Paul Kuneck

He is very direct and information focused. There isn't a lot of "touchy-feely" stuff with him, just facts. This was helpful for us because we didn't want to feel like we were being coddled, we wanted to know the facts of our situation even if the facts were difficult to hear.

He is great at what he does but don't expect a lot of emotion.

I didn't actually see Dr. Kuneck often during the time I was his patient which made me feel like just another patient or statistic. But when I did see him he made me feel less like a statistic so it averaged out.

I did 5 cycles of Femara with trigger shots. The first cycle required 5 mg femara on cycle days 5-9 and 20-24 then a trigger on day 29 of novarel; this was unsuccessful. The second cycle was 7.5 mg of femara on cycle day 3-7 then a trigger shot with novarel on day 16; this was unsuccessful. Cycle 3 was 7.5 mg of femara on cycle day 3-9 and ovidrel trigger on day 14; this was unsuccessful. Cycle 4 was 7.5 mg of femara on cycle day 3-9 and ovidrel trigger on day 13; this was unsuccessful. Cycle 5 was 7.5 mg of femara on cycle day 3-10 the ovidrel trigger on day 12; this was also unsuccessful. I also used progesterone suppositories during all these cycles between the expected ovulation date svc the date of a negative pregnancy test. We then moved on to our first IVF cycle with menopur and gonal-f on cycle day 2-9, added Ganirelix on day 8-9, triggered with hcg on day 9, egg retrieval on day 11, and day 3 embryo transfer on day 14. I had 3 eggs at the time of retrieval which I was told was unexpected (I'd had 12+ mature follicles at the ultrasound immediately prior to retrieval. Two of the eggs fertilized and were transferred. I then used minivelle patches and endometrin inserts. This IVF cycle was successful and I am currently 11 weeks pregnant.

Some of the nurses were amazing- very kind and compassionate and understanding of how challenging and painful the situation could be. Some nurses were not as kind, or had personality types that weren't as understanding, and eould leave me feeling worse about things.

The clinic is in a good location in downtown Minneapolis and parking is free. Most of the people (scheduling, secretaries, lab staff, nursing staff) are very nice. The person in the billing office is very rude.

Oral medications with triggers were around $150 per cycle. IVF medications were $2000. Ultrasounds were around $50 after my insurance (needed 3-7 per cycle). We chose to use the Attain program for our IVF cycles which was $20,000 (in the end we only needed one cycle so this wouldn't have been necessary).

They transferred 2 embryos because that was all we had. Had there been more we would have been able to decide whether we wanted to transfer one or two.

Dr. Kuneck is clearly is an expert in his field. He sees a large volume of patients which has at times made me feel like a number, but also provides him with a lot of experience. I am a person that likes to know the "why's" of he treaments and know the impacts of my body beyond attempting pregnancy. I felt that I had to advocate for myself to get through answers to these questions, at times.

Write down and ask any questions you may have.

Dr. Kuneck's office is a business-like setting. He verbally reviewed my medical history but did not review, at least not in front of me, the several page packet I filled out about my medical and family history. With the exception of one time, he got back to me promptly an encouraged me to call with other questions.

I utilized letrozole and ovidrel for 2 IUI cycles. I did ovulate, but pregnancy was not achieved. I will be attempting IVF with a low dose protocol.

All the the nurses were very knowledgeable. Most nurses were very warm, though I was only asked how I was feeling during a small percentage of my appointments. They are very focused on the medical treatments. They had good tips for obtaining medications and it was clear they hoped we would achieve pregnancy.

Everything is located in one location. Parking is free. Once you are an extavlished patient, appointments are generally easy to get. They do a benefits check for you. There are free educational sessions on the IVF process that are open to the public. The nurse line always goes to voicemail, but they always call back.

Basic IVF procedures are roughly $9000, with additional costs for freezing, genetic testing​, etc. Monitoring appointments are charged separately. Shared risk plans are offered.

Dr. Kuneck seemed to favor single embryo transfer due to my age and predicted success. We were in agreement on this. He also provided education verbally and in written form regarding risks of multiples.

Dr. Kuneck is very direct and upfront with his recommendations. He did a lovely job of balancing giving his opinion with also giving space for my husband and I to make decisions. I am still in the course of my first IVF treatment, but I really appreciate his honesty and optimism. Dr. Kuneck also was quite comfortable with moving straight to IVF rather than spending time on IUIs that would only marginally increase my chances of success.

I would say be open to any option. Dr. Kuneck wants you to achieve success but will also defer to your decisions.

Dr. Kuneck is very direct but kind in his manner. He's incredibly knowledgeable and always makes me feel welcome.

This is my first IVF cycle, so we decided to go with the typical course knowing that it might take a cycle or two to figure out how my body responds. I am still in my cycle. I did 22 days of bcp, on day 19 on bcp I started Lupron. Then I began menopur and gonal f on day 11 of lupron. On day 3 of STIMS I went in for bloodwork and then had my dosages adjusted. My next step is an ultrasound and blood work on day 5 of STIMS.

