There is very little interaction with the doctor [Dr. Nicholas Shamma] and very little regard for my schedule. Lots of last minute changes that they expected me to comply with...He is very direct and to the point. He does have compassion for his patients, but not much interaction. I disliked that he was not present during most of my treatment...was able to retrieve quite a few eggs during my retrieval, but the medications caused OHSS and our transfer was delayed for 2 months and became frozen because of it. Before every transfer I had a hysteroscopy and dilation. After the first failed transfer we began a protocol with blood thinners in addition to the other injections and medications.
The nursing staff is who I primarily interacted with [at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers]. Betsey is very empathetic and compassionate...transferred 2 embryos each transfer at our request...Every round there were last minute schedule changes that were made and I was expected to comply with a full-time work schedule. There is not much consideration for the patient with both scheduling and financing...If you got to the clinic right at 8am to monitor there was a pretty long wait. Typically only one nurse would be monitoring in the mornings.
How was your experience with Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
Dr. Shamma is a good doctor. He is very direct and to the point. He does have compassion for his patients, but not much interaction. I disliked that he was not present during most of my treatment. Most interaction is with staff.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
I would let a prospective patient know that there will probably be a lot of changes in his treatment plan. I have gone through multiple rounds and the set schedule was never set. There were last minute schedule changes during each round and many more expenses than originally quoted.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
There is very little interaction with the doctor and very little regard for my schedule. Lots of last minute changes that they expected me to comply with
Describe the protocols Nicholas Shamma used in your cycles at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers and their degree of success.
Dr. Shamma was able to retrieve quite a few eggs during my retrieval, but the medications caused OHSS and our transfer was delayed for 2 months and became frozen because of it. Before every transfer I had a hysteroscopy and dilation. After the first failed transfer we began a protocol with blood thinners in addition to the other injections and medications.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
The nursing staff is who I primarily interacted with. Betsey is very empathetic and compassionate. She goes above and beyond for her patients. Lori is very direct, but a good nurse. Both women are competent and professional.
Describe your experience with IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
The clinic is not very modern, but has the equipment to complete necessary treatment. One problem I did encounter was with billing for treatment. There were so many last minute changes to treatment plans (like fresh to frozen cycle) and with this cams large bills that were never discussed with me. I would receive a lot of surprise bills in the mail for sometimes thousands of dollars. After my first retrieval, they retrieved more than 10 eggs and we received a $500 bill in the mail because of the number of eggs retrieved. We were never told about this possibility of extra charges until I brought the bill to my next appointment and the biller said, “Oh they must have retrieved more than 10 eggs that’s why you have this bill.” Very poor communication with billing and fees.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
I do have to give Lori, the nurse credit here! Lori would come in up to 30 minutes early to help with making monitoring a little more convenient for my schedule. There was a very brief window to come in, but she did try to help with that. If you got to the clinic right at 8am to monitor there was a pretty long wait. Typically only one nurse would be monitoring in the mornings.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
I went through an egg retrieval, which turned into a frozen cycle. I had 2 frozen transfers done in the same year. Our health insurance only covered my hysteroscopies and a portion of the blood draws. We spent $33,000 in total medical bills for IVF. This includes medications, bloodwork, and all the treatments
Describe Nicholas Shamma's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
Dr. Shamma transferred 2 embryos each transfer at our request
What specific things went wrong at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
Provided conflicting information
Lost or damaged samples
Describe the specific things that went wrong at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
The issues I had, other than billing, were related to clinician/lab mistake. More than once, I had issues with a blood draw. My blood was forgotten in the fridge and had to be redrawn. I also had my blood drawn 3 times in a 24 hour span because the lab results were incorrect the first 2 times.
Every round there were last minute schedule changes that were made and I was expected to comply with a full-time work schedule. There is not much consideration for the patient with both scheduling and financing.
I needed a doc [Dr. Shamma] who developed a plan and was highly confident in it with out throwing every option back in my court. He listens very well and thoroughly explains anything you need and as many time later as you need. I appreciate that he stays very up to date in all technologies / procedures...for our unique situation he had protocols that he had success with and research to back up...very adamant with us that he only wanted to transfer 1 for our first transfer and see how that went b4 we considered two
IVF MI is very professional. They are on the more expensive side of clinic options, but I think their success rate validates this. They are very sensitive to how sensitive we are going through this process, I have never felt I could not ask a question or express a concern...The OR is in the clinic where you go for normal visits...For retrieval and transfer cycle (1 each) we spent over $30k total including meds
How was your experience with Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
He is an incredibly confident doctor, which is why I choose him. He had already had a fantastic reputation, but I needed a doc who developed a plan and was highly confident in it with out throwing every option back in my court. He listens very well and thoroughly explains anything you need and as many time later as you need. I appreciate that he stays very up to date in all technologies / procedures. I have a funny shaped uterus so prior to each transfer he did a test run, he probably does this with each patient, but I liked that that meant he was figuring out exactly what needed to happen with me, again, not just a number. I like him. He is a good doctor. He seems like a good genuine man. I feel comfortable and peaceful in his care. I trust him.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
He is confident. To my husband, another very confident man, he came across as arrogant. The pig was calling the kettle black. Do not let this initial reaction put you off. He is good at what he does and deserves to come across that way, in my opinion anyway.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
I mostly found Dr. S and his team to be highly professional and very responsive. We had one instance during our 2nd transfer (for 2nd child) where it started to feel like we were a number, I took the issue to the nurses and it was immediately addressed and rectified. The care his whole team provides is wonderful. I appreciate Dr. S’s bedside manner, he is direct yet compassionate and very confident.
Describe the protocols Nicholas Shamma used in your cycles at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers and their degree of success.
I will no disclose my meds or dosages, everyone is different and I do not think it is helpful for others to get lost in the trap of analyzing another person’s protocols. What I can say is that for our unique situation he had protocols that he had success with and research to back up. We did do genetic testing, I highly recommend this. We also used ICSI. we went through intense monitoring for both the retrieval and transfers.he also monitored us until 12wks into each pregnancy.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
They are wonderful. For our second cycle we had a new nurse as the one who set up our calendar and got us started. She botched the calendar - good thing I ki d of knew based off of the previous. Other than that issue everything was great. Michelle is my favorite! The head nurse is awesome, any time I brought something grip to her or had a question I felt heard and addressed. I give them an A+
Describe your experience with IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
IVF MI is very professional. They are on the more expensive side of clinic options, but I think their success rate validates this. They are very sensitive to how sensitive we are going through this process, I have never felt I could not ask a question or express a concern. Any issues I have had were addressed immediately and professionally, I never felt like I was treated differently after. The OR is in the clinic where you go for normal visits, my original RE was not set up this way and it was annoying. A huge strength for me was that everyone seemed to be very up to date on latest technologies and practices (also unlike my previous clinic). As far as weaknesses, they often run behind and some visits we waited over an hour beyond our appointment time.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
For retrieval and transfer cycle (1 each) we spent over $30k total including meds.
Describe Nicholas Shamma's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
I believe he prefers to transfer only 1 embryo unless there is a very strong argument to do two. He was very adamant with us that he only wanted to transfer 1 for our first transfer and see how that went b4 we considered two. We never had to consider two. I am glad he recommended only 1.
What specific things went wrong at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
I had a new nurse, she made an error with my calendar and did not include a shot in my prescription order that should have been. The main nurse got involved and resolved everything.
From the first meeting Dr Shamma made us feel very comfortable. He explained everything and answered all our questions. He even suggested a study we could join that happened to fit with our situation. He is very busy and can sometimes be in and out quickly. With that said, if you have questions he will always stop and take the time to talk you through some thing or answer all the questions you have...I had to get a hysteroscopy and have a polyp removed each time we did a transfer. We did an egg retrieval, but because I became slightly inflamed he decided to freeze all the embryos and wait until my next cycle for transfer. I was on lupron depot, estradiol patches and pills, vitamin b, prenatal vitamin, metformin, baby aspirin, enoxaparin, and progesterone.
The blood work, ultrasounds, Dr visits, surgeries, transfers, retrieval’s, etc. are all done right at the office [at IVF Michigan]. All the staff and nurses are very friendly and supportive...The staff and Dr were all very kind and would take all the time you needed to answer any questions until you felt comfortable...There were a couple of nurses that I really liked and were always very detailed and thorough. Some of the others weren’t as detailed or gave a lot of info all at once and it was too much to digest and remember all at once. I had to start asking for them to write it down for me so I would remember by the time I got home. It was a lot when your dealing with all the medications, dosages, times, etc. Overall I thought the nurses were very kind and great to work with.
How was your experience with Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
From the first meeting Dr Shamma made us feel very comfortable. He explained everything and answered all our questions. He even suggested a study we could join that happened to fit with our situation. He is very busy and can sometimes be in and out quickly. With that said, if you have questions he will always stop and take the time to talk you through some thing or answer all the questions you have.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
No question is silly to ask. It is important for you to be informed and comfortable with what is going on. Dr Shamma is great at explaining things and making patients feel comfortable.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
The staff and Dr were all very kind and would take all the time you needed to answer any questions until you felt comfortable. I had gone through a bunch of treatment with another Dr and Dr Shamma didn’t try to waste my time or money by doing any of it again. He told me straight up that we needed to do ivf. The other things didn’t work, why waste our time or money. When we came back to try for a second, they really seemed to be understanding of financial and emotional stress and worked with us.
