Sher Fertility of New York
Available Resources
Genetic counseling
Acupuncture
Mental health counseling
Nutrition counseling
Administration of shots
Coordinating at-home nursing
Selling medication
Providing backup medication
New York
425 Fifth Ave
New York, NY 10016
(646) 792-7476
Purchase
3020 Westchester Ave
Purchase, NY 10577
(914) 696-7476
136 assessments
9
9
Age
36
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
6 IUI, 1 IVF, 3 Embryo Freezing
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Male Factor, Poor Egg Quality
9
9
Dr. Dicken is a skilled doctor who is willing to treat patients with severely diminished ovarian reserve. I went to retrieval with an AFC of 7 and an AMH of below .4. She specializes in this type of treatment and did not overmedicate me, in order to avoid compromising the quality of remaining eggs. She was willing to incorporate HGH at my suggestion, based on outside research I had done. At one point we had some communication glitches, which resulted in our having to delay a cycle, but we came to learn this was more the result of failed communication between her and the office staff. We are very grateful to her for her willingness to help patients like me - she will go to retrieval for only one egg, because she understands how precious that one egg is.
SHER is willing to work with patients who have DOR which was our biggest priority. I previously did a cycle at RMA who treated me like a number for sure. All doctors are skilled in this sub-area. The clinic is great about sending instructions and calendars, has very responsive and communicative staff who are always available by email, and has a great late-night nursing call back system. I would highly recommend for a patient with diminished ovarian reserve as they are one of few clinics who will go to retrieval for one or two eggs.
Age
36
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Teacher
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
6 IUI, 1 IVF, 3 Embryo Freezing
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Male Factor, Poor Egg Quality
9
9
How was your experience with Cary Dicken at Sher Fertility of New York?
Dr. Dicken is a skilled doctor who is willing to treat patients with severely diminished ovarian reserve. I went to retrieval with an AFC of 7 and an AMH of below .4. She specializes in this type of treatment and did not overmedicate me, in order to avoid compromising the quality of remaining eggs. She was willing to incorporate HGH at my suggestion, based on outside research I had done. At one point we had some communication glitches, which resulted in our having to delay a cycle, but we came to learn this was more the result of failed communication between her and the office staff. We are very grateful to her for her willingness to help patients like me - she will go to retrieval for only one egg, because she understands how precious that one egg is.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Cary Dicken at Sher Fertility of New York?
Ask questions, and be sure that you understand every aspect of the proposed treatment as well as the rationale. Maintain communication throughout.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Cary Dicken at Sher Fertility of New York?
Dr. Dicken is excellent at maintaining active correspondence during treatment. She always responded to our emails, which were often sent during periods of heightened emotion and anxiety, within 24 hours, and was both reassuring and realistic. She always read our chart before seeing us, and asked us how we were before delivering news.
Describe the protocols Cary Dicken used in your cycles at Sher Fertility of New York and their degree of success.
Our first cycle, we used 150iu of Menopur and 150iu of Gonal F, then added in 250mg of Cetrotide three days before retrieval. We triggered with HCG. The rationale was to not overmedicate, as I have DOR and too much medication can compromise the quality of eggs. We retrieved 4 eggs, and froze one 5-day embryo, which tested PGS normal. The second cycle, we hoped to have similar results but possibly retrieve more eggs without compromising quality, so we kept the protocol the same for the first five days, but then increased the Gonal f to 225iu on the sixth day, and added 1mL of Omnitrope (HGH) to increase egg quality. We also started the Cetrotide sooner to allow the eggs to grow a bit longer while preventing premature ovulation. We triggered with a combination of HCG and Lupron. That cycle, we retrieved 9 eggs, though only 6 were mature. Of those six, three made it past day 3, and 2 made it to freeze. We tested both - one came back PGS normal, and the other was inconclusive (the cells that were biopsied did not have enough DNA to run the test - annoying). We are about to start a third cycle and will probably keep the treatment the same as the second, because we were happy with the results.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Sher Fertility of New York. (Assigned nurse: Marian Gerges)
Marian was responsive, kind, and organized. We had one problem with communication that was frustrating - when we started our second cycle we did not have a full consultation, only a partial, so some decisions were made without our knowledge. They were responsive and rectified the situation with a mid-cycle consultation. We will not make the mistake again - the office staff in that case needed to be better as communicating as an entire team, but Marian herself was great. she even answered our late-night call when we had a panic attack about administering the double trigger We really love her and hope to work with her again.
Describe your experience with Sher Fertility of New York.
SHER is willing to work with patients who have DOR which was our biggest priority. I previously did a cycle at RMA who treated me like a number for sure. All doctors are skilled in this sub-area. The clinic is great about sending instructions and calendars, has very responsive and communicative staff who are always available by email, and has a great late-night nursing call back system. I would highly recommend for a patient with diminished ovarian reserve as they are one of few clinics who will go to retrieval for one or two eggs.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Cary Dicken at Sher Fertility of New York.
We had two cycles covered by insurance. The next will be self pay. The first two cycles came out to about 5K each including the cost of PGS testing and co-pays. They have quoted the self pay cycle at about 12K.
Describe Cary Dicken's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Sher Fertility of New York.
Dr. Dicken recommends transferring two past the age of 35, though she is more cautious with PGS-tested normal embryos and the last time we spoke, indicated that it was ultimately up to us. We will most likely transfer the PGS normal embryo along with the inconclusive embryo at the same time, because that (according to her) gives us the highest chance of a single live birth. Overall, she is a good combination of realistic but cautious.
What specific things went wrong at Sher Fertility of New York?
- Provided conflicting information
- Canceled a cycle due to clinic error
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Sher Fertility of New York.
As written in the nursing section, we had a glitch with our second cycle where the staff didn't give us a full consultation appointment so decisions were being made without communicating to us the rationale. Also, we had to delay a cycle because Dr. Dicken didn't tell us to abstain from intercourse in the weeks prior and didn't want to risk proceeding if I was possibly pregnant (I wasn't). This was very frustrating, though they were responsive to our concerns. Overall we were happy enough with the outcome and so grateful to her for treating us with DOR that we took this as a lesson to always make sure we are asking the right questions and insisting on appointments and rationale. We will take it upon ourselves to be hypervigilant in the future. This is the only reason for the lower ratings.
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10
6
Age
38
Treated
2020
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
1 IUI, 2 IVF, 1 Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Male Factor, Unexplained
10
6
I switched to Dr Dicken after a failed IVF cycle at another clinic and the difference is night and day. Dr Dicken is compassionate yet straightforward, always reachable, did 99% of my scans. She gave me information but also provided advice. She has customized my treatment and allowed for flexible timing depending on the likelihood of success at each baseline...she has been present at every scan and been very forthcoming with information, describing her thought process step by step. She was much more thorough in the diagnostic workup and has found potential issues that other doctors had missed.
I’ve worked with different nurses [at Sher Fertility of New York]. Some senior nurses are great, very helpful and compassionate. First primary nurse was kind but extremely disorganized - forgot to send my calendar, forgot to order meds, missed some consents, didn’t submit insurance authorization for meds...I’ve had repeated problems ordering meds...I asked four separate times to order meds through my insurance company’s in-network pharmacy but it never got done so i had to pay out of pocket.
Age
38
Treated
2020
Success with this Doc
?
Race
European, East Asian
Income
$500K+
Occupation
Investor
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
1 IUI, 2 IVF, 1 Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Male Factor, Unexplained
10
6
How was your experience with Cary Dicken at Sher Fertility of New York?
I have had an excellent experience so far with Dr Dicken, she has been present at every scan and been very forthcoming with information, describing her thought process step by step. She was much more thorough in the diagnostic workup and has found potential issues that other doctors had missed.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Cary Dicken at Sher Fertility of New York?
Get educated, ask questions, be an active partner in your treatment.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Cary Dicken at Sher Fertility of New York?
I switched to Dr Dicken after a failed IVF cycle at another clinic and the difference is night and day. Dr Dicken is compassionate yet straightforward, always reachable, did 99% of my scans. She gave me information but also provided advice. She has customized my treatment and allowed for flexible timing depending on the likelihood of success at each baseline.
Describe the protocols Cary Dicken used in your cycles at Sher Fertility of New York and their degree of success.
Estrogen prime antagonist protocol + PICSI:
- estradiol, follistim 150iu, menopur 150iu, ganirelix, HGH, dual trigger (Lupron, Novarel)
Supplements, acupuncture, thyroid medication.
We prime every month but base treatment on my antral count at baseline to maximize results, delay stims until CD4 or 5 (long cycles).
Results: 3 eggs retrieved, one day 6 embryo frozen. Prior doctor said I would never be able to retrieve more than 1-2 eggs per cycle, so this was above expectations.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
It varies. I’ve worked with different nurses. Some senior nurses are great, very helpful and compassionate.
First primary nurse was kind but extremely disorganized - forgot to send my calendar, forgot to order meds, missed some consents, didn’t submit insurance authorization for meds. Every step required chasing with repeated reminders, zero communication.
Since then I have rotated between different nurses, some better than others.
Describe your experience with Sher Fertility of New York.
Strengths: I really like my doctor, and like that it’s a smaller clinic with more personalized care. I love that my doctor does every scan and procedure herself, this is a huge advantage over larger clinics.
Weaknesses: they are experiencing financial difficulties and it shows, they seem increasingly disorganized and understaffed. Logistics at every step have been a challenge, if I didn’t have leftover meds from my prior clinic I would have had to cancel my cycle.
I saw a different attending doctor one day who provided conflicting (incorrect) information with poor bedside manner. However, this only happened once vs my prior clinic where it was the norm to see a different doctor every day.
What specific things went wrong at Sher Fertility of New York?
- Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
- Lost paperwork
- Failed to call with results
- Provided conflicting information
- Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Sher Fertility of New York.
I’ve had repeated problems ordering meds. Eg I asked four separate times to order meds through my insurance company’s in-network pharmacy but it never got done so i had to pay out of pocket. It can be difficult to reach someone after hours. I have also had problems with billing since they began financial restructuring, hoping this gets rectified once the new billing team is in place.
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9
10
Age
32 - 35
Treated
2016 - 2019
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
2 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Endometriosis
9
10
I felt that Dr. T[ortoriello] knew who I was as a patient - he was prepared to discuss my case every time and was very accessible...put me at ease during every appointment. He has an extremely calm bedside manner and explained what we were trying to accomplish at the beginning of every appointment. When we had an unsuccessful frozen embryo transfer, I felt that he truly took the results personally and had a different path to my care for the following attempt. I trust his professional judgment...was conservative in administering hormones (in a good way) so I wasn't overstimulated. I had heard horror stories from other clinics and felt fortunate to definitely avoid that experience.
Nursing and care coordination [at Sher Fertility of New York] was not very memorable. I didn't need hand holding so I don't think I relied on them for much other than coordinating beta tests...During my first transfer I was told I had a negative pregnancy test, which joyfully turned out to be incorrect. It was stressful to get re-tested at the time and was definitely shocking but a happy accident...doesn't employ the friendliest individuals on the phone. I know the staff may feel overrun but you are in the business of helping desperate families, a little compassionate would go a long way. I think there is some room for improvement when delivering bad news.
Age
32 - 35
Treated
2016 - 2019
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Prefer not to answer
Income
—
Occupation
Lawyer
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
2 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Endometriosis
9
10
How was your experience with Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York?
Dr. T put me at ease during every appointment. He has an extremely calm bedside manner and explained what we were trying to accomplish at the beginning of every appointment. When we had an unsuccessful frozen embryo transfer, I felt that he truly took the results personally and had a different path to my care for the following attempt. I trust his professional judgment.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York?
I would advise anyone to come in equip with questions you have in mind. He is extremely knowledgeable but cannot read your mind and expectations.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York?
I felt that Dr. T knew who I was as a patient - he was prepared to discuss my case every time and was very accessible.
Describe the protocols Drew Tortoriello used in your cycles at Sher Fertility of New York and their degree of success.
I don't remember all of the exact treatment strategies used, however, I do think Dr. T was conservative in administering hormones (in a good way) so I wasn't overstimulated. I had heard horror stories from other clinics and felt fortunate to definitely avoid that experience.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Sher Fertility of New York. (Assigned nurse: Cecilia Choe)
Nursing and care coordination was not very memorable. I didn't need hand holding so I don't think I relied on them for much other than coordinating beta tests.
Describe your experience with Sher Fertility of New York.
The clinic doesn't employ the friendliest individuals on the phone. I know the staff may feel overrun but you are in the business of helping desperate families, a little compassionate would go a long way. I think there is some room for improvement when delivering bad news.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York.
We had care under the Progeny insurance network.
Describe Drew Tortoriello's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Sher Fertility of New York.
Dr. T was very firm to transfer a single embryo each time given my younger age.
