Vishvanath C. Karande

Our experiences with Dr. Karande was excellent. He's informative and very patient in answering our many (silly) questions. We went through three cycles of IVF, with the third one being a success. Prior to each cycle, Dr. Karande met with us and discussed the possibilities and probabilities, giving us peace of mind in an otherwise anxiety-filled stage of our lives. After each cycle, whether successful or unsuccessful, Dr. Karande provided feedback that continue to give us hope. And hope we held onto - and now we are going to be parents for the first time thanks to Dr. Karande and his staff. I believe in miracles, I always have, even when faced with adversities and obstacles. Dr. Karande played a crucial role with his expertise in helping us hold onto that faith.

Don't be hesitant just because he's a male doctor. We had some hesitancy too... but the man is great at his craft.

He is a great Dr. We worked with him and were able to conceive our 2 sons. For the second pregnancy, we were hesitant about knowing the gender of the embryo to be transferred but ultimately decided against it because there would've been a genetic testing fee. I had great experiences both times. For the first time, I was mostly in the Hoffman Estates office and for the 2nd time, I was most in Crystal Lake. I experienced extreme congestion my second pregnancy and that put a damper on things but otherwise a good experience.

Be open and honest about what you are looking for in regards to best case scenario and let him know if you have budgetary concerns. He is very much willing to see what programs you can participate in, if any, to offset costs.

There were videos posted online that were helpful to follow in terms of administration of medication. Some medications were generic versions of more popular drugs and that helped tremendously to reduce costs, but usually were a little more difficult to administer. Since I had embryos frozen from my first IVF, the second treatment was ensuring I increased my hormone levels to where they needed to be, then I was able to do IUI, and take progesterone to maintain the pregnancy for the first 10 weeks.

I was involved in a study the first time so costs were limited. I paid mostly for anesthesia. The second time was insurance was used and I paid out of pocket for ART, assistive reproductive technology that helps improve the chances of pregnancy. I also paid for drugs some times out of pocket. I estimate about $600 the first time and $3000 out of pocket the second time.

Multiple pregnancies are dangerous. We worked with one embryo at a time.

Not only were we welcomed with open arms at our first visit, but Dr. Karande was present during my initial ultrasound and started explaining everything he was seeing, which gave us a huge piece of mind rather than having to question the black and white images on the screen. Afterwards, during the consultation, not only did he verbally talk about my diagnosis and treatment plan, but he also wrote everything down and drew pictures so that we could have a recollection of what we talked about at home for our reference. In the conversation he included treatment options, statistics, and benefits/risks. Throughout such a heavy conversation, he personality shined through, particularly his level of expertise and sense of humor.

If someone is considering seeing Dr. Karande, I would say you will not be disappointed. We never felt rushed, left with every question answered, and are eager to begin our journey fertility treatments.

At this point, we have only had our initial consultation and diagnostic testing.

I have only completed an initial consultation and diagnostic testing so far. Treatment options ranged greatly, and unfortunately I do not recall specific costs. My insurance company does not provide coverage for any infertility treatments so everything we decide will be paid out of pocket. InVia’s billing specialist communicated with me that although treatment will most likely be denied, the would still be happy to submit claims on our behalf just in case of potential coverage.

At the initial consultation, I had mentioned I would love to have twins (in a completely made up ideal world). His response was “We’ll get you your twins, but one at a time,” meaning he preferred a single transfer. He described it is much lower risk for both mother and baby.

Dr. Karande got us pregnant on our first transfer. We were allowed a “natural” transfer which made the entire process much more relaxing. Dr. Karande is very skilled and knowledgeable. We live in the northern suburbs so it was a relief to find out that I could go to their Northbrook satellite location for monitoring.

Reach out to him directly if you have a concern or question about your treatment plan. He is very receptive to the patient’s preferences.

I was given menopur, follistim, ganirelix and triggered with Pregnyl. I was not on any medication for my natural transfer except an HCG trigger and then I started endometrin suppositories post-transfer.

I am so glad we only did a single embryo transfer. I am thankful that Dr. Karande understands the risks of multiples and did not just to implanting 2 embryos.

The doctor was very helpful thru the entire process. Even though I had 2 failed IuIs and 1 failed frozen transfer, she kinda assured me that I will get pregnant sooner or later. He was answering all my questions, even some obvious or stupid :). I am now 9 weeks pregnant from my second transfer, so hopefully I will have a healthy pregnancy and be back to this doctor for a second baby

To be patient. This process may be a long one and sometimes unexpected things happen.

