I initially felt Dr. Sipe had a good bedside manner, but became more uncomfortable as we progressed through the process. I felt like I was treated as an irritation or an inconvenience at several points...I didn't feel heard, or as if my mental well being was important, or treated as if I had decision making autonomy in the process...he is intelligent and capable, has a good understanding of subject matter, etc. But I never really felt like he wanted to spend time deciding what the best course of treatment was for me individually, or hearing my concerns, and letting me have buy in during the process.
Communication [with nurses at Fertility Centers of Illinois] was clearly extremely disorganized from the get go. I kept having to remind staff what had been communicated previously -- I felt I was responsible for keeping the process on track, rather than them...When I was given the results of a biopsy, the nurse read off to me that I was taking an antibiotic due to "malignancy", when it fact the report said "NO EVIDENCE of malignancy." I received a very cursory apology after a really serious miscommunication...
How was your experience with Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
I initially felt he had a strong bedside manner -- that experience quickly changed. I do think he is intelligent and capable, has a good understanding of subject matter, etc. But I never really felt like he wanted to spend time deciding what the best course of treatment was for me individually, or hearing my concerns, and letting me have buy in during the process.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Be prepared to push your opinion and not be dismissed if you feel strongly about concerns or the course of treatment. Don't expect a lot of "hand holding" or reassurance.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
I initially felt Dr. Sipe had a good bedside manner, but became more uncomfortable as we progressed through the process. I felt like I was treated as an irritation or an inconvenience at several points. For example, I went on birth control in preparation for a surgery to remove uterine polyps. I was spotting in the lead up to the surgery -- no one mentioned I should tell them if that happened, and from my understanding, it's a very common side effect when first starting birth control. His frustration on the day of the surgery was clear (when I was already nervous), and he basically said he'd "try" with the surgery rather than rescheduling. I found out when I went to my next fertility doctor that I still had polyps, and needed to have surgery again. Dr. Sipe didn't check again if I had polyps after surgery, so I doubt the treatment recommended would have been successful.
Additionally, I had concerns around taking medication that would affect me emotionally, as I have a history of anxiety and depression. Clomid with IUI was the course that was recommended, and I had concerns about taking Clomid. When I asked if we could try IUI without Clomid, and asking for more clarity around why I should take it balanced against my medical history, the response was basically that "wow, I must have been really stressed during our last appointment" to have been asking additional questions, asking for follow up. As if the 5-10 minutes of explanation several weeks ago should have been enough to put all my concerns at ease. That conversation led me to seek care elsewhere, as I didn't feel heard, or as if my mental well being was important, or treated as if I had decision making autonomy in the process.
Describe the protocols Christopher Sipe used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
The only treatment I received past the initial testing was a surgery to remove polyps. IUI with Clomid was recommended as a first step. That is actually not the route I wound up taking when I switched doctors -- we went straight to IVF, and had a successful egg retrieval, and successful embryo transfer. I am currently pregnant.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Pia)
Communication was clearly extremely disorganized from the get go. I kept having to remind staff what had been communicated previously -- I felt I was responsible for keeping the process on track, rather than them.
Additionally, I was told to take an antibiotic after surgery when given the results of my biopsy. I believe my nurse was very inexperienced, as she read off a report about a "malignancy" in explaining while I was on antibiotics. When I asked if I should be concerned as that sounded like cancer, she said the doctor would have called if it was a concern and to take the antibiotic.
It was a full 24-36 hours before I received clarification that the report said there was NO EVIDENCE of malignancy. No one was very apologetic about a miscommunication of cancer.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Overall, it's just extremely disorganized. I felt like the process would have fallen apart if I hadn't driven it forward. It's not hard to get in touch with the front desk, so that is a positive. But it was hard to reach a doctor or nurse.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
I didn't get far through the process, so it was under $2,000.
Describe Christopher Sipe's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Not applicable
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 I was given the results of a biopsy, the nurse read off to me that I was taking an antibiotic due to "malignancy", when it fact the report said "NO EVIDENCE of malignancy." I received a very cursory apology after a really serious miscommunication.
Dr Sipe can be considered a nice, caring, friendly, knowledgeable fertility doctor. Many patients believe he's amazing and dedicated to helping them become pregnant. However, this doctor didn't show that same dedication, compassion, hope, and heart for wanting to help me become pregnant. It's hard to ever meet or have an appt with Dr Sipe unless you have surgery or a procedure scheduled, especially during the Covid years. Dr Sipe acted like it was an inconvenience to have a phone call. He doesn't accept email either from patients even though the company newsletter encouraged emailing your doctor. I did have a couple Zoom video calls that included nice conversations with the doctor, but I do not feel this platform is the same kind of connection
I didn't have the chance to meet the nurses that emailed or called about test / lab results [from Fertility Centers of Illinois]. They only communicated with me via the portal and phone calls. Usually, I was contacted by a nurse by late afternoon for certain results and then instructions provided if necessary. Other nurses / techs handled doing the ultrasounds and blood draws and were kind in person. There are not enough nursing staff to handle the number of patients under FCI care. Several nurses moved on during t
How was your experience with Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr Sipe can be considered a nice, caring, friendly, knowledgeable fertility doctor. Many patients believe he's amazing and dedicated to helping them become pregnant. However, this doctor didn't show that same dedication, compassion, hope, and heart for wanting to help me become pregnant.
It's hard to ever meet or have an appt with Dr Sipe unless you have surgery or a procedure scheduled, especially during the Covid years. Dr Sipe acted like it was an inconvenience to have a phone call. He doesn't accept email either from patients even though the company newsletter encouraged emailing your doctor. I did have a couple Zoom video calls that included nice conversations with the doctor, but I do not feel this platform is the same kind of connection as an in-person or phone call consult.
I didn't feel as much compassion was given towards myself and my file in the same way as other content patients. Dr Sipe chose to not listen to comments about issues with how the office staff communicated and handled paperwork with some of the patients, which I believe he should have stepped up to assist his staff to manage.
One positive mention is that I felt cared for and safe having surgery done by Dr Sipe. The nurse anesthetist Dan did a great job administering anesthesia also.
One great day of care can't replace or make up for the many days of various communication and paperwork issues that occurred with some of his staff on my file. Dr Sipe should have some respect of his patients' honest truths, as several of my file's issues and the treatment of some staff towards me were presented to Dr Sipe and dismissed.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
My advice for prospective patients of Dr Sipe is to only have a consult if you have a healthy body in general. Write down all your questions in advance of your consult because he’s very hard to reach, as you’ll mostly be having communication with his nurses and office staff.
During the consult, make sure to find out exactly the type of other doctor appointments and prerequisites required (ex: a primary care physical, mammogram, or missing shots) from the doctor in order for him to allow you to do the fertility treatments and when appts need to be completed. Write this info down. Otherwise, his staff do not provide a worksheet of medical prereqs needed and this will take precious months of your time.
Advise the doctor the qualities you need as far as dedication and caring toward your goals, and not the goals that influence the office pregnancy stats. Encourage this doctor to not play the wait-and-see game when it comes to deciding on IUI or IVF protocols / plans.
Be prepared to do extra outside office work for his staff on your own time, especially if you're having records transfered there because the office staff misplaces records and signed docs often.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Several issues with FCI keep continuing thru the years which make a patient feel like a number. Before Covid the waiting rooms did look like a baby making factory, as others have noted, because they were packed. With the Covid 2020 year, each patient does not see that many other patients due to social distancing while waiting for appts. There are not enough staff to handle the number of patients under FCI care. Several nurses moved on during the Covid 2020 year to work at other medical places, thus making some current nurses and techs overwhelmed.
It's hard to ever meet with your doctor or be allowed a phone call with them, unless you have surgery or a procedure. This means there isn't enough personal connection if phone calls and emails are not allowed with the doctors. Zoom video calls do not feel like the same kind of connection as an in-person or phone call consult. Patients who went to FCI a few years ago and came back for a second sibling cycle in 2020 stated in online groups they were upset that the personal connection was lost due to having to connect thru the portal and not via regular emails or phone calls.
There is also an outsourced third party billing team that can't handle mailing bills to all the patients' addresses. Some patients get called a liar when staff call just days before surgery or a procedure demanding payment even though bills were not received. They need to stop using their third party outsourced billing team because it's causing problems that FCI prefers to not address.
One positive mention of FCI is that I felt cared for and attended to by the doctor and O.R. staff on surgery day; plus the O.R. clinic appeared to run smoothly. Sadly, there are many other days of the year where I felt some of their staff didn't show compassion and kindness towards me. One great day of care can't replace the other hundred plus days with poor communication, blame to the patient, and needing to take care of paperwork issues that should fall under their staff responsibilities.
Describe the protocols Christopher Sipe used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
I had the hysteroscopy surgery in summer to remove uterus polyps. Then we moved towards an IUI due to low egg reserve. It wasn't until the winter months when my body was ready for the IUI due to a few setbacks, so the initial protocol was changed. The IUI protocol changed into doing Follistim injections for several nights plus oral Letrizole for five days instead of doing Estrogen priming first. This plan didn't work and the cycle was canceled, so now I am focused on Estrogen priming first.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Abby, Ashlie, and Christina)
I didn't have the chance to meet the nurses that emailed or called about test / lab results. They only communicated with me via the portal and phone calls. Usually, I was contacted by a nurse by late afternoon for certain results and then instructions provided if necessary. Other nurses / techs handled doing the ultrasounds and blood draws and were kind in person.
There are not enough nursing staff to handle the number of patients under FCI care. Several nurses moved on during the Covid 2020 year to work at other medical places and the remaining nurses seem overwhelmed.
There are also communication and kindness issues with some nurses plus staff delaying responses and providing some unkind, dishonest comments they made to the doctor on myself and other patients. Patients should be allowed to voice an opinion to staff without being blamed for providing the truth on issues and then have unpleasant attitudes directed at them.
As other patients have mentioned, I too can confirm that patients need to micromanage staff as paperwork is constantly getting misplaced. The nurses and office staff choose to place blame on many patients several times, and even claimed my signed docs went missing when I emailed them to a nurse who requested them. The nursing staff and director also can't keep up with scripts and do not focus on details when contacting the Walgreens pharmacists, which then results in meds not getting shipped during a cycle.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Some strengths include many knowledgeable doctors to choose from, several locations, fairly easy to schedule monitoring appts, and the O.R. ran smoothly the day of my surgery.
Zoom video calls are the norm for consults since Covid. Emails are frowned upon and communication is mostly done thru the portal. Though, nurses do sometimes call for certain ultrasound and lab results.
