Frank Wittmaack

At first, my husband and I appreciated his matter of fact attitude. However, when our first cycle went poorly, we were immediately dismissed as a lost cause. In addition, I was given this information over the phone, in a non-compassionate manner. The recommendation was to stop TTC immediately and pursue other options. Thankfully, we sought a second opinion, and I am now 5 months pregnant with a child made from my own eggs, and my husbands sperm. Dr. Wittmaack made us feel as if that was an outcome that could never be achieved.

Be sure to ask questions, and ask the alternatives ahead of time. I.e. - “If this doesn’t work, or we don’t get a good result, what is the next step?” Also, don’t be afraid to seek a second opinion.

I felt like I was treated like a number, because as soon as we had a failed cycle, we were a lost cause and he told us to stop trying. The method of delivering the result of the first cycle was poor, and cold.

Pretty standard Lupron/follistim/menopure protocol with an HcG trigger. Lab will allow embryo growth to day five or six. Will not freeze or transfer after day 6. Patients are batched, as there is only one doctor.

We were very pleased with the nursing staff. They were always kind, helpful and organized with us.

Strength is that it’s the only IVF clinic in north east Wisconsin, and they allow for a monthly payment plan over the course of 1 year. They also offer a 3-cycle guaranteed plan, which can be paid off over two years, and comes with a partial refund if you do not end up with a child. However, the 3 cycle plan is limited to one year from the start of the first cycle, and retrieval’s only happen if you have no embryos. Weakness, aside from our poor experience with the doctor, the scheduling is not as flexible because there is only one doctor.

Flat fee that covered everything up until the pregnancy test. For a slight upcharge (~$1,500) you could add PGS testing.

We did not get any embryos with Dr Wittmaack, so I’m unsure of their policy.

Dr. Wittmaack diagnosed me with PCOS without explaining what that meant. He is quick with explaining things and is slightly awkward when things get emotional. He also surprised me when the second round of IVF failed and showed great compassion. So I suppose he was there when we needed him and he made sure to contact me with any bad news directly.

Ask questions. Sometimes he acts like we should know things but this process is new to so many. I had to seek out supplements in hopes it improve our chances.

The nursing staff was amazing. Dr. Wittmaack is a little awkward but kind and knowledgeable. Anything I did t understand was explained by the amazing nursing staff.

We started with pills. Moved on to IUIs with trigger injections. We only did 2 IUIs which surprise me before moving into IVF. I was put on birth control to control my cycle. I took the minimum dosage for injections along with vitamin D and Dhea supplements for healthy cell development. Each IVF cycle had 14 eggs retrieved and 3 ended up blastocysts. Each time we have them tested and each time they all came back abnormal. Which is why we never reached the transfer stage. One of the eggs was slightly abnormal but we decided against transfer because of chromosome 13 being high risk. Each time we had conversations with genetics and they found nothing wrong with my husband and I. Everyone was baffled by our experience.

She clearly felt bad we weren’t having any luck. She made sure she was there with me at each visit. She took her time explaining what was expected of us timing wise and made sure we felt confident before we left the office. She always made herself available by phone.

The clinic is very inviting and warm. Once you get to the third floor, the environment is calm. The desk is always staffed and they are very welcoming. Any questions on payment is done privately so you never feel uncomfortable speaking openly. The egg retrieval is done just behind the main doors in the waiting area so everything is close by.

Ultrasounds, medication, consults

He preferred single transfer if eggs were tested. Otherwise he would transfer two.

Dr. Wittmaack made me feel very important and cared for. He hesitates between conversations leaving the door open for any questions or concerns. He made us laugh and kept us positive, especially when I was starting to feel overwhelmed by the process.

Ask questions - he gives you all the information you need to know and keeps it simple. I think he doesn't want to overwhelm you and wants you to focus on whatever step of the process you are on before you start worrying about the next. But if you're someone who wants greater detail - ask away! He's very honest and knowledgable.

