Brian Kaplan

Explore over 200 courses and lessons taught by leading fertility experts.

70% strongly recommend

71 reviews

Education

Medical School

U. of Witswatersrand

Residency

Michael Reese Hosp

Fellowship

Michael Reese Hosp

Brian Kaplan works at

Fertility Centers of Illinois
Rated 8

At 2 offices

Chicago/River North

900 N. Kingsbury

Chicago, IL 60610

312-222-8230

Highland Park

767 Park Avenue W

Highland Park, IL 60035

847-433-4400

2019 - 2020, Unsuccessful

Age 32 - 33

2 IUI

1 IVF

European

Income $500K+

Business Executive

Only Doc Seen

Doesn't Recommend

Unsuccessful

Review of

Brian Kaplan Fertility Centers of Illinois

When we initially met him [Dr. Kaplan] he took the minimal amount of testing we had done to date at face value (labs for me and 1 SA for my husband). He quickly diagnosed our issue as MFI despite every single one of my ultrasounds having notes that stated both of my ovaries met the criteria for PCOS. He made no mention of this and made no adjustments to my protocol...It is clear that Dr. Kaplan is extremely intelligent but he is more of a salesman than he is a physician. In our initial consultation, he raved about how 'easy' our case was and was so bold as to promise it would not take much to get us pregnant. Unfortunately, in doing so he ignored blatant indicators in both my labs and imaging that I had PCOS. I was put on a generic protocol. Even when the protocol failed and we looked for reasons and potential causes he continued to ignore the notes in every single one of my ultrasounds on the condition of my ovaries.

There is a large staff at FCI and you rotate through whoever is on that day. Some are wonderful (Mimi, Caitlin, Jill) and some were just cold and came across as if you were inconveniencing them asking questions about triggers/labs/next steps...When our PGT results came in the lab tech called with the basic report...However, the only person FCI would allow to discuss those results with me was Dr. Kaplan and he did not have an appointment for 3 weeks.

How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?

It is clear that Dr. Kaplan is extremely intelligent but he is more of a salesman than he is a physician. In our initial consultation, he raved about how 'easy' our case was and was so bold as to promise it would not take much to get us pregnant. Unfortunately, in doing so he ignored blatant indicators in both my labs and imaging that I had PCOS. I was put on a generic protocol. Even when the protocol failed and we looked for reasons and potential causes he continued to ignore the notes in every single one of my ultrasounds on the condition of my ovaries.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?

Dr. Kaplan is not the right physician if the cause of your infertility is still unclear and if you want a protocol that is customized to your unique diagnosis. He does not do much in terms of work up and pushes hard for IVF as the first course of treatment even if underlying issues are still unclear. As a result, the protocol you're initially put on will not be tailored to you. If you feel strongly about using Dr. Kaplan (he is very nice and very warm) I can't stress enough how important it will be to advocate for yourself to do research on testing before starting your protocols. Despite the fact that he agreed with me (wholeheartedly) I had to ask for an ERA with only 1 embryo to transfer, I had to as for PGT testing, I had to ask for ICSI despite my husband's poor morphology. He has a cookie-cutter template and if you want a unique approach you will have to do the research and present it to him.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?

As time went on with our treatment it became clear that Dr. Kaplan's drive for a successful outcome was related more so to volume of success vs. % of patients with good outcomes. When we initially met him he took the minimal amount of testing we had done to date at face value (labs for me and 1 SA for my husband). He quickly diagnosed our issue as MFI despite every single one of my ultrasounds having notes that stated both of my ovaries met the criteria for PCOS. He made no mention of this and made no adjustments to my protocol.

Describe the protocols Brian Kaplan used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.

When we came to Dr. Kaplan we believed our issue was MFI (poor morphology, good counts, and motility). We moved directly into two medicated IUIs. I am a hyper responder and got 3 follicles each cycle with just 5mg of Letrozole (he is not a Clomid fan). After both failed we moved to IVF. I did 21 days of birth control, 225 gonalF, and 75 menopur with an antagonist protocol. We did a Lupron trigger because my estrogen climbed very high and my retrieval yielded 40+ eggs. Only 14 were mature, 11 fertilized, 6 embryos and just 1 tested PGT normal. I believe this protocol was far too aggressive for a hyper responder like myself.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Fertility Centers of Illinois.

