Florida Fertility Institute - Clearwater, United States

I have been working with Dr. Sanchez and the team at the Florida Institute for Reproductive Medicine, and they have made what could have been a very stressful experience much easier. Everyone is kind and patient and takes the time to answer my questions without making me feel rushed. After reading many online accounts of hysterosalpingography (HSG), I was very nervous, but the team showed tremendous understanding and care. They explained each step as they went, helped me relax, and were very gentle. I arrived feeling anxious and left feeling relieved. I am very grateful for the care I received here and highly recommend this clinic to anyone seeking fertility treatment.

We had a successful IVF journey with Dr. Sanchez! We originally began treatment at Reproductive Medicine Group (RMG) and completed various tests, but left because we were unhappy with our experience there. We felt like just a number and rarely saw a doctor. We then transferred to Florida Fertility. Dr. Sanchez reviewed our RMG test results and explained why some of them conflicted, something RMG had not addressed. We repeated some tests, and Dr. Sanchez recommended surgery to remove endometriosis to give me the best chance of success, which RMG had also never mentioned. I had the surgery before IVF, and we were thrilled to succeed on our first attempt! We are so glad we transferred to Florida Fertility and worked with Dr. Sanchez.

They are closed on weekends for IUIs, so good luck if your best opportunity falls on a weekend. They claim they can control the timing with medication, but working with your body's natural timing offers a better chance. I pleaded with them and received a dismissive response. On one occasion, the person performing the IUI was an hour late and did not even confirm the sperm details with us. It was horrible. I am glad I changed clinics and was able to welcome my baby through IUI.

They lost my embryos!!!! Do not go to this clinic!!! My experience at Florida Fertility Institute was deeply distressing and unacceptable. Gayle has made this clinic a disaster, and I have advised six friends to go elsewhere. My egg retrieval was Thursday, February 6. On Monday the 10th, Dr. Sanchez required a $115 ‘consultation’ to answer a simple PGT question that could have been handled by phone. The red-haired front-desk employee was rude. We agreed to PGT, and Dr. Sanchez said embryo cells ship every Wednesday, so any blastocysts would leave two days later. On Tuesday, day 5, the embryologist said three embryos had reached the blastocyst stage. On Wednesday the 12th, day 6, she said the fourth had not developed and that the other three would ship that day. By February 21, nine days later, my PGT portal still said ‘payment pending.’ Megan at FFI called Igenomix, which appeared to be awaiting payment, although I had paid FFI for PGT. No one had told me I also needed to pay Igenomix. When I called, Igenomix said no payment was due because they had not received my samples. I called FFI again. Gayle shouted in the background that they had a tracking number, but repeated calls went unanswered because they did not know where my embryos were. When I said I would come to the office, Gayle immediately called back and claimed they had shipped only two days earlier, on Wednesday the 19th—not the 12th as she, Dr. Sanchez, the embryologist, and Megan had all said. She denied remembering the tracking information and called me rude when I was understandably panicked. The truth eventually emerged: on the 12th, the embryologist forgot to put my embryos in the shipping container despite a tracking number being recorded in my chart. No one discovered that they had never shipped until I called. My embryos were unaccounted for for over a week. All three later tested abnormal, which I strongly believe was related to this handling error. Neither Dr. Sanchez nor Dr. Fonti contacted me to apologize, follow up, or reassure me, even though I later learned my case was the main topic of their Thursday meeting. Gayle also scheduled an SIS ultrasound and said insurance would cover it, but the night before I was told it would cost $1,100. Gayle again said she did not remember saying that. I completed the ultrasound because she said I needed it, only to learn it was relevant only for implantation. With poor PGT results after the handling error, I did not need it. When I emailed Gayle, she rudely replied, ‘You could have canceled.’ I would have waited for the results if I had understood its purpose, but I trusted her statement that it was the next step. During surgery for my ectopic pregnancy, Dr. Fonti also left my abdomen in terrible condition. When I later showed Dr. Sanchez, he said his surgery would never look that bad. This clinic is awful!

I had a wonderful experience at FFI with Dr. Sanchez, my IVF coordinator Meaghan, and the entire team. My journey began with unexpected and upsetting news—an ectopic pregnancy, followed by an HSG confirming tubal-factor infertility—but every step went smoothly under FFI's care. Dr. Sanchez is not only an expert in the field but also passionate about it. I appreciated that he never assumed the worst or burdened me with unnecessary fear. Instead, he focused on the facts at hand and guided me calmly and reassuringly through each stage. Dr. Sanchez and Meaghan welcomed me warmly at every visit, which meant more than they knew because each trip to the clinic was emotionally difficult. From egg retrieval and embryo development to laparoscopic tubal ligation and embryo transfer, the process was seamless. Although I was nervous about surgery after recently undergoing a similar procedure for my ectopic pregnancy, I felt completely safe in Dr. Sanchez's care and had a very smooth recovery. Today I am 13 weeks pregnant with a baby boy, and I am deeply grateful to God and FFI for this gift. I highly recommend Dr. Sanchez and the FFI team to anyone seeking fertility treatment.

