Thomas Burwinkel

Dr. Burwinkle was down to earth and to the point. He communicated well about our treatment plan and was very kind after our failed cycle. He might have even used a light-hearted curse word once which made my husband feel at ease (haha). Although our results were not what we had hoped for, doctors are humans, and we know it’s a risky business anyway. I truly feel like Dr. Burwinkle had our best at heart to achieve a healthy pregnancy.

Dr. Burwinkle does have a good bedside manor but a slightly dry sense of humor so don’t expect him to paint a pretty picture- he is going to be honest (in a kind way) with you.

I have never been diagnosed with PCOS but my AMH level at the time of treatment was high. Because of that, we used a fairly low dose of injectable medications (Gonal F @ 125, a couple of doses of Cetrotide and Ovidrel). I produced approximately 8 follicles with 7 mature eggs of 4 fertilized. Unfortunately only one of them were able to be transferred and none left to freeze. Dr. Burwinkle stated after that he would increase the dose of medications in future cycles.

One full cycle including ICSI, medications, the whole nine yards, cost approximately $15,000.00.

Our clinic prefers to transfer single embryos which I was fine with at the time. Knowing what I know now, I wish we would have transferred more but hindsight is 50/50. No one to blame for that. I understand and respect the reasoning behind only transferring one embryo at a time based on a fairly healthy and hopeful scenario.

I have seen every doctor at IRH over the last two years and over that time, I have become the most comfortable with Dr. B and as a result, switched over to him as my primary physician in early 2019. I am someone who needs my doctor to explain the details of my diagnosis and treatment in order to feel confident in our plan of action. If the details are not explained to me, I get very anxious. Dr. B learned this about me very quickly and takes the time to explain everything to us as well as answer all of my questions. When we ask for additional consult appointments just to talk about next steps, he is always accommodating and takes the time to ensure all of our questions are answered. I am also a very direct person who wants an honest assessment of the situation, even if it's tough to hear. When I'm told overly positive things repeatedly and then experience disappointment, that makes me distrustful. I realize that this helps some patients, but it is not something that works for me. This is why Dr. B is a perfect fit for me. We have had to have quite a few tough discussions over the course of my treatment (he diagnosed 2 of my 3 miscarriages, had a discussion about donor eggs, as well as discussed use of a gestational carrier) and he has been fantastic. He has a way of being direct about the tough things, but is compassionate and helps you understand the full picture. Dr. B opened my mind to the possibility of egg donation after a couple of egg retrievals with less than desirable results but let me know that they would continue to try with my eggs as long as I was willing. He also was honest with us when we asked about a Gestational Carrier, stating that it was our best shot for the one genetically normal embryo we have frozen. Because of Dr. B, we hope to transfer to a gestational carrier in November with our own embryo and hope to transfer to me in December with a donor embryo. I cannot say enough good things about Dr. B. I truly believe we are on our current course because of him and I have 100% faith that he is leading us in the right direction.

If you are somebody who wants all the details of your diagnosis and treatment plan, likes to ask questions, and wants someone who will give you honesty, ask for Dr. B to be your primary doctor (or Dr. S). If you get overwhelmed by the details and want a doctor that will give you more general encouragement, ask for Dr. A to be your primary doctor.

