Wendy Vitek

Dr. Vitek was excellent from the moment I met her in October 2017. She was incredibly kind, knowledgeable and compassionate. When I lost my son at 21 weeks pregnant to incompetent cervix Dr. Vitek called me and met with me in person to talk through everything and put me in touch with a counselor to make sure I was mentally and emotionally coping.

Ask questions, it doesn't matter if you ask a nurse or Dr. Vitek any of the staff will do their best to answer your questions.

Dr. Vitek was very kind and I never felt like I was just a number to her or to any of the staff at U of R. All of the nurses and Dr. Vitek would address me by name every time I had an office visit, phone call, or email response.

I started my first cycle with Dr. Vitek in October 2017. She diagnosed me with PCOS and we decided to use letrozole for treatment. I started on 5mg and when my follicles were not growing she upped the dosage to 7.5mg. We did Ovidrel trigger shot after some follicle growth in October with timed intercourse. In November we did 7.5mg of letrozole cycle days 3-7, the trigger shot after I had a mature follicle, and timed intercourse. In December we did 7.5mg of letrozole cycle days 3-7 again, then on Christmas Eve on cycle day 17 I was ovulating on my own so we did an IUI that day becuase it was a Saturday and when I got home we did the trigger shot just to give an extra boost. On January 8th I found out after my end of cycle blood pregnancy test that I was pregnant. I was due with my son September 14th, 2018. Unfortunately on May 8th I went into preterm labor due to an incompetent cervix at 21 weeks 3 days gestation and my son did not survive. My period returned and we started letrozole again, our cycle in June 2018 we started with 5mg of letrozole and after no follicle growth moved up to 7.5mg of letrozole. I had an 18mm follicle and we did an IUI with trigger shot. I had an extended cycle and our next round was in August. We did 7.5mg of letrozole cycle days 4-8 and with a mature follicle on the left did the trigger shot and IUI. Both IUI's post the loss of our son were unsuccessful.

The nurse i originally did all communication with was Adrienne and she was wonderful. I spoke with Adrienne multiple times from October 2017-January 2018. She was helpful, responsive, and caring. In May 2018 I was reached out to by multiple nurses and did not have the same experience as I did with Adrienne, most were nice but there we a few who were cold when speaking to and showed little caring about anything they called about. Overall the nursing staff is good, but there are some who could be more compassionate.

Strong Fertility is part of University of Rochester and they partner with regular OB/GYN offices throughout upstate NY and see a lot of people. There are at least 5 doctors who you may see when using Strong Fertility, but you will have a primary doctor who is "your doctor." The strength of this office is there is always a doctor available if you need to speak to someone. The one weakness my husband didn't like about the office is the sperm donation room is not sound proof so bring headphones if your husband has to give a sample during a weekday so he doesn't hear everyone in the hallway while he's trying to provide a quality sample for procedures. Overall the staff at Strong will make you feel welcome and comfortable with every visit.

Each follicle ultrasound cost $40, each IUI cost $200, and trigger shots were $100. I don't know the exact amount we spent but it was probably close to $3,000.

Dr. Vitek is very hard to get a hold of, and even in our last meeting, she said "I'm sorry that my availability impacted your care." She also said that my use of MyChart was driving the staff crazy and making it hard for them to be on my team, but no one was calling me back. She also blamed a lot of the issues we were having on my anxiety, which I never experienced with my other doctor. Overall, I feel like maybe she would be best behind the scenes, and not taking on direct patients, just doing research

She is too busy to take you on as a patient, but you won't be told that until after a failed cycle when you have barely been able to get a hold of her the whole time.

Dr. Vitek made it very clear that she is in research and clinic, so only 1/2 of her time is meant to be with the clinic. It was very difficult to get a hold of her.

She suggested that I have a saline ultrasound which showed nothing (but I still 100% agree with this, as if there was something going on, we would have caught it), then she had me do a "natural cycle" that included 5ish days of gonal and then ovidrel and pio shots. I really wish that, after 2 failed transfers, that she would have said that I needed to have an ERA, she only mentioned it in passing in our discussion.

The nurses seem to most often call at the end of the day (I know that this is because they are busy, but maybe the clinic should look at staffing for this), if you miss a call, you're forced to respond via MyChart.