Describe the protocols Nicholas Shamma used in your cycles at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers and their degree of success.
I had to get a hysteroscopy and have a polyp removed each time we did a transfer. We did an egg retrieval, but because I became slightly inflamed he decided to freeze all the embryos and wait until my next cycle for transfer. I was on lupron depot, estradiol patches and pills, vitamin b, prenatal vitamin, metformin, baby aspirin, enoxaparin, and progesterone.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
There were a couple of nurses that I really liked and were always very detailed and thorough. Some of the others weren’t as detailed or gave a lot of info all at once and it was too much to digest and remember all at once. I had to start asking for them to write it down for me so I would remember by the time I got home. It was a lot when your dealing with all the medications, dosages, times, etc. Overall I thought the nurses were very kind and great to work with.
Describe your experience with IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
The billing department was always very understanding and helpful. The ladies at the front desk are very nice. One issue I did have was that the nurses call back with test results, bloodwork, and everything else after 4:00 pm. They will leave a message, but if you have questions or something was unclear, you can’t get a hold of anyone or get a call back until the next day because the phones shut off at 4:00. They have an email address you can email, but they may not get it until the next day. They do also have an emergency number to call the nurse on call. I just feel like if the nurses are there making calls you should be able to return the call and speak to someone. Other than the phones shutting off at 4, everything was great. Every thing was clean, modern, and inviting. The blood work, ultrasounds, Dr visits, surgeries, transfers, retrieval’s, etc. are all done right at the office. All the staff and nurses are very friendly and supportive.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
There was a set rate for the transfer, thawing process, and everything they had to do to prepare the embryo. The medications are all separate and so are the labs and ultra sounds. The cost all depends on your insurance. My insurance changed a couple of times over the years while going through the process. Sometimes all the labs and ultra sounds were covered and a good portion of my meds and other times nothing at all was covered.
Describe Nicholas Shamma's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
When we started treatment Dr Shamma said he would only transfer one embryo. It was successful. We were told that with how far they have come in infertility treatments it was no longer necessary to transfer multiple embryos. Our second time around again he transferred one and we had a chemical pregnancy. We decided to try one more time and we had two embryos left. He told us if we really wanted to he would transfer both. After getting multiple positive blood draws, I miscarried just before my first ultrasound. I don’t believe the decision had any thing to do with the results. I was very comfortable with how he decided what to transfer.
To frame up our conversation and be completely transparent, Dr. Shamma called my wife's vagina "beautiful" when on the hospital bed and made several comments about her weight and body type in regards to how pregnancy —e.g. potentially having twins—would ruin it. It is completely insane that she and likely other women have to deal with this type of individual. Otherwise, we saw very, very little of Dr. Shamma. Outside of his intro pitch to us, we likely had less than 10 minutes of interaction over the course of two rounds of IVF.
The [IVF Michigan Fertility Centers] clinic can churn out patients quickly and efficiently but expect no hand holding and very little human touch or empathy — at least when it comes to Dr. Shamma. The clinic is also very disorganized and unable to work within the means of even the most antiquated technology — expect hand written, scribbled notes for direction and little to no coordination of appointments or even the ordering of medication.
How was your experience with Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
To frame up our conversation and be completely transparent, Dr. Shamma called my wife's vagina "beautiful" when on the hospital bed and made several comments about her weight and body type in regards to how pregnancy —e.g. potentially having twins—would ruin it. It is completely insane that she and likely other women have to deal with this type of individual. Otherwise, we saw very, very little of Dr. Shamma. Outside of his intro pitch to us, we likely had less than 10 minutes of interaction over the course of two rounds of IVF. He was blunt and generally rude in meetings —often distracted and we are completely confident he didn't know our names, only the chart. It's clear that Dr. Shamma has experience in this field but I would advocate anyone to stay away unless they have no choice.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
Avoid Dr. Shamma unless your insurance does not allow it. If you must visit, be prepared to address his callousness and inappropriate bedside manner directly. We would advise also leveraging outside counsel to review their hormone strategy and its effectiveness.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
Very little communication with Dr. Shamma, very little information —more of a data/binary approach, the facility is like a warehouse, no human empathy whatsoever at any point.
Describe the protocols Nicholas Shamma used in your cycles at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers and their degree of success.
We went through 2 cycles wherein the dosage/strategy seemed to stay relatively the same and the results did not improve with the 2nd round. There seemed to be a lack of strategy for the 2nd cycle and was more of a - let's just do it again and see what happens.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
The nurses were great—Very communicate and empathic. They, however, seem to be using very antiquated tools for managing/organizing — a lot of pen on paper.
Describe your experience with IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
The clinic can churn out patients quickly and efficiently but expect no hand holding and very little human touch or empathy — at least when it comes to Dr. Shamma. The clinic is also very disorganized and unable to work within the means of even the most antiquated technology — expect hand written, scribbled notes for direction and little to no coordination of appointments or even the ordering of medication.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
We did not do ultrasound appointments here.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
Our costs were covered via insurance and we cannot comment.
Describe Nicholas Shamma's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
N/A
What specific things went wrong at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Failed to call with results
Failed to order appropriate test
Failed to send your chart to another clinic
Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information
Scheduled the wrong procedure
Describe the specific things that went wrong at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
Our concerns generally reside with the borderline negligent bedside manners of Dr. Shamma. The clinic is generally fine —they do seem to have difficulty managing the number of patients or just facilitating the complex process that is providing IVF. For example, after consultation and testing on my wife, we began embarking on the 4-hour drive home. We decided since the clinic seemed to be very disorganized, that we should call them to confirm when to expect a follow-up appointment. During that call, as we were leaving, they informed us that I would need to come back to do my share of the blood work. We asked why we didn't do the testing during this visit and their response was simply — oh, right yes that would be good so you don't have to drive 8 extra hours. We turned the car around and went right back. Just be aware that they are not keeping track of the process/milestones/timeline— this needs to be done by the patient—including ordering your medication/coordinating with the shipping of said meds, which seems very strange but is apparently how they operate.
Dr. Shamma made my husband and I feel like humans by listening to our concerns, presenting us with data and treatment plans, and showing his determination to make me achieve a successful pregnancy...I’ve gone through one egg retrieval, and two successful embryo transfers while under Dr. Shamma’s care. During all procedures and embryo transfers, I had the utmost faith in Dr. Shamma. His confidence made me trust him and his skillset.
They [IVF Michigan Fertility Centers] were always organized with my treatment plans and communicated effectively. My husband works nontraditional hours and the nurses were very accommodating us by scheduling procedures on days that worked for us...Nursing staff communicated effectively and if I had any questions they were always available for me to call after hours.
How was your experience with Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
I’ve gone through one egg retrieval, and two successful embryo transfers while under Dr. Shamma’s care. During all procedures and embryo transfers, I had the utmost faith in Dr. Shamma. His confidence made me trust him and his skillset.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
Take his advice, he’s been doing this for a long time and he’s good at it.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
Dr. Shamma made my husband and I feel like humans by listening to our concerns, presenting us with data and treatment plans, and showing his determination to make me achieve a successful pregnancy.
Describe the protocols Nicholas Shamma used in your cycles at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers and their degree of success.
Describe your experience with your nurse at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers. (Assigned nurse: Betsy and Lori were my nurses )
Nursing staff communicated effectively and if I had any questions they were always available for me to call after hours.
Describe your experience with IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
They were always organized with my treatment plans and communicated effectively. My husband works nontraditional hours and the nurses were very accommodating us by scheduling procedures on days that worked for us.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
I would arrive at the clinic as soon as they opened and the nurse would call me back within minutes. The longest I ever waited was 30 minutes because there were already patients who arrived before me.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
For the embryo retrieval and medications, we paid around $18,000.
For each embryo transfer, we paid between $7,000 and $8,000
Describe Nicholas Shamma's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
Dr. Shamma advised me to only transfer one single embryo due to my predisposition to having blood clots. Your risk of developing DVT during pregnancy is even greater if you are carrying multiple babies.
Dr. Shamma is a nice doctor I'm just disappointed in my results. I was told that if we paid the extra fee to do genetic testing it would give us an even higher chance so my husband and i spent all of our savings to do so between the treatments and meds over $20,000 and it failed. I did not hear from Dr. Shamma after the failure I understand he is busy but some kind of response would have been nice. It just seems like something so big for us is nothing to them and with the investment it just feels like there should be more compassion...
The nurses [at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers] seemed rushed...they have a system down it seems like a robot system almost like they are doing the same thing over and over all day everyday and I think they should consider more the people that are coming there and where they might be mentally and financially putting sooo much into this its not something to be dismissed. And showing care and compassion goes along way it makes a world of difference....
How was your experience with Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
Dr. Shamma is a nice doctor I'm just disappointed in my results. I was told that if we paid the extra fee to do genetic testing it would give us an even higher chance so my husband and i spent all of our savings to do so between the treatments and meds over $20,000 and it failed. I did not hear from Dr. Shamma after the failure I understand he is busy but some kind of response would have been nice. It just seems like something so big for us is nothing to them and with the investment it just feels like there should be more compassion.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
Mentally and financially prepare yourself to be told it didn't work.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
The visits felt rushed the nurses spoke very fast when going over instructions I could tell they were used to repetition but this was a first for me so it was hard to keep up with all the information. I didnt feel any compassion when I was told it failed.