There is a large staff at FCI and you rotate through whoever is on that day. Some are wonderful (Mimi, Caitlin, Jill) and some were just cold and came across as if you were inconveniencing them asking questions about triggers/labs/next steps (Donna in particular). They have a great system for asking questions in the portal and getting a quick response but it was very luck of the draw on how thoroughly your question would be answered. For example, in our first IUI after a monitoring appointment they just emailed me and told me to trigger and call for an IUI on a certain date - that was it. The front desk had no instructions when I called and I had to follow up and ask what the protocol was for the day of (my husband's sample, arrival time, would the Dr be there? - he is not).

Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.

It's a massive operation. There are pros and cons to that. Pros: it's easy to get in for a generic appointment (monitoring, imaging, labs), the nurses respond within 30-60 minutes in the portal Cons: because it is so big and because they take on SO many patients it's clear that everyone who works there is stressed - they are rude and short with you off the bat which just adds to the stress of infertility. Billing is a nightmare and it often feels like the right hand isn't talking to the left.

What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?

Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois.

When our PGT results came in the lab tech called with the basic report. She was unable to go into any detail (egg quality report, sperm quality report) anything that would have alluded to the underlying cause which I understand. However, the only person FCI would allow to discuss those results with me was Dr. Kaplan and he did not have an appointment for 3 weeks. We had to wait, knowing that nearly all of our embryos were not viable, for 3 weeks to learn about what happened and what we could do next. We lost a month in our transfer as a result

Doctor

Brian Kaplan

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Fertility Centers of Illinois

Chicago/River North

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Brian Kaplan Fertility Centers of Illinois

2018 - 2020, Unsuccessful

Age 37 - 39

2 Egg Freezing

IVF

Donor Sperm

Income $50K - $99K

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Unsuccessful

Review of

Brian Kaplan Fertility Centers of Illinois

Dr. Kaplan explains everything very thoroughly. He also has a calming presence to him that helped me feel comfortable. I appreciated how he took my input into account. I had started my cycle before Shelter in Place went into affect. Dr. Kaplan called me and we talked - for a long time - about options (keep going or stop cycle) and he allowed me to feel empowered. Sadly my embryo did not take, and again he took his time talking and checking in. I felt very cared for and in the end felt a lot better about what happened.

The clinic [FCI] was great. They are very efficient and caring. I did not have long wait times or anything. I thought they handled my care during the COVID times very well. I felt safe and cared for. The only minor issue I had was that when they called with results of my embryos, I felt a little rushed and wasn't given enough time to ask questions.

How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?

Take your time and ask all the questions. You are not inconveniencing him, so don't rush things.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?

I felt well cared for by Dr. Kaplan and his team. His nurses were always in contact with me and checking in on me. When my pregnancy didn't take, Dr. Kaplan called and spoke to me at length - helping me immensely.

Describe the protocols Brian Kaplan used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.

For my IVF I used shots and medication. I had progesterone shots that I needed help with due to having to put them in my bum. The stomach shots weren't bad. It was all based on my personal information.

Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Whitney)

Everyone from OVA to FCI- Highland Park are amazing. They are so compassionate and helpful. I could not go through this without them. Its like working with friends.

Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.

The clinic was great. They are very efficient and caring. I did not have long wait times or anything. I thought they handled my care during the COVID times very well. I felt safe and cared for. The only minor issue I had was that when they called with results of my embryos, I felt a little rushed and wasn't given enough time to ask questions.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois.

I was able to setup a payment plan for the egg retrievals and IVF. Medication for egg freezing was paid out of pocket, but I got a group deal. IVF medication was covered by insurance and the clinic helped me facilitate getting those.

Describe Brian Kaplan's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Centers of Illinois.

We only did one embryo, but I am going to ask about doing two next time to increase my chances.

Doctor

Brian Kaplan

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Fertility Centers of Illinois

Chicago/River North

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Brian Kaplan Fertility Centers of Illinois

2019, Successful

Age 31

IUI

1 IVF

Unexplained

Ashkenazi Jewish

Income $200K - $499K

Consultant

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Brian Kaplan Fertility Centers of Illinois

I wish I had gotten to meet with him [Dr. Kaplan] more frequently, but I always felt extremely confident he knew what he was doing and was putting me on the best possible course of treatment to ensure success. My only complaint would be the limited windows of time he was available each month for procedures, causing longer wait times (~2 months) between cycles than I would have liked. I wish this schedule had been slightly more flexible, but realize this is how they are able to treat so many patients.

