Sissy Sartor

On my first visit with Dr. Sartor, I met with her for over an hour. She explained everything very carefully with me and made sure I understood all the costs and risks. She is very direct but sincere. I never felt as though she had given me false hope or made it seem impossible. During IUIs, she is very gentle and talks her way through it so there are no surprises. My only suggestion is that I wish I could see her more, instead of a nurse, on visits when they are adjusting the procedures.

If she doesn't call you back, her nurse definitely will before the end of the day. Don't worry if they don't get back to you within the hour.

I always felt important. Dr. Sartor answered all my questions patiently and she was always very gentle during the IUI procedures. Also, the staff are amazing. After getting some bad news about my follicle count one cycle, I started crying at the checkout station. The woman working the station was so sweet and caring and even got me some water. I never feel rushed at the office and someone will always call me back if I have a question.

My first IUI cycle we did 10 days of oral hormones, and 3 injections of Follistem. I had three good follicles, but a negative pregnancy test. My second IUI cycle, we did 2 weeks of birth control, then 5 days of oral hormones, and 3 injections of Follistem. We also followed up with progesterone after the IUI. I had one good follicle, but a negative pregnancy test. We skipped the following month because I had a very large cyst on one of my ovaries. My last IUI cycle we did 8 days if Follistem, I had three good follicles and the best sperm count we've ever had, but still, a negative pregnancy test.

The nursing staff are phenomenal. I've worked with three of Dr. Sartor's nurses. They are all patient, kind, compassionate and knowledgeable. They don't rush you and are there to listen even if you just want to talk things through. They always call me back if I have any questions.

The clinic is quiet, clean, discrete and professional. Infertility can be a scary and even embarrassing issue to deal with but I never felt weird in there. For the most part, they are on time. They have a TV to watch which is nice, you watch HGTV while you wait. They have water, coffee, and comfortable seats. I feel very peaceful in there. Its not too large so you don't get lost.

An IUI cycle averaged $2500-$3000 depending on the amount of injectable medication.

n/a

I saw Dr Sartor 4 times- initial consult, pre IUI consult, my third IUI and IVF consult after the third IUI failed. During the course of my treatment, I found out I am BRCA 1 positive, putting me at higher risk for ovarian and breast cancer. My treatment started with one round of unmonitored Femara. Instead of improved ovulation, I had an annovulatory cycle. The next step was IUI with ovulation induction. I started with Femara and Menopur and an HCG trigger shot. My first cycle was 1-2 follicles, second cycle was the same. The third cycle started with 2 weeks of birth control pills due to a large cyst at start of cycle. Then went on to the meds continuing with the same. But this cycle was different in that my body didn’t respond right away and so through the nurse Dr Sartor kept upping my dose of Menopur. Finally after 3 weeks of stimming we had 4 follicles. But again the cycle failed. Next step would be IVF. Dr Sartor was recommending ICSI, PGD (for BRCA 1) and possibly assisted hatching. We didn’t and still don’t have that kind of money. And medical loans have a very high interest rates. We weren’t interested in taking on such massive debt. As much as we want a family we have to be prudent. Also Dr Sartor pushing for PGD was very uncomfortable especially when we found out it was 12000 per cycle minimum. We stepped away from treatment at that time and have been trying on our own since.

Be prepared to stand up for yourself. Don’t let her rush you or steam roll you.

Dr Sartor was very pushy, not really giving us time to fully comprehend what was happening, or understand the recommended treatment plan. We had to be forceful and push back to slow things down a little. Also we never moved on to IVF due to her pushing us for PGD and us not having the money for the base IVF much less extras.

I don’t remember dosing but all cycles started with Femara then Menopur injections with dosing going up as needed for response. I also used gonadotropins to prevent early ovulation and an HCG trigger shot for the 3 IUI cycles. After each insemination the doctor performing it would determine when to start oral progesterone supplementation. I only had 7 dpo progesterone testing once and never had a pregnancy test through the office.