Describe the protocols Nicholas Shamma used in your cycles at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers and their degree of success.
I started in December 2020 with birth control pills after 2 weeks of taking birth control I had blood drawn for pregnancy test 2 days later a water/hsg mock transfer was performed I was told to continue with the birth control pills until December 26th .On December 28th I had an ultrasound and labs done 2 days later I was started on Gonal F and Menopur each once a day on January 4th I had another ultrasound and labs I continued with the meds 2 days later on January 6th centrotide 0.25 MG was added to my other 2 meds and I had another ultrasound and labs. I was told egg retrieval would be Jan 10th and that I would do the trigger shot Friday January 8th and that January 9th I would start amox. 500mg and nothing to eat after midnight. The eggs were retrieved on Jan 10th and I was told continue the antibiotics. I was told in should get a menstrual cycle within 2 weeks and to start back on birth control the Sunday following my period. I was then told I needed to have a hysteroscopy procedure before an embryo could be transferred the hysteroscopy was done February 12th as I continued taking birth control until February 20th. On February 22nd I had ultrasound and labs on Feb 24th I started aspirin 81mg,estrace 3x daily and vivelle dot the vivelle was switched out every 3rd day the aspirin and estrace were taken daily more labs and ultrasound on March 3rd, progesterone in oil 1ml before 9am was added to my meds along with amox 500mg 3x daily. March 7th the progesterone was elevated to 2ml daily March 9th methyprednisone was added to my daily meds The embryo transfer was performed March 11th. On March 13th lovenox 40mg was added daily I continued meds I had a blood draw on March 15th and again March 22nd which came back negative. The only reactions to the meds were I became emotional and was getting headaches.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
The nurses seemed rushed I understand that they are a large clinic and they have a lot of patients but maybe they need more staffing to keep up because when the nurse would go over my instructions she spoke so fast it was hard to keep up and she called out of the room twice by coworkers while trying to explain things to me. Also another issue I had was the day I had the pregnancy blood draw I was told they would call me to give me the results and 6pm came around no call so when I called them they said they were backed up and that I would still get a call that day which I got an hour later and was told "I'm sorry we made you wait all day and that we unfortunately had bad news your test was negative".
Describe your experience with IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
The clinic was very clean which I liked and they do seem to have a good system down but because they have a system down it seems like a robot system almost like they are doing the same thing over and over all day everyday and I think they should consider more the people that are coming there and where they might be mentally and financially putting sooo much into this its not something to be dismissed. And showing care and compassion goes along way it makes a world of difference. To any new patients I would just say your going to have so much invested into something that has a very food chance of not working so be prepared.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
The monitoring appointments went very well no issues the girls got me in and out in a timely manner and they are all very skilled at what they do.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
The sperm freezing was done in 3 separate visits at $500 per visit and an annual cost of just under $600 to keep frozen the remaining 5 embryos also just under $600 yearly to keep frozen, the egg retrieval was just under $3,000 embryo biopsy was 3,600 there were so many different fees involved but in total for one ivf cycle was with meds egg retrieval embryo transfer it was probably a little over $20,000. We had wrote a check for $15,000 and then billed $3,220 because apparently 15,000 wasn't enough money and there were other payments made to them for ultrasounds and labs and meds. And other money spent for meds purchased outside of their practice.
Describe Nicholas Shamma's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
I had actually asked about having 2 embryos placed but was told it was not recommended.
What specific things went wrong at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
Lost results
Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
I was originally called and told there were 10 embryos collected and 8 of them were good quality. Then I was told there were 8 embryos in which 6 were good quality. When I asked how it went from 8 good embryos to 6 good embryos and where are the other 2 I was told the nurse misinformed me because all of their paperwork showed only 8 embryos submitted and 6 good embryos. I have a voice-mail stating otherwise.
I never felt devalued from Dr. Shamma...He is very thorough. I am transferring clinics due to an FET being 7k each time. It has nothing to do with his practice. He does his best to increase the chance of a successful transfer. He is blunt as in he explains worse case scenario. A lot of people wouldn't like that but I prefer to not have anything sugar coated.
[the IVF Michigan Fertility nurses] did well organizing my calendar and timeline and answering general questions. Some information was lost between nurses...I was told some wrong info but luckily I double checked. They are compassionate and the nurses that have been there for a while we're a lot more helpful and communicated with me... I don't remember the initial cost but FETs are 7k. I received a 1k discount for being a health care worker
How was your experience with Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
He is very thorough. I am transferring clinics due to an FET being 7k each time. It has nothing to do with his practice. He does his best to increase the chance of a successful transfer. He is blunt as in he explains worse case scenario. A lot of people wouldn't like that but I prefer to not have anything sugar coated.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
Don't utilize his practice if you need a doctor to hold your hand. He treats you with respect but doesn't sugar coat anything.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
I never felt devalued from Dr. Shamma. He really does care. I had a successful pregnancy which resulted in my now 3 year old daughter and a miscarriage from an FET in November 2021.
Describe the protocols Nicholas Shamma used in your cycles at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers and their degree of success.
First transfer 2018-had hysterscopy and polyps removed. ISCI from partner. Fresh transfer using my eggs. Two untested embryos transferred. Two implanted but lost twin around 9 weeks.
2021- hysterscopy revealed endometritis infection. Treated with antibiotics. Second hysterscopy revealed endometritis so I was put on numerous antibiotics including a one time injection of an antibiotic. Third hysterscopy was negative for the infection. I had one embryo transferred shortly after. One embryo was a personal choice and recommend by Dr. Shamma. The transfer was successful but I miscarried at 9.5 weeks. I had two lupron Depot shots for my FET. He utilizes this meds for all FETs
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
They did well organizing my calendar and timeline and answering general questions. Some information was lost between nurses. One nurse would always comment "that's weird" when I told her I was bleeding from the birth control. I think the depot really messed my system up. The nursing staff were sympathetic when I had my miscarriage but they should have recommended me to services.
Describe your experience with IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
Some disorganization. Some info was lost between nurses. I was told some wrong info but luckily I double checked. They are compassionate and the nurses that have been there for a while we're a lot more helpful and communicated with me
Describe the costs associated with your care under Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
It is very expensive. I don't remember the initial cost but FETs are 7k. I received a 1k discount for being a health care worker
Describe Nicholas Shamma's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
I strongly agree with the doctor to recommend single embryo transfer for me.
What specific things went wrong at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
Lost results
Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
I honestly can't remember. I just remember I was instructed to do something and I questioned it and the nurse took accountability and said she was wrong. It wasn't a huge deal bc I questioned it
I have had 0 issues with Dr. Shamma. He has always been wonderful. He's upfront, tells you his opinion on what should be done. Let's you know everything that's happening. It made me feel very aware of the entire situation...He's very busy so it's not always easy to get your first appointment. We had to wait several weeks for ours but it's so worth it...We did a frozen transfer 3 months after same medications as before but added aspirin 81 mg once a day and Enoxoparin 40 mg injection once a day. That transfer was successful. I am in the middle of another GET and have the same protocols as my successful FET.
They [nurses at IVF Michigan] are wonderful. They've kept me very in the loop with appointments. If dates need changed they call me immediately...Our first transfer was two embryos (fresh)...sometimes they'll say they'll call at 2pm and they almost never call back on time. They do call back same day or reply to emails quickly. Just know that when they give a call back time they probably won't stick to it. They get very busy I'm sure.
How was your experience with Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
I have had 0 issues with Dr. Shamma. He has always been wonderful. He's upfront, tells you his opinion on what should be done. Let's you know everything that's happening. It made me feel very aware of the entire situation.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
He's very busy so it's not always easy to get your first appointment. We had to wait several weeks for ours but it's so worth it.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
Dr. Shamma was very sympathetic with our failed transfer. He felt terrible right along with us. He also knew we were religious and kindly prayed that I get pregnant during both my transfers.
Describe the protocols Nicholas Shamma used in your cycles at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers and their degree of success.
I can't remember my protocols for meds with my retrieval but my first transfer (fresh) I was on progesterone 2 mL once a day, esradiol three times a day, and the estrogen patch every three days. That transfer failed. We did a frozen transfer 3 months after same medications as before but added aspirin 81 mg once a day and Enoxoparin 40 mg injection once a day. That transfer was successful. I am in the middle of another GET and have the same protocols as my successful FET.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
They are wonderful. They've kept me very in the loop with appointments. If dates need changed they call me immediately. We had to push things back due to COVID-19 and they we very kind with letting us know everything that was going on and getting rescheduled.
Describe your experience with IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
I think it's mostly that sometimes they'll say they'll call at 2pm and they almost never call back on time. They do call back same day or reply to emails quickly. Just know that when they give a call back time they probably won't stick to it. They get very busy I'm sure.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
So we have very good infertility coverage but without it we would have spent a fortune. It would have been about 35,000 for our retrieval, fresh transfer, and all medications from a pharmacy. But with insurance we paid like 4,000 for the first transfer and retrieval
Describe Nicholas Shamma's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
Our first transfer was two embryos (fresh). Dr Shamma advised that we should only use 1 with my age but we chose to still do 2. It failed. We used 1 embryo in our second transfer which worked and will be doing another single embryo transfer next month. He allows you to do multiple embryos as long as there's not any apparent extra risk
Dr. Shamma is very knowledgeable about the whole realm of infertility...He is blunt and straight to the point, which doesn’t always leave room for emotion from the patient, but does not hesitate to make a plan and begin treatment as soon as possible...Our doctor reiterated that transferring two embryos had a very high chance of conceiving twins and checked with us several times before the transfer that we wanted to do two.