Dr. Wittmaak and his staff were very kind and thorough with my husband and I. As soon as our first consultation, I knew we were in good hands. They were there for us every step of the process - from teaching us how to inject our hormones to answering all our questions. They gave us hope and took their time with us.

Because of my husband's pretty low sperm count, we went right to IVF. After an examination revealed I had a great number of follicles in my ovaries he put me on a medication that would work better for me than someone with an average amount of follicles. When my ovaries got pretty big from all those eggs, he decided to freeze our embryos and do a frozen transfer two months after the retrieval so I would not get hyper ovarian stimulation. We were disappointed to wait those extra weeks, but knew it was a good decision and so appreciate him looking out for me in the long term. We did a frozen transfer, which was successful, and they kept me on progesterone shots and inserts until week 11 to support the pregnancy. They are not messing around and want you to have a baby!

We had Sia for many of our visits - for the consultations and injection training. (She was our favorite.) She was patient and kind and knowledgeable. I felt the whole staff was helpful and kind.

The clinic is very private, which is awesome! It's right by a side entrance, a short elevator ride up and you're there. It's clean, receptionists are awesome and friendly. I always felt good being there, like we were getting closer to our baby with each visit.

We qualified for the 'shared success program.' We paid a specific amount that covered everything but medication and ensured a live birth in three IVF rounds (I believe - the specifics are on their website). If you do not achieve a live birth you get 70 percent of the money back. If felt so nice to have that extra insurance and know if it didn't work we would have a chunk of money back to put towards another means of building our family, like adoption.

Dr. Wittmaack discussed the pros and cons of putting in one embryo or two. He told us about the higher risk of pregnancy complications with multiples, but left the decision up to us. We went with one for our first transfer.

Very good doctor, we have unexplained infertility and we were told what our treatment would look like at our first visit. We started with IUI and if that didn't work we were told they would try the same thing 3 times. Not changing a thing. Hoping it will work out but im a bit hesitant.

Always ask questions if you have any! They explain every detail to you but once you start treatment it becomes a whirlwind.

We're in the middle of treatment right now so i cant fully comment on everything, but i feel like i see the nurses more than the doctor. Not sure if that's normal for clinics or not.

We were diagnosed unexplained infertility and told he would try 3 rounds of IUI all with the same medication and dosage. Even if they failed he wouldnt change a thing. If that didnt work then IVF is next. We are just starting IUI #1 so i cant really say much yet.

Love the nurses here! All very friendly and answer all your questions.

Very good at calling you about test results and returning phone calls. Only downside for me personally are the clinic hours. I live an hour away and work 1st shift which are the same hours of the clinic so its hard for me to make appointments and get off of work for them.

We have no infertility coverage so almost everything is out of pocket. One round of IUI is $1,082 (includes the insemination, sperm washing, and one ultrasound) a progesterone blood draw is $181 and each doctor visit was $370. The only thing covered for us is any bloodwork needed. Which was a lot.

Dr. Wittmaack is a very intelligent provider and truly seems to care about his patients! He explains things well and is honest but gentle with his delivery! I could not recommend him more! When our first egg retrieval failed (no normal embryos) he adjusted meds and we were able to try again with a successful transfer!

Ask questions! This is a big deal so make sure you understand. The staff will answer all of your questions and remember no question is dumb!

Dr. Wittmaack and his staff were so kind and compassionate throughout our whole process with them! We could not have gotten through this journey without their support. They always had a way of helping to calm me down when I was feeling panicked about various things!!

For my first egg retrieval he prescribed Lupron and birth control prior to starting stims. I started gonal-f and menopur for stimulation meds. Initially I was not responding to the meds and therefore they were increased! I was at risk of OHSS and was prescribed an oral med but cannot recall the name. I also had a trigger shot the use prior to the egg retrieval. For the second egg retrieval I also used birth control but no Lupron the second time. For stims I started gonal f and menopur. They also had me use cetradtide to help with OHSS and used a Lupron trigger. An antibiotic was given through IV for each retrieval.