Egg Retrieval 1 with Dr. B (3 Overall): 225 Gonal F, 150 Menopur, Cetrotide = 7 Eggs Retrieved, 2 Blastocysts, 1 PGS Normal Embryo. With this cycle, he added an extra vial of Menopur to attempt to get a 4:1 Ratio of FSH to LH in hopes of retrieving more eggs. The strategy worked as I had only ever had 3 eggs retrieved previously. Egg Retrieval 2 with Dr B (4th Retrieval Overall): Femara 5MG Per Day Cycle Days 3-7, 225 Gonal F & 150 Menopur Starting Day 3, Cetrotide (NOTE: Dr. S recommended this cycle) = 9 Eggs Retrieved, 3 Blastocysts, 0 PGS Normal Embryos. With this cycle, Femara was added in hopes of getting more quality eggs. Egg Retrieval 3 with Dr B (5th Retrieval Overall): F 225 Gonal F & 150 Menopur Starting Day 3, Cetrotide: 4 Eggs Retrieved, 1 Blastocyst, 0 PGS Normal Embryos. With this cycle, we started out with less than an ideal follicle pattern, so our expectations weren't as high out of the gate. The thought was to go back to the retrieval where we got a good embryo and I 100% agreed with this strategy. If I had to go back and do it again, I would do the same protocol. Dr. B also ordered all of my recurrent loss testing after my 3rd miscarriage (which was with a PGS Normal Embryo). He tested for Thyroid Levels, Blood Clotting Disorders, and Auto Immune Disorders. He also recommended a uterine biopsy for an ERA Test for Embryo Transfer Timing & Receptiva Test for Endometriosis. Blood Tests came back with slightly elevated Prolactin & TSH. While he did not believe this is my primary issue, he started me on Levothyroxine. The ERA test came back normal. The Receptiva Test came back positive for inflammation associated with endometriosis. The strategy here was to test me for everything under the sun since I had been pregnant 3 times and all 3 resulted in miscarriage, with the last one being a PGS Normal embryo. Even if we hadn't diagnosed anything, at least we could have eliminated them as possibilities. This was a strategy that I was 100% on board with and would do over again. Treatment for endometriosis consisted of 2 months of Lupron Depot Injections, which put your ovaries into a temporary state of menopause in an effort to get rid of the inflammation associated with endometriosis. We have decided to repeat the biopsy after treatment is completed before attempting an embryo transfer with donor eggs. This repeat test was particularly important to me because I don't want to do an embryo transfer without knowing that the Receptiva Test is negative and I was thrilled that Dr. B was supportive of repeating the test. Our Egg Donor Cycle is currently in process. Our Egg Donor (a known donor) is doing Gonal F and Cetrotide with doses to be determined. Dr. B recommended considering an egg donor after our 1st egg retrieval (2nd cycle as 1st was cancelled) yielded only 3 eggs and no PGS Normal Embryos. We did 4 more egg retrievals after that resulting in only 2 PGS Normal Embryos. So, after 5 egg retrievals and only 1 Frozen PGS Normal Embryo left, we decided it was time to move onto the egg donor waiting in the wings. His suggestion earlier on in the process allowed us to get our egg donor lined up but to continue with our own retrievals until we were ready to move onto the egg donor. We elected to do PGS Testing on our Donor Embryos, which is unusual, but given my history with loss, we were only interested in proceeding with embryos confirmed to be genetically normal. Again, Dr. B was supportive of our wishes and helped us formulate the plan. Finally, we are doing a frozen embryo transfer cycle with our 1 remaining PGS Normal Embryo and a Gestational Carrier (known carrier/friend). Our Carrier took several weeks of Lupron Injections to down regulate her ovaries and will take normal estrace/progersterone protocol for a frozen embryo transfer. When we brought up our concerns about how few of our own embryos we had, Dr. B was in agreement that a Gestational Carrier was our best chance of success. He recognized our priorities and we appreciated his candor and honesty in his recommendation.

This really depends on whether you are out of pocket or insured. IVF with PGS Testing Out of Pocket (all in for meds etc): $24,000 Embryo Transfer: $4500 Screening for Gestational Carrier and Husband: $2700 Screening for Me (to use Gestational Carrier): $1700 Multi Cycle Package for PGS Testing: $2150 With insurance it is significantly cheaper. Once we hit our deductible, IVF without an embryo transfer was about $600. The PGS Testing is $2150 in addition to the $600 but we should potentially get reimbursed for that from insurance. These costs are really going to vary depending on your insurance coverage.

All of the doctors at our clinic typically prefer single embryo transfers. We have always used PGS tested embryos, and in those cases, they will only transfer 1 embryo.