There were times when we felt rushed through the directions and had to ask questions they [the IVF Michigan Fertility Center nurses] just referred us to the printed directions. Sometimes we felt like our questions weren’t answered and they were trying to get us finished...The clinic did a great job of communicating and working with us in our payment and fitting us in on certain days even when they were busy. I really appreciate them adding us to an already full schedule
How was your experience with Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
Dr. Shamma is very knowledgeable about the whole realm of infertility. He understands the variety of causes and is able to accurately diagnose them. He is blunt and straight to the point, which doesn’t always leave room for emotion from the patient, but does not hesitate to make a plan and begin treatment as soon as possible.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
Keep asking questions until you completely understand your treatment plan.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
Dr. shamma has a vast expanse of infertility knowledge and is able to explain why we had infertility, but moved so quickly sometimes it was hard to understand everything we would be doing during our IVF cycle since it was our first time.
Describe the protocols Nicholas Shamma used in your cycles at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers and their degree of success.
I began my treatment with a month of birth control to regulate my cycle so the doctors and nurses knew when to have me start medication. I used several injections and medications daily to stimulate the follicles and boost egg production. I went in frequently for blood work to monitor different hormone levels and when they were satisfactory I went in for the egg retrieval, then embryo transfer five days later. We chose to transfer 2 embryos to try and increase our chances of becoming pregnant, but neither worked.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
The nurses were very kind to us when I had to get my blood drawn or have an ultrasound. There were times when we felt rushed through the directions and had to ask questions they just referred us to the printed directions. Sometimes we felt like our questions weren’t answered and they were trying to get us finished.
Describe your experience with IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
The clinic did a great job of communicating and working with us in our payment and fitting us in on certain days even when they were busy. I really appreciate them adding us to an already full schedule
Describe Nicholas Shamma's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
Our doctor reiterated that transferring two embryos had a very high chance of conceiving twins and checked with us several times before the transfer that we wanted to do two.
Dr. Shamma is extremely personable and made us always feel welcome...referred to IVF treatment is because my Fallopian tubes are blocked and I have major scar tissue from endometriosis...On our second treatment cycle he would only transfer one since I had an early delivery with my daughter due to my placenta rupturing and it resulted in a chemical pregnancy...blood work weekly was helpful to keep and eye on my levels and increase or decrease dosages if needed...
This clinic [IVF Michigan Fertility Centers] and office is always so clean...Both of our IVF experiences we had the best team of nurses. They truly are one of the reason we went back to that location/facility...available for questions via email or call and always add that extra bit of care...able to pay off our remaining balance interest free for 24 months which again was a huge relief for us...
How was your experience with Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
Dr. Shamma is an amazing doctor he explains things in great detail. Our first experience we got pregnant and had my daughter (had her at 26 and 2) she is healthy and perfect. Our most recent transfer was not successful and we ended up with not the results we expected. I think if we would of transferred 2 embryos our chances would of been better but Dr. Shamma did not recommend transferring 2 since I had a premie and a ruptured placenta. But we love Dr. Shamma and trusted his decision.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
Don’t be afraid to ask questions and ask him to give you details. At first I was always afraid to ask and just shook my head agreeing but then started asking questions and he explained things down so well it made me understand my body and the process so much better.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
Dr. Shamma is extremely personable and made us always feel welcome every time we had an appointment with him.
Describe the protocols Nicholas Shamma used in your cycles at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers and their degree of success.
The reason we were referred to IVF treatment is because my Fallopian tubes are blocked and I have major scar tissue from endometriosis. Dr.Shamma scheduled me to have my cavity cleaned out so he had the perfect pocket for implantation one the uterus. After that I started treatment of shots. I did get my medication overseas (saved so much money that way) and I was taking 3 shots a day for 2 weeks and then we had our trigger shot and then our progesterone daily for 12 weeks. I did have to increase a dosage along the way as Dr. Shamma wanted my numbers higher on one of my hormone levels. We balanced that out and we’re good after that. The blood work weekly was helpful to keep and eye on my levels and increase or decrease dosages if needed to make sure I was in the perfect ranges.
Describe your experience with your nurse at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers. (Assigned nurse: Brittney R)
Both of our IVF experiences we had the best team of nurses. They truly are one of the reason we went back to that location/facility. They make you feel like your family and make u understand everything and your calendar so well. They are always available for questions via email or call and always add that extra bit of care for each person going through such a emotional journey. Best staff ever.
Describe your experience with IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
This clinic and office is always so clean. They understand the emotional journey you are going through and always make you feel like your not alone.
They offer a interest free payment option to help with payment which is huge because the cost can be extremely difficult for a lot of people and having that option was such a relief for my husband and I. They make everything affordable and easy so it’s not extra stress added to your journey
Describe the costs associated with your care under Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
We did go and use the company over seas for our shots and medication which other IVF people recommends as it is safe and was less expensive and made this all much more affordable. We paid as the procedures or appointments happened. It was a huge chunk out of our pocket they make it extremely affordable and don’t leave your pocketbook empty all at one time. Then we were able to pay off our remaining balance interest free for 24 months which again was a huge relief for us. As long as we paid every month they continued to let us make payments. I believe all together our cost came out for everything out to be able $17,000 (includes meds and anesthetics and blood draws and office visits) this was for everything
Describe Nicholas Shamma's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
Dr. Shamma suggested transferring 2 embryos (you would have to sign a waiver if you wanted to transfer more than 2 as he highly did not recommend it) on our first treatment cycle and we did transfer 2 and ended up with 1 child. On our second treatment cycle he would only transfer one since I had an early delivery with my daughter due to my placenta rupturing and it resulted in a chemical pregnancy.
Compassionate man [Dr. Shamma]. I really felt like he cares about us and wants only good things for us. When we received terrible news about our PGS testing he was so great at talking me through it, encouraging and giving me options. He didn't force his opinion but let me decide what our next path would be. ...I did my monitoring appointments in my hometown with another doctor. Once I had to go to Saginaw for one as my doctor was on vacation. It was easy and very friendly.
Betsey [nurse] is amazing [at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers]. I trust her completely. She is easy to talk to, to tell my symptoms to and she is very great at what she does. She is so sweet, this is a highly emotional process I don't know how she supports so many amazing women who are going through this but when you are with her on the phone or in person you are the only thing that matters. ... If you do PGS testing they will only transfer 1. If you do not do testing he will transfer up to 2.
How was your experience with Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
Wonderful experience. I trust him completely. Having had a friend going to him around the same time it was great to see how different our protocols were and how they were adjusted as our bodies responded. It made me feel that he really looks at me individually and doesn't just send me through the tried and true routine.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
Have questions ready before you meet with him. He is very busy so when you get him be ready with your list. Sometimes I would forget what I wanted to ask so I always had a note in my phone and then I would pull it up before the end of our conversation so I didn't forget.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
Compassionate man. I really felt like he cares about us and wants only good things for us. When we received terrible news about our PGS testing he was so great at talking me through it, encouraging and giving me options. He didn't force his opinion but let me decide what our next path would be.
Describe the protocols Nicholas Shamma used in your cycles at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers and their degree of success.
Egg Retrieval #1 - gonal F, menopur, HCG trigger.
Egg Retrieval #2 - human growth hormone, gonal F, menopur, HCG trigger
Egg Retrieval #2 added in human growth hormone for egg quality.
I was also on supplements for both: CoQ10, DHEA, folic acid, Myoinstol, L-Arganine,
Describe your experience with your nurse at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers. (Assigned nurse: Betsey)
Betsey is amazing. I trust her completely. She is easy to talk to, to tell my symptoms to and she is very great at what she does. She is so sweet, this is a highly emotional process I don't know how she supports so many amazing women who are going through this but when you are with her on the phone or in person you are the only thing that matters.
Describe your experience with IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
Living in northern Michigan I was fortunate to have Dr. Heidtke who is a partner for IVF Michigan and could do a lot of my routine testing. But for all procedures it was a 4 hour trip one way for me down to the clinic. You won't know your surgery or procedure time until the day before, but I always asked if they thought it would be early morning or afternoon - that way we could plan if we were going down the night before and getting a hotel or not. They are very busy but very helpful. Don't be afraid to call if you have questions.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
I did my monitoring appointments in my hometown with another doctor. Once I had to go to Saginaw for one as my doctor was on vacation. It was easy and very friendly.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
Expensive and I had 0% covered by insurance. I was able to save costs with a program that gave us a discount based upon our income. I also ordered my first round of meds from europe and saved thousands.
Describe Nicholas Shamma's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
If you do PGS testing they will only transfer 1. If you do not do testing he will transfer up to 2.
Dr Shamma was wonderful and made sure to communicate effectively with myself (as a nurse with technical questions) as well as my husband, who does not have a medical background. I feel that he was honest and straight forward as one would want in a physician. ... He recommended IVF but we did not start a cycle with them due to the cost being prohibitive.