The nursing staff were so compassionate and patient with us throughout our journey! I asked a lot of questions and also seemed to know the answer! They have seriously almost become our second family! It is clear they care and are very invested in our care and the outcome of our procedures!!

All of the staff including the receptions and billing department were so kind and helpful always! The finances rep Leanne was very helpful in explaining cost and the different payment options! The embryologists Heather and Ann Marie were so calm when delivering news, even bad news. They were very knowledgeable and explained a very complicated process to us very well! I could not recommend this clinic more!!

If I recall correctly the total cost of the IVF with frozen embryo transfer was about 23,000.

They seemed to have a preference for only transferring one embryo and did educate us as patients and ultimately gave us the choice.

Dr. Wittmaack was very nice. I did not feel like he explained the process thoroughly or the "why" for treatments/medications. I felt rushed anytime he was present. He has a hard time comforting the upset patient making awkward jokes as opposed to putting things in perspective. I feel his work up was not complete prior to starting treatments. I did not like that he did not preform all of my IUIs and I did not like that nurses do the IUIs and ultrasounds.

Be your own advocate. Ask many questions.

I felt they did treat me like a human. The receptionist knew my name when I came in. The nurses remembered my situation each time.

Letrozole + trigger + IUI

This clinic does not assign a specific nurse so at times you talk to a nurse that you've never met. There were a few very good, knowledgeable, compassionate nurses. There is no way to email them which is inconvenient for the busy person. You must call and receive a call back. They do most of the IUIs and ultrasounds. I got the feeling they were making many of the decisions as opposed to the doctor reviewed results and changing treatments or giving instructions.

Clinics strengths include a private area/waiting room for only fertility patients. The receptionist is always very friendly and knowledgeable. They were easy to contact and you were not left on hold. Weaknesses include poor billing department. They did not give me all my options and I ended up paying much more out of pocket than I should have. They do not give options for outside monitoring versus monitoring treatment in their clinic for distant patients.

There are no options for the patient that is traveling from a distant location. Either you pay the package deal and have everything done at that clinic or you pay very high costs for individual services. You must pay for every consult every time meeting with the doctor

From the very beginning Dr. Wittmaack was ready and willing to help. After advising my husband and I that IVF was probably our best route he never pressured us for an answer immediately. We took 7-8 months and when we were ready to try he was there and excited to help us. He would call me himself when something didn't turn out right or for test results. Communication was amazing and much appreciated.

Be ready for one hell of a journey. Dr. Wittmaack will have your back the whole way. But be ready to not always get the answers you want or expect.

The Dr. was really nice. Whenever I called the receptionists were kind. The nurses became family to me.

I went through 2 egg retrievals. The protocol was different each time. The first one was pretty basic and we got 12 eggs. We opted for genetic testing so at the end we had 1 female egg that sadly didn't take. For the next retrieval he had me take DHA and CoQ10 for 3 months beforehand. We got 22 eggs second time around! Again we did genetic testing and ended up with 4 female eggs to work with. Each one of my transfers were a little different too. Just little things were tweaked like amount and times I took my progesterone injections. And in between there were tests he had me take and do as well to figure out why my transfers weren't working. I can't remember what the test is called where they insert saline solution, I've had done a couple times. And I've also had the test done that's like a mock transfer. I take all the meds and get my body ready for a transfer but instead of transfer he removed a piece of uterine lining to see if when we were doing the transfer was the right time.

I can't say enough about the nursing staff here!! Brooke in particular was very understanding as she was also a patient not just a nurse. All the nurses there were so kind, patient, warm, understanding, compassionate, and really became like a family.

They're really willing to try and schedule things that work best for you. We had to drive an hour to get to appointments and they were very courteous of that. They were also amazing when it came to setting up payments that worked for us.