I don’t remember the exact doses, but for my egg retrieval I’ve been taking Follistim and Menopur for about 8-9 days, I was having a lot of eggs, so in order to prevent OHSS, the doctor put me on Cabergoline(not sure if I spell it right)

As I stated before, they have a very convenient monitoring schedule starting at 6:30 am each morning 7 days a week. I’ve been to tens appt for monitoring, and they are usually very quick, about 10 minutes for ultrasound and blood work.

Everything was covered by my insurance except the PGS testing that was $3500 for 8 embryos and the freezing storage (if I am not mistaking, my husband paid) it was like $1000 a year plus $50 monthly

Dr. Karande is extremely knowledgeable and very patient to re-explain and provide more details when asked. He provides an excellent consultation and checked in along the way. He was aware of various ob/gyn professionals in the area and I felt he had a good pulse on our goals and wants with this process.

Dr. Karande is very direct and to the point. He is a doctor that will tell it to you straight and professionally. He is very much about the clinical side of everything but is capable of cracking a joke and putting a smile on your face. He always explained everything to me in the appointments i had with him very thoroughly making sure i understood. Would explain exactly how a procedure would work from beginning to end and how every medication would work and any reactions they could potentially cause. I always felt safe in his care as it is obviously he has done this over and over again with many different patients in all kinds of situations. He is open to input and discussion in treatment plans.

Although you don't spend much time with the Dr himself, his eyes and ears are on everything. He works from behind the scenes during your active treatments and trusts his team (who are amazing) to provide the care. Trust the process!

I was placed onto Cabergoline to treat high prolactin levels prior to starting any treatments. I had 3 IUI cycles and protocol was the same for all 3. Letrozole CD 5-9, and active monitoring from CD 10 every other day with bloods and ultrasound until follicles were large enough (DR prefers over 20mm) before triggering with 10,000 HCG injection. Following 2 days would have IUI procedures back to back from husbands washed sperm and was given all the information and signed off prior to procedure. Resulted in 1 pregnancy ending in miscarriage and 2 negative tests. Was starting IVF cycle which would of been an all freeze due to PCOS and his concern ovaries would hyperstimulate into OHSS. But had spontaneous pregnancy prior to starting my stims.

This is tough.. All depends on insurance. IUI Cycles were typically $1,000.00 cost to me until deductible was met. The billing department would be best to contact for pricing, they will give quotes.

I was told Dr Karande transfers one embryo per transfer to obtain pregnancy. But do not know if that changes based on prognosis.

The first thing they did at my appointment was an ultrasound. Before we started the tech told me that Dr. Karande would come in at some point to look at the screen himself. When he did come in, he looked at it and started to explain to me what we were looking at. There was a screen on the wall for me to look at too. Then after he left I cleaned off and was escorted to his office to discuss everything. I gave him my full medical history, which is extremely long, and then he told me what he seen on the ultrasound. He explained to me that my left ovary was diminished almost completely and he didn't think that we would be able to get any eggs from it. As he was explaining things to me, he was drawing on a paper to show me visually and also writing down all the big words he was saying that he figured I would want to look up later. After he went over my condition, he went on to talk about what he wants to do. As he was talking about the different steps of the IVF procedure he also was drawing a graph on the same sheet of paper with the timelines. Then he asked if I had any questions, but I didn't have any because he thoroughly explained to me everything. Then he mentioned to me the different pricing for each part of the treatment. How the IVF treatment would be one price, anesthesia would be separate, medications, and the pretesting. When I started to tear up (which was a couple of times during our talk), he would stop, hand me a tissue, and console me. My husband wasn't able to be at the appointment with me, but Dr. Karande definitely helped make it easier on me.

Be ready to go because Dr. Karande is ready to start your treatment from the day you walk into his office.

I'm still in the beginning stages of my IVF. I haven't even finished my pretests yet.

Since I only have enough eggs to do one round of IVF my costs can be different from someone else's cost. For the IVF treatment it is $10,000. For the anesthesia to retrieve the eggs it is $650. Medications can cost up to $6,000. Pretesting can cost up to $2,000. ICSI is $2,100. AZH is $1,050.

He told me that how many embryos to be transferred would be up to me because I only have one shot at IVF due to my egg count being extremely low. He said when the time comes, he'll let me know all the different options, the benefits, and the disadvantages to each one. I know if I am lucky to have 2 healthy embryos for transfer that I will definitely have both of them, but if there are more well then I'll need his guidance.

