Craig Witz

Dr. Witz is very knowledgeable and willing to try and tweak new protocols to best fit you and your needs. At the consult he was very endearing and seemed like he would be present a lot during the actual treatment cycle. After not seeing him for my first for monitoring visits, when I did finally see him I was very excited, however he spent less than 2 minutes with me. After our egg retrieval failed we had a re-group visit with him- he could not explain why we had such poor results and we didn’t feel genuine reactions from him. It seemed like he did not know how to handle complex cases.

Be aware that he is not willing to try experimental treatments and is pretty set in his ways.

We tried the long Lupron protocol since I have endometriosis and poor egg and embryo quality. I retrieved 9 eggs, only 4 mature, 3 fertilized, and no blastocysts.

I could choose the time of monitoring appointments but they never ran on time. It was first come first serve, so you check in at 9:45am for your 10:30am appointment and you will be seen before the 9:45am patient. They only have 1-2 people drawing blood for 30+ people trying to be seen.

$13,350 For a retrieval, 4k for meds.

He does not believe in multiple embryo transfers due to the risk it places on the mother.

Dr. Witz explained what we should expect, was present for our appointments, performed both of my procedures himself and worked with us. As we traveled from out of town, he helped with finding a local clinic for my monitoring. He made me feel very relaxed and comfortable prior to my egg retrievals, making time to chat and explain what to expect prior to the actual surgery. He even gave us suggestions for things to do and where to eat in Houston while we were in town for appointments.

Choose Dr. Witz. He is very knowledgeable and experienced, is non-judgemental and open-minded and so down to earth.

We were freezing embryos for later (mid to late 30s and just wanted to wait a little longer to have our first). After my blood work, I was put on vitamin D to get my levels up. Then we did the desogen, followed by gonal-f and menopur. Then added in cetrotide after about a week. Then ovidrel for the trigger, followed by the egg retrievals. We did ICSI, PGS and then the freezing.

First round (2019) was about $18,000 total, including PGS (about $4750), surgery center and anesthesia ($1400 + $250) and doctor fees ($6,300), medications, outside labs and monitoring through a local clinic were outside this clinic's control. Second round prices went up a little, but it was similar. Maybe about $19,000.

N/A - no transfers yet.

Very knowledgeable and professional. Addressed risks and procedures fully. Great bedside manner. Has a good sense of humor. I had a few bumps along the way, but he explained the reasons and the plan to overcome.

Don't expect to be pregnant overnight. It will take some time.

I have no Fallopian tubes, so IVF was my only option. We jumped right into the cycle, but I had fibroids which could impede the process. I needed those removed. Along with a hysteroscopy. Then, started my meds for the egg retrieval. After egg retrieval, I was stopped from embryo implantation because of COVID-19

IVF is covered by my insurance 100% after my yearly deductible. I meet my deductible in January typically, so the out-of-pocket costs were just the co-pays for my prescriptions & the embryo storage fee.

My doctor greatly preferred a single embryo transfer for me since we jumped straight into IVF without IUI or any other approach.

Very straightforward with plan of action. Explained reasons for what he thought was best treatment. Thoroughly answered any questions we had. Monitored follicles closely and increased dosage when I was initially slow to respond.

He is very straightforward and doesn’t sugarcoat things but I like that. Tells you what he thinks you need to do as an expert in his field.

Was participating in a study so I had to do downregulation per study protocol. Then started with lupron and then menopur started with one vial when I was slow to respond upped to 3 then upped to max of 6 vials nightly. Study only produced two embryos, both transfers failed. Next did self-pay cycle with menopur, gonal f and cetrotide. Got 6 embryos, genetically tested, 2 came back normal, 1 indeterminate.

We got into a study so paid $3,500 for our first fresh IVF cycle. Then paidaround $5,000 for frozen embryo transfer. Our self-pay cycle with meds and PGS testing we spent around $25,000.

He explained risks of multiples and we agreed.

He is open & available- often calling me on off hours & using his cell phone. We had a tough road and he never oversold with lofty expectations. He knows the research & was able to present us with facts and honest medical advice for us to make the most informed decision we could.

Reach out to him directly if you ever need to! He will respond & you’ll get good information.

