The first thing they [InVia Fertility Specialists] 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. ... 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 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.
It seems that the clinic [InVia Fert Spec] is separated into different departments. You have the receptionist who can answer all the basic questions. The nurse who can answer the medical and test questions. The billing department that helps you understand the cost and if you have any questions about the bill. The doctor who can tell you anything you want to know, except the exact price of tests or medicines.
How was your experience with Vishvanath C. Karande at InVia Fertility Specialists?
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.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Vishvanath C. Karande at InVia Fertility Specialists?
Be ready to go because Dr. Karande is ready to start your treatment from the day you walk into his office.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Vishvanath C. Karande at InVia Fertility Specialists?
When I walked in for my consultation appointment the receptionist asked me for my name. After I told her, she responded with "I'm so glad to have a face to go with the voice, I'm the one who you talked to when we set up your appointment." Everyone at the office only called me by my first name or Mrs., and everyone there is super friendly and caring. When some of the staff found out that I would be a cash patient due to my insurance not covering the treatments, they started calling the specialty pharmacies to see who had the lower prices for the medications that I would need. They also told me all of the different options on getting donated medications, how to get the tests done for cheaper, and all the information I would need for grants. They made me feel like they wanted to help me as much as possible.
Describe the protocols Vishvanath C. Karande used in your cycles at InVia Fertility Specialists and their degree of success.
I'm still in the beginning stages of my IVF. I haven't even finished my pretests yet.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at InVia Fertility Specialists.
After my meeting with the doctor, he told me that he was going to walk me to the nurses so they could go over pricing of tests and medications. He introduced me to a nurse and we sat down and talked about my situation. She seemed extremely sympathetic to my situation. She told me that she'll call up the specialty pharmacies to see if she can get medication donated or lower prices for me. She then gave me the list of the tests that I would need to have done prior to starting treatment. She highlighted the ones that were required. She advised me to call around and see what prices they would quote me to do these tests just in case I could find a cheaper lab.
Describe your experience with InVia Fertility Specialists.
It seems that the clinic is separated into different departments. You have the receptionist who can answer all the basic questions. The nurse who can answer the medical and test questions. The billing department that helps you understand the cost and if you have any questions about the bill. The doctor who can tell you anything you want to know, except the exact price of tests or medicines. This can be both a strength and weakness. I say this because it's a strength since everyone is a master at their position, but it's a weakness when someone has left early and no one else is there to answer your question. Otherwise the clinic is relaxing, clean, and made me feel comfortable.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Vishvanath C. Karande at InVia Fertility Specialists.
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.
Describe Vishvanath C. Karande's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at InVia Fertility Specialists.
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.
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Doctor
Vishvanath C. Karande
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Clinic
InVia Fertility Specialists
Hoffman Estates