Edward Illions
Advanced Reproductive Medicine (U of CO)
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Medical SchoolThomas Jefferson
ResidencyAlbert Einstein
FellowshipWalter Reed
Denver
3055 Roslyn St., Room 230
Denver, CO 80238
(303) 724-8089
Colorado Springs
4125 Briargate Pkwy
Colorado Springs, CO 80920
(719) 314-3333
4 assessments
5
Age
31
Treated
2019
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
IUI
Diagnosis
Unexplained
5
when the follow up consult came the doctor [Dr. Illions] spent more than 10 minutes reading to himself the results of the various tests. I felt like he was unprepared and the comments he did make while reading made it clear he had no recollection of meeting me or performing some of these tests himself...was very straight forward and happy to explain or discuss topics further when asked specific questions. I do feel he was very qualified as an RE and I appreciate him sharing that knowledge so openly.
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Age
31
Treated
2019
Success with this Doc
?
Race
European
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Engineer
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
IUI
Diagnosis
Unexplained
5
How was your experience with Edward Illions at Advanced Reproductive Medicine (U of CO)?
Doctor Illions was very straight forward and happy to explain or discuss topics further when asked specific questions. I do feel he was very qualified as an RE and I appreciate him sharing that knowledge so openly. I only wish he had taken the time to review our results and formulate what to say to us before calling us back for our follow up consult. That would've gone a long way in making me feel less like a number or complete stranger and more like a human being in which he's met several times and seen all there is to see down there.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Edward Illions at Advanced Reproductive Medicine (U of CO)?
Come to the appointment with all your questions in hand, he will be open to answering them so don't hold back. Tell him when you feel you didn't get the feedback/results for any testing you've had done.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Edward Illions at Advanced Reproductive Medicine (U of CO)?
During the initial consultation I did feel like a human but as the diagnostic testing continued and the follow up appointment came around I felt like a number. The diagnostic testing seemed disorganized. I had to tell them what I thought I was expecting them to do that day when I arrived based on the reading material I had been given. No one ever called me with my test results. I had an ovarian ultrasound and no one gave me any feedback on it what so ever. A month later when the follow up consult came the doctor spent more than 10 minutes reading to himself the results of the various tests. I felt like he was unprepared and the comments he did make while reading made it clear he had no recollection of meeting me or performing some of these tests himself.
Describe the protocols Edward Illions used in your cycles at Advanced Reproductive Medicine (U of CO) and their degree of success.
At our follow up consult we were diagnosed with unexplained infertility - meaning he couldn't identify anything keeping us from getting pregnant. That came with a statistical possibility of 1-4% of us getting pregnant on our own each month. With that he recommended we pursue medicated IUI cycles. He explained that with medication (Letrozole specifically) we'd gain another 4% and with IUI yet another 4%. So even with all that our monthly chance of getting pregnant would be around 10-12% or about half that of a normal couple.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
The nurse I had the most interactions with was stand offish and cold. On one particular occasion she was disorganized as well. She did not set up the exam room for the correct procedure so she had to enter after I was undressed to put away everything she had out and put out the actual needed items. Then the doctor came in to perform said procedure and it turns out he needed a negative pregnancy test before continuing. So he left, I had to redress, go to the bathroom to provide the sample, and then wait another 10-15 minutes for the doctor to finally return and do the procedure. I'm sure she was having a bad day on this particular day, we all have them but her attitude wasn't great that day or any other day she was my nurse despite me trying to make light of the situation. A better attitude would've helped a lot.
Describe your experience with Advanced Reproductive Medicine (U of CO).
Very disorganized. It seemed like no one talked to anyone about anything. On days when I needed labs done in addition to whatever procedure was happening there was no one directing me to the lab when I was done. I'd have to go to the front desk and tell them I still needed lab work done. When leaving you need to schedule your next appointment and that scheduler has no way of knowing what's next for you - you are responsible for telling her. If you feel like you need a guide throughout the infertility experience this is not the place for you.
If you have insurance that does not cover infertility they will not cover the diagnostic tests done here (despite being told by staff that they likely would). Their billing code for EVERYTHING includes the word infertility from the very first appointment so despite the fact the doctor was 'covered' by my insurance I had to pay for all appointments, labs, procedures out of pocket.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Edward Illions at Advanced Reproductive Medicine (U of CO).
My insurance simply states they do not cover 'infertility'. This office bills everything under a code with infertility so they wouldn't cover any of it. If this is the case for you I highly recommend you see an OBGYN first as they can run many of the same tests and will use codes that insurance will actually pay for. That's my biggest regret. We had to pay for all costs out of pocket. For initial consult + bloodwork + FemVue + CD 2-3 labs and ultrasound + follow up consult we paid close to 3k. The doctor did order some tests during a specific part of my cycle for which I went to an off site lab to do, these WERE covered by my insurance because the off site lab did not use the infertility code - this was a blessing because it saved us another $700 in labs.
