Sherif Awadalla

The battle to conceive was long and hard but Dr A kept fighting. He never gave up hope which gave us continued hope for success. He performed two D&C’svand a tubal pregnancy removal and always showed compassion. He was very candid that he thought my egg quality was the issue but gave me time and space to work through those thoughts. Ultimately he was 100% correctvand got us to the donor coordinator for further information. We gave two beautiful little girls now and are family is complete. Rainbows do come after storms.

He is an amazing doctor. Sometimes he can be a bit blunt but that’s just because he is trying to get you the results you are trying to achieve. Trust him he’s brilliant.

PGD was prescribed with IVF after multiple IUI miscarriages with chromosome abnormalities. With PGD we discovered that 80-90% of our embryo is had issues. When healthy embryos were unsuccessful. He recommended egg donor cycle. Once we went that route we only had one cycle and now gave one fresh baby and one frozen

Nursing staff is fantastic, doctors are knowledgeable and ahead on all current and future technology. The laboratory is best in class. I never had trouble getting in for any appointments and never had to wait for an extended period. They also have great access to resolve resource groups as well as girls night in support groups.

IVF with ICSI and PGD was around 12-15k and donor cycle was 20-25k. Donor cycle charges in Clyde freezing of embroyos and frozen transfer. Cycle resulted in two Singleton pregnancies.

Dr Awadalla determined why I could not conceive (missed by my GYN) and recommended surgery, which he performed. I conceived naturally in 3 cycles after that. For TTC#2, I was older and he shared his concerns with the likelihood of success. Early IUIs were successful, but did not result in live births. After 10 total IUIs, my course of treatment was only adjusted because I asked if it made sense to continue or to look at other options. We have moved on to IVF, but it is still early in the first cycle. I find Dr A to be very accurate in his assessments and knowledgeable. I trust that I am in good hands, for as much as medical science can help me at my age.

Ask a lot of questions. Dr Awadalla is happy to explain the details to patients who are interested. Also ask at what point you should have a consult to evaluate the plans, so you know what to expect.

Dr Awadalla was honest with me and my situation at every step. He was compassionate when he delivered the news that I had miscarried.

TTC #1 (age 38): Dx: uterine fibroids, blocked Fallopian tube. Tx: Myomectomy, salpingectomy (tube could not be saved and was removed). Resulted in live birth, conceived naturally in 3 cycles. TTC #2 (age 41): DX: unexplained infertility (age). Tx: IUI with 5mg Femara CD 3-7. IUIs 1 and 4 resulted in pregnancy, but not live birth. Likely due to poor egg quality. Repeated for IUI 5-8 because successful getting pregnant, but waiting for a better quality egg. For IUI 9 and 10, added Follistim (IUI 9: CD 7-10, 50IU; IUI 10: CD 7-11, 100IU). BFN. Given option to select surgery to recheck remaining Fallopian tube or IVF. Started IVF. Currently on CD 9: 5mg Femara CD 3-7, Gonal-F 300IU CD5-10, Cetritide CD10, rest of days/dosage TBD.

Most of the nurses that I have dealt with have been wonderful. They are familiar with the treatment regimens and able to answer questions. When I did call to report a Day 1 and ask if we should continue with the same approach, the nurse I spoke to told me it was up to me. When I counted that I would like a recommendation from the experts, she continued to tell me that it was up to me. I had to push to have Dr Awadalla contacted to give input. When he called me, he actually had a different recommendation, so I felt validated in pushing. That has been the only interaction that I was not satisfied with, however.

The clinic is organized, clean and runs well. The low-tech billing seems to happen very rapidly. The IVF billing seems to be delayed, which means a longer delay before I can check the claims status online with my insurance company.

With insurance (assuming deductible was paid and yearly maximum for benefits not met), an IUI cycle was roughly $75 out of pocket, not including medications.

Dr. Awadalla is wonderful: he is both kind and extremely knowledgeable. My experience conceiving my first son was vastly different from attempts with a previous doctor. I felt Dr. Awadalla was taking care of me and my family rather than just trying to help us get pregnant.

GO FOR IT!

Dr. Awadalla was so warm. He always seems excited to see me. He is open and direct, while also taking emotions into account. Our whole infertility experience changed when we went into his office.

I have PCOS. I took progestin to induce a period and then took Femara for (I believe) about a week. Then I went in for an ultrasound to determine if my follicles were ready. As they were, that night my husband gave me a triggering shot in the thigh and the next morning we went to the Cincinnati office to collect my husbands sample and complete the IUI. We found out several weeks later that we were pregnant with our son. We are now preparing to attempt baby number two and will follow the same process, minus the progestin as I have had a period since I stopped breastfeeding my son.

The nursing staff is always friendly and knowledgeable. Prior to conceiving my first born, they always showed compassion and interest. Once I had conceived, before being released to my OBGYN, the nurses were always quick and happy to answer the many questions I had and to offer comfort and understanding for my concerns.

Both the Cincinnati and Florence locations of the clinic are clean and organized. The Cincinnati location in particular is actually quite beautiful! The environment is warm and professional, with elegant furniture and a clean space.

Dr. Awadalla has great bed side manners, patience, and compassion for his patients. He gives time to explain what needs to be explained, and questions that need to be answered. He also abides by our wishes. I have a very short stature, one of the first things that I told Dr. A was that I was not ok transferring more than two embryos. Dr. A completely understood, and actually the clinics policy is to only transfer one or two embryos.

I would tell a prospective patient to be ready. Dr. A and his team are on it. It's a tough journey, but it can also be a quick journey. After meds, and cycles are figured out its a whirl wind from there. Everything with fertility has to be timed just right, and from my experiences Dr. A has timed it just right. I would also tell them to listen to the doctors, they know what they are doing.