Currently, I feel like a number at this clinic. They don't like too many questions, and are hard to get a hold of, so I tend to have to MyChart, but then I was told they don't like this either, so I guess we're just supposed to accept whatever is told without questioning.

Insurance covers some and I still have not seen all of my bills, so I cannot accurately assess this.

I wish she had said we needed to do an ERA before transferring 2 more embryos after two failed singleton attempts.

Dr. Vitek is super knowledgeable. I'm someone who likes to know about the research and the purpose behind every medication and procedure, and she's always excited to explain things--even pulling up diagrams and pictures on the computer to illustrate different concepts. I've never felt rushed while talking to her, and she also always includes my husband in discussions and checks in with him about questions and concerns.

Like with any doctor, come prepared with questions and write down her answers. Sometimes we would talk through a few different possible options, so reviewing the plan at the end of any appointment was really helpful for me.

Dr. Vitek is very forthcoming about processes, options, and potential outcomes. She is also kind and easy to talk to. On multiple occasions she's altered my protocol to make me more comfortable or to make the process easier for me, which I greatly appreciated. I wasn't just a number that was taking medications, I was a human who needed to be able to live life while going through the treatment.

Because of my diminished ovarian reserve, we went right to combining clomid and injectables. Unfortunately, my first IUI was cancelled because my LH surged too early. Once we knew that I'd ovulate really easily, though, Dr. Vitek was vigilant in making sure my estrogen and LH were monitored closely and that I started an antagonist early. We used that same protocol for a few cycles, but switched to letrozole as my lining didn't develop very nicely and I ended up with a few cysts after one or two cycles. Then I asked to try injectables only, which we did with Follistim, and then I asked to try Gonal F, as I knew women in another clinic often used and thought it was worth trying. I had a much better response to Gonal, and after about 5 or 6 IUIs I was thinking of IVF and asked Dr. Vitek if I could try Menopur to see what my reaction would be. I had my best cycle with Gonal & Menopur (300/150) and got a record of 4 follicles. Unfortunately, we weren't financially ready for IVF, so we just did IUI and got a negative. Once we had done about 8-9 months of IUI, it was nearing the end of the year and we switched insurance in the new year that would give us IVF coverage. We started with pretty much the same protocol as my IUI but my ovaries didn't respond, which was a surprise. We took a much more aggressive approach, in the second try, and Dr. Vitek strongly suggested a duostim, which she said had been successful with other 'poor responders'. She shared some research articles that went over the protocol. I primed with birth control and testosterone gel, and then went into using stim meds along with a steroid, dexamethasone. My first retrieval we got 3 eggs and 2 fertilized, and at my second retrieval we got 2 eggs and 1 fertilized. I went right into another stim as I had recovered quickly from the first two retrievals, but we tried a 'mini stim' with letrozole and then Gonal, but even though I grew two follicles, one wasn't mature and the other didn't fertilize. I kept going on the duostim, but had a large lead follicle and some smaller ones that didn't have time to catch up, and the one retrieved wasn't mature. I took a few cycles off and tried a transfer cycle which got cancelled because I ovulated through the Estrace. Now we are trying a more natural transfer cycle but with stim meds and an antagonist. I should transfer within 10 days!

Overall, I like the nursing staff very much. Especially in person, they are caring and competent. The only times I have had any communication difficulties was over the phone when the nurse was communicating something that I needed more specifics on, such as when a cycle was cancelled, or information about whether retrieved eggs fertilized.

Like many clinics, the wait time to get seen initially can be pretty long. I waited 3-4 months for an appointment, and was seen by another dr and started some of my initial testing in the meantime, which helped me get started right away when I did get seen. Once I was in, though, everything was much easier and faster. They have options for communicating online or by phone, which works really well for me in terms of coordinating medication ordering during the weekdays. The staff often knows who I am and greets me, which is nice. They are super efficient, which was a little jolting when I was new, as they move quickly and sometimes assume you know where to go or what to do, so I'd recommend being really clear that it's your first appointment or asking what you should do (for example, at my first baseline appointment I didn't know they'd be doing a vaginal ultrasound and needed to get undressed--I think I assumed it would be the tummy kind since I had my period. The nurse just walked me in and said the PA would be in shortly, and when she came in she had to explain). But once I was doing a few cycles I really appreciated how efficient they were because my appointments went quickly, for the most part.

