Anne Steiner

I do wish Dr. Steiner would have performed our first IUI. We had a resident who was less than pleasant to work with and our experience wasn't as ideal. Dr. Steiner has such a kind heart and working with her and Dr. Harris during the ultrasounds and procedural explanations was more than I could have ever asked for. She was also prompt her replies via MyChart.

Be patient. The wait to see Dr. Steiner is definitely worth it! She knows her stuff and is very upfront with her patients. She is diligent in her work, just wish I had more face time with her during the actual IUI procedure.

1st cycle, 7.5mg letrozole with 250 mcg ovidrel injection day 16 of cycle. Has 2 prominent eggs, both on right side. Our IUI was performed 36 hours after trigger. Sample was provided at clinic, numbers were great, cycle unsuccessful. 2nd cycle, due to COVID, timed intercourse with 7.5mg letrozole, unsuccessful.

Ultrasounds were $150/each Labs varied from $100- $300 (depending on which labs were drawn) Sperm testing- $150 IUI- $650 Consultation- $150 some visits ranged from $150- $750 each visit.

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I started seeing Dr. Steiner after my previous RE retired. I immediately saw the changes she brought not only to my care, but to the way the clinic did things. She has the best bedside manner, she is warm and compassionate, nuturing and really looks out for her patients. She takes the time to make sure all of your questions are answered and that you feel comfortable with every stage of treatment.

Keep an open mind and don't be afraid to ask questions.

When Dr. Steiner took over my care, I was "on the bench" due to a large ovarian cyst. Previously, we had done one cycle of timed intercourse using 5mg Letrozole plus an Ovidrel trigger and one IUI also using 5mg Letrozole and an Ovidrel trigger. The following 2 cycles I had to sit out due to the cyst. Dr. Steiner recommended birth control pills to help shrink the cyst and they worked! For the 5th cycle, Dr. Steiner recommended increasing the Letrozole to 7.5mg, plus the Ovidrel trigger and another IUI. It was negative unfortunately, but Dr. Steiner encouraged us to keep going and also talked with us about options for the future (ex: doing a HSG, adding in FSH injections or thinking about IVF). We did one more cycle (the 6th) with 7.5mg of Letrozole, the Ovidrel trigger and IUI, which was also negative. At this point, we had a consult with Dr. Steiner to talk about moving on to FSH injections (a min-stim cycle). Dr. Steiner really took the time to explain exactly how it would work and answer all of our questions. She also recommended switching from Letrozole to Clomid. For the 7th cycle, I took 100mg Clomid and 8 days of Gonal F injections (75iu, 75iu, 75iu, 75iu, 150iu, 150iu, 125iu, 125iu). Dr. Steiner made sure to communicate with me throughout the cycle and explained each time the dosage was increased/decreased. At the time of trigger, I had 1 18mm follicle, 2 17mm follicles and 2 16mm follicles. I was very nervous about the high risk of multiples and not sure if I should continue with the IUI. I contacted Dr. Steiner multiple times and she eased my fears. The 7th cycle was successful and I am now expecting my second child.

A consultation with Dr. Steiner was $55- my specialist co-pay. All monitoring and bloodwork appointments were fully covered. IUI appointments were $55. Medications: I purchased Letrozole ($5-$10) and Clomid ($15) through Walgreens. I purchased 3 Gonal F redi-pens from Freedom Fertility pharmacy ($330 per 300iu pen) and one from Town Drugstore ($270 per 300iu pen).

Well of note she is now at Duke and I do not have experience there. I will say Dr. Steiner was great non judgements supportive and even while I did not see her every time I knew she was always on top of my care

Be honest and know she will support you. One of the first and most important moments with Dr Steiner was when I first went in I knew she would say my weight was a factor in my infertility. But to my pleasant surprise she went through everything and never mentioned it. I brought it up and she said “yes every less pound would be helpful but I am assuming from the way you asked you have tried dieting and eating healthy. I told her I had it was just really hard for me in those programs because the weight did not just fall off. She said well it is up to you if you want to try and lose a few more pounds before we do this I will support you but I know you want this baby and I am not going to keep that from happening because of something that has not happened with your effort. My job is to help get you pregnant not judge you

She did the standard protocol they use but tailored it based on my labs and my pharmacy plan options.

Well efficient machine. Very personalized but they blocked off early morning so you could get labs and or ultrasounds and still make it to work on time. Also open 7 days a week for monitoring appointments and procedures. I could have scheduled later in the day if needed but early morning was great for me and so many others

So my husbands insurance luckily has great infertility insurance so our experience was very different

So dr. Steiner only put one egg in based on research. I never pushed the fact because their frozen and fresh egg transfer success ratios are the same. And like she explained it is better to try again with a frozen embryo the chance multiples. Now I will not the decision to only put one was based on my age and embryo quality

Dr. Steiner is very direct and research-driven. The fact that she continues to conduct research on faculty at a major institution is one of the elements that led myself and my husband to seek her care. If you are looking for a super-compassionate, empathetic doctor, she may not be for you. She cares, and will demonstrate that at times, but not during every interaction. She could be short with a response on occasion, but generally gave me the information I was looking for. Dr. Steiner was convinced that ovulation induction was the only treatment we would need, and told us she would comfortably continue that regimen for six or more months. We progressed to IUI only at my request. After four cycles, none of which resulted in a pregnancy or chemical pregnancy, we relocated, and began with a new doctor. Should we have stayed in the area, I may have sought a more aggressive doctor.