Weaknesses include waiting several weeks or months for a doctor consult, doctors not accepting email from patients, documentation issues, billing issues, and staff causing unnecessary issues by not providing detailed info when calling Walgreens Alliance which leads to meds not shipping to patients’ homes in time for their cycle.
Documentation issues and misplaced paperwork happen with many patients. There are transferred records and other signed document forms that get misplaced even when they are emailed and/or sent on disk.
There were times I didn't feel as much caring given towards myself and my file in the same way other patients described their caring, involved doctor who worked diligently to help them get pregnant. Not all patients receive equal care, kindness, and compassion from staff.
The in-house billing team is slow with insurance approvals and answering cost questions when they should be known. Therefore, I would encourage new patients to seek out all possible treatment, labs, analysis, and ultrasound cost options upfront. Patients should be provided the self-pay costs upfront without having to request or beg for this info, no matter if they have diagnostic and/or fertility insurance coverage.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
I had to pay approx. $2400 total to FCI over the course of the year for blood labs and ultrasounds, using insurance.
I paid Labcorp, which bills separately for genetics testing, the cost of $331 for the blood draw done at FCI.
Then I paid $1700 to FCI plus $546 anesthesia costs to Lakeshore Anesthesia for my hysteroscopy, with my PPO plan.
Since I met my deductible by the time of the IUI cycle, I didn’t have to pay for the Follistim injectable meds. However, if I had attempted the IUI four months earlier Walgreens Alliance were going to charge $2600 for the first two Follistim vials shipped and then remainder vials shipping would be free since the deductible would have then been met. My cycle was canceled halfway thru, but my insurance would have paid for IUI costs since I met the deductible.
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Lost paperwork
Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Plenty of issues, of which many were preventable, occurred at FCI.
***Staff misplaced the records transferred into FCI several times; Poor communication between nurses / director when they were looking for signed docs another nurse received in her files, yet I was blamed; Staff blaming patients for billing and/or paperwork issues when it's clearly related to office run issues; Billing / Finance team didn't provide self pay costs upfront; 3rd party billing team didn’t mail bills for months yet it somehow was my fault; Office didn't provide a written list of prerequisite other medical appts along with timeline; Staff didn’t want to contact Walgreens pharmacy for vaccine proof; Fertility med script issues with Walgreens Alliance being able to handle scripts and shipping on time due to FCI med staff not paying attention to details thus resulting in delayed shipping; doctors / staff don't show compassion and helpfulness to all patients equally
Patients should be able to voice honest opinions and truths without being silenced and disrespected. Patients do speak to one another online and know these mentioned issues.
You only get to see your physician [Dr. Sipe] at the consultation appointments you schedule, for example, at the start of a new cycle. There is no guarantee your physician will perform the procedures with you - it is all based on scheduling...I don't need a soft or sugary bedside manner, but empathy every so often would be better than telling me I had either "bad luck or bad karma"... We have a "freebie" cycle because on the day of the transfer all 7 of our embryos stopped growing in the incubator and we had nothing to transfer. Since we are using donor eggs we are able to do the cycle again...
The [Fertility Center of Illinois] clinic is good, although again it's been 4 years and so many appointments so I know the staff fairly well. The ultra-sound tech is great and knows what she is doing. She is open, kind, honest, and transparent. The phlebotomist is great. She is friendly, talented, and respects the patient's time. The support staff are great but should sometime avoid thinking that everyone who walks through this door will find success and be more neutral in some responses. The staff at the lab and surgical center have always been kind, empathetic, and hopeful.
How was your experience with Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
I've been with Dr. Sipe for four years. I wanted to switch doctor's at least 3 times, but my husband did not want to. Dr. Sipe is one of the best in the business and has great success rates. I have a friend that went to him as her second doctor and loved him, though the was a fertility god. I think the feelings you have for your doctor are largely based on your person success. It's been four years and we have not had any success. I hear a lot of "you're my only patient that..." as some attempt to sugar coat the true meaning of 'I have no idea why this isn't working.' I don't need a soft or sugary bedside manner, but empathy every so often would be better than telling me I had either "bad luck or bad karma". When I responded that if he could not find the answer perhaps he could refer us to someone who could he got the message that his bad luck comment was hurtful. We have a "freebie" cycle because on the day of the transfer all 7 of our embryos stopped growing in the incubator and we had nothing to transfer. Since we are using donor eggs we are able to do the cycle again. We started the cycle in early March 2020 and with COVID they stopped the cycle. We will try again when we can and do this repeat cycle, our 4th transfer and if we do not have success with Dr. Sipe we will move on to a new clinic/doctor.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
You and your partner need to have a consultation with several doctor's and clinics before you make a choice. Do not let your OB dictate where you go or who you see as mine did. It's not your OB's life, it is yours. If you feel Dr. Sipe has the right outlook for your case, the right fit for you, you get a good feeling about him, make the choice. Remember this is still business for the clinic and if you ever feel like you are a statistic it is time to move on.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
You only get to see your physician at the consultation appointments you schedule, for example, at the start of a new cycle. There is no guarantee your physician will perform the procedures with you - it is all based on scheduling. The staff treat you like a human, but I didn't feel that way until I was 2-years into my treatment. Now at year 4 I'm a little immune to it and know that the only person who understands where I am in my treatment is my nurse and the rest of the staff, although wonderful, offer the same pleasantries they do to every patient.
Describe the protocols Christopher Sipe used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
We did two Lupron stimulation protocols and then a Schoyer protocol. The first stim cycle we had 3 eggs, second stim cycle we had 9 eggs, the third we had 1. We tried different protocols each time because of my age.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Patricia)
Since I have been there for 4 years I have had 3 different nurses. The nurse I am currently working with I have been with for 2 years and it started out a little shaky because I think she was new to the field or the clinic, but we have a good relationship now and I know she is hoping one day we will have success.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
The clinic is good, although again it's been 4 years and so many appointments so I know the staff fairly well. The ultra-sound tech is great and knows what she is doing. She is open, kind, honest, and transparent. The phlebotomist is great. She is friendly, talented, and respects the patient's time. The support staff are great but should sometime avoid thinking that everyone who walks through this door will find success and be more neutral in some responses. The staff at the lab and surgical center have always been kind, empathetic, and hopeful.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
It was great. The US tech and phlebotomist worked well together and you could be in and out in 15 minutes.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Fortunately I have pretty good insurance that covers a portion of 3 treatments a year. The biggest out of pocket expense is the medication, even with insurance. But after 4 years = tests, monitoring, 3 stim cycles, 3 transfers, and the cost of donor eggs we have spent to date $94.800 in out of pocket to try and have a child.
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
During our second transfer the physician who was doing our transfer told us we had 5 embryos and that they were all good quality. She recommended we implant 2 embryos, the two best, the AA and AB graded embryos. We asked if the other embryos would be frozen for future use or if we were not successful with the current transfer and she assured us they would be. We transferred 2 and 20 hours after the transfer I got a call from the lab that the other 3 embryos did not continue to grow and we had nothing to freeze. I was devastated. The lab could not answer anything else, except that the quality of those embryos were not good and they stopped multiplying. The transfer resulted in a negative pregnancy test. When we finally saw our doctor 6 weeks after the transfer he had no explanation and showed us the chart that clearly stated the other embryo quality were not good and on the day of the transfer, aside from the two we transferred there was only 1 embryo that may have made it to freeze. It made me wonder if the other doctor was looking at the right chart? It also left me with unexplained guilt and regret that we transferred 2 embryos instead of one and left ourselves without another option.
He is very busy and not very accessible; most communication is done through the nurses [FCI]. But otherwise we had no complaints about working with Dr. Sipe. He was warm, funny, and direct, which was what we wanted. He was never pushy or judgmental, just laid out the options and the odds and left it to us to make the decisions. ...
We weren’t turned off by the high volume of the practice [FCI] and appreciate that they were up on the latest tech and advancements. They certainly have plenty of real case experiences to learn from. It’s far from small or intimate in terms of the experience, but it was fine for our needs. ... very high patient volume. That makes it convenient in terms of lots of appointment slots available, but don’t expect a lot of contact or communication with the doctor.
How was your experience with Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
He is very busy and not very accessible; most communication is done through the nurses. But otherwise we had no complaints about working with Dr. Sipe. He was warm, funny, and direct, which was what we wanted. He was never pushy or judgmental, just laid out the options and the odds and left it to us to make the decisions.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Take notes during your consult because he goes over things pretty fast and the clinic doesn’t provide a lot of written summaries.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
He explained everything clearly and honestly, without sugar coating.
Describe the protocols Christopher Sipe used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
I’m not sure what this question is asking. First we tried IUI 2 or 3 times in early 2015, then changed to egg retrieval and fresh embryo transfer. My protocol included intramuscular injections of progesterone. That led to a single live birth. We tried a frozen embryo transfer in early 2020 with the progesterone IM injections, as week as pills, patches and suppositories. Although my lining ended up at 10 mm, which was good, and everything looked good with the embryo after thawing, sadly this transfer resulted in a negative pregnancy test.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
It’s a baby factory, with very high patient volume. That makes it convenient in terms of lots of appointment slots available, but don’t expect a lot of contact or communication with the doctor. We weren’t turned off by the high volume of the practice and appreciate that they were up on the latest tech and advancements. They certainly have plenty of real case experiences to learn from. It’s far from small or intimate in terms of the experience, but it was fine for our needs.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
The first round of IVF was covered by my insurance so our total costs including drugs ended up being about $6000. The frozen embryo transfer in 2020 wasn’t covered by insurance. They charged us $2575, not including drugs or out-of-state monitoring.
Describe Christopher Sipe's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
The doctor initially told us in 2015 that they’d recommend transferring two embryos, on the day of, Dr.Sipe switched to recommending a single transfer. When we did the frozen transfer in 2020, he again recommended transfer of one.
I loved working with Dr. Sipe because he has a great personality, doesn’t sugar coat things and tells you his honest opinion, and gives you information to help guide you to make a decision. He doesn’t push you one way or another. ... I went through 3 IUI cycles with clomid and they were unsuccessful. ... He is changing protocol for our next retrieval and we will be getting started as soon as the covid restrictions are lifted.
Clinic [FCI] operates mostly on time but sometimes falls behind with appointments. Expect to have a wait just to be on the safe side, some days longer than others. ... The clinic has kept us very informed as far as what their plans are with covid going on. ... Communication is great between their team members but be sure to ask questions during treatment. Their portal communication has been helpful since they have limited office hours.
