Brigham & Women's Hospital

As I mentioned, Dr. Garguilo has a phenomenal bedside manner. I cannot get over how incredibly kind he is, and how positive I felt every time I left an appointment. He is very honest and encouraging and evaluated me as an individual rather than a statistic. He kept my husband involved in everything, including visits to see him in the waiting room both before and after my procedure (I had a robotic tubal reanastemosis done, not IUI, but that's not a selection on this web site). When I brought up an issue with billing, something that I did NOT feel was part of his performance but wanted him to know, he immediately took steps to have me speak with someone who could help. Dr. Gargulio is a fantastic doctor and I highly recommend him to anyone looking to have a tubal ligation reversed.

My one piece of advice is to not bother calling anyone else - call Dr. Gargulio's office. I went through three doctors - one of whom treated me so poorly that I had given up on ever having children again - and my only regret is that I hadn't found him sooner.

I would like to repeat that I didn't have a fertility procedure or analysis done, but this particular website doesn't allow for that. I went to Dr. Gargulio because I wanted my tubal ligation reversed. The procedure had been done by my Ob/Gyn when I was in an abusive relationship (and I felt pressured by her nurse to have it done instead of another method of birth control) and began to regret it as soon as that relationship ended. I had an initial visit with Dr. Gargulio where we discussed IVF or tubal reanastemosis, with my very strong preference being the surgery. I was given some statistical information, then came back for a pre-operative visit where risks and statistics were discussed in further depth, and I signed my consent. I then had my surgical visit, followed by a post-operative visit where I was told that I can schedule a dye test to ensure my tubes remained open at my convenience. I am still within one month of post-op, so I don't have any results aside from the overwhelming satisfaction of having my fallopian tubes intact.

There was a one time bill of (approximately) $8,500, which would include a refund if I did not require an overnight stay. This included my consultation, pre and post op appointments, the surgery, and a hystogram (dye test) following the surgery.

This is not applicable to my situation. My doctor's approach of using a robot to perform my tubal ligation reversal laprascopically made my recovery time quick and easy, with a much lower risk of complications and infection.

Before coming BWH and seeing Dr. Ginsburg, I was a patient at a much smaller fertility clinic called Fertility Solutions. The difference between the two clinics was considerable. At FS, there are just 3 doctors and over the course of my two year treatment there, I got to know each doctor very well and all the nurses as well. Dr. Ginsburg is one of about 12 (this is just a guess) Reproductive Endocrinologists at BWH and she sees hundreds of patients. This does not mean she cares less about each individual, it just means (in my opinion) she has a more streamlined and matter of fact approach simply due to the volume of people she sees. I came to her because my treatment at FS came to a screeching halt due to having to make incredibly difficult decisions. The doctors wanted to help, but I just felt like they didn't have the experience or knowledge at this point to help me make important choices. They were willing to try new things, but it was all up to me. Dr. Ginsburg had seen other women in my situation (severe endometriosis and multiple ectopic pregnancies) and she was able to give me clear direction and guidance. It was refreshing to hear someone make the call for me, when all I had experienced was "sure, we can try that if you want". Sometimes you just want someone to tell you what to do. Dr. Ginsburg is not warm and fuzzy, but she's brilliant and confident, and she shows her true compassion in her own special way.

If you're okay with a direct approach and matter of fact guidance, Dr. Ginsburg is the doctor for you. I would recommend her to anyone because of how brilliant she is at her job, but I would absolutely warn them that they will not be seeing her much (only for initial consultations or meetings to discuss big decisions) and make sure they are okay with very little handholding.

Unlike my other two cycles, Dr. G had me on menopur and much less progesterone in oil. She also increased my Gonal F a considerable amount. I produced about 20% more eggs with her protocol.

I shared this in my review of the clinic itself, but monitoring is very impersonal here. It didn't bother me because I have fairly thick skin, but for those who are more nervous and triggered by the site of pregnant women literally everywhere, the monitoring experience would be difficult. Your ultrasound will be done by a different person every time so becoming comfortable with the process is necessary

My insurance covered most of the costs of my IVF treatment here, but we are moving on to using a gestational carrier and insurance does not cover this at all.

I did not end up transferring at BWH

He was warm and compassionate. He understood our deep desire to have a child and was willing to think outside the box which we appreciated as standard approaches were not going to work; which we knew from the first appointment. He never had to look back at my notes to reference previous cycles, he always seemed so well prepared for our visits and did not spend our time flipping through a chart. He is one of the best physicians I have ever met and I work for the best hospital in Boston.

Understand that as much as you want a positive outcome it is not always possible. You have to go in with an open mind and remember that Dr. Gargiulo will do anything possible to give you the best possible outcome.