What specific things went wrong at Sher Fertility of New York?
- Lost results
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Sher Fertility of New York.
During my first transfer I was told I had a negative pregnancy test, which joyfully turned out to be incorrect. It was stressful to get re-tested at the time and was definitely shocking but a happy accident.
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Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
9
9
Age
38
Treated
2019
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
3 Fertility Medications
Diagnosis
Male Factor
9
9
Dr T [Tortoriello] really took the time to learn my entire background going back to teenage eating disorders to my current high blood pressure to recommend the next steps. He was an amazing listener (my husband and I are both talkers!) and asked questions that we were able to fill in. The day of our consultation we immediately got the ball rolling with an ultrasound and blood tests.
Incredibly clean and calming. There are two floors [at Sher Fertility of NY] and I'm occasionally confused about which floor to report to. As I had said, the receptionists are wonderful! They start off my appointments on the right foot.... I have received extremely prompt contact from my assigned nurse with very detailed instructions/suggestions over email. When we received our results for blood tests/semen analysis I received a call from both my nurse and a follow up with Dr. T to confirm my understanding.
Age
38
Treated
2019
Success with this Doc
?
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
3rd of 3 Docs
Treatment
3 Fertility Medications
Diagnosis
Male Factor
9
9
How was your experience with Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York?
Dr T really took the time to learn my entire background going back to teenage eating disorders to my current high blood pressure to recommend the next steps. He was an amazing listener (my husband and I are both talkers!) and asked questions that we were able to fill in. The day of our consultation we immediately got the ball rolling with an ultrasound and blood tests.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York?
Ask as many questions as you need - he will take the time to answer them.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York?
I have received extremely prompt contact from my assigned nurse with very detailed instructions/suggestions over email. When we received our results for blood tests/semen analysis I received a call from both my nurse and a follow up with Dr. T to confirm my understanding. My nurse (Cecelia) was thorough, but Dr. T was very comforting and understanding in the plan that we were hoping to move forward with. He understood my concerns and helped me set in place our path.
Describe the protocols Drew Tortoriello used in your cycles at Sher Fertility of New York and their degree of success.
We are still in testing consultation mode after returning from a two week vacation. Our next steps will be IUI if needed.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Sher Fertility of New York. (Assigned nurse: Cecelia)
I have appreciated how through Cecelia has been, but on the phone she can speak a little too quickly for me to comprehend. I have made her slow down/repeat multiple times. She has been very kind to repeat. All nurses that have taken blood have been AMAZING! I usually have very bad veins and I have come out unscathed an mostly without any busing. Even the receptionists are very friendly and cheerful. I really appreciate for my 9 am appointments.
Describe your experience with Sher Fertility of New York.
Incredibly clean and calming. There are two floors and I'm occasionally confused about which floor to report to. As I had said, the receptionists are wonderful! They start off my appointments on the right foot.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York.
We have coverage through my husband's employer.
Describe Drew Tortoriello's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Sher Fertility of New York.
N/A
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10
10
Age
42 - 43
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
3 IUI, 3 IVF
Diagnosis
Poor Egg Quality
10
10
He [Dr. Tortoriello] wanted to make sure to explain things to me and would not provide an opinion as to the best course of action until he conducted preliminary tests/did a workup. Dr. T communicated with my husband and me throughout all of the treatments we did...I had to do three egg retrievals. Given my age, we PGS tested all embryos that survived to day 5. For the third retrieval, Dr. T decided to add in HGH...it was this cycle that led to the ONE embryo that tested viable and which we then transferred.
The doctors and nurses [at Sher Fertility of New York] are very communicative and supportive. I did feel as though there needed to be more communication between billing and the drs/nurses. We were initially billed for storage of embryos that did not PGS test as viable and which [Dr. Tortoriello] wouldn't transfer, which was a little frustrating...I felt very supported and that she [nurse] cared about me/the success of my treatments. She was genuinely very sad to let me know the results of the PGS testing for the first round (none of the embryos tested as viable).
Age
42 - 43
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Ashkenazi Jewish
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Lawyer
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
3 IUI, 3 IVF
Diagnosis
Poor Egg Quality
10
10
How was your experience with Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York?
Dr. Tortoriello was kind and communicative from the second I consulted with him. I had previously been to another clinic where I felt like a number and that the clinic had decided I needed to undergo IVF before even diagnosing me or conducting any tests. The experience with Dr. T was entirely opposite. He wanted to make sure to explain things to me and would not provide an opinion as to the best course of action until he conducted preliminary tests/did a workup. Dr. T communicated with my husband and me throughout all of the treatments we did.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York?
Ask him any questions you have...he will answer them.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York?
Dr. Tortoriello was always available by email and his office was as well (by email and by telephone). He was sensitive to what I was experiencing emotionally and was encouraging.
Describe the protocols Drew Tortoriello used in your cycles at Sher Fertility of New York and their degree of success.
I first went through three IUIs for insurance coverage purposes. I used clomid in the first and third cycles. The third cycle led to a chemical pregnancy which slightly delayed moving forward with IVF.
I had to do three egg retrievals. Given my age, we PGS tested all embryos that survived to day 5. For the third retrieval, Dr. T decided to add in HGH...it was this cycle that led to the ONE embryo that tested viable and which we then transferred.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Sher Fertility of New York. (Assigned nurse: Cecilia Choe)
Cecilia was available. She even called me on her day off to let me know the results of a day 5 check of embryos. She spent time with me on the telephone when I had questions or doubts or needed assistance in thinking through what made the most sense. I felt very supported and that she cared about me/the success of my treatments. She was genuinely very sad to let me know the results of the PGS testing for the first round (none of the embryos tested as viable).
Describe your experience with Sher Fertility of New York.
The doctors and nurses are very communicative and supportive. I did feel as though there needed to be more communication between billing and the drs/nurses. We were initially billed for storage of embryos that did not PGS test as viable and which Dr. T wouldn't transfer, which was a little frustrating.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York.
Fortunately, my insurance covered a large portion of treatments. IUIs were covered; i had $50 co-pays every time I went for an appointment. IVF was 75% covered so I had a co-pay prior to treatment. Same for the transfer. I had to pay for medications.
Describe Drew Tortoriello's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Sher Fertility of New York.
I only had one viable embryo to transfer.
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10
10
Age
42 - 45
Treated
2016 - 2019
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
2 IVF, 5 Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
Endometriosis
10
10
He [Dr. Tortoriello] always changed my plan according to my needs. If something didn’t work, he looked for a solution. In my case he found it and we are blessed today at my age 44 with my own eggs. This is truly a blessing and miracle and It couldn’t happen without him. He didn’t turn me away where others did so it speaks to his compassion. He is dedicated and very diligent. I always felt 100 trust in him and his approach. He leveled with us when we asked the difficult questions and never gave us false hope... but somehow still managed to give us hope. I always felt relaxed with him because he is so easy going and very calm. That helps during such difficult times. I will forever be grateful to him.
[The staff at Sher Fertility of New York are] very responsive via email and in person and I never felt like a number. I felt unique in my journey and it was there approach that made me feel this way. They are amazing... They [nurses] were very responsive even communicating via email. I always felt comfortable knowing they would provide instructions when it came to my calendar and medications dosages. A couple times I ran out of medicine over a weekend and they provided me with some until I was able to get mine so I didn’t miss a cycle.
Age
42 - 45
Treated
2016 - 2019
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Latino
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Operations
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
2 IVF, 5 Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
Endometriosis
10
10
How was your experience with Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York?
I don’t have enough words to describe the great Doctor he is. He is smart and is very knowledgeable in the latest research. He always changed my plan according to my needs. If something didn’t work, he looked for a solution. In my case he found it and we are blessed today at my age 44 with my own eggs. This is truly a blessing and miracle and It couldn’t happen without him. He didn’t turn me away where others did so it speaks to his compassion. He is dedicated and very diligent. I always felt 100 trust in him and his approach. He leveled with us when we asked the difficult questions and never gave us false hope... but somehow still managed to give us hope. I always felt relaxed with him because he is so easy going and very calm. That helps during such difficult times. I will forever be grateful to him.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York?
Don’t ever give up and Trust Dr. T. And his approach. I feel he is not about the money.... but truly cares. I believe that he really is in this to help in this difficult journey of infertility.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York?
The office staff and Dr. T were always very responsive via email and in person and I never felt like a number. I felt unique in my journey and it was there approach that made me feel this way. They are amazing.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Sher Fertility of New York. (Assigned nurse: Cecilia Choe and Frances Faundez)
I mainly worked with Frances Faundez and Cecilia Choe. They were both very easy to work with. They were very responsive even communicating via email. I always felt comfortable knowing they would provide instructions when it came to my calendar and medications dosages. A couple times I ran out of medicine over a weekend and they provided me with some until I was able to get mine so I didn’t miss a cycle. Frances was so compassionate and sweet when I had a miscarriage. And she took the time to make me feel like a person and not just another patient.
Describe your experience with Sher Fertility of New York.
I think all the nurses should all be as compassionate and on the same page. I know it’s hard when dealing with so many patients but it really does help. When the staff are all professional and kind and take the time to know your name It separates the practice from any other infertility practice. This journey is hard as it is and when you deal with a practice that is professional and doesn’t treat you like a number or rush you or lose patience with you it makes it more tolerable. Their strength I feel is that they are all compassionate and willing to help... even when they seemed swamped. The one advice I would have is to make sure that their front desk staff (not the 6th floor) is professional. Sometimes on the other floor when I would go in for a procedure the girls were a little loud and not well spoken or professional. I felt they were not as approachable.
Describe Drew Tortoriello's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Sher Fertility of New York.
We asked Dr. T what he thought would be best for us and our situation. He would always give us his expert suggestions but ultimately try to let us decide how many we wanted transferred as long as it was safe. Based on my age we would transfer no more than two.
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9
9
Age
40
Treated
2019
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
1 IUI
Diagnosis
Anovulation
9
9
He [Dr. Tortoriello] was always nice and kind and polite. I always met with him every visit except for one weekend monitoring appointment where I met with his partner. He always answered my emails and all my questions...He was always right about my treatment...we moved to injectables and timed intercourse which failed the first time but worked more in harmony with my body and again he was correct 100% on which drug protocol to use despite me asking about trying other drugs and him assuring me that his choice would be best for me. My 2nd round of injectables we tried IUI and I got pregnant.
I never had to long wait or really any wait at all at [Sher Fertility of New York]...it was well run...very flexible in my appointment scheduling which was such a relief because there was no way I could have attended other well known NYC clinics with my schedule...[The nurse is] Always lovely and kind and helpful and answered emails promptly even after business hours at times...they are very busy and sometimes some details are forgotten but minor things and all in all lot better than most clinics.
Clinic Nps
Age
40
Treated
2019
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European, Ashkenazi Jewish
Income
—
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
1 IUI
Diagnosis
Anovulation
9
9
How was your experience with Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York?
I have a very tricky schedule living in NYC with two toddlers (one with special needs) and no family to help out so Dr. T was very flexible in my appointment scheduling which was such a relief because there was no way I could have attended other well known NYC clinics with my schedule. He always answered my questions via email or in person and I asked huge amount of questions. He was straight forward and honest but kind and compassionate at the same time. He was always right about my treatment.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York?
Just ask questions and ask the office staff questions as well to put your mind at rest and email him your concerns. I never had to long wait or really any wait at all at his office...it was well run.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York?
He was always nice and kind and polite. I always met with him every visit except for one weekend monitoring appointment where I met with his partner. He always answered my emails and all my questions.
Describe the protocols Drew Tortoriello used in your cycles at Sher Fertility of New York and their degree of success.
Started with clomid even though I pushed that because I was new to fertility treatments and nervous about injectables, IVF etc and wanted to try something as simple as possible. He was right when he said it probably wasn’t the best course of action to take in my situation and it caused more issues for me. Then we moved to injectables and timed intercourse which failed the first time but worked more in harmony with my body and again he was correct 100% on which drug protocol to use despite me asking about trying other drugs and him assuring me that his choice would be best for me. My 2nd round of injectables we tried IUI and I got pregnant.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Sher Fertility of New York. (Assigned nurse: Frances and Ivana )
Frances is Dr. T’s right hand woman. Always lovely and kind and helpful and answered emails promptly even after business hours at times.
Describe your experience with Sher Fertility of New York.
Strengths - small, kind, helpful, compassionate staff. Frances and Ivana went above and beyond. Also, I forget her name but the nurse who took my bloods and assisted Dr. T during examinations etc. was wonderful as well.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York.
I only had co-pay each visit and co insurance until I met my deductible.
What specific things went wrong at Sher Fertility of New York?
- Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Sher Fertility of New York.
As with any clinic you just have to follow up sometimes in case they are very busy and sometimes some details are forgotten but minor things and all in all lot better than most clinics.