She was great about answering my questions and trying to get my insurance to cover my injectable meds which required jumping through many hoops.

The clinic ha no online portal. All labs results are communicated by nursing staff via phone. If you miss their call then you have to call back and leave a message and wait for a return call, which hopefully you didn’t miss! The phone calls all go to one office then have to be transferred to the specific location you need. One of the ultrasound techs was amazing and one was terrible! The phlebotomist’s were both awesome. The clinic did have good morning hours but closed between 3:30-4:30 in afternoon so no phones answered and no way to get a message to anyone. Also no later appointments.

I don’t remember any costs. IUI was about $1500 without meds.

Had we progressed to IVF Dr Sartor only wanted to transfer one embryo. Her reasoning was that you don’t know if someone has an incompetent cervix until something happens so she wants to prevent it.

Our experience with Dr. Sartor has been everything we hoped it would be. Nothing can prepare you for infertility. However, once you realize that infertility treatments are necessary, you hope for a doctor that will strive for success and treat you with compassion and understanding along the way. Dr. Sartor has been that and more for us. She is always prepared with the most recent information and takes the time to walk us through it. She is positive and also realistic, so you know exactly what to expect. We are looking forward to beginning IVF treatments with Dr. Sartor and hoping for a successful outcome.

Never be afraid to ask questions or for further explanation. Dr. Sartor considers each and every question/concern you have and answers it thoroughly based on scientific evidence and statistics.

With Dr. Sartor, I have always felt like a human - never simply a number. Since the very beginning, my husband and I have felt at ease with Dr. Sartor, and with each step in this process so far, we have felt more and more so. My diagnoses came suddenly and unexpectedly, so it was quite a bit for us to take in at one time. Dr. Sartor has always taken the time listen to our questions/concerns and thoroughly explain each step, procedure, potential outcomes, next steps, etc. She has tailored my protocol specifically for my needs and adjusted as needed depending on my particular response, as well as been a constant source of encouragement during an uncertain time.

In April of this year, I became a patient of Dr. Sartor's after receiving a diagnosis of PCOS and advanced endometriosis. After careful examination, ultrasound and review of my case, Dr. Sartor came to the same conclusion and developed a protocol for me. On April 20th, Dr. Sartor performed a hysteroscopy, D & C, and laparoscopy to remove 4 large endometriomas. While I was under, she also performed a hysterosalpingogram. I had excellent results from the surgery, as Dr. Sartor was able to remove all signs of endometriosis, while still keeping both ovaries and tubes in place. Now completely healed, I have begun IVF treatment with Dr. Sartor and will start stimulation medications in just a few weeks.

Mary and Ashley, the IVF Coordinators, are amazing. They are always ready to answer my questions and promptly respond when I leave messages. They are both knowledgeable and well informed, but also extremely kind and compassionate. The entire staff has made this process such a positive experience so far and we look forward to working with everyone as we continue on this journey to start our family.

The entire staff is wonderful. They are kind and extremely responsive. Not to mention, always helpful.

I felt she was thorough at first but when my first IUI failed she wanted to do the same protocol again. The only reason we changed it up is because I had questions and requested the appointment. Otherwise, we would have repeated the same thing over and I would have never seen her. Also, after a patient spends thousands how do you sit across from them with very little emotion? It just feels cold there at times. I also don't think doctors did deep enough to find the root cause of the issue. When paying cash I shouldn't have to come with lots of questions each time.

Come prepared and have lots of questions and don't be afraid to ask or you will get the same standard protocol as most pastients.

I feel like every patient gets the same treatment and they don't always look at you like an individual. When Amy treatments failed I was never consoled it was ok let's start your meds again.

2 failed Femara cycles with timed intercourse and BFN both times. 1st IUI was with Tamoxifen, Follistim, Ganerelix, & 5,000 hcg trigger. IUI was 24 hours post trigger & BFN. 2nd IUI changed slightly because of questions I asked. Tamoxifen, Follistim, Menopur, Ganerelix, Lupron/2,500 hcg trigger. IUI 36 hours after with a BFN. She stated that the reason for pills with injection was there was no evidence to suggest that injections only in an IUI cycle was more successful & it cost more.