I was referred to Dr. Gargiulo with a tough diagnosis. During the first appointment he was very frank with my husband and myself to explain the low percentage of having a child with my own eggs. After the first appointment he recommended a large volume of tests to understand why I had diminished ovarian reserve at such a young age. At our second appointment we were told that I had an undiagnosed thyroid antibody that attacked my reproductive system. Dr. Gargiulo understood our deep desire to try anything we could. We started an IVF cycle immediately with the highest dose of medications he could give me. We got to cycle day 24 and my eggs died on their own without maturing. Four months later we tried a different IVF cycle; Lupron Microflare and this cycle only got to day 7 and my hormones were unchanged. After 2 failed cycles Dr. Gargiulo recommended to use Donor eggs. Even through this entire time he was understanding and warm with his approach even with such devastating news. After 2 additional second opinions in Boston from other top IVF providers; we have started the Donor egg process. Both of the second opinions agreed completely with Dr. Gargiulos approach

Copays for Office Visits and Failed IVF procedures.

Dr. Gargiulo based the embryo transfer on the patients age and diagnosis. On our first cycle he suggested only 1 embryo transfer. With our second IVF cycle he was going to recommend to the insurance company a 2 embryo transfer due to the rapid decline in my ovarian reserve. We never got to the embryo transfer state though for either cycle.

Dr. Ginsburg is intelligent, funny and straightforward. She is kind but does not give false hope. She listens to our concerns and did not push anything that we were not comfortable with. She explained things to us completely and made sure we had clear instructions for the next steps.

I would say that if you are overly sensitive to prepare yourself for science and straightforwardness. I appreciated this with her, but I have also had my diagnosis for years.

First, she put me on metformin ER 1500mg with the plan to take until 2nd trimester of pregnancy. The side effects were too much for my body so she reduced it to 750mg after 3 months. During the first first she also gave me a 6 month prescription for letrozole 2.5mg to be taken days 3-7 of my cycle until pregnancy occurs. She also had my husband do a sperm analysis and did not assume the problem was me even with my diagnosis. She also suggested I get an HSG done. We decided to hold off on that until the 6 month period was over. I was only 30 at the time so she was fine with that. After the six months, I had the HSG showing no issues. She doubled the dose of letrozole and I am currently on my second cycle of that level dose. The first cycle drastically increased ovulation so they are hopeful it will take this round. If not, we are going to try one more cycle and then discuss IUI.

Some were covered by insurance as it was “Diagnostic”. Consultantations that are not diagnostic are around $200. We have not had many other bills yet. It costs $9 an hour to park in the garage.

Dr. Fox is more clinical than warm, which my OBGYN had previously warned me about. However, she is very knowledgeable and is ready with a treatment plan once all the tests are completed. She is flexible to the patient's wants/needs and didn't force any treatment.

Be prepared with questions and speak up if you prefer one treatment or drug over another.

I started on the lowest dose of letrozole, with intention of doing 3 IUIs and then moving onto IVF. Due to travel, my first two IUIs had to be cancelled. The 1st completed IUI worked much to my and Dr. Fox's surprise.

My insurance covered fertility treatment.

She was a great doctor and I would recommend her. She sometimes wavered on decision making, but I always felt she was very clear. I had an overall good experience, even though I did not have a successful pregnancy under her care.

Be prepared to wait. She runs behind often because she is willing to give each and every patient the time that they need. I never felt rushed and she was always willing to answer my questions!

I did multiple protocols with Dr. Fox including the antagonist protocol, VLD lupron protocol, and ULD lupron protocol. She definitely had a rationale for each. The cases are discussed in a IVF committee at Brigham before finalizing your treatment plan. This gave my confidence that there was expert consensus on my plan.

Efficient smaller clinic. Overall very well run. No complaints!

Covered by insurance mostly.

They have an algorithm for the number to transfer based on age and number retrieved. This also determines whether you proceed with a day 3 or day 5 transfer.

Dr. Gargiulo had performed a myomectomy for one of my friends several years earlier. When I was diagnosed with multiple fibroids, she asked him whether he would consider consulting with me long distance (I reside in Virginia). He immediately said yes and provided his email address. We discussed my case via email and he ordered an MRI, which I obtained locally. He requested that I send a disc with the images so that he could evaluate my condition himself, rather than relying on the radiologist's report. He provided an assessment and recommendation (all remotely at no cost) but didn't pressure me to travel to Boston or make a decision. After nine months' hesitation, I opted to move forward with surgery (laparoscopic robotic myomectomy). Dr. Gargiulo never criticized or commented on the delay, other than ordering a new MRI to ensure that he fully understood the fibroids current state. He and his staff quickly arranged both a half-day of pre-op appointments across the hospital (so that I would only have to be in Boston for one day) and a surgery date. When I finally met Dr. Gargiulo in person, he was welcoming, kind and cheerful. He walked me through the MRI images and thoroughly explained what the surgery would entail and possible additional elective procedures (but with no pressure to authorize them). My uterus was riddled with fibroids, three of which were the size of a small fist; unlike my regular gynecologist, he never suggested a hysterectomy. His entire focus was to preserve my uterus, even though at my age a spontaneous pregnancy is extremely unlikely. On the day of surgery, he stopped in to chat during my prep (he hadn't even changed into scrubs yet), spoke with my mother immediately after surgery, and came back once I was reasonably coherent. He took the time to remove more tumors than originally planned and, when he discovered adhesions holding my ovaries and fallopian tubes to the pelvic wall, removed them. He accelerated my post-op appointment by a few days so that I could return to Virginia more quickly (though I am certain he would have requested I stay had I not been healing well). During that appointment, he went over all of my surgery's details, offered images of the procedure and discussed potential pregnancy options. At all times, he was kind, thorough, patient and positive. He never condescended or tried to rush me; he never tried to badger me into making a particular choice.