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10
10
Age
39 - 40
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
1 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Poor Egg Quality, Unexplained
10
10
He [Dr. Tortoriello] is very professional, he answers all your questions and also is always available via email. He is kind and compassionate but also direct. Sometimes when you get bad news, you would prefer not to be direct but he isn’t dismissive of your hopes and dreams. We had two miscarriages with both of our transfers so the embryos likely had chromosomal abnormalities and he indicated this early on when signs showed it via sonogram but also let me have hope.
It [Sher Fertility] is one of the best clinics I have been to for any healthcare. They really don’t have any weaknesses. They worked around my cycle, they are available at night, on weekends, they respond immediately to emails and calls.... Everyone is great, they explain in detail what to expect, they comfort you when you are upset, they are loving and compassionate.... 14,000k for IVF cycle, $3800 for frozen embryo transfer
Age
39 - 40
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Other
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Entrepreneur
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
1 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Poor Egg Quality, Unexplained
10
10
How was your experience with Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York?
He is very professional, he answers all your questions and also is always available via email. He is kind and compassionate but also direct. Sometimes when you get bad news, you would prefer not to be direct but he isn’t dismissive of your hopes and dreams. We had two miscarriages with both of our transfers so the embryos likely had chromosomal abnormalities and he indicated this early on when signs showed it via sonogram but also let me have hope.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York?
Go with Dr. T and Sher, they are kind and know what they are doing. Ask questions when you need to and know that Dr. T is usually right when he says things don’t look right.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York?
Everyone at Sher is so warm, they genuinely want to help you. Dr T. Is sensitive but also direct and tells you what to expect and doesn’t give you false hope. He also tries things when other Dr.s give up on you.
Describe the protocols Drew Tortoriello used in your cycles at Sher Fertility of New York and their degree of success.
He put me on an estrogen patch for 5 days to increase my follicle count and it worked. He followed my follicles very carefully and didn’t have me trigger too early, he adjusted my medicines daily as needed and as a result he got 4 eggs and all of them made it to 5 day blastocyst.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Sher Fertility of New York. (Assigned nurse: Frances )
Everyone is great, they explain in detail what to expect, they comfort you when you are upset, they are loving and compassionate.
Describe your experience with Sher Fertility of New York.
It is one of the best clinics I have been to for any healthcare. They really don’t have any weaknesses. They worked around my cycle, they are available at night, on weekends, they respond immediately to emails and calls. I love Sher!
Describe the costs associated with your care under Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York.
14,000k for IVF cycle, $3800 for frozen embryo transfer
Describe Drew Tortoriello's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Sher Fertility of New York.
He let me make the decisions.
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10
10
Age
42
Treated
2019
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
2 IUI, 7 IVF, 3 Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
—
10
10
She did a very thorough phone consultation for us before cycling again, obviously reviewed our extensive records, and has been extremely responsive while cycling. ... Dr Dicken added a few tweaks to that protocol for poor responders (like a dual trigger, for example). I liked that she had poor responder data and observations to back up her protocol tweaks.
I believe the embryology lab at SIRM is top notch. Financial can be difficult to navigate. And honestly it would be so much easier if each patient were assigned a dedicated clinical coordinator/nurse. It’s also no picnic trying to cycle out of town as a satellite patient. You really have to be your own advocate and review all of the calendars they send you. ...
Age
42
Treated
2019
Success with this Doc
?
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Teacher
Order & Number of Docs Seen
7th of 7 Docs
Treatment
2 IUI, 7 IVF, 3 Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
—
10
10
How was your experience with Cary Dicken at Sher Fertility of New York?
Honestly, when Dr. Wang left, I wanted to follow him to his new clinic. But because of various logistical reasons we decided to stay at SIRM. Dr. Dicken has been fantastic. As a poor responder, I appreciate that her protocol for our most recent freezing cycle hasn’t simply been a canned response.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Cary Dicken at Sher Fertility of New York?
If you’re a former patient of Dr. Wang’s and you’re thinking about staying with SIRM, Dr. Dicken is a wonderful option.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Cary Dicken at Sher Fertility of New York?
I went to Dicken after Wang left the Sher Institute. Nobody will ever be Wang, but Dicken is a good substitute! She did a very thorough phone consultation for us before cycling again, obviously reviewed our extensive records, and has been extremely responsive while cycling.
Describe the protocols Cary Dicken used in your cycles at Sher Fertility of New York and their degree of success.
Our protocol has been shaped mainly by past failures and though our work with Dr. Wang. We use a combination of low-stims and estrogen priming, plus hGH. Dr Dicken added a few tweaks to that protocol for poor responders (like a dual trigger, for example). I liked that she had poor responder data and observations to back up her protocol tweaks.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
There are a lot of clinical coordinators at SIRM. Sometimes you’re not sure who to communicate with when a problem arises.
Describe your experience with Sher Fertility of New York.
I believe the embryology lab at SIRM is top notch. Financial can be difficult to navigate. And honestly it would be so much easier if each patient were assigned a dedicated clinical coordinator/nurse. It’s also no picnic trying to cycle out of town as a satellite patient. You really have to be your own advocate and review all of the calendars they send you.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Sher Fertility of New York.
I am a satellite patient and I monitored out of town and flew in for egg retrievals. It’s difficult but not impossible to do this but you have to be prepared to manage a lot of the appointment go-betweens yourself.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Cary Dicken at Sher Fertility of New York.
I am fortunate to finally have IVF coverage but it’s not the greatest and many thing still aren’t covered. The things we have had to pay out of pocket for are required to be paid for before cycling. SIRM is much more expensive out of pocket than other clinics we have been to.
Describe Cary Dicken's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Sher Fertility of New York.
Dr. Dicken counsels each patient on this individually.
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10
10
Age
28 - 30
Treated
2016 - 2018
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
3 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor, Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Unexplained
10
10
After 2 successful IVF cycles at another boutique clinic...that resulted in 2 miscarriages at ~8 weeks (devastating), we switched to Dr. T[ortoriello]. During my initial consult with Dr. T he recommended a different protocol, adding several new medications. On my 1st cycle with Dr. T, I became pregnant and successfully carried to term and delivered a beautiful baby boy into the world. 2 years later, we went back to Dr. T., the man worked his magic again, and voila, we now have baby boy #2. I intend to visit Dr. T again soon as my husband is eager for baby boy #3...ha!
It was a combination of Dr. Tortoriello's bedside manner and the fact that Sher Institute's process is personable and didn't have the feel of an assembly line...After 2 miscarriages at ~8 weeks while at another clinic, Dr. T added Lovenox and intralipids to my cycle medications. My previous clinic did not prescribe these. I was 27 during my 1st cycle, my husband was 45, and our issue becoming pregnant was likely male-factor though it also seemed that I had an issue maintaining pregnancy beyond 8 weeks.
Age
28 - 30
Treated
2016 - 2018
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
—
Occupation
Operations
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
3 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor, Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Unexplained
10
10
How was your experience with Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York?
It is my great honor and pleasure to write this recommendation for Dr. Tortoriello. He is a miracle worker. After 2 successful IVF cycles at another boutique clinic (on East 69th St. in Manhattan) that resulted in 2 miscarriages at ~8 weeks (devastating), we switched to Dr. T. During my initial consult with Dr. T he recommended a different protocol, adding several new medications. On my 1st cycle with Dr. T, I became pregnant and successfully carried to term and delivered a beautiful baby boy into the world. 2 years later, we went back to Dr. T., the man worked his magic again, and voila, we now have baby boy #2. I intend to visit Dr. T again soon as my husband is eager for baby boy #3...ha!
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York?
Be proactive about your case. This is true for any fertility doctor you visit.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York?
It was a combination of Dr. Tortoriello's bedside manner and the fact that Sher Institute's process is personable and didn't have the feel of an assembly line.
Describe the protocols Drew Tortoriello used in your cycles at Sher Fertility of New York and their degree of success.
After 2 miscarriages at ~8 weeks while at another clinic, Dr. T added Lovenox and intralipids to my cycle medications. My previous clinic did not prescribe these. I was 27 during my 1st cycle, my husband was 45, and our issue becoming pregnant was likely male-factor though it also seemed that I had an issue maintaining pregnancy beyond 8 weeks.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
The nurses were friendly, organized and communicative.
Describe your experience with Sher Fertility of New York.
Sher Fertility's strength is that it is a boutique clinic that can provide personalized care. You never feel like a number. The staff is
professional, organized and efficient. They are open on weekends, and I never had any issues with wait times.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York.
I was covered by insurance up to $25,000.
Describe Drew Tortoriello's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Sher Fertility of New York.
After I had my first son Dr. T recommended eSET for subsequent transfers due to my age and success getting pregnant with previous transfers.
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9
9
Age
35 - 37
Treated
2016 - 2018
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
2 IUI, 4 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Male Factor, Poor Egg Quality
9
9
Dr. Dicken was very compassionate...was always available on email and very through during all the consults I had including phone consults. She is a very kind woman and made me feel empowered and involved in my treatment plan. She never was condescending and she would get back to me with through responses via email during very stressful times and always put me at ease...I have DOR and we attempted to bank embryos and she usually stuck to the same protocol of low dose folistim and 1 vial of menopur but at my urging we did add other things into my protocol. I urged her to raise my dose once and she finally complied and it was a mistake and ended up a canceled cycle but I’m glad we at least tried.
My nurse Marian [at Sher Fertility of New York] was lovely. Jackie another nurse there was incredible to me. All the nurse staff even the ones that naturally had a rough way about them were all my angels...There were a few mishaps here and there but nothing egregious. Doctors and nurses are human too...PICSI cost $1000 even if it was just 2 eggs retrieved. Consults were $50. Most of my other costs I was lucky enough to have covered by insurance.
Age
35 - 37
Treated
2016 - 2018
Success with this Doc
No
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 4 Docs
Treatment
2 IUI, 4 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Male Factor, Poor Egg Quality
9
9
How was your experience with Cary Dicken at Sher Fertility of New York?
Dr Dicken was always available on email and very through during all the consults I had including phone consults. She is a very kind woman and made me feel empowered and involved in my treatment plan. She never was condescending and she would get back to me with through responses via email during very stressful times and always put me at ease.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Cary Dicken at Sher Fertility of New York?
Tell her what you are thinking and she will work with you to do the best treatment for you.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Cary Dicken at Sher Fertility of New York?
I felt that this clinic treated me very well. Everyone was always kind as Dr. Dicken was very compassionate
Describe the protocols Cary Dicken used in your cycles at Sher Fertility of New York and their degree of success.
I have DOR and we attempted to bank embryos and she usually stuck to the same protocol of low dose folistim and 1 vial of menopur but at my urging we did add other things into my protocol. I urged her to raise my dose once and she finally complied and it was a mistake and ended up a canceled cycle but I’m glad we at least tried.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Sher Fertility of New York. (Assigned nurse: Marian)
My nurse Marian was lovely. Jackie another nurse there was incredible to me. All the nurse staff even the ones that naturally had a rough way about them were all my angels.
Describe your experience with Sher Fertility of New York.
This clinic is small and personal. The doctors are flexible and the nurse staff is wonderful. I felt well taken care of even though I did not have the outcome I wanted. When I got naturally pregnant after years of failed treatments I went back to this clinic because I could not imagine getting treatment from anywhere else. That was unfortunately a miscarriage at 8 weeks but I was so grateful to go through that surrounded by so many kind people who knew me.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Cary Dicken at Sher Fertility of New York.
PICSI cost $1000 even if it was just 2 eggs retrieved. Consults were $50. Most of my other costs I was lucky enough to have covered by insurance.
What specific things went wrong at Sher Fertility of New York?
- Failed to order appropriate test
- Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Sher Fertility of New York.
There were a few mishaps here and there but nothing egregious. Doctors and nurses are human too.
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10
9
Age
55
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
2 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor, Other
10
9
My wife had a serious complication that resulted from ovarian over-stimulation. She wound up in the hospital. Dr. Tortoriello actively participated in her treatment and remotely was able to correctly diagnose my wife's condition. His correct diagnosis allowed us to avoid a very dangerous surgery proposed by the hospital staff. ... Dr. Tortoriello treated my wife and I as if we were the only patients that mattered.
The clinic [Sher Fertility of New York] offers a variety of fertility doctors. It is centrally located. It is not the cheapest. But, its quality to cost ratio is very good. A little more nursing help (in the form of a dedicated nurse assigned to the case) would eliminate the majority of confusion that occasionally crept in ... Frequently, the persons responding to a phone call were confused as to who should be consulted on a particular question. Appointment times were sometimes shuffled.
Age
55
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European, Ashkenazi Jewish, Latino, Black or African-American
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Consultant
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
2 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor, Other
10
9
How was your experience with Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York?