He has always called me by my first name, and he doesn't have to look at my chart to remember my history. When we did get pregnant, and we went for the first ultra sound he asked us to come to his office, told us delicately that we would only have a 50% chance to carry the baby because of a small sack. After the second ultrasound he said "go ahead get dressed, and meet me in my office." I told Dr. A that I didn't want to meet in his office because last time we didn't get good news. He complied, let me get dressed, and he came back into our room. We found out that the baby had a heart beat, but the sack was just getting smaller. Dr. A then gave us a 25% chance. He let us come back for a third ultrasound. and that's when we found out that the baby no longer had a heartbeat. Dr. A gave me the options that I needed, a box of Kleenex, and let me cry in his office until I was ready to leave. He has also called me himself, and asked me not to give up because the embryos we have now are high quality, and he believes that we will have a healthy pregnancy.

Both my cycles have been very similar. I have started off with about 17 days of birth control. I was then off three days, and than I started injections for 10 days. I had injected Gonal F, Menopur, and Centrotide. I can't remember which injection out of the three, but he only added it during my second cycle. After that, I had taken my trigger shot. He also had me taking Estrodial and Progesterone. I was taking those two even after my transfer.

The nursing staff works very hard, yet they always have a smile on their faces. When we received that dreaded phone call that says "I'm so sorry, but your test was negative," the nurses were compassionate, and disappointed along with us. You can just tell that phone call is one that they absolutely do not like making. It is not routine to them. When I have called, and been sent to voicemail they always have called me back in a timely fashion, and any paperwork that I have needed has also been sent quickly.

The strengths I would hit on when I talked to a new patient would be about waiting. I would tell the patient that the wait time is not long. They get us in and out in a timely manner. I would also tell them that their opinions do matter, and their wants also matter to this medical team. The weakness that would hit on would be about awkward situations. Fertility procedures can get awkward. This is something that they do every day, not much can surprise them. An example, when my husband went in to give a sample of his sperm, we were taken back when the nurse asked, "Would your wife like to join you." Yes we are all adults, but that was just not something that we thought would be asked or even thought about. To them though, it happens, and its ok.

I don't remember the full cost, but I believe around $8200 for a fresh cycle, and $7000 for a frozen cycle.

The Cincinnati of Reproductive Health approach on multiple embryo transfer is most usually only two at the most, but from my experience if the embryos are high quality they only like to transfer one.

He reviewed all of my medical records and discussed options in detail with us during our initial consultation. He made of feel very comfortable, hopeful, and informed. During each visit we got additional information to help guide us with medications and what to expect. When we were unsuccessful after our last frozen transfer we were never contacted by him to discuss the cycles or any future plans of continuing treatment. We contacted his office and were given a time he would call back for us to ask questions. I don’t feel like we really got any answers as to why the cycles failed or what the next course of action would be or what could be done differently if we decided to do an additional retrieval and transfer.

Ask a lot of questions and be well informed every step of the way.

Early in the treatment process we were treated very well by all the staff and the doctor. We were given high expectation throughout the process and everyone was very positive and reassuring. After the retrieval and fertilization results came in we were told we’d be a freeze all cycle due to hyper stimulation but then received multiple calls the following days saying we were a fresh transfer, when in fact we were not able to go that route. It was rather upsetting. After our last frozen embryo transfer we were notified of the negative hcg via phone by one of the nurses and had expected we would hear from the doctor as we used our last 2 embryos. When we didn’t hear from him after a few days of getting the results, we called the office a few times to speak with him because we were never given the opportunity to discuss what happened or what the next steps are or what our options were or what could possibly be done differently if we chose to continue with another retrieval. We felt like we were just unsuccessful and dropped from the radar with no guidance or explanation as to where to go from there. Overall the people seemed to care throughout the process but after we felt like we were left in a cold and limbo like state.

Cycle day 3 started birth control pills and a profilactic antibiotic, last bcp was day 22, had an ultrasound for follicles on day 23, cycle day 2 started using follistim 200 IU SQ at a given time daily for 4 days and then had a repeat follicle scan on day 6 with lab draw and continued on follistim 200 IU SQ, day 7 I took the follistim 200 IU SQ and Ganirelix SQ, day 8 follistim 200 IU SQ and ganirelix SQ, cycle day 9 had follicle scan and labs and changed follistim dose to 125 IU SQ with the ganirelix SQ, cycle day 10 follistim 100 IU SQ and ganirelix SQ, day 11 follicle scan and labs and took follistim 100 IU SQ and ganirelix SQ, cycle day 25 follistim 25 IU SQ and ganirelix SQ, day 13 Lipton trigger shot and started destinex tablets, day 14 dostinex tablet, day 15 egg retrieval (15 eggs retreived). Day 16 six eggs fertilized and told we would be a freeze all cycle due to ovarian hyper stimulation, day 18 above average growth and development on 4 of the eggs and regular on 2. Next cycle started - day 2 three embryos made it to blast stage and were frozen and need to postpone frozen transfer to next cycle. Started birth control pills for a few weeks and then started cycle day 1, started taking estradiol 3 times daily, day 13 had ultrasound and labs, day 18 started prometrium 3 times a day, day 23 frozen embryo transfer, negative hcg 11 days later, after the next cycle started and completed we did the 2nd frozen transer with our last 2 embryos which were grade A, 14 days later we had a negative hcg.

The nurse I seen in the office and the one who reviewed the plan and medications were absolutely amazing. The one making the call didn’t seem to care and I was just a number she was reporting information to in order to cross me off the to do list. There were also multiple times I was contacted by the same nurse who gave me false (and very upsetting) information, she didn’t seem to know my case or what was going on.