Don't hesitate to ask questions via email or in person. He will answer all of them completely and in a timely fashion.

I only pursued removal of fibroid tumors. Dr. Gargiulo wanted a current MRI to ensure that he fully understood the landscape before arriving in the O.R. Because I had delayed making a decision for almost nine months, that meant getting a second set of images. I have good insurance so it wasn't an issue. He predicted he would remove the three largest tumors but ended up taking out seven, which together weighed almost a pound and were five times the size of my uterus. My menstrual cycle is no longer debilitating; my abdomen has returned to being flat; and I've lost about 8 lbs (taking my rather old body back to what I weighed 25 years ago!). If I choose to become pregnant, Dr. Gargiulo strongly recommended I deliver via C-section.

All appointments, surgery and medicine were covered by my insurance with relatively small co-pays (combined, less than $600). I did notice on a co-pay statement that the stated non-negotiated cost for the laparoscopic robotic myomectomy was $61,000.

Dr. Ashby is pretty straight forward, she definitely gives you a dose of reality, but in a compassionate way. Prior to seeking her help I had one cycle converted to IUI, and one cycle where I ovulated prematurely when I went in for retrieval of two follicles (both at Boston IVF). My numbers were not good when we met - my FSH was basically 12, and she did not think my chances of getting eggs were great. We discussed considering donor eggs, and tried to help me see that a child that wasn't genetically mine would still be a child worth loving. She also said that she felt IVF cycles might be robbing me of getting pregnant naturally, because I was spending a lot of time to get one egg, which I was already getting each month on my own. I left her office a MESS. My previous doctor had mentioned donor eggs, but had seemed more optimistic about my chances of conceiving with my own eggs. It was definitely a hard conversation to have, but I appreciated her candor. Despite her concerns, Dr. Ashby said she would try her most aggressive approach (Lupron flare) to see if she could wake up my ovaries. It felt like it was going to be a last ditch effort, and if it didn't work, I was likely to stop trying. Well it did work. I stimmed for 18 long days, but they retrieved 4 eggs, all which fertilized and were frozen (my progesterone had spiked so I had to freeze all and wait to transfer in the next cycle). Dr. Ashby was SO happy for me. She said she had hoped for 2, and was amazed I got 4, and they all fertilized. She was newly optimistic for me - and said she would definitely do it again if this time didn't take, based on those results. Ultimately 3 were transferred (4, 7, 10) but none stuck - so we are back at it again next month. But Dr. Ashby is confident now - and said the two larger embryos were really nice - so my chances aren't bad.

Dr. Ashby wants you to succeed in getting pregnant, that is her goal, she is on your side.

We did a lupon flare protocol. BCP for 10 days before cycle, then 300 iu Menupur and diluted Lupron in AM, and 300 iu of Follistim and diluted Lupron in PM. The downreg of Lupron really slowed me down so they could kick as much FSH into me as possible. My follicles grew really slow, then in a day grew 5mm all of sudden. Ultimately I stimmed for 18 days before an Ovidrel trigger and retrieval.

the appointment was $645 to meet with the doctor, my meds were about $30k (but that was billed to insurance so I don't know the real cost) my surgery for retrieval was $12k and the transfer was $4,500. I am so fortunate to have had insurance coverage.

We transferred 3 - Dr. Ashby said she would transfer 2 if they looked good or 3 if they looked not great. The embryologist said the algorithm they use said to put back 3 - but the smallest was only 4 cells so I kind of felt like that one was a low chance shot of 'why not?' since the 4th was only 3 cells - it didn't make it to refreezing.

Dr Ginsburg knows her stuff! For that reason alone I would recommend her. She will tell you how it is, explain whatever you need explaining. She is very professional and won't sugar coat news. I needed that because I knew I could trust her. She always had a plan for me and our visits were productive. She advocated for me with my insurance company and listened to my concerns. I never felt pressured into trying medication or doing the next step. I cannot say enough positive things about her!!!