We did 2 retrievals and 5 transfers. I don't remember specific prices for specific procedures but I know in totally we paid well over $25,000

For me because of my age we only transferred 1 embryo. We never really discussed more because my husband was terrified of multiples haha!

Dr. Wittmaack can be a little hard to understand because German is his first language. He always double checks to make sure I understood the information before I left my visits. He got to know me personally through all of my appointments and always took time to answer my questions.

Ask lots of questions and don't be afraid to reask them to make sure you completely understand your course of treatment.

My treatment was very individualized. Dr. Wittmaack saw me at every appointment and got to know me personally.

For IUI I took Letrozle and then a HCG Trigger shot. For egg retrieval I used Lurpon, Gonal F, and Menopur. Birth Control was also used to regulate my cycles. For frozen embryo transfer I used Progesterone in Oil, Estridol Valerate and Lupron. I also took an antiboiotic to help reduce risk of infection at the time of the transfer.

They were AMAZING. Totally answered all of my questions even after hours. They encouraged me to call them at any time day or night. They were very compassionate and when I was upset they would give me a big hug and make sure I was okay. I couldn't have gone through this process without their support!

The clinic has a great billing department that assists with making sure you understand your insurance and costs. The front desk support is also very sweet and considerate. Embryology is also great and answers questions that you may have to call in and ask. Every single person has been awesome to work with!

My costs were covered through insurance. Medications were not covered, but for Egg Retrieval they were about $5000.

We didn't do any genetic testing so we were given the option of transferring 1 or 2 embryos. Our clinic gave us information from the CDC on risks associated with a multiple pregnancy. After talking with the Embryologist about the quality of our embryos we ultimately made our decision.

I feel that Dr. Wittmaack is a compassionate and caring doctor who always had our best interests at heart. He was honest and forthcoming with what was not always good news. Unfortunately he is an employee of a corporation and I feel that this affected how the outcome of our unique situation was handled.

Do not rush into anything and ask lots of questions. If you are signing anything, make sure to read it thoroughly, ask for copies and make sure that you understand the risks of the treatment you are undertaking.

Dr. Wittmaack always took the time to answer our questions and seemed genuinely hopeful and optimistic of our success. With the exception of two of our IUI.s which were performed by nurses I always say Dr. Wittmack for my appointments.

After 3 failed IUIs we were scheduled to start IVF with our own eggs, however the cycle we were to start my FSH had risen significantly and we decided mutually to go right to donor eggs. From there we encountered numerous setbacks. The first proven donor we we selected from the clinic's donor pool ended up not being available (the donor files had not been updated). Our second choice tested positive as a carrier for alpha thalassemia so we had to see a genetic counselor and my husband had to be tested. We decided to proceed as we had already invested a great deal of money on her FDA testing and psych evaluation. I was put on birth control pills then Lupronef. Our donor was not responding well to stims so we had to pay for additional meds with no notice. Then at my last ultrasound before retrieval we discovered I had a follicle and subsequent blood work showed I was ovulating despite being on Lupron. We had to then freeze for FET. Then disaster happened!!! Our donor went to retrieval. 14 eggs were retrieved; 8 mature, 2 post mature and the rest, according to the embryologist "were just bad eggs." All 8 fertilized with ICSI but by day 3 we had 5 poor and 3 fair. All were highly fragmented. By day 5 we had NO embryos to freeze. Dr. said it was 100% an egg quality issue. This is exactly the outcome we were attempting to avoid by using a donor in the first place! We then had to wait an entire month for a follow up and when I called to schedule it I was told there were no appointments available for over 3 weeks!!! I had to settle for a phone appointment. Dr Wittmaack seemed genuinely devastated for us and agreed to speak to the clinic administrator to see of they would help us out financially by discounting a new cycle or waiving or discounting our current bill (in addition to the 10k plus we had already spent we currently have an outstanding bill of over 10k!). It is not looking good as the financial coordinator said the "we signed and dated the consent forms and we knew the risks." We felt we were rushed through the consent signing and we were not given copies. We were NEVER told of the risk of this outcome. On the contrary we were constantly told how successful their donor cycles are!