Dr Burwinkel is more dry and matter of fact, but seems to be very caring. He is very open to answering all of your questions and talking through steps. We are just now starting the IVF process, but I have heard nothing but good things about him as a doctor from others who have successfully gone through IVF.

Know that he is very dry and matter of fact, but does seem to care for his patients and their success!

I have lean PCOS and am very healthy and active. I had previously taken five rounds of unmonitored clomid with my gynecologist, and they did not show ovulation when looking at my basal body temperature. Dr. Burwinkel suggested trying Letrozole and then Ovidrel to trigger ovulation along with timed intercourse for three months before moving on to IUI or IVF. During this first cycle with these drugs, he performed an emergency laparoscopy on me due to an ovarian torsion. He believes it was caused from the combination of infertility meds. He managed to save the ovary (it was twisted three times). He has me waiting two full cycles and then we are looking at IVF to hopefully be able to retrieve eggs from the ovary that was twisted and then remove it if it causes another torsion.

Each ultrasound cost me $50 due to being coded as PCOS. Lab work for one cycle was $255 (not covered). My genetic test was covered due to meeting my deductible, but it would have cost me several hundred dollars. My emergency surgery is costing me around 2000.

Dr. Burwinkel is one of the best doctors that I have ever had. He actually listens to what you have to say, and he doesn’t belittle or make you feel you’re questions or feelings are silly, stupid, or unimportant. He’s optimistic and has a great bedside manner and attitude. I was diagnosed with PCOS (before Dr. Burwinkel) and my weight is a problem resulting from my diagnosis. I know a lot of clinics want you at a specific BMI or weight before they even consider tresteing you, and I was worried about that the most before meeting Dr. Burwinkel but that definitely wasn’t the case! He had a game plan and we started treatment right away! I have nothing bad to say about Dr. Burwinkel! Every meeting I’ve had with him has been as perfect as I could imagine.

Don’t be afraid to ask your questions, no matter how silly or stupid you may think it is! He knows this is hard, he gets it and he understands. He will hear you out and give you the answers you need!

With Dr. Burwinkle I was prescribed 1400mg of metformin daily. He then prescribed me to take 5mg (two pills) of letrozole on days 3-7 of my cycle. We then would schedule a scan to check follicle progress on day 11-13 of my cycle. Depending on the progress and maturation of the follicles, I was told when to take my ovidrel trigger shot to induce ovulation. 36 hours after the trigger shot we had our IUI. The first cycle I had one mature follicle and I took my trigger shot approx day 16-18 of my cycle. The second cycle I had to be prescribed more letrozole in the middle of my cycle due to my follicles not being as mature when the doctor wanted. I had to come back for a second scan and was given my trigger shot around day 18-19. The third cycle I had one good mature follicle, and a second one that may or may not have been mature by ovulation day. None of my cycles resulted in any type of pregnancy or success.

Copay for appointments: $35 Sperm wash: $225 IUI procedure: $250 Ovidrel trigger shot: $95 Letrozole: $15

Dr. Burwinkel is great! He is very kind but also does not sugar-coat things which I like. I feel like he gives us his honest opinion of our treatment options. He speaks to us like actual humans, not just a number or patient. My husband has no medical background or experience and Dr. Burwinkel speaks to us in terms that he understands. He treats us in a way that makes us feel like he truly cares about us and is doing everything he can to help us start a family. I highly recommend Dr Burwinkel!

Have questions ready to ask before your appointment. He has been great at answering any questions we have. I feel like he gives us his honest opinion of our treatment options.

We started with using Letrozole, Ovidrel, and timed intercourse. I had taken Letrozole with my regular OB doctor and knew it worked but Dr. Burwinkel increased the dose and also continued Metformin I had previously been prescribed for PCOS. After 3 rounds of timed intercourse we moved on to IUI.

I was surprised by the cost in a good way! Much more affordable than most clinics I have heard of which is important because my health insurance does not cover fertility treatment.