We did a low dose protocol with omnitrope. I overly respond to stimulation but my eggs are not strong so we went with low dose and omnitrope to attempt to boost the egg strength. Dr. Witz has only ever done single embryo transfers with rationale of it being a better environment for the fetus and better for the mom’s overall health.

My first round was all cash pay- all in probably $35-40. Next rounds have been partially covered- all in $15-20

The thing both my spouse and I liked about Dr. Witz was that he asked a lot of questions and we really felt he knew us. He was there for every visit and any procedure we needed to do. He explained things and when I didn't quite understand took the time to explain it a bit differently. We always felt that he took the time needed in order to get our questions answered.

Always be ready with your questions. Knowing that we had to pay full price (our insurance didn't cover our IVF) we did our research and had a list of questions for every visit which helped it go faster. He also has a good sense of humor; so, if you want someone more serious; he is not however, that was our favorite thing about him!

After testing in 2015; we found out we would only be able to conceive via IVF and started on meds right away once we were ready. We started with Follistim 150 units, Dial pen to 150 & Menopur 150 IU, Take 2 vials as directed for 3 days then went back for bloodwork. After every blood draw; they would adjust my medication. After that I took, Follistim 225 units, Dial pen to 225 and Menopur 150 IU, Take 2 vials as directed. Then Cetrotide 0.25 mg was added. We had the egg retrieval and did a fresh transfer soon after that where I was prescribed o Estrace 2 mg, Take one by mouth to dissolve under your tongue THREE times per day; Prometrium 200mg mg/dl, oral 3x/day, Endometrin 100 mg/dl, Pleace two vaginally with applicator twice daily, Progesterone in Sesame Oil 50 mg/ml, give 50mg (1cc) IM each day (check to see if mixture is 100mg/1cc or 50mg/1cc) and was also adjusted as needed depending on my bloodwork. Once they did the BETA test and it was positive meds were adjusted depending on my blookwork as well. On our 6 week visit; was when the baby's heartbeat completely slowed down and BETA levels started to stall which was when we had a conversation with Dr. Witz and said we were going to just stop all of the meds and gave us the option to have a DND or have it happen naturally. I went with naturally which happened 2 weeks later.

Total: 12, 950 (without meds) Physician Fee: $6, 900 Lab & Facility Fees: $3,000 Anesthesia Fee: $250 IVF Meds: about $2, 500

I have none as we were on the same page with transferring 2.

Dr. Witz is very knowledgeable, with a fantastic bed side manor. He gives accurate information with compassion for the patients feelings and needs. Visits with Dr. Witz were always pleasant. When dealing with sensitive or unfortunate news, he delivered the news in a professional and kind manor, explaining all the details, options, and shared sadness over the news.

Be patient, the process can be a long one. Worthwhile, but long.

Due to a low hormone/egg reserve, and hyseroscopy, the best route was to pursue IVF. I feel that the treatment was pretty routine, but the dosages adjusted to fit me personally. We did genetic testing so that we knew what the best embryo option was for us. Things proceeded as normal through the transfer process. We did have success becoming pregnant. However, at week 5, I experienced bleeding. I was fortunate to see Dr. Witz that day, and my hormones were adjusted immediately. I was seen weekly at that point. Unfortunately around week 7-ish, we experienced loss of the pregnancy.

For us, the costs seemed high, especially having no idea of what the costs were before the process. We did receive a military discount, from my husband's time in the army, so that helped a little. With meds, proceedures, genetic testing, storing of embryos for a year, and everything else, we were close to $23,000, for one cycle, one transfer.

Dr. Witz gave us all the statistics and success rates of single transfer versus transferring two embryos. That information along with genetic testing led us to elect to transfer one embryo.

Dr.Witz is very straight forward, laid back, and has an excellent bedside manner. He is honest and doesn’t sugar coat anything. He is a great doctor, and had a very warm friendly personality. He answers your questions and does not waste your time allowing you to worry about irrelevant factors. He is highly experienced and very confident in his course of treatment for you.

Write down your questions beforehand and bring them with you so you don’t forget to ask him everything. He can sometimes be very booked and will breeze through the appointment- if you write your questions down than you can have them answered even if he seems to be rushing.

Dr Witz uses Labetalol to help me manage my blood pressure and keep it stable for transfer. He does not promote supplements at all, just healthy diet.

