly check out man, Frank. Waiting rooms are too small and chairs are hard to come by during busy times, thank husbands and partners for taking up space.
+ Read more
Age
42 - 43
Treated
2015 - 2016
Success with this Doc
No
Race
European
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
3 IUI, 3 IVF, 3 Egg Freezing, Donor Eggs, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
Poor Egg Quality, Unexplained
3
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Kind, but I did not get accurate information and lost my child due to preeclampsia which I was not made aware I was high-risk for. Seemed to ignore my high-blood pressure readings. In fact never once even mentioned it.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Ask many questions. Do not expect to see him except for the initial consultation and major procedures.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
So many patients, I rarely spoke to or saw the actual doctor.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Tammy)
So many nurses a different one called every time with info.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Very efficient. Friendly check out man, Frank. Waiting rooms are too small and chairs are hard to come by during busy times, thank husbands and partners for taking up space.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Standard
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
- Lost paperwork
- Failed to call with results
- Failed to order appropriate test
- Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
- Provided conflicting information
- Failed to convey critical information
– Read less
10
Age
36 - 37
Treated
2015 - 2016
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
6 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
PCOS
10
I had good interactions with Dr. Kaplan. Whenever I met with him or saw him, he was generous with his time. The remainder of his team and clinicians at FCI were also all superb...All of my interactions with Dr. Kaplan were supe...
+ Read more
Age
36 - 37
Treated
2015 - 2016
Success with this Doc
?
Race
Middle Eastern
Income
—
Occupation
Lawyer
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
6 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
PCOS
10
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
All of my interactions with Dr. Kaplan were super
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Be prepared to move quickly
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
I had good interactions with Dr. Kaplan. Whenever I met with him or saw him, he was generous with his time. The remainder of his team and clinicians at FCI were also all superb.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
We met with several individuals and spoke with others by email and phone. All were extremely professional.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
The clinic did it times feel like a factory. Everything is very regimented.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
I don't recall these details. I had insurance coverage and my husband handled this.
– Read less
10
Age
29 - 30
Treated
2014 - 2015
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
1 IVF, 1 Embryo Freezing
Diagnosis
Male Factor
10
Dr. Kaplan is fantastic. He explained everything to us thoroughly even though we are both medical professionals which is fantastic! He was always available for questions and we felt like he really cared about the future of our family...Dr. Kaplan remembered us and our story at the second time meeting him and we felt like the only numbers he was giving was probability. We were not just a number.
+ Read more
Age
29 - 30
Treated
2014 - 2015
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Nurse or HC Services
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
1 IVF, 1 Embryo Freezing
Diagnosis
Male Factor
10
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Kaplan is fantastic. He explained everything to us thoroughly even though we are both medical professionals which is fantastic! He was always available for questions and we felt like he really cared about the future of our family.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
He really cares about your family. He tells you like it is medically speaking.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Kaplan remembered us and our story at the second time meeting him and we felt like the only numbers he was giving was probability. We were not just a number.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Jamie)
She was completely available. Answered all of my crazy e-mails promptly. :)
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
It is great there are multiple locations, as I was driving down from Northeast Wisconsin to Chicago, I was able to go to a closer location which was much more convenient.
Describe Brian Kaplan's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
We discussed my age with the ratings of the embryos and he left the decision to us.
– Read less
7
Age
30
Treated
2015
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
4 IUI, 4 IVF, Donor Eggs
Diagnosis
PCOS, Poor Egg Quality, Unexplained
7
[Dr. Kaplan is a...] Very nice guy, good outlook, our case was tough and we didn't see results. We had a few sit downs and we tried to get progress but never found what the root of the issue was and switches doctors (where we did find success)...You need to own your experience, stay on top of the nurses and also business office. They do not do it for you and my wife spent a LOT of time working out appointments, insurance payments and EOB forms, and also setting up a "next step" after a failed cycle...
+ Read more
Age
30
Treated
2015
Success with this Doc
No
Race
European
Income
$500K
Occupation
Entrepreneur
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1st of 3 Docs
Treatment
4 IUI, 4 IVF, Donor Eggs
Diagnosis
PCOS, Poor Egg Quality, Unexplained
7
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Very nice guy, good outlook, our case was tough and we didn't see results. We had a few sit downs and we tried to get progress but never found what the root of the issue was and switches doctors (where we did find success).
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
You need to own your experience, stay on top of the nurses and also business office. They do not do it for you and my wife spent a LOT of time working out appointments, insurance payments and EOB forms, and also setting up a "next step" after a failed cycle.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
FCI is known as a "factory" and certainly the waiting room reminds you of this as you are "cattled" through to get tested. But, it usually works and I didn't mind.