The clinic was very clean and organized and there was a private place for us to discuss our cycle and plan with the nurse and with the doctor. The check in and check out was always fairly smooth. Getting financial information for bills and services paid was difficult at times and there was some confusion about what had been paid for and what was still owed, but they were able to make some calls to get it figured out.

$8500 to begin the process (MD visit, ultrasounds, labs, retrieval and one fresh transfer, nurse education day) they wouldn’t let us do the fresh transfer so we did frozen which cost an additional $5000 (counting the second frozen transfer), medications and travel expenses roughly $3500 - totaling around $17000

I feel like at least 2 embryo transfer is the best route when you are doing IVF.

Dr Awadalla was compassionate, easy to talk to, thorough in his explanations, so easy going he made us feel like there was no doubt we would get pregnant, and very knowledgeable. Every time we came in after a failed attempt we would review the statistics of the treatments, form a plan for the next cycle and he would hand write the exact dosages of medications I needed to take and when. He would also draw little cartoons/symbols indicating us getting pregnant at the end. He really helped keep our stress levels down while giving us all the facts we needed which is not an easy task. Even though I didn’t see him every visit I saw him most of the time. The other doctors and NP were also very good so I never felt uncomfortable having them do a treatment for me.

You are in the best place for getting pregnant. It’s an emotionally difficult journey (sometimes physically difficult), so going in make sure you ask questions. Dr Awadalla is very approachable and smart so knowing all the facts will help put you at ease a bit.

Dr Awadalla was excellent. Our first first visit we were emotionally drained and frustrated. Dr Awadalla did an ultrasound and reviewed the tests from my OB and then took an hour to explain what was causing our infertility, answered our questions, and formed a plan to help get us pregnant. He was easy to talk to and really made us feel at ease and hopeful. Every time I went in for an IUI it was like he knew exactly how I was feeling and knew what to say to make us confident to continue treatments. He even called me on my cell phone once to help me to decide my next step in treatment. He is excellent!

We tried a new treatment every three months until I got pregnant. It was explained to me that after three rounds of a treatment not working statistically my chances of getting pregnant with that treatment dramatically decreased. I started taking metformin daily to help counteract some of my hormones with PCOS. So first I did oral medication and IUI for three rounds, then Injections and orals for three months and got pregnant on the third round. We started with oral medication and IUI first because I had tried oral medication and timed intercourse for three months with no result with my OB. I also switched from clomid to femara with Dr Awadalla because I did not ovulate with my third round of clomid. Every time we did a cycle before I took my ovulation injection Dr Awadalla did an ultrasound to verify how many healthy eggs I had so I didn’t have too many or too little. That also helped him adjust my medication doses as needed. So after 6 IUIs 3 with orals and three with injections I got pregnant and now have twin boys:)

The nursing staff always responded quickly when I called the office. I had a terrible time with my insurance and the specialty pharmacy it used to get my injections and the nursing staff handled it very well (even though I probably drove them nuts calling so much). I had to come in on several saturdays for IUIs and the staff was always friendly and welcoming. They never made me feel like an inconvenience.

The clinic was wonderfully decorated with big windows in the waiting room. The lab was right down the hall so we didn’t have to travel far to pick up our specimens. Almost every time I was there I was taken back early and never had to wait past my appointment.

My insurance and my husbands insurance covered most of the cost.

We never had to do IVF.

The clinic is great at what they do if your specific provider isn't available the other two will see you as well and are just as good. Dr. Schieber saw me as well and did the transfer for two cycles I had. I love all the providers there. Dr. Awadalla has a great bedside manner and is very compassionate to my situation that is why I prefer him. But I do see other providers there as well. He is very detailed and is not pushy. I wouldn't choose another clinic to do Ivf.

Be direct with what care you want and they will do their best to make it happen.

He gave me a grant to do another frozen transfer with our last two embryos we have. But we and he feels the fresh cycle is going to give us the best result. We cannot afford another Ivf fresh cycle at this time though.

I did 4 iuis before going to Ivf. I did 2 previous iui I believe with another provider and clinic. We did the fresh cycle Ivf and it went very smoothly. I took femara. I did menapur injections along with Follistim. It was 2 years ago so I don't remember my exact doses but my charts would have all this information. I think I was going to have to icsi but then the egg and sperm were good so I didn't have to. We retrieved 7 eggs 5 of which were all day 5 embryos. One was transferred and resulted in my son. And 4 were frozen. We used 2 this past year and they did not take. I only have tubal blockage and endometriosis which makes me a good candidate for fresh cycle Ivf. The frozen I am not sure about how well since the last one didn't take. We cannot afford to use the last two yet. But would really like to do another fresh since this is more promising outcome

They are all great as well. I think the only weakness could be they are so busy at this clinic the office phone is always a call back but other than that they do call back

New patient is a bit of a wait and you need to be aggressive and direct about what you want.

They will call you back to get an appt by the end of the day that you call. So prompted based on what they are dealing with

So far we have spent near 19,000

They do what is best based on history they will not transfer anymore than 2 at a time though

Dr. A made our dream of becoming parents come true. I am thankful for him everyday. Our journey with Dr. A was about a year and a half, which can is much longer than I had originally expected. However, he never lost hope in our case which helped me stay positive. He was always honest, straightforward and can be blunt, which I appreciate. When it came to our chances of conceiving, I appreciated honesty. There were many times I became frustrated with our unsuccessful results, but Dr. A was very good about setting a new plan and explaining the changes he would make from the last unsuccessful try. This was always helpful to me so I knew we weren’t just throwing money and time away while trying the same thing over and over. Dr. A was always very professional and is very experienced. He truly wants to see you conceive and does his best to make your dream successful.

Dr. A will be honest with your chance of success, so make sure you are ready to hear that. Also be sure you understand the medical plan and don’t be afraid to ask questions until you understand everything. Dr. A never rushed us and made sure we were on the same page for the plan moving forward.