How was your experience with Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
I loved working with Dr. Sipe because he has a great personality, doesn’t sugar coat things and tells you his honest opinion, and gives you information to help guide you to make a decision. He doesn’t push you one way or another.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Be your own advocate and ask questions when needed.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Lots of patients being treated at the office and sometimes different nurses would call back with results. But Dr. Sipe always treated us like a human instead of a number in all of his consults.
Describe the protocols Christopher Sipe used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
I went through 3 IUI cycles with clomid and they were unsuccessful. He gave me the option of doing another IUI with a 10% chance of success or IVF with 50% chance of success. I chose to go with IVF and had a failed fresh transfer and have no embryos left. He is changing protocol for our next retrieval and we will be getting started as soon as the covid restrictions are lifted. The clinic has kept us very informed as far as what their plans are with covid going on.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Patricia)
Patricia is my favorite nurse at the clinic. She showed compassion, gave me lots of information, and took her time answering all of my questions. The other nurses were good but Patricia is the best in my opinion.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Clinic operates mostly on time but sometimes falls behind with appointments. Expect to have a wait just to be on the safe side, some days longer than others. Communication is great between their team members but be sure to ask questions during treatment. Their portal communication has been helpful since they have limited office hours.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Costs seemed the same as other clinics from the other ladies I have talked to. I have had no problems with the billing department.
Describe Christopher Sipe's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Dr. Sipe felt that with my age and other factors, the risk of multiples was not worth the benefit of transferring more than one embryo. I agreed with his assessment.
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Lost paperwork
Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
The dosage of clomid was incorrect for my second round of IUI. The doctor had planned on increasing the dose from 50mg daily to 100mg daily, but the Rx sent to the pharmacy was for 50mg. Since it was a weekend, they were not open for phone call questions so I ended up taking the lower dose for a few days until I could call on Monday. I was going to page the on call nurse but I was afraid I would get charged extra for paving on a weekend. In hindsight, I should have paged.
Dr. Sipe is warm but also doesn’t sugar coat anything. I appreciate the fact that he doesn’t pump you up with false hope either. He was very clear about the odds of IUI. With each cycle he changed the medication dosages to help increase follicle size. I always feel like we are moving forward, not just trying the same thing over & over again. Iui did not work for us, so we will be moving on to IVF, sticking with Dr. Sipe. He is wonderful...You will mainly be communicating with him via his nurse. She is the one who will call with results.
The staff at hinsdale [office of Fertility Centers of Illinois] are all warm and caring, even the receptionists and financial coordinator. Dr. Sipe is also very warm and personable...You will mainly be communicating with him via his nurse. She is the one who will call with results...Patricia is wonderful. She is informative and prompt with her call backs and when you are waiting to hear results you do NOT want to wait all day. She never acts in a hurry to get off the phone and will answer questions and explain further. Very warm and compassionate when delivering negative test results as well.
How was your experience with Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Sipe is warm but also doesn’t sugar coat anything. I appreciate the fact that he doesn’t pump you up with false hope either. He was very clear about the odds of IUI. With each cycle he changed the medication dosages to help increase follicle size. I always feel like we are moving forward, not just trying the same thing over & over again.
Iui did not work for us, so we will be moving on to IVF, sticking with Dr. Sipe. He is wonderful.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
You will mainly be communicating with him via his nurse. She is the one who will call with results.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
The staff at hinsdale are all warm and caring, even the receptionists and financial coordinator. Dr. Sipe is also very warm and personable.
Describe the protocols Christopher Sipe used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
IUI #1- 50mg clomid day 3-5, only 1 mature follicle. Trigger shot and then IUI 12h past the trigger.
IUI #2- 100mg clomid day 3-5. 2 mature follicles, trigger and IUI 16h past.
IUI #3- 150mg clomid day 3-5. 4 mature follicles. Trigger and IUI 16h past.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Patricia )
Patricia is wonderful. She is informative and prompt with her call backs and when you are waiting to hear results you do NOT want to wait all day. She never acts in a hurry to get off the phone and will answer questions and explain further. Very warm and compassionate when delivering negative test results as well.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Wonderful office staff. They are all so kind and make the whole process bearable. I have never waited long in the Hinsdale office, and if I were to arrive early they take me back early most of the time. Efficient staff.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Roughly $1000-1500 per IUI cycle. I did have to have multiple ultrasounds each time though.
Dr. Sipe was highly recommended to us when we needed help conceiving. After our first consultation we walked out of there knowing we made the right decision on who we chose to be our doctor. He was compassionate, knowledgeable and walked us through the whole process step by step leaving us with no questions about everything. ... He answered all of our questions throughly and made us feel very comfortable with our decision to do IVF.
I LOVE everything about FCI Oakbrook (actually Hinsdale now). From their receptionist, ultrasound tech, nurses and billing department, everyone has been amazing. I have not had one issue with anyone there and I love how compassionate they are all and I truly believe they want us all to succeed in building our families and we are not just a number to them. ... I never waited for more than a few minutes for my ultrasounds!
How was your experience with Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Sipe was highly recommended to us when we needed help conceiving. After our first consultation we walked out of there knowing we made the right decision on who we chose to be our doctor. He was compassionate, knowledgeable and walked us through the whole process step by step leaving us with no questions about everything.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Write all of your questions down before your consultation appointment and he will be sure to answer them all.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
He answered all of our questions throughly and made us feel very comfortable with our decision to do IVF.
Describe the protocols Christopher Sipe used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
I don't really remember as for it was a few years ago, but I do remember that it worked on our first try!
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Karen(2015) and Patricia (current))
Both Karen and Patricia (was)is an amazing nurse and always helped us whenever we needed it. They were on top of everything and always made sure to communicate everything to us when needed.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
I LOVE everything about FCI Oakbrook (actually Hinsdale now). From their receptionist, ultrasound tech, nurses and billing department, everyone has been amazing. I have not had one issue with anyone there and I love how compassionate they are all and I truly believe they want us all to succeed in building our families and we are not just a number to them.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
I never waited for more than a few minutes for my ultrasounds!
Describe the costs associated with your care under Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
I believe our whole IVF was around $11,500 as a self pay patient (not including meds).
Describe Christopher Sipe's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Dr. Sipe recommended only transferring 1 embryo at a time because of my history and age and I am so glad we trusted him and did what he recommended.
Dr. Sipe made us feel comfortable the first time entering his office. ... He is practical with his responses and backs everything up with stats. You know where you stand with the IVF numbers game, and I found comfort in that. He feels like a friend more than a doctor. And we deeply share the same goal. ... He backs everything up with science, and I appreciate that. ... You won't feel rushed, so come prepared with questions to get the most out of your visit.
I will say making appointments [at Fertility Centers of Illinois] is easy. Check-out it easy. Depending on when you go, wait times can be tough. I opt to go during lunch so it's much less busy! The worst part about the clinic is the location - no easy public transportation to get there. It's along the Chicago River in River north. ... The technicians are wonderful. Very personable and informative. (Blood & Ultrasound)
How was your experience with Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
I trust him implicitly. He has already shown us success with my first born, and now we are trying for a sibling. Our experiences with him are thorough and we leave with a great deal of confidence knowing that we (and him) are doing everything we can to achieve a pregnancy. I was successful on my first IVF cycle, so in my book, he is pretty darn good! I also appreciated his candor when I asked him questions about different things to do that I read off the internet to boost my chances. He did say half of his job is de-bunking stuff people read on the internet. He backs everything up with science, and I appreciate that. made the process less stressful to not try every herb out there that claims to help with infertility.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
He gives you a lot of time. You won't feel rushed, so come prepared with questions to get the most out of your visit.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Sipe made us feel comfortable the first time entering his office. My OBGYN had recommended him, and said he was the best. We already went into the appointment knowing we were in good hands. He is practical with his responses and backs everything up with stats. You know where you stand with the IVF numbers game, and I found comfort in that. He feels like a friend more than a doctor. And we deeply share the same goal.
Describe the protocols Christopher Sipe used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
3 IUI's failed before moving into IVF. I honestly don't remember the specific protocol. But here it goes: Birth control to suppress system. Lupron injections. Added Follistim for stimulation. Trigger shot HCG, I believe. Retrieval.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Laila)
Very responsive. Answered all my questions. Super helpful!
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
I prefer the doctor to the clinic - my experience is with the doctor and his staff. I will say making appointments is easy. Check-out it easy. Depending on when you go, wait times can be tough. I opt to go during lunch so it's much less busy! The worst part about the clinic is the location - no easy public transportation to get there. It's along the Chicago River in River north.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Has improved since my first run, but I think switching to go during afternoon hours made a difference. The technicians are wonderful. Very personable and informative. (Blood & Ultrasound)
Describe the costs associated with your care under Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Handled through insurance, so can't comment on costs.
Describe Christopher Sipe's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
For my first, it was a fresh transfer and due to my age and quality of embryo's we transferred 3! Hey, one stuck, so yeah! For my transfer now, I am over 40 and protocol has changed. Because of my age, I need to do PGS testing so I have to do a frozen cycle. I have a 65% chance of pregnancy with 1 embryo, so we are only transferring 1 for my upcoming FET.
He was the first doctor to really help me understand why after countless IVF attempts over the last three years I was unable to even get to the retrieval phase of the treatment. He told me medically what was happeneing and also was the only doctor who gave me the best explanation in laymen’s terms. I have a receptor issue not an imbalance. I was originally misdiagnosed with PCOS....He is real. He talks with you not at you like most doctors do. I loved how supportive he was of my situation and he answered all of our questions without hesitation or making us feel like they were dumb questions. He makes me feel safe and welcome and not just another patient.
I really appreciate the hours for monitoring appointments. They [FCI] start at 630 am so I can get in and out before work. They do retrieval’s and transfers on your schedule not just once a month which means they do them 7 days a week which really helps with scheduling. There have been a few appointments where I was waiting to go in for 20 minutes past my time, but the staff was super apologetic and got me in and out once I went back for my appointment...Their billing and financial departments are so far very easy to work with and we have worked out payment plans that work best for my husband and I.
How was your experience with Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
He is real. He talks with you not at you like most doctors do. I loved how supportive he was of my situation and he answered all of our questions without hesitation or making us feel like they were dumb questions. He makes me feel safe and welcome and not just another patient.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Ask those question you have been wanting to ask. He will explain it or draw out diagrams for you. He is there to help.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
He was the first doctor to really help me understand why after countless IVF attempts over the last three years I was unable to even get to the retrieval phase of the treatment. He told me medically what was happeneing and also was the only doctor who gave me the best explanation in laymen’s terms. I have a receptor issue not an imbalance. I was originally misdiagnosed with PCOS.