Expect honest answers that are not sugar coated.

Leterzole- 3times, 3 different doses. This was supposed to get my body to ovulate. It failed Leterzole (7.5mg) with trigger shot. This made me ovulate but no successful pregnancy IUI- we did not do this because once on injectable medication my response could not be controlled. I would produce more than a few eggs even on a small dose based on my AMH level (15). iVF- we used various injectable medication. I had an egg retrieval that got 28 mature eggs. 16 lasted to day 5. However I had to freeze all because even with my modified trigger shot, I developed a slight case of hyper stimulation. Frozen Egg Transfer- after pills and pio shots, we had a successful transfer. I am currently pregnant from this procedure.

I paid whatever was not covered by insurance. Billing was through an app or in office. It was easy to pay but difficult to understand what you were excatly paying for

My doctor prefer to do a SET for my safety. We agreed as that was what was covered by insurance and in our best interest.

I am a 27 year old female who lives in the DC area who was born with a unicornate uterus with a rudimentary horn. I was diagnosed when I was 22 while I was trying to get to the root of my painful cramps. I had an ectopic pregnancy when I was 23 and wanted to be proactive for future planning. My OB/GYN recommended I have a laparoscopy done to diagnose endometriosis and take a loser took at my abnormal uterus. We did extensive research in efforts to finds a specialist in the area but no luck and since my family lives in Massachusetts we began our search there. We came across a colleague of Dr. Gargiulo and after speaking to his colleague, sending my MRI, and medical records, he stated Dr. Gargiulo would be the best fit to assist. When I met Dr. Gargiulo he was very personable, kind, and empathetic of my situation. We spoke about my history and I was able to express my concerns surrounding infertility. He recommended getting a laparoscopy and removing the non communicating horn to prevent future ectopic pregnancies. He made me feel confident in trusting him for next steps. We scheduled a "Laparoscopic Excision of Right Rudimentary Uterine Horn, And Fallopian Tube". His staff along with him were so kind, wonderful, and accommodating from beginning to end. It was a successful procedure and I am pleased with the small and not very noticeable incisions.

Have questions ready to ask.

We focused on preparing my uterus for fertility. I have not yet began attempting.

not sure

Dr. Ginsburg has been very considerate of our desires and our treatment. She has considered all factors, but also been willing to work around situations and numbers. She has explained information thoroughly, and has been available when we've had further questions. She has been open and flexible and has truly made us feel like she is working with us.

To be sure to ask a lot of questions and to be completely open.

We have not yet started our cycle, but we are doing a complicated reciprocal IVF. She had us meet with maternal fetal medicine due to us both being overweight. She tested both of us thoroughly to help us make the best decision as to who will undergo the egg retrieval and who will undergo the embryo transfer.

$22,000

We have requested multiple embryo transfer. Here, we feel that we are slightly being treated like a number now, but there seems to be some flexibility and willingness to work with us there.

Dr. Walsh has been great. He is compassionate and attentive to my needs and questions. When things don't work out we have tried others and have done a plethora of tests to ensure all bases were covered (testing chromosomes, clotting factors, endometrial biopsy,etc after 2 CPs. Ensuring my miscarriage had pathology done, doing more tests. Creating a new plan for the next egg retrieval with PGS testing). The one negative would be that sometimes this information and appointments can be overwhelming and I felt like I had to decide to move forward quickly when maybe I'd want a cycle off. I also had my first egg retieval when Dr walsh nurse had retired and I was bounced around by nurses.

Just to ensure you always are on top of meds and instructions. Don't be afraid to ask questions.

First we began testing. Hormone levels for me, hsg, and hysteroscopy. My husband had 2 sperm analysis done which showed male factor. My husband was also sent to a specialist. We tried clomid for 2 rounds as we were doing testing which did not work based on my husband's male factor issues. Due to mfi we were told ivf was our only option. Since I am borderline on fsh and amh the protocol was semi aggressive with 2 vials menopur and 150 iu follistim which was increased to 225. I stimmed for 13 days and had a duel trigger lupron and HCG. I had 16 eggs, 13 mature, 8 fertilized with ICSI. We ended w 3 day 5 embryos of great quality. I did one fresh transfer w crinone that ended in a CP. We next did a natural FET without meds except for crinone support after transfer that also ended in a CP. We decided to try the last FET as a medicated cycle with 3 mg of estrace twice daily (6mg total) and once my lining got to 7mm we added progesterone a few days before the transfer and after. I had a positive beta HCG test 3 times and we set up an 8 wk ultrasound. Unfortunately there was no heartbeat and I had an enlarged placenta. Dr Walsh wanted to do a d and c to determine the cause and to check for a molar pregnancy ( I had high hcg). The results came back that it was NOT molar but the miscarriage was due to trisomy 18. We went into see Dr Walsh for a post on and we discussed next steps which was additional tests to determine any other reason for my 3 miscarriages and another hysteroscopy before we started IVF again. We also discussed PGS, genetic counseling, and higher doses to get more eggs for pgs testing. We will also freeze all day 5 embryos for ogs and do a medicated FET as I preferred the shots to crinone and I had the most successful pregnancy when we did the protocol medicated. I am currently waiting for my ultrasound to start stimulation for egg retrieval. My doses are going up to 3 vials of menopur and 225 iu of gonal f ( and we will bump up to 4 and 300 iu)

Efficient well oiled machine with sign in sheets and call backs

Dr Walsh follows SART recommendations and I only have had a single embryo transferred based on quality and age.