Dr. Burwinkel was always available for whatever we needed. He never rushed our visits, he was kind and patient, he was always thorough in explanation of drugs, procedures, next steps, risks, and outcome probability. I had to have a surgery at a local hospital and Dr. Burwinkel was right there updating my husband and performing the surgery before going into the clinic for the day. We couldn’t have had better care.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions and express your concerns. He will address any concern you have as many times as you need.

We started with a routine clomid cycle with an ovidrel trigger because my cycles were normal and everything seemed to be “okay” with us. After that cycle failed, I had a hysteroscopy which showed some uterine polyps. Not long after I had a polypectomy and D&C to remove the polyps and thin out my uterine lining. Once that healed, we went back for another clomid cycle + IUI and that also failed. By this time, we had spent a lot of money out of pocket and had to take a break to recover.

I honestly can’t remember. We spent a lot of money in a short period of time, but I can’t remember any specifics.

He was always polite to us, and prior to treatment after my baseline he was extra nice getting me ready for my injections. I went into it more than feeling prepared for the cycle to begin. I had my options already laid out and decided.

Do it. The office is a great place. I love all the doctors.

Took the pill for about 2 weeks. Then had a suppression check. Got my initial doses, which were updated at my first scan and adjusted from there. Adjusted again at my next two, and ended up with 100% fertilized from mature eggs!

They offer global billing with my insurance so the pricing was great. Even without insurance it was a fraction of the cost of a normal cycle.

At first I was hesitant but then I understood. If the cycle isn't successful I will approach the issue of transferring two.

Dr. Burwinkel is definitely a straight shooter. He's not one for false promises of success or sugar coating a point. However, this doesn't mean he's without empathy. He's provided wonderful care through my unsuccessful pregnancies and has always given me clear next steps for things we'll try next time. In 2018, we had success with his treatment and welcomed our daughter into the world.

Be completely honest about your history and situation in your consultation. He can't help to the best of his abilities without full and complete information.

Metformin for PCOS, folic acid/COQ-10 supplements for healthy eggs, Letrozole to boost egg health at time of ovulation, Ovidrel to stimulate ovulation. (RPL, basic therapy only)

Do not remember all costs.

Dr. Burwinkel's strengths are he is very kind, his bedside manner is great. His cons are not taking time to explain why decisions would change so quickly. He did well in explaining the course of treatment, but when the course of treatment didn't work, we felt as if the course of treatment was never changed. MFI wasn't deeply explored or even suggested we should see a reproductive urologist, we took that initiative on our own. After the chemical pregnancy, we went back to our obgyn and she found that I had FVL and MTHFR as reasons why we could be miscarrying.

Ask lots of questions. Be educated on what options are available to you with all scenarios.

IUIs- Femara with Ovidrel trigger shot Retrieval #1- BCPs, Gonal F, cetrotide, ovidrel trigger Retrieval #1- Gonal F, Cetrotide, Menopur, Ovidrel trigger FET- Estradiol orally, prometrium vaginally

Our first two cycles we were blessed with insurance coverage, however our copay on each cycle was 1,000. Medications for the two cycles ran us 7,000. FET cost us 4,500, medications were covered under insurance.

IVF #1- single embryo transfer at age 29 IVF #2- double embryo transfer at age 30 FET- single embryo transfer, only had one embryo left

Dr. Burwinkel was exceptional. He was easy to talk to and took time to explain all of our options and each course of action. He was on time, readily available anytime we had questions, and showed compassion while being upfront and honest about the situation. I highly recommend him and the staff at IRH.

Be patient & Dr. Burwinkel and his staff will do anything they can to help you through this difficult process. Ask questions and when you forget the answers don’t be afraid to reach out and ask again. Dr. B and his staff are so kind and patient!

We used chlomid for two cycles and then moved on to two fresh cycles of IVF and one frozen. The fresh cycles caused excessive bloating and Dr. B monitored me very closely. I never felt unsafe and always felt like they took my care at the highest priority.

We participated in a money back garuantee program at IVF. The cost was a little more than $20,000 not including medications. This cost about another $7,000. We were seen for 2 fresh cycles and 1 frozen during this time.