Describe the protocols Christopher Sipe used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
I am still with Dr. Sipe for treatments. So far we have only done a saline ultrasound and blood work up for my husband and myself. We are in the process of starting an egg donor treatment which will start in December.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Patricia and Monica for egg donor)
She is friendly and so wonderful. She always calls even for the small stuff. She always answers questions and does not make me feel like I am lost on what the treatment will be or is. She always has a warm smile on her face too.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
I love the location. They just moved from Oak Brook to Hinsdale and it is easy to get too and close to the highway. I really appreciate the hours for monitoring appointments. They start at 630 am so I can get in and out before work. They do retrieval’s and transfers on your schedule not just once a month which means they do them 7 days a week which really helps with scheduling. There have been a few appointments where I was waiting to go in for 20 minutes past my time, but the staff was super apologetic and got me in and out once I went back for my appointment.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
So far my cost has just been my co-pay for insurance. As we get further into our egg donor treatment we will have a cost of roughly $10-16 thousand dollars. Their billing and financial departments are so far very easy to work with and we have worked out payment plans that work best for my husband and I.
I felt at ease in our appointments and liked Dr. Sipe’s optimism. He was very up front about our odds and treatment steps moving forward. I wish we had a bit more direct interaction/communication with him.... We have completed three IUI cycles under Dr. Sipe. I was prescribed 5 days of 50mg Clomid starting on day 3 of my cycle. After monitoring appts, I was I triggered with Novarelle HCG intramuscular injection. The IUI was performed the next morning. I came in one week after IUI for progesterone testing to confirm ovulation and two weeks later for pregnancy test. Same protocol each cycle, no successes.
Strengths [for FCI-Chicago]- Easy to make appointments, positive interactions with all staff members, timely appointments, genera feeling that they know what they are doing! Weakness- Billing has been complicated at times, had to call after appointments were not submitted to my insurance, didn’t always receive responses when I called or emailed with questions. They switched billing systems and patients were not informed, I only found out after asking why I stopped receiving bills in the mail. All issues were eventually resolved.
How was your experience with Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
I felt at ease in our appointments and liked Dr. Sipe’s optimism. He was very up front about our odds and treatment steps moving forward. I wish we had a bit more direct interaction/communication with him.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Expect most communication to come from his nurses, not from Dr. Sipe himself.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
I have very limited direct interaction with the doctor outside of consultation appointments, but Dr. Sipe’s nurses have been helpful and responsive and in that case has made me feel more like a human than a number.
Describe the protocols Christopher Sipe used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
We have completed three IUI cycles under Dr. Sipe. I was prescribed 5 days of 50mg Clomid starting on day 3 of my cycle. After monitoring appts, I was I triggered with Novarelle HCG intramuscular injection. The IUI was performed the next morning. I came in one week after IUI for progesterone testing to confirm ovulation and two weeks later for pregnancy test. Same protocol each cycle, no successes.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Liala Malke)
Most of my interaction was with Liala and she was always willing to explain results and answer my questions. She promptly called after appointments. When other nurses contacted me, I also had very positive interactions with them as well.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Strengths- Easy to make appointments, positive interactions with all staff members, timely appointments, genera feeling that they know what they are doing!
Weakness- Billing has been complicated at times, had to call after appointments were not submitted to my insurance, didn’t always receive responses when I called or emailed with questions. They switched billing systems and patients were not informed, I only found out after asking why I stopped receiving bills in the mail. All issues were eventually resolved.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
In total we’ve spent around $2,400 for initial testing, consult, and 3 IUI cycles.
Describe Christopher Sipe's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
He is kind, compassionate, personable, jovial. He was always available by phone or in person for discussions and would thoroughly explain processes and risks. I suppose I get frustrated that often the "reason" for my failures is only sited as "bad luck." I would prefer a scientific reason....when I had setbacks, Dr. Sipe himself would call to discuss things with me and check on my emotional health....He always advocated for single transfers, but when I had an option for 2 embryos to be transferred at one time, he went along with my wishes (after we went over all risks).
The clinic [FCI] staff is excellent. I feel a strong bond with Lynn, the receptionist, who is always invested in my success. However, there have been unnecessary delays in testing, communication, etc on the staff's part over the years..Failed to communicate with Genetic test facility, causing 3 month delay in treatment. Unable to get PGD results for over a month bc MD was on vacation and no one else relayed my results. Lost/misplaced embryos that were supposed to be in their lab but were sent to genetics lab instead... if I weren't a completely organized, educated, and on-top-of-it person, I would've slipped through the cracks.
How was your experience with Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
He is kind, compassionate, personable, jovial. He was always available by phone or in person for discussions and would thoroughly explain processes and risks. I suppose I get frustrated that often the "reason" for my failures is only sited as "bad luck." I would prefer a scientific reason.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Be prepared to be on top of all information so you don't get delays when he is out of town and no one else knows what is going on. Be prepared to hound him and the office about tests and timelines.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
There were definitely times where there was little or no communication and, if I weren't a completely organized, educated, and on-top-of-it person, I would've slipped through the cracks. However, when I had setbacks, Dr. Sipe himself would call to discuss things with me and check on my emotional health.
Describe the protocols Christopher Sipe used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
We tried agonist and antagonist protocols. Lupron, Menopur, Gonal-F, ganirelix/cetrutide, estrace, estrogen patches, and progesterone in oil. The last 5 retrievals were using the Schoyer protocol. Then FET after PGS and PGD because I am a carrier of Fragile X. There have been no measurable indications that either my husband or myself are "infertile," yet I still cannot get pregnant.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Patricia)
I have had several nurse coordinators over the 3 years I have been going through IVF. Patricia is my latest nurse and by far the best. She really treats me like an individual and is both thorough and compassionate. She has kept me sane (as much as possible) during the more devastating portions of this process.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
The clinic staff is excellent. I feel a strong bond with Lynn, the receptionist, who is always invested in my success. However, there have been unnecessary delays in testing, communication, etc on the staff's part over the years. I had to be on top of all information so there weren't delays when MD is out of town and no one else knows what is going on.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
I don't remember specifics. Things went through insurance.
Describe Christopher Sipe's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
He always advocated for single transfers, but when I had an option for 2 embryos to be transferred at one time, he went along with my wishes (after we went over all risks).
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Lost paperwork
Failed to call with results
Failed to order appropriate test
Failed to send your chart to another clinic
Lost results
Failed to convey critical information
Lost or damaged samples
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Failed to communicate with Genetic test facility, causing 3 month delay in treatment. Unable to get PGD results for over a month bc MD was on vacation and no one else relayed my results. Lost/misplaced embryos that were supposed to be in their lab but were sent to genetics lab instead.
[Dr. Christopher Sipe has] taken care to understand our specific circumstances and adjust treatment courses accordingly...was the right fit for us by far. However, he may not work for all. He tells it like it is, but still has so much compassion. He will do everything he can to get a single live healthy birth for all of his patients. He’s also worked seemlessly with other care providers that I have in order to ensure the IVF process was as safe as possible for me. I couldn’t be more grateful for the care Dr. Sipe has given us.
During one of my transfers [at Fertility Centers of Illinois], a nurse (not my primary) told me to start pio shots on a different day than I had in the past. Thankfully I looked at my previous transfer calendar from two years prior and reached out to her again and she changed it to the correct day... The drawback to FCI’s structure is the lack of time with the drs...My nurses were/are the most compassionate humans out there. They’ve held my hand throughout this entire process and I couldn’t be more grateful to them!
How was your experience with Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Sipe is an extremely knowledgeable RE and I believe he’s one of the best in his field. He’s taken care to understand our specific circumstances and adjust treatment courses accordingly. We’ve referred our best friends to him because we believe in his care. Dr. Sipe was the right fit for us by far. However, he may not work for all. He tells it like it is, but still has so much compassion. He will do everything he can to get a single live healthy birth for all of his patients. He’s also worked seemlessly with other care providers that I have in order to ensure the IVF process was as safe as possible for me. I couldn’t be more grateful for the care Dr. Sipe has given us. While he can be blunt, he provides hope and compassion when it’s needed. We feel like we’re in great hands with Dr. Sipe!
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Prepare questions for your consults ahead of time. He will take the necessary time to review them with you.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
At times, I felt like both. It’s very obvious that Dr. Sipe has his patients best interests in mind. I have some unique circumstances and he’s on top of my treatment. I do my own exhaustive research and agree wholeheartedly with every treatment course he prescribed for us. His goal is a single live birth for all of his patients due to risks involving multiples for mom and babies. So, he cares. And that was obvious to us. However, there was one time that I felt like just another number - I had a confirmed pregnancy and when we met to discuss the ultrasound, he eluded to me having a precious loss, which I had never had. Had ge taken time to review my file prior to us entering his office, this misstep could’ve been avoided. I expected this at a clinic the size of FCI. The drs have so many patients, and with good reason. I would take his expertise and care over and over again. Dr. Sipe is one of the best RE’s out there! I only trust him to do my surgeries and transfers. That says a lot.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: I’ve had a couple primary nurses during my ivf transfer cycles - Anto Higgins, Liala Malke and Debra while going through my retrieval cycles)
My nurses were/are the most compassionate humans out there. They’ve held my hand throughout this entire process and I couldn’t be more grateful to them!
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
FCI is the best clinic for me. Although not everyone likes their structure, it works wonderfully for my career and life. They have very early appointments available, which allows me to not have to take time off of work. I can always get a monitoring appointment with one days notice. All of the ultrasound techs and phlebotomists are highly skilled and super sweet. The drawback to FCI’s structure is the lack of time with the drs.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
We paid for two IUIs and associated medications and two IVF retrieval’s and associated medication, pgs testing and freezing/biopsying out of pocket. After that, my insurance provider changed to a policy that began covering infertility costs. I believe we are all in for $40-50k at this point. However, I try to block it from my mind. Every penny Has been worth it
Describe Christopher Sipe's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
One of the things I really appreciate about Dr. Sipe is that he will only transfer one pgs normal embryo at a time. He feels that the risk of multiples is too great for mother and babies. He really looks out for his patients and has their best interests in mind
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
During one of my transfers, a nurse (not my primary) told me to start pio shots on a different day than I had in the past. Thankfully I looked at my previous transfer calendar from two years prior and reached out to her again and she changed it to the correct day.
