Heather Hipp

Dr. Hipp has been working with us for many years as we prepared to start our IVF cycle. Each visit she sat with us for as long as it took for us to ask any and all questions in order to leave reassured. She and her team are very quick to respond to portal messages or concerns. Dr. Hipp made it very clear throughout the process that she was invested in obtaining the best possible results for us.

I would advise any patient for any doctor to write down questions as they arise so they do not forget them when they are at appointments.

During stimulation, I was on Menopur in the morning (150iu) and Gonal-F in the evening (300iu) everyday for 10 days. Days 5-10 I added Ganirelix (250mcg) midday. I had monitoring about 4 times during stimulation. On the 10th day I took the first of my two-part trigger shot, at 10pm and again at 10am. I triggered with Lupron to try and avoid OHSS. I was higher risk for OHSS due to a high AMH. I also took Cabergoline after retrieval to avoid OHSS as well as an antibiotic for about a week to avoid infection. I was unable to do a fresh embryo transfer so that my body could rest after stimulation. About a week later, I started Lupron (20 units) daily for about a month to suppress my ovaries. About 2.5 weeks after starting Lupron, I started Estradiol patches. Started with 1 patch every other day and progressively moved up to 4 patches every other day. About 2 weeks after starting patches, I started progesterone in oil (PIO) intramuscular shots in the evening and then also progesterone vaginal pills 3x daily. Six days after starting progesterone, I had my frozen embryo transfer. I am currently 7 weeks and 3 days. I am still on the PIO shots daily, progesterone vaginal pills 3x a day, and 4 Estradiol patches every other day. I will begin tapering off of my medications starting week 8 until week 12.

We financed treatment for $14,500 without monitoring or medication. The cost for monitoring and medication brought the cost to well over $20,000.

Due to my age and health, my doctor recommended transferring only one embryo to avoid multiples which can be hard on my health and potentially dangerous to the babies.

Dr. Hipp was my personal choice having met with her for the various procedures that began my treatment. We immediately built a report. She is always willing to support our choices - as long as there are still options on the table. I have never felt left out of the conversation or the decisions we have made in my treatment and surgical plans. While still in the burgeoning years of her career, Dr. Hipp is knowledgeable, confident, and compassionate.

Dr. Hipp is willing to advocate for your care to fit you and your needs - all while competently addressing the issues at hand. She is willing to look under all the rocks for possible adjustments or procedures and is willing to allow your body to work hard in its own unique time.

We have worked hard for years combating unexplained scar tissue - pills, injections, tests, surgeries, balloon catheters - together we've thrown out the rule books and have made tremendous progress. We've had varying levels of hormones serve as roadblocks along the way and through Dr. Hipp's guidance, have corrected and been able to keep moving forward. And we haven't stopped yet - we finally got the last surgical procedure aligned with the right combination of injections, acupuncture, a proper cath... - and low and behold, my cycles even came back unassisted for the first time in years! Dr. Hipp's recommendations have been strategic and considerate of my unique circumstances. We will likely move forward with IVF in the coming weeks and I know that I am in good hands as we attempt this next phase.

My insurance covers a great deal of the costs. My deductible is $2700. In 2018, my IUI medications cost me $5300 out of pocket in addition to meeting my individual deductible.

Dr. Hipp is amazing and so educated. She made sure to explain everything so we could understand it. If there were any set backs she made sure to call in addition to the nurses. She is just wonderful and I will definitely work with her again.

Ask as many questions as you need. Even if you feel like you are bothering them.

Our infertility was due to low AMH and male factor. We did one cycle where we started with estrogen patches when ovulation occurred. When I got my period we did the baseline and started Gonal-f and Menupur at max doses. About 7 days in we did the Cetrotide to prevent ovulation. We did the trigger shot on day 11 if I recall and the retrieval 2 days later. We got 9 eggs, 6 were mature. In the end we had 2 make it. We did a fresh transfer with a 4AA blast which ended in a chemical. We still have one frozen that we will transfer in July.

Cost was about 15K for transfer and retrieval without meds.

No

Dr. Hipp was a compassionate, smart, kind, and generous provider. She went above and beyond when it came to communication and relationship building. She gave us data so that we could make informed decisions, but didn’t treat us like data ourselves. She offered guidance, support, and treated me like a sister. When I needed a surgery that was outside the scope of her practice, she tracked down the best surgeon in the city and consulted with him. I always felt like I had the best of the best on my team, led by Dr. Hipp.

Be honest with her about your questions and fears. No question is stupid, and no fear unwarranted.

IUIs were about $1k with medication. Egg retrieval and embryo with icsi was about $15k. Embryo transfers were about $5k

I had a strong preference for a single embryo transfer. She supported that 100%.

She was very personal and kind. We had to switch doctors after 4 IUI because the previous Dr left the practice, which was very scary, but Dr Hipp picked right up where we left off and didn't make me repeat anything. Treatment continued exactly as planned with the previous doctor and I really appreciated that. When we got pregnant she was so encouraging and made sure we were considering our next steps and answered our questions.

The previous doctor helped with most of the strategy (Dr McKenzie), but Dr Hipp allowed us to continue with that plan when we switched to her. We had 4 IUI with Femara and 6 previous clomid cycles. We were allowed to choose to do up to 2 more IUI cycles or change to IVF. The choice was very helpful. I took a 2 month break for emotional reasons then returned for #5 which was successful!!