Dr. A was very patient with us and always answered all our questions. He took my ideas, questions and suggestions into consideration rather than just ignoring me. During an unexplained infertility diagnosis, you feel like you have no control, but Dr. A did a great job of listening to us and our ideas, which made me feel like I gained back some control during our medical journey.

Follistim with menopur on ivf #3 did the trick for me. The menopur was what really improved the quality of eggs retrieved.

The nurses were always efficient, which I valued since I traveled three hours round trip to the doctor. The nurses always called back promptly for all messages I left and knew my file/case.

I never realized how efficient and timely IRH clinic was until under care at a new clinic now (closer to home). I traveled 3 hours round trip to IRH and I rarely had to wait longer than 10 min in the lobby. They were very timely with their visits, which was so appreciated during the numerous visits requiring missing work, etc. Aside from the distance from my home, I would go back to IRH in a heartbeat. I’m now trying for baby #2 and really struggled to decide whether I should use the new clinic 10 min from my home, or IRH which I trusted and had success. I always recommend IRH and dr. A to others experiencing infertility and wish I lived closer to Cincinnati.

I had wonderful infertility insurance, so each ivf cycle was approximately $1,000.

Dr. A always told us the quality and quantity of our embryos, gave his recommendation for quantity to transfer, but left the final decision up to us.

Dr. Awadalla was very patient and thorough in his explanations of what to expect with each procedure. We were never talked down to or made to feel ignorant. He seemed to genuinely understand the emotional toll infertility takes on you.

Don't be afraid to vocalize concerns, questions, etc.

Dr. Awadalla took his time with us at each appointment and we never felt rushed. He and Dr. Schieber were so understanding and patient with us. It was very much appreciated.

My treatment was a year ago. I know I did quite a few days of injectable medications and had to add in an extra injectable closer to my egg retrieval.

The nursing staff were very quick to return phone calls and answer any questions we forgot to ask while in the office. They were also accommodating when I had a subchorionic hematoma and wanted to come in at 5 weeks pregnant to check on my baby. I even had a nurse take a medication home with her for me to pick up from her since I lived way too far away to get to the office before they closed. We had a very positive experience with the nurses.

This practice has 3 different office locations in order to accommodate people from different areas. It was very nice to be able to visit the office in Northern KY for shorter appointments since we live in Louisville, KY. All offices were very clean and well kept. I have no complaints about the clinic.

We had office visit costs, lab work, and then the complete charge for the entire IVF procedure. Transferring our frozen embryo and freezing charge were additional.

Dr. Awadalla was only open to transferring more than one embryo for us if they were day 3 embryos. We did transfer 2 day 3 embryos and they were unsuccessful. We had one day 5 embryo make it to freeze and that perfect little embryo was born 4 months ago.

I absolutely loved every appointment there. He always took the time to explain anything I didn't understand an d address any concerns I had. Our next plan of action was always in place when we left after a failed cycle. He's a very compassionate man and always gives us hope.

He's a very compassionate man. His plan of action were more aggressive than my previous doctor. I feel he is very knowledgeable in the infertility field and will do everything in your best interest to help you conceive.

He was VERY compassionate and reassuring at every appointment.

We did 5 IUI's with Follistim and ovidrel trigger. After no luck, we decided that IVF would be our best option. Our first IVF cycle was cancelled due to over stimulation. I have PCOS and over stim very quickly. He monitored me closely for three days and decided it would be best to cancel the cycle to avoid OHSS. With our 2nd cycle he reduced my follistim, my does range anywhere from 175IU to 225IU. He also worked with pharmacy companies to get me discounts on the med and samples to save me some money on our next cycle. It's hard to find a happy medium with my condition. We retrieved 17 eggs, 13 fertilized and 10 made it to freeze. We decided that it was best to freeze all of our eggs and do a FET, to prevent pregnancy induced OHSS. Our first transfer (1 embryo) resulted in a miscarriage at 5 1/2 weeks. We are currently in our TWW with our 2nd transfer (2 embryos).

Amazing, compassionate, the best ever! I loved working with them. They truly care about you and are more than eager to help you with any problem.

They are very knowledgeable about treatment plans and helping you find out what works best to achieve success.

We have NO infertility coverage. IUI's generally cost us $2500, the biggest expense being medicines. Our IVF plan is a money-back grantee. We paid $17,500 (plus the cost of meds) We get 3 fresh cycles and 3 frozen cycles. If we do not have a live birth we get 70% of our money back.

Upon meeting with him, I was hopeful. He seemed like he would be able to help us and would get to the bottom of our problem. I had the test done to make sure my tubes were clear and was given the “all clear” to start IUI’s. We had 4 failed cycles and met with him again to discuss what we thought would be the next step (IVF). He then informed me that the reason the IUI’s failed was most likely because I had a blockage in one Fallopian tube and the other was “crooked”. I couldn’t believe that he allowed us to do so many cycles without telling me that information and even allowed us to do IUI’s knowing it probably wouldn’t work. He then suggested surgery to repair my tubes and explore if there were any other issues. I was broken, desperate, but hopeful so went ahead with the surgery. Following recovery, he was adement that we needed to start doing IUI’s right away but at the point my body needed a break and all trust with him was gone. I felt like he was just taking money from us without any regard to the fact that we were human beings. I should also add that my body just didn’t respond well to the follicle stimulating medication he chose to use for me. I expressed my concern to another doctor in the practice during a visit, that my joints were aching and I felt so run down that I could barely get through the day. His response was “Hm, have you gotten a new pair of shoes recently?”. It turns out that is an although uncommon, serious side effect of the medication. We left his practice and took a break before finding a new doctor where we had success after one IVF cycle.