Also, I had a transfer cycle cancel by a dr when my dr was away on a speaking engagement. I pressed for the reason upon my drs return and he said he wouldn’t have canceled my cycle (though he understood why the other dr did). He indicated that he would’ve continued for a couple more days to see if the results fell in line at that point. FCI is a very large clinic and you see multiple drs throughout the course of your treatment if your dr isn’t on procedures or at that location the day of retrieval. It allows them to cycle all year, however sometimes a dr that doesn’t know much about your circumstances has to make decisions regarding your treatment.
Dr.Sipe was caring and easy to work with. During such a hard time in life he some how was able to make me smile and laugh during appointments. I trusted everything he was doing... After IUI didn't work we moved again with IVF on a more standard protocol of drugs. This worked great and retrieved 29 eggs, 23 fertilized and ended up with 9 very good embryos. Did the first transfer with two and negative. Dr.Sipe believed this was do to my progesterone going down too quickly. So we next did a frozen transfer with two embryos and got a positive! This resulted in twins. We just completed another frozen transfer 4 years later and now have a singleton. Frozen transfers seemed to be better for my body.
The clinic [FCI] has several locations, which helps if you don't live in the city of Chicago. The downtown location is available all 7 days when in monitoring a cycle, which was great! Some people don't like how busy the main clinic is but I liked it...made me feel "normal". Also went to the Hinsdale clinic and loved getting to know everyone there b/c it is smaller.... The nurses are all great to work with. They help with questions and support with getting meds/samples etc.
How was your experience with Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Fabulous. Great bedside manner and easy to work with. Explains procedures well and answered questions. I always felt like he would give us as much time as we needed when we met.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Trust him and his experience. We had to change treatment courses twice but once we figured out what my body needed (which you can only do by seeing how you react to treatments), we were good to go!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr.Sipe was caring and easy to work with. During such a hard time in life he some how was able to make me smile and laugh during appointments. I trusted everything he was doing. While at the clinic b/c they have so many doctors it can feel like a "number" for daily appointments but I personally didn't mind b/c with all the visits you see the same faces and it made me feel like I wasn't alone in this!
Describe the protocols Christopher Sipe used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
First round of IUI discovered that my body reacted to Clomid too well and had to cancel b/c of 13+ eggs. Due to this had to move to IVF. Started on very low doses of meds b/c of the Clomid situation. However, my body didn't react to these as much and ended up converting from IVF Egg Retrieval to IUI b/c Dr. Sipe thought this was better than doing a retrieval on such a low amount of eggs (3). After IUI didn't work we moved again with IVF on a more standard protocol of drugs. This worked great and retrieved 29 eggs, 23 fertilized and ended up with 9 very good embryos. Did the first transfer with two and negative. Dr.Sipe believed this was do to my progesterone going down too quickly. So we next did a frozen transfer with two embryos and got a positive! This resulted in twins. We just completed another frozen transfer 4 years later and now have a singleton. Frozen transfers seemed to be better for my body.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
The nurses are all great to work with. They help with questions and support with getting meds/samples etc.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
The clinic has several locations, which helps if you don't live in the city of Chicago. The downtown location is available all 7 days when in monitoring a cycle, which was great! Some people don't like how busy the main clinic is but I liked it...made me feel "normal". Also went to the Hinsdale clinic and loved getting to know everyone there b/c it is smaller.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
The first round was not covered by insurance and was around $15K. The second time was covered by insurance so just co-pays per my plan. Meds are separate and depend on pharmacy or insurance coverage.
Describe Christopher Sipe's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Dr. Sipe is supportive of your desires but also educates well on risks etc. to these decisions.
he [Dr. Christopher Sipe] wouldn’t change medication protocols to tailor to individual needs under any circumstances (I had thin lining & he wanted to keep me on clomid bc that was the med he used exclusively), and he once joked about the shape of my uterus...He failed to do an HSG on me, even after I requested, and after the IUI failed he wanted for me to repeat again with more expensive medication. I went to a second doctor to get another opionion, that doctor quickly discovered I had blocked tubes with HSG and also noted my blood work that I did with Dr. Sipe showed I have PCOS (so Dr. Sipe actually missed both diagnosis).
[Fertility Centers of Illinois] moves you like a number. Tons of people in waiting room, many nurses who don’t know who you are, hard to get calls back. Very impersonable. Obviously my botched diagnosis was the biggest issue, but I learned that I was better off at a smaller clinic who would take a vested interest in my case...Dr. Sipe didn’t perform HSG, and proceeded with IUI. When I went to get a second opionion, my new clinic found I had both blocked tubes & PCOS.
How was your experience with Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
He failed to do an HSG on me, even after I requested, and after the IUI failed he wanted for me to repeat again with more expensive medication. I went to a second doctor to get another opionion, that doctor quickly discovered I had blocked tubes with HSG and also noted my blood work that I did with Dr. Sipe showed I have PCOS (so Dr. Sipe actually missed both diagnosis). He wouldn’t change medication protocols that thinned my lining. Negligent doctor that set me back previous time & money.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Get another RE fast!!! Second opionion if you have concerns
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
His office moved you through like cattle, he wouldn’t change medication protocols to tailor to individual needs under any circumstances (I had thin lining & he wanted to keep me on clomid bc that was the med he used exclusively), and he once joked about the shape of my uterus
Describe the protocols Christopher Sipe used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
He used the same cookie cutter recipe for every patient and didn’t consider their specific case
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Every time I reached out I got a different nurse, it was hard to reach via phone. My IUI was performed by a tech I have never met.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
This is place that moves you like a number. Tons of people in waiting room, many nurses who don’t know who you are, hard to get calls back. Very impersonable. Obviously my botched diagnosis was the biggest issue, but I learned that I was better off at a smaller clinic who would take a vested interest in my case.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
2k of lab testing prior, 2.5k IUI, the next IUI cycle would’ve been 6k with injectibles
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Lost paperwork
Failed to call with results
Failed to order appropriate test
Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Dr. Sipe didn’t perform HSG, and proceeded with IUI. When I went to get a second opionion, my new clinic found I had both blocked tubes & PCOS.
I absolutely trust Dr. Sipe's medical opinion. Especially during the whole IVF process, I had tons of questions and he very patiently explained all of them. He always explained why he was taking the course of action he did, what were medical standards, what were reasons that he adopted certain standards. Probably my main negative is that he was sometimes paternalistic. My husband found that very comforting, myself less so. Also he was very thorough at explaining risks even if sometimes we'd rather not have heard it.
The staff at FCI is excellent. My nurse was the one who coordinated my treatment, called with results, etc. They were always responsive and responded within the day. They were the ones who bore the brunt of my questions. They always called when they said they would so I knew that I would always get my test results within the day... The clinic itself is very well run - from the nursing staff to the administrative staff to the lab. They know what they're doing and they do it well. Probably the hardest part of dealing with the clinic is getting that initial appointment (which can sometimes be a bit of a wait).
How was your experience with Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
I absolutely trust Dr. Sipe's medical opinion. Especially during the whole IVF process, I had tons of questions and he very patiently explained all of them. He always explained why he was taking the course of action he did, what were medical standards, what were reasons that he adopted certain standards.
Probably my main negative is that he was sometimes paternalistic. My husband found that very comforting, myself less so. Also he was very thorough at explaining risks even if sometimes we'd rather not have heard it.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Expect most of the communication to be through his nurses. Advocate for yourself if you need to.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
I think feeling like a number is almost inevitable during the fertility process - there's just so many tests and checks. But I also realized that the further in the process I went (IVF vs easier treatments), the more personalized care and check-ins I got from the nurses/doctors.
In the early days, being treated like a number was almost comforting - it gave me hope that this is all so routine that I'll be out of there in no time.
Describe the protocols Christopher Sipe used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
I had a long delay in starting treatments while I started thyroid treatment to get my TSH to < 2.5 which seems to be the norms expected in the fertility/OB community. There was also a long back and forth between my endocrinologist and RE because my TSH values aren't as stable as they say it should be (in retrospect I think other factors, including time of day of testing make a difference). Eventually, I pushed to start fertility treatments once my endocrinologist was comfortable with it.
Fertility Treatments:
chemical pregnancy (no treatment, while waiting to start)
IUI #1: clomid 50mg, HCG trigger. No pregnancy
IUI #2: clomid 50mg, HCG trigger. Ectopic pregnancy. Treated with methotrexate.
HSG shows tubes are clear but aren't functioning the way they should.
Birth control for 3 months after ectopic to (a) prevent a pregnancy while methotrexate clears out of the system (b) resets the body in preparation for IVF.
IVF (egg retrieval): gonalF + menopur + cetrotide. Doses adjusted as needed based on regularly blood tests/ultrasounds. Protocol chosen since it often works well for PCOS. HCG trigger. ICSI+assisted hatching (not sure if they did the latter but we gave consent to). ICSI was recommended for PCOS and we saw no downside. 13 eggs retrieved -> 9 fertilized -> 4 day5 blasts
IVF (fresh transfer): PIO+minivelle patches+baby aspirin to prep lining. Transferred 1 embryo. No pregnancy
FET: Lupron+Minivelle+PIO+baby aspirin. 2 embryos transferred (recommended because frozen success rates are lower than fresh). 2 gestational sacs : 1 blighted ovum, 1 (so far) healthy pregnancy.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Liala)
The staff at FCI is excellent.
My nurse was the one who coordinated my treatment, called with results, etc. They were always responsive and responded within the day. They were the ones who bore the brunt of my questions. They always called when they said they would so I knew that I would always get my test results within the day.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
I've been very happy with FCI.
The clinic itself is very well run - from the nursing staff to the administrative staff to the lab. They know what they're doing and they do it well.
Probably the hardest part of dealing with the clinic is getting that initial appointment (which can sometimes be a bit of a wait). But once you're in the door, they are very easy to work with.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
IL has a fertility mandate in place so everything (including up to 4 egg retrievals) is covered by insurance. In brackets are the amounts that I personally owed/paid.
Initial battery of tests ~$3.5k (out of pocket $800).
Each of the IUI's were ~$2.5k (out of pocket ~$400).
The ectopic was another $2k (meds/monitoring/etc) (out of pocket $400).
HSG had a facility fee so $1.2k.
IVF $17k (out of pocket $3k)
FET $5k (out of pocket $500)
Describe Christopher Sipe's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Dr. Sipe is very careful to try and avoid a multiple pregnancy. With our FET, he recommended 2 with the following logic: 1 embryo has a 40% chance of a pregnancy; 2 embryos has a 55% chance of a pregnancy with an equivalent increase in the chance of twins.
In the end, it turned out to absolutely be the right choice for us.
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Lost results
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
The one time there was an error was when a blood test result was lost and we had to repeat the blood test. Luckily this didn't affect any treatment cycles.