Busy and cold. Both times my IUI's failed the next sentence out of their mouth was ok so today is day what of your period and we need to start meds on day x. No I'm sorry or how are you doing. You may see one nurse in clinic and a different one may call you back. No continuity with the nursing staff unless you are starting IVF.

Strengths: it's convenient, there are a few docs so you can always change within the group Weaknesses: it doesn't have a warm and welcoming feeling. This is an emotional process and at times ( a lot of times) I just felt like a number and another dollar.

Dr. Sartor is very kind and extremely knowledgeable. She was honest about my chances of conceiving with my own eggs, but did so in a gentle manner. She told me pretty early on in treatment that donor egg route was my best chance. She was always positive and hopeful.

Be your own advocate. Ask any questions you can think of and expect an honest answer.

Dr. Sartor was always willing to listen and answer any questions I had. I never felt like a bother. She was very understanding and compassionate with my miscarriages as well.

I don't remember the name of the protocol used. I started on Lupron injections, followed by bravelle and menopur every evening for 13 days. I was taking 4 vials each and that was adjusted throughout the 13 days. I wound up with 8 eggs on this cycle and 7 of them fertilized. By day 5, transfer day, I had 4 embryos left of varying quality. I transferred 3 (I was 40 years old at the time of transfer) and froze 1. I did get pregnant from this cycle, but lost the baby due to miscarriage at around the 7 week mark.

Mary was very thorough and kind throughout the process. I often called with questions and she always got back to me the same day with answers. My issue came into play after I received news of a drug recall due to possible lack of potency. When I questioned this I was given a very defensive answer. She told me that Dr. Sartor had been aware of the possible lack of potency and adjusted my dose accordingly. I feel like I should have been made aware of the adjustments and reasons for them so that I could decide if I wanted to proceed with cycle as such or look into other protocol. I feel like I should have been notified of the recall by the clinic and not the pharmaceutical company.

Strengths of the clinic are the number of knowledgeable doctors available and the treatment options. The biggest weakness I found was that it was just too big of a clinic. I would have preferred to see the doctor at every appointment. I needed to feel like I was the most important patient at the time of my treatment and not just a number. For me, I just needed a smaller setting.

The medications cost me around $7000 in total. I had to order more than originally thought necessary. The procedure itself was right around $12000 and I added ICSI which was another $1750. There were different packages available for multiple cycles that would have been slightly discounted.

Due to my age at transfer being 40, Dr. Sartor and I had agreed to transfer up to 3 embryos.

Dr. Sartor went above and beyond to put my husband and I at ease during this very uncertain time. She always took the time to thoroughly explain our protocol including procedure, what to expect, medications, risks, etc. Not only did she answer all of our questions we were always presented with the most recent evidence based information. We felt like she spent as much time with us as we needed and never felt rushed. Being in Dr. Sartor’s care made this difficult time a positive experience. I truly do not feel like we would have had the same outcome with any other doctor. I believe that I would not be holding my 10 week old daughter if it was not for her. We look forward to being in her care when we decide to continue to grow our family.

As always, come prepared with any questions you may have and have an understanding as to what to expect for your first visit.

I felt like a human and not a number for many reasons. First and foremost, all of my questions and concerns were thoroughly listened to and answered. Dr. Sartor always approached my case with understanding, encouragement, and compassion. I felt like Dr. Sartor presented the facts for our particular situation and always knew the “next step” only when we were ready for it. The protocol she used was individualized for me and was fine tuned based on how I was responding to the medications after each appointment.