The nurses were always friendly and upbeat. They all knew us by name. I would have liked a more open channel of communication beside the phone during regular business hours for questions though (such as e-mail). I was able to text the donor coordinator once our cycle began and that was appreciated.

The clinic environment is pleasant and professional, though more difficult to get to due to hospital construction. Be sure to know costs up front as they add up quickly. Once your cycle fails be prepared for not a lot of follow up.

Costs added up quickly! There was an unexpected price increase at the last minute with our donor cycle. We paid around 10k for our donor's FDA testing, genetic testing, psychological evaluation and medications beyond our donor cycle fee. We have over well over 20k invested in our donor cycle (including the pending bill) and we never even got to transfer.

Dr. Wittmaack is a gentle, intelligent and caring man. He took as much time as necessary to make sure I understood and was comfortable with the next step. He never pushed us toward a certain method of treatment, always explaining all the options and allowing us to make an informed decision on our own with his assistance. I felt 100% confident in his diagnosis, prognosis and treatment methods and never once doubted his practice- even if the cycle turned out to be negative. I am currently 7 months pregnant with my incredible IVF miracle that Dr. Wiittmaack helped my husband and I to conceive. He and his staff even have plans to come visit the three of us after delivery. I will most definitely be recommending Dr. W. to everyone and anyone who is looking. We are so lucky that he practices near our home.

Relax. He and his staff know exactly what they're doing and they will never let you feel like you aren't important. They will help you make all of the tough decisions and will care for you with world class efficiency. Do not be afraid or nervous. Trust.

Everyone knew my name and remembered details about my personal life at each visit. Everyone was incredibly friendly and made me feel like family. I felt like if my cycles failed, they were hurting with me- and if the cycle was a success that they were celebrating with me. I have nothing but great things to say about every staff member that we had the pleasure of working with.

After 3 cycles of IUI with letrozole (1 cancelled) that all failed, we decided to move forward with IVF. I have Diminished Ovarian Reserve and damaged fallopian tubes, so we all decided that IVF was the best option moving forward. Birth control pills for 6 weeks 10 units of Lupron for 10 days 8 days of: 225 units of Gonal-F 75 units of menopur 5 units of lupron Following egg retrieval: 2 estrace tablets 2 units of progesterone in oil 11 eggs retrieved 11 mature 10 fertilized 4 made it to embryo stage 2 transferred fresh 2 frozen 1 beautiful baby boy at 7 months gestation

The nursing staff we incredibly compassionate and caring. The communication was always prompt and informative. They felt like family.

I would trust this clinic for any of my fertility needs. I would never look elsewhere for treatment. I cannot think of one single weakness. Even if I received bad news, I always had a positive experience with the clinic.

The cost for IVF (one fresh cycle) was $12000 The cost of IUI was about $3000 per cycle

Dr. Wittmaack is so kind and truly wants to help each of his patients. He's very skilled and I trust him completely. He was always very encouraging and optimistic. He always took adequate time with us to answer all of our questions.

Be sure to ask questions to thoroughly understand your course of treatment. Make sure you understand all of the costs involved. Also, try to relax and trust in Dr. Wittmaack and his staff.

I was truly surprised at the care we received from Dr. Wittmaack and his staff. They must see hundreds of patients every day, but they always treated us like people and not just another number. Everyone from the receptionist to the nurses and Dr. Wittmaack always acted like they truly cared.

We did three IUIs with Letrozole and injectibles during the summer of 2014. This course of treatment was chosen for unexplained infertility. We conceived our daughter on our third IUI in August 2014 and are currently starting this process again (June 2017).

The nurses were amazing. They were always very caring and compassionate. All of them were exceptionally knowledgeable and helpful as well. Struggling with infertility was a pretty dark time in my life, but the nurses always made me feel better. I feel as though they are like family now.