I'm very lucky to have good insurance. My main costs were copays ($40) and then medications (~75/cycle). I switched over to another insurance that covers all my fertility treatment costs (the Empire Plan--work for NYS!), and the medication was covered separately, so I still had that cost. From my understanding, the costs are similar to other fertility clinics, and they do publish them on their website, which is helpful.

Because I will be transferring 3 day embryos, my doctor recommended transfering 2. She said we could go either way but did say our success rate goes up with 2.

I honestly didn't find any weaknesses, but I also only met with her once. Though she did reassure me during that appointment that even if I didn't see her during visits, she was behind the scenes managing my care and making decisions. And so far that has been true. NPs that I have seen and asked questions of have relayed information from her regularly. I certainly feel comfortable that if I wanted to meet with her again, she would be fine with that. In fact, if I'm not pregnant after my current cycle, we will meet again and decide on next steps.

Make Dr. Vitek aware of your concerns or apprehensions about the process. If you need any accommodations made, let her know. In my experience, all of my concerns were addressed and if I needed assistance with anything, it was provided. She was happy to answer questions, even when I felt like they might be silly. She was more than willing to be very detailed in her answers, which I really appreciated.

When I met with Dr. Vitek she had a great, warm bedside manner. She listened to me when I explained my case - that I wanted to be a single mother by choice - and had a plan ready that we could use to move forward. She had clearly already done her research on my referral and even had a report from my appt with a high risk OB that detailed treatment suggestions while trying to conceive and if I did get pregnant, which she shared with me. I wanted a more aggressive plan than my OB had given me (not the high-risk one, the regular one) and she was on board with sensible solutions.

I had bloodwork and an HSG done in the cycle right before my appointment with Dr. Vitek. Based on that information, which included a very low AMH and a higher than normal FSH, and my stated desire to use some kind of fertility drugs to help the process, she suggested using Gonal F with follicle monitoring via ultrasound. Then, when the ultrasound showed one or more good follicles were nearly developed, I triggered ovulation with Ovidrel. She discussed all the possible side effects, including the possibility of multiples. After the IUI was performed, I used Crinone progesterone gel to assist with the possible pregnancy. Though I didn't get pregnant that time, I felt great about the process and had three follicles develop. I'm in the midst of the second round doing the same protocol - I just did the second medicated IUI today. Since it will be my 4th IUI overall, we will meet and reevaluate to see if we are doing the best protocol for me if I do not get pregnant.

I have really liked all the staff at the office. Initially I was a little put off my one of the nurses who does both the intake (blood pressure, weight, etc.) and draws blood for each appointment. She seemed so business-like that it bordered on being cold. However, after a few appointments, I found that she was a little more relaxed and she even joked around a bit. I think she's just so busy that sometimes that side of her personality doesn't shine through. Debra Werzinger is the PA who I saw the most, especially for the ultrasound monitoring and she is terrific. Very warm and carefully explained everything I wanted to know and even things I didn't ask about. Her positivity is infectious - though she does present a realistic picture of what is going on (she's not trying to overstate things that are going well). My IUIs were done by a nurse and a physician (on the weekend, a physician does them) and they were both very knowledgable, relaxed, and took me through the process by explaining everything that was happening.

I've described a lot of strengths in talking about the staff. I appreciate that even if I see a different PA, nurse, or physician I feel like they are all working well as a team. The office feels like it works like clockwork. My appointments all begin on time or only a few minutes after the stated appointment time - crucial when you are trying to fit a lot of appointments in and explain them to a boss who you don't want to discuss your attempts to conceive with until you are successful. I was a little caught off guard when a nurse contacted me to let me know that because I was using donor sperm I would need to talk to a counselor. It was the only thing I wasn't very happy with about the office. It made me feel somewhat singled out because I'm trying to conceive in a less traditional fashion. I knew I would do whatever I needed to though, so I went to the appointment. The counselor was very nice and acknowledged, without prompting, that the appt might seem a little unfair to me. We talked about it a bit and I felt better. I also appreciated that some patients might not have thought through everything as obsessively as me (!) and really need an appt to help them make some plans. I was feeling good about my plans as we walked through my decisions and talked about future plans. All in all, I was fine with the appt, but wished I had a bit more heads up about it.