Ask questions. Reach out to other resources for information and be educated in the questions that you should be asking.

Appointments were always rushed and very rarely even with him.

During an IUI procedure, my husband couldn’t be at my portion of the procedure. I had been in a lot of pain and the doctor doing the procedure that day was not very kind. I was crying and he sat back and said “I’ll wait until you’re calm”. The nurse in the room stepped up and talked to me, held my hand, and encouraged the doctor to be more gentle.

Make sure to ask questions. Don’t be afraid to advocate for yourself if you feel like you are being treated like a number. Ask them for resources for paying for procedures if you don’t have health insurance that covers procedures and medications. The staff was very helpful with that.

Dr. Awadalla is very good at what he does. He is very knowledgeable and knows what best in your interest. He was never hesitant and was very reassuring to me and the procedure. He was very optimistic and never once was doubtful. If someone is looking for a dr that has bed side manners, knowledgeable, and a expertise in fertility he would be the one to see.

He will not let you down. He will help you in every way he can and explain everything along the way. He has a very positive attitude and very caring in what he does. If you want to be in very good hand and achieve your miracles I would give Dr. Awadalla a call.

He was very knowledgeable in explaining the procedure and very optimistic in what he was doing.

I had hormone injections for a couple weeks for egg retrieval then waited five days and had the embryo transfer, couple weeks later I had a blood test for pregnancy and it was positive. I had two ultrasounds with Dr. Awadalla to make sure baby was growing and doing well and after that he released me to my ob/gyn.

Nurses were very helpful, they returned calls pretty quickly and answered questions if they knew the answers. They were there to help you and cheer you on.

This clinic has very positive attitudes and compassion in what they do. They let it be known that they want to help you achieve your miracle. They are there for you every step of the process. They also offer a support group which is very helpful during the time of treatments. I can’t say enough about this clinic. It’s outstanding!

I done a fresh ivf cycle which was around 8,000 and then around 3,000 for medicine/injections.

They were very persistent in only transferring one strong embryo.

Dr. Awadalla is an extremely knowledgeable and candid doctor. I felt like he took my treatments very seriously and carefully assessed our issues when planning our IVF cycles. I think he was genuinely surprised and disappointed when the first fresh cycle failed, and he made adjustments to our treatment for the second cycle, which resulted in the birth of our son. He does treat a lot of patients and is very busy, so I didn't always feel that I was able to ask him all of my questions (I often have a lot of questions!), but he also has a knowledgeable staff who were able to pick up the slack in that area.

Prioritize your questions before your appointments to make sure you get to the most pressing ones.

Dr. Awadalla, his partners and the nurses in his practice are kind, compassionate professionals. I felt like they really cared about me and were just as upset when our first IVF cycle failed and just as happy when our second succeeded!

For my first cycle (which was unsuccessful), I used birth control to start, then I stimmed with Follistim, then added Cetrotide and triggered with Ovidrel. For my second cycle (which as successful), I used the same medications with the addition of Menopur during the stimming period.

The nurses at IRH are caring, compassionate and extremely knowledgeable. They always answered my questions clearly and made sure I understood each step along the way. The only weakness is the phone answering system. You always have to leave a message and have your phone call returned. I was working full time during my treatments, and I didn't have a private office, so it was sometimes stressful to have to take unplanned return phone calls during the work day.

One of IRH's greatest strengths is the free support group they offer patients. They offer a Ladies Night In one evening a month with yoga, a light supper and group support, and they also have a very active private Facebook group. I found the support from other patients so helpful during my treatment. IRH's website is also excellent. It provides so much information about infertility, the treatment options they offer, their success rates, and the cost of treatment. Really, the only weakness I can think of is the IVF nurse phone answering system (not being able to reach anyone directly and always having to have your phone calls returned).

My health insurance covered my initial consultation and diagnostic tests, but all of my treatment costs were out of pocket. I participated in the money-back IVF program. It was $17,900 for up to three fresh cycles and three frozen cycles. If treatment didn't result in a live birth, I would have received a 70% refund. My medications were an additional expense. I believe I spent about $1800 on medications for my first cycle and $2200 for my second cycle.

At my initial consultation, Dr. Awadalla specifically said that he preferred single transfers when possible and that he didn't see multiples as a preferred outcome. However, he did recommend transferring two embryos for both of my cycles, and we followed his advice.

Dr. Awadalla was a very thorough and compassionate doctor. Even though we tried many many cycles, he never made me feel like I was a science experiment. He never wanted to put me through a retrieval he felt would fail, and even though the devastation of failed cycle over and over was very difficult, It was better than going through with a cycle that just wasnt going to work.

Trust him and his plan. Even when you may question his reasoning, and when things get difficult he knows what hes doing such as cancelled cycles.

He was determined to find the reason for my infertility and failed cycles. He said to me once that my case was 99 percent more difficult than most, but he was gonna solve it.

We started with iui and femara. Then iui with injectables. Went on to IVF and my first two cycles were cancelled. We removed birth control before stimulation and my third cycle made it to retrieval and ended in a chemical pregnancy. We did 5 more cycles after, 1 of which made it to retrieval before realizing my body just didnt respond well on any protocol even those that had made it to retrieval before.

Penny wasnt always my primary nurse but she took it upon herself to always help me or answer any questions when I was there. She was amazing!

Strengths would be knowledge and success. Weakness would be waiting for calls back when calling for a question. I understand they are extremely busy and not sure of a different solution though.

I could go when most convienant for me. Even though it was a 1.5 hour one way trip I was able to go first thing and make it back in time for work at 10AM.

Our money back Ivf program was around 20,000. Our split DE cycle was 12,500.

When the embryo quality was not great he was fine with multiple embryo transfer. However during my DE cycle where the embryo quality was GREAT, they strongly suggested only transfering one.