Their [IVF Michigan Fertility Centers] biggest weakness is that the person who sends out financial estimates for treatments never spoke with us in person, over the phone or even followed up with us as we thought would happen based on their Facebook page of 'what to expect at your consultation.' We just got an email estimating $22,500 for IVF with PGS testing and no other verbal explanation otherwise on how to read the price breakdown. I called once and spoke with someone in one of their other offices but never heard anything from the financial person from the Toledo office. That was disappointing and frustrating.
How was your experience with Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
Dr Shamma was wonderful and made sure to communicate effectively with myself (as a nurse with technical questions) as well as my husband, who does not have a medical background. I feel that he was honest and straight forward as one would want in a physician.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
He's wonderful!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
We had some concerns after the initial consultation that required further testing. The nurse understood and scheduled us a follow up visit with Dr Shamma for us to discuss the results of the tests to allow us to figure out where to go from there.
Describe the protocols Nicholas Shamma used in your cycles at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers and their degree of success.
He recommended IVF but we did not start a cycle with them due to the cost being prohibitive.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
They were all wonderful but I didn't get much of a follow up after the first or second visit with opportunity to ask questions. If I had questions, I had to call them.
Describe your experience with IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
Their strength was that they were able to get us in for an initial consultation in less than a month (I think maybe even 2-3 weeks). Their biggest weakness is that the person who sends out financial estimates for treatments never spoke with us in person, over the phone or even followed up with us as we thought would happen based on their Facebook page of 'what to expect at your consultation.' We just got an email estimating $22,500 for IVF with PGS testing and no other verbal explanation otherwise on how to read the price breakdown. I called once and spoke with someone in one of their other offices but never heard anything from the financial person from the Toledo office. That was disappointing and frustrating.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
Our consultation was $186 out of pocket and some labs I had drawn were $62. The estimate for IVF with PGS testing was $22,500.
He [Dr. Shamma] can be a little blunt and might come off as a bit know-it-all but his heart is good. For our second miscarriage he showed a lot of compassion and that meant a lot. He also listened to our needs and was understanding of our opinion and decisions even if he didn't agree...Advocate for yourself and be honest with him. He respects your opinion but you need to share it...Dr. Shamma has gone out of his way to check-in and ask how we are doing.
The nurses at IVF michigan are really great and very compassionate. They have a lot patients but when you come in genuinely ask you how you are doing and care. Additionally they are a strong liaison with Dr. Shamma and walk you through the process...We were once called with a wrong test result and then during our first miscarriage we received some conflicting information on what to do but both times it was quickly corrected....
How was your experience with Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
Dr. Shamma knows what he is doing and while we haven't seen success yet (two miscarriages) we feel like we are in good hands. He can be a little blunt and might come off as a bit know-it-all but his heart is good. For our second miscarriage he showed a lot of compassion and that meant a lot. He also listened to our needs and was understanding of our opinion and decisions even if he didn't agree.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
Advocate for yourself and be honest with him. He respects your opinion but you need to share it.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
To date we have had two miscarriages and Dr. Shamma has gone out of his way to check-in and ask how we are doing. We've appreciated that even though he sees a very large number of patients
Describe the protocols Nicholas Shamma used in your cycles at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers and their degree of success.
Thus far we have done two rounds of ovulation induction with timed intercourse. With both cycles we had trigger shots and 5 days of letrozole.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
The nurses at IVF michigan are really great and very compassionate. They have a lot patients but when you come in genuinely ask you how you are doing and care. Additionally they are a strong liaison with Dr. Shamma and walk you through the process.
Describe your experience with IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
The strength of the clinic is the wide range of treatment options and the cumulative knowledge of the doctors and staff. The biggest weakness if location. It's great having IVF michigan in the local area but the biggest weakness is that some of the procedures are only available in their bloomfield offices.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
We are still in the process and most has been covered by insurance but I would say we've spent probably around $2500 total so far.
What specific things went wrong at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
Failed to order appropriate test
Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
We have only had a couple of hiccups in our treatment. We were once called with a wrong test result and then during our first miscarriage we received some conflicting information on what to do but both times it was quickly corrected.
We did ICSI IVF with PGT and put back in a frozen cycle a single embryo [with Dr Nicholas Shamma]. I used a cetrotode protocol. I had no hyper stimulation because I think I was given a trigger with luprolide and a bit of hCG...He said he only will put one embryo...He was dedicated, caring, very knowledgeable, knew all about my case, and even gave me his personal cell number!!...I was elated, thankful by the exceptional care Dr.Shamma provided. From the moment I saw him for my initial consultation I felt that he was caring, framed the problem of recurrent pregnancy issues that I had He did surgery to correct my uterus. He then recommended I do genetics on the embryos because my early losses were all because of a genetic issue. He was caring, super-smart, gentle, and empathetic and understanding. In short, I think he was exceptional.
The cost of the whole process including monitoring during stimulation, making the embryos, genetically testing them, freezing, them, and then thawing, doing the transfer was around $24,000 [at IVF MIchigan Fertility Centers]...Beautiful clinic. Clean. Knowledgeable staff. Caring. Very punctual. Answered all my billing problems. And helped us in navigating ordering the medications. When I called twice after hours, I got hold of a nurse right away. She consulted with Dr. Shamma. He then called me back both times and addressed the issues. We felt extremely comfortable going through this journey.
How was your experience with Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
I was elated, thankful by the exceptional care Dr.Shamma provided. From the moment I saw him for my initial consultation I felt that he was caring, framed the problem of recurrent pregnancy issues that I had He did surgery to correct my uterus. He then recommended I do genetics on the embryos because my early losses were all because of a genetic issue. He was caring, super-smart, gentle, and empathetic and understanding. In short, I think he was exceptional.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
Do not hesitate to see him as soon as possible. Because he is so direct, you need to be the same. Articulate your expectations from the beginning.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
He was dedicated, caring, very knowledgeable, knew all about my case, and even gave me his personal cell number!!
Describe the protocols Nicholas Shamma used in your cycles at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers and their degree of success.
We did ICSI IVF with PGT and put back in a frozen cycle a single embryo. I used a cetrotode protocol. I had no hyper stimulation because I think I was given a trigger with luprolide and a bit of hCG
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
In short excellent.
Describe your experience with IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
Beautiful clinic.
Clean.
Knowledgeable staff.
Caring.
Very punctual.
Answered all my billing problems. And helped us in navigating ordering the medications.
When I called twice after hours, I got hold of a nurse right away. She consulted with Dr. Shamma. He then called me back both times and addressed the issues.
We felt extremely comfortable going through this journey.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
The cost of the whole process including monitoring during stimulation, making the embryos, genetically testing them, freezing, them, and then thawing, doing the transfer was around $24,000
Describe Nicholas Shamma's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
He [Dr. Nicholas Shamma] was practical but knowledgeable. At the end of the whole process, we ended up with a little baby girl so we obviously couldn't be more pleased. We have one more embryo on ice, and will not hesitate to visit Dr. Shamma again... (I was 38, almost 39), and my husband had very few sperm with heads/tails. So the doctor suggested we skip right to IVF, where we could extract eggs, and insert them with the best sperm. So we did an egg retrieval, ICSI, and frozen embryo transfer (5 day). Dr. Shamma put in 2 embryos, and one took. We gave brith to a very healthy baby girl as an end result. We did not opt for genetic testing of the embryos (too expensive).
we did an egg retrieval, ICSI, and frozen embryo transfer (5 day) [at IVF Michigan]. Dr. Shamma put in 2 embryos, and one took. We gave brith to a very healthy baby girl as an end result. We did not opt for genetic testing of the embryos (too expensive)...The nursing staff is very kind. We liked all the nurses we dealt with...$25,000 for the retrieval and implantation (and everything associated with this process like the medication)...The waiting room is often very full, and sometimes you have to wait a really long time. But overall, I would go back and have no regrets about going here in the first place.
How was your experience with Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
My husband and I went to see Dr. Shamma after failing to conceive using Clomid. We were both 38/39 years old, and wanted to start a family using using our own egg/sperm. He comes across as personable and gentle, but highly knowledgeable. At first we thought maybe he was a little arrogant and overly confident, but shortly thereafter realized he just knew what he was doing. He told us he could help us have a child. He was practical but knowledgeable. At the end of the whole process, we ended up with a little baby girl so we obviously couldn't be more pleased. We have one more embryo on ice, and will not hesitate to visit Dr. Shamma again to try one more implantation.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
When you first visit Dr. Shamma, he will have already read your file and will pretty much have your situation assessed before you walk in. My husband and I were taken aback by that, but honestly looking back we realized that he does this every day - and the man has seen just about everything. Once we put our trust in him, we were not dissapointed.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
Dr. Shamma was wonderful. He has a very caring and gentle bedside manner. My husband and I really appreciated his blunt (but kind) approach, because he gets to the point and delivers the information succinctly. He is an expert in his field, and it shows because from the start it felt that he had everything under control and could help us conceive.
Describe the protocols Nicholas Shamma used in your cycles at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers and their degree of success.