Due to number of eggs retrieved, froze all embryos rather than doing transfer right away [at Fertility Centers of Illinois] to increase chances of success...[nurses] Responded promptly to my questions through the online portal, provided detailed treatment schedules and walked me through all the details, very knowledgeable about all aspects of treatments...Very organized, gave me confidence that all aspects of treatment were well managed, online portal made communication easy, multiple locations made it easy to get to. Sometimes felt like a “factory” due to sheer number of people and rigidity of schedules, but still always felt like treatments were tailored to me and never felt like my own personal details were being ignored. Early morning hours made it easy to make weekday appointments that didn’t interfere with work.

How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?

I wish I had gotten to meet with him more frequently, but I always felt extremely confident he knew what he was doing and was putting me on the best possible course of treatment to ensure success. My only complaint would be the limited windows of time he was available each month for procedures, causing longer wait times (~2 months) between cycles than I would have liked. I wish this schedule had been slightly more flexible, but realize this is how they are able to treat so many patients.

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?

If there’s anything you want to ask or make sure he knows about you, be upfront so you can use the time with him most efficiently.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?

Dr. Kaplan was always very warm and comforting. While we didn’t interact enough to build much of a relationship and I don’t feel like he remembered personal details about me, he had wonderful bedside manner and he seemed to genuinely care.

Describe the protocols Brian Kaplan used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.

Used ganirelix and menopur for retrieval cycle and Luprolide (sp?) for the trigger shot. Due to number of eggs retrieved, froze all embryos rather than doing transfer right away to increase chances of success. Used Estradiol tablets for the first frozen transfer, then after that didn’t work, switched to patches for the second frozen transfer, which worked.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Fertility Centers of Illinois.

Responded promptly to my questions through the online portal, provided detailed treatment schedules and walked me through all the details, very knowledgeable about all aspects of treatments.

Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.

Strengths: Very organized, gave me confidence that all aspects of treatment were well managed, online portal made communication easy, multiple locations made it easy to get to. Sometimes felt like a “factory” due to sheer number of people and rigidity of schedules, but still always felt like treatments were tailored to me and never felt like my own personal details were being ignored. Early morning hours made it easy to make weekday appointments that didn’t interfere with work.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois.

The only part of my treatment not covered by insurance was a $300 admin fee, and I was able to appeal to get this covered under my insurance plan.

Describe Brian Kaplan's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Centers of Illinois.

Because of my age (31), no prior history of issues or known risk factors, and the fact that a pregnancy with multiples is considered risky, Dr. Kaplan recommended transferring only 1 for at least the first two cycles.

Doctor

Brian Kaplan

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Fertility Centers of Illinois

Chicago/River North

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Brian Kaplan Fertility Centers of Illinois

2019, Unsuccessful

Age 41

5 IVF

Diminished Ovarian Reserve

Poor Egg Quality

Black or African-American

Other

Income $200K - $499K

Doctor

2nd of 3 Docs

Doesn't Recommend

Unsuccessful

Review of

Brian Kaplan Fertility Centers of Illinois

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.

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... 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.

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.

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

Doctor

Brian Kaplan

Humanity

Communication

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Fertility Centers of Illinois

Chicago/River North

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Brian Kaplan Fertility Centers of Illinois

2017 - 2019, Unknown Success

Age 40 - 42

4 IVF

Diminished Ovarian Reserve

Poor Egg Quality

East Asian

Income $100K - $199K

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Neutral

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

Brian Kaplan Fertility Centers of Illinois

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.

When I did speak with some nurses [Fertility Centers of Illinois], half of the time the experience felt cold ... The other half of the time, the nurses were patient and empathetic, e.g., ... 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.

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.

Doctor

Brian Kaplan

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Fertility Centers of Illinois

Chicago/River North

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Brian Kaplan Fertility Centers of Illinois

2019, Unknown Success

Age 32

3 IUI

Male Factor

European

Income $100K - $199K

Engineer

Only Doc Seen

Doesn't Recommend

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

Brian Kaplan Fertility Centers of Illinois

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.

The staff [FCI] 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.

