New York City IVF

Personalized care is something you wont get at a larger practice. They tailor the treatment to each patient in lieu of "the standard of care" and standard protocols. The location is key, and they will make the hours work. The only downside for me was traveling from NJ to NYC for the days of the procedure or when I had to come in for bloodwork on a weekend.

Each person who worked at the clinic knew exactly who my husband and I were, they knew my schedule pretty well and were really patient with us. We were given pretty personalized care. Any of my concerns were addressed by all the staff. They were extremely supportive.

The entire nursing staff would put their weight behind us to help us out. From showing us how to do injections, drawing blood, being excited for us the day of the egg retreival and the day of the transfer. They don't coddle, they genuinely care.

Dr. Elassar worked with my schedule and was extremely accommodating. She scheduled her time off around my treatment. Even when she was on vacation, she would always be responsive. When my cycle start was delayed, she was able to fix the plan and explain all the upsides and downsides. She is very realistic and explains the data, the research, and how is applies to me. Things that are specific to my ethnic background which may be different than the typical american patient. She is attentive, research and data driven, and very focused on getting the best results for her patients. I wish I went to her from the beginning.

Dr. Elassar doesn't give all the bloodwork data every single blood draw. Knowing that Dr. Elassar really has personalized care for each of her patients, I knew I could trust her because she has the best intentions. It's not worth tracking all your hormone levels and driving yourself nuts.

antagonist protocol, but a lower dose for a longer amount of time. Basically to grow my eggs slower and with more care. We retrieved more eggs than the first two rounds with my previous clinic combined.

It was all scheduled, there were no set monitoring hours, it was based on when appointments were available. It's a well oiled machine considering Dr. Elassar is the one doing every ultrasound. I think patients are given hours based on priority (i.e. early in stims vs retrieval any day now).

Our doctor gave us all the data and stayed pretty neutral. It was fully up to us to make the decision and she would support us either way.

It's clean, well lit, and easy to get to in midtown. They always saw me on time or within 5 minutes of my scheduled appointment. They're also super flexible with appointments, which is important when you're going there every day for over a week straight. Dr. Elassar will squeeze you in as needed. Most doctor just would not do that.

She is just wonderful. I've honestly never had a doctor be so kind and caring as Dr. Elassar. She learns everything about you and your background, explains everything about both your reproductive system and the procedures she plans to do with you in detail, and is always available. You always see her when you go in to the office as well which I really appreciated. She called me or emailed me daily after the procedure to see how I was doing.

They are the best. Dr. Elassar takes the quality of her staff very seriously and it shows. She has the best nurses I've ever met. I have very small veins that are notoriously tough to find. Her nurses were able to access them every day for 12 days straight with no issues. That's honestly never happened to me. They're also all really sweet and caring. They knew all about me and would also email with me to check in on me. Wonderful people.

She's the best doctor I've ever had. period. She is kind, incredibly smart, caring, and personable. She runs a timely office and sees you at each visit. She explains each step of the process in detail so you know exactly what to expect. Before I started on the hormone injections, she gave me a calendar with our daily plan for the next 12 days and we adjusted it at each visit. On the day on the retrieval, she held my hand while they administered the anesthesia and was right there when I woke up. After successfully turning all of the eggs she retrieved into embryos, we froze 100% of the embryos on day 3. We froze 3 times the number of embryos we should have according to average statistics - and I attribute that to how amazing Dr. Elassar is at her job. I'm just sad that I can't have Dr. Elassar as my doctor throughout pregnancy. She is that wonderful.

Just know that you're in wonderful hands and will be cared for in the best way possible. I really don't think you'll find a better Doctor than Dr. Elassar.

She had me doing Gonal F 300 & Menopur 150 every day up until trigger shot day. She monitored my levels via a blood test daily for all 12 days leading up to retrieval in case she needed to modify the dosages. During that appointment, she also used the ultrasound to measure how well the follicle were growing.

All in, including egg retrieval, embryos creation and embryos freezing and storage, it cost $14k. If you want to do PGS, it's another $3.5k. My insurance covered the medications, which I hear can be about $4-5k.

The office was clean, modern with the latest equipment. 99% of the time I was seen in minutes. When I had questions about billing they sat down with me and went over everything. They do not take insurance but most insurances don't cove IVF anyway. Their pricing for IVF was super reasonable and they worked with my out of network insurance coverage to get the cost office visits down pretty low.

Dr Elassar gives you an exceptional personalized experience. She is 100% in it with you and makes you feel like you are her only patient. She did all my monitoring, she followed up with results, she did my egg retrieval and embryo transfer.

Her whole team, from the front desk to the nurses, are a bunch of really fabulous people who were always there supporting me and rooting me on.

My whole experience with Dr. Elassar was truly amazing. Besides being a brilliant doctor she is also an incredibly supportive and kind person. Her whole team, from the front desk to the nurses, are a bunch of really fabulous people who were always there supporting me and rooting me on. After 2 failed IVF rounds at RMA of NY it was time for a change and Dr. Elassar was a breath of fresh air. No waiting rooms filled to the brim. No seeing a different doctor every visit. No being treated like a number. Dr. Elassar gives you an exceptional personalized experience. She is 100% in it with you and makes you feel like you are her only patient. She did all my monitoring, she followed up with results, she did my egg retrieval and embryo transfer. She also gives hugs when needed. From the first consultation, I felt so lucky to have found Dr. Elassar. She spent quite a while with my husband and I going through almost every detail of my previous IVF cycles explaining things to me that my previous Doctor had not. I’m sure there are many good fertility doctors in NYC but Dr. Elassar is really just one of a kind. After one round of IFV with I’m almost 8 weeks pregnant with twins. I’m a week out from moving on to an OB and just thinking about having to leave her is making me tear up right now. She is truly an incredible person and doctor. I'm beyond grateful for her!