Dr. Hornstein very patiently answered our many questions when we met with him in person. He always treated us with kindness and care. His nurse answers most of the day to day questions by email or phone .

Make sure you know your treatment plan and know what the next steps are. The doctors and nurses at B&W are all good at their specific roles, but the communication between them can sometimes be missing. Because Dr. Hornstein may not be actually doing your procedure, make sure you have really discussed and agreed on important things like numbers of eggs to transfer before you get to the implantation day.

Two rounds of Antagonist protocol. The second round was far more aggressive than the first and produced three times as many eggs and embryos.

The ultrasounds monitoring appointment were started before 7am. It is first come, first served and operated pretty efficiently.

Some was covered by insurance. It's around $8K - $12K out of pocket per IVF cycle depending on your treatment plan. That does not include meds.

He helped us make an informed decision based on risk and insurance coverage.

Dr. Yanushpolsky has been awesome so far. She’s thorough, kind, and compassionate. She reassures me and doesn’t mind to take the time to answer all of my questions. She listens to me and plans my treatment accordingly. As a single woman trying to have a baby, it’s easy to lean toward judgement but Dr. Yanushpolsky didn’t seem to mind; she was just as glad to help me. I found the idea of going to an RE intimidating and still do but Dr. Yanushpolsky makes it less stressful. I don’t have any complaints yet but I’ll be sure to update you if things change.

Dr. Yanushpolsky is upbeat and tends to move fast- don’t be afraid to ask questions! She’s happy to answer them.

Dr. Yanushpolsky and I decided to do four rounds of natural IUI. She explained that because of my age (27) and the results of my blood work/HSG we would try without medication and follow up if I wasn’t pregnant after four cycles.

I paid a little over 200 before the procedure, which was the fee for the doctor. The remained was billed to me- I think around 500 dollars.

Dr. Ashby is fantastic - just because I have not yet gotten pregnant, I do not blame her. She is very knowledgeable and will even call you on the phone if the wait to see her is too long. She works with a team which has its plusses and minuses. They brainstorm together which helps to come up with a good plan and they can compare experiences against a lot of other patients. It does sometimes feel weird, though, when you go in and have a different doctor do your transfer or retrieval. But I honestly don't mind, because I believe their team to be one of the best around.

I wish she could be more available to each patient, but I also know that she has a ton of patients.

My first two retrievals we started medicine mid-cycle (so I waited until I ovulated and then we started a few days after that.) I apologize as I don't remember the names for all of these treatment strategies. The first cycle didn't produce as many eggs as the second, but neither was successful. I did not get a positive pregnancy test from either. For the third cycle, Dr. Ashby said she wanted to be more aggressive so we started medicine right after my period began. On that cycle, I produced 16 eggs which is great for someone my egg and we fertilized 13. Of those, there were 4 5-day blast embryos. I transferred two in a fresh cycle and then two in a frozen cycle. Again, I did not get positive pregnancy tests from either of those cycles, but I felt like we were headed in the right direction.

I have insurance coverage for the IVF cycles but I still had to make a copay of about $2,000. And the first cycle my pharmacy costs were around $900, but after that they were free.

Because of my age, I was allowed to transfer multiple embryos. The risks were made clear to me, but also the fact that it was unlikely they would all work, so I was happy to give that a try.

Dr. Ginsburg is a very intelligent, calm, confident, and compassionate doctor. She has made me and my fiance more than comfortable and confident that we will be able to become parents via gestational surrogacy. She has walked and talked us through the necessary steps towards gestational surrogacy and has explained everything in great detail. She takes her time when meeting with us and genuinely cares about the success of our future embryo transfer. She has given us hope after cancer took our opportunity to become parents naturally. We met Dr. Ginsburg during a very difficult time in our lives and she gave us the hope that we so desperately needed back in 2015. Having a family of our own is the single most important thing in the world to my fiance and I and Dr. Ginsburg demonstrates that she cares about the success of the embryo transfer just as much as we do. Examples of her compassion: She has helped me fill out fertility grant applications immediately after I emailed her asking if she had time to do so. She made me feel important and hopeful. She recommended different grants/financial assistance options to help pay for fertility preservation costs. She was very easy to get a hold of when I had questions during my IVF cycle regarding medication. She made quick adjustments to a similar medication when my insurance did not cover a specific medication during IVF. She suggested testing my ovarian reserve level every 6 months to help me feel more involved and aware of the changes my body was going through and would email me my lab results as soon as they became available. She remembered little details I would tell her at past appointments about my family and hobbies/social life, she paid great attention to details. She makes me feel like part of the treatment time and keeps me hopeful through her kind/warm personality. She has more than 1 clinic location and has flexible hours making her very easy to get in touch with.