Dr. Sipe is direct and precise. He lets you know what you’re looking at and is very honest and clear about your situation. All the while, he’s still able to show compassion and very willing to hear you out and try to ease any concerns.... The intial steps were a series of tests throughout my cycle to make sure everything was okay. Everything came back fine except my progesterone level. It was lower than he would have liked to see so I was prescribed Clomid 50mg for 5 days. Once that was through they monitored the follicles to make sure they were growing okay, and when they got to a sufficient size, I did a trigger shot of hcg to force ovulation. The following day and the day after that they performed an IUI. 12 days later they did a blood test and found I was pregnant! Prescribed me Crinone 8% vaginal gel to help my progesterone levels continue to rise, which I continued for 30 days. Had a vaginal Ultrasound at 5 weeks and found out it’s twins!
Wonderful staff and beautiful office [at Fertility Centers of Illinois] . Many locations so if there isn’t an appointment available, you do have the option of seeing another clinic considering most of the tests are time sensitive. It felt like the nurses are always available or get back to you quickly. Never any mishaps or confusion, the staff seemed to always be aware and on top of everything.
How was your experience with Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Sipe is direct and precise. He lets you know what you’re looking at and is very honest and clear about your situation. All the while, he’s still able to show compassion and very willing to hear you out and try to ease any concerns.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
See him, he’s great!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
The entire staff was helpful and kind. There were many quick appointments and tests but I never felt like I was just being shuffled around. They always took time to answer any questions and make sure I felt comfortable.
Describe the protocols Christopher Sipe used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
The intial steps were a series of tests throughout my cycle to make sure everything was okay. Everything came back fine except my progesterone level. It was lower than he would have liked to see so I was prescribed Clomid 50mg for 5 days. Once that was through they monitored the follicles to make sure they were growing okay, and when they got to a sufficient size, I did a trigger shot of hcg to force ovulation. The following day and the day after that they performed an IUI. 12 days later they did a blood test and found I was pregnant! Prescribed me Crinone 8% vaginal gel to help my progesterone levels continue to rise, which I continued for 30 days. Had a vaginal Ultrasound at 5 weeks and found out it’s twins!
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
All the nurses were incredible. Kind and patient and very knowledgeable. They did so much during the whole process and I will forever be grateful for all their help.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Wonderful staff and beautiful office. Many locations so if there isn’t an appointment available, you do have the option of seeing another clinic considering most of the tests are time sensitive. It felt like the nurses are always available or get back to you quickly. Never any mishaps or confusion, the staff seemed to always be aware and on top of everything.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Thankfully my insurance had great coverage, once I met my $3000 deductible. That is the amount I paid for everything excluding the specimen.
Dr. Sipe has a very sympathetic and kind disposition. He helped my husband and I keep a sense of humor throughout this process, which really resonated with us. He was also very upfront about the risks of multiples and advised against multiple embryo transfers in our particular situation. He took great care to explain our test results and treatments. We met with him at our first initial consult, a follow-up consult to begin IUI treatment, a consult to begin IVF treatment and then a r
[Nurse at FCI] Agnes called me with test results and always responded to my emails in a timely fashion if I emailed her with lower-priority questions. It was obvious to me that she works with a lot of patients because she would not remember specific details about my past with the practice, such as whether or not I had IUIs prior to IVF, etc. The more time I spent with the practice, the more familiar I felt she was with me. When other nurses subbed in for Agnes or when I was monitored over the weekend at a different office, I found that other nurses often gave me more information as far as specific numbers; sometimes I would have to ask for exact values rather than just hearing from her that they were "good" or "normal" or "a little low."
How was your experience with Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Sipe has a very sympathetic and kind disposition. He helped my husband and I keep a sense of humor throughout this process, which really resonated with us. He was also very upfront about the risks of multiples and advised against multiple embryo transfers in our particular situation. He took great care to explain our test results and treatments. We met with him at our first initial consult, a follow-up consult to begin IUI treatment, a consult to begin IVF treatment and then a review of our first IVF cycle, which failed, to talk about what he would change for the second cycle. He also did perform my embryo retrieval. 3 different other doctors performed my first transfer, second retrieval and second transfer--doctors in the practice rotate for those procedures and you work with whomever is on duty that day. Dr. Sipe is just the right combination of frank and empathetic.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Do your own research and ask questions! The more you show that you know about the process, the better conversations you can have. Also, there are no dumb questions. Dr. Sipe can break down anything for you and make it more understandable.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
FCI is a very large organization, but I primarily went to a suburban satellite office that was small in size. There was always the same receptionist, same billing person, my doctor and three nurses. 90% of the time, it was my primary nurse who called with my results. It was only on weekends for monitoring for my two IUIs and IVF cycles that I felt more like a number when I had to go to their central River North location. The waiting rooms are full and several women are herded in many at a time for ultrasounds and blood draws. During IVF procedures, however, the experience was very intimate and we did not feel like a number at all.
Describe the protocols Christopher Sipe used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
For the first IVF cycle, we did the standard protocol for an unexplained diagnosis: One month birth control, Lupron for suppression, followed by Follistim and Menopur. We retrieved 11 eggs, 8 of which were mature and 4 fertilized. 3 made it to Day 3, he recommended we transfer 2 10-cell embryos and the third leftover made it to blastocyst and was frozen. At our IVF post-mortem, Dr. Sipe told us that I didn't respond as well as hoped to this protocol and that my follicles grew in a wide spread of sizes. His goal with the second cycle would be to change the protocol with the goal of creating more eggs that are closer in size. The second cycle protocol was three days of Ganirelix only for suppression, followed by higher doses of Follistim and Menopur, then Ganirelix introduced again prior to retrieval. The second cycle retrieved 11 eggs, all 11 were mature, 8 fertilized and 6 made it to blastocyst stage on Day 5. We transferred one single embryo on Day 5 and have just received two positive betas with hope for a successful pregnancy. We have 1 embryo frozen from the first cycle and 5 from the second cycle for future attempts. Though we did not meet the goal of creating MORE eggs the second cycle, it was far and away a better cycle with better results, and my follicles grew close in size with the second protocol. It was obvious throughout the whole cycle that my body responded better. I was also more relaxed because I knew what to expect.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Agnes)
Agnes called me with test results and always responded to my emails in a timely fashion if I emailed her with lower-priority questions. It was obvious to me that she works with a lot of patients because she would not remember specific details about my past with the practice, such as whether or not I had IUIs prior to IVF, etc. The more time I spent with the practice, the more familiar I felt she was with me. When other nurses subbed in for Agnes or when I was monitored over the weekend at a different office, I found that other nurses often gave me more information as far as specific numbers; sometimes I would have to ask for exact values rather than just hearing from her that they were "good" or "normal" or "a little low."
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
FCI has a state of the art IVF clinic that's one of the biggest and best in the area, which I consider a good thing for IVF because you want experience on your side when it comes to embryologists and doctors. One thing to keep in mind is that the chances are small that your doctor will perform one or more of your procedures. Nurses perform IUIs and the doctors rotate for retrievals and transfers. I had 4 different doctors (one was my own doctor) for the 2 retrievals and 2 transfers I did and you will be meeting those doctors on the day of the procedure just a few minutes before. Being monitored at one of the smaller suburban satellite offices provided a more intimate experience than the main hub in River North, which is higher volume.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
We have insurance coverage for infertility after meeting our $5,000 deductible. Items not covered by our insurance included backup sperm freeze for IVF ($500) and embryo freezing ($1200 up front plus additional yearly cost, about $500)
Describe Christopher Sipe's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Dr. Sipe recommended a single embryo transfer on Day 5 for my age (35). We also wanted to reduce the risk of multiples and we agreed with this recommendation.
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Lost appointments
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
For our first IUI, we were scheduled for the procedure on Friday for Monday morning. Because my nurse called after office hours and the scheduler had gone home for the day, our IUI appointment did not get on the actual schedule. We showed up early Monday morning and the staff was not expecting us for our IUI. The one andrology staff member had been moved to a different office that morning because they were needed elsewhere and the schedule at our clinic showed no IUIs. Once the oversight was realized, the staff worked quickly to resolve the problem and sent us to a nearby clinic 20 minutes away to have our IUI. As an added complication, we brought our semen sample with us and were on a time limit, which added to the stress. This was not any one person's fault, but rather a perfect storm of scheduling snafus that could have been prevented if a better system was in place. I notified my doctor of the situation (he was away at a conference at the time) and he responded quickly and apologetically, which I appreciated. We never had a scheduling problem after that first time.
He [Dr. Christopher Sipe] is a smart doctor. He relies heavily on results, studies, and research. We appreciate all of those things but also wanted compassion and personalization. I also didn't enjoy the 'poor responder" placed on me much of the time. We also felt that we had to do a lot of homework as supplemental treatments weren't really discussed. I didn't like feeling like we had to remember everything to ask or it wouldn't be offered.
I found the nursing staff [at FCI River North] to be very frustrating with sharing conflicting/competing information, the lack of compassion, and lack of information shared about procedures. I felt that I had to turn into a nurse myself to make sure I was aware of what all was happening to my body and I found that to be unacceptable. The whole experience added so much more stress to an already stressful situation.
How was your experience with Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
He is a smart doctor. He relies heavily on results, studies, and research. We appreciate all of those things but also wanted compassion and personalization. I also didn't enjoy the 'poor responder" placed on me much of the time. We also felt that we had to do a lot of homework as supplemental treatments weren't really discussed. I didn't like feeling like we had to remember everything to ask or it wouldn't be offered.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Don't expect to be coddled and do your own homework.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
A little too blunt for our taste. It often felt like information shared was in the form of "ripping the bandaid off" and with dry humor. We always wanted the honest answers but would have preferred more compassion surrounding this topic.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Antoinette Higgins )
We primarily worked with Anto Higgins and she was the shining light in our experience with Dr.Sipe and River North FCI. The only thing I felt bad about was that Anto would take any of the negative feedback/ frustrations that we shared personally. I found the nursing staff to be very frustrating with sharing conflicting/competing information, the lack of compassion, and lack of information shared about procedures. I felt that I had to turn into a nurse myself to make sure I was aware of what all was happening to my body and I found that to be unacceptable. The whole experience added so much more stress to an already stressful situation.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
It feels like a cattle call, but you typically aren't waiting too long. I've had many issues with calling and not being able to leave a voicemail or have one returned in a timely manner with trying to book appointments.