First, she put me on birth control for about 2 weeks to get my FSH down before started stims. At the same time, I also used topical testosterone to improve egg quality. After my FHS was low enough we went right into stims and it took about 2 weeks for my eggs to be ready for retrieval. We used a Follistim, Menopur and Ganirelix protocol. Timing is EVERYTHING with IVF and having Dr. Elassar keeping a close eye on them we got great results 9 eggs which ended in 5 A/B rated embryos.

$450 consultation. $80 per visit using my out of network coverage. IVF $12,000. $100 per month for frozen embryos

She talked to me about what the protocol is for someone my age which was 2 embryos. She explained the risk of multiples and I was ok with it so we moved forward. I don't think she would ever force it on someone if they were not comfortable with it.

The office is beautiful and a pleasant place to be. Leidy the administrator is very sweet and communicative. The only weakness is that there is only 1 doctor so if she goes on vacation there is no one else there to manage your cycle and you have to take a break if she does. Thus far, this has only happened in August and December.

Dr. Elassar's office is small, she is the only Dr. in the practice. All of the nurses and admin staff know your name and your partner's name.

There is really only one nurse at Dr. Elassar's office at this time. She is friendly and has become a pro at taking my blood, even though it's not an easy task with my veins!

Dr. Elassar seems very intelligent and experienced. My egg retrieval process went very smoothly and I believe her careful monitoring of me during that time was a big part of the reason it did so. I have now had two frozen embryo transfers with Dr. Elassar without success. I don't know if I can blame Dr. Elassar for telling me that the reason is just bad luck, since in this field I think that is often the only answer. At this point in my process, I would definitely recommend her. She is VERY available via email and this is invaluable to me. I also trust her even though I'm not always 100% sure what is going on behind the scenes.

Don't be afraid to ask questions! She will answer and explain but you must ask. And even though I haven't had success yet I would say trust the process as much as you can.

For egg retrieval, but I was on follistim 300 units for 3 nights and then increased to 400 units for 3 nights. Then I added 150 units of Menopur and Ganirelex for 5 nights with 300 units follistim. I then triggered with Lupron. For my FETs, I've used oral estradiol tabs (between 4-6 mg per day) and in-oil progestrone shots with baby aspirin added post transfer.

Egg retrieval was $16,000 and each FET was $3,000. Each visit is $250 before I meet my deductible. Nothing is covered by my insurance. I do not know how much I have spent on meds and lab bills to date but it's most likely over $5,000.

She prefers to do single embryo transfers in my case and I agree with her so there is no issue there.

Beautiful space, friendly and personable front desk staff. They knew my name after the first visit. Weakness - the office is in a very busy part of Manhattan, which if you are driving makes things a bit of a challenge, but there is plenty of nearby parking.

Dr Elassar took a great deal of time to learn about both my husband's and my health background. She treated us both with utmost respect and dignity, addressing our concerns and needs as individuals.

The nursing staff was kind, gentle, and attentive. I spent more time with Dr Elassar than with her nursing staff.

Dr Elassar is a professional, efficient physician. She has a busy and rigorous practice, yet she updates me on my lab results as soon as they are available. For one particular exam, within an hour or two of leaving the imaging facility, a remote location from her office, she notified me of the results via email. Similarly, her office was closed during the holidays however she and her staff were still available by phone and email throughout this time, responding promptly.

If you want solutions and help to get you there, i.e. a successful pregnancy, she is a great clinician. If you want to spend hours talking to your doctor about your fears and concerns over infertility, Dr Elassar is too busy doing the hard work to help get you solutions, which is what you want from someone who is in the business of helping you achieve pregnancy.

Fortunately, Dr Elassar has to intervene very little. My husband and I both went through the standard testing in a fertility workup, and with her education and guidance about timing to optimize pregnancy, I was able to get pregnant. She did describe in detail what the next steps would be if this did not work.

She was out of network, so I had to meet my deductible first. Dr Elassar's visits were between $300 - $350.

Strengths: patient is well cared for, intimate relationship formed, scheduling is easy, responsive and communicative. They also very clean and new facilities on premise for retrieval/transfers which is very helpful. Beautiful office. Weaknesses: slight delays in waiting room from time to time when Dr is in a procedure.

Dr. Elassar was always happy to spend time answering questions in a detailed, straightforward manner. She made herself available via phone or email 24 hours a day and we appreciated her caring bedside manner.

Leidy at reception is always a pleasure to speak with, very organized and responsive. She was very flexible with scheduling which was very helpful when scheduling my appointments in a discreet way during the work day! Raquel was always a pleasure to see at the office! It was great to have her by our side during retrievals/transfers during my frozen transfer cycle for our 2nd baby because she was both attentive and compassionate. Carlos, the embryologist is wonderful to work with, both warm and approachable and imparts the utmost confidence in his work and expertise! It was clear that Dr. Elassar and her team work very closely together and have a great report that translates into the care of their patients.

Dr. Elassar has a lot of heart when it comes to her practice. She works so hard to provide each of her patients with attention, care and thoughtfulness, while aiming to get them the results they are after.

Be ready to commit to a plan of action and to follow through!

The front desk woman was very helpful over email and very nice to deal with in person. The clinic itself is very nice and comfortable. We didn't pursue treatment here because of our negative interaction with Dr Elassar so I can't speak too much to the facilities but the monitoring room where I had an ultrasound was fine.