My eggs were old (I was 38, almost 39), and my husband had very few sperm with heads/tails. So the doctor suggested we skip right to IVF, where we could extract eggs, and insert them with the best sperm. So we did an egg retrieval, ICSI, and frozen embryo transfer (5 day). Dr. Shamma put in 2 embryos, and one took. We gave brith to a very healthy baby girl as an end result. We did not opt for genetic testing of the embryos (too expensive).
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
The nursing staff is very kind. We liked all the nurses we dealt with, and were impressed that many of them were Dr. Shamma's former IVF patients. Sometimes we got wrong information or different information from different nurses which was confusing and frustrating. It is a busy office and almost always full of patients, so I tried to be understanding.
Describe your experience with IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
The clinic itself is fine/typical. The waiting room is often very full, and sometimes you have to wait a really long time. But overall, I would go back and have no regrets about going here in the first place.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
$25,000 for the retrieval and implantation (and everything associated with this process like the medication).
What specific things went wrong at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
Failed to call with results
Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
A few things went wrong. 1) One nurse told us our implantation day would be one of two days, and it ended up that the implantation date is always unknown. So I had a to of stress trying to coordinate my schedule because of this. Everything did work out. 2) They did not ever call me with how many embryos were successful in making it to the 5 day stage, which made me stress out a bunch because of not-knowing. Neither of these events affected my success, they were just stressors.
Dr Shamma was very kind. He explained things in great detail. He made sure we knew what was happening and why and what to expect each time we went. There was never an unknown with our visits. ... He was able to adjust meds when things were not going quite as expected and each step he was there with us. It honestly felt like we mattered with him.
The clinic [IVF Michigan Fertility Centers] is always friendly and welcoming. ... I have needed to call several times for questions and they [nurses] are always quick to help and give answers when I’m not sure what to do. ... I never had a bad experience there. ... The clinic window was easy to follow. From 7:30-8:30am and it was first come first serve. But the line was never a long wait ... I encourage everyone to ask questions and make sure they know what and why something is being done. You’ll learn about your body in ways you never expected and you’ll love knowing why this doctor takes so much pride in his work at the end of the day.
How was your experience with Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
Dr Shamma was very kind. He explained things in great detail. He made sure we knew what was happening and why and what to expect each time we went. There was never an unknown with our visits. We were always able to ask questions and had timely answers. He was able to adjust meds when things were not going quite as expected and each step he was there with us. It honestly felt like we mattered with him.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
If you’re not sure ask questions. Keep asking until you understand. This is not a doctor who will just make a quick decision without fully making sure it’s the right one each time.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
I was always treated kindly by the staff and the doctor. They were there with any questions no matter got big or small and if I was worried I was always given the opportunity to come in and talk. I never felt alone or left in a batch as just another paycheck for them.
Describe the protocols Nicholas Shamma used in your cycles at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers and their degree of success.
I have pcos which we didn’t know until I started stimulating. As soon as he found that he changed meds to make sure I was not at increased risk of OHSS. He took my care as if I was his own family. He didn’t waste any time when he found out I had a bleed after the pregnancy test was positive. He wanted me there to check and we looked together to see the baby was doing good. He changed meds when I was having a reaction to them. He had changed them based on the bloodwork each week. Sure it’s annoying but my baby’s health is worth all the extra changes and he’s making sure he’s doing everything to ensure I have a healthy baby.
Describe your experience with your nurse at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers. (Assigned nurse: Betsy)
The nurses were all amazing. I have needed to call several times for questions and they are always quick to help and give answers when I’m not sure what to do. I couldn’t ask for a more caring group of women.
Describe your experience with IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
The clinic is always friendly and welcoming. I never had a bad experience there. I encourage everyone to ask questions and make sure they know what and why something is being done. You’ll learn about your body in ways you never expected and you’ll love knowing why this doctor takes so much pride in his work at the end of the day.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
The clinic window was easy to follow. From 7:30-8:30am and it was first come first serve. But the line was never a long wait. There were always 3-6 people who would be there at various stages with me waiting with excitement for their results. Bloodwork and ultrasounds were done with the nurses and the doctor would review them that afternoon and they call with anything that needed changed.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
My costs were all out of pocket. We paid in total about $28,000 but even so I wouldn’t take it back. I am pregnant with our much awaited little one and all the pain, money and tears were worth this.
Describe Nicholas Shamma's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
We had PGS testing so based on that we agreed only 1 embryo would be transferred. It was for my safety as well as baby because I have had 3 prior c sections.
We explained to Dr. Shamma that my Wife had emergency surgery and her Uterus was removed. She was fortunate enough to keep her ovaries so we would be able to use one of her embryos to have a child. My Wife was very nervous because she is pushing 37 years old, and Dr. Shamma quickly shut that down. He explained the whole process very thoroughly; walked us through steps; and guided us with positive vibes....He told us we would both go on prenatal vitamins; folic acid; and I would need to go on birth control to regulate my periods. Then, we would start injections and then the retrieval and placement process.
The only flaw I can think of was the waiting room [IVF Michigan]. Our appointment was at 10:30am and we weren't seen until 11:30am and once we were taken back into the room - Dr. Shamma was still delayed about 25 minutes or so. No one seemed apologetic either, it seemed as if that was their normal routine which was bizarre....Dr. Shamma was a very good communicator and kept us up to speed on the process if we decided to move forward with his location. He also kept things light hearted, so it wasn't completely overwhelming.
How was your experience with Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
Dr. Shamma was a very good communicator and kept us up to speed on the process if we decided to move forward with his location. He also kept things light hearted, so it wasn't completely overwhelming.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
Prepare to wait awhile in the waiting room.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
My Wife and I had a consultation with Dr. Shamma because we were finalists in the 95.5 "Give You A Baby" contest. We did not end up winning, however, while we met with Dr. Shamma we both feel in love with him. We decided then and there we would utilize him for our IVF needs. We explained to Dr. Shamma that my Wife had emergency surgery and her Uterus was removed. She was fortunate enough to keep her ovaries so we would be able to use one of her embryos to have a child. My Wife was very nervous because she is pushing 37 years old, and Dr. Shamma quickly shut that down. He explained the whole process very thoroughly; walked us through steps; and guided us with positive vibes.
Describe the protocols Nicholas Shamma used in your cycles at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers and their degree of success.
I remember Dr. Shamma taking us through a step by step process of what to expect and what we will both need to do. He told us we would both go on prenatal vitamins; folic acid; and I would need to go on birth control to regulate my periods. Then, we would start injections and then the retrieval and placement process.
Describe your experience with IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
The only flaw I can think of was the waiting room. Our appointment was at 10:30am and we weren't seen until 11:30am and once we were taken back into the room - Dr. Shamma was still delayed about 25 minutes or so. No one seemed apologetic either, it seemed as if that was their normal routine which was bizarre.
We have only had a consult with him but Dr. Shamma truly made my husband and myself feel very comfortable. He spoke with genuine kindness, hope, showed direct eye contact and had empathy....only negative thing I would say is that it did feel a bit rushed. However, he was very compassionate and concerning our issue with my bilateral salpingectomy, he said "well you guys needed this done, like yesterday" in which we all had a little chuckle. He wrote down our treatment plan, went over it with us and that was really it.
The location [IVF Michigan] is beautiful, the waiting room is very spacious, perfect for a little elbow room & privacy if you're looking for that. When we were there, it was busy as I'm sure it is every day...Dr. Shamma is very compassionate, he really makes you feel safe, hopeful and ensures that you are in good hands just by simply talking with him. His nurses are incredible, especially the head nurse (I wanna say Julie?) Dr. Shamma has our best interest at heart
How was your experience with Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
Well we were one of the 10 finalists on the Channel 95.5 "Mojo Gives You A Baby" contest. We had our consult with Dr. Shamma; only negative thing I would say is that it did feel a bit rushed. However, he was very compassionate and concerning our issue with my bilateral salpingectomy, he said "well you guys needed this done, like yesterday" in which we all had a little chuckle. He wrote down our treatment plan, went over it with us and that was really it. Unfortunately, we weren't a grand prize winner, so we have yet to see him again. We are saving up!
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
Go in with a clear mind and a positive attitude. Write down a list of questions you may have, so you don't forget to ask (I totally wish I would have done that) and put all your faith in God and Dr. Shamma because they both really do have your best interests at heart. Dr. Shamma has & will continue to create miracles for all of us that are struggling.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
We have only had a consult with him but Dr. Shamma truly made my husband and myself feel very comfortable. He spoke with genuine kindness, hope, showed direct eye contact and had empathy.
Describe the protocols Nicholas Shamma used in your cycles at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers and their degree of success.
I have yet to have a cycle done.
Only had a consult.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
Very compassionate, respectful and informative. They answered all billing questions I had and sent me all paperwork I requested to ensure that we have all the funds we need prior to starting our cycle.