My wife had a serious complication that resulted from ovarian over-stimulation. She wound up in the hospital. Dr. Tortoriello actively participated in her treatment and remotely was able to correctly diagnose my wife's condition. His correct diagnosis allowed us to avoid a very dangerous surgery proposed by the hospital staff. For that, we are eternally grateful
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York?
Dr. Tortoriello is a very tactful person. Try to tamper your aggression. Trust this doctor to do the best for you. Ulterior motives exit when Dr. T enters
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York?
A number is faceless, a human (especially, a patient) requires compassion, attention to details, understanding, and I dare say empathy. Dr. Tortoriello treated my wife and I as if we were the only patients that mattered.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
Sometimes, there was confusion as to the appointment dates, test results, etc.
We attribute this to a lack of primary nursing help assignment. No malice.
Describe your experience with Sher Fertility of New York.
The clinic offers a variety of fertility doctors. It is centrally located. It is not the cheapest. But, its quality to cost ratio is very good. A little more nursing help (in the form of a dedicated nurse assigned to the case) would eliminate the majority of confusion that occasionally crept in
Describe the costs associated with your care under Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York.
The cost of the cycle (hormonal pre-retrieval therapy, egg retrieval, ICSI, pre-implantation hormonal therapy, PGS/PGD, fertilization, implantation) ran close to $20,000
Describe Drew Tortoriello's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Sher Fertility of New York.
Unfortunately, we did not have the luxury of having the availability of multiple embryos. Therefore, this question is moot
What specific things went wrong at Sher Fertility of New York?
- Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
- Failed to call with results
- Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Sher Fertility of New York.
Frequently, the persons responding to a phone call were confused as to who should be consulted on a particular question. Appointment times were sometimes shuffled.
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7
7
Age
38
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
3 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Poor Egg Quality
7
7
Dr T. [Tortoriello] is very responsive to emails, typically responding within 2 hours. Unfortunately, because I wasn’t a local patient and did remote monitoring (through another clinic), I didn’t get to have the regular/ frequent interaction with him during monitoring or speak with him about my results.... I have DOR so he did not want to use BC for priming since it would suppress my eggs. He had me on Estrogen patches before my cycle started, then Gonal F and Menapur.
Strength: you feel less like a number comparing to other clinics since it's a small clinic. They [Sher Fertility of NY] accept insurance. They treat DOR patients and don't give them the donor egg speech. Weakness: if you are not a local patient, you don't have the frequent interaction with your doctor.... On one occasion my test results were misread and they asked me to proceed with stims on a cycle that would have ended up being canceled due to a lead follicle.
Age
38
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
?
Race
Middle Eastern
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
3rd of 3 Docs
Treatment
3 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Poor Egg Quality
7
7
How was your experience with Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York?
He is patient and understanding of what his patients are going through. He is also very candid but you have to ask a lot of questions and be an educated patient. I had to ask about other options available. At times, I felt as a number. On one occasion he misread my test results and didn’t realize until I questioned it.
He is very responsive to emails and gets back to you promptly which is great but his emails were abbreviated.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York?
Be an educated patient. Ask questions. Schedule follow-up appointments.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York?
Dr T. is very responsive to emails, typically responding within 2 hours. Unfortunately, because I wasn’t a local patient and did remote monitoring (through another clinic), I didn’t get to have the regular/ frequent interaction with him during monitoring or speak with him about my results. If you do remote monitoring like I did, I would recommend arranging follow-up phone consultations after each monitoring. I found his emails too brief so I always had follow-up questions.
All in all, I would have appreciated more communication and personal guidance.
Describe the protocols Drew Tortoriello used in your cycles at Sher Fertility of New York and their degree of success.
I have DOR so he did not want to use BC for priming since it would suppress my eggs. He had me on Estrogen patches before my cycle started, then Gonal F and Menapur. He added another injectable to prevent early ovulation around D11. He then had me go in every couple of days and adjusted my dosage according to the results. he added HGH during my 2nd cycle which got cancelled due to a lead follicle.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Sher Fertility of New York. (Assigned nurse: Cecilia Choe)
Cecilia is organized and helpful. On one occasion, she located a local pharmacy close to midnight for me when I was traveling and that allowed me to continue stims.
Describe your experience with Sher Fertility of New York.
Strength: you feel less like a number comparing to other clinics since it's a small clinic. They accept insurance. They treat DOR patients and don't give them the donor egg speech.
Weakness: if you are not a local patient, you don't have the frequent interaction with your doctor.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Sher Fertility of New York.
I do remote monitoring in another state, so Im not aware of Sher's practice when it comes to monitoring
Describe the costs associated with your care under Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York.
I haven't received a bill yet.
Describe Drew Tortoriello's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Sher Fertility of New York.
n/a
What specific things went wrong at Sher Fertility of New York?
- Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Sher Fertility of New York.
On one occasion my test results were misread and they asked me to proceed with stims on a cycle that would have ended up being canceled due to a lead follicle.
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Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
10
10
Age
37 - 38
Treated
2017 - 2018
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
11 IUI, 3 IVF, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Endometriosis, Poor Egg Quality, Uterine Fibroids
10
10
Dr. Dicken was always clear, efficient, and realistic but positive. She responded to emails quickly, within 24 hours on weekends and much sooner during business hours. She easily answered any questions I had, and I always felt cared for. She went out of her way to support me when a cycle went awry financially and while it was a small thing for her, it made a huge difference to me. She responded conscientiously to my financial needs as well as my body to adjust treatment and I never felt like I wasn't getting the best care just because I couldn't afford every option.
Very nice facility [Sher Fertility of NY]. Some weird art. The staff knew me and again always struck me as efficient and conscientious. While Dr. Dicken was based on the 6th floor mostly, many procedures are on the third floor, and that could sometimes be confusing. Doctors cover for each other occasionally, and the in interactions I had with Dr. Tortoriello and Dr. Wang, I found them both pleasant, responsive and effective.
Age
37 - 38
Treated
2017 - 2018
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Teacher
Order & Number of Docs Seen
3rd of 3 Docs
Treatment
11 IUI, 3 IVF, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Endometriosis, Poor Egg Quality, Uterine Fibroids
10
10
How was your experience with Cary Dicken at Sher Fertility of New York?
Dr. Dicken was always clear, efficient, and realistic but positive. She responded to emails quickly, within 24 hours on weekends and much sooner during business hours. She easily answered any questions I had, and I always felt cared for. She went out of her way to support me when a cycle went awry financially and while it was a small thing for her, it made a huge difference to me. She responded conscientiously to my financial needs as well as my body to adjust treatment and I never felt like I wasn't getting the best care just because I couldn't afford every option.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Cary Dicken at Sher Fertility of New York?
If you're not sure, ask and she'll tell you.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Cary Dicken at Sher Fertility of New York?
Dr. Dicken and nurses and staff at the clinic were all kind and responsive in communicating.
Describe the protocols Cary Dicken used in your cycles at Sher Fertility of New York and their degree of success.
I had exhausted my covered IVF cycles and prescriptions and was limited to paying out of pocket for all drugs but had unlimited covered IUI cycles. She prescribed letrazole for low side-effect follicle stimulation, which I responded well to, producing 3-6 follicles for each of 5 cycles, the third resulting in a chemical pregnancy. Around that time, she suggested injectables would produce more eggs, if I could afford it. After two more negative cycles, I felt I was ready to try the more aggressive injectables. She gave me the choice of Menopur or Gonal-F, giving me a timeline and estimated number of doses, saying the output would be about the same. She did not indicate that the number of doses could go much higher, based on how my body responded, but it did, by five days, the follicles needing more time to grow than anticipated. I might have made a different choice had I known, but when it happened, I couldn't just scrap the cycle and while I did incur some unforeseen debt, she helped me out with a box of Menopur they had on hand at the clinic. This made a big difference to me both in how much I had to pay and struck me as a caring, humane gesture that certainly she didn't have to make. It was worth it, though, since that sixth cycle has ended up in a viable pregnancy!
Describe your experience with your nurse at Sher Fertility of New York. (Assigned nurse: Jacqueline Piccardo)
The nursing staff I encountered on visits were always kind, professional and efficient. I wish they all wore name tags because I often ended up seeing the same people and while they knew me, after a while, it was awkward not to know theirs and to have to ask. Jacqueline, the coordinating nurse, once or twice was party to minor miscommunication, but it was always resolved quickly. She always had a lovely affect, which goes a long way.
Describe your experience with Sher Fertility of New York.
Very nice facility. Some weird art. The staff knew me and again always struck me as efficient and conscientious. While Dr. Dicken was based on the 6th floor mostly, many procedures are on the third floor, and that could sometimes be confusing. Doctors cover for each other occasionally, and the in interactions I had with Dr. Tortoriello and Dr. Wang, I found them both pleasant, responsive and effective.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Cary Dicken at Sher Fertility of New York.
$50 copay each visit--30 for seeing the doctor, 20 for labs whether I had them done or not. I was billed later for fees. I ended up spending an average of $800 a month at the clinic and on associated out-of-pocket drug costs (I used Kings in Brooklyn) for IUI cycles using letrozole. I did not investigate discount online fertility pharmacies, and I wish I had.
What specific things went wrong at Sher Fertility of New York?
- Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Sher Fertility of New York.
Once a prescription was not sent in to the pharmacy. I sent an email and they remedied it quickly.
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10
10
Age
33
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
1 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Male Factor
10
10
The moment my husband and I met Dr. Wang we felt a breath of fresh air...Dr. Wang sat with us and answered ALL of our questions. Not once did we feel rushed. He made us feel like all of our questions were important questions. He also suggested supplements that he felt might help us and told us not to hesitate to contact him via email...For my current cycle, Dr. Wang suggested I lower my sim doses...
I liked this clinic [Sher] very much. Everything was organized and I always felt I was treated with respect. The nurses were always friendly and there was never a long wait. I was always seen within minutes of arriving at the office. Since I am a teacher, the office staff worked with me to accommodate my schedule. I like how they communicate via email and are always quick to answer any questions.
Age
33
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Teacher
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
1 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Male Factor
10
10
How was your experience with Jeffrey Wang at Sher Fertility of New York?
Dr. Wang truly listens to his patients' concerns and does his best to answer any questions with complete honesty. Every time I asked him something, he was quick to offer his suggestions and feedback about what he think would work best for my cycle. At every appointment he sat with me for a few extra minutes so that he could answer all of my questions. I never felt rushed! He never hesitated to make sure I felt comfortable with the course of action.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jeffrey Wang at Sher Fertility of New York?
If you have felt that all doctors have given up hope on you, please seek out Dr. Wang!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jeffrey Wang at Sher Fertility of New York?
The moment my husband and I met Dr. Wang we felt a breath of fresh air. Coming off a very bad experience with a different doctor at a different clinic, we felt we were given no other options but donor eggs, after only one IVF cycle. On the contrary, Dr. Wang sat with us and answered ALL of our questions. Not once did we feel rushed. He made us feel like all of our questions were important questions. He also suggested supplements that he felt might help us and told us not to hesitate to contact him via email. I already felt like I was in good hands even though we hadn't even started our cycle yet. Whenever I emailed Dr. Wang he was always quick to write a response. It felt good that Dr. Wang actually cared.
Describe the protocols Jeffrey Wang used in your cycles at Sher Fertility of New York and their degree of success.
For my current cycle, Dr. Wang suggested I lower my sim doses. At my prior clinic I was on very high doses, but Dr.Wang felt that lower doses would be just as effective. I was on Gonal, Menopur, Omnitrope, and also Predisone. I also did a double trigger for egg retrieval.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Sher Fertility of New York. (Assigned nurse: Cecilia Choe)
All the nurses at Sher were extremely organized and caring. I liked how they provided me with an email of what I had to do during sims. I liked this much better than phone communication. If I had any questions, I could email the nurse. Anytime I emailed them, they always got right back to me.
Describe your experience with Sher Fertility of New York.
I liked this clinic very much. Everything was organized and I always felt I was treated with respect. The nurses were always friendly and there was never a long wait. I was always seen within minutes of arriving at the office. Since I am a teacher, the office staff worked with me to accommodate my schedule. I like how they communicate via email and are always quick to answer any questions.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jeffrey Wang at Sher Fertility of New York.
I believe my treatment was approximately $7,000 with my insurance.
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Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
10
10
Age
38 - 39
Treated
2017 - 2018
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
2 IUI, 7 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Poor Egg Quality, Immunological
10
10
Dr. Wang is a very knowledgeable and compassionate doctor. He takes the time to answer all of your questions thoroughly. It is amazing and refreshing that patients are able to contact him directly instead of just communicating via nurses. Dr Wang understands that the infertility journey is difficult, scary, and ambiguous. He is open to ideas from his patients, but he will also tell you when he disagrees and the reasons why.