We were rushed through and felt like we had no time for questions

On the one visit they put us in a room without communicating anything and left us there for 40 mins

This was our second clinic and we were looking for somewhere with better communication and with a doctor we felt trustworthy. We had a good first consultation with Dr Alassar. She seemed very thorough going over my history. My partner and I were wanting to move into IVF but we didn't get too much info about this on the first consult. None the less we felt pretty good about the doctor and the clinic. After leaving we emailed some additional questions that we felt would help us in making a decision whether to proceed with the clinic for the 20k IVF cycle. Some of these were answered over email but we were told we could go over everything with the doctor on our next visit. On the next visit we were taken by a nurse at the front desk and put in an ultrasound room without any information about what we were doing. They said "take your pants off and watch this video" and put on a 5 min video about IVF medication without explaining anything to us. They left us in the room waiting for the doctor for 40 mins while the lights kept turning out. No one told us anything and we began to feel quite frustrated and not know what was going on. Finally when Dr Alassar came to the room to see us it was her that seemed annoyed at us. I don't know if she was just very busy that day but she was very rude and not apologetic in the slightest. When we tried to ask certain questions about what to expect moving forward with an ivf cycle she was very dismissive, patronizing and rushed in her responses. We were completely shocked and never returned to the clinic.

Be firm in asking for the information you need. You are entitled to this and any good doctor should answer the questions and concerns you put forward.

Had we proceeded with IVF, costs were roughly 20k for a cycle +5k for meds

In terms of location, the clinic is so Conveniently located close to public transport. The clinic itself is a beautiful, warm and welcoming space. The strengths of this clinic are without a Doubt Dr Elassar and her staff. They are the dream team. There are no weakness in my opinion!

Dr Elassar was a dream to work with. At my initial consultation she explained more to me about my PCOS and what it meant, than any other doc has in 4 years. She took the time to get to know me and my goals. She worked one on one with us and was always available via email. She treated us with kindness and compassion and we always felt seen and heard in her care.

Our nurse Rachael was very kind and compassionate and she was very good at her job. She was gentle taking bloods and she was comforting when I was anxious about treatment. Leidy was a dream to deal with..she answered all my questions and was so helpful and accommodating with my work. The staff are so caring and compassionate, we really felt so well looked after and comfortable in their practice

We are so beyond grateful for Dr Elassar and her amazing staff at NYCIVF. They have been an absolute dream to work with and so helpful in every aspect of our treatment. I went to Dr Elassar very confused and anxious about my PCOS and our chances to conceive. She explained more to me in my initial consultation than numerous doctors have in the 4 years since my diagnosis. She was very clear in her plan of action for us which was hugely comforting and I can honestly say I felt so well cared for and safe in her hands. Dr Elassar never made us feel anything other than hopeful and she was always available to us on email if and when we needed which is an amazing comfort during an extremely stressful time. Dr Elassar was kind and compassionate and very reassuring throughout our whole journey. We are so so happy we found her and so grateful for the little life she has helped us create...there really are not enough ways to say thank you for what she has done for us. Our experience with Dr Elassar has been amazing and we will always be thankful for the help and guidance she provided us.

Run to her...now!

Our first cycle started with 50mg of clomid taken for 5 days and then TI. I have problems ovulating and clomid was very successful in that it stimulated 3/4 eggs that first cycle and I did in fact ovulate. It didn’t however result in pregnancy, most likely due to timing. Our second cycle was also 50mg of clomid however I did not seem to respond as quickly this cycle. After a consultation with the Dr, we decided to do a second round of clomid within the same cycle and sure enough I responded. We then followed with a trigger shot and IUI insemmination. After a week I returned for a progesterone test and after another week a pregnancy test. I am so thankful to say that this cycle worked and I am currently pregnant with our first baby.

The costs associated with our treatment where standard for NYC. We had no issues with any treatment costs. We paid for every treatment ourselves without insurance and they were very upfront about the costs and we spoke in depth with the financial coordinator of the practice after the initial consultation. Everything was outline clearly for us and there were no additional costs.

The office is small, so the whole staff knows you by name—there is never any trouble getting appointments or prescriptions, and they are very responsive to emails/calls as well. The atmosphere is relaxed (as much as it can be), and you never feel as if you are being rushed out the door.

Dr. Elassar is the only fertility specialist we’ve ever seen, so I don’t have experience with the larger clinics/how they’re run, but I cannot imagine going through this with any other doctor. She performs every scan and every procedure, follows up immediately with results/next steps, and is available over email constantly. She knew my file by heart within the first few visits, and at every appointment, she was interested not only in discussing treatment steps but also how I was doing and how my husband was doing. She is very matter-of-fact in her approach, but she also makes us laugh every visit, and continually makes us feel like we are her only patients.

As wonderful as the doctor. They are all extraordinarily caring, from the receptionist to the nurses, and make the whole process so much easier.

My husband and I decided to see a fertility specialist just for peace of mind after we had been trying for six months with no success. We picked Dr. Elassar based on her reviews and how close her office was to my work, and I am so grateful every day that we did. From the first appointment/scans through our most recent egg retrieval, she has been nothing short of wonderful through every stage—walking us through each step of the process, answering emails at all times (nights, weekends; it makes no difference), and providing endless support. Her warmth and compassion over the past ten months we have been undergoing treatment have made the entire process so much more bearable—at every visit (and there have been many), she greets me with a smile, and appointments have become a welcome break in the work day rather than something to dread. She is incredibly kind and brilliant and we are so thankful for her.

Do not hesitate, it would be impossible to find a better doctor.

The clinic is absolutely pristine and quite fancy. Of the doctor's offices I've visited, it's certainly the nicest. However, if Dr. Elassar was treating clients out of a studio apartment on a 7th floor walk-up, I would hire her there as well. This woman is an angel. The fact that her clinic also looks like the waiting room of heaven is simply a bonus.