The nursing staff has been incredibly responsive to my questions and concerns. I had some initial insurance issues and they were very supportive along the way and helped me make sure that I got all of my medications on time.

This clinic has many strengths. I have found the nursing team and doctors to be incredibly supportive and informative. I do not see my doctor on every visit and I understand for some people that would be a problem. I do know that my doctor is very actively involved though and reviews my case each time I get bloodwork or have an ultrasound done. I think the clinic runs efficiently.

I have a strong insurance package but this requires reimbursement. Medications cost $2000 so far (after insurance reimbursement) and I needed to pay up-front $10000 for the IVF cycle.

No comments

I trust Dr. Kuneck completely. He was willing to adjust the treatment plan to what I felt like my body needed and he was genuinely disappointed along with us when our transfer didn't work. He was optimistic but also direct, and I appreciate his candor. He's very experienced and I value his insight.

You won't see him very much! Take the opportunities to have consults with him even if you don't think you need them. Know that he is making all of your care decisions.

Dr Kuneck is very forthright but also kind and genuinely cares about his patients' success. The nursing staff in general is also very kind, but you see a different nurse/ultrasound tech every time you're in so it's hard to build a relationship with the caregivers you see daily. However Dr. Kuneck personally reviews your chart daily and makes all decisions about your care.

First cycle: standard Lupron cycle, cancelled after only one large follicle developed. Diagnosed with diminished ovarian reserve. Second cycle: microdose lupron flare cycle, retrieved five mature eggs from three follicles, one fertilized, transferred three day embryo. Negative pregnancy test. Third cycle (in progress): natural antagonist cycle (no birth control per my request).

You do see a different nurse pretty much every time you're in, which makes it hard to build a relationship with your day to day caregivers. However all except one were extremely kind and thoughtful to me. In particular the nurses on retrieval and transfers were amazing.

It's a busy clinic with a good success rate; they know what they're doing! Billing and the business end is very efficient and straightforward. they do everything over the phone which can be tough if you're working a standard desk job, I wish they would do some things online. You always see different care providers which can make you feel a little like a number. But you're in and out in a short amount of time. Plus they pay for parking!

Approximately $10k out of pocket for IVF itself, which you can submit to insurance for reimbursement (I got some dollars back). My insurance covers monitoring and bloodwork as well as medications.

Dr Kuneck talked to us about the risks and rewards of multiple embryo transfer, and shared with us that at my age, the risks of a multiples pregnancy (bedrest, prematurity, etc) were about equivalent to the increased rate of success. My husband and I are both not interested in twins, and appreciated his frank feedback and advice.

Dr. Kuneck is very intelligent and was thorough when we actually saw him. However, that was not often. We mostly communicated with the nurses and other staff. Our only embryo transfer (which failed) was not performed by him, but rather a doctor I had never even met. My egg retrieval also was performed by another doctor in the clinic. The lack of presence was something I did not anticipate when we initially chose him as our RE. I had hoped for a doctor who was more hands on and who was more directly involved with us throughout the entire process.

You really need to be our own advocate. Do your research and question any and everything you are doubting or concerned about.

CRM is the busiest fertility clinic in Minneapolis with a high patient volume. Despite the countless office visits and appointments, it still felt as though I was a stranger to the staff.

For my retrieval, I initially was put on BCPs for 2-3 weeks, then lupron for 10 days, menopur, and Gonal F. This seems to be their go-to protocol. Fortunately, I responded well to the meds and didn't need any tweaking. They retrieved 19 eggs, 12 mature. For my FET cycle, again did BCPs for over a month. Once stopped, started lupron, then added estrace orally 3 times a day. Also 1 low dose aspirin. I started Progesterone in oil 5 days before transfer. This time I didn't respond well to the protocol, as my lining wasn't getting thick enough. I only measured 6.1 mm on day 14, so my transfer date was pushed out a week. They increased my estrace to 3 2mg tablets orally and 1 vaginally at night. On day 21, I measured 7.6 mm which they seemed to be satisfied with. I was very concerned that my lining wasn't thick enough, and suggested that maybe we cancel. We only had one embryo, so I wanted every precaution to be taken. I was told not to worry, that my lining was just fine. We went ahead and transferred our only beautiful, hatching embie, which resulted in a negative pregnancy.

The nurses were great. They were always available to answer questions. I rarely saw the same nurse twice, so I never felt like any of them really knew me. But one nurse in particular (Theresa) was amazing. I was fortunate enough to have her 2 or 3 times. She was so caring and supportive. She listened to my concerns, and really helped ease any worries or fears I may have had.

I think this clinic is best for those who are the typical infertility case. Those who require a different and more customized approach, would do better elsewhere.

We did 1 cycle of IVF with ICSI, 1 MicroTESE surgery and 1TESE surgery for my husband, egg freezing, embryo freezing, and 1 Frozen Embryo Transfer. Total our costs were upward of $30,000.