Don't be afraid to ask questions. You'll need to assert yourself a little bit, as Dr. Steiner is a very seasoned specialist and will give you a full run-down of your diagnosis and case without pausing.

I have a history of irregular or absent periods. Dr. Steiner prescribed 2.5 mgs of letrozole (Femara) on cycle days 3-7, with an ultrasound to check progress on day 13. Each cycle produced one or more mature follicles, and after the ultrasound, we did a trigger shot (Ovidrel) at home that evening. For the first three cycles, we had timed intercourse around the ovulation window. For the fourth and final cycle, we went in for an IUI 36 hours after the trigger shot.

For ovulation induction, medication was about $110 per cycle, and each cycle required one monitoring ultrasound which cost about $270. The IUI was about $700. My HSG was about $400. The initial consultation was about $400, and the follow-up with Dr. Steiner was about $340. Insurance did not cover anything, but gave us discounts because the clinic was in-network.

Dr. Steiner is medically professional. She explains things in layman's terms. The only thing I didn't care for was she did not do all of my ultrasounds. I feel like she did not explain the percentages with IUI versus IVF.

Take a notebook to write things down because she goes over a lot of information in the first couple appointments.

Dr Steiner used Follistim 375 units per night for 8 nights. I went in every other day for blood work and vaginal ultrasounds. One day, because my veins roll, they stuck me at least 10 times and still could not get blood. I wonder if results would have been obtained that day if it would have changed the outcome for me.I did not get to my Ovidrel trigger shot because my estrogen lowered and progesterone went up so they did not allow me to do that. Other doctors performed my vaginal ultrasounds since Dr. Steiner was not in the office.

Not sure since we are using insurance and are having some issues in that department. From what insurance has told us , we have used $13k so far.

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In the course of at least 5 ultrasounds she and the other doctors who performed them missed a mature teratoma/dermoid on my left ovary. They even missed it two different times when they knew to look for it because it had been seen on a CT scan when I had a kidney stone. I went to a gynecologist who found it easily and did not understand how it was missed and suggested I go to a new fertility clinic. The new doctor discovered that I also have an elevated CA125 marker which means the mass has to come out along with my ovary. I think it is outrageous that this was missed numerous times due to the health risk and the money wasted on fertility treatments. The other office also found fibroids that were missed or that I was never told about. Luckily, the fibroids are small and not in an area that affects fertility. I still feel like I should have been told about them...if they even found them in the first place. The other issue is that I am over 40 and Dr. Steiner went into my care with an expectation of failure despite the fact that my AMH number is good for my age. I had to request this test myself, by the way. I now have guidance from a gynecologist who found that although my thyroid is within normal range it could be better for fertility. This was never even discussed at UNC. News flash: more and more women are having babies in their 40s. Although more difficult, it is not impossible.

Find another doctor.

I was put on Clomid to increase my chances due to my age. I took an Ovidrel trigger two cycles. I ovulate regularly but an OPK missed it one month so it was decided this was a good way to go. I had 3 IUIs.

My insurance covered 3 IUIs, but the clinic hits you with additional costs that are not covered. Examples of some of these costs is a $100 administrative fee and a sperm thawing fee. I was not told about either of these beforehand which I don't feel is too much to ask. Just let me know about all the out-of-pocket costs upfront. I do feel the administrative fee is just a way for them to get around the contracted insurance rate, however.

I think Anne Steiner is a strong doctor. I feel I have a good gauge of this since both of my parents are in medicine and had experienced infertility. So we always aligned her suggestions and treatment options against their knowledge-base and experiences. She's pragmatic but very compassionate at the same time. She wants to move towards solutions that will get couples out of the "wondering" stage and towards a desired result. She had us all set up for an IUI, but due to delayed ovulation, decided to post-pone the treatment a month. This was a very big blow after 14 months of waiting, but it paid off! Timed intercourse with a trigger shot was all we needed to conceive! I'm now 8 months pregnant with a healthy boy!

Go see her, especially if you're at all like I was--consumed with finding a cause and a cure and highly emotional. I think she's a good fit for us. It also just feels better to put yourself in such experienced hands. I had visited one Dr prior to Anne Steiner who performed a routine procedure on me to make sure my Fallopian tubes were not blocked. By the end of the treatment, he said this was not the cause of my infertility and what did I want to do next? As if I were the expert on next steps? He did not have the bedside manner Dr. Steiner did nor provided an expert opinion so that I had the power to make a great choice. My experience with that office was not great from start to finish and I can confidently say that it was a complete 180 at UNC Fertility...from the welcoming floor of the facility where they have HGTV on all the time (what better to take your mind off of everything) to the staff, who was always very pleasant, to the nurses, who I loved, the great care from Dr. Steiner and her partners and then to the flexible hours on weekends as well as the quick responses on the patient portal. Even the billing was handled much more delicately prior to our first appointment as they ran our insurance and communicated with us what we could expect to pay prior to our arrival. This was huge. Nothing makes you feel worse about infertility than feeling as though you're somehow responsible for costing your family loads of money for treatment. UNC was sensitive to that and my previous experience with CC was not.