Dr. Burwinkel did a single embryo transfer the first time and then two embryo transfers with two. He talked us through the pros and cons of both, told us his recommendation, and listened to our concerns and wants. Ultimately it was a collective decision that I felt very good about.

Dr. Burwinkel makes you feel like you matter and not a science experiment. We had gotten a negative pregnancy result (January 2018) and he called me on a Saturday morning and explained our next steps and just took the time to sympathize with me. We've been going through fertility treatments for several years now and hes by far the best doctor Ive had. I had a miscarriage in June 2018 and he sat down with myself and husband just to talk about how we were feeling.

In the beginning he may not say much because he's doing alot of assessment and trying to find the best plan for you. But once he starts to share his plan and concerns, here comes all the compassion and long talks :)

For our transfer, we collectively decided to do ERA testing ( since we had 2 consecutive failed transfers) during a mock transfer to determine if we were transferring on the correct day. I took estradiol and progesterone 3xs/day and until transfer and then we did the procedure. The test turned out to be very useful. After the results came back and we did our normal transfer we go pregnant (ended in miscarriage).

General cost was around 7k

For multiples, he has made suggestions to us to try it but ultimately it was our decision on what we wanted to do.

I owe my chance at becoming a mother to Dr. Burwinkel. From our first visit he treated myself and my husband with respect and always gave us the most honest information. He never promised that he would make me a mother, but told me that he would do anything to help me become one. He answered every question that I had, and I had a lot of them. Every treatment was fully explained. I never felt as if I was unaware of what was happening to my body. He was compassionate with each loss that we experienced and gave us the facts each time there was a setback. When we were finally able to have a full term pregnancy and I gave birth to my little boy in April 2018.

Do your own research and never be afraid to ask questions.

I took Letrozole (similar to Clomid), we did the injection to release my eggs and then did IUI. I had four rounds of IUI. Two resulted in miscarriages and one was a viable pregnancy.

Fertility treatment is not cheap. Each round of IUI cost about $900 including pills, shots, doctor appointments, and procedures. In addition to the IUIs, I had to have laparoscopic surgery for the chemical pregnancy and a D&C for the miscarriages. Each of these procedures was an additional cost.

He was very patient and explained things thoroughly at consultation and retrieval day. He was thorough and empathetic. He gave me advice when I had some tough decisions to make. He was also patient and thorough at our visits post-embryo transfer, and gave us a great personal recommendation for our OB too.

Write down the questions you want answered before consultation

I have the hormone profile of someone w hypothalamic amenorrhea but ovaries that appear like PCOS. I don’t have periods nor ovulate. So we did OCPs, gonal F and menopur (which I bought from overseas to save money and he allowed), Ovidrel, and PIO (which I prefer to suppositories so he allowed it). I believe gonal f is good when you have low FSH (to improve number of eggs retrieved) and menopur is good when you have low LH (to improve egg quality) - if I remember correctly - this may be reversed if I’m not remembering right. But since mine were both low, we used both! Gonal F was cheaper shipped on ice from Israel and the menopur was a cheaper generic version from the UK. Both obviously worked fine bc we have a live Singleton and one frozen we have yet to try: Ten eggs retrieved, 5 embryos, one was day 5 blastocyst 4aa and the frozen one is a day 6 blastocyst 4bb. I felt Dr. Burwinkle allowed me to give input on how I wanted to do my stims/cycle (I had a lot of opinions due to transferring from another local clinic that I had been very unhappy with).

We paid $20,000 cash for the “money back” program which allows I think up to six (??) fresh/frozen cycles with a two year (??) period. I forget the exact details but we decided to do that knowing that if it failed or I miscarried we could try again without paying more. The other option was lying $8500 (ish?) cash for one frozen cycle. My insurance really was no help so we went the cash route. It worked the first time so we call her our $20,000 baby! But it was worth it.