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 at Fertility Centers of Illinois.

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

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois.

My first IUI cycle the nurses forgot to call me with results and to discuss next steps. Fortunately I saw a message with results and next steps pop-up in their online communication system at which point I called to discuss, but their standard practice is to call first and it was definitely a miss!

Doctor

Brian Kaplan

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Fertility Centers of Illinois

Chicago/River North

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Brian Kaplan Fertility Centers of Illinois

2017 - 2019, Unsuccessful

Age 36 - 38

3 IUI

IVF

Donor Sperm

Immunological

Recurrent Pregnancy Loss

European

Income $200K - $499K

Lawyer

Only Doc Seen

LGBTQ

Doesn't Recommend

Unsuccessful

Review of

Brian Kaplan Fertility Centers of Illinois

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.

it’s easy to make appointments but there [FCI] is very little done to make sure the process runs smoothly. I would routinely wait 45-75 minuets for bloodwork and ultrasound.That paperwork is not closeiy watches either. ... They disclosed HIPAA information to a third party. The nurses do not closely review changes in medications. ... Lab personnel disclosed gender of embryos despite request not to learn that information.

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 at Fertility Centers of Illinois.

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

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois.

They disclosed HIPAA information to a third party. The nurses do not closely review changes in medications. Getting medical records is an absolute chore and takes multiple follow ups and requests. Lab personnel disclosed gender of embryos despite request not to learn that information.

Doctor

Brian Kaplan

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Fertility Centers of Illinois

Chicago/River North

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Brian Kaplan Fertility Centers of Illinois

2018, Unsuccessful

Age 41

3 IVF

3 Egg Freezing

Prefer not to answer

Income $100K - $199K

Accountant

1st of 2 Docs

Doesn't Recommend

Unsuccessful

Review of

Brian Kaplan Fertility Centers of Illinois

During our 1st consult w/Dr. Kaplan, he said "you'll get pregnant easily, no problem". Well he was wrong & it's been a painful journey. He was too busy to spend quality time with us & hence we felt like a # & that he definitely didn't care about us at all. Our few conversations were always short because he was too busy! It greatly disturbed my husband & his total lack of compassion.

I had embryos that were supposed to be frozen, but were not looking like they were developing well & they did not update us timely for something so crucial. They had no sense of urgency or real willingness to accommodate us in any capacity. ... You must manage your own care at FCI as they make way too many errors that affected our 1st round.

How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?

What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?

Don't do it. Go to a smaller clinic that truly cares about your success. If you enjoy having to ask the same questions over & over & beg for answers, then this is the doctor for you. He has way too many patients since this is a factory. He will not give you the attention and tailoring your journey might need, due to his overload of patients.

During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?

This joke of a clinic is a total factory. They only care about your money & definitely don't care if you get your baby. They made so many constant errors, it was shocking & our friends had the same experience. Their waiting room was always a 2+ hr wait & it was a zoo every day. They screwed up our chart & even made errors the day of the retrieval which ruined the quality of the only embryo from our 1st round. There's a reason people rave about CCRM & this place was the total opposite.

Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Fertility Centers of Illinois.

Dr Kaplan's nurse was always abrupt & never helpful with accurate information. It was always pulling teeth. She was rude & it felt like she didn't enjoy her job as she always had a terrible attitude. Even when it was urgent, she was not helpful when we really needed her. Ironically I don't think she cares or understands how stressful this journey truly is.

Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.

They were way too busy to care. They had no strengths at all. You must manage your own care at FCI as they make way too many errors that affected our 1st round. I wanted to get used to the "cattle call" style, but it was difficult to do so. We had many problems & things went very poorly due to their lack of organization because they cannot keep their patients straight & the # of errors was beyond shocking. I had embryos that were supposed to be frozen, but were not looking like they were developing well & they did not update us timely for something so crucial. They had no sense of urgency or real willingness to accommodate us in any capacity. But they had no problem charging our American Express card.

Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Fertility Centers of Illinois.

Yes it was definitely a cattle call with a 2+ hr wait every time.

Describe the costs associated with your care under Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois.

As they didn't take my insurance, I spent over $60,000 for 2 rounds.

Describe Brian Kaplan's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Centers of Illinois.

He loves to implant 2 embryos each time, even when it's not what the patient wants. They care more about their success #'s than listening to your needs.