Describe the protocols Brian Kaplan used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
Long Lupron
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
great
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Factory
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
- Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
- Lost appointments
- Failed to call with results
- Failed to order appropriate test
- Failed to send your chart to another clinic
- Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
- Provided conflicting information
- Failed to convey critical information
- Failed to consider drug intolerance
- Scheduled the wrong procedure
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Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
3
Age
36 - 37
Treated
2014 - 2015
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
IVF, Donor Eggs, Surrogacy
Diagnosis
—
3
He is a business owner and treats the patients as such. When we had failed attempts and a miscarriage there was no compassion or concern felt.
+ Read more
Age
36 - 37
Treated
2014 - 2015
Success with this Doc
No
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
IVF, Donor Eggs, Surrogacy
Diagnosis
—
3
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
He is a business owner and treats the patients as such. When we had failed attempts and a miscarriage there was no compassion or concern felt.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Don't expect great bed side manor and don't expect to be guided through the process. Get educated on what should happen and ask questions.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
FCI is a fertility business. If you have ever spent time in the River North office, you can clearly see this as people are cycled into all areas (lab, ultrasound, consultations, psychology) There are just so many patients that there is no way you are remembered by any of the staff, most of which you will only see once or twice before another person is handling you.
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
- Failed to call with results
- Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
- Provided conflicting information
- Failed to convey critical information
- Failed to consider drug intolerance
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10
Age
36 - 38
Treated
2013 - 2015
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
2 IUI, 1 IVF, 1 Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
He really cared about me as a patient. Wanting success for our family was a mutual goal.
+ Read more
Age
36 - 38
Treated
2013 - 2015
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Consultant
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
2 IUI, 1 IVF, 1 Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
He really cared about me as a patient. Wanting success for our family was a mutal goal.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Trust the process. At times the clinic may feel like you are being rushed, but when are you need to go 5 days a week you appreciate the streamline aspect of the clinic.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
All the nurses really cared. I had their email addresses and could email them anytime to ask a question when I didn't have an appointment. Also when at the clinics all the medical staff was so friendly and helpful.
Describe the protocols Brian Kaplan used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
I don't recall
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Donna)
They gave us their email so we could ask questions. It was great, then I didn't have to play phone tag or worry about saying something a co-worker could hear.
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Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
9
Age
32 - 33
Treated
2014 - 2015
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
6 IUI, 3 IVF
Diagnosis
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Anovulation, Male Factor, PCOS, Unexplained
9
Dr Kaplan has a wonderful bedside manner. Even though you ARE a number at FCI, he doesn’t make you feel like that. He explains everything in great details. Lays out your options and genuinely seems to care about his patients. Hs staff is amazing and the clinic is very well run.
+ Read more
Age
32 - 33
Treated
2014 - 2015
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$500K
Occupation
Sales Representative
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
6 IUI, 3 IVF
Diagnosis
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Anovulation, Male Factor, PCOS, Unexplained
9
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr Kaplan has a wonderful bedside manner. Even though you ARE a number at FCI, he doesn’t make you feel like that. He explains everything in great details. Lays out your options and genuinely seems to care about his patients. Hs staff is amazing and the clinic is very well run.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Ask as many questions as you want. He will answer them all! I used to bring a notebook into my appointments.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
For the most part, I think FCI does a really good job of customizing care for each patient. Their offices are definitely busy and there were times I felt more like a number, but the direct contact that was available with Dr Kaplan's nurses made a huge difference in my experience at FCI versus my previous experience at Northwestern.
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10
Age
38 - 44
Treated
2009 - 2015
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
3 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor
10
He was always kind and explanatory of everything going on. I did communicate most with the nurses that were very very busy in most of the process.
+ Read more
Age
38 - 44
Treated
2009 - 2015
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Teacher
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
3 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor
10
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
I had heard Dr. Kaplan's candid diagnosis to friends and was impressed with his demeanor observing him. He was always kind and explanatory of everything going on. I did communicate most with the nurses that were very very busy in most of the process.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Do acupuncture and research natural ways to boost your fertility along with the procedures. Find ways to nurture yourself and keep stress down.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Fci is a very busy clinic. I got my nurturing on the outside through my acupuncturist. I knew to use them for their medical expertise. It was an assembly line but organized and efficient process.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Ilynne McGovern)
Pretty fast contact for how busy they are.
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
- Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
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10
Age
46
Treated
2014
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
IVF, Donor Eggs
Diagnosis
—
10
Meeting Dr Kaplan [of FCI] first time was a breath of fresh air and encouraging news. Being in the mid 40's me and my wife knew that our chances of being parent again were limited. However we were blessed with the most wonderful child and are happy and grateful. He is the best Doctor and we will forever be grateful to him. The happiness we have will always bring us back to Dr. Kaplan.