I would’ve like to transfer two embryos, but I only had one day 5 blastocyst. The other two needed another day to (try) to get to blastocyst stage - so I really didn’t have that option. They do feel strongly about “one healthy baby” at a time, but I believe would allow two embryos transferred if patient prefers

I am sure Dr. Burwinkel is a find physician but I wouldn't know too much since I saw him only twice during my care. I did not feel as though he was treating me but rather the entire staff at IRH. Had we had a consistent set of information and communication we would have made different choices. I feel I wasted time and money going there.

Know what you need and expect in your fertility treatment before you go.

The costs were pretty straight forward. They provided a pricing sheet up front for all of the procedures but there was no coordination with my insurance company beyond the pre authorization paperwork. I had to contact the insurance company in order to determine what would be covered. I was never able to get a straight answer from either party. It was unclear to me how much I would owe. In total with my company's coverage ($5,000) and I paid $6K out of pocket for a round of IVF and single transfer. We had no embryos left to freeze and did not do ICSI.

It would have been nice to discuss this strategy and options before the transfer. We had no idea we would be faced with the choices while i was in the transfer procedure. These important details of how many and odds should be discussed in advance.

Dr. Burwinkel has 2 partners that cover him when he is off which is really nice. However, after my first IVF cycle did not result in pregnancy and few eggs/embryos with nothing to freeze, the protocol was not really changed. I don’t know if this was because his partner was covering but I never understood why a similar protocol would have different results. When I had even fewer eggs retrieved and only 1 embryo, I started to wonder if something else was wrong with me as I knew I had a high AMH and should have a lot of eggs. That transfer did result in pregnancy but ended in a second trimester miscarriage due to Down’s syndrome. When I saw Dr. Burwinkel following my miscarriage, he was very compassionate but was unable to come up with a plan for me to get more, better quality embryos in a future cycle. I think I lost all confidence at that time.

Provide details and keep patients informed.

My first IVF cycle was done with Follistim which was initially started at a moderate dose. When my estrogen jumped up, the dose was greatly reduced which later caused my estrogen to drop and I was offered to the chance to cancel the cycle. Since I had insurance coverage, I decided to proceed. I had 5 eggs retrieved. On day 1, none had fertilized so we did rescue ICSI that resulted in 2 embryos which were both transferred on day 3. This resulted in no pregnancy. For my second cycle, the Follistim was pretty much the same. I did take letrozole in the beginning with this cycle. Again my estrogen quickly increased so my Follistim was decreased and again my estrogen dropped and resulted in fewer eggs. I did have one 3 day embryo with ICSI which resulted in pregnancy, but later a miscarriage.

I had insurance coverage so I can only guess for the cab pay price. I believe IVF with ICSI and hatching is around $12,000 a cycle. A transfer is about $1000.

Dr. Burwinkel is such an amazing doctor. He has gone above and beyond to help get my pregnant, and always listens to me. I had a miscarriage after an IUI in the summer of 2016. During my D&C, right before I was put under, I started crying. Dr. B. came to my side and held my hand as I was put to sleep for the procedure. I will never, ever forget the compassion he showed during that difficult time. Dr. B is always honest with me and does what is right for me and my situation. I could not ever imagine seeing another doctor or going ot another practice.

Be open and honest with Dr. B about your thoughts on your protocol. He WILL listen! Advocate for yourself, too.

IUIs 1-4: 5mg Femara and Ovidrel IUI 1 resulted in miscarriage with a D&C at 9 weeks. IUIs 2-4 were negative. IVF 1: 175 Follistim, then increased to 225. Ganirelix and Ovidrel--rationale, I have PCOS and did not want my to hyper stimulate. Prometrium after retrieval and through transfer. 2 Blasts, 1 transferred and did not result in pregnancy. FET 1: Estrace 2mg a day, then PIO. Frozen embryo transferred and did not result in pregnancy. IVF 2: 150 Follistim and 75 Menopur. The last twp days of stims, we upped the Follistim to 225. Ganirelix and Ovidrel. Added in medrol and baby asprin after the retrieval. Added PIO after retrieval. 7 total blasts. 2 transferred. Currently pregnant and waiting for my first ultrasound to determine if it's a singleton or twin pregnancy.