Dr. Elassar is one of those people in the world who is living her calling. She is a natural born healer. As a result, her practice is a reflection of who she is as an individual: Brilliant, kind, dedicated, determined, and an absolute angel. If only Dr. Elassar could be cloned and trained in every medical speciality I would ever need, I would never have another doctor.

All staff at the clinic, like Dr. Elassar, are cheerful, kind, professional and very diligent. How could it be possible to enjoy going to a fertility clinic? Well, I did. Everyone here is excellent. Not a bad egg among them.

Put simply, Dr. Elassar is the best doctor I have ever had. I believe she is an empath with an Einstein-like genius and passion for her vocation. If that is not the ultimate combination for a doctor, I don't know what is. When my husband and I were looking for a doctor, we reviewed hundreds of bios all across the country, and interviewed several other doctors. My hope in writing this review is that my words will provide you the confidence to call Dr. Elassar without hesitation as once you meet her, you will be so relieved to know she exists and you will never look back.

Not to hesitate in consulting with her! This process is filled with so much sacrifice and uncertainty. The only thing you can really do for yourself is to take the journey with the right person.

Based on my research, the costs at this clinic are commensurate with the standard costs of the procedures involved, though I have no doubt that Dr. Elassar could command much higher rates if she chose too.

Excellent clinic. It feels like a personalized boutique experience and not a mass-production impersonal factory approach. Also, they are careful to give a lot of individual attention to each person. I have never felt rushed, and there are never more than 1-2 people in the waiting room. They go over everything in great detail and help you with whatever you need, whether it's ordering prescriptions or working with your insurance.

She puts the patient's well-being above everything else. She knows my file inside out. She is caring and kind.

Excellent care. Very skilled. I have very thin veins, making it generally difficult to draw blood. In fact generally each time I get blood work done I have bad bruises. Dr. Elassar's medical assistant Adilen is highly skilled and was able to draw my blood every time without a single bruise! The staff all have a pleasant and friendly demeanor, and are very helpful. They are also very prompt and efficient with respect to calling in prescriptions and scheduling appointments, etc.

Not only is Dr. Alyaa Elassar amazingly competent and knowledgeable, she is very caring and puts the patient's well-being (mental, physical, financial) above everything else. She takes the time to explain things in great detail, and customizes personalized treatment to one's specific needs, rather than mass-production factory approaches. Dr. Elassar knows my file inside out, and despite my complicated medical history (thyroid disease) and age (early 40s) she did not write me off and went to great lengths customizing protocols for me. I was able to get pregnant because of the protocols she designed for me. She is very hands-on and has a no-nonsense down-to-earth approach, which is very refreshing and reassuring. You immediately get the feeling that you're in very good hands. Not to mention she responds to emails very promptly even at odd hours and nights and weekends. I recommend her wholeheartedly!

My insurance covered most of the costs, I had to pay a co-pay. Certain procedures were not covered by insurance so I paid out of pocket.

Clinic is new, clean and organized. the facility is equipped with all the surgical needs, 2 scan rooms, offices with plenty of space to sit down and review results, go through procedures, medications and also live video

Dr Elassar has genuine compassion and is very personal and caring

Extremity nice and responsive. easy to communicate with for appointments, prescriptions and any requests

Dr Elassar is in every detail and closely manages everything. She does all the scans herself and clearly communicates what she sees. She is also always interested in the wellbeing of the patient, follows up after every treatment. She is available 24 hours a day and always sends lab results to you the same day as they come in with clear next steps. She clearly explained that we may need a few rounds to adjust the medication for better stimulation and when we got to the right meds all went as planned with good implementation. unfortunately the pregnancy did not last past 9 weeks but we will continue to try again with Dr Elassar We are lucky to have her and hope to get the result we want soon.

the personal care is worth the time and the perhaps additional payment

First cycle - birth control pills 2 weeks then gonal-F 300 + Menopur 150 (not good stimulation, cancelled after a few days) 2nd cycle - estrogen patches, then gonal-F 300 + Menopur 150 (better stimulation, but early ovulation, cancelled cycle) 3rd cycle - birth control pills 2 weeks + testosterone gel then Lupron + gonal-F 200 + Menopur 150 (good stimulation + retrieval + pregnancy)

She had a preference to use 2 embryos in our case but she likely has a very personalized recommendation based on various factors

NYC IVF is a great place - doesn't have the 'hospital feel' so it is very comfortable to be there. The admin staff is very caring and attentive, knows all patients by name (this is a small clinic). Towards the end, I felt like I was coming to a friend's house rather than to a doctors office.

Dr Elassar was pretty much available 24/7 for any questions I had along the way and could see me on short notice even on weekends when it was needed. She is the most kind and supportive doctor I ever met. Cannot recommend her enough!

All of the staff was incredibly helpful and caring. The bloodwork didn't even bother me that much!

Dr Elassar is a magician and and is the most caring and nicest I have ever experienced. People come to see her from all over the world so I feel privileged to be her patient - she is really best in class. She got me confident and optimistic right away - she is clearly at the front edge of all newest research and technologies. There was never a question she couldn't answer or support with data. She remembered all my personal details and numbers on top off her head. She is incredibly professional but personal and approachable at the same time. I cannot recommend her enough and will come to her for another baby!

Don't get overwhelmed at your first visit! Just trust her experience, you will learn more along the way and she will guide you carefully.

Used Gonal and Cetrotide to mature eggs for retrieval which worked great, although my hormone level was growing a bit slow so we did not do the Lupron shot. I had a very high number of eggs (22) with high success rate (ended up with 8 embryos, several very high quality). We froze the embryos to do the transfer next cycle because I wasn't feeling great (and because we did not use Lupron at the end). Transferred one embryo and it worked the first time! Have been adjusting the dose of estrogen along the way, as well as progesterone and increasing my TSH synthoid (I have a thyroid issue so Dr Elassar monitored my TSH and adjusted the dose progressively). Everything is going great!