This clinic [Sher] is great to work with whether you are local to NY or if you live in another city. By being so easy to communicate with the nurses and the doctors, you never feel like you are far away or that you will be forgotten. They do make mistakes now and then... The only team that can be difficult to get answers from is the financial team...The other nurses - Cecilia and Lindsay - are also great. They are quick to reply to emails, and send out prescriptions to pharmacies quickly and to other clinics if you are monitoring remotely.
Age
38 - 39
Treated
2017 - 2018
Success with this Doc
No
Race
Latino
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
2 IUI, 7 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Poor Egg Quality, Immunological
10
10
How was your experience with Jeffrey Wang at Sher Fertility of New York?
Dr. Wang is a very knowledgeable and compassionate doctor. He takes the time to answer all of your questions thoroughly. It is amazing and refreshing that patients are able to contact him directly instead of just communicating via nurses. Dr Wang understands that the infertility journey is difficult, scary, and ambiguous. He is open to ideas from his patients, but he will also tell you when he disagrees and the reasons why. You also never feel like his recommendations are just part of a script. Your protocols and other tests are always done for a specific reason and he will tell you those reasons. His bedside manner is warm, friendly, and compassionate. He takes the time to communicate both good and difficult information directly to his patients.
Perhaps the only criticism is that sometimes he will leave some decisions up to his patients when sometimes as a patient you just want to be told what to do. However, he only does this when the outcome for either decision will remain unknown until tried, as every individual will react differently and there is know way to know ahead of time.
Above all, you feel like you are part of a true doctor-patient relationship with Dr Wang and you feel like you can trust his recommendations. Even when some cycles don't work out as you hoped, you never feel like noone was watching or that a true attempt wasn't made. And that makes such a difference in the journey.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jeffrey Wang at Sher Fertility of New York?
Ask every question you have, no matter how silly you think it might be. Dr Wang is a rare doctor that never makes you feel like any question is dumb, or that you are bothering him or insulting his role as a doctor.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jeffrey Wang at Sher Fertility of New York?
Dr Wang gives very personalized care. And you can actually communicate with him directly. He takes the time to explain what he recommends and you never feel like he is just throwing out a cookie-cutter protocol.
Describe the protocols Jeffrey Wang used in your cycles at Sher Fertility of New York and their degree of success.
Micro-dose lupron with Follitism and hgh - 1st cycle cancelled due to only 4 follicles growing. 2nd cycle - retrieved 4 eggs.
Antagonist with follistim and hgh - 1st cycle cancelled due to low response. 2nd cycle - 5 eggs retrieved.
Micro-dose lupron with Follitism, hgh, letrezole - 7 eggs retrieved.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Sher Fertility of New York. (Assigned nurse: Leslie)
Dr Wang has great nurses. Leslie is the main nurse and Dr Wang's right hand. She's amazing. The other nurses - Cecilia and Lindsay - are also great. They are quick to reply to emails, and send out prescriptions to pharmacies quickly and to other clinics if you are monitoring remotely.
Describe your experience with Sher Fertility of New York.
This clinic is great to work with whether you are local to NY or if you live in another city. By being so easy to communicate with the nurses and the doctors, you never feel like you are far away or that you will be forgotten.
They do make mistakes now and then as all clinics, and people in general, are apt to make, but because they are so readily available through email, corrections are made quickly.
The only team that can be difficult to get answers from is the financial team.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jeffrey Wang at Sher Fertility of New York.
$9950 freeze all cycle - if monitoring not done at Sher.
$3820 - FET (does not include monitoring. I'm a remote patient)
$1800 - PGS testing. covered up to 8 embryos over 9 months.
Describe Jeffrey Wang's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Sher Fertility of New York.
Dr Wang approved transferring 3 embryos due to my age and embryo quality. Otherwise, I'm not sure if he has strong feelings to doing eSET vs multiple in other circumstances.
What specific things went wrong at Sher Fertility of New York?
- Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Sher Fertility of New York.
There was a miscommunication in follistim dosage that was put on the calendar that was sent out. But I was able to confirm with Dr Wang directly with what had been discussed previously for dosage, and the nurse sent out a corrected calendar.
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8
8
Age
36 - 37
Treated
2017 - 2018
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
1 IVF
Diagnosis
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss
8
8
He [Dr. Tortoriello] is quiet and introverted...For the first two FET rounds: Crinone Estrace Prednisone (slightly elevated NK levels) Lovenox (for slightly elevated anticardiolipin) Intralipids (slightly elevated NK levels) For third, I switched to PIO thinking maybe it was affecting implantation, skipped prednisone and intralipids and waited on the lovenox until a positive beta. This transfer worked, and so far so good.
[Sher Fertility has] Appointments rather than open monitoring...Don't feel like a number...It's almost always empty which makes me nervous! Big staff and sometimes feels disorganized...Modern facilities Modern communications...Financial coordination is great...She [nurse] was very responsive and supportive. Easy to talk to by email...I believe they misplaced a test result (test for initial clearance for an FET) but overall were very organized
Age
36 - 37
Treated
2017 - 2018
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Ashkenazi Jewish
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Consultant
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
1 IVF
Diagnosis
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss
8
8
How was your experience with Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York?
Dr T is a wonderful person, and I feel safe and well cared for with him. He knows his stuff and has zero ego. He is open to experimental treatment but committed to the standard fundamentals.
I did have two failed transfers with him, however, with tested embryos. He recommended a very different protocol than I had had previously, and I wonder if it was too different, or too out there. His protocol included things like prednisone and intralipids, which I know are controversial.
When I wanted to switch back to a more standard protocol he was very supportive, and so far this one has worked (I'm 11 weeks). I would feel very comfortable going to him for a future cycle.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York?
You must do your own research and be proactive! He is quiet and introverted ... Make sure you ask all your questions!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York?
His bedside care is amazing. He is warm, open, and caring. He listens and is incredibly patient. He remembers my case and responds to every email!
Describe the protocols Drew Tortoriello used in your cycles at Sher Fertility of New York and their degree of success.
For the first two FET rounds:
Crinone
Estrace
Prednisone (slightly elevated NK levels)
Lovenox (for slightly elevated anticardiolipin)
Intralipids (slightly elevated NK levels)
For third, I switched to PIO thinking maybe it was affecting implantation, skipped prednisone and intralipids and waited on the lovenox until a positive beta. This transfer worked, and so far so good.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Sher Fertility of New York. (Assigned nurse: Lindsay )
She was very responsive and supportive. Easy to talk to by email. Seems to know her stuff but for some reason I'm not blown away by her capabilities as a nurse.
Describe your experience with Sher Fertility of New York.
Boutique
Appointments rather than open monitoring
Don't feel like a number
It's almost always empty which makes me nervous!
Big staff and sometimes feels disorganized
Modern facilities
Modern communications
Financial coordination is great
Describe the costs associated with your care under Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York.
$1540 per transfer with insurance
Plus other costs
Describe Drew Tortoriello's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Sher Fertility of New York.
He was very open and asked my preference. Because I said single without hesitating, we didn't discuss it further
What specific things went wrong at Sher Fertility of New York?
- Lost paperwork
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Sher Fertility of New York.
I believe they misplaced a test result (test for initial clearance for an FET) but overall were very organized
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10
10
Age
39
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
1 Embryo Freezing
Diagnosis
—
10
10
My follicles grew slowly so I had a long stimming cycle and adjustments were made throughout [my cycle with Dr. Drew Tortoriello]...a very calm and reassuring physician...Dr. T really explained everything and answered all my questions. You can tell he cares deeply about patients, and I never felt like a number. I could email him and he would reply very quickly...He doesn't make promises, but he will take so much of the anxiety out of the process. If you need someone who is reassuring, honest, and thoughtful, Dr. T your best bet.
I absolutely loved working with Lindsay [nurse at Sher Fertility]. She was so incredibly helpful and responsive. Having that kind of support made me feel like I had a team going through the process with me, rather than just me and my husband... I had a couple of great conversations with the Financial Coordinator who practically gave me a line item budget of what everything would cost, what insurance covered, etc. It was so very helpful to go into the process with a clear picture of what we would need to pay upfront.
Age
39
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Black or African-American
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
1 Embryo Freezing
Diagnosis
—
10
10
How was your experience with Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York?
I met with a RE at another clinic before working with Dr. Tortoriello and the experience was like night and day. While the other physician had zero beside manner and barely let me speak, Dr. T really explained everything and answered all my questions. You can tell he cares deeply about patients, and I never felt like a number. I could email him and he would reply very quickly. If I pursue more IVF, it would definitely be under his care.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York?
He doesn't make promises, but he will take so much of the anxiety out of the process. If you need someone who is reassuring, honest, and thoughtful, Dr. T your best bet.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York?
Dr. Tortoriello is a very calm and reassuring physician. He presented information without editorializing or imposing any judgement.
Describe the protocols Drew Tortoriello used in your cycles at Sher Fertility of New York and their degree of success.
I was on Gonal-F, Menopur, and Cetrotide. My follicles grew slowly so I had a long stimming cycle and adjustments were made throughout. Gonal-F started at 300 but increased to 350. Menopur started at 75 and increased to 150.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Sher Fertility of New York. (Assigned nurse: Lindsay Cluff)
I absolutely loved working with Lindsay. She was so incredibly helpful and responsive. Having that kind of support made me feel like I had a team going through the process with me, rather than just me and my husband.
Describe your experience with Sher Fertility of New York.
Sher has a pretty good system so for the most part you only deal with your primary physician. I had to come in on the weekend once for an ultrasound and met a different doctor on call but in terms of the care I received, it was the same.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York.
I was able to use my insurance to cover my care, although we paid for medications out-of-pocket. I had a couple of great conversations with the Financial Coordinator who practically gave me a line item budget of what everything would cost, what insurance covered, etc. It was so very helpful to go into the process with a clear picture of what we would need to pay upfront.
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10
10
Age
40 - 41
Treated
2017 - 2018
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
2 IUI, 5 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Endometriosis, Male Factor, Other
10
10
He [Dr. Wang] treats you with so much compassion and he is the very best at what he does. He tested us for things that other clinics either overlooked and blew off, or didn't bother to look into at all...Jeff is really good with cases of poor responders (aka diminished ovarian reserve). ..Jeff is so patient about working with us through that plan. If he can't help us get pregnant, I am convinced no RE can...I've never met a doctor quite like Jeff before. Jeff really makes me feel like part of the team that is treating our infertility and not just a number in a paper gown.
The clinic [Sher] itself seemed to be undergoing some changes in management right around the time that I became a patient there. The financial division was somewhat difficult to work with prior to the onset of my cycle. But the clinic itself, or rather the chain of clinics, are nationally renowned for their outside of the box thinking and their successes with the most difficult of cases....Everyone seemed efficient. I don't have a lot to say about the nursing staff.
Age
40 - 41
Treated
2017 - 2018
Success with this Doc
?
Race
European
Income
—
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
5th of 5 Docs
Treatment
2 IUI, 5 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Endometriosis, Male Factor, Other
10
10
How was your experience with Jeffrey Wang at Sher Fertility of New York?
I can't stress this enough: if you have been to other clinics and have had failed IVF cycles but you are not done fighting infertility yet, you absolutely need to go see Jeff. He treats you with so much compassion and he is the very best at what he does. He tested us for things that other clinics either overlooked and blew off, or didn't bother to look into at all. We aren't pregnant yet, but we have plan of action and Jeff is so patient about working with us through that plan. If he can't help us get pregnant, I am convinced no RE can.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jeffrey Wang at Sher Fertility of New York?
He's so worth it. I don't even live in NY. He's that worth it.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jeffrey Wang at Sher Fertility of New York?
I've never met a doctor quite like Jeff before. Jeff really makes me feel like part of the team that is treating our infertility and not just a number in a paper gown.
Describe the protocols Jeffrey Wang used in your cycles at Sher Fertility of New York and their degree of success.
Jeff is really good with cases of poor responders (aka diminished ovarian reserve). Our first attempt with him I responded too quickly and unevenly so we cancelled, and the second time around we adjusted a few things and everything went much more smoothly. It was my 9th and 10th attempt overall and Jeff really studied all of my prior cycles so that he knew what had worked and not worked in the past.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Sher Fertility of New York. (Assigned nurse: Leslie)
Everyone seemed efficient. I don't have a lot to say about the nursing staff.
Describe your experience with Sher Fertility of New York.
The clinic itself seemed to be undergoing some changes in management right around the time that I became a patient there. The financial division was somewhat difficult to work with prior to the onset of my cycle. But the clinic itself, or rather the chain of clinics, are nationally renowned for their outside of the box thinking and their successes with the most difficult of cases.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jeffrey Wang at Sher Fertility of New York.
This clinic is costlier than other clinics.