+ Read more
Age
46
Treated
2014
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Entrepreneur
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
IVF, Donor Eggs
Diagnosis
—
10
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Meeting Dr Kapplan first time was a breath of fresh air and encouraging news. Being in the mid 40's me and my wife knew that our chances of being parent again were limited. However we were blessed with the most wonderful child and are happy and grateful.
He is the best Doctor and we will forever be grateful to him. The happiness we have will always bring us back to Dr. Kaplan.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
He is the best.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
He was nice and honest .
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
can't remember......but that's not important here, now. We are 2 extremely happy parents. Our live changed thanks to Dr. Kaplan
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10
Age
33 - 37
Treated
2010 - 2014
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
5 IUI, 5 IVF, 1 Egg Freezing, 5 Embryo Freezing
Diagnosis
Poor Egg Quality
10
Dr Kaplan is a world class fertility doctor with the genuinely the patient's best interests at heart. He's a great diagnostician - went to 2 previous doctors in South Africa that just couldn't get it right...Amazing doctor. Took time to review my case, listen to what was going on and evaluate how to proceed. Was approachable, concerned and instilled confidence in the process.
+ Read more
Age
33 - 37
Treated
2010 - 2014
Success with this Doc
?
Race
Ashkenazi Jewish
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
3rd of 3 Docs
Treatment
5 IUI, 5 IVF, 1 Egg Freezing, 5 Embryo Freezing
Diagnosis
Poor Egg Quality
10
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr Kaplan is a world class fertility doctor with the genuinely the patient's best interests at heart. He's a great diagnostician - went to 2 previous doctors in South Africa that just couldn't get it right.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
take time to understand the process every step of the way and don't be scared to ask questions
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Amazing doctor. Took time to review my case, listen to what was going on and evaluate how to proceed. Was approachable, concerned and instilled confidence in the process.
Describe the protocols Brian Kaplan used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
Can't remember exactly, was a few years back. Long support on injectable progesterone
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Kathleen Brady)
Nursing staff were extremely caring, well informed and brilliant support
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Clinic was professional, clean, well staffed, organized - no feedback on weaknesses. Would go there again
Describe Brian Kaplan's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
difficult - have twins, but didn't want to take a chance on one embryo not taking
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10
Age
39
Treated
2014
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
3 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Anovulation
10
Dr. Kaplan has a wonderful bedside manner. Even though he has been doing this for a long time, he truly makes you feel like he cares...He is very experienced. Ready to change the course of action and adjust to give patients the best result. The clinic is very busy and can be intimidating. Still, it is organized and the staff knows what they are doing.
+ Read more
Age
39
Treated
2014
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Ashkenazi Jewish
Income
$500K
Occupation
Doctor
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
3 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Anovulation
10
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
He is very experienced. Ready to change the course of action and adjust to give patients the best result. The clinic is very busy and can be intimidating. Still, it is organized and the staff knows what they are doing.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Advocate for yourself. Be respectful of nurses and staff however if you feel lost reach out.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Kaplan has a wonderful bedside manner. Even though he has been doing this for a long time, he truly makes you feel like he cares.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
I talked to many different nurses. All of them seemed to care and try to be helpful even though they were busy.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
It is a large office and mistakes do happen. It is organized but can seem like a factory.
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
- Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
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10
Age
44 - 51
Treated
2004 - 2011
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
1 IUI, 4 IVF, Donor Eggs
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Poor Egg Quality
10
Dr. Kaplan is wonderful to work with. They [FCI] have a high success rate and are willing to think outside the box...He is a very caring physician who truly wants to help you get to a child of your own. He listens well and is willing to try new things. He calls back if a message is left for him and his follow up is wonderful...Listen to what he has to say... he has the same goal you have and knows what he is doing....Carrie Baab was amazing! Great communication, caring and kind!
+ Read more
Age
44 - 51
Treated
2004 - 2011
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Business Executive
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
1 IUI, 4 IVF, Donor Eggs
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Poor Egg Quality
10
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
He is a very caring physician who truly wants to help you get to a child of your own. He listens well and is willing to try new things.
He calls back if a message is left for him and his follow up is wonderful.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Listen to what he has to say... he has the same goal you have and knows what he is doing.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
He took time to listen, understand and care
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
Carrie Baab was amazing! Great communication, caring and kind!
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Dr. Kaplan is wonderful to work with.
They have a high success rate and are willing to think outside the box
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
- Lost appointments
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4
Age
31
Treated
2011
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
IUI, IVF, Donor Eggs
Diagnosis
Poor Egg Quality, Unexplained
4
FCI felt so impersonal and as my results were not happening as quickly as I wanted, this made me more and more upset. Though I liked Dr. Kaplan, I found it so hard to actually speak with him that I ultimately ended up leaving the practice.
