CNY Fertility Center- Anybody travel for IVF?

[ShanaMae]

Anybody out there use this clinic/doctor? I've had 2 unsuccessful cycles (1BFN, 1MC) and we're looking for a new place relatively close but less expensive than our current ER. Their website looks great, but that can be deceiving. I'd be going to Rochester office. I did send them an email and they got back to me early the next morning. Think I'll call friday on my day off for more info.

Also- anybody travel for ivf? If so, how do they go about monitoring you? I've gone to my RE at least 4 times each cycle before they even do the retrieval. Will I have to stay in a hotel for 2 weeks? If you have suggestions about what i should ask them that would be great too.

Thanks in advance for any info!

Shana

[AliRBailey]

I live in Missouri and I use CNY, Syracuse office. Dr. Kiltz, who founded the clinics works out of this office. I did my first IVF last August and it was a chemical (?), then had surgery in Nov. to remove a fibroid and basically clean up some stuff (My signature lists all he did). I love them and can't say enough about how wonderfully I was treated. Their prices are exactly as listed, absolutely no surprises (wow, right?). The staff is amazing, the office beautiful, Dr. Rob (Kiltz) is such a caring and compassionate man that I wouldn't trust my body to any other RE.
Currently we're gearing up for IVF #2 (financial struggles have prevented us from cycling sooner, plus healing time with my surgery). We bought a 2fer package and I did all my monitoring with them, which was $500 total for all the bw and u/s.

Good luck!!

[hairwiz]

On the donor thread there is a whole discussion on CNY.You may want to check it out.

[ShanaMae]

Ali- thanks for the input! I did call the clinic and have a phone consultation on Sept 7th. That was their first available consult but they assured me that if I would like to go with them for treatment we could start as early as my body is ready. So did you spend time at a hotel so you could have monitoring there? I called around my area to find out about monitoring here and cycling there, but the clinic I cycled with last asks 300 per ultrasound and 2-500 per blood! Would def be cheaper to spend a week in the hotel and monitor with CNY than to do it here!

Hairwiz- Thanks fot that.. I'll definitely check it out!

BEST of luck to you both xoxo

[AliRBailey]

I was there for a month and stayed with my in laws/. It would have been shorted, but AF showed up late and I stimmed for 13 days instead of 10...but then again I did a 2 dt with 3 embies.
When I had my surgery, we stayed in a hotel for a week to be closer as my in laws live and hour and a half away and I wanted to be close to the clinic just in case anything went wrong. Depending on your protocol, if you use BCP's (which they don't very ofter), you could time your cycle better than I did. Good luck...you'll LOVE them!

[kimberly6]

Hi there ladies,

I have a consultation with CNY next week and I was just wondering why are their fees so low? I am very interested in starting IVF here but I am out of state so it will be a big committment but its quite affordable so that is why I am so interested. I do have some concerns though I found many complaints about how hard it is to see or speak to a doctor and the lack of attention. Lastly, do you know why their success rates are less than the national average? They seem pretty low. Cost is definitely an important factor but so are success rates.
I really would appreciate any additional information. Thank you!

[AliRBailey]

Kimberly,

Whenever I needed to speak with a doctor I could, but if it's a question that a nurse could answer I just asked them. When it comes to the nuts and bolts of when you NEED to see the Dr., ie ER/ET, surgery, he is there 100%. His staff is amazing and if I had an issue (it was really really minor, and more me than the girl), I was switched to a different tech. I love them and couldn't be happier (well, when I have a baby, I'll be happier . Their statistics are lower than some places, like CCRM, because CNY doesn't turn anyone away and he will do anything he can to bring a baby to your family. At CCRM, one of the top rated clinics in the country, has an FSH cut off at 12...so I wouldn't even be concidered unless I used donor eggs. He is very open to trying what is best for YOU and doesn't cookie cutter his protocols. My first cycle resulted in a chemical, I had surgery to remove a fibroid 2 months later and my next IVF will be EPP. He really really listens...and the prices have only been this low for 2010 and 2011. They used to be $5500 a cycle plus meds, then he ran the 2010 special and it went so well that he's using the prices for this year as well. I hope this helps! Good luck with your consult!

Alicia

PS: I travel from Missouri to use him.

[ShanaMae]

Kim- I spoke with a finance coordinator there and asked the same question. Why are your fees so low when I just spend 7500 for ONE cycle? Basically she said that Dr Kiltz just is a good guy, wants to help people, and other than that she couldn't say why they are so much less. I have a phone consult on Sept 7th.. Please let me know how your consult goes! As far as lack of attention, I didn't talk to my doctor at the last clinic I went to unless there was a problem or I was in for consult, retrieval or transfer. I was okay with this, as they would have asked the doctor to call me if I needed to speak with them directly. (which I did do one time).

Ali- I'll be looking forward to hearing how things are going for you. When do you start cycling again? and what is EPP? I checked around here and they want $500 PER SONOGRAM and $200-400 PER BLOOD WORK to monitor me here!! It sounds like it will be a ton cheaper to just stay at a hotel in NY instead of trying to cycle there and monitor here. That's pretty pathetic. I did call my current ER to see if they could give me a break or something, advising them that I found a much cheaper clinic. They said that they just started a "buy 2 cycles, get one free if you're still not pregnant" deal in June, but they couldn't give me ANYTHING discounted because I cycled in March and April. Even had the financial coordinator speak with the head doc and he said no. I can't even believe it. After spending $15,000 with them (no insurance). And that was for just 2 cycles and didn't include the meds! Just venting, sorry. It's so mean what they charge. Just because they can doesn't mean they should..

[AliRBailey]

ShanaMae,

I travel with my husband for his work as it takes him out town for long stretches of time, so we're looking at Oct for our next cycle. I have to use it by Nov because with CNY's 2fer's, you have a year to use them...and to clarify what their 2fer means: you get 2 fresh, 2 frozen, if you have frozen embies, but they must be used in the order of: fresh, frozen, fresh, frozen and you have a year. I didn't have any frozen so my next is a fresh cycle again. EPP is Estrogen Priming Protocol...it's used for women with low ovarian reserve/high FSH. Last time I used a Flare Lupron protocol. Like any clinic, I think the first cycle is an experiment on how your body responds and the cycle can be more taylored to your specific needs. I have heard SO many women say their RE uses the same protocol over and over and 20-30k down the road, with still no baby. Dr. Rob isn't like that at all. And for all of their monitoring, it's $500 total. FOR EVERYTHING. And we're out of pocket for everything too.

When do you think you'll cycle with them?

PS: vent as much as you need, that's what we're here for!

[ShanaMae]

Huh. I had not heard of EPP. I also have low ovarian reserve, and elevated FSH. My first cycle we did BCP for 1 month then Gonal-F and Menopur. Only got 3 eggs- all 3 fertilized, 2 transfered and last one didn't make it to freeze. BFN. Second time I cycled I did Lupron micro-flare. Again 3 eggs, 2 fertilized and transfered, BFN then Betas didn't rise. I'm gonna have to do some research on EPP. It's amazing that the monitoring is so cheap there. It just seems too good to be true almost. Really not sure when or even if we will be able to cycle again. I've been stashing away money, but I'm going down to 1 day a week in September so I can home-school my 11 year old daughter. Not sure yet how we're gonna be able to even make the bills when that happens, let alone come up with another ten grand. I'm pretty much planning for a miracle at this point. I figure that if it's in God's will for us so have a child together then He will make it happen. Did you ever see "Facing the Giants"? If you did, then you know what it means when I say I'm preparing for rain! Maybe we'll get lucky and God will provide and we can share a hotel room to save some cash!