I felt that he was focused on getting me in and out. He was recommended by a close friend, so I trusted their choice/experiences. I believe there was more that could have been done with my treatment. He seemed to be knowledgeable about the condition, but didn't seem to like ideas of natural supplements. Seemed to push drugs like metformin as a cure.

If you're a patient suffering from polycystic ovarian syndrome, I would make sure that you were aware of treatment options for you before visiting. Both natural And with medicine. Also understand what the common practices are for fertility treatments for someone with PCOS.

I had done extensive research on my condition, and it seemed that my treatment was not even close to theirs. Some people had multiple egg size ultrasounds to watch egg growth, this used to determine egg quality. where I only had one.

First three cycles of treatment we used only Clomid and timed intimacy. After that we did two rounds of Clomid and injections for timed IUIs. After the Clomid didn't produced quality egg sizes we switched to a different fertility medication. Sorry I cannot remember which one. We continued the IUIs for five cycles. All resulted in larger egg sizes, but no successful takes.

It is never easy to break sad news to someone, however I felt that the nursing staff showed compassion.

I feel that the clinic overall is very suited to handle people with multiple conditions. They even took care of us in a snowstorm, reassuring us that everyone would be there to assist us in our needs.

Right off the bat, Dr, Awadalla and his staff at Institution for Reproductive Health, made us feel welcome and that we mattered. At every appointment if we had concerns about our failed IUI cycles, we were not pushed away or treated as just another infertile couple, but as people with valid issues that needed to be resolved. We suggested moving onto IVF and a staff member said. "we need to step up our game." I had reservations about my IVF cycle due to the number of eggs retrieved and he reassured me that IVF is not a numbers game but a way to get you there. Dr. Awadalla said, "it's not about the number of eggs we retrieve, but about getting pregnant now." Dr. Awadalla has one of the best bedside manners I have ever seen. He is funny, insightful and brilliant! If we had not of switched over to Institute for Reproductive Health when we did, we not have conceived our beautiful daughter and had the pleasure of knowing such a wonderful Dr and staff. Thank You a million times! Looking forward to going back in the near future.

Laughter is the best medicine during a trying time such as infertility no matter the cause. Dr. Awadalla definitely eases the burden this painful issue through joking. My advice, be cautiously optimistic because if you do not laugh you will cry. You can put your faith in Dr. Awadalla because he will help you through your journey.

I always felt my questions and concerns were answered and that I was in a place where the right people were there to help me continue to build my family.

No Birth Control. Start Lupron 10 QD (Sub Q) in PM on Cycle Day 21, CD 32 appointment for blood work and follicle check, continue with Lupron 10 adding Gonal F 150 AQ (Sub Q) in AM on Cycle Day 33. CD 37 another blood work appointment with follicle check. Continue with Gonal F 150 for a total of 10 days from Cycle day 33-43. On CD 41alst blood work up with follicle check. On cycle day 43 Trigger with Ovidrel 250 in PM. CD 44 No Shots. CD 46 - Egg Retrieval Day! 11 retrieved, 5 matured, 5 fertilized. No ICSI, Natural Fertilization. Start Endometrin 100 mgs 3x's per day on CD 47. CD 51 Embryo Transfer of two blastocyst. Two week wait continue with Endometrin. On 12dp5dt beta test results revealed Positive. On 13dp5dt start Endometrin 100 mgs 2x's per day. At 6 weeks of pregnancy attend first ultrasound.

Heather is an outstanding, compassionate, delightful, warm, personable nurse who made us feel welcome the very first day of our appointment at Institute for Reproductive Health. She immediately introduced herself and waved to us as we were backing out of the parking lot. I had concerns about reasons we were not conceiving this time around she said,"there is no reason based on your medical history IVF should not work because the infertility issue is mechanical." I secretly tested using Clear Blue Easy and told no one not even my husband of the results. The day I had my blood drawn to test my BETA levels, I requested she called me with the results. She called me back with a congratulations. She is literally one of the best nurses I have ever encountered and when we go back we'll definitely request to work with her.

In terms of weaknesses, I would say the location may be an issue if you are located further away from the Montgomery/Cincinnati area. The cost of IVF is costly enough, but if there was a way for all states to mandate coverage then this would be a benefit to all people out there suffering with infertility. I also think they should have a room set up with a day-care. We found it difficult to find someone to watch our daughter on a Saturday morning to get our first IVF cycle achieved. We ended up taking our daughter with us and my husband went in first while I waited in the car, then I went in. I wanted him to be in the room with me during the retrieval process. One of the best strengths they have is that the team of Drs. and staff work cohesively and show some of the best bedside manner I have ever seen. I would also like to add that they are very patient with you when it comes to the payment process.

It was $16,500 for the IVF but with insurance it came out to be $1,250 with $100 added quarterly for embryo storage. It was between $1000 to $1,500 for medications.

My course of treatment went pretty smoothly until after the egg retrieval. That night I was in horrible abdominal pain and could not stand up. It was after hours and I called the emergency line. He immediately called me himself and explained what he thought was happening and asked me to come in the next morning. I drove in from Louisville and sure enough it was what he thought. I had so many eggs removed and the sacs had filled with fluid causing a great deal of pressure. He said if the swelling did not go down we would not be able to the transfer as planned and would have to freeze the embryos. I was devastated to say the least. He asked me to come back in 2 days to re-examine and see how things looked. When I returned he said I looked great and we could go ahead with the transfer, yippee!!! Several weeks later we received a call that we were in fact pregnant, I could not believe it. When we returned back to the office for an ultrasound he said "Well the good news is there is only 2!" I had always imagined myself with twins and thanks to Dr. Awadalla, my dreams were becoming a reality!