My insurance covers IUIs and any associated procedures like ultrasound and medications, like the Gonal F and Ovidrel. Consequently, I was only required to pay my specialist copay ($25) for appointments and $175 copay for all of the medications. Since I was using donor sperm, I also paid about $850/IUI as that is NOT covered. That cost was not paid to Dr. Vitek's office as I used an outside donor sperm bank.

She had a good beside manner and was very knowledgable but I never interacted enough to really get the feel like she cared about me as her patient. I felt like just another number and don't feel that she really spent much time on my case.

Go somewhere else

I only saw Dr Vitek at my initial consultation and then the consultation after my miscarriage. She was not present at any of the dozens of monitoring appointments or IUIs. The nurses were nice but never looked at my case as more than just another appointment to get through. I felt like they were just following some sort of normal protocol instead of really looking at my case and making adjustments that were tailored to me.

We started with a non-medicated IUI - negative. Then we went to clomid for the next IUI - negative. Then we did higher doses of clomid for three more cycles - negative. My body was responding well to the drugs but I just was not getting pregnant. Then we tried letrozol and got a positive but I had a miscarriage of twins at 8 weeks. We tried Letrozol again and got a negative. Then Clomid again and got a negative and then I moved on to a new clinic and got pregnant off my first IVF.

They were all very lovely but couldn't speak much on my case without consulting the doctor so I didn't get very far with them.

They need to treat each case individually with its own course of action and not follow some general protocol and just "wait and see". You will need to be your own medical advocate since no one at this clinic will be.

I paid for sperm out of pocket. I paid for the monitoring, IUIs and medications through my insurance so I only paid copays.

Dr. Vitek is very knowledgeable and compassionate although I feel she could have been more direct. For example I didn’t realize how low my AMH was and how it could impact getting pregnant. I saw in Dr. Vitek’s notes later on that she recommended being aggressive given my low AMH but she never expressed this concern with me directly. However I would still recommend Dr. Vitek.

Ask blunt questions

I felt Dr. Vitek genuinely cared about me

We did two rounds of clomid then because my AMH was low Dr. Vitek rexommened jumping into IVF which I agreed with.

The nurses felt like family to me. They were SO kind and compassionate.

Strong is the best of the best when it comes to their facility and latest technology. However, they did not do a good job communicating costs. For example I was told a round of IVF would be covered under my insurance. I ended up paying close to 10k out of pocket which was not expected.

I had insurance that covered some of the costs of clomid and IVF fresh transfer but I ended up paying 10k out of pocket

Dr. Vitek made me feel comfortable, safe and secure during the procedure. She modified my treatment plan as I was visiting from out of state for the summer and was willing to work with me in any and all ways. She was gentle and kind throughout.

Ask questions and do your research as you should during this process with any RE.

Dr. Vitek was very warm, supportive and personable. She engaged and communicated gently and effectively with my significant other and I.

I used Clomid 50mg to increase egg production and timed IUI. All of my tests are normal therefore the protocol was basic. I was not successful this cycle.

The staff at Strong Infertility was efficient, organized and compassionate. My nursing time took an incredible amount of time to walk me through the process and ensure that I knew all of the steps and procedures.

Strong Infertility was a wonderful clinic for me. I am currently taking a break from treatment but plan to continue with them when I start again. The environment was comfortable, clean and calming. I felt a decrease in anxiety and stress when transferring my treatment to this team.

IUI was approximately 400 with sperm isolation. Consultation was approximatelly 100.

I did not use this method.

She listened, but didn’t explain much. I didn’t know how frequently I would be going in for tests or scans. She never suggested I might have endometriosis, which I did. A LOT of endometriosis. No e of the treatments i tried with her ever had a chance of working without endometriosis excision. I wasted 3 cycles and $3000 for treatment which never could have resulted in pregnancy due to endometriosis.

Ask who, what, where, when, why, and how for every single thing, and write everything down, including who you talked to, when, and what they said.

Personable

First and second d cycle: monitoring, no drugs, timed intercourse. Third cycle: monitoring, injectables, timed intercourse.

Disaster. List records. Didn’t return phone calls. Forgot to call in scripts. When I changed RE clinics, I had to request THREE TIMES for them to transfer the files, and then they sent only 1/10th of the information, so I had to request AGAIN.

Didn’t explain what to expect. Didn’t update me on percentage success rate of each treatment, when new information was found. Not nearly aggressive enough in treatment. Missed glaringly obvious medical problems.