Describe Jeffrey Wang's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Sher Fertility of New York.
We have not yet transferred. We have only done retrievals with freezing. I believe that he assesses these things on a case by case basis.
What specific things went wrong at Sher Fertility of New York?
- Provided conflicting information
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10
10
Age
39 - 40
Treated
2017 - 2018
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
3 IUI, 2 IVF, Donor Eggs, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Endometriosis, Poor Egg Quality, Uterine Fibroids, Immunological
10
10
He [Dr. Wang] was immediately completely different from what I had experienced at a much bigger clinic. He is patient and kind and thoughtful and researches your case. His responses to your emails are extremely thorough. When I did a test with him (EFT test for implantation and it came back with suspected endometriosis) - he referred me to someone outside of their practice for further diagnosis and surgery. When I didn't agree with Dr Wangs suggestion of taking Lupron and forgoing the surgery, he was very agreeable and worked with the surgeon and continued to be responsive and available.
All of the nurses and coordinators at Sher are very responsive... they're generally very competent....Sher is a small clinic. You won't be in a massive waiting room of people for monitoring hours. You will only see your doctor for monitoring so you will have to work with their schedules a bit but it's worth it. It's not the most modern office...I had a few instances where prescriptions were called in wrong and I had to redo them. a few times my med chart was different than what I had discussed with the doctor but wasn't conveyed to the nurse.
Age
39 - 40
Treated
2017 - 2018
Success with this Doc
No
Race
European, Middle Eastern
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Business Executive
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
3 IUI, 2 IVF, Donor Eggs, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Endometriosis, Poor Egg Quality, Uterine Fibroids, Immunological
10
10
How was your experience with Jeffrey Wang at Sher Fertility of New York?
My background - I started seeing Dr. Wang after a terrible experience at another clinic. He was immediately completely different from what I had experienced at a much bigger clinic. He is patient and kind and thoughtful and researches your case. His responses to your emails are extremely thorough. When I did a test with him (EFT test for implantation and it came back with suspected endometriosis) - he referred me to someone outside of their practice for further diagnosis and surgery. When I didn't agree with Dr Wangs suggestion of taking Lupron and forgoing the surgery, he was very agreeable and worked with the surgeon and continued to be responsive and available. I really valued that even when I went to see someone else he was still open to hearing opinions and thoughts.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jeffrey Wang at Sher Fertility of New York?
Meet him. Do the consultation. Ignore that Sher may have lower SART stats (and really not statistically significant) than other big NYC clinics.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jeffrey Wang at Sher Fertility of New York?
In spite of still not being successful, I have nothing but good things to say about Dr. Wang. He is responsive, compassionate, thoughtful. He responds to emails on nights, weekends, all the time really, with thorough responses. He always asks what you think, too. Doesn't just give his opinion. He's open to your thoughts and feedback but is also authoritative when you need him to be. He manages all your monitoring appointments. His bedside manner is great. It feels like he is really invested in your success.
Describe the protocols Jeffrey Wang used in your cycles at Sher Fertility of New York and their degree of success.
Round 1 : standard protocol - menopur, gonal f, ganirellex -- cycle cancelled due to too few follicles, converted to iui
Diminished reserve diagnosis
Round 2 : birth control pills, ganirellex to start - menopur, gonal f -- cycle cancelled. Low follicle count.
Round 3 : birth control pills, gonal f, menopur, ganirellex, trigger shot -- 5 follicles retrieved, 4 fertilized, no blasts
Round 4: similar to round 3, 4 follicles, converted to iui
Round 5: similar to round 3 & 4, introduced steroid for inflammation; cancelled around day 5. Few follicles.
Moved to donor embryos
EFT test - revealed high levels of cyclin E consistent with possible endometriosis-- referred to surgeon for endo excision and immune panel
Describe your experience with your nurse at Sher Fertility of New York. (Assigned nurse: Leslie )
All of the nurses and coordinators at Sher are very responsive. Like all clinics I do think you have to stay on top of them and be constantly checking that the plan is the same you agreed with the dr, the orders have been placed, etc. but they're generally very competent.
Describe your experience with Sher Fertility of New York.
Sher is a small clinic. You won't be in a massive waiting room of people for monitoring hours. You will only see your doctor for monitoring so you will have to work with their schedules a bit but it's worth it. It's not the most modern office but everyone is very nice and you feel taken care of.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jeffrey Wang at Sher Fertility of New York.
United healthcare coverage - 80/20 after $4k deductible.
What specific things went wrong at Sher Fertility of New York?
- Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
- Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Sher Fertility of New York.
I had a few instances where prescriptions were called in wrong and I had to redo them. And a few times my med chart was different than what I had discussed with the doctor but wasn't conveyed to the nurse.
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10
10
Age
41 - 43
Treated
2016 - 2018
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
2 IVF, Donor Eggs
Diagnosis
Poor Egg Quality, Uterine Fibroids, Unexplained
10
10
I had 12 eggs retrieved and 6 embryos were frozen [with Dr. Tortoriello]. I sent all the embryos for biopsy and PGS testing. They all came back abnormal. After discussions with Dr. Tortoriello and going over my PGS results, I decided to go the donor egg route as my egg quality was not resulting in normal embryos to transfer...was always available to speak with me whether over the phone , in person or via email. He always took his time to explain all of my options and any answered any concerns or questions I had during my process. Loved his one-on-one communication.
I love the fact that Sher is a boutique type of clinic. Everyone is always available to speak with you whether you are there in person, over the phone or via email. The office is bright, clean and just overall inviting. The staff always greets you with a smile. I honestly can not think of any weaknesses I experienced during my treatment. They are open on the weekends for monitoring and are very good at making sure you are seen at your appointment time. I have never had an issue waiting to be seen. I always saw Dr. Tortoriello during my visits. Overall, I had a great experience.
Age
41 - 43
Treated
2016 - 2018
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Latino
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
2 IVF, Donor Eggs
Diagnosis
Poor Egg Quality, Uterine Fibroids, Unexplained
10
10
How was your experience with Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York?
I felt at ease with Dr. Tortoriello during my first consultation with him. He is very soft spoken as well as very thorough in explaining the pros and cons, as well as answering all of my questions. It was very easy to make my decision to pick him to be my fertility doctor. Any other consultations I had at other clinics made me feel like a number and not a human. He always made me feel like a human.
During my treatment with Dr. Tortoriello, he was always very personable and accessible. There was never a time that I did not get a call back or an email reply to my questions or concerns during treatment.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York?
I would tell a prospective patient to pick him as your fertility doctor. He takes his time with you and explains everything to you. You will not be disappointed.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York?
Dr. Tortoriello was always available to speak with me whether over the phone , in person or via email. He always took his time to explain all of my options and any answered any concerns or questions I had during my process. Loved his one-on-one communication.
Describe the protocols Drew Tortoriello used in your cycles at Sher Fertility of New York and their degree of success.
In 2016, I had an egg retrieval. The medication used was as follows: Lupron 10 units, Ganirelix 250 mcg, Gonal F 225 units, Menopur 75 units and Trigger Shot 10,000 IU. I had 13 eggs retrieved, 10 matured and fertilized and 7 embryos were frozen. I did not do any PGS testing during this first egg retrieval. In the same year, I did two frozen transfers. I transferred 2 embryos the first time and 1 embryo the second time and got negative results on both occasions. I then decided to unfreeze and biopsy (PGS testing) the 4 remaining embryos and they all came back abnormal (chromosomes). I then decided to discard those abnormal embryos and not transfer them. In 2017, I had another egg retrieval. The medication used was as follows: Lupron 10 units, Ganirelix 250 mcg, Gonal F 225 units, Menopur 75 units and Trigger Shot 10,000 IU. I had 12 eggs retrieved and 6 embryos were frozen. I sent all the embryos for biopsy and PGS testing. They all came back abnormal.
After discussions with Dr. Tortoriello and going over my PGS results, I decided to go the donor egg route as my egg quality was not resulting in normal embryos to transfer. In my case, my egg donor was my sister. It resulted in us having 2 normal PGS tested embryos. I transferred one of those embryos and got a positive pregnancy and a live birth. He is currently 7 months old.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Sher Fertility of New York. (Assigned nurse: Bushra Suddal)
My primary nurse was Bushra Suddal, but I also was helped by other nurses at Sher. Bushra and all of the staff were absolutely amazing. They were always responsive and answered all of my concerns immediately. I have reached out to Bushra during after hours as well as on weekends and she always replied (email or telephone) to any questions I had whether it was a medication question or just a general question I had at the time. The staff (no matter who I reached out to) was always quick to reply and handle any concern I had. Making my appointments was always easy and I never had an issue getting a date and time that worked with my work schedule.
Describe your experience with Sher Fertility of New York.
I love the fact that Sher is a boutique type of clinic. Everyone is always available to speak with you whether you are there in person, over the phone or via email. The office is bright, clean and just overall inviting. The staff always greets you with a smile. I honestly can not think of any weaknesses I experienced during my treatment. They are open on the weekends for monitoring and are very good at making sure you are seen at your appointment time. I have never had an issue waiting to be seen. I always saw Dr. Tortoriello during my visits. Overall, I had a great experience.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York.
My care under Dr. Tortoriello was primarily covered under my husband's insurance plan. My insurance covered 2 egg retrievals (my own egg retrievals), 2 transfers and medication associated with both egg retrievals and both transfers using my own eggs/embryos. However, my egg donor process was paid out-of-pocket. My out-of-pocket cost for my egg donor process plus transferring the embryo was approximately $22K (including egg retrieval of egg donor, medication for her, anesthesia for her, my transfer and my medication).
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10
10
Age
45
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
7 Embryo Freezing, IVF
Diagnosis
Other
10
10
She [Dr. Dicken] was so positive and encouraging. She was open to my own ideas and made me feel like we were partnering and not like I was a science project. At the same time she is professional knowledgeable and made a protocol that didn’t feel cookie cutter. ... Estrogen priming antagonist protocol with icsi. ... We transferred 2 as I was 44 at time of transfer. ...Embryo banking till we got enough embies to transfer.
On the clerical side [of Sher Fertility of New York], I was told the day before my transfer that I owed a substantial amount of money even though I was assured these charges were covered by insurance. I found it to be terrible timing and also not cool that the insurance coordinator wasn’t clean on what was covered. The lady was very sweet, but she needed to be more precise about that.
Age
45
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Black or African-American
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Operations
Order & Number of Docs Seen
3rd of 3 Docs
Treatment
7 Embryo Freezing, IVF
Diagnosis
Other
10
10
How was your experience with Cary Dicken at Sher Fertility of New York?
She was so positive and encouraging. She was open to my own ideas and made me feel like we were partnering and not like I was a science project. At the same time she is professional knowledgeable and made a protocol that didn’t feel cookie cutter.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Cary Dicken at Sher Fertility of New York?
Don’t be afraid to ask questions and trust her instincts. I was so annoyed she sent me for an MRI of my uterus... it turns out my earlier RE’s totally missed that I had a uterine septum! Her instincts were right!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Cary Dicken at Sher Fertility of New York?
She a d her staff were just really cool and personable. They remember you and your case and everyone was positive and encouraging.
Describe the protocols Cary Dicken used in your cycles at Sher Fertility of New York and their degree of success.
Estrogen priming antagonist protocol with icsi. Embryo banking till we got enough embies to transfer.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Sher Fertility of New York. (Assigned nurse: Mariam)
All the nurses were awesome, including my nurse coordinator, tho she started slipping a bit here and there. She sometimes gave incorrect updates which when I double checked was corrected. Generally, she was good, and I found two other nurses I could reach out to (also part of the team) who were always on point. Together, The team was amazing.
Describe your experience with Sher Fertility of New York.
It’s hard for me to make much of a complaint on the clinical side, they gave me my rainbow baby at 45 with my own eggs. To me they are IVF superheroes. On the clerical side, I was told the day before my transfer that I owed a substantial amount of money even though I was assured these charges were covered by insurance. I found it to be terrible timing and also not cool that the insurance coordinator wasn’t clean on what was covered. The lady was very sweet, but she needed to be more precise about that.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Cary Dicken at Sher Fertility of New York.
I don’t remember actual prices as my insurance covered almost everything
Describe Cary Dicken's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Sher Fertility of New York.
We transferred 2 as I was 44 at time of transfer. Ultimately one stuck and I am nursing her as I type!
What specific things went wrong at Sher Fertility of New York?
- Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Sher Fertility of New York.
Just a couple times the coordinating nurse told me one thing in person and then emailed me something in error. When I wrote back to confirm, she was able to give the right info. Wasn’t a big deal.