For me, the biggest reason we did not see him sooner was location. I am in Louisville and the thought of driving to Cincinnati for all those appointments seemed a little crazy. After 2 unsuccessful IVF attempts with a local Dr, I made the consultation and we drove up. After our first meeting I could have kicked myself for not having seen him sooner. He is the best!

When I came to Dr Awadalla I was in a bad place since I had recently experienced 2 failed IVF attempts. I was convinced I would never have children. The first time we met I said something about "if I have a baby" and he said "No, Mrs. K****, when we have a baby". He made me feel like I was his only patient every appointment. He never rushed me, always took extra time and answered all my questions. So very thankful I had the opportunity to be his patient!

I went to both the Northern Ky and Cincinnati offices (mostly Cincinnati) they were both very clean and everyone was very nice. Always willing to explain or answer any questions we had. On the day of the egg retrieval and sperm donation, somehow my husbands appointment did not get put on the schedule! We were understanding since everyone makes mistakes but we also were concerned that he wouldn't be able to do. The staff assured us that they would handle everything and they did. Things went on smoothly and all was well!

They were high, but not any higher than what we had already paid at a local office.

I felt like a number. Nothing was scheduled according to what my body was doing. It was all according to their set schedule for retrieval & transfer. Also, all embryos were transferred on day 3. After speaking with other endocrinologists, I learned this was too early. No pregnancies.

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I dealt with the nurses more often. A different doctor performed my second transfer, and I was not made aware of it until the day before. When I was going through IUI, I was informed a NP would be performing the procedure two days before. I didn’t feel like I had an option in any of my attempts.

I requested gonadotropin injections with my IUI, but Dr. Awadalla wouldn’t even consider it. Considering my diagnosis of a diminished ovaryreserve, one would think gonadotropin injections would be standard. No resulting pregnancy.

Very helpful, but they aren’t in charge. Don’t shoot the messenger.

A patient must abide by their set schedule (on the weekends), despite what their body is doing. I do believe this negatively affected my outcomes. Make sure you are aware of your options, and if this doctor won’t help you pursue them, seek help elsewhere.

I had a very generous insurance plan, covering 2 complete rounds of IVF. I think this is a reason Dr. Awadalla over promised, as he knew he would be paid full price by my insurance company.

Very highly recommend. I would recommend him to anyone. Really trust him and feel comfortable being in his care. I’ve seen all three docs at IRH and they’re all fantastic. The Clinic staff is friendly and helpful. It is a very nice atmosphere and they treat you like a person—not a number.

Be patient with as it can be a long process but you’re in great hands.

Very friendly. Funny. Made me feel very comfortable yet informed.

I was diagnosed with PCOS and insulin resistance right off the bat. I tried Letrozole but couldn’t ovulate so after ultrasounds confirmed cysts I moved onto injections. I was able to ovulate and had an IUI. Unfortunately I had a miscarriage so now I am having weekly bloodwork as I wait for hormone levels to drop so I can start a new cycle. The doctors at IRH informed me of the chances of a miscarriage and have handled my care very well afterward. They remained positive and upbeat which really helped me feel better.

Overall they’ve been great. I did have one nurse be snarky over giving me a sample of follistim over someone else. It was extremely awkward and I had to go way out of my way to get my medication. Sucked. Overall they’re great.

The Clinic is great. The KY office is very small and is where I’ve spent most of my time. The downtown Cinci location is super nice. I think the staff and doctors are great and I highly recommend them.

in my first cycle between the medications, ultrasounds, bloodwork and the IUI I’ve spent about $2,000.

NA

he is very welcoming and nice. doesn't just speak about the medical terms and asks about work and our day. he makes us feel like not just a patient. one visit I did feel rushed thru my ultrasound. I left thinking of questions I should have asked, but didn't think about them until later. I wish he had gone in more detail about what each thing meant I the ultrasound and what to expect in the future.

he small talks, and makes jokes. he doesn't just talk about the medical part of it, and makes me feel like he sincerely cares.

started me on metformin before iui cycles began. low carb diet. be best to lose 20lbs. after 2nd iui produced no follicles, he upped my dosage to 3 pills of femera that same cycle, and tried again. now for my 3rd iui I'm on 3 femeras again.

great bedside manner. very compassionate and understanding. they describe what's next and exactly what to do. even when I had severe cramping and called them, they walked me thru every thing that could have been wrong, and were very supportive

hard to talk to someone on the phone. always have to leave a voicemail. receptionist is pleasantly nice and welcoming. nursing staff is amazing and makes you feel comfortable. I like that the sperm wash is right next to the fertility clinic

ultrasounds each about $100 each visit $50 copay iui $500 sperm wash $225 ovidrel $92 femera $10

n/a

Dr.A looks at patient history and determines the best course of treatment. He does not just recommend things to make money. He told me it’s nlt necessary to do PGS and that he wants IVF to be affordable. He is compassionate and explains things when asked questions. After my negative Beta he called me to talk to me and I truly appreciated it because it was a Saturday.

Dr.A is great at answering questions or concerns so make a list and ask him at appointments.

Dr.Awadalla is a very knowledgeable and caring Doctor. Although my IVF cycle didn’t yield the positive test I dreamed of, I am ready to try again if I had the money. He is compassionate and monitored me during my cycle closely and I felt I received good care that put me at ease. I highly recommend him.

I was precribed follistim and ganirelex and trigger shot, Prior to that I was started on birth control.

The nurse at my retrieval was gentle and caring and put me at ease.

The doctors and nurses are compassionate. The most difficult part is working with the business office for payments and getting questions answered. They hardly return calls in a timely manner. I felt they could explain the embryo transfer decisions in advance to coming in on transfer day and letting you know if you do or don’t need ICSI it egg hatching.