What specific things went wrong at Advanced Reproductive Medicine (U of CO)?
- Failed to call with results
- Failed to order appropriate test
- Provided conflicting information
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9
Age
39 - 40
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
2 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor, Poor Egg Quality
9
Get ready for the truth [from Dr. Illions]. We had strict guidelines that we had to adhere to every step of the way to keep going. At least 3 follicles before they would do egg retrieval, at least 3 eggs before IVF - everything was very up front...I was on CoQ10 and a high dosage of DHEA going into my first IVF cycle and my 2nd...He was very sympathetic and always straight and to the point. He never led us on to believe that it would work (like another clinic in Denver did) and never lied or said things that would result in us paying more money on a hope and a prayer.
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Age
39 - 40
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
No
Race
Other
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
Marketer or PR
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
2 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor, Poor Egg Quality
9
How was your experience with Edward Illions at Advanced Reproductive Medicine (U of CO)?
Dr. Illions always responded to any questions right away. He was sympathetic and open to answer the same question more then once. He never wavered from his opinion and the clinic's stance on our treatment. He never guaranteed a healthy pregnancy but would do everything he could to help us with that.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Edward Illions at Advanced Reproductive Medicine (U of CO)?
Get ready for the truth. We had strict guidelines that we had to adhere to every step of the way to keep going. At least 3 follicles before they would do egg retrieval, at least 3 eggs before IVF - everything was very up front.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Edward Illions at Advanced Reproductive Medicine (U of CO)?
We did two cycles of IVF. First cycle resulted in 0 Day 5 blastocysts and the 2nd cycle resulted in 1 that was a fresh transfer. That embryo didn't take so Dr. Illions had to deliver terrible news to me 3 times. He was very sympathetic and always straight and to the point. He never led us on to believe that it would work (like another clinic in Denver did) and never lied or said things that would result in us paying more money on a hope and a prayer.
Describe the protocols Edward Illions used in your cycles at Advanced Reproductive Medicine (U of CO) and their degree of success.
I was a straight start protocol because my period is very consistent. Due to prolonged thyroid disease and a thyroidectormy back in January of 2017 - my egg quality was extremely low with a 6 score for my AMH. So I was on CoQ10 and a high dosage of DHEA going into my first IVF cycle and my 2nd. Due to my insurance having a $15,000 lifetime max and being at a a faulty clinic beforehand that took a ton of our money for testing - we were worried about the constant charges. We didn't do PGS testing because we only had 3 embryos the first time (none made it to Day 5 blastocyst) and only 1 embryo the 1st time that we fresh transferred.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Advanced Reproductive Medicine (U of CO). (Assigned nurse: Claire )
I had a ton of questions daily, especially after the fresh transfer. Claire always answered them timely and with compassion. There was a time that one of the receptionists was super rude over the phone where Claire apologized and took care of that as well. I could communicate with her over their app at any time and never felt like I wasn't supported.
Describe your experience with Advanced Reproductive Medicine (U of CO).
Their nurses are their biggest strength. They are kind, compassionate and make every effort to ensure your comfortable. Their front desk staff could have some work mostly due to dealing with women on a ton of hormones. The embryologist staff were extremely kind and communicated with me often. I was super impressed with the bed side quality coming from another clinic where all they wanted was your credit card number. CU ARM cares about their patients and you can tell they aren't in it for the money.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Edward Illions at Advanced Reproductive Medicine (U of CO).
I had $15000 lifetime max with my insurance. Right now we are looking at around $24K for 2 cycles of IVF and one fresh transfer
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10
Age
32
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
3 IUI, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
—
10
He [Dr. Illions] took the time to ask questions and understand my case. When my wife and I arrived for our first visit, he was on time, and had read my complete file, reviewed all of the records i had sent over, and had a suggested course of treatment. He has been 100% invested with each step alongside of us...personally called me even after the resident had called to explain we would put the cycle on hold. He explained why we needed to wait, and gave me the timeline for when to call back and reschedule another lab.
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Age
32
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
?
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
3 IUI, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
—
10
How was your experience with Edward Illions at Advanced Reproductive Medicine (U of CO)?
The initial conversation I had was by phone-- he called back the same day I contacted the clinic to discuss my case ( I was coming from another fertility clinic). He took the time to ask questions and understand my case. When my wife and I arrived for our first visit, he was on time, and had read my complete file, reviewed all of the records i had sent over, and had a suggested course of treatment. He has been 100% invested with each step alongside of us.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Edward Illions at Advanced Reproductive Medicine (U of CO)?
If you have seen other doctors, send everything in advance. If you do your part, he will reciprocate 100%. Don't be afraid to ask questions, but also expect honest answers.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Edward Illions at Advanced Reproductive Medicine (U of CO)?