I had 3 egg retrievals, 5 embryo transfers, 2 endometrial receptivity arrays. -1st egg retrieval resulted in 8 embryos -1st frozen embryo transfer (transferred 2) resulting in singleton pregnancy -Miscarried at 10 weeks- testing showed that it was a result of trisomy 13 -Along with Dr. Sartor my husband and I decided to do genetic screening on the remaining 6 (2 came back as healthy embryos) -2nd frozen embryo transfer, transferred one resulting in negative pregnancy test -2nd egg retrieval resulting in 6 embryos- after PGS testing we were left with 2 -3rd frozen embryo transfer- transferred one- resulting in chemical pregnancy -Dr. Sartor recommended doing the endometrial receptivity array due to the chemical pregnancy and potential endometrial problems that could have arisen due to the difficult D&C I had with 1st pregnancy and miscarriage -1st Endometrial receptivity array (ERA) recommended another day of progesterone support before embryo transfer -We decided to do a 2nd ERA to confirm this -2nd ERA did indeed confirm extra day of progesterone support needed -4th Frozen embryo transfer resulted in a negative pregnancy test -3rd Egg retrieval resulting in 11 embryos- after PGS we were left with 7 -5th Frozen embryo transfer (transferred 2 embryos) resulted in positive singleton pregnancy -We now have a healthy 10 week old daughter and 5 embryos remaining.

The entire staff that I worked with including ultrasound techs, nurses, coordinators, and Dr. Sartor were all a pleasure to work with. Both of the IVF nurses, Ashley and Mary, were not only extremely knowledgeable but also kind. They always greeted me with a smile and small talk before “getting down to business.” Ashley and Mary were always quick to call me back if I called with a question or concern. They methodically explained how to draw up/mix the injectable medication and made sure my husband and I were both confortable with this. I felt like the entire staff that I worked with were with us during our journey through both the ups and downs.

My appointments always went smoothly and I never had a long wait. I usually went from the waiting room, to the lab, to ultrasound, to see the nurses, and then Dr. Sartor.

I don't feel like Dr. Sartor cared about me as a patient. I don't think she would even know who I was if she saw me in the waiting room. She was once out of town for a scheduled IUI procedure, and I had no idea until a different doctor showed up to preform the procedure.

Don't go.

Dr. Sartor was always very dry when I saw her, which wasn't very often. I was in her care for almost two years and could probably count on one hand the number of times I saw her. We ended up doing 4 unsuccessful IUIs, and it was me who said I wanted to move on to something else, since IUI obviously wasn't working. I don't feel like that should've been my decision. I was never told "we're going to try this, this many times, and then we'll move on to plan B". In my opinion, I was never really informed well enough about what was going on with my body. I felt like they thought I was stupid when I asked questions, aside from Mary, the IVF nurse.

I don't remember.

Aside from Mary, the IVF Coordinator, I wasn't that pleased with any of the other nursing staff. I always felt like a number to them. They made me feel stupid for asking questions that I felt like I should've been informed about to begin with.

I like that I was always able to get early morning appointments, since I work, that way I didn't have to miss too much work. However, I find wait times were pretty long. Again, I felt like a number to them. Like no one cared about my well being, or the emotional toll everything was taking on me. I understand that it's a difficult process for everyone going through this, but it didn't seem like the nurses cared about how difficult of a time this was for their patients.

I appreciated Dr Sartors experience and knowledge of the practice, however I didn’t always feel as if she was sensitive to the hormonal emotions involved - specifically depression. Dr Sartor seemed to be very well versed in the numbers and statistics, however pinning her down to explain something in layman’s terms felt difficult to schedule and sometimes even harder to understand. Not her fault, but I felt my diagnosis didn’t come until after my final failed IUI before moving on to IVF, I’m unsure if that is just an unfortunate part of the process or if that was a product of her method of practice to seek pregnancy over diagnosis.

Listen. Have your questions ready, she may not go out of her way to discuss topics that she might not consider relevant.

While extremely happy with the results of our treatment, I always felt the goal with Dr Sartor was the quickest alternative to pregnancy. However, at times I would have preferred knowing why we couldn’t get pregnant on our own or what we could have been doing different naturally.