$1800 doctors fee. $1500 laboratory fee. Embryo cryopreservation yearly fee of $500.

Dr. Witz was very honest and to the point. He was very thorough and nice. He definitely knows what he is doing! I think he made what seemed impossible possible! When we had a set back he made the correct call and had great judgement.

As with any doctor have your questions ready before you go so you can get everything answered and you do not forget.

We did the agonist protocol different from my first failed ivf. It produced less eggs than my first but I got 2 eggs and one fertilized. A few days before retrieval he let me know there was only one maybe two eggs for retrieval. He gave me the choice of canceling retrieval or proceeding. As you can imagine that is heartbreaking and a difficult decision. He basically put it in perspective and made my choice very clear. It resulted in my baby girl.

I used meds from overseas. Cut my costs from $7500 to $4500 for meds. The reason I chose this clinic in the first place was due to its prices.

Dr. Witz seems like a great doctor. When I met with him, I felt like he answered all of my questions candidly. However, I rarely saw him. I would see him for a meeting before I started a round of IUI. He never performed any of my IUI procedures, as he has colleagues that take different shifts. Maybe my cycles just didn't coincide with his work schedule. He was highly recommended by my gynecologist.

Infertility is a vicious cycle. Be prepared to see lots of women crying. Every appointment was full of women crying because they lost a baby, because they got pregnant, or because they found out they weren't pregnant. Dr. Witz was never there when I got my pregnancy test results.

Dr. Witz prescribed a small dosage of clomid followed by IUI. One of his colleagues questioned my treatment strategy when he performed an initial exam as I started a cycle however, he went with the orders left by Dr. Witz. It made me concerned that perhaps there were newer ideas that may work better.

$1500 per medicated IUI cycle plus drugs.

This clinic was a complete waste of time and we felt misguided throughout the process. On our first round of IVF, we had a lot of eggs retrieved (~12 embryos) but then very low quality. Most eggs stopped growing after day 3. Only one egg passed genetic testing and it was a 7 day egg. Now we know most clinics would not have transferred this egg due to low quality. Instead, Dr. Witz encouraged us to do so. When this was unsuccessful, he told us on the next attempt, we could add growth hormone to improve egg quality. Once the next procedure protocol was established, Dr. Witz did not prescribe growth hormone. When we discussed this with him, he told us due to FDA scrutiny, fertility clinics were no longer using growth hormone and we'd have to go to Europe to get it. So we proceeded with a 2nd round of egg retrieval without it. Again, we had a large number of eggs / embryos, but they did not make it past day 3. We were left with only one 7 day embryo that passed genetic testing. Again, Dr. Witz encouraged us to transfer this egg. So we went through the time/stress/expense to transfer it with yet again a bad result. We have since learned that most other fertility clinics across the U.S. still use growth hormone. We used it on our next egg retrieval round in Colorado and had excellent results (6 very high quality embryos resulting in one live birth - our daughter). I believe HFI is now using growth hormone again. During procedures, Dr. Witz seemed more interested in the music we wanted played than explaining the procedure itself. He may have been trying to get us to relax but it felt strange.

If you are older or have egg quality issues, ask him to use growth hormone during the first attempt. If you have a 7 day egg that passes genetic testing (or a low quality egg), don't bother to transfer it. Freeze it and go for another retrieval.

Our protocol felt very cookie cutter. He didn't make adjustments during the process based on how fast our eggs were growing or that were specific to our issue - poor egg quality.

The first round of IVF was between $15 and $20k, I can't remember exactly. If you get genetic testing (PGS), I think it was $5k and that covered 10 eggs. If your first round doesn't work, you get a discount on the 2nd round, so I think that was more about $10k to $12k.

We knew for certain we only wanted to transfer one embryo (and we never had more than one at HFI) so this wasn't discussed.

I’m a Latina and when you receive the blow that infertility is a battle you’re going through it can be crippling bc our culture is so deep rooted in family that you think you’re broken. Dr. Witz was repeatedly kind but frank when I needed it. My Husband and I both say that we would not have survived the process (clomid, IUI 3x and IVF 2x then a FET 1) had we not had Dr. Witz. It’s easy to feel like a petry dish but he helped us stay human and helped us look for the humor in the awful.