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10
10
Age
38
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
3 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor, Poor Egg Quality
10
10
I saw Dr. Tortoriello for every visit. He did each and every ultrasound and at the end of each scan he told me exactly where he thought i was in the process in relation to where he thought I ought to be. He did both my egg harvest and embryo implantation. He responded to all my many emails, even during his Easter weekend. ... He is my second IVF doctor and was a breath of fresh air. I genuinely felt he was my partner in this process
The 6th floor is beautiful to look at and very well run [Sher Fertility of New York]. I waited never more than 10 minutes. ... They need to open a bit earlier though as I had to rush to work after each visit. ... She [nurse] communicated with me practically daily and I actually feel bad at the number of times I had her call me! she was patient and soft-spoken and read and responded to most emails within 15 minutes.
Age
38
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Ashkenazi Jewish, Latino, Middle Eastern
Income
$500K
Occupation
Investment Banker
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
3 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor, Poor Egg Quality
10
10
How was your experience with Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York?
He is my second IVF doctor and was a breath of fresh air. I genuinely felt he was my partner in this process...which was a big deal for me as my husband travels a lot and it's easy to get overwhelmed if you are doing a lot of this immense process alone. His warmth and intellect I found to be a perfect combination.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York?
Consult with him early onward and then make your choice.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York?
I saw Dr. Tortoriello for every visit. He did each and every ultrasound and at the end of each scan he told me exactly where he thought i was in the process in relation to where he thought I ought to be. He did both my egg harvest and embryo implantation. He responded to all my many emails, even during his Easter weekend.
Describe the protocols Drew Tortoriello used in your cycles at Sher Fertility of New York and their degree of success.
We did an estrogen priming protocol that incorporated omnitrope (growth hormone). We were planning to do a fresh transfer but I had fluid in my uterus so we had to freeze and then do a frozen transfer. I had fluid in my uterus with my previous doctors but they downplayed it and both prior transfers with them failed. So Dr. Tortoriello was the first to acknowledge this and correct for it.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Sher Fertility of New York. (Assigned nurse: Cecily)
She communicated with me practically daily and I actually feel bad at the number of times I had her call me! she was patient and soft-spoken and read and responded to most emails within 15 minutes.
Describe your experience with Sher Fertility of New York.
The 6th floor is beautiful to look at and very well run. I waited never more than 10 minutes. (Plus they have my favorite cookies out). They need to open a bit earlier though as I had to rush to work after each visit.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York.
No issues...was out of pocket.
Describe Drew Tortoriello's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Sher Fertility of New York.
Dr. Tortoriello told me that twins were a high risk pregnancy so we opted to transfer just one blast and it took!
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10
10
Age
41 - 44
Treated
2015 - 2018
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
2 IVF, Donor Eggs
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Poor Egg Quality
10
10
Dr. Dicken was a kind and understanding doctor, who did not hesitate to give us the information we needed but was sensitive and considerate when she had bad news to deliver. She remembered us, kept in touch and was always available when we needed her...took the time to explain things when we had questions. She was encouraging but was always clear about risks and the probability of success.
We dealt closely with two or three nurses under Dr. Dicken [at Sher Fertility of New York]. All were excellent. They were not only professional but were warm and friendly. It made a big difference to us that even the receptionists at the front desk remembered our names and greeted us warmly every time we saw them...We compared facilities and found that costs at SHER were about average.
Age
41 - 44
Treated
2015 - 2018
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Writer
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
2 IVF, Donor Eggs
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Poor Egg Quality
10
10
How was your experience with Cary Dicken at Sher Fertility of New York?
We found Dr. Dicken to be a consummate professional who gave us clear information and took the time to explain things when we had questions. She was encouraging but was always clear about risks and the probability of success. Dr. Dicken also remained available to us when we had questions for her. She responded promptly to emails and made sure that her staff followed up when necessary. We saw her at every appointment that involved a doctor.
It is hard to overstate how important this was for us. We went to Dr. Dicken after first seeing a well-known doctor at a major facility who we found cold, remote and insensitive. By contrast, we felt comfortable with Dr. Dicken as our guide through this sometimes difficult process. After some setbacks, we were blessed with a beautiful baby boy and we are eternally grateful to Dr. Dicken for her help in getting us there.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Cary Dicken at Sher Fertility of New York?
The advice I would give is to see Dr. Dicken first before trying other facilities. Frankly, we wasted time and money with another doctor who was more of a big name but ended up a disappointment.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Cary Dicken at Sher Fertility of New York?
Dr. Dicken was a kind and understanding doctor, who did not hesitate to give us the information we needed but was sensitive and considerate when she had bad news to deliver. She remembered us, kept in touch and was always available when we needed her. In contrast to other doctors we saw, Dr. Dicken was as kind and warm as she was totally professional. That made a great difference to us as we were going through a stressful process.
Describe the protocols Cary Dicken used in your cycles at Sher Fertility of New York and their degree of success.
When we first came to see Dr. Dicken, we were trying IVF using our own eggs. We knew the odds were against us - and Dr. Dicken was clear with us about the statistics - but we were not ready to give up. Dr. Dicken led us through two cycles and made some adjustments to the process. After two IVF cycles, we decided to use an egg donor. The first transfer was not successful, and Dr. Dicken again made some adjustments to the treatment. The second time it worked.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Sher Fertility of New York.
We dealt closely with two or three nurses under Dr. Dicken. All were excellent. They were not only professional but were warm and friendly. It made a big difference to us that even the receptionists at the front desk remembered our names and greeted us warmly every time we saw them.
Describe your experience with Sher Fertility of New York.
This is a relatively small clinic, which for us was a plus. Before going to SHER, we first went to another facility that was much larger and felt like an assembly line where no one knew our name; frankly, we came to feel unwelcome at this other facility, as though we were dragging down their success statistics. In contrast, SHER was a smaller, kinder and more welcoming place, while still being totally professional.
As we were nearing the end of our treatment, SHER was sold to another company. Some changes started to happen, such as reorganization of offices and departments, but we saw only a little of this as we were on our way out (happily, we became pregnant and had a baby). So because we didn't have much experience with SHER after the sale, we don't feel that we can fully evaluate it today.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Cary Dicken at Sher Fertility of New York.
We compared facilities and found that costs at SHER were about average.
What specific things went wrong at Sher Fertility of New York?
- Lost paperwork
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Sher Fertility of New York.
One time, a nurse apparently lost some requested paperwork that we brought in and left at the front desk for her. We were annoyed with this but it was the only time anything like that happened. Otherwise they were completely organized and professional about all things.
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10
10
Age
36
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
1 IVF, 1 Embryo Freezing
Diagnosis
Male Factor
10
10
Email is [Dr. Drew Tortoriello's] best way of communication...My hormones were high leading up to my egg retrieval so he changed my trigger shot from hcg to Lupron...was very kind every time I went to see him. Very soft spoken and made me feel very comfortable...During my egg retrieval he was calm and patient and caring and checked up on me afterwards to make sure I didn’t have complications. I plan on using his services when I am ready to implant.
I never had to wait more than 5 minutes when I came in for an appt [at Sher Fertility of New York]. After my appt they were very quick and good in explaining my next steps. I would have to say timeliness was their biggest strength. For weakness I would say I wish they had someone like a social worker or therapist on hand or that the recommend. Going thru this process can be very hard on your mind and being able to talk to someone about what your feeling would have been great
Age
36
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Other
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Investment Banker
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
1 IVF, 1 Embryo Freezing
Diagnosis
Male Factor
10
10
How was your experience with Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York?
Dr T was fantastic from my consultation wiith him to having 17 embryos frozen! Having infertility issues is devestating but finding a doctor like him and now being able to plan a family is amazing. I am grateful for meeting him. Every appt I had with him was comfortable and fast. I would sometimes go on my lunch break and didn’t have to take much time off of work. During my egg retrieval he was calm and patient and caring and checked up on me afterwards to make sure I didn’t have complications. I plan on using his services when I am ready to implant.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York?
Email is his best way of communication and it was mine too because of work. That was perfect. Every email I sent was replied to within minutes by either the doctor or the nurse
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York?
Dr T was very kind every time I went to see him. Very soft spoken and made me feel very comfortable
Describe the protocols Drew Tortoriello used in your cycles at Sher Fertility of New York and their degree of success.
I was on menapur, gonal f, and ganirelix. My hormones were high leading up to my egg retrieval so he changed my trigger shot from hcg to Lupron. Afterwards I took a prescription to lower hormones along with ganirelex
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
I hate doing blood work because I have small veins but needed to do it every appt. but they were gentle and did a great job
Describe your experience with Sher Fertility of New York.
I never had to wait more than 5 minutes when I came in for an appt. After my appt they were very quick and good in explaining my next steps. I would have to say timeliness was their biggest strength. For weakness I would say I wish they had someone like a social worker or therapist on hand or that the recommend. Going thru this process can be very hard on your mind and being able to talk to someone about what your feeling would have been great
Describe the costs associated with your care under Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York.
I had Cigna so they covered most after I met my deductible. The prescription medicine was an expense I didn’t budget. Cigna covered it but I had to pay a copay and that was 1k
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10
8
Age
41 - 43
Treated
2016 - 2018
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
4 IVF, 3 Embryo Freezing
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Endometriosis, Uterine Fibroids, Other
10
8
Although Doctor Wang didn't have a lot of time the time that he did spend was meaningful. He always made me feel important and most of all he was extremely responsive via email. I've emailed other doctors and till this day some of them have yet to respond. Doctor Wang is an amazing doctor the most compassionate doctor I have ever met. In addition, he's extremely smart and thinks outside the box.
Other staff member were nice but at times insensitive. I think because some of the aides were young and not trained well enough on dealing with fertility patients... My insurance paid for two cycles with the doctor, but the times i paid cash it was extremely expensive.
Age
41 - 43
Treated
2016 - 2018
Success with this Doc
?
Race
Black or African-American
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Lawyer
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 3 Docs
Treatment
4 IVF, 3 Embryo Freezing
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Endometriosis, Uterine Fibroids, Other
10
8
How was your experience with Jeffrey Wang at Sher Fertility of New York?
Again, I can't say just how amazing he is. Smart, compassionate, and extremely responsive. I've dealt with other doctors for fertility and none of them can hold a candle to this doctor not even the doctors at NYU or Cornell.
The only thing I wish is that prior to my third transfer we should have done more tests.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jeffrey Wang at Sher Fertility of New York?
Before you do a transfer have doctor Wang do the tests like EFT especially if you've have prior failed transfers. Don't be afraid to ask lots of questions via email, doctor Wang will always respond.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jeffrey Wang at Sher Fertility of New York?
Although Doctor Wang didn't have a lot of time the time that he did spend was meaningful. He always made me feel important and most of all he was extremely responsive via email. I've emailed other doctors and till this day some of them have yet to respond. Doctor Wang is an amazing doctor the most compassionate doctor I have ever met. In addition, he's extremely smart and thinks outside the box.
Describe the protocols Jeffrey Wang used in your cycles at Sher Fertility of New York and their degree of success.
Doctor Wang used a low dose approach for me on mostly all of my cycles. Low dose of the stimulating drugs.
For my first few retrievals we did microdose lupin and that worked with my first cycle with doctor Wang and I retrieved 5 eggs and transferred 4 on day three however the result was a chemical pregnancy.
We used no more than 300 units of gonal f for the days that I stimulated. The doctor suggested low doses because i did not make a lot of eggs and the few I did make we didn't want to fry them. Ganirelex worked best for me as when I continued to use MDL i would ovulate.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Sher Fertility of New York. (Assigned nurse: Leslie Dychiao)
Leslie was great!
Organized, responsive, and nice.
Describe your experience with Sher Fertility of New York.
Other staff members were not so great. The technician that assisted during my egg retrieval was unfortunately very nasty. I sent the clinic an email about her.
I found this woman to be rude.
Other staff member were nice but at times insensitive. I think because some of the aides were young and not trained well enough on dealing with fertility patients.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jeffrey Wang at Sher Fertility of New York.
My insurance paid for two cycles with the doctor, but the times i paid cash it was extremely expensive.
Describe Jeffrey Wang's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Sher Fertility of New York.
My doctor preferred using multiple embryos because of my age. I would not transfer more than 2 embryos in the future
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10
8
Age
34
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
4 IUI, 2 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Endometriosis
10
8
He [Dr. Wang] is a wonderful human being. I felt that he took my questions seriously and was patient driven. I had some questions about protocols and he explained why he suggested the protocol and why some protocols wouldn't be beneficial for me. He has a reassuring way to him, this process can lead to so many worries but I felt like I was able to trust in the process because of him.
You see your doctor at every appointment [at Sher Fertility of New York] (unless it's the weekend-rotating schedule). Small and personal approach. Billing department seems to be disorganized, you need to be on top of your account and insurance info...We decided to do embryo banking in hopes to have multiple children. We also felt that I would benefit from a lower dose in hopes to get better quality eggs.
Age
34
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
?