+ Read more
Age
31
Treated
2011
Success with this Doc
No
Race
Ashkenazi Jewish
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1st of 2 Docs
Treatment
IUI, IVF, Donor Eggs
Diagnosis
Poor Egg Quality, Unexplained
4
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
I sought put Dr. Kaplan because he was known as the baby maker. I knew FCI was a "baby factory" and I went in feeling like the results would be good so I could get over the impersonal feeling. That was not the case as it turned out. It felt so impersonal and as my results were not happening as quickly as I wanted, this made me more and more upset. Though I liked Dr. Kaplan, I found it so hard to actually speak with him that I ultimately ended up leaving the practice.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Go in with eyes wide open about the "baby factory" mentality
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
While with him he seemed to know me and care but the time with him was so short and hard to get that it felt impersonal
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
I never felt that they were empathetic
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
- Lost appointments
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9
Age
40 - 41
Treated
2009 - 2010
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
1 IUI, 2 IVF
Diagnosis
Unexplained
9
He [Dr. Kaplan] is a kind man and knows his business. IN saying that, it is a business and the statistics they desire seem like a huge selling factor. Brian Kaplan is a dedicated fertility doctor that we felt very comfortable with. He always had time for our questions and answered very honestly yet sincerely...Ask a lot of questions and question why he choses a particular treatment. Ask about all options and ask what he would do or recommend if he was advising his daughter or niece...
+ Read more
Age
40 - 41
Treated
2009 - 2010
Success with this Doc
No
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
1 IUI, 2 IVF
Diagnosis
Unexplained
9
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
He is a kind man and knows his business. IN saying that, it is a business and the statistics they desire seem like a huge selling factor. Brian Kaplan is a dedicated fertility doctor that we felt very comfortable with. He always had time for our questions and answered very honestly yet sincerely.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Ask a lot of questions and question why he choses a particular treatment. Ask about all options and ask what he would do or recommend if he was advising his daughter or niece.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
The nurses are impeccable, kind and caring. They do most of the work and are amazing.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
Kind, informative, helpful and compassionate
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
I was at the old clinic before it flooded out so not sure this applies
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
The range of $10,000 rings a bell.- per cycle.
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
- Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
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10
Age
35
Treated
2012
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
1 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Anovulation
10
[Dr. Brian Kaplan was] confident Superb bedside manner. Always felt at ease . Trusting . Excellent reputation...Will give you the best probability of a successful outcome. Caring...[FCI of Chicago is] busy- can be factory like. However most experienced , longest history, all the technologies available with long experience
+ Read more
Age
35
Treated
2012
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Ashkenazi Jewish
Income
$500K
Occupation
Doctor
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
1 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Anovulation
10
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Confident
Superb bed side manner
Always felt at ease .
Trusting .
Excellent reputstion
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Will give you the best probability of a successful outcome.
Caring
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Personalized.
Experience.
Caring.
Best technology
Describe the protocols Brian Kaplan used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
Accelerate to IVF
Don't mess with other treatments
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Jill- Tammy)
Team .somerimes more than one nurse . Busy - can be factory like / but worth it
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Busy- can be factory like.
However most experienced , longest history, all the technologies available with long experience
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Insurance covered most
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
- Provided conflicting information
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Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
10
Age
40
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
10 Eggs Frozen
Treatment
1 Egg Freezing, Donor Eggs
Diagnosis
—
10
Perfect. Warm. Asked all about me and how I feel and he [Dr. Kaplan] was just like a godsend. He even took the time to return phone calls. ... He made us all feel special! Like as if he were my uncle. Especially a few minutes before pre op. He was so warm and came into my room and hugged me and says it’s just anticipation you will be done within an hour. :)
+ Read more
Age
40
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
10 Eggs Frozen
Race
Ashkenazi Jewish
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
1 Egg Freezing, Donor Eggs
Diagnosis
—
10
How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Perfect. Warm. Asked all about me and how I feel and he was just like a godsend. He even took the time to return phone calls. Him and his nurses responded ASAP. Id absolutely recommend him to anyone. He was referred to me from a family friend in NY.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Book him months in advance . One consultation with him you will have all your answers answered and feel more confident about your personal decisions, without being pushy.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
He made us all feel special! Like as if he were my uncle. Especially a few minutes before pre op. He was so warm and came into my room and hugged me and says it’s just anticipation you will be done within an hour. :)
Describe the protocols Brian Kaplan used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
All good. Just involved a regular schedule of injections and visits for ultrasound. Need a flexible job schedule for 2-3 weeks.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
Always responsive ASAP in email
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Strengths of a nice beautiful office building facing the river. Larabee river north location. Great. Very organized. Friendly staff. They call you by first names. Appropriate versus last names. Very organized and welcoming, etc.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Decent. Only the pharmacy of meds was what was ridiculous! Esp if you make a mistake and have to reorder another $1000 of meds... nurses at fci had some samples which was perfect
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