I don't have any complaints about Aurora BayCare Medical Center. I think it is an excellent facility with quality providers.

The cost of an IUI cycle is about $2,000.

Dr. Wittmaack was able to make possible our impossible dream of having a baby. I had an excellent first IVF cycle, got pregnant, but sadly miscarried the baby. Due to my age, I wanted to do another egg retrieval cycle rather than FET my other two embryos. I had yet another successful cycle, and our daughter is two months old. I had labs coming back with bad results repeatedly. The results didn't make sense, and Dr. Wittmaack stayed on the case until discovering I had antibodies thar were reacting with the lab assay itself. He is some sort of reproductive endocrinology genius.

It can take awhile to get started, but it goes fast once you are.

I felt like a human, because he was well aware of what was going on in my treatment at all times and remembered our conversations. He genuinely cared about my success.

The nurses are excellent, truly care about your success, and care about you as a person, too. They are available to answer questions. It feels like they become your friends, and you need friends who understand when you're doing IVF.

The clinic is strong in having success, and that's most important. The doctor and nurses are fantastic and compassionate. Sometimes there isn't a lot of flexibility with timing, but that is truly the only weakness I can think of.

My doctor would let me transfer one or two, recommending two due to my age and that my embryos were untested.

The dr is very good about explaining things to you and when talking to you he looks at you and waits for you to answer to make sure you understand. I have not had any bad experiences with him. He is the one who made me go through a laparoscopic procedure that had found my endometriosis when no other dr thought I had it.

He may come off as not caring at first but he is a great dr and does care

Human cause they listen to what you have to say and they talk to you good

I have not started the procedure yet I am just in the beginning of it. But so far he has explained everything to me very well so I know why he is going to do

She always had an answer for me and called me back if I call. She also explained things very well and gave me hand outs on sheets about what we were going over. She always made sure I understood too

The clinic is your basic clinic nothing fancy but they are all very good there very friendly and willing to help. I have not come across anything that I have not liked and the clinic. They do in house finance to help people out.

They gave out sheets that broke down the cost and what the costs were for

He will do 2 embryos but they give you information on why you shouldn't do 2 at a time

Dr Wittmaack is very friendly and down to earth. He is very intelligent and explains things in a way that’s easy to understand. I have gone through a miscarriage and he was very reassuring that it was not my fault

You must be mentally ready to go through fertility treatments

I was always called by name and never felt like Dr had to sit and read my chart to know who I am

The nurses were great at explaining things and made me feel like family

Marie and Linda always greet you with a smile when checking in. Nurses are always happy when bringing you back and the doctor will greet you with a warm handshake each time. Some of the visits are longer to give you information that you need to know. Other visits are very quick for testing and allow you to do treatments while working full time

I was only able to transfer one embryo due to having a small uterus

The doctor was very inappropriate and made several comments to us that we completely out of line. Including but not limited to we should try things the old fashioned way, as well as telling my wife she could now really see my inner beauty while pointing to an ultrasound screen and preforming a vaginal ultrasound.

Stay far far far away.

Communication with the office was very difficult and it felt like we were dictated to never consulted with.

We never got to protocols. After the initial baseline ultrasound where inappropriate comments were made I never went back.

Incompetence is rampant with the entire care team. They don't communicate with each other, or the doctor.

Incompetent, inappropriate, and horrible.

Seems very knowledgable and intelligent. Dr. Wittmaack was friendly and honest about my treatment. Always very encouraging. Dr. Wittmaack and his staff are always upbeat and positive which was encouraging. His staff recognized me on the phone and in person. I felt like a friend and not just a patient. Although my journey hasn't ended how I'd hoped, I still feel like I made the right choice with Dr. Wittmaack.

Costs add up fast. Do research and be prepared with questions to best understand the treatments.

Everyone in this office was friendly and professional. My care was always great. They remembered me when I called or came in and addressed me in a personal way.