I was self pay and they give a discount if it’s self pay.

Although I wanted 2 transferred, Dr.A only recommended one and explained the risks of two.

Dr Awadalla has been fairly attentive to questions, as well as the staff. Nurses were great. Only problem I had was finding out I had an autoimmune disease in the middle of IUI cycle and felt like he blew this off some calling it "mild arthritis " which I am told is closer to being lupus. This was after failing many IUI's and a failed IVF with no frozens that made it. So we felt very lost and no good reason why nothing we have tried worked.

We are emotional messes. Just listen to our concerns bc they are very real to us. He has all the knowledge but we may know what he's thinking.

Answered questions, didn't feel rushed.

4 IUI with clinic and ovidrel with hubbys sperm which did not work. Moved into IVF with gonal F and cetriotide...retrieved 8 eggs (I think) and all fertilized with husbands sperm but only 2 progressed...transferred those on day 3 and this did not work. Tried 2 IUI with gonal F and donor sperm, still negative. Did laparoscopic surgery to check for endometriosis and PCOS...only mild narrowing at opening of left tube. Did 3 more with donor sperm and gonal F and still nothing.

Answered all questions and very compassionate and patient.

WOULD be helpful to have someone clinical available to answer phone calls, especially when it's urgent. As of now you have to leave a message and wait for return call.

Comparatively it's cost effective.

None

Dr Awadalla is a very personable and compassionate RE. Although I have been unable to conceive under his care, I highly recommend him. My only complaint is that he can be a bit too optimistic. I prefer to be told the blunt truth, even if it is negative.

As much as he wants to be successful at helping you conceive, he can be a bit too optimistic. He doesn't seem to fully understand that not everyone has the financial capabilities to just keep moving forward with treatments.

Dr. Awadalla was very personable and seemed to empathize with me each time my cycle was not successful. As a private person, I usually do not get emotional until I am alone at home. The last cycle he said to me, "I know this was a hard one for you and I was really hoping to have good news for you today."

IUIs- Femara with Ovidrel trigger- all negative. 1st IVF - follistim, menopur, Ganarelix, ovidrel, progesterone - cancelled due to poor response 2nd IVF - femara, follistim, menopur, cetrotide, ovidrel, progesterone. - 2 eggs retrieved, 2 embryos, 0 transferred due to poor quality.

Some of the nurses were great, while others were disorganized. I had 2 different nurses on 2 separate occasions give me incorrect medication dosage and timing. I corrected them based on what Dr. Awadalla had told me which they then confirmed.

Very nice clinic area. No complaints about the clinic itself

My IUIs were covered by insurance, $40 copay + $100 meds. IVF - ~$14000 (including meds and ICSI)

He is very knowledge and wise, he has done this for many years. I do believe he cares about his patients and the outcomes. His bedside manner isn’t always the greatest, sometimes he seems rushed. Our first ultrasound with our first successful IUI, Dr. Awadalla didn’t even say hi to or acknowledge my husband. So in that way, you sort of feel like a number. When we came back to try for our second child, i did three IUI cycles that all failed. He continued to keep the same protocol. I called and asked if we could do injectable medications for my 4th cycle. The nurse asked him and he agreed. I’m now 18 weeks with twins. That was a little frustrating, but he has so many patients...i guess just be proactive in your own treatment and ask for things if you think it would be a good avenue to explore. Overall i really liked working with Dr. Awadalla.

I felt like Dr Awadalla was very kind, but also very brief/quick in his visits with us.

They’re so kind!

I don’t like how hard it is to get someone on the phone, but they do call back quickly. Overall the wait times in the waiting room are good and they’re fast. It’s clean, they have lots of apportionments.

About $1000 for an IUI cycle with meds.

Dr. Awadalla was very up front about the end goal of treatment, to have a baby. He seemed blunt at first but after the initial consultation was very kind, empathetic and encouraging! He showed compassion when I was upset about not being able to get pregnant on our own and also knew when to keep the mood light.

Let him do what he does best. He may seem blunt during initial consultation but is now someone we consider family.

Dr. Awadalla always knew who we were and what our goals were. He was upbeat and positive but also realistic.

IUI with Olvidrel for two months. Then IVF fresh cycle (twin pregnancy and birth). 2.5 years later we did a frozen embryo transfer which resulted in a live Singleton birth.

Amazing, knowledgeable and compassionate

IRH is very organized and there is someone always there to answer questions. They returned calls quickly and is even open during weekends. I had to call in a Saturday afternoon and got ahold of the doctor. Appointments were always running on time. The waiting area and clinic area is clean and private.

I don't remember exactly costs but I do know that we were given rebates on several medications that were very helpful!

Dr. Awadalla said the choice would be ours. When the time came to do our first transfer he suggested two embryos and we had decided we we're ok with that and actually wanted to try for two. With our frozen cycle we only had one embryo left so we did not have any other choice.

Dr. Awadalla is great, and we enjoyed working with him. He gets straight to the point, but is not harsh or callous. IRH is attentive to each patients needs, and work to ensure timely and efficient appointments, but because of that, we often had to see other doctors from the practice. We also treated out of state about 2 hours away so the clinic has a satellite office that also contributed to us having to see other doctors. He is positive and optimistic and encouraging.

Relax. Ask questions.

He called us personally with results and was willing to spend time with us answering any and all questions.

Clean, organized, professional, efficient, and courteous

IVF meds: Gonal F (250 per day), Menopur 75 (1 vial/day), Cetrotide (5-7 days), and Ovidrel (trigger shot-1) for 14 days, using Cash prices at Freedom Pharmacy, was approximately $4400. IVF w/ICSI w/ Cigna HRA insurance ($10,000 lifetime max fertility coverage including IVF) was approximately $2500. Insurance covered IVF about 80/20.