I had insurance cover most of it

We decided to go with one embryo because I am still under 35 and we were ready to take our chances vs potentially getting multiple births. Dr Elassar explained all the statistics and our odds very carefully which we appreciated.

It was a nice and clean facility. All blood tests, regular monitoring, egg retrieval and embryo transfer was at the same location. Great doctor and staffs. All are friendly and caring as well. This facility made me feel comfortable and important throughout the whole process.

During my visit with Dr. Elassar, I was treated with utmost care. She was very prompt in responding to emails and I was able to resolve any of my questions for the doctor on the same day.

The nursing staff was kind, accommodating for medical appointments, supportive throughout the process and prompt in taking care of medications, refills, blood tests.

I was fortunate enough to meet with this doctor and the best decision we took after failed IUIs/IVF at another facility. On our first visit, she took the time to understand my previous medical history and gave us the confidence to start the second round of IVF. Her words gave us so much trust right from the beginning we met her and we always thought that this second attempt would work. She is a very knowledgable, kind-hearted and caring doctor. She has a customized approach for each couple. She also laid the potential options for us, clearly communicated the details when we had to take a big decision for embryo transfer. She is prompt in responding to emails any time of the day and that helped me to clarify any doubts I had while undergoing this process. She made it so easier and better despite the stress you undergo with this whole process. It was really sad on the day when I graduated from her facility. She also showed her concern and asked me to give updates on how our pregnancy has been progressing.

Be prepared with the list of questions that you would want to ask the doctor and be informed. Have trust in this doctor !! My husband and I were extremely happy with the whole process.

I was given Lupron, Menopur and Gonal-f and did a fresh embryo transfer. After the transfer, I continued with the progesterone in oil injection until 8 weeks before moving to ob/gyn.

Be prepared for the costs to be higher considering the standards and also compared to other facilities, the entire process is slightly higher priced. But you get more than what you pay for.

This is a great practice. Its grand midtown offices could be a little intimidating at first, because they schedule the appointments so that there is rarely anyone else waiting, but you'll get over that at first. It's a very personal practice and Dr Elassar sets a tone of kind, optimistic intelligence and order.

in her explanations about what was going on. She didn't condescend at all, but treated me like a peer, someone equally interested in the topic and equally intelligent. Then - when I was as interested as she but certainly not as intelligent! - she was patient and good-natured about explaining things in great detail. I felt that getting to know me as a person was a priority of hers, as well as a natural inclination. She always had time for me. She was open and friendly about taking about the process, as well as talking about other things. She seemed invested in the whole project of my relationship and me having a family, which really meant a lot.

Adilen is a very warm and reassuring presence, with a good sense of humor and a great manner, who was always completely prepared and good at her job. She took blood all the time, but I never got bruised or anything.

Dr Elassar is a wonderful person. She is intelligent, thoughtful, funny, and very focused on the project at hand. I felt completely confident in her abilities and totally comfortable in her care. I wasn't even sure I was going to proceed with anything when I first met her - I was just checking it out - but she was so clearly trustworthy and smart that when she recommended that I go forward, I decided to do it, and I only started liking her more from then. She is gracious, warm, and thoughtful. She is direct and always compassionate. She clearly loves what she does.

Don't be intimidated by the office. You'll develop very personal relationships with the people here.

Dr. Elassar just did a pretty basic egg retrieval for me. She tested my blood to decide how much hormones to give me, gave me the minimum always. Oh! She put me on birth control for a couple days before I began the process because I was going to get my period over Thanksgiving and that way I could still do the retrieval in November. Then she allowed me to stay on the birth control for a few more days because I had an event I wanted to go to on the projected day of the harvest. She was totally non-judgmental about that and what it was (it was a holiday party, so pretty frivolous to be moving a medical procedure because of, but she didn't ask and I'm sure would have said that was a perfectly fine reason). Once i went on the hormones, it was pretty simple. I just went and checked in with her every couple days so she could make sure things were going according to plan. She always tested my blood and then adjusted the dose. She was available on email all the time, even when I wrote to her at 7pm with an inquiry and needed a response by 7:30pm because of the timing. So we did those hormones for the expected number of days and then she gave me the final triggering injection I needed to take. I did that, then she checked on me again and gave me a little more of that one. Then she did the procedure the next day! I had fewer side effects than I expected on every leg of the process, especially the recovery from the procedure. Results were good. I got a bunch of eggs and then most of them ended up successfully frozen (more than 20)

$8000 plus drop costs

I can not think of a single weakness for this clinic. Their strengths on the other hand are immeasurable. Everyone from the doctor, to the nurse, to the office manager are thorough, proactive, organized, extremely knowledgeable, never miss a single possible thing and always responsive by email day or night for any and all questions, and your experience is very personalized. You never feel like just a random patient or a number.

Dr. Elassar felt like a close friend who was doing everything in her power to get me pregnant safely, all while monitoring my health very carefully and keeping my well being a high priority.

The nurse and office manager were the most kind and pleasant ladies. They began to feel like friends. I always felt comfortable asking any and all questions, even some uncomfortable ones. They would always recognize my voice over the phone when I would call the office. It was a truly personalized experience. There was never any issue getting an appointment at any time necessary. They were always extremely accommodating and sweet.