My insurance required 6 rounds of IUI before moving to IVF. Dr Sartor would have progressed us to IVF sooner (after 3 IUI). The medications increased with each failed IUI, this was mostly do to follicle response. Each failed IUI cycle the number of follicles and readiness in size improved with the changes in dosage.

Mary was a much better communicator than Ashley when it came to questions about the treatment course and expectations for the ultrasounds and bloodwork and medications. Ashley was best at scheduling and assisting with the chart.

This was the only clinic available to me at the time, before Audubon was in practice. I do like that FINO is in Metairie as opposed to Mid-City. However, I felt like the clinic was overcrowded, overbooked, and very difficult to communicate. Every phone call required a hold or transfer or message that would be returned hours later. I wished that there could have been an online messaging system.

I was enrolled in a High Deductible Health Savings Plan, I paid out of pocket up to 3000 depending on the plan year and then all other expenses were covered 100%. I was allowed to pay as I went for IUI, however the clinic wanted payment in full up front for the IVF (my out of pocket max) and then we settled insurance later

We were able to transfer two embryos at our discretion before the laws had changed to only allow one. There wasn’t much discussion or emphasis on her preference as to whether we transferred 1 or 2. I seem to remember transferring two was just the thing to do at the time.

Dr. Sartor is very thorough and is always willing to answer questions and explain something further when we didn’t understand. I always appreciated her honesty with us and felt like her advice always had our best interests in mind. Our treatment plan was customized to the challenges we faced and was ultimately successful.

Don’t hesitate to ask any questions you may have. In our experience, she’s great at educating her patients.

She is obviously very busy, but we never felt rushed with her and she is very thorough. We felt our treatment plan was well tailored to the specific issues we faced. As our treatment progressed, we appreciated the relationship we shared with Dr. Sartor.

The staff is large but they are all very nice and professional.

It’s a large clinic with a lot of patients so it can feel a little overwhelming at first to be shuttled from nurse to nurse, but they are all great at their job. If you aren’t seeing a doctor and are just being monitored, the appointments are quick and efficient. They are excellent at returning phone calls with results and/or questions that may arise.

IVF - I believe we paid $18k and that included one transfer and the first year of embryo storage. This didn’t include medication. IUI - About $1000 plus $400 or so for the procedure. I can’t remember if this included the medication or not.

Dr. Sartor is good at what she does. Her curt bedside manner might not be for all, but she knows what she is doing and will give you a clear concise course of action to get you pregnant. We saw her for a long time through both IUIs and IVF.

Be prepared for a no nonsense approach to your treatment. She is very direct and won't mince words.

Dr. Sartor is direct, but clear when she goes through your care.

We started with IUIs because we were both young and had no known fertility issues (we are a lesbian couple). After several attempts without success we decided to move onto IVF cycles. We did two egg retrievals. After the first egg retrieval, we had five embroys. We did two transfers resulting in two miscarriages. With only one embryo left, we opted to do another egg retrieval. This time we got a lot of eggs and about 19 embryos. We used two and elected to freeze the best ten and nine made it. We got pregnant for twins in that fresh cycle after the egg retrieval.

The clinic is conveniently located and very experienced. You need to make sure you are responsible for your own schedule though. They will give you a schedule, but you need to stay on top of it and your meds. Mary and Ashley are very helpful.

Egg Retrieval cycles were about $16,000 all in (including medicine). FRET cycles are about $4,000 all in.

Dr. Sartor was very thorough and explained the process every step of the way. She was kind and was reassuring when we had negative tests. She was almost always positive but not unrealistic in what our expectations should be. I am a mom now because of her, what else is there to say.

Ask questions! Do not hesitate to say if you need somethings explained more thoroughly.

The doctor and nurses know my case without having to refer to the file. I was always able to ask questions and get answers almost instantly.

I don't remember the protocol I was on.

Ms. Mary was the best ever!! The nurses are just as invested in your outcome as you are. They are there to celebrate with you and they are there to be a shoulder to cry on if you need one. DO NOT talk to Ashley though, she is the worst nurse there. I just always asked to speak with Mary and she was always prompt in calling me back.