What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?

Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Lost paperwork
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
Lost results
Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information
Lost or damaged samples
Canceled a cycle due to clinic error

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois.

Way too many things went wrong to detail. Nurses calling with conflicting info constantly. They told my husband he didn't complete his testing which had already been done. They forgot to mention the embryo from round 1 needed to be PGD'd fresh & as they forgot, it ruined the quality because then they had to thaw it to be tested during round 2. Don't go near this clinic if your true desire is a baby.

Doctor

Brian Kaplan

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Fertility Centers of Illinois

Chicago/River North

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Brian Kaplan Fertility Centers of Illinois

2018, Unknown Success

Age 32

6 IUI

1 IVF

Anovulation

PCOS

European

Income $100K - $199K

Consultant

2nd of 2 Docs

Strongly Recommends

Neutral

Success w/ Doc Too early to know

Review of

Brian Kaplan Fertility Centers of Illinois

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.

There are sometimes long wait times for scheduled appointments [at FCI-Chicago], 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.

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 at Fertility Centers of Illinois.

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

Doctor

Brian Kaplan

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Fertility Centers of Illinois

Chicago/River North

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Brian Kaplan Fertility Centers of Illinois

2016 - 2018, Successful

Age 34 - 36

7 IUI

2 IVF

Male Factor

Unexplained

European

Income $200K - $499K

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Brian Kaplan Fertility Centers of Illinois

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

Ilyne [nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois] is just the best. SOOO kind, patient, compassionate, and warm...nurses at the River North location often seem too busy to answer questions and respond to requests. I arrived once to a bloodwork-ultrasound appointment that I was told to make, only to have the technicians not able to find the orders for the appointment. Some nurses also only send your results and instructions through the Patient Portal online after the clinic hours so you cannot get a hold of anyone with questions.

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

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois.

Kaplan's nurses at the River North location often seem too busy to answer questions and respond to requests. I arrived once to a bloodwork-ultrasound appointment that I was told to make, only to have the technicians not able to find the orders for the appointment. Some nurses also only send your results and instructions through the Patient Portal online after the clinic hours so you cannot get a hold of anyone with questions. And once I was instructed to begin taking a OCP but it was never called into the pharmacy.

Doctor

Brian Kaplan

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Fertility Centers of Illinois

Chicago/River North

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Brian Kaplan Fertility Centers of Illinois

2017 - 2018, Unknown Success

Age 31 - 32

1 IVF

Diminished Ovarian Reserve

European

Income $100K - $199K

Sales Representative

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Success w/ Doc Not sure

Review of

Brian Kaplan 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.... 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.

The nurses [FCI - Chi] 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.... 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.

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?

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 at Fertility Centers of Illinois.

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

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois.

My legal paperwork was lost for egg retrieval. It was left at the clinic I was getting my cycle monitoring completed and my retrieval was done elsewhere. It wasn’t a huge deal.

Doctor

Brian Kaplan

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Fertility Centers of Illinois

Chicago/River North

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Brian Kaplan Fertility Centers of Illinois

2016 - 2018, Successful

Age 34 - 36

6 IUI

2 IVF

Unexplained

European

Income $200K - $499K

2nd of 2 Docs

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Brian Kaplan 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.... 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

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... 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

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?

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 at Fertility Centers of Illinois.

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.

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

Doctor

Brian Kaplan

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Fertility Centers of Illinois

Chicago/River North

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Brian Kaplan Fertility Centers of Illinois

2017, Successful

Age 28

1 IVF

Male Factor

Uterine Fibroids

Latinx

Income $50K - $99K

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Brian Kaplan Fertility Centers of Illinois

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.

I had a window that I could schedule my monitoring appointments [at Fertility Centers of Illinois]. The office always gave me options. I chose the best time and location for me...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.

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.

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.

Doctor

Brian Kaplan

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Fertility Centers of Illinois

Chicago/River North

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Brian Kaplan Fertility Centers of Illinois

2016 - 2017, Unsuccessful

Age 37 - 38

2 IVF

European

Consultant

2nd of 3 Docs

Neutral

Unsuccessful

Review of

Brian Kaplan 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.... 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.

The clinic [Fertility Centers of IL] 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.... They [nurses] were all actually very pleasant, and friendly. I didn't have a problem with any of them.