Dr. Elassar is so incredibly knowledgeable, personable, compassionate and has a kind, warm heart and a beautiful soul. She is an excellent communicator and makes sure you understand everything along the way. She made the IVF journey seem almost easy. She set my medication dosage exactly as was needed in order to stimulate me appropriately in order to get the most mature eggs, but was very careful to never overstimulate me and put my health at risk. Because of this I always truly felt great. She monitored me extremely carefully from the beginning to the end of my IVF journey constantly. She was always kind, came in with a smile and was always uplifting and reassuring. She was always immediately available by email to answer any and all questions day or night. When we found out that I was pregnant after my first embryo transfer, she was genuinely so happy for me, like a best friend would be. I could not have ever imagined such a wonderful and pleasant experience. Dr. Elassar was truly God sent. My husband and I will be forever grateful to her.

I would advise any prospective patient of Dr. Elassar to never hesitate for one second on using her as a doctor for all of their fertility needs.

eSet was the choice my husband and I both had decided on ourselves. However, based on my young age (30) and good health, eSET happened to be the recommended approach for embryo transfer for someone in my age/health demographic as well.

It is run by Dr. Elassar, so anything that pertains to the doctor -- pertains to the clinic. Overall nice and quiet office. Convenient location -- you go there for your routine ultrasounds and blood draws. Procedures take place in a different location -- the lab, which is is also a very nice recently renovated place in midtown. Head embryologist is a very professional, friendly guy - you get to know him well too during the process.

I don't have any experience with a big clinic, but from reading other reviews I understand my NYC IVF experience with Dr. Elassar has been very unique. She does work with your schedule. As an extremely busy professional, I could not see her in the morning hours (these hours are usually left for monitoring). I could only have been seen during short lunch breaks or weekends -- and the doctor made it possible. She was available 24/7 by email.

The nurse is not your primary contact here - you communicate directly with the doctor. However, secondary questions, like medication refills, blood test requisitions for an outside lab -- are among the things Adilen handles. She responded to all my emails in a very timely manner, always nice and accurate. She came in before the work hours for me to draw blood one day when I could not make it to my appointment at lunch time. She leaves no bruising when she draws blood. Overall very nice and friendly.

Productive and pleasant. I have fully trusted Dr. Elassar since our first appointment. I am 40 years old and from the very beginning we wasted no time. It took just one full cycle to complete all the tests -- from genetics to ruling out fibrosis and all the hormonal levels -- and assess our chances. We had no major issues. We started the IVF stims with my second cycle. I got pregnant on the third transfer after one failed fresh and one failed FET cycle. Overall experience took less than six months from the first introductory appointment in March to graduation in the beginning of September. I only saw Dr. Elassar during my appointments and she was constantly available by email, including late hours and weekends to answer all your questions and adjust treatment as necessary. She checked if I received all the right meds from the online pharmacy by emailing me and asking me to open the box and list all the meds that I got before starting the stims. The doctor was there when my first two transfers failed to support me. I was completely devastated and emotionally destroyed when that happened - Dr Elassar made me believe again that it could still happen -- and voila -- it did! She never promises anything unrealistic, just simply states the facts and gives you a clear assessment of your chances. I have a very demanding job -- I start at 7am and it is extremely difficult to step out of the office even at a lunch break. But Dr. Elassar made it work adjusting her schedule to fit mine, which sounded next to impossible to me before we started the treatment -- but somehow it worked. Above all -- Dr. Elassar is just a great professional and a very pleasant person.

Prepare for your first visit - send all your period calendars, previous test results etc. to the doctor ahead of your first visit. She will review them before your first appointment and you will have a more productive conversation right from the start. Prepare for all your visits. The Doctor sees all her patients herself and is extremely busy - you will make it a better experience for both of you if you come prepared. State you time and money limitations right from the start - both the Doctor and you need to set expectations clear right from the start.

1st fresh cycle: Short (flare/microflare) agonist protocol - Lupron, Follistim (300iu), Menopur (150iu) -- failed. FET cycle - estadiol both orally and vaginally -- failed. 2nd fresh cycle - Antagonist protocol - Follistim (300iu), Menopur (150iu), Ganirelix -- success.

Dr. Elassar was out of network. I have Anthem BCBS. So I had to pay around $10k out of pocket. Insurance paid the rest and I exhausted all of $30k life-time maximum insurance funds available for IVF. Meds are entirely covered by insurance with no limit.

Quality over Quantity

It's a small clinic so you are going to get lots of attention from Dr. Elassar. Please give yourself time when you go to an appointment. Since Dr. Elassar does not rush her patients, I would sometimes have to wait past my appointment time to meet with her. I didn't care because I knew the level of attention and detail she was giving to each patient.

rom our first meeting, she put forth a plan of action to get us pregnant that I not only felt completely comfortable with, but also that I was a part of planning. Dr. Elassar answered all of my questions and assured me every single step of the way. She was available on email ALL THE TIME. I'm not exaggerating - I would email her at 8pm and two hours later, I would have a response from her. It was incredible and not something that many doctors do, let alone reproductive endocrinologists who have a number of patients who I'm sure are constantly emailing her. As her patient, I only saw Dr. Elassar every step of the way. She was the one who had to call me when my first transfer didn't work, a devastating time. She shared in my grief but more importantly, she never lost faith that I would be pregnant. Our next transfer a month later, it was her optimism and dedication to me that kept me hopeful. The transfer was a success and we are currently 13 weeks pregnant.

I only saw Adilen during my time with Dr. Elassar. She would call me with all medication updates and was extremely professional, caring, and kind. It was amazing to just have the team of two, Adilen and Dr. Elassar working with me.