At the point at which I saw Dr. Steiner, we had been a year infertile already. My OB had already run some basic tests on me with thyroid, progesterone levels, etc. to verify everything was working as it should. She even ran me on a few cycles of Clomid and Fermara. So by the time I saw Dr. Steiner, I was pretty frustrated that nothing had worked thus far. Dr. Steiner suggested a procedural plan since we had exhausted the normal avenues and their correlated percentages of success. I felt as though she was more determined to see if the Fermara would work better for me at a higher dosage (something my OB hadn't suggested was an option). So she let us choose what path we wanted to take. We decided we'd start with fermara + IUI which clocked us in at 3x more likely to succeed than if we remained on the fermara alone. The next step was injections + IUI, however, that only got us to 9x likely to succeed, and the next step after that had a 15% success rate. So we decided to start with the 3x, then progress to the 15x for maximum results. We technically never even got to the first stage as the trigger shot + timed intercourse was all we needed to conceive. From this experience, I took away some knowledge that it's possible the cause might've been a hormonal result from the hormones I was already taking as well as poorly timed intercourse. I'm hoping this doesn't happen again with our next attempt, however, now I feel well-informed if it were to happen and how to work better with my body.

$600 +

we never discussed this

She was kind but we didn't have much contact with her apart from during consultations. All procedures were performed by technicians or other doctors and all communication was through her nurse. At times it seemed that she was unfamiliar with the details of our case and needed to be reminded.

Request that she explain all options at your meeting because she did not offer to speak on the phone or through mychart, she always requested that we come in for a consult, which for us cost a 60 dollar copay.

We had 12 vials of frozen sperm from my husband because he is undergoing chemotherapy right now. We chose to use 3-6 vials for IUI and save the rest for possible IVF. We tried two IUI and both were unsuccessful. We are currently deciding whether to stay with Dr. Steiner or try a different clinic for IVF.

750 per IUI, IVF apparently 22,000.

She's knowledgeable, warm, and kind. I feel like she listens and really cares. I enjoyed working with her. I just think that the clinic is rather overloaded. I wish I'd had more time directly with her.

Don't expect much face to face time, but it's not her fault.

We did two agonist cycles given success with that approach previously.

It was around $4500 per cycle, not including medications.

Dr. Steiner is a great listener and she knows what she is doing. She tries to adjust the treatment each time to something good different so she can find out what might work. She seems to know a few good ways to alter the ivf process to get more eggs and to increase r he lining.

Be optimistic and know that the doctors will listen to your concerns.

I did 3 monitored clomid cycles. We started with 100mg days 3-7 then moved on to 150mg days 3-7. We triggered at around day 12.

For just a monitored cycle with clomid around $500

Very up front and honest. Paid out percentages and suggestions in a way previous doctor had not. Did get impression that I would not be a good candidate for their of program tho. Was very gentle and explained new staff with her each time

It's a teaching clinic

Follistim and ovadrel for an iui procedure. Had 3 eggs and 7.5mil sperm. Major confusion on analysis after

Had programs but were not attainable for ivf. Iui prices were reasonable

Rotating doctors at UNC. Nurses do the IUI, but doctors do monitoring. Each time I scheduled consults it was a different doctor which was frustrating. Dr Steiner and others were kind and spent time answering my questions.

IUI w/ monitoring $888 + drugs IUI w/o monitoring $688 + drugs Attain 2 retrieval package $19,000 + drugs

Someone referred me to Dr Steiner to get a second opinion regarding treatment options for endometriosis, so this was a consult. I asked about a test to check for a hormonal imbalance and she told me she has never heard of a test that checks for hormone imbalance. I asked twice to make sure I understood correctly with the same answer. I nearly fell out of my chair. I assume she just didn't want to give me the test since I'm not trying to get pregnant....but don't lie and say --as a fertility specialist--that you have never heard of a test for hormones. Whether it was a complete lack of concern, or a poor knowledge base, I would never recommender to anyone.

If a patient is not there for fertility, you should still be honest with them.

I have no idea until I get the bill.

Steiner is a down to earth doctor who always answers questions along with making sure we understood before we made our trip back home to Jacksonville NC. Not only did she give me information about my body as a woman I didn’t even know but she also makes sure that I keep my primary doctor in the loop for potential birth defects from my medicine

Ask as many questions as possible. Relax and don’t feel uncomfortable being transparent

I have not did the treatment yet we must pay beforehand.

I know it’s like $16,000 to do 1 cycle with 2 egg retrievals