Dr. Ginsburg will explore every aspect of your fertility needs and if there is a way to help you start a family she will most definitely find it.

Dr. Ginsburg had me do 1 cycle of IVF while on tamoxifen (due to stage 3 estrogen positive cancer) back in 2015. My treatment plan consisted of injections and pills. Together, we discussed the options for eggs and embryos and the pros and cons of each. She helped me decided how many I was going to create embryos with. We froze 4 eggs and 4 embryos (originally had 6 embryos but 2 did not make it). She explained that the embryos would be frozen on day 3 to get "as money in the freezer as possible". Her plan is to transfer 2 embryos to a gestational surrogate as each embryo has a 40% chance of success. Her strategy to transfer 2 lines up with our goals, financial needs, and of course safety concerns. She explained everything in great detail.

There was a high volume of patients waiting for ultra sounds during my IVF cycle but I was never waiting for a long period of time. They were open 7 days a week and I was always seen when I needed to be. The results were always available online within a couple hours and my clinic would always call me as soon as they got results. They were very on top of my care during my IVF cycle.

My IVF cycle was covered in full by my insurance. I did have to pay about $500 out of pocket for medications. My estimated hospital costs for gestational surrogacy services were quoted at 10K. The billing coordinator, Gene Diaz, has made herself very available for questions and has broken down the costs to me in great detail both over the phone and email. She emails me back very quickly and provides much detail for each one of the fees I will eventually need to pay for surrogacy.

We prefer to transfer 2 embryos to increase of chance of success on the first transfer. She was completely on board with this decision and also agreed that it was for the best. She assured us this choice is safe and is confident it will result in a live birth.

Dr. Gargiulo is a truly excellent doctor and I can't recommend him enough. I initially came to him years ago seeking to freeze my eggs due to a severe case of endometriosis. He helpfully guided me through the process, and I was happy to complete several successful cycles of egg freezing under his care. Years later, after meeting my husband and deciding to start a family, I returned to Dr. Gargiulo, who talked through our plans for addressing infertility from every angle. When we decided to do a fresh cycle of IVF and ran into a terrible dispute with my insurance, he and his assistant went above and beyond what I would expect of anyone in that situation. They were always ready to help at the shortest notice during the weeks of the dispute. We won the case, and my husband and I went on to have a successful cycle of IVF at our first attempt despite a very low number of eggs retrieved. We were thrilled! I never once doubted Dr. Gargiulo's expertise, judgment, or advice. He explains everything in great detail and treats you with respect rather than talking down to you. He answers all questions with care and attention. What stands out as well are his kindness, humor, and genuine human touch. He is a generous doctor who clearly loves helping his patients. I will continue to seek treatment for infertility and endometriosis from him and cannot think of a better place in the area in which to do this than the BWH Infertility/Reproductive Medicine Center.

I'm 22 years old and have had one of my ovaries removed due to ovarian cysts and recently had reoccurring cysts on my other ovary. My past surgery was with another doctor, but this time around my sister (with infertility and PCOS) insisted that I switch to her doctor, Dr. Gargiulo. I was so glad I did. He explained everything at a level that I could understand and made me realize how important it was to take care of this problem now, before I get older. He has special characteristics that no other doctors have. He was always running a bit behind because he refuses to cut time with any patients and likes to spend more time with everyone. He also uses a robotic technique to remove ovarian cysts instead of a laparoscopic technique, which uses heat that could damage ovarian tissue. His methods are much safer and exact than applying heat to the ovary because he essentially uses a plastic bag to enclose the ovary to protect it while removing the cyst. This method is newer, so women are sometimes hesitant to use it, but I had a wonderful experience with it and with Dr. Gargiulo because I truly felt that he had my best interest in mind. By using newer methods, he was able to keep me safe and to save my ovarian reserve, which I'll forever be grateful for!

If he is running behind schedule don't jump to conclusions, because it's probably a good thing! He spends more time with patients, compared to other doctors I've seen, because he is personable and truly cares about you and your health. He goes the extra mile, so just be patient in that waiting room, because you'll have your turn and it's most definitely worth the wait.