Dr Karande was straight to the point and very informative. The date my transfer was set was not on a day he was going to be in the location I was having the transfer but he made it to my appointment and did my transfer and I appreciate that so much.

Trust your doctor. Know you questions beforehand. Follow your protocol and have faith.

1mg estrogen pills twice a day. 1 progesterone in oil injection a day. Suppositories 3 times a day.

Manageable.

Everyone is very professional and they make you feel welcome. Dr. Karande was profesional from the first time I met with him and he gave me hopes of geting pregnant. He knew exactly why I couldn’t get pregnant from my first visit. The nurses were very nice and professional. I highly recommend Dr. Karande for those who want to have a baby.

Don’t lose your hopes and trust Dr. Karande. He sure knows what he is doing and will help you have a baby.

Dr. Karande gave me some pills, (forgot the name) to ovulate. After that I had to go get ultrasounds to see if my follicles were growing and when there was a mature follicle, I had to do a trigger shot. 36 hours after trigger shot I went in for IUI. 10 days after I had to go get an hcg test to see if I was pregnant. The test came out positive and then I had to do vaginal progesterone pills.

Insurance covered most and paid out of pocket around $850

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My husband and I give Dr. Karande 5 stars! After trying to conceive for over two years we were referred to Dr. Karande by my OB/Gyn. He explained every possible cause for our lack of success and guided us through every test and procedure in order to get some answers. After it was determined that our best chance at conception was IVF, Dr. Karande explained in great detail our estimated costs, timeline, and answered all of the questions we had. When we decided to go through with IVF, I received regular communication from the staff with clear instructions on what my next steps were until my next appointment. Any questions that I had I could either call or message them in their patient portal and I would get prompt responses. After completing all of the necessary steps, I am now 11 weeks pregnant! I look forward to working with Dr. Karande and his exceptional staff in the future for baby number two!

Dr. Karande is a true professional. I felt very confident in his knowledge and skills as a Dr. in this area of expertise. Each time we met, he explained each process clearly. I did not feel rushed when I was in his presence. He was always very kind and honest at the same time. He has a very calm demeanor which I also found very comforting.

Dr. Karande is very knowledgeable, kind, honest and straight forward. Be prepared to accept the information and/or course of treatment that he proposes.

We attempted one egg retrieval cycle with typical medications/dosages and did not gain any viable embryos after PGS testing. With the subsequent two cycles, Dr. Karande increased the dosages and added two additional types of medication that are not traditionally used. The third cycle yielded three viable, five day embryos (PGS tested).

The total out of pocket cost was roughly $10,000 which included PGS testing for three egg retrieval cycles.

My husband and I were looking to grow our family by one. We felt completely comfortable in transferring one single embryo.

Dr. Karande was always very thorough. We were patients for a long time almost 8 years and we felt as if we truly knew him like a friend. We had many successful pregnancies but some of them just didn't last and we knew that wasn't his fault. He adjusted our process many times and always came up with new options to help us. We have one daughter and in a week are about to welcome our second child a boy. We couldn't have done it without his help!

I would say don't be afraid to ask questions if you don't understand. He is extremely knowledgeable and after working with him for a little bit we understand exactly what he was doing and how he wanted us to get pregnant. I appreciated him getting right to the point and managing our expectations.

I feel that Dr. Karande is a very thorough and straight-forward doctor. In his field, it is important to be honest with patients about their diagnosis and treatment plan. I also feel it is important to give patients realistic goals to achieve during the IVF/FET process. I knew what was expected of me during my journey which included weight-loss. I followed his protocol and feel that is the reason why I experienced success with my retrieval and even with my transfers. Although two resulted in a chemical pregnancy/miscarriage, Dr. Karande never made it seem like hope was lost.

I would tell a future patient to go into the clinic after exhausting yourself with knowledge about infertility and possibly her or her partner's specific diagnosis of infertility. It is helpful to know what questions to ask at the initial consult with the doctor and makes a more informed patient. Also, be honest about your medical history. At this stage, there is no hiding from your past. It gets very real and very honest.