Describe your experience with IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
We have only had a consult so far with Dr. Shamma at IVF Michigan in Bloomfield Hills; therefore I cannot go off of much. However, I can say is this- Dr. Shamma is a pioneer in this, his success rate is at about 70%. The location is beautiful, the waiting room is very spacious, perfect for a little elbow room & privacy if you're looking for that. When we were there, it was busy as I'm sure it is every day. Going into this, knowing that we have to have this procedure and all this medication is a very scary process.; for me it is anyways. Dr. Shamma is very compassionate, he really makes you feel safe, hopeful and ensures that you are in good hands just by simply talking with him. His nurses are incredible, especially the head nurse (I wanna say Julie?) Dr. Shamma has our best interest at heart and I put all my trust in his hands. I know of people who he has helped perform miracles for! We have zero kids and IVF is our only option at conceiving our own children.. I would pick Dr. Shamma at IVF Michigan over and over again, I truly believe he is the best out there. I can only hope & pray that soon he will be helping create our miracle rainbow baby. Good luck to you, always keep your faith. God is great. Miracles DO happen! xxoo
Describe the costs associated with your care under Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
Dr. Shamma is very kind and doesn’t sugar coat things, but makes sure to fully explain what his plan is. He has years of experience and at the first appointment he didn’t pressure me to have him do the surgery... I have Asherman’s Syndrome and we recently did a hystereoscopy to clear out all of the scar tissue. I am on Micronor until we have a protocol in place....I felt like a human because the first appointment we were in his office
The nursing staff [IVF Michigan] is very friendly and will answer all of my questions. They have an after hours number to reach them as well which helps give peace of mind....Strengths: They have Saturday hours every other week. They answer the phones quickly. Staff is friendly. Weaknesses: No online portal for test results. Nurses typically don’t answer when you get transferred and you have to leave a message (however they typically call back quickly). Difficulty getting records to fax over.
How was your experience with Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
Dr. Shamma is very kind and doesn’t sugar coat things, but makes sure to fully explain what his plan is. He has years of experience and at the first appointment he didn’t pressure me to have him do the surgery and actually recommended other senior level doctors to see if we wanted. We immediately felt comfortable with him and had him do my surgery. Everything went very well. I feel safe with him as my doctor.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
If you are new to fertility doctors do not take his honesty as being harsh. My previous doctor gave us a lot of false hope and did not explain the severity of things.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
I felt like a human because the first appointment we were in his office instead of the traditional room with a table, ultrasound machine, etc. for the surgery I had he checked in with me right after arriving and spoke to me after to let me know how it went. He is very kind and welcoming to me and my husband.
Describe the protocols Nicholas Shamma used in your cycles at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers and their degree of success.
We are currently in the process of coming up with my protocol. I have Asherman’s Syndrome and we recently did a hystereoscopy to clear out all of the scar tissue. I am on Micronor until we have a protocol in place.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
The nursing staff is very friendly and will answer all of my questions. They have an after hours number to reach them as well which helps give peace of mind.
Describe your experience with IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
Strengths:
They have Saturday hours every other week. They answer the phones quickly. Staff is friendly.
Weaknesses:
No online portal for test results. Nurses typically don’t answer when you get transferred and you have to leave a message (however they typically call back quickly). Difficulty getting records to fax over.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
My insurance covers office visits, ultrasounds, and hystereoscopy. IVF quote including freezing embryos, transfer and genetic testing is $22,500
Dr. Shamma is an extremely intelligent Doctor. I was refereed to him because I had been diagnosed with endometrial cancer & would be having a complete hysterectomy with removal of my tubes, ovaries & cervix. My husband & I still want children so we opted to have an egg retrieval before surgery.... While you will not see Dr. Shamma during every visit, he reviews your lab & ultrasounds and is still very much involved with each patient. Dr. Shamma was unable to do my egg retrieval but called ahead to the Doctor whom he wanted to do the procedure and discussed my case.
I honestly can not say enough amazing things about the nurses at the Toledo Fertility Clinic! They were all so compassionate & knowledgeable. These are the ladies you will see the most for your ultrasounds, blood work & medicine information.... While you will not see Dr. Shamma during every visit, he reviews your lab & ultrasounds and is still very much involved with each patient. Dr. Shamma was unable to do my egg retrieval but called ahead to the Doctor whom he wanted to do the procedure and discussed my case.
How was your experience with Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
Dr. Shamma is an extremely intelligent Doctor. I was refereed to him because I had been diagnosed with endometrial cancer & would be having a complete hysterectomy with removal of my tubes, ovaries & cervix. My husband & I still want children so we opted to have an egg retrieval before surgery. After our first meeting with Dr. Shamma we felt comfortable under his care. Dr. Shamma was always friendly with us during appointments & didn't withhold any information or opinions. While you will not see Dr. Shamma during every visit, he reviews your lab & ultrasounds and is still very much involved with each patient. Dr. Shamma was unable to do my egg retrieval but called ahead to the Doctor whom he wanted to do the procedure and discussed my case. It really made me feel like I was being taken care of.
Describe the protocols Nicholas Shamma used in your cycles at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers and their degree of success.
We started my treatment with Medroxyprogesterone to induce menstruation. He also wanted me on Metformin, Vitamin D & Inositol. After my first ultrasound I started with Gonal F 150 and was eventually bumped up to 450 in increments. Closer to egg retrieval I added Cetrotied & Menopur. Thirty six hours preretrieval I took my trigger shot of Leuprolide & Novarel. On the day of my egg retrieval they collected 21 eggs, 16 were mature & 13 fertilized. We're just waiting to find out how many will be frozen!
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
I honestly can not say enough amazing things about the nurses at the Toledo Fertility Clinic! They were all so compassionate & knowledgeable. These are the ladies you will see the most for your ultrasounds, blood work & medicine information.
Describe your experience with IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
I don't really have anything to add here. My husband & I were lucky enough to have a positive all around experience. The ladies at the front desk, nurses & Dr Shamma were all awesome.
He [Dr. Shamma] did not sugar coat anything. I'm still not sure if that's a good or a bad thing. I also feel like he isn't the best at explaining things so I often leave the quick consultations a bit confused. He has also contradicted himself before. ... For my next transfer, he wanted to be more pro-active to prevent miscarriage. So in addition to all of the things from the last transfer, he also added a steroid (starting 5 days before transfer) and Lovenox (to start two days after transfer).
The clinic's [IVF Michigan] weakness is how expensive it is and how they don't do the best job telling you up front how much things will cost. This is especially true for additional testing that they request. They go through an outside lab, but they are not good at knowing that lab's pricing. ... The nursing staff does a very good job being compassionate and also being open to any of your questions.
How was your experience with Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
He gave us his personal experiences with IVF but at the same time, he was pretty blunt. He did not sugar coat anything. I'm still not sure if that's a good or a bad thing. I also feel like he isn't the best at explaining things so I often leave the quick consultations a bit confused. He has also contradicted himself before. He said that he didn't suggest PGS for us in our first meeting and then after our miscarriage said that he always suggests PGS. I am glad that my husband was there to verify that we had both heard the same thing.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
Take a notebook with you to write down what he is saying because otherwise you will end up confused. Also, don't be afraid to have him explain something again if you don't understand.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
He gave us his personal experiences with IVF but at the same time, he was pretty blunt. He did not sugar coat anything. I'm still not sure if that's a good or a bad thing. I also feel like he isn't the best at explaining things so I often leave the quick consultations a bit confused. He has also contradicted himself before. He said that he didn't suggest PGS for us in our first meeting and then after our miscarriage said that he always suggests PGS. I am glad that my husband was there to verify that we had both heard the same thing.
Describe the protocols Nicholas Shamma used in your cycles at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers and their degree of success.
I unfortunately do not know all of the lingo associated with treatments. For my retrieval, I ended up with around 60 follicles due to my PCOS so they had me do a trigger that was only 50% HCG and then a freeze-all. From that I ended up with16 embryos. I then moved to a FET of 2 non-PGS embryos. He likes to do a hysteroscopy 5 weeks or so before transfer to make sure that everything is looking good. I did a lupron shot about a month before the transfer. The first transfer got postponed a week due to thin lining but eventually got up to 6.8 the week before transfer with taking 4 estradiol pills a day and one patch changed every 3 days. I also took an anti-biotic a few days before the transfer. The first transfer was a success but I miscarried at 5w5d unexpectedly with an HCG of 66k measured that evening in the ER. For my next transfer, he wanted to be more pro-active to prevent miscarriage. So in addition to all of the things from the last transfer, he also added a steroid (starting 5 days before transfer) and Lovenox (to start two days after transfer). My lining was thin again so we once again postponed the transfer a week and my lining got up to 7.5 a week before transfer. That transfer of 2 non-PGS embryos was unsuccessful.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
The nursing staff does a very good job being compassionate and also being open to any of your questions. The night of my miscarriage, they were texting us checking in. There is just one nurse in the practice who is less warm than the others. She's not bad, but I don't feel the same level of compassion from her. They do a pretty good job of organization, but sometimes they need to more clearly talk about the tests you need to get done, how long they take, and telling you what your results were quickly.
Describe your experience with IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
The clinic's weakness is how expensive it is and how they don't do the best job telling you up front how much things will cost. This is especially true for additional testing that they request. They go through an outside lab, but they are not good at knowing that lab's pricing. I was told one price by the clinic and it ended up being twice as much when I was billed. I also feel that this clinic is much more expensive than other clinics. When I discuss what I am paying with over IVF patients around the country, they are appalled.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
The retrieval process ended up being around 12k. An FET is 6.5k. PGS testing for 14 embryos was 11k.
Describe Nicholas Shamma's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
I am transferring 2 non-PGS embryos but I think if they were PGS tested, he would only do 1.