Be prepared to hear what you don’t want to hear. Infertility doctors are not genies. Do your research, go in with your questions, don’t stop asking until you get a clear and understood reply, be prepared to hear real answers.

We started our path with a round of clomid followed by 3 rounds of IUI. Dr. Witz was very confident that IUI would do the trick due to my PCOS past, but wanted to give it a shot as it was less invasive and definitely more cost affordable. We weren’t successful but both Dr. Witz and I wanted to at least try. We took some time to save up and moved forward with IVF. It was fairly normal round though I ended up hyperstemming after the egg retrieval and had a 5 day stay in the hospital. Dr. Witz came every evening to check on me though it was in the complete opposite direction of his home. We delayed the transfer bc he wanted me to recover emotionally and physically. We transferred a month later and had a successful positive pregnancy. Dr. Witz kept me in his care until I was 14 weeks along. I se him once a week through those 14 weeks, and twice a week I had blood work. We exhausted all our avenues with Cycle 1 and when we decided to try for a sibling we knew it would be Dr. Witz that we’d be calling. Our second IVF round was not as complicated and we had better success. No hyper stimulation, though we did start progesterone earlier and carried it through longer I think. With our successful retrieval with tried a frozen embroy transfer but we didn’t get a positive result. It was a tough blow. Dr. Witz met with us afterwards and laid out the cards for us. He was blunt but also kind. It’s a fine line to walk when there are so many emotions running.

Our IVF rounds cost between $12-17k, IUI $2 , FET $7k

Dr. Witz doesn’t like to transfer more that 2 at a time in order to be responsible with his patients

He talks to us anytime we ask. He uses my name when talking to me, and he also doesn't give us false hope. He is always optimistic with each step. He is very through and up on the latest treatment options. He is also very accommodating, as I live in a different state from the treatment clinic.

He will give you the real facts, which might be hard to hear. But he is very honest.

1st round birth control, menopur, gonal, and cetrotide. 2 trigger shots to make sure we got my eggs. Also coq10, prenatal vitamins, DHEA, and vitamin d. 2nd round same, added lupron and a testosterone primer. No birth control 3rd round same, no lupron or birth control. All rounds progesterone, estrace and estrogen patches. Transfer pio shots and progesterone and estrace

Over 24000

I only had 2 each time. So we did both. They weren't the best quality, so we hoped one would stick.

Dr. Witz is very knowledgable in infertility and the plan of action needed to achieve success. He did elaborate diagnostic testing and HSG and a hysteroscopy to rule out any issues that may be causing my miscarriages. He recommended IVF with chromosomal (PGS) testing for an accurate pregnancy. He felt confident we would get pregnant on our own again, but if we chose to, we could do IVF. We actually chose to speed up the process and try IUI. It was successful and I am now pregnant!

Don't be afraid to ask questions!

RPL blood panel, hysteroscopy, HSG. All results came back normal. We ended up doing IUI with Clomid, Gonal-F, and Ovidrel, along with progesterone. I am pregnant as a result from one IUI.

IUI with meds was close to $3500

Dr. Witz was extremely knowledgeable and capable. He answered all of our questions honestly and thoroughly, with numbers and science to back up his answers. Although he was sometimes a bit blunt, we preferred this honest and candid demeanor. At the end of the day he was an understanding and compassionate professional.

Ask questions, and know that he can be blunt but is extremely caring.

He is always willing to answer questions and if something doesnt work he changes the course of treatment. We had so many setbacks and he was always compassionate about them. After our stillbirth of our daughter he reached out to my MFMs to better understand my complicated pregnancy and what we could do in the future to try and prevent another loss. Infertility is hard enough then add in pregnancy loss! Having a great doctor is so important.

Try and live day by day

For my frozen transfers we have to use letrozole to help me grow a follicle because just giving me estrogen doesnt build my lining up.

My insurance covers diagnosis testing. IUI was 1,400 i think and our IVf olus medications was 18,000

The conversations with him felt rushed and not very detailed. He did lots of tests and I never got any answers as to why I wasn't conceiving. "unexplained infertility" was the diagnosis, and then they wanted tons of money for the next steps. That's why I stopped going, it felt like they were very money hungry at that point.

Listen carefully and ask him to explain all of what he says slowly and thoroughly.