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
I thought Dr. Sipe was knowledgeable and kind. He made sure we understood what was happening. Our clinic was large, so while he did our consultation, explained what we were testing (and did some himself) and gave the results and prescribed next steps, I did not see him each time I was in the clinic. For me this was fine because it meant I didn't need to be there as long each time... He will tell you what is going on in a way you can understand, but doesn't seem big on sugar-coating.
Weaknesses [at FCI]: men are considered not the primary patient. With MFI this is a huge weakness. My husband felt uncomfortable in the sperm rooms because they were off of the main hallway and he could hear all the people coming and going, and his calls were not always returned the way mine are. They need to remember male patients are often half of the equation. Also very large, so it can feel like a cattle call during blood draws and ultrasounds in the morning.
How was your experience with Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
I thought Dr. Sipe was knowledgeable and kind. He made sure we understood what was happening. Our clinic was large, so while he did our consultation, explained what we were testing (and did some himself) and gave the results and prescribed next steps, I did not see him each time I was in the clinic. For me this was fine because it meant I didn't need to be there as long each time.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
He will tell you what is going on in a way you can understand, but doesn't seem big on sugar-coating.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Sipe was very friendly, and it helped that he went to med school with my husband's urologist. He used humor at times (never in a way that made me uncomfortable), and he was respectful of our apprehension/pessimism. He did a good job explaining the steps, which I appreciated. But I should note that while he treated me he was not on call for my retrieval or transfer, so different doctors did the actual procedures. But it was explained this was a possibility at the very beginning, so it wasn't a surprise.
Describe the protocols Christopher Sipe used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
We needed ivf with icsi due to male factor issues, so we were trying to limit my follicle growth without suppressing. Sorry, but I don't remember my protocols exactly.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Antoinette and Megan)
I worked very closely with the nurses and emailed them often. They called frequently (sometimes daily) to tell me anything about my blood draws and any changes to my protocol. There was one day where I did not get a call (my coordinator was off) and sort of freaked out, but after calling and leaving a message I had a prompt response. All told, it was a good experience.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Strengths: top embryologists, super organized, convenient to my home and work, clean, made parking accessible.
Weaknesses: men are considered not the primary patient. With MFI this is a huge weakness. My husband felt uncomfortable in the sperm rooms because they were off of the main hallway and he could hear all the people coming and going, and his calls were not always returned the way mine are. They need to remember male patients are often half of the equation. Also very large, so it can feel like a cattle call during blood draws and ultrasounds in the morning.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
There was a financial counselor assigned to our case, which was helpful. They ran our insurance and gave us the best description of services and costs (better than the insurance company), and it was very accurate. Since we had insurance coverage our costs were very luckily minimal.
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.
One day during my cycle they missed calling about my results and any changes to my protocol. We were told not to worry about not hearing back until 6 pm. When I still hadn't heard I left a message and the nurse on call called me back to tell me my results and that my protocol was unchanged. This only happened once, and while that day was made more stressful, overall I wouldn't say it negatively impacted my experience since they made a quick response and apology.
He [Dr. Sipe] is kind and comforting during what is an extremely stressful process. You don't get a lot of time with him. Frankly, I only saw him when I was in for a consult. Over a year, I believe we had 5 consults, but I was okay with that. His job was to get me pregnant and to oversee my treatment not to hold my hand for every step of the way...You are your own best advocate. My advice is to go in prepared with a list of questions. Chances are Dr. Sipe will answer them without you having to ask them, but it's good to have them handy. Time with an FCI doctor is precious so use it to your advantage and ask as many questions as you want/need to...
My understanding is that FCI is the third largest infertility practice in the country. This means there are a LOT of patients in the waiting room (especially at the River North Clinic) and you may feel like a number. Do not let this alarm you! There are numerous benefits of being at a large practice. Their SART numbers are fantastic. They have a lot of experience dealing with a variety of diagnoses (male infertility factor, low AMH, etc.). They have many experienced phlebotomists and ultra sound technicians and do their best to move through patients as quickly as possible...
How was your experience with Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Sipe is an excellent clinician. He was sympathetic, comforting, and compassionate. Most importantly, he is kind.
He took the time to walk through our diagnosis and recent test results. He answered all of our questions (many before we even asked them).
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
You are your own best advocate. My advice is to go in prepared with a list of questions. Chances are Dr. Sipe will answer them without you having to ask them, but it's good to have them handy. Time with an FCI doctor is precious so use it to your advantage and ask as many questions as you want/need to.
Dr. Sipe will never make you feel rushed and he will always walk through each step of your treatment. If you need him to repeat himself, he will.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
FCI is a large practice and you will feel like a number when you go in for blood work and ultra sounds, but Dr. Sipe makes every effort to engage with you when you go in for consults. He is kind and comforting during what is an extremely stressful process.
You don't get a lot of time with him. Frankly, I only saw him when I was in for a consult. Over a year, I believe we had 5 consults, but I was okay with that. His job was to get me pregnant and to oversee my treatment not to hold my hand for every step of the way.
Describe the protocols Christopher Sipe used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
We transferred from another practice in a different state. Dr. Sipe was recommended to us by a friend who works in infertility (i.e., he is an embryologist in a different state and reached out to his network to get us a referral).
Because we participate in a health insurance plan (Aetna) that follows the Illinois mandate, we were required to do 6 cycles of Clomid with IUI before we could get cleared to do IVF. After the first 3 failed cycles, Dr. Sipe wanted us to move to IVF but we had to do 3 more cycles before we could get approved. He expressed sympathy and frustration at the needless bureaucracy.
After getting cleared for IVF, we did the long Lupron protocol and did a fresh embryo transfer, which worked! We are now pregnant and have several embryos that we were able to freeze.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Meghan)
Meghan is an incredibly sympathetic and kind nurse. She always answered my questions and promptly responded to my phone calls and e-mails.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
My understanding is that FCI is the third largest infertility practice in the country. This means there are a LOT of patients in the waiting room (especially at the River North Clinic) and you may feel like a number. Do not let this alarm you! There are numerous benefits of being at a large practice. Their SART numbers are fantastic. They have a lot of experience dealing with a variety of diagnoses (male infertility factor, low AMH, etc.). They have many experienced phlebotomists and ultra sound technicians and do their best to move through patients as quickly as possible.
If you can, try to get a doctor who does IVF procedures at the River North Clinic (as opposed to the Highland Park Clinic), because patients at River North can do retrievals and transfers based on their own cycle unlike patients at the Highland Park Clinic who have to cycle up when FCI has time at the clinic.
Tip: If you're doing monitoring out of the River North Clinic, try to make your appointments around 9:15AM -- you miss the 1st morning rush and come in before the 2nd morning rush.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Treatment covered by insurance -- we paid copays and coinsurance.
He [Dr Sipe] also never pushed us to pursue any course of treatment and was willing to work with us - we wanted to use any embryo we created but also didn't want 10 children, so we limited the number of eggs we attempted to fertilize. It was clearly not normal procedure for the clinic, but he was willing to do what we were comfortable with. Anything negative I would say about him would actually be about the clinic or certain nurses, so perhaps the negative about him is t
I've heard it [FCI] described as a "baby factory". I personally don't think this is completely fair. It seemed to me that the doctors were willing to and wanting to deviate from "normal" protocols for individual women and do what is best for each patient. I even had a doctor perform a procedure on a holiday at the request of Dr. Sipe just because I had been traveling and if we didn't do it on this particular day, my next IVF would have been delayed by another month.
How was your experience with Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Sipe listened to our concerns and responded with helpful advice (encouraging us to seek further information from third parties so we didn't feel as though the information was biased). He always seemed to remember information about us as though he really did remember us (I have a hard time believing any doctor really remembers many of their patients :)), always set us at ease by joking with us, and showed a lot of compassion for the rocky rough road of infertility. He also never pushed us to pursue any course of treatment and was willing to work with us - we wanted to use any embryo we created but also didn't want 10 children, so we limited the number of eggs we attempted to fertilize. It was clearly not normal procedure for the clinic, but he was willing to do what we were comfortable with. Anything negative I would say about him would actually be about the clinic or certain nurses, so perhaps the negative about him is that he didn't watch a particular nurse closely enough, but I'm not sure how much control he has over that.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Be willing to voice all of your concerns - he will listen and he will do his best to reassure/respond.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
My husband and I were very hesitant to pursue IVF for ethical reasons. Rather than just writing us off or dismissing our concerns, he addressed our concerns and encouraged us to talk with a Christian doctor we trusted or a pastor at our church. It is thanks to his willingness to listen that we now have 3 beautiful children.
Describe the protocols Christopher Sipe used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
I know there were adjustments made from my first IVF cycle (4 embryos created, negative pregnancy test with first two embryos, and chemical pregnancy with FET with remaining two) to the second, and I believe it was to potentially improve the quality of the eggs retrieved (we were limiting the number of eggs retrieved and fertilized for our personal ethical reasons). The successful IVF cycle (twins with the 2 embryos, and then singleton with FET with remaining embryo two years later), we asked that Dr. Sipe do ICSI with only half of the eggs we were choosing to fertilize. Of the 10 we chose to fertilize (we froze the rest), 2 of the non-ICSI eggs became our twins, and 1 of the 5 ICSI became our singleton. The rest didn't make it.
We started with birth control pills the cycle before retrieval and added lupron a little under a month later (my cycles were always screwy, and I always developed cysts with the birth control pills that slowed the process down). I don't remember cycle dates of when we started the remaining medications, but as we were trying to limit the number of eggs retrieved, we lowered the dosage of medications for the second round. I was on Lupron, Follistim, and Menopur for stim. Then did the HCG shot, and began progesterone in oil injections, vivelle dot patches, and baby aspirin during the 2ww. (And beyond for this cycle!)
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: I will only review the final one I had (who was awesome - as opposed to the previous two))
My final primary nurse (I had several over the years) was awesome (how can I not remember her name?!). She was so caring and was willing to talk on the phone as long as I needed, answered any stupid questions I had (I had already gone through 2 IVFs and an FET at this point, so you would think I didn't have any more questions). She was so compassionate - I really like her a lot. The first I had no longer works at FCI, but she was terrible - if she was still working there after messing up one of my cycles really badly - resulting in cancelling it and delaying starting again for 2 months - we would have requested a different nurse. Thankfully she had moved on (of her own choice). The second was ok - Amanda, she just didn't have great "bedside manners", but she was efficient and organized. She may have been going through something because some days she was really friendly and others she seemed to be in a bad mood.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
I've heard it described as a "baby factory". I personally don't think this is completely fair. It seemed to me that the doctors were willing to and wanting to deviate from "normal" protocols for individual women and do what is best for each patient. I even had a doctor perform a procedure on a holiday at the request of Dr. Sipe just because I had been traveling and if we didn't do it on this particular day, my next IVF would have been delayed by another month. He didn't have to do this, but he was willing to help us out. I appreciate that it's a huge clinic as it meant I didn't have to "cycle with other women" - we did it on my cycle, and there were doctors available every day of the week. Dr. Sipe did not perform all of my procedures, but that didn't bother me, either, as I know all the doctors at this clinic are very good at what they do.