We used insurance for the IUIs, so the cost to us was around $100 per IUI. For IVF, we did the money back guarantee program with ICSI and that was around 22k (or 70% back if no live birth).

With my first IVF cycle, we did one embryo. Same with the FET because we only had 1 embryo left. After those two cycles failed, Dr. B decided to transfer two embryos moving forward. I trusted his judgement with the single and multiple embryo transfers.

Again he was really compassionate and he also was very truthful from the start and took his time with us and answered all of our questions. He's awesome! He was the doctor that I saw every visit during my first IVF round, only one time during that 1st round I had to see one of his partners (it was a holiday weekend), but he told me that I was going to have to see one of his partners, so I was prepared and I was ok with that.

Come prepared to answer some questions from him and know that he is ok with you having a voice in your treatment!

I was on birth control for 22 days, started a period and the started follistim, then added menopure, and ganarellix. Then eventually a Hcg shot and progesterone vaginal suppositories. I can't exactly remember how many days of the follistim, I think it was 12, I remember I had to increase 1 time and then had to order more of it and the menopure. My egg retrevial was intense, I was hyperstimed and he retrieved 21 eggs and I was put on some medication to help with my HSS. Out of the 21 eggs we had 5, 5 day embryos. We transferred 1 and froze the other 4. BFN on day 14, post transfer, I also started my period that day. I'm currently waiting to test, I will on Thursday, we used 2 frozen embryos on Friday March 24th. I don't think I am pregnant though.

IRH has the best price for IVF in the area.

I told him whatever he thought was best I trust him and that's why I travel over an hour to see him.

Dr Burwinkel is amazing. Caring, compassionate, yet knows when to give you the hard truths. Plus, he looks at you as individuals and as a couple, not as a "diagnosis box". Each month the treatment is personalized.

Ask all the questions you want! Don't be scared that he needs to be in charge. He listens and respects all of your questions and knows when it's best to push back with his own experience and knowledge.

- 2.5mg Femara due to high AMH with timed intercourse, no luck (x3) - 2.5mg Femara with IUI, no luck (x1) - No injectible IUIs due to high AMH and significant chance of high multiples - IVF with low-dose gonal-f, Cetrotide, and Ovidrel for trigger... Nervous about OHSS so set the expectation to only retrieve first cycle, then FET next cycle. Didn't end up needing to because the dosage was perfect and no OHSS!

IVF standard - $8,200 IVF Money-back Guarantee - $18,000 (3 cycles) ICSI - $1,100 Embryo Cropreservation Initial - $200 Embryo Cryostorage Quarterly - $400

I instantly trusted him in my care, and the care of my wife. I do not do this lightly, he seemed confident, and competent without arrogance, and did so with compassion. I felt like he had done this so many times he probably could have done it with his eyes closed however he still took his time to explain and answer questions with the understanding that this was our first time going through this.

Ask questions, and tell him what you want, listen but also know that he will listen to you.

We did co maternity IVF this was our desire going in. He gave us information on sperm donors and did a mock ultrasound guided transfer during the first visit, also lab work. Then we scheduled our education visit where we received all of our prescriptions up front and the protocol, we were seen for our scheduled visits at the west chester location and then Cincinnati location for the procedures. 11 eggs were retrieved and 5 fertilized and the best two were transferred on day 3 unfortunately the others didn’t continue to divide. This resulted into a healthy Singleton pregnancy which was confirmed with blood work and then an ultrasound at 6 weeks and another at 10 weeks, then our care was transferred to my OBGYN.

Ours were covered through insurance and we were responsible for 15 percent. We were told all of this upfront with their financial coordinator and we continue to pay for sperm storage which is once a year.

I followed his recommendation of transferring 2 on day 3 or one on day 5. I felt comfortable with this approach and was explained the risk of course of having multiples.