I had a large cyst removed in the past, which caused the removal of my ovary as well. When other cysts started to occur on my only existing ovary, I started to see Dr. G.. Though she is a very successful surgeon, I was told that my previous doctor may not have used the best method to remove an ovarian cyst. She specialized more in OBGYN, so she wasn't as familiar with the fertility outcomes as Dr. G. is. The previous surgery was done laparoscopically, which meant that heat was applied to remove the cyst. However, in the long run, heat can damage the ovarian tissue, which can cause the ovary quality and activity to lessen. Dr. G. informed me about a very similar surgery with small incisions, but using robotics instead of heat. He told me that his method entailed using a plastic bag to surround the ovary when removing the cyst so that the ovarian tissue wouldn't be harmed any more than it already was. He used robotics to do this because they are extremely accurate and proven to be successful. He predicted that doing the surgery this way instead would leave my ovary with much better chances of being unharmed. The surgery went exactly as expected and the ovary was not harmed in the process. The recovery was also exactly what he had told me it would be, there were no surprises. He has also suggested for me to see him in a year to consult about freezing more eggs due to a lower ovarian reserve. He used the data to produce exact results and informed me of the statistical chances that I will conceive a baby from the number of eggs I currently have frozen. Due to the lower percentage, I have decided to go ahead and freeze more in a year. I was very, very happy with the results and care that I received from Dr. G and would recommend anyone to him! He presented me with every detail. I would definitely recommend his methods of surgery due to the low risk and positive results that come along them.

I had a $40 copay each time I saw him because my insurance issues that for specialists. I'm still waiting for the bill for the surgery, however, I was told by my insurance company that they should cover a lot of it.

We haven't gotten our baby yet but I am confident that in the course of my treatment, no stone will be left unturned. She is known for having conceived and delivered her twins through IVF. That edge is what sealed the deal for me but the case was already pretty strong. When we were looking to switch practices, we asked around and she was recommended to us by friends who have a 1 year old son. They also experienced a previous loss and an early miscarriage with Dr. Ashby and described feeling very well cared for and supported.

No practice or physician is perfect - the important thing is finding a clinician whose style matches your needs. She is very in demand but if you need extra time and attention, she will accommodate you. Dr. Ashby is positive and forward moving but not one to sugar coat things. For me, that is a positive but everyone is different.

My 1st retrieval with another practice was antagonist. I got 5 blasts but it was absolute torture and was switched to freeze all because I was at risk for OHSS. My 1st cycle (2nd overall retrieval) with Dr. Ashby was also antagonist. It was also torture - though not as bad. The results were abyssmal - 1 full day 5 blast and two morulas were transferred. My 2nd cycle with Dr. Ashby (3rd overall retrieval) was an agonist micro flare protocol. It produced 5 day 5 embryos and 1 day 6 embryo. We did PGS and had 1 PGS normal, 1 mosaic and 4 abnormals. We are starting stims for the next cycle later this week with the same micro flare protocol starting with slightly higher doses of gonal and menopur. Results TBD.

Other than PGS, my care has been covered by insurance.

We only had one PGS normal to work with so we went with that. We opted not to transfer the mosaic with a normal. If we had had two normals, with the prognosis for my age we probably would have been advised and opted to transfer more than one so that we could move to the next retrieval since time is of the essence. Before my last retrieval Dr. Ashby made sure to explore my feelings about multiples and explain the risks involved.

Extremely knowledgeable with regard to the latest research. Answered all questions thoroughly and knew what gaps to fill in on our testing before starting treatment. Came highly recommended from a friend and lived up to what we had heard!

Have all of your questions written down in advance and don’t be afraid to ask them all.

We used Letrozole with timed intercourse followed by progesterone supplementation. I had a blighted ovum with my first pregnancy and have PCOS. I am now 15 weeks pregnant from our first cycle on that protocol.

Minimal on Letrozole cycle... two ultrasounds, consult, follow up, and meds.

It is very important to understand upfront that the doctors work as a team at BWH, which means the doctor you see primarily and discuss your treatment with is NOT the one making decisions as you go through your cycle, and will most likely not be the one doing your egg retrieval, transfer, HSG testing, uterus mapping, etc. I did not realize this until after my second cycle, which would have explained so much if I had known. As such, it's kind of hard to rate any doctor on their medical decisions. I had a very mixed experience with Dr. Srouji. At times she seemed to be on our side, at others she almost seemed mad at us. I was probably not the typical patient-- I didn't go in assuming we would be doing IVF--and that seemed to frustrate her. At age 39 I was sort of clueless about the fertility process and just went because my regular doctor told me to "get checked out" after six months of trying to conceive. The assumption, however, was that you are there to sign up for IVF no matter what, and she seemed really confused about how to handle the fact that I didn't know if I was willing to go that far. She waffled on a few things-- at first she said male factor was such an issue nothing short of ICIS would work, then after my husband had a second test she said it was in the normal range and trying IUI first sounded like a great plan, then when the sperm count was low with the IUI she was almost angry with me and said the sperm count was always low and she only supported trying IUI because she knew I didn't want IVF. One of my biggest complaints is that she really didn't address--or seem to understand--my underlying medical concerns--I have been dealing with PCOS/PMDD/general endocrine issues and rough periods my whole life and wasn't sure how medications would affect me. I did have some REALLY bad side effects from both Clomid and the IVF meds that she neither warned me about, nor seemed to care about when I reported them. I think some mistakes were made during my second cycle but I will never know for sure because she abruptly dropped me as a patient. I don't know if it was Dr. Srouji's fault per se, but overall I would characterize working with BWH as traumatizing.