The nursing staff were very good, but I was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) at my initial consultation and was not told until six months later, after an egg retrieval and transfer. I was prescribed steroids for my first retrieval and transfer, which is not recommended. It was very difficult to obtain my records when transferring care. Paper records are a red flag in this day and age. My current clinic uses electronic records and a patient portal, making communication much easier. During my transfer, I called the after-hours emergency line but sometimes did not receive a response for a week. Some procedures had to go through insurance, while others had to go through their IVF center, which does not accept insurance, making things confusing. My initial estimated out-of-pocket cost was $6500, but they charged a $9000 deposit, which was reasonable; it took me a year to receive the refund. I never received an estimate for my second retrieval and transfer. They simply used my original deposit because they had charged too much... This is not a normal process. You should sign an estimate and deposit agreement for every transfer. Sometimes they did not submit claims to my insurance until months after a procedure, so the claims took a long time to process and my refund was delayed. I later spent $13,000, including PGT and embryo transport to my new clinic, but I did not become pregnant, and all my specialist tests came back normal. Vanessa in billing was very rude and difficult to communicate with. Dr. Sanchez was not a good fit. Dr. Fonti was very professional and explained things well, but he told me they normally perform genetic testing before retrieval and transfer to screen for recessive conditions, and they had forgotten to do mine.

Excellent!

Dr. Sanchez and his team helped bring our miracle baby into the world! After 15 years of infertility, we finally welcomed our own bundle of joy this July! This facility and its wonderful team are exactly what you need during the hardest battle of your life. They made me feel valued, cared for, and heard. They stood by me, cried with me, and loved me. They cared for every step of our journey as if it were their own. After 15 years, I am still in awe that we finally have the miracle we never thought possible, thanks to Dr. Sanchez and his team!

Dr. Reyes referred me. I had a 12 cm x 11 cm uterine fibroid and had been told that a hysterectomy was my only option. Some people have larger fibroids, but I weigh 100 pounds and am slim and fit, so the mass was the size of a grapefruit. The outlook was not good. I was told that if anyone could save my uterus, it was Dr. Fonticiella, and they were right! From beginning to end, she was outstanding and professional and explained everything clearly. I had already undergone several ultrasounds, my sister had a biopsy, and I had other tests. Dr. Fonticiella also examined me and ordered a pelvic MRI. After the testing, she said she was very confident she could preserve my uterus. We scheduled surgery, and everything went smoothly. I am now one week postoperative and recovering well. The clinic staff are also very friendly, and I never had any problems with them. Whenever I had a question, they always called back. I cannot praise the Fertility Center staff and Dr. Fonticiella enough. I highly recommend her and would return if I ever need her services again. :))

The worst communication ever.

The doctors and staff are wonderful! I am very grateful that we chose this clinic for our IVF journey.

I saw Jill, APRN, regarding menopause and related symptoms. I was pleasantly surprised by Jill's knowledge and personable manner! She spent a great deal of time with me, and it was an excellent experience. As a nurse of 30 years, I am stubborn and put myself last. This visit and experience were exactly what I needed. The other staff members were also very welcoming.

My husband and I first met Dr. Fonticiella at the Tampa satellite office about a year ago. From our initial conversation, we immediately saw that she was a very caring and passionate professional. After 3 failed IUIs and an unsuccessful first IVF cycle with another provider that ended in miscarriage, we switched to the Florida Fertility Institute, so my husband and I were not optimistic. However, after our initial consultation with Dr. Fonticiella, I knew this would be the provider who would make our parenting dreams come true. She explained the process very thoroughly and enthusiastically and even helped us change a small but very important behavior. I truly believe that this one suggestion alone increased our egg retrieval results from 8 mature eggs and 2 embryos in the first cycle to 15 mature eggs and 4 embryos in the second. To my surprise, that advice was only the beginning. Our overall experience with the team throughout the cycle was excellent. The initial paperwork was organized and easy to read, and the team prepared us so well that we knew exactly what to expect. They executed the entire schedule perfectly. We then had an excellent experience throughout egg retrieval. The ultrasound team was very kind and patient with our questions and genuinely excited for us. They always encouraged us and lifted our spirits, even at 7 a.m.! After retrieval, the team updated us about our embryos from days 1-5. We ultimately obtained 4 healthy, chromosomally normal embryos with grades indicating a good chance of successful pregnancy. Next, we met Dr. Sanchez, and I cannot praise his professionalism and kindness during implantation enough. We could tell he was a passionate professional who genuinely wanted the best outcome for us. He was cheerful and positive throughout the experience! We are now 7 months pregnant with our baby girl. I keep reflecting on the care this team provided over the past year and how different this year was from our first IVF cycle. My husband and I know we will always be grateful to the Florida Fertility Institute team. We cannot wait to meet our baby girl in late July! Thank you, Dr. Sanchez, Dr. Fonticiella, and the entire team!! Although we cannot wait to meet our first child, we are already excited to return for our next cycle! We owe the next stage of our journey to you and your entire team!