Although at first I felt a bit nameless in the clinic, by the time I got pregnant with my twins, the nurses and office staff were asking to see the ultrasound pics and celebrating with me. They knew me by name and were so compassionate and kind. I cried when we left for the final time because although I was glad to have that journey behind me, I appreciated the people who worked in the clinic very much and still kind of miss seeing them at 6:00 in the morning!
It was also super helpful that they have clinics all over Chicagoland as I was able to do a lot of the monitoring at a clinic that was closer to my place of work, thus meaning I didn't miss work as much as I otherwise would have.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
We had fantastic medical insurance, so I'm not entirely sure. I do know that when we had the first round of testing done and discovered that insurance didn't cover these tests, we didn't think we could afford to do anything else, but the clinic worked with us so that we could continue. The woman I talked to on the phone from the billing office was absolutely wonderful.
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Failed to call with results
Failed to order appropriate test
Failed to send your chart to another clinic
Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information
Canceled a cycle due to clinic error
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
All of these errors was due to one nurse that no longer works at the clinic. I don't want to get too personal, but from what I heard, if she had not decided to leave the clinic on her own, she would have been asked to leave.
There was one time that there was some miscommunication about my going to a different clinic, but I called in the afternoon and the problem was resolved quickly. I was always on top of when I was supposed to hear and knew when the clinic closed so that I could make sure to call before they closed if I had not heard anything. This was the only time it was an issue outside of the issues with the previous nurse.
Dr. Sipe keeps adjusting protocols until things are right...If you are looking for a doctor who is warm and light hearted, with a sense of humor, he is it.
Overall you could tell FCI saw a lot of patients and to me that meant a lot of experience. Great follow up and explanation of steps and medication. My only complaint - and this isn't JJ specific, is FCI didn't do a great job of explaining the shot process (both abdominal and in the behind).
How was your experience with Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Sipe was very good about being warm and compassionate. At times we could have used more "information" but once we asked the right questions, we always got the answers we needed. I loved that he would do any and all procedures (IUI, retrieval, transfers, etc) if he was available. I still remember his personal call to me to let me know I was pregnant. He made sure to make himself available when we had important things to discuss, milestones to hit, changes in treatment, next steps, good news, bad news and all in-between!
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
If you are looking for a doctor who is warm and light hearted, with a sense of humor, he is it. He treats you like a person not a number. He keeps adjusting protocols until things are right. I loved working with him and would recommend him to friends and family who are struggling with infertility.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Sipe, in my opinion, had a very warm bedside manor. He helped keep things as "light" as they could be, and walked us through the process. We had questions, and hiccups along the way, but overall we had a good experience! He made sure that if he was available to do a procedure, he did it. He also took the time to call us with results, updates, etc!
Describe the protocols Christopher Sipe used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
My issue was not getting a period to return after getting off the pill (I was on the pill for 15 years). He used a mixture of clomid, progesterone and estrogen supplementation just to get my period started (took a year of trial and error). Once I got my period, we tried a cycle with injectables and tried naturally, which was unsuccessful. We tried again another cycle for IUI with injectables and were unsuccessful. We tried IUI again with a different protocol and ended up canceling the cycle because I was overstimulated. We tried our last IUI and ended up with a chemical pregnancy. From there we switched to IVF and our fist attempt was successful! - for IVF we used Lupron, Menopur, and Follistim, also I had to be on progesterone supplementation throughout.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: JJ)
JJ (who I believe is not longer at FCI) was warm and caring. She was exactly what I needed in a nurse. Great follow up and explanation of steps and medication. My only complaint - and this isn't JJ specific, is the clinic didn't do a great job of explaining the shot process (both abdominal and in the behind). We could have used more help there and had to do a lot of web research on how to best administer shots.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
It is one of the largest, if not the largest in the city. The number of patients there didn't bother me, but some say it feels like a "factory". To me it just meant "I'm not alone, there are others in the same state as me." Overall you could tell they saw a lot of patients and to me that meant a lot of experience.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Monitoring was easy, I would just go early in the am and wait, but never more than 10-15 minutes for blood draws and/or ultrasounds.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
I don't remember, we had great insurance (luckily), and had to pay maybe 10% out of pocket.
Dr. Sipe has many patients but he has always spent as much time as my husband and I needed. We experienced two miscarriages and he showed us compassion and listened to our concerns and heartache. He has a positive approach. He is very personable and is honest with his professional opinion...is an excellent physician. He takes the time to explain prognosis and outcomes. Dr. Sipe gives evidence based recommendations and will not offer false hope by recommending the latest trends in Fertility treatment . He’s friendly, funny and professional.
Liala [nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois] called me consistently with information the day of my appointments. She is excellent with communication and responds the same day to messages...There is a large waiting room that can get busy but that doesn’t bother me. I felt the wait times were short but I was usually there early...I feel the clinic is extremely proficient and the staff are professional. The facility is clean, there are short wait times during peak hours and people are friendly. The billing department can be difficult.
How was your experience with Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr Sipe is an excellent physician. He takes the time to explain prognosis and outcomes. Dr. Sipe gives evidence based recommendations and will not offer false hope by recommending the latest trends in Fertility treatment . He’s friendly, funny and professional.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Write things down. Ask questions. Do your research.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Dr. Sipe has many patients but he has always spent as much time as my husband and I needed. We experienced two miscarriages and he showed us compassion and listened to our concerns and heartache. He has a positive approach. He is very personable and is honest with his professional opinion.
Describe the protocols Christopher Sipe used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
I don’t remember the dosage but I was on birth control and Lupron to suppress hormones. Then given follistim, menopur and minivelle as my cycle progressed. Progesterone in oil 5 days prior to transfer.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Liala)
Liala called me consistently with information the day of my appointments. She is excellent with communication and responds the same day to messages.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
I feel the clinic is extremely proficient and the staff are professional. The facility is clean, there are short wait times during peak hours and people are friendly. The billing department can be difficult.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
There is a large waiting room that can get busy but that doesn’t bother me. I felt the wait times were short but I was usually there early.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
I can’t recall
Describe Christopher Sipe's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
I was on menopur and follistum both rounds but starts with Lupron and went to Ganirelix for the 2nd round [with Dr. Christoper Sipe]... He was knowledgeable and patient. He explained everything and made us feel comfortable. He truly seemed like he wanted to help us start our family. He was willing to meet with us whenever we needed him. He also removed a polyp before our first retrieval and I felt very safe and in good hands.
They [Fertility Centers of Illinois] are organized and efficient. I never waited more than 10 minutes for an appointment. They also have a Chicago office for weekend appointments. The retrieval’s were both smooth and I was very comfortable each time...They got to know me and really took great care of me... The clinic helped me out with medication when I ran out of coverage...I enjoyed chatting with Robin when I needed blood drawn. Stacy was a Great tech. And Patricia eased my nerves with every change and helped me with meds when I was running low.
How was your experience with Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
He was knowledgeable and patient. He explained everything and made us feel comfortable. He truly seemed like he wanted to help us start our family. He was willing to meet with us whenever we needed him. He also removed a polyp before our first retrieval and I felt very safe and in good hands.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
Go into Ivf with an open mind. This can take some time. Also ask about the statistics for your specific age. That is very important to manage expectations.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
His staff was amazing. They got to know me and really took great care of me.
Describe the protocols Christopher Sipe used in your cycles at Fertility Centers of Illinois and their degree of success.
I was on menopur and follistum both rounds but starts with Lupron and went to Ganirelix for the 2nd round. The clinic helped me out with medication when I ran out of coverage. I had better results with Lupron.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Fertility Centers of Illinois. (Assigned nurse: Patricia)
The entire staff was excellent. They all knew me by name and did their best to make me feel comfortable. I enjoyed chatting with Robin when I needed blood drawn. Stacy was a Great tech. And Patricia eased my nerves with every change and helped me with meds when I was running low.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
They are organized and efficient. I never waited more than 10 minutes for an appointment. They also have a Chicago office for weekend appointments. The retrieval’s were both smooth and I was very comfortable each time.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
I have a blue cross PPO. Both my procedures were covered at 100 percent. They were around $5000. All the monitoring was covered by insurance as well.
While I appreciated that he [Dr. Sipe] would try to simply diagnosis and treatment for us (non-scientific folk), it came across as though he wasn’t as driven to get results - felt more like he was trying to be our friend. When after the second transfer (all from 1 Retrieval) we still weren’t pregnant, we changed treatment protocol for our 2nd Retrieval...He was always very personable and empathetic - he often tried to lighten the mood by making jokes.
There were always long waits on a Monday or holiday...mornings were certainly the busiest. They [FCI - Chi] definitely seem to over schedule themselves a lot! The billing team was always friendly, I felt like they were all rooting for us too! Not so much can be said for general reception. They would forget to record that you arrived (despite filling out a form) which meant you racked up lovely parking bills.
How was your experience with Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
While I appreciated that he would try to simply diagnosis and treatment for us (non-scientific folk), it came across as though he wasn’t as driven to get results - felt more like he was trying to be our friend.
When after the second transfer (all from 1 Retrieval) we still weren’t pregnant, we changed treatment protocol for our 2nd Retrieval...we got less eggs but NO embryos. He recommended just going back to the initial protocol for our 3rd Retrieval (we decided to get a 2nd opinion instead).
He also didn’t fully disclose efficacy risks of freezing/thawing to genetic test/freezing to wait for Transfer/thawing for Transfer...we wasted 2 embryos that were perfectly fine
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
If you want friendly, he’s your Dr!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
He was always very personable and empathetic - he often tried to lighten the mood by making jokes.
Describe your experience with Fertility Centers of Illinois.
There were always long waits on a Monday or holiday...mornings were certainly the busiest. They definitely seem to over schedule themselves a lot! The billing team was always friendly, I felt like they were all rooting for us too!
Not so much can be said for general reception. They would forget to record that you arrived (despite filling out a form) which meant you racked up lovely parking bills.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Cattle call, with a line around the corner
Describe the costs associated with your care under Christopher Sipe at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
It varied greatly as my insurance went from not being covered to pseudo covered
What specific things went wrong at Fertility Centers of Illinois?