Dr. Illions take the time at each appointment to discuss the treatment, and answer all of my questions patiently, even when they are ridiculous (can i ride a motorcycle in the days following an IUI?). He also calls back rather than having someone else on staff. He remembers both of our names each time we are in the clinic and has a kind demeanor without feeling artificial.
Describe the protocols Edward Illions used in your cycles at Advanced Reproductive Medicine (U of CO) and their degree of success.
We came to the clinic having had all of the testing done elsewhere, but no actual treatment. We were able to begin our treatment the following week. According to the battery of tests, there were no known fertility issues, we just needed the sperm and insemination. Dr. Illions sent in an RX for ovidrel, but no other drugs since the testing didn't show anything that would cause us to believe it would be the first course of action. After three IUI's, Dr. Illions suggested beginning a medicated cycle. We got hung up on thyroid levels as we began the 4th cycle. Dr. Illions personally called me even after the resident had called to explain we would put the cycle on hold. He explained why we needed to wait, and gave me the timeline for when to call back and reschedule another lab.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
The RNs are just okay here. The other nursing staff does the labs, and are generally present during the IUI. The nurses are utilized more as teachers-- they meet with you after ultrasounds to tell you when to trigger. They are understandably less invested in individual patients, but my last meeting with a nurse felt like she hadn't read any of my chart. They aren't bad, just ok.
Describe your experience with Advanced Reproductive Medicine (U of CO).
The clinic itself is no frills because it is part of the University system, so it isn't as fancy as a private clinic, and doesn't have the same personalized attention. That being said, We have had an easy time scheduling because they have appointments seven days a week, and are available early mornings, which makes this entire process easier while trying to jam appointments alongside a full time job. The billing is through the university, so they are less likely, in my experience, to try and push things through insurance to try to get them covered, when they don't think they will be. Their prices changed this spring, which went into effect immediately, and now I am afraid of price fluctuation, but it was only the one time. Overall- I would recommend the clinic without any hesitation.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Edward Illions at Advanced Reproductive Medicine (U of CO).
We didn't do labs here, but wish we had-- it is, we now know, far less than at private clinics.
Consult:$250
Infectious Disease $159
Ultrasound: $210
Semen analysis/day of prep: $239
Insemination: $75
Psych council (required): $250
Describe Edward Illions's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Advanced Reproductive Medicine (U of CO).
n/a
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10
Age
40
Treated
2011
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
5 IUI
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
He [Dr Edward Illions] remembered my husband and I from visit to visit and would refer to details from previous visits. He was personable to put us at ease and even responded to my husband's mild joking at times. He answered my questions thoroughly and was responsive through their electronic contact system as well. He honored my attempts to keep things natural and less invasive at first though we needed to try a few approaches before having success.
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Age
40
Treated
2011
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Consultant
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
5 IUI
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
How was your experience with Edward Illions at Montefiore Medical Center?
He remembered my husband and I from visit to visit and would refer to details from previous visits. He was personable to put us at ease and even responded to my husband's mild joking at times. He answered my questions thoroughly and was responsive through their electronic contact system as well. He honored my attempts to keep things natural and less invasive at first though we needed to try a few approaches before having success.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Edward Illions at Montefiore Medical Center?
Push for alternatives if you're uncomfortable with anything. He seemed flexible.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Edward Illions at Montefiore Medical Center?
He was attentive to us and didn't seem rushed, but the office was a bit lax with specific directions or expectations sometimes. I feel like they forgot some people were there for the first time and didn't know what to expect and what to ask.
Describe the protocols Edward Illions used in your cycles at Montefiore Medical Center and their degree of success.
Started with monitoring ovulation, testing hormones, and treatment for slightly high prolactin levels, and a scraping of my lining, then IUI, escalated to Clomid and more IUIs, then we were on our way to IVF, but I didn't have enough follicles to make it worth it so we did an IUI last minute and I got pregnant and carried that baby to term.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
Very nice, but they were a bit lax with specific directions sometimes. I feel like they forgot some people were there for the first time and didn't know what to expect and what to ask. The educational class was helpful, but there were a couple of appointments where I was surprised by the length or a procedure I needed.
Describe your experience with Montefiore Medical Center.
Appointments were fairly easy to book, but I did see other doctors sometimes and their students (but I never minded and they were all very nice). The front desk was ok, a bit vague at times about status of appointments and wait times. Billing was mostly smooth, but I felt like I filled out a lot of the same info over and over again.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Edward Illions at Montefiore Medical Center.
I don't remember specifics except that I only had enough health insurance coverage for one round of IVF and then we would have paid out of pocket. I think each IUI cycle was about $1,200.
What specific things went wrong at Montefiore Medical Center?
- Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
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