Dr Kuneck has been doing these treatments since the 1980's. He is very professional, and he seems to stay up to date on current literature. I liked that he had such an extensive background in the field. While he doesn't show a lot of emotion, I was happy to have someone that I could trust due to his years of experience.

He knows what he is doing and has seen a lot in his career. He's not really warm and fuzzy, but you can trust that he will be direct with you.

While usually it was a nurse that would return my phone calls, I do recall after one failed cycle the MD called me to discuss my case. This was on Christmas Eve. I was impressed as he didn't have to take the time on the holiday, but he knew that I was upset, and he called anyway.

I have endometriosis, so he didn't want to do any injectibles with IUI for me. I did 1 timed intercourse with clomid, 1 IUI with clomid, and then 2 IUIs with femara, as the side effects with clomid were rough. I did 1 IVF treament with a fresh day 5 transfer. I'm not sure of the name, but I started with BCP, then lupron, then injectibles. Due to painful IUI's, he decided I should be under anesthesia for the IVF transfer, which was very compassionate, in my opinion.

The nurses were very organized, and prompt with returning phone calls. They weren't all super outgoing, but they did their job well.

The clinic has done these treatments for years, and is a like a well oiled machine. You will be treated respectfully. It can feel a little cold emotion-wise, and at times you can feel like a number.

IUI covered by insurance. IVF shared risk program---$24,000

i was instructed last minute to only transfer 1 embryo. I'm so glad that I did.

Paul is a really good guy, who cares a lot about his patients. Even though I didnt see him most of the time I went in, he reviewed my chart every single time I went in. I would hear from him or his nurse later that day if there was any change in my treatment or medications based on his review. And I did see him every time I went in for an ultrasound after my pregnancy was confirmed!

Trust him

This clinic is very efficient, so you are not assigned a specific nurse or anything. Everyone there helps all of the patients. So its not quite as touchy feely or "warm" as I think others probably are. But their outcomes are outstanding, which to me was the most important thing. It's also not like they are cold or anything, but they're not there to coddle you, they are there to get you pregnant. Everyone is very helpful.

They dont mind answering tons of questions. There were multiple days that I felt silly calling about something that was probably trivial, but I just wanted to be sure everything was OK, and the nurses never made me feel like my question was unimportant.

Dr. Kuneck is a smart, caring physician. He seems to be on his way to retirement so availability was not always great and he does not make himself very accessible to patients- it always felt like you have to go through an army of nurses and blocks to get any direct access to him.

Schedule regular face to face appointments with him in advance- you can cancel if you need to but otherwise you won't see him for months.

Paul Kuneck was really great as a physician but his staff has some major weaknesses that made the process unpleasant and stressful at times.

agonist, antagonist protocols- we failed almost every cycle so I'm not sure what would be useful for others. We did go to ICSI on the 2nd IVF and I would not wait to do this.

Some of the nurses were fantastic (Stacy) and others were absolutely terrible- there was one with a high pitched baby voice that was incredibly condescending every time and sometimes medically inaccurate as well (I'm in healthcare).

Standard

My insurance covered much of this but the costs were still enormous, but expected.

I chose Dr. Kuneck after another clinic because I felt confident in his abilities. He is very experienced and understood my treatment goals. He was always direct which I appreciated and at the end of the day, I got my healthy singleton.

Don't go in expecting hand holding or warm and fuzzy. If you like direct and come in informed about your own treatment, you will have a better experience.

I never felt like anyone in the clinic really knew who I was or cared too much about personally but they were responsive if I said I needed emotional support.

The nurses are extremely organized and come in the room knowing the case and knowing the treatment plan.

The clinic is organized, clean, and comfortable. I always felt like they had up to date technology and were willing to spend money on the facilities. Also, they pay for parking which is a small thing but it is nice. My previous clinic charged for parking at every visit which was annoying and added up.

Dr. Kuneck is very kind, caring and thorough but he gets to the point. He doesn’t sugarcoat anything or leave anything out. He explains things appropriately and gives you time to ask questions as needed.

Make a list of questions and take notes when you talk to him

He’s a busy doctor so he doesn’t remember details about each patient but it does seem like he cares

We did IUI with Letrozole 2.5 x 2 for days 3-12 and used an Ovidrel trigger.

Very compassionate

Professional and clean. The staff seems to enjoy their jobs and they do everything that they can to make your appointment go as smoothly as possible. Good, easy scheduling process. Weekend hours for monitoring are great. Parking is sometimes hard to find downtown.

He's a kind man but very to the point. He explained things in good details to understand. I only met with him in the beginning and then to review the next steps. He was very thorough with explaining everything and procedures to me.

He's to the point

In mpls I felt like a number. In St. Paul location I was a patient

I had ultrasound on cd 2/3. I took femara cd 3-7. Follow up ultrasound on cd 10 w trigger shot. Then iui on day 12 w starting progesterone the next day. He said do 4 cycles and come back.

Nurses in St. Paul were amazing!! Always listened me to questions and concerns

Mpls clinic was always late

I'm not sure, my insurance pays a lot