For my egg retrieval, I believe my treatment strategy was an IVF antagonist protocol. I did 10 days of estrogen priming (CD21-CD4), 12 days of injectable stims for ovarian stimulation (CD5-CD16) menopur 225u/follistim 225u (SD1-4), menopur 300u/follistim 300u (SD5-12), ganirelix 0.25mg (SD7-11) to suppress ovulation, Pregnyl HcG trigger shot 10,000u. We retrieved 18 eggs, 10 initially fertilized, 4 (4aa) blastocyst made it to day 5. We prepped for a fresh single embryo transfer. I did 5 days of antibiotics post retrieval, 5 days of Medrol in preparation for transfer, and started crinone vaginal progesterone support to prepare my lining for embryo transfer/implantation.

My IVF and FET procedures including medications were covered by insurance. I only had to pay a $35 copay when interacting with the doctor and my storage fees and initial cost for my frozen embryos.

I fully understand the recommendation to transfer a single embryo and that is the protocol I followed.

I recently gave birth to my daughter after failing to get pregnant naturally and going through 3 failed transfers with a precious specialist. Making the switch to Invia was invaluable. Dr. Karande was very knowledgeable, confident, and straight forward throughout the process which is exactly what I wanted and needed going through this emotional journey. He was very thorough in re- evaluating me prior to starting treatment despite receiving my previous records. His technique(HSG & transfer) was much better than my previous provider and everything felt very different. Dr Klipstien completed my retrieval. It was great that they completed everything in their office and that my cycle was scheduled around my body’s cycle not their schedule which is why procedures can be completed by either doctor. I have and will recommend Dr. Karande to friends struggling with infertility.

He is very straight forward but had amazing results.

I was on the estrace priming protocol. I never used birth control which I was very pleased with. The protocol was a bit long but it all paid off. We genetically tested the embryos and were able to pick the embryo we wanted transferred which we decided to transfer the embryo that had the best ratings.

I had BCBS HMO and it wascovered almost 100% by insuarance. Genetic testing was not covered and cost us approximately $6,000. I was very lucky.

I am glad we listened to his advice to only transfer one embryo.

Dr. Karande was open about the process, explained every step and was supportive during my miscarriage. He was at multiple ultra sounds, checked in when he saw me, even if I was just doing blood work, and performed every procedure himself. I felt comfortable with him and his staff and completed supported the year I was in his care.

I had to wait 6 months after a partial molar pregnancy before going through IVF, I suggested doing the retrievals during that time. Dr. Karande was on board. I was on clomid and 1 HCG trigger for my IUI's. I used menopur and follistrom and added gonal-f for both retrievals. I then was on Estrace and progesterone suppositories (3months) as well as progesterone injections (1 month) during the transfer/IVF.

Dr. Karande said he would only transfer 1 single embryo as mine was PGS tested.

After the first miscarriage, my wife and I have been trying for 1.5 years without successful. Then we was referred to Dr. Karande by our Obgyn. And thanks to their efforts and expertise (and the super helpful patient portal) helped us through the craziness of 3 IUIs and then 2 IVFs. We are expecting in May 11th. Thanks Dr. Karande and Invia Fertility staff. We are very grateful to you.

I felt like dr karande new what I wanted before I even voiced my opinion and was very open to listening to what I wanted and adjusting our medical plan accordingly. He was very upfront with information and potential risk (which one did occur) and it kept me prepared.

He will take good care of you and recommend a course of action but don’t be afraid to also let him know what you want and ask questions if you do t understand

We did IUI after having problems with clomid and my general OBs lack of info. After 3 failed attempts he offered to try more or put IVF on the table. I knew going into the meeting I wanted to move forward with IVF. He was very informative and gave me lots of articles to rea. He warned me that with my AMH levels being so high that he wanted to do a freeze all because I would most likely going to get ovarian hyper stimulation syndrome ( and I did). He gave me statistics and percentages for 1and 2 embryos transfers and gave me reading on complications from multiple births but we still wanted to transfer 2

Not sure because my insurance covered 100% after I met my yearly OPL which was only 1,100

He presented us with stats and left it up to us to deside. We chose to transfer 2

He is to the point . no hand holding and sometimes hard to understand. BUT he cares soo much he wants the end result. He lights up when he sees his final result. I want a great doctor who knows what hes doing .. I dont want my hand held I want the actual truth

Go to him with an open mind. He makes sure he logs EVERYTHING in the computer as he talks to you. he does have an accent. He does great work with the procedures.

He does not have a very good bedside manner, but is technically very good and my treatment resulted in pregnancy, which is ultimately what mattered most to me.

Keep in mind that he is not warm and fuzzy, but will give you the best shot at getting pregnant.