I think of Dr. Elassar and wonder how I got so lucky and fortunate to have met someone like her. Dr. Elassar has truly been a godsend during an extremely difficult time. My husband and I decided to see Dr. Elassar after we were trying to get pregnant for 6 months with no luck. For those thinking of doing IVF, I can't stress enough how important it is to find a doctor like Dr. Elassar. From our first meeting, she put forth a plan of action to get us pregnant that I not only felt completely comfortable with, but also that I was a part of planning. Dr. Elassar answered all of my questions and assured me every single step of the way. She was available on email ALL THE TIME. I'm not exaggerating - I would email her at 8pm and two hours later, I would have a response from her. It was incredible and not something that many doctors do, let alone reproductive endocrinologists who have a number of patients who I'm sure are constantly emailing her. As her patient, I only saw Dr. Elassar every step of the way. She was the one who had to call me when my first transfer didn't work, a devastating time. She shared in my grief but more importantly, she never lost faith that I would be pregnant. Our next transfer a month later, it was her optimism and dedication to me that kept me hopeful. The transfer was a success and we are currently 13 weeks pregnant. I "graduated" from Dr. Elassar's office a few weeks ago and still miss them. Incredibly, Dr. Elassar reached out to me just a week ago to see how I was doing. It made me cry and think of how truly lucky I am to have her in my life. For you women about to go through this difficult journey. please know that having Dr. Elassar in your corner will make you stronger, make the process more bearable, and should there be some heart ache involved as there was in mine, you will have someone in your corner to cry with you but to also pick you up and moving toward your ultimate goal. Your questions will be answered, you will be seen my one of the most thorough doctors I have ever met, and more importantly, you will feel like this is someone who is by your side during what can be a challenging time. You will not regret choosing her. Best of luck to all you ladies starting this journey. My heart is with you.

Go see her sooner rather than later if you are older. Don't wait for an OB doctor to refer you. I listened to my acupuncturist and went straight to Dr. Elassar once I couldn't get pregnant after 6 months. I am 35 years old and didn't want to wait a full year before seeing an RE.

She was out of network for me, so it was $8000 total for the procedure. My meds were covered by our insurance.

Dr. Azim was incredibly understanding of how trying fertility difficulties could be emotionally and physically. Even though my difficulties were not nearly as problematic as many others, I always felt that Dr. Azim took the time to explain the procedures to me and never discounted my frustrations.

Dr. Azim was great and particularly supportive through a miscarriage. I never felt pressured into any treatment - Dr. Azim explained all the options to me (pros and cons) while sharing his professional advice without pushing any particular alternative. I felt like the entire office was vested in the success of your treatment. Given my demanding job, I also very much appreciated the early appointment hours and Dr. Azim's punctuality at most all appointments (and there were many).

I think Dr. Azim may initially come off as very clinical but the more you work with him, the more you realize that it's all driven by a desire to help you and to have your fertility treatment succeed. He really cares for his patients.

I had high AMH and wasn't ovulating. I had tried Clomid (unmonitored) with my OBGYN for one cycle without success. Dr. Azim monitored me on Letrozole. I got pregnant in the second cycle (miscarriage) and third cycle (healthy baby girl). During treatment, I was monitored throughout for egg growth/development, to determine when to administer the hcg trigger shot and for hormone levels after. In the first weeks of the pregnancies, I had frequent sonograms to check for development. After my miscarriage, Dr. Azim was very helpful in working towards figuring out what may have gone wrong and how it could be prevented thereafter. We are now happy parents to a baby girl.

All handled through insurance other than co-pays

The clinic is shared with a dentist office. Don't be thrown off by the odd decor in the reception area. The admin assistant is quiet and has a reserved demeanor, but is thorough. The billing process was not as well explained or organized as we would have liked, but it didn't amount to much problem. It cost what was expected. The examination rpoms were clean and efficient.

Very personalized treatment with frequent adjustments based on individual assessments.

At this clinic the doctor did 90% of the care giving. The nurse's role was limited but the care was sufficient.

We came to Dr. Elassar after visiting some of the bigger hospital affiliated clinics (NYU, Cornell, etc). Our level of stress immediately went way down. Dr. Elassar took time to understand our situation and explain every detail thoroughly. She clearly thinks a mile a minute but is willing to walk you through her thought process, and her approach is tailored to each couple. The bottom line is, we were able to achieve pregnancy after our first IVF implantation. After trying for so long (including 7 IUIs) it felt like a miracle. We can't recommend Dr Elassar more highly. Don't be put off by the shared reception area. It's a small operation but that's how she works best. We (almost) always were seen by Dr Elassar every step of the way, which mattered a lot to us. She answers email and phone calls directly. She is a blessing.

Don't be put off by the shared reception area or the small operation. It's professional and clean and not stressful.

In general, we were given choices for the protocols but the doctor was careful to assess progress and change protocols as needed. In the end, we were able to use fewer drugs and did not have to use injected progesterone treatments.

$14,000 for the IVF. All the medications were around $4,000.

NYC IVF is a small clinic in Manhattan. I am able to get the times I want for appointments, the receptionist is very professional and able to work with me if I need help with insurance or appointment times. They are upfront about fees and payment expectations. I felt the waiting times were very short for a doctor office and they were respectful of my time. I was going into the office once a week and sometimes multiple times a week and I was able to get in and out in about 30 min on average.

Dr. Elassar is on-call 24/7 for any questions I may have or issues that may come up. She was with me every step of the way and would see me every day if necessary. She evaluated my progress during stimulation and did not set arbitrary dates for retrieval. I felt like she was very patient to get the most optimum results.

The road of infertility can be rocky and we may not get the results we desire on the first try. Dr. Elassar was very clear about this and to keep a positive attitude. I am currently pregnant after a second IVF cycle (third transfer) and it was hard to try again on the second cycle with the same doctor as you think "am I doing everything I can to make this situation work..." but her one-to-one attention at a smaller clinic has been the best experience I can ask for. I see her, I can call or email her and I get her responding to me any time I have a question. I also have some thyroid issues that have come to light over the first trimester and even though I had "graduated" to my OB, Dr. Elassar still made herself available to me to answer questions and to validate medication decisions as well as she checked in on me to make sure I was doing okay. I very much appreciate her commitment to my case and her warmth in her bedside manner.