They are supportive and caring and have some of the latest advancements and technology right there.

I would go for blood testing and ultrasounds on my lunch hour and I was always in and out of the clinic. Saturday is the only day that it is crazy busy and you have to wait.

The IUI itself was about 3,000 not including meds and the IVF was 12,000 for two rounds, not including meds.

Because of my age and fertility issues we always did multiple embryo transfer. With that said, Dr. Sartor was always careful to explain the pros and cons and left the ultimate decision up to my husband and I.

I loved Dr. Sartor. She is a very smart and brilliant. Unfortunately sometimes I thought her work load was too much. At this clinic you deal with the nurses alot more. But when I did have time with her it was amazing. She always had something new she was willing to do to try again. Also this clinic ran lots of blood test every visit, which i thought was good. The problem is I don't have the fiances to keep trying new things. but like with all of invitro it is a gamble.

Have all your questions together for when you meet with her.

I felt like a human, when i got hyper-stimulated, Dr Sartor gave me her cell number because i was so sick. she went above for me and didn't have to.

hum wow.... Well we used patches, pill, and 2 injectables. I went in every 2/4 days to be monitored. I have very good results with producing 18 eggs. But I was hyper-stimulated. I have to go in before a fresh transfer to drain some fluid .

I find the nursing staff to be too busy for the amount of patients they have. They did always return calls that day when i was a cycle patient. But I felt more like a number to them then I did Dr. Sartor

Stengths- busy, everything flows easy from blood, to ultrasound to lab etc. weaknesses- too busy, didn't help find the cheapest med med options.

IVF 16,000... PGD 5,000 FROZEN TRANSFER 3500

She is willing to do what you really want.

She is kind and compassionate but straight forward. She has high expectations of the staff. She is meticulous but caring. She is very thoughtful about your plan. She is a clear communicator. You can tell she thrives off of excellence and patient experience.

Be honest with her and ask her anything you want.

She listens, which is hugely important. She spends face to face time assessing the right plan. She is thoughtful. She has high expectations of her staff.

I ended up using donor eggs, per her recommendation. So far, I've been on BC pills for 21 days. On day 17 I started Lupron injections 20u daily. Next week I add estrogen patches as we build up to the transfer. And then start progesterone.

They are on top of things. They run a tight ship.

The clinic is great. They have several locations. They are quick to return calls and fit you in for an appointment. Everyone is professional and polite. They are all very organized. They seem to have very reliable office protocols. And they set expectations with patients very well - you know when to expect return phone calls and emails.

They worked with my insurance and I have paid about $5500 out of pocket so far.

She is open to hearing the patients thoughts but keeps patient safety in mind first and foremost.

Sissy was very informative and positive. We didn’t always agree on course of action, but in the end I’m so happy I trusted her judgment. She gave a true perspective of all expectations and courses of treatment. Any questions or concerns we had she made sure to answer in a very professional and timely manor.

It’s a very long road, but trust your doctor. She knows best.

All the appointments felt very personable

I don’t remember. It all seemed like such a blur with many ups and downs.

Very caring and informative. Gave personal advice because she had also been through IVF. She returned all phone calls and did follow ups and promised. Made us feel very at home being as we were there so much .

The only weakness I would note is that even though they are open on the weekends for appts. It’s very hard to get in touch with the nurses bc the phones weren’t transferred over, they were still with the on call service. Positive is the sweet staff, informative billing admins and Great nurses. All appointments were relatively quick too.

They were quick and easy

We had to pay for sperm retrevial, egg retrieval, three transfers and medicine for all. A total of $30,000

She is very insistent on single embryo transfers which I appreciate now that I’m so informed on IVF.

I loved how she described the process what it looks like for us and the next steps in going forward.

Was in contact with her or or nurse constantly. She called me personally at times. When we found out that no eggs were produced to received, she sat us down and talked to us in a caring voice and what our options are.

flat fee