If you are not too interested in the details or any sort of individualized care, this might be a better experience (I felt that way at first until things started getting complicated and confusing and I seemed to have more questions the more I learned). It might also be better if you are an IVF veteran and already know the basics.

At 39 and 1/2, my AMH was 2.0 and FSH was something like 5.5, but my husband's sperm count and motility was low. So low, in fact, she said nothing short of ICIS would work (long story, but we did try IUI with Clomid first). My first IVF was lower dose antagonist (gonal-f, cetrotide, HCG trigger). Afterward she said my egg maturity rate (6/11) and my estrogen on trigger day (525) were much lower than she'd expect with my numbers so we had to go to an aggressive lupron microflare cycle (lupron, menapur, gonal-f, HCG trigger). My estrogen was MUCH higher (3260), and I had 14 follicles on trigger day, but only 8 eggs were retrieved and only one embryo was frozen on day 1. The embryo had to be frozen because my progesterone was extremely high during stimulation. She said I clearly have "an egg problem" but dropped me as a patient at the same time, so I don't have anymore information than that to work with going forward.

Monitoring is very early in the morning, and they seem to require more monitoring appointments per cycle than a lot of places. It's ok once you get used to it but at the beginning it was super stressful. Leave PLENTY of time in the morning for Boston traffic, parking, etc. The ultrasound and lab techs are very nice.

It's MA and I have BCBS, so I only paid 10% plus copays for medications (~$200).

BWH uses an algorithm to determine the number of embryos to transfer-- you can choose to have fewer transferred but not more than they recommend.

Dr. Anchan was very patient with us and let us take our time with our treatment course. I was very much into taking steps slowly and progressing through each step at my own pace. He was wonderful in allowing this, I always felt like my feelings were taking into consideration and he was always able to provide steps I was comfortable with. He was amazing at explaining each step, medication, hormone and included diagrams when needed. He was always straight forward about our chances and possible success rates. I never felt blind sided at all through the process.

Trust the journey and Dr. Anchan. He has your best interest in mind and the same end goal as you.

I was not ready to jump to the big guns right away do we did a few letrozole cycles with timed intercourse. We stepped up to letrozole with IUI a few months in. When I was finally ready to accept IVF we did a antagonist cycle due to my higher AMH. The cycle was textbook and we had a high fertilization report and many embryos. We did use ICSI for the likelihood of having the most possible.

Monitoring is done first thing in the morning at a first come first serve basis. On weekends it is a scheduled time slot. I never waited more than an hour before I was out and onto the rest of my day. The techs were hit or miss with friendliness and gentleness but the phlebotomists were very pleasant. Even though this is a hospital setting they brought a phlebotomist to the ultrasound department which is very convenient.

The council we received in deciding how many to transfer included statistics and their reasoning. Both transfers we were able to explain our reasoning as well and it was always respected. Since I had a highly graded embryo we chose one for the first transfer. Our second transfer we were able to transfer 2 since we at that point had a unsuccessful transfer.

I first saw Dr. Hornstein at the recommendation of a good friend who had seen him for years to manage her endometriosis. I had previously been seen by his partner, but I wanted a doctor who could do both the surgery for the endometriosis and oversee fertility treatments. Dr. Hornstein was very thorough with our initial work up and let us take our time before going to IVF. Dr. Hornstein presented all of the option and let us decide. We wanted to do PGS testing and even though Brigham doesn't recommend it, Dr. Hornstein was understanding.

Dr. Hornstein is incredibly busy and a lot of your care will be done by the nurses/fellows/other REs. If something urgent came up, Dr. Hornstein would call.

4 cycles of clomid - 3 IUIs (one was cancelled) Agonist protocol that was a freeze-all cycle for PGS and to prevent OHSS. Relatively low doses of stims (Follistim - 112.5) and Cetrocide. I used a dual Lupron and HCG trigger.

Monitoring hours during the week were from 6:45-7:45 and by appointment on the weekends. Even when it was crowded, they moved fairly quickly. The results of the bloodwork were available on Patient Gateway within a few hours and you would usually get a phone call that afternoon from the nurse.

In Massachusetts, most fertility treatments are covered by insurance with co-pays. We did pay out of pocket for a few elective things - freezing samples, ICSI and PGS but all told it was under $10k.