If I could, I would give this experience zero stars. Their communication with both staff and patients is severely lacking. Multiple calls went unanswered or were abruptly disconnected. I eventually reached a receptionist who escalated my concerns to the office manager, and the receptionist demonstrated better listening skills than the manager. After Vanessa called back, the billing discrepancy caused by their team's failure to update my medical record, while correctly updating my wife's, was corrected. However, I emphasized the need to improve their processes to prevent similar incidents in the future. She was extremely arrogant and rude. I realized I was speaking to someone who did not belong in a management position. If you would like to hear the conversation, let me know. My phone records every call I make from the office. Do not waste your money to be treated this way. Arrogant, rude Ms. Vanessa, I hope you were simply having a bad day and that this is not your nature. I still hope you will take this into consideration and improve in the role others believe you should hold.

If you are looking for a kind, understanding doctor who will listen to your concerns, do not come here. If you want a doctor with an ego bigger than Florida, this is your choice. Dr. Sanchez completely dismissed the idea that diet and lifestyle can help fertility in patients with ‘lean’ PCOS, which is simply false. A quick Google search shows otherwise. Rather than exploring alternatives, he pushed only birth control or IVF as though those were the only options. Without even checking whether I was ovulating, he left me feeling hopeless about my fertility. I left the appointment in tears while he acted unconcerned and cheerfully continued his day. He even had the audacity to say, ‘If you were my daughter, I would put you on medication immediately.’ Interestingly, he said the same thing to my friend. Let me be clear: If this were my daughter, I would never let her enter this office. He was dismissive, condescending, and completely uninterested in anything outside his rigid treatment plan. If you dare question him, good luck. He clearly prefers patients who simply nod and agree with his recommendations. A female doctor was in the room during my appointment, and the way he interacted with her made me uncomfortable. Honestly, if she had been responsible for my care, I have no doubt the appointment would have been different. If you want genuine hope and a doctor who considers more than IVF or birth control, save yourself the heartache and expense and go elsewhere.

We came here for IUI, which we paid for out of pocket. Before each attempt, we had a transvaginal ultrasound. We completed 3 attempts, paying about $3,000 out of pocket, without success. Our sperm count was above 130 million each time, with motility as high as 95%. Based on all the tests they performed, there should have been no reason we did not conceive. However, we noticed they make you wait more than two hours between sperm collection and the actual insemination, which is the most important factor in IUI. According to all the literature, if sperm sits for 30 minutes after washing, the success rate falls by 90%. It loses all viability. When we brought this to their attention, they were completely dismissive. We will not waste any more time here. They make more money if they bring you back. They are here to make money, not help you, as shown by their lack of accountability. They should start guaranteeing their procedures.

I can never thank Dr. Sanchez, Rachel, and the rest of the team enough. If you are receiving infertility treatment, I recommend them 100%. IVF is emotionally and mentally exhausting, but he and his team were there at every step and always gave me hope. I welcomed my baby boy into the world a week ago! None of this would have been possible without them. I never thought I would become a mother, but thanks to them, I am. Rachel was outstanding as an IVF nurse coordinator. She genuinely cares and makes sure you feel comfortable and understand every step of the process. This team is truly incredible, and I am so grateful to them!

If you are in Tampa and struggling with fertility issues, this is the place to go. I visited another fertility clinic in Tampa where it was impossible to reach anyone by phone. The process was terribly disorganized, and doctors came and went without explaining anything. This place is amazing. Dr. F is absolutely the kindest. She sat down with us, outlined the possible reasons for our fertility problems, and explained the plan she had developed for us. When you call, you can reach a real person. I truly cannot recommend them highly enough!

Overall, I had a very good experience with this team. I had been TTC for a year and a half. After one round of letrozole, I conceived my son, who is now 7 months old. I cannot thank the staff enough for their help.