My insurance covered all of the testing up to the diagnosis of infertility. After that the prices were very high, even for taking Clomid because they require you to have ultrasounds etc and pay upfront($800).

I felt like I was being forced into IVF vs. being able to discuss all options, even when they didn't have my records or test results back yet. It came off as either do IVF, or never have a child. Which, if my test results indicated that, it would be one thing. But it felt very rushed and like there was no interest in what was actually going on with me.

Be assertive in what you want, or what you expect. You are your own advocate, and need to stand up for yourself. You do have choices in treatment options, or at least the choice to discuss the pro's and con's of all of them.

IUI's started at $2,000+, IVF was significantly more expensive then other clinics in the area.

Dr. Witz was an outstanding doctor w compassion and humor. He made the appointments not so stressful and he was very helpful and reassuring. I always understood what was going on and he answered all questions I had. He seemed to really care about his patients and I am so happy we chose him as our doctor.

He will tell you what needs to be done in a kind forward manner and add some humor.

Dr. Witz is fantastic! I would recommend him to anyone TTC. He makes the process better by explaining the process, answering questions, and really connecting with you. You're not just a number with him.

Ask questions!

He is probably my favorite doctor I've ever had. Very honest, and explained things in great detail. Took the time to call and check on me often, always got me in for an appointment to check on things if I felt the slightest bit of doubt.

Trust him, he knows what he's doing.

I don't remember exactly. One IVF cycle that resulted in hyperstimulation due to pcos, and a freeze all cycle. Frozen transfer the next month that resulted in a twin pregnancy.

Approx 15k total

Counseled us on the risks of implanting two (which was our preference) advised not to transfer more then that

Dr. Witz is extremely caring. I switched doctors in the process because I felt my last doctor made me feel like a number and didn't have open communication. Dr. Witz on the other hand, answers your every question and takes his work very seriously. He walks you through every step of the process and tries to be there at appointments, unless he's in clinic.

Have a consultation with him and see if he fits what you're looking for in a provider.

I was on the antagonist protocol with birth control, gonal-f, menopur, and cetrotide.

IVF- $13,000 MEDICATION- $5,000-7,000 PGS TEST- $5,000

My clinic recommends eSET but does allow multiple transfer if you wish. This also depends on your age and pgs testing, etc.

So I have recommended him to several friends and what I will say is that he knows what he is doing. He has been doing this for a long time and is brilliant. I have a very tricky case of PCOS combined with only one tube and a small uterus that can have blood flow issues. But he got my pregnant twice so I have no complains. He told me IVF was my best chance of pregnancy but I wanted to try IUI first and he was good with that. He tells you the facts and let’s you make a decision. Several times I was on the fence about what to do and he would give me his opinion and they weren’t money making decisions. He talked us out of doing PGS twice (but didn’t push his opinion). I had a son in 2016 and now a daughter thanks to Witz! He’s the best!

Write down all your questions and bring a friend. He talks fast and a second person can help you remember all the things he shares with you.

We did a standard protocol but I over stimulated and couldn’t do a fresh transfer. I was devastated but it all worked out because I got pregnant on the first FET.

Because of my small uterus we could only transfer one. Dr Witz wouldn’t let me do more because it was a risk to me.

Dr. Witz was very caring at our visit. He explained out chances and made me few like actually having a family one day was possible. My husband is all about numbers but Dr. Witz made him realize that it isn’t always about the numbers. He was very kind and validated my emotions.

He is awesome. We’ve “shopped” around for the right doctor and I feel like he was the most understanding. I am excited to see what the future hold with Dr. Witz.

We have not started treatment with Dr. Witz yet because of money. Ivf is very expensive and our insurance does not cover anything. He did explain in detail the cost breakdown and protocol with us. We are going to use a frozen transfer when the time comes.

The treatment would be around 13,500 plus medication. I don’t not have any insurance coverage.

He wants to give us one healthy baby. So he suggested only transferring one embryo.

Dr. Witz was very thorough in explaining treatments and what the best options were for us. I saw him at almost every appointment and he was always optimistic even when I was feeling negative. I have recommended him to multiple people since I went through this process.

He can be sarcastic and is funny. It helps lightens the mood.

We paid out of pocket and it was about $14,000 for our IVF process not including medicine