I feel that Dr. Elassar was aggressive in the schedule but she did ask us how serious we were about getting pregnant this year. We were serious and she pushed us to try again when we had a negative result (chemical on the first transfer and negative pregnancy test the second transfer). Her encouragement to try again can sometimes be a lot when you are emotional but I am glad to have her pushing towards the goal that I set for myself. I appreciate her in so many way. I think she is an excellent doctor and guided me through a really difficult process.

I have unexplained fertility. There weren't a lot of obvious roadblocks. The first cycle we used lupron, gonal f and menopur. I had a good number from the retrieval 7+ and was able to transfer 1 blastocyst (ended in chemical) and freeze two (frozen transfer the next month with a negative pregnancy test). The second cycle, we substituted lupron for ganrilex. They were only able to harvest 3 eggs and I only had 1 good (grade A) embryo and one mediocre embryo. I am currently 12.5 weeks pregnant with a singleton.

There are co-payments along with the billing to insurance for doctor's office visits. There was a fee to the doctor for the stimulation process, there is a fee to the clinic for the retrieval and there is a fee to the clinic for the handling and freezing of extra eggs not used in the transfer.

NYCIVF is located in a midtown east offices shared with a couple of other medical offices, small, quiet, comfortable, there is also water with fruits handy in the waiting room.

NYCIVF is an office with just two partners, my doctor, Alyaa Elassar, and dr. Amr Azim. Beyond them, there is a receptionist, an invisible person who handles billing, and a gal who usually sits in a conference room reading who would join you for the ultrasound or other sensitive procedures to make you feel more comfortable. This means that your doctor talks to you about why you are seeing them and what you want to achieve, about the process and what to expect, that same doctor does the bloodwork and the ultrasound and shows who to do injections and pretty much is the only and main person who cares for you. You are not handed off to another 23 different people the way it's done in other clinics. Besides the fact that you are pretty much only seeing just one doctor, dr. Elassar is also a wonderfully warm and caring human who remembers not only your name, but also your partner. For one of the two cycles, she had to hand me over to her partner towards the end of the cycle while she attended the conference. While out of town, she called me the day I had to do a trigger shot and pretty much held my hand while on the phone to make sure things go smoothly. Dr Azim who took over the remainder of that cycle as well as egg retrieval was also a wonderfully caring and warm person. I have only done embryo freezing at this point, am yet to attempt to get pregnant.

there was no nursing staff, everything was done by Dr. Elassar.

Because NYCIVF is a two partner office, and there is really no other medical staff there, your primary doctor is also the person who discusses things with you, does your bloodwork, does your ultrasound, and everything in between. In addition to having this one caregiver, dr. Elassar also manages to remember your name, what you like to do, and what your partner is up to, which makes the whole objectively rather unenjoyable experience of being poked and proded much more bearable. I never felt like I was in a factory farm.

don't recall the dosages, but the following medications were used: Follistim, Ganirelex, Menopur

Monitoring appointments were done by the same doctor who saw me for all other needs, and as such it was as enjoyable as those things can possibly get. Other than an occasional waiting room reading time, since, again, it's one doctor handling everything, rather than a whole team.

it ended up being partially covered by health insurance, which significantly helped with medication costs. i believe my out of pocket costs were under $12k for two cycles of ivf.

Dr. Azim's clinic is basically all him and his lovely receptionist.

Dr. Azim gave generously of his time to evaluate our history trying to get pregnant and give me his feedback on the best options for us. He knew my name after my first appointment. He was there to comfort me when I cried because I didn't get pregnant during two cycles with him. At one point he asked if I wanted IVF and I said I did but I could not afford it and he quickly said "we will find a way to get you the drugs for less money." He was simply wonderful.

N/A for Dr. Azim. He treats patients personally.

Dr. Azim works 24/7 for his patients. He saw me on many Saturdays and Sundays. He is extremely precise and usually backs up his statements with research. He guided me to be patient and allow a pregnancy with a singleton instead of upping the doses of medicine to release more eggs and increase risk for twins. He is very supportive of having a singleton and tries to avoid multiples. He did all of my testing and appointments personally and is very tech savvy and uses his phone and e-mail. Even today we are in touch as I try to navigate my next pregnancy and the Zika virus. I recommend him 100%, especially if you do not want to be a number in a large practice. Finally, he accepted whatever my insurance paid and I did not come out of pocket for his help.

Dr. Azim will encourage genetic testing so be ready for that.

I have Aetna insurance and Dr. Amir accepted what my insurance paid. I have no idea how much that is, but I didn't come out of pocket, except for small amounts for the medicine.

Convenient location - 2 blocks from E/M subway stop. Office is new and beautiful. I enjoyed sitting in the waiting room (not that I ever sat there long). Tahira, the office manager, is very professional and organized. All prescriptions were called in immediately - and any follow-up needs or questions were handled easily over email.

I never felt like a number. All staff members knew me by name. I was never sitting in a waiting room with 10 other patients. Usually it was just me or 1 other patient. Doctor make personal calls himself.

Adilen is efficient, friendly and professional. She was a very accurate blood-taker!

Dr. Azim and Dr Elassar are both incredibly warm and professional. Always willing to take the time to talk/explain. I felt like they truly cared about my well-being. Communication was easy and frequent - both by phone and email.

They don't accept many insurance providers. So be sure to walk thru the financials prior to any procedures.

I don't remember specifics. In general it was a very traditional retrieval and transfer procedure.