[Dr. Shamma] literally asked us 1 or 2 for the fresh transfer. We said 2...The doctor always asked if we had any further questions, any concerns, anything he could do for us, we never ever left any appointments feeling dissatisfied or like we wish we had more time to do or ask XYZ...He was direct yet caring. He was confident and all of those factors clearly are reflected in his success rates.
[the IVF Michigan nurses are] Friendly, caring, seemed very invested in your comfort and anxiety level...It is a fast paced well oiled machine. When you have as high of a demand as they do, you have to have procedures in place that make it run well without removing or overlooking the humanity of the situation. They have found a perfect balance...[cost] Approx $15k .. We financed $12k after putting down $3k
How was your experience with Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
The doctor was obviously highly educated and knowledgeable. He was direct yet caring. He was confident and all of those factors clearly are reflected in his success rates. We did research and found he was too of his class at med school all 4 years and top of his class at Yale as well. His success rates are tops in the state and top in the nation. With all of this, personally, I don't care much about his personality, I wanted to know, was he good? The answer was a clear yes.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
Schedule asap
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
The doctor always asked if we had any further questions.. any concerns, anything he could do for us.. we never ever left any appointments feeling dissatisfied or like we wish we had more time to do or ask XYZ..
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
Friendly, caring, seemed very invested in your comfort and anxiety level. They care, it shows.
Describe your experience with IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
It is a fast paced well oiled machine. When you have as high of a demand as they do, you have to have procedures in place that make it run well without removing or overlooking the humanity of the situation. They have found a perfect balance.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
Approx $15k .. We financed $12k after putting down $3k. We pay around 300/month which is nothing in comparison to what you get in return.
Describe Nicholas Shamma's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
He literally asked us 1 or 2 for the fresh transfer. We said 2. He asked why. We said that with 2 there is a better chance 1 will take. His reply was "No. If I put in 1, you will get 1. If I put in 2, you will get 2. Yes, I am that good." My wife insisted we try 2 just in case.. He was right. He out in 2, both took. We have twins.
[Dr. Nicholas Shamma] insisted, based on evidence, on using Intracytoplasmic sperm injection for all the eggs as he found it more beneficial...For our first fresh cycle, he suggested implanting two embryos because of the timing but warned us about the risk of multiples. On our second frozen transfer he suggested we only transfer one embryo as it was easier to plan the timing and therefore get a higher success rate with a single embryo...spent a good amount of time taking with us about the the process and explaining why he was doing what he was doing. He was up-front and honest and even gave us his cell number so we could call if we had any questions. He never hurried or pressured us in any way
Everyone at the clinic [IVF Michigan] is friendly and treat you like a person. we never had to wait very long for appointment and they were always on top of everything...They [nurses] were all very pleasant and efficient. No complaints...[Dr. Nicholas Shamma] insisted, based on evidence, on using Intracytoplasmic sperm injection for all the eggs as he found it more beneficial...For our first fresh cycle, he suggested implanting two embryos because of the timing but warned us about the risk of multiples. On our second frozen transfer he suggested we only transfer one embryo as it was easier to plan the timing and therefore get a higher success rate with a single
How was your experience with Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
Dr. Shamma is one of my favorite doctors I have seen. He is well educated and up to date and takes the time to educate about the process and explain himself. His personal attitude is very calm and confident and he makes you feel like you're the most important person in the room. I'm very happy with his work.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
Stop looking around, just go see him.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
Dr. Shamma spent a good amount of time taking with us about the the process and explaining why he was doing what he was doing. He was up-front and honest and even gave us his cell number so we could call if we had any questions. He never hurried or pressured us in any way
Describe the protocols Nicholas Shamma used in your cycles at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers and their degree of success.
During the process of harvesting the eggs he find y or that they hadn't matured as expected. He then choose to give another trigger injection and then return the next day where they successfully received 10 eggs.
He also insisted, based on evidence, on using Intracytoplasmic sperm injection for all the eggs as he found it more beneficial.
Describe your experience with your nurse at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers. (Assigned nurse: Erin)
They were all very pleasant and efficient. No complaints.
Describe your experience with IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
Everyone at the clinic is friendly and treat you like a person. we never had to wait very long for appointment and they were always on top of everything. the only downside is that if you live far away from their main Treatment Center you might have to drive but that's not really a big deal.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
I think about $10,000 for full IVF including egg harvesting and another $10,000 for meds and such for the first cycle.
The second transfer was between $5,000-$8,000
Describe Nicholas Shamma's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
For our first fresh cycle, he suggested implanting two embryos because of the timing but warned us about the risk of multiples. On our second frozen transfer he suggested we only transfer one embryo as it was easier to plan the timing and therefore get a higher success rate with a single embryo.
I love Dr. Shamma. His presence alone made me feel comfortable right away. Although he had to tell my husband and I why we haven't been able to conceive all these years and was blunt, he was also very compassionate and choose his words wisely....I'm a new patient in Dr. Shamma's office so we started off with 10 days of Provera to induce my period (since I have irregular cycles due to PCOS) which I did receive my menstrual cycle. I'm currently on Metformin and I take 2,000mg a day. I take Vitamin D 2,000 iu and am also on Birth Control.
I'm still pretty new [to IVF Michigan-Sylvania] so not sure what weaknesses they have but some of their strengths are communication, I like how much they spend communicating with you to make sure you understand and know what's going on. Another strength they have is how organized they are and they make you feel comfortable.... The nurse I had explained everything thoroughly to me because I did have a lot of questions. She took her time making sure I understood and even wrote everything down for me so that I wouldn't forget.
How was your experience with Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
I love Dr. Shamma. His presence alone made me feel comfortable right away. Although he had to tell my husband and I why we haven't been able to conceive all these years and was blunt, he was also very compassionate and choose his words wisely. I know I can put all my trust into him because he answered all my questions throughly without making me feel like I had to rush and genuinely made me feel important because he listened to everything my husband and I had to say. I'm so glad I met Dr. Shamma!
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
He's very firm but compassionate.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
Dr. Shamma was very polite and has a warm side to him. He explained everything throughly even though it was hard to hear. He's very patient and kind.
Describe the protocols Nicholas Shamma used in your cycles at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers and their degree of success.
I'm a new patient in Dr. Shamma's office so we started off with 10 days of Provera to induce my period (since I have irregular cycles due to PCOS) which I did receive my menstrual cycle. I'm currently on Metformin and I take 2,000mg a day. I take Vitamin D 2,000 iu and am also on Birth Control.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
The nurse I had explained everything thoroughly to me because I did have a lot of questions. She took her time making sure I understood and even wrote everything down for me so that I wouldn't forget.
Describe your experience with IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
I'm still pretty new so not sure what weaknesses they have but some of their strengths are communication, I like how much they spend communicating with you to make sure you understand and know what's going on. Another strength they have is how organized they are and they make you feel comfortable.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
[Dr. Nicholas Shamma is] Very straightforward, discussed all options with me, described in detail what he was planning for my cycles and what to expect. Was very empathetic, compassionate, and optimistic... Stimulation with bravele and menopur and ganirelix added to prevent premature ovulation. Trigger was used with lupron due to previous hyperoverian stimulation using HCG and producing over 50+ follicles. Also used lovenox. Only fresh cycle used under dr shamma. Embryos produced resulted in 3 children.
[IVF MI- Bloomfield Hills'] Strength is knowledgeable physicians, good and efficient support staff, state of the art technology and facility. Weakness is wait times and busy clinic. Costs have significantly gone up over the years as well.... Had to make monitoring appts in the morning, ran efficiently though. Usually had to wait if dr wanted to see me also.... Fresh cycle with transfer was about $12,000. Additional fees for associated procedures, monitoring and labs, anesthesia were probably a few thousand dollars. Medications were additional costs. Frozen embryo transfer costs went up substantially over the years. First one was about $4000 and went up to about $6000 the next transfer
How was your experience with Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
Very straightforward, discussed all options with me, described in detail what he was planning for my cycles and what to expect. Was very empathetic, compassionate, and optimistic. I am happy to have had him lead me to my journey of motherhood. Highly recommend dr shamma.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
He is very compassionate and honest. Might not tell you what you want to hear but he does so in a very caring way. Also has so much experience in treating infertility.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers?
Very caring, knowledgeable, and compassionate
Describe the protocols Nicholas Shamma used in your cycles at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers and their degree of success.
Stimulation with bravele and menopur and ganirelix added to prevent premature ovulation. Trigger was used with lupron due to previous hyperoverian stimulation using HCG and producing over 50+ follicles. Also used lovenox. Only fresh cycle used under dr shamma. Embryos produced resulted in 3 children.
Describe your experience with your nurse at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers. (Assigned nurse: Susan)
All very knowledgeable and caring. Answered all questions and was very efficient with prescriptions and prior authorizations.
Describe your experience with IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
Strength is knowledgeable physicians, good and efficient support staff, state of the art technology and facility.
Weakness is wait times and busy clinic. Costs have significantly gone up over the years as well.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
Had to make monitoring appts in the morning, ran efficiently though. Usually had to wait if dr wanted to see me also.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Nicholas Shamma at IVF Michigan Fertility Centers.
Fresh cycle with transfer was about $12,000. Additional fees for associated procedures, monitoring and labs, anesthesia were probably a few thousand dollars. Medications were additional costs. Frozen embryo transfer costs went up substantially over the years. First one was about $4000 and went up to about $6000 the next transfer