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 at Fertility Centers of Illinois.

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.

Doctor

Brian Kaplan

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Fertility Centers of Illinois

Chicago/River North

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Brian Kaplan Fertility Centers of Illinois

2017, Unsuccessful

Age 36

4 IVF

4 Embryo Freezing

Donor Eggs

Unexplained

South Asian

Income $100K - $199K

Entrepreneur

1st of 2 Docs

Doesn't Recommend

Unsuccessful

Review of

Brian Kaplan Fertility Centers of Illinois

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.

[Fertility Centers of Illinois] prescribed an adhesive patch knowing that I had a sensitivity to latex and adhesives. I have scars a year later. I was also allergic to medication taken vaginally and in my next order they gave me pills to insert vaginally. I had to call them and clarify that I could not take them, so they changed my medication to an injectable form. I understand it might be difficult to keep up with patients if there are so many. Also, it was difficult to set up appointments with the doctor. Sometimes when calling for an answer from any nurse, I wouldn't get a call back right away. I had to call a few times.

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

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois.

I missed a cycle once because they didn't clearly communicate the exact date that I would start my medication. Also, those medications arrived late. Several times my medication order was screwed up and I had to drive all over Chicago to find medication because I was supposed to take it asap. One time my appointment was nowhere to be found, but they still squeezed me in. They also prescribed an adhesive patch knowing that I had a sensitivity to latex and adhesives. I have scars a year later. I was also allergic to medication taken vaginally and in my next order they gave me pills to insert vaginally. I had to call them and clarify that I could not take them, so they changed my medication to an injectable form. I understand it might be difficult to keep up with patients if there are so many. Also, it was difficult to set up appointments with the doctor. Sometimes when calling for an answer from any nurse, I wouldn't get a call back right away. I had to call a few times.

Doctor

Brian Kaplan

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Fertility Centers of Illinois

Chicago/River North

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Brian Kaplan Fertility Centers of Illinois

2016 - 2017, Unsuccessful

Age 33 - 34

1 IVF

European

Income $100K - $199K

2nd of 2 Docs

Neutral

Doesn't Recommend

Unsuccessful

Review of

Brian Kaplan Fertility Centers of Illinois

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.

While the clinic [FCI- Chicago] 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.

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).

Doctor

Brian Kaplan

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Clinic

Fertility Centers of Illinois

Chicago/River North

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Brian Kaplan Fertility Centers of Illinois

2016 - 2017, Successful

Age 33 - 34

3 IUI

1 IVF

Donor Sperm

Male Factor

Uterine Fibroids

Ashkenazi Jewish

Black or African-American

Income $200K - $499K

Lawyer

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Neutral

Successful

Review of

Brian Kaplan Fertility Centers of Illinois

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.

It's a huge clinic [FCI], so they can really get you in and out very quickly for monitoring appointments...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...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.

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 at Fertility Centers of Illinois.

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

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois.

It was always a struggle to get authorization for prescriptions and have them appropriately communicated between my insurance company and the clinic. They were very slow on an appeal, which cost me about $500. The back office could definitely improve.

Doctor

Brian Kaplan

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Fertility Centers of Illinois

Chicago/River North

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Brian Kaplan Fertility Centers of Illinois

2017, Successful

Age 33

2 IVF

2 Egg Freezing

2 Embryo Freezing

Endometriosis

European

Income $100K - $199K

Teacher

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Brian Kaplan Fertility Centers of Illinois

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.

They [Fertility Centers of Illinois] 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...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.

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!

Doctor

Brian Kaplan

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Fertility Centers of Illinois

Chicago/River North

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Brian Kaplan Fertility Centers of Illinois

2016 - 2017, Successful

Age 32 - 33

1 IVF

Male Factor

PCOS

European

Income $500K

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Brian Kaplan 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...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 [FCI] 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...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...Billing has been confusing at times and was slow to respond to inquiries on 2 occasions...Overall I would recommend because I think they get results and treat the patients fairly.

How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?

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 at Fertility Centers of Illinois.

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.

Doctor

Brian Kaplan

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Fertility Centers of Illinois

Chicago/River North

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Brian Kaplan Fertility Centers of Illinois

2012 - 2017, Successful

Age 35 - 40

1 IUI

5 IVF

Donor Eggs

Diminished Ovarian Reserve

Poor Egg Quality

European

Income $100K - $199K

Teacher

2nd of 4 Docs

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Brian Kaplan Fertility Centers of Illinois

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.