Just felt very comfortable even in the most uncomfortable situations. Dr Burwinkle, and his associates were able to get us through a very trying time. Infertility is stressful. We had male factor infertility which was doubly hard on my husbands psyche. The fact we had trouble conceiving was devastating to him after he found out. They made the process bareable, and helped us overcome all of our hurdles.

Expect to cultivate patients...the ivf journey imparticular is long and tedious. The exact combination of medicines may take more than one cycle. We were lucky, but i read the book the clinic put out by Dr Awadalla to help prepare. Started a vitamin regimen to increase egg health and went on a diabetic diet to help control my pcos before we started.

I dont remember

Meds were the most expensive, i think they were about 6 thousand. Our total cost was around 13 thousand. With hotel stays and time off work the process cost close to 18 thousand. All out of pocket. Our insurance does not cover treatment and due to advanced age we didnt qualify for most programs.

They do, but due to my advanced maternal age it was decided one embryo tranfer might not be in our best interest. We opted for 2, Five day blastocyst transfers and placed the others on ice for future...we were blessed with a healthy baby boy after the first fresh transfer. And still have 2 frozen embys.

He was my primary dr saw I saw him a lot and was never unhappy with any interaction with him. He's a very kind man and even printed me ultrasound pictures of my follicles when I asked him to. He always gave me a great hug the day I graduated at 8 weeks pregnant and posed for a picture with my husband and I.

Be a partner in the process. Do research and ask questions so you can make decisions with your dr.

We started with IUI with clomid since I'd had ovulation success with that drug with my ob. When that didn't work we moved to femara with IUI. That also failed so he added gonal-F. I agreed to try that twice before moving to IVF. Both those cycles failed and we got started with IVF. Since I have pcos and high AMH he didn't use a high does and monitored me closely.

We spent about $8K on IUI procedures. We we in the money back program and paid about $20K for that including ICSI and then $500 for freezing our embryos.

Dr. B is very "dry" meaning, he doesn't show much emotion and is very monotone. Which might be just what some people need. My very first experience with an RE, I was obviously very nervous and had no idea what to even think. I did not feel much compassion/care from him. More as if he was like, ok the goal is to get you pregnant, so let's do this and we'll start tomorrow. Didn't give us much time to think or breathe or process what was being said.

Just be prepared to advocate for yourself. Dr. B will listen to you and even if it seems like he's not, he is. He is a good person and a good doctor, just not the right fit for us. Be prepared to not be coddled with him. He'll tell you what needs done and move on. Which may be ok for some, it was not a good fit for me. I needed more compassion and bedside manner.

We did 3 IUIs. Started on Femara and then had an Ovidrel trigger shot and that was it.

Around $300 per IUI + $100 for Ovidrel, so around $400 each time. I was on a payment plan and did not know that each procedure was meant to be paid for up front, until we started talking about IVF and they said it had to all be paid in full. I asked why I was able to pay by month and they said that mine was a "unique situation", which I'm unsure of why since I never discussed my finances with them.

N/A Did not do IVF with this doctor.

Dr. Burwinkel is very kind and caring. His bedside manner was great and he always ensured I understood the treatment process. When I had questions, he took time to listen. He took the time to answer each of my questions and never acted rushed. For my egg retrieval, he came to see me before and after the procedure. He always made sure I was comfortable throughout the process.

I would definitely recommend him and never be afraid to ask questions.

Dr. Burwinkel used femera and ovidrel with my IUIs. I always responded positively but never got pregnant. He used menopur, gonal f, cetrotide and ovidrel for my IVF. I also responded well and had 25 mature eggs. I was given dostinex after my retrieval to help against hyperstimulation. I did not end up with hyperstimulation and was able to have a fresh transfer.

$15000 for 3 IUIs and 1 IVF

I was not happy with the thought of an eset at first but Dr. Burwinkel explained the risk of embryos splitting and multiples with more than one embryo being transferred. I am now grateful because I got pregnant with a healthy single baby from my first IVF.