I paid for all IUI cycles out of pocket which was about $1500 per cycle after all bills. This was for ultrasounds, IUI and Dr bills

As stated before, Dr Hipp is very kind and passionate. She knows all her patients well and communicates well. The number of 5 day old embryos we ended up with were not what we envisioned (only 1) but it was transferred and we are pregnant. We liked Dr Hipp and would recommend her.

Ask as many questions as you can. They will be answered.

I was initially delayed a couple of weeks because they found a cyst and my period didnt start. My egg retreival meds were standard dosing at first but towards the end I was on max doses. They were able to retrieve 11eggs, 7 were fertilized but only one made it to day 5 for transfer. I think if we did it again Dr Hipp said she would change the protocol

$17,000 to $20,000 including medications

I love Dr. Hipp! So compassionate and a great communicator. She walked me through each step of my treatment and was always there when I needed her. If she was not available she would make sure someone great was there to take care of me.

IVF Journey is hard! Be patient and don’t give up.

I did 3 egg retrieval’s. We got 10 eggs out. The last retrieval was the hardest. I had to be put on a extra injection a growth hormone. My follicles were not growing as we wanted. We were able to make one good normal embryo. It is frozen and waiting for transfer.

35.000

Dr. Hipp told me if we had multiple embryos that she would only transfer one at a time especially sense we did genetic testing. Which I was totally fine with.

Amazing communicator always went above and beyond to call and commmnicate results and info that may not have been clear always called to reassure me the process she was very compassionate and caring thru the entire process

Be optimistic and and remain stress free

She always tried to help me reduce anxiety and stress. By staying informative and telling me to work less because I am a nurse. She indicated stress could cause negative results she recommended massages and breathing techniques

20,000

I wish we could of done mutiple to increase my chances of pregnancy to a vapid having to do the process again. Although my doctor was concerned with my health and the pregnancy I wish it was note that could be done with embryo selection or a better choice

Dr. Hipp reached out to me each time I had questions. She personally called to check on me after my D&C. After losing our baby before my birthday she made sure to be extremely kind and encouraged me to still have a good birthday. After we were in a car accident which I briefly mentioned she reached out to me to check in on us

Never be afraid to email her questions

We began seeing Dr Hipp after a miscarriage from an IUI. She encouraged us to do an IUI again with metformin, follistim , and ovidrel and switched me to letrozole. I was then placed on progesterone suppositories and baby aspirin after the procedure. I am now on progesterone oil injections of 1ml

Medications sent to discount pharmacy so much cheaper than imagined. Injectibles ranged from $85-$270. IUI procedure around $700 Ultrasounds and visits covered by insurance

Dr. Hipp explained all possibilities thoroughly, and when things didn't go as planned, she took time to call in person to relay news and discuss possible solutions moving forward. Reviewed messages and answered those addressed directly to her, and answered very thoroughly.

Be honest and relay all your concerns from the beginning

They let us choose while also giving their professional opinion

Dr. Hipp is amazing from the first appointment to the last. She was very thorough on what to expect as well as a treatment plan and always willing to answer questions. We some hiccups in treatment, insurance reasons, and she adjusted our treatment so that we would achieve the ultimate goal.

This isn’t specific to Dr. Hipp, but more to Emory that it is a teaching hospital for some things you may see Doctors completing residency or they may shadow Dr. Hipp. This was never an issue for me as I knew they were treating me based on actual research.

Due to insurance they required 6 failed IUI’s before they would cover any IVF treatment, even though the odds of them working was very low. After the 6 failed IUI’s I completed 1 round of IVF and transferred 1 frozen embryo.

She is very nice , very caring and she explains everything to me and I understand. I really like her . When I have a question, she is always available for me and I really like her bed side manner , I have had 2 surgeries with her so far and everything has went well.

I would let them know that she will answer all of your questions and to not be afraid to ask her anything.

We have only been seeing her for a couple of months, but our first visit with her we already knew that she was going to be the dr we choose. She truly shows how much she cares, and puts everything into the end goal, which is to get a successful pregnancy.

Still undergoing that process...

We advised us that it would be best to only transfer one at a time. This would benefit from health risks as well as multiples.

I have only seen her for the initial consultation, blood work, and workup for health screening. She has been fantastic in explaining the procedure and initial steps of the overall process and what it will and could entail. She has been very insightful and forthcoming with her explanations. She listened and understood my concerns and did not make me feel like she was bias toward any particular treatment plan as we are all different. We will have our IVF orientation in the next couple of weeks when we are able to schedule the visit.

Be proactive and schedule your visits ahead of time. Her name is spreading quickly through the community and she is booking up new appointments quickly. Write down all or any questions you may have prior to your visit so you do not forget anything.

During our initial consultation, we were given paperwork with rough numbers and prices for some specific treatments. When we go in for our orientation, we will go over specifics to the treatment plan and talk about exact costs. From what I have read during my research, the cost for treatment at Emory are similar to standard prices across the board.

To ensure my safety and the safety of the baby, Dr. Hipp recommended that a single embryo transfer was more adequate due to my health and age.