They [FCI] 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...Our last FET was done from out of state and the coordination between his staff and our out of town monitoring clinic was excellent....I was not assigned a main nurse, but I would copy all of his [Dr. Kaplan] 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.

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 at Fertility Centers of Illinois.

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

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois.

One of my first cycles here, I didn't get a call with what time to show up to the transfer the next day. I called the clinic in the evening and was able to get an arrival time. They were extremely apologetic and this never happened with any other cycle that we did.

Doctor

Brian Kaplan

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Fertility Centers of Illinois

Chicago/River North

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Brian Kaplan Fertility Centers of Illinois

2016 - 2017, Successful

Age 34 - 35

1 IUI

1 IVF

Unexplained

Ashkenazi Jewish

Income $100K - $199K

Consultant

2nd of 2 Docs

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Brian Kaplan 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...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.

...the clinic [FCI] 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...[Nurse] Ilynne is always available by phone, explains things very well, very prompt in giving me results, and very patient!...Nice facility, no free parking though- have to park in a paid garage, then walk outside to get to the office.

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

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois.

There was one appointment I scheduled and checked in fine, but the nursing staff had me scheduled for the wrong time, so I had to come back later. Very apologetic and accommodated me being able to come back later that day

Doctor

Brian Kaplan

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Fertility Centers of Illinois

Chicago/River North

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Brian Kaplan Fertility Centers of Illinois

2013 - 2016, Successful

Age 35 - 38

1 IUI

5 IVF

Donor Eggs

Poor Egg Quality

Unexplained

European

Income $50K - $99K

Teacher

2nd of 2 Docs

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Brian Kaplan Fertility Centers of Illinois

All of the locations [for FCI-Chicago] 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.

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.

Doctor

Brian Kaplan

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Fertility Centers of Illinois

Chicago/River North

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Brian Kaplan Fertility Centers of Illinois

2013 - 2016, Unknown Success

Age 34 - 37

2 IUI

4 IVF

Diminished Ovarian Reserve

Poor Egg Quality

Unexplained

Latinx

Income $100K - $199K

1st of 2 Docs

Neutral

Success w/ Doc Not sure

Review of

Brian Kaplan 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 thin

...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 [than FCI] I think the experience with Dr Kaplan would have been much better in that regard...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.

How was your experience with Brian Kaplan at Fertility Centers of Illinois?

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

Describe the specific things that went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois.

The only time I had an issue was that they forgot to call me with what to do next during an IVF cycle. I called them before end of day and was told they needed more time. I called them again several hours later to remind them. When the nurse called me back they did apologize and I was instructed to trigger that night so that could have turned into a much bigger issue. In the end, everything worked out.

Doctor

Brian Kaplan

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Fertility Centers of Illinois

Chicago/River North

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Brian Kaplan Fertility Centers of Illinois

2015 - 2016, 19 Eggs Frozen

Age 39 - 40

2 Egg Freezing

Donor Sperm

Ashkenazi Jewish

Income $100K - $199K

Only Doc Seen

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Brian Kaplan 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...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.

My first round I was very intimidated by the process and relied heavily on the nurses [at FCI] 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.

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?

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 at Fertility Centers of Illinois.

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.

Doctor

Brian Kaplan

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Fertility Centers of Illinois

Chicago/River North

Operations

Scheduling

Billing Department

Nursing Staff

Clinic Atmosphere

Educational Resources

Review of

Brian Kaplan Fertility Centers of Illinois

2016, Successful

Age 38

1 IUI

2 IVF

Diminished Ovarian Reserve

Endometriosis

Poor Egg Quality

Uterine Fibroids

European

Ashkenazi Jewish

Other

Income $0 - $49K

Teacher

3rd of 3 Docs

Strongly Recommends

Successful

Review of

Brian Kaplan Fertility Centers of Illinois

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...

Some people don't like how busy they are [at FCI - High Pk], 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...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...

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 at Fertility Centers of Illinois.

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.

Doctor

Brian Kaplan

Humanity

Communication

Frequency Seen

Trustworthiness

Compassion

Explained risks

Adaptability

Clinic

Fertility Centers of Illinois

Highland Park