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Teacher
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 3 Docs
Treatment
4 IUI, 2 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Endometriosis
10
8
How was your experience with Jeffrey Wang at Sher Fertility of New York?
He is a wonderful human being. I felt that he took my questions seriously and was patient driven. I had some questions about protocols and he explained why he suggested the protocol and why some protocols wouldn't be beneficial for me. He has a reassuring way to him, this process can lead to so many worries but I felt like I was able to trust in the process because of him.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jeffrey Wang at Sher Fertility of New York?
Don't be afraid to ask questions but trust in his answers.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jeffrey Wang at Sher Fertility of New York?
Dr. Wang was very warm from the beginning. I had a difficult diagnosis and he remained realistic but positive. With Sher, you see you doctor with every monitoring appointment so it was great to have so much face time with Dr. Wang. Even when we received disappointing news, it felt like he was right there with you. I researched everything so always had a lot of questions. Dr. Wang would email back quickly and took the time to explain everything.
Describe the protocols Jeffrey Wang used in your cycles at Sher Fertility of New York and their degree of success.
We decided to do embryo banking in hopes to have multiple children. We also felt that I would benefit from a lower dose in hopes to get better quality eggs.
first attempt at IVF - Estrogen prime (EPP) 225 gonal f - canceled poor response and converted to IUI.
IVF 1 - EPP, 225 gonal f, 150 menopur - 6 eggs/3 blasts (freeze all)
IVF 2 - EPP, 225 gonal f, 150 menopur - 3 eggs/1 blast (freeze all)
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
All the nurses I have dealt with were wonderful, however I am unsure if they are still there.
Describe your experience with Sher Fertility of New York.
You see your doctor at every appointment (unless it's the weekend-rotating schedule). Small and personal approach. Billing department seems to be disorganized, you need to be on top of your account and insurance info.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jeffrey Wang at Sher Fertility of New York.
Insurance covered IUIs, partial IVF
Describe Jeffrey Wang's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Sher Fertility of New York.
We did not do any transfers
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10
8
Age
32 - 34
Treated
2016 - 2018
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
6 IUI, 2 IVF, 2 Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
Endometriosis, Uterine Fibroids, Unexplained
10
8
Dr. Wang may be the most compassionate doctor I have ever been treated by. He makes himself readily available and has always returned my emails the same day, whether I reached out in the morning, afternoon, or late evening. He is always the one to see me for all my appointments and spends the time afterwards to discuss with me any issues or questions that may have arisen...He is very soft-spoken and gentle mannered. While I appreciate this, I do feel like sometimes you have to be a little more forceful in telling him you want something done.
The billing dept [at Sher] is the worst. I always get random bills and can't tell if it's truly the most up to date reflection of how much I owe. Some of the nurses are more warm and fuzzy than others. The front desk is great once you get to know them and they have gone out of their way to help me with scheduling my appts...I have always been able to get the early morning appointments. The office is extremely quiet and I'm seen as soon as I check in.
Age
32 - 34
Treated
2016 - 2018
Success with this Doc
?
Race
East Asian
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Lawyer
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
6 IUI, 2 IVF, 2 Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
Endometriosis, Uterine Fibroids, Unexplained
10
8
How was your experience with Jeffrey Wang at Sher Fertility of New York?
Dr. Wang is the most compassionate doctor with a great bedside manner. He is quick to respond to any and all questions that I may have (especially when I start to question or overthink everything or when I'm in a panic). He really is on this journey with you, and is rooting for you to have your dreams realized. He is very soft-spoken and gentle mannered. While I appreciate this, I do feel like sometimes you have to be a little more forceful in telling him you want something done.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jeffrey Wang at Sher Fertility of New York?
Run, don't walk to go see him!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jeffrey Wang at Sher Fertility of New York?
Dr. Wang may be the most compassionate doctor I have ever been treated by. He makes himself readily available and has always returned my emails the same day, whether I reached out in the morning, afternoon, or late evening. He is always the one to see me for all my appointments and spends the time afterwards to discuss with me any issues or questions that may have arisen.
Describe the protocols Jeffrey Wang used in your cycles at Sher Fertility of New York and their degree of success.
We did IUIs with no medications that all failed. We moved on 5 IVF cycles that were also unsuccessful unfortunately. I was on letrozole, estrace, and Crinone for my frozen cycles. I was on gonal f, cetrotide, menopur and HCG for my fresh transfer cycles following retrieval.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Sher Fertility of New York. (Assigned nurse: Leslie)
Leslie is a great partner to Dr. Wang. She is quick to answer my emails and goes out of her way to help me out. I always got my prescriptions without any issues.
Describe your experience with Sher Fertility of New York.
The billing dept is the worst. I always get random bills and can't tell if it's truly the most up to date reflection of how much I owe. Some of the nurses are more warm and fuzzy than others. The front desk is great once you get to know them and they have gone out of their way to help me with scheduling my appts.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Sher Fertility of New York.
I have always been able to get the early morning appointments. The office is extremely quiet and I'm seen as soon as I check in.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jeffrey Wang at Sher Fertility of New York.
I had insurance coverage
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10
10
Age
35
Treated
2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
7 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor
10
10
She [Dr. O'Shaughnessy was caring, compassionate, and professional. She is a great communicator, easily reachable via email for questions/concerns. She performed every procedure and saw us for 99% of our visits.We felt like we were seen and heard and treated like individuals... I also tested for having elevated natural killer cells (NK) that could have been causing miscarriages so after the insemination I took steroids-- about 10mg/day of prednisone-- to help combat that.
Their [Sher] approach to patients is the best I've seen. There is no "cattle call" for morning check-ups (you always have an appointment), you aren't seen by any doctor on staff (you always see YOUR doctor), and you know that everyone there knows your unique situation and is working to help YOU...Incredibly friendly and upbeat [nurses]. They were such supporters of the whole process and felt like they were on our team!
Age
35
Treated
2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European, Ashkenazi Jewish
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
7 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor
10
10
How was your experience with Althea O'Shaughnessy at Sher Fertility of New York?
She was caring, compassionate, and professional. She is a great communicator, easily reachable via email for questions/concerns. She performed every procedure and saw us for 99% of our visits.We felt like we were seen and heard and treated like individuals.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Althea O'Shaughnessy at Sher Fertility of New York?
Speak up! Be your own advocate because she is more than happy to listen and follow your lead.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Althea O'Shaughnessy at Sher Fertility of New York?
At Sher you only ever see YOUR doctor and you always have an appointment. There are no "cattle calls" or long waits. Your doctor knows you, they work with you every day. Dr. O replied to emails quickly, never pressured us to try something we weren't comfortable with, and was a great combination of compassionate and professional. She treated us like an individual couple and prescribed a treatment plan specifically for us (unlike at another clinic where we felt like they had one thing they "do" and you were doing that thing that way regardless).
Describe the protocols Althea O'Shaughnessy used in your cycles at Sher Fertility of New York and their degree of success.
We were IUI patients. I believe I took follistim and the ovidrel for a trigger shot. I also tested for having elevated natural killer cells (NK) that could have been causing miscarriages so after the insemination I took steroids-- about 10mg/day of prednisone-- to help combat that.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
Incredibly friendly and upbeat. They were such supporters of the whole process and felt like they were on our team!
Describe your experience with Sher Fertility of New York.
Their approach to patients is the best I've seen. There is no "cattle call" for morning check-ups (you always have an appointment), you aren't seen by any doctor on staff (you always see YOUR doctor), and you know that everyone there knows your unique situation and is working to help YOU.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Althea O'Shaughnessy at Sher Fertility of New York.
I do not recall; they participated in my insurance at the time so we only had copays.
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10
10
Age
33 - 34
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
IVF, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
10
Dr. Dicken individualized my protocols and changed them as necessary based on my response and test results. I've done both natural and medicated transfer cycles. She added supplements and anticoagulants based on immune and clotting test results...She always mentioned treatment costs upfront as well as potential savings. .... She found a number of things that were missed by my previous doctor. She explains treatment and procedures, so that you know her rationale and what to expect.
They [Sher] truly make the process as easy as possible for you. Everything runs on-time and almost seamlessly. Everyone, even doctors, email with you in record time. It's a warm, inviting environment, and staff take the time to get to know you. I'd never go anywhere else!...ackie, who communicates test results and instructions, is absolutely wonderful! She's friendly and greets each patient, and she's very efficient at communicating instructions and calling in prescriptions.
Age
33 - 34
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
IVF, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
10
How was your experience with Cary Dicken at Sher Fertility of New York?
Dr. Dicken is the best doctor I've ever had...I often say to friends and family that I wish Dr. Dicken could be my doctor for everything! It's a very difficult process, but I got better results each cycle and didn't give up because of her excellent care. She is very thorough, pragmatic, and individualizes treatment. She found a number of things that were missed by my previous doctor. She explains treatment and procedures, so that you know her rationale and what to expect. She always has recommendations to improve the next cycle, and her recommendations always are a good balance of proven treatments and the latest research.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Cary Dicken at Sher Fertility of New York?
Communicate openly and honestly with Dr. Dicken--she really listens and respects patient concerns, questions, and wishes. When she makes a recommendation or communicates test results (you'll never need to follow up to get test results on time!), she asks what questions you have rather than asking if you have any questions. I was open about some embarrassing things and never been met with judgement, which is very different from my experiences with other doctors. My results and overall experience were definitely been much better because of it.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Cary Dicken at Sher Fertility of New York?
My treatment was highly individualized, and my care was very hands-on. Dr. Dicken makes recommendations based on medical needs but takes your preferences and resources into consideration as well. Somehow, she managed to recite almost all my numerous test results and numbers off the top of her head during appointments. She always mentioned treatment costs upfront as well as potential savings. Since I prefer less medication, Dr. Dicken always explained why she recommends a new medication or increase in dosage. I appreciated that I was informed and involved in my healthcare decisions.
Describe the protocols Cary Dicken used in your cycles at Sher Fertility of New York and their degree of success.
Dr. Dicken individualized my protocols and changed them as necessary based on my response and test results. I've done both natural and medicated transfer cycles. She added supplements and anticoagulants based on immune and clotting test results. She used protocols with letrozole and lupron to address my ongoing receptivity problems and abnormal uterine biopsy results. I got better results each cycle and finally was successful.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Sher Fertility of New York. (Assigned nurse: Jackie)
Jackie, who communicates test results and instructions, is absolutely wonderful! She's friendly and greets each patient, and she's very efficient at communicating instructions and calling in prescriptions. The other nurses (it's changed a bit) that meet with you before your cycle are less helpful and often get instructions and information incorrect.
Describe your experience with Sher Fertility of New York.
They truly make the process as easy as possible for you. Everything runs on-time and almost seamlessly. Everyone, even doctors, email with you in record time. It's a warm, inviting environment, and staff take the time to get to know you. I'd never go anywhere else!
Describe the costs associated with your care under Cary Dicken at Sher Fertility of New York.
Luckily, my insurance covered the majority of my costs. I chose to do a few more experimental tests that weren't covered by insurance, but they weren't pushed on me and the costs were made clear upfront. I've had a few errors on my bills, but they've been cleared up pretty easily. The biggest hurdle was the initial financial consult, but everything has been fine since.
What specific things went wrong at Sher Fertility of New York?
- Provided conflicting information
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Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
10
10
Age
32
Treated
2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
2 IUI, 4 IVF, Donor Eggs
Diagnosis
Endometriosis, Poor Egg Quality
10
10
Dr Wang is amazing and treats everyone with care and compassion. He spends so much time and energy on every patient. He sets such a high standard for all doctors to follow... He was the one that figured out I had silent endo and suggested a treatment path. ...He spends lots of time with you reviewing everything. He answers emails all day and night and provides in depth explanations. I never waited longer than a couple of hours for a response even when he was in another country! He is caring and compassionate. Very open to new ideas.
They [Sher] are small which I like. You don't feel like a number - you get individualized care. Everyone seems to work after hours and on weekends to answer questions for you. The billing department can be disorganized though....Leslie was amazing - she got back to me quickly even after hours and on the weekends. I did remote monitoring so i didn't see many nurses in person but always helpful via email, over the phone or when I was there for procedures.
Age
32
Treated
2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European, Ashkenazi Jewish
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Accountant
Order & Number of Docs Seen
3rd of 3 Docs
Treatment
2 IUI, 4 IVF, Donor Eggs
Diagnosis
Endometriosis, Poor Egg Quality
10
10
How was your experience with Jeffrey Wang at Sher Fertility of New York?
Dr Wang is the best doctor I've ever had (and I had been to several other clinics before). He spends lots of time with you reviewing everything. He answers emails all day and night and provides in depth explanations. I never waited longer than a couple of hours for a response even when he was in another country! He is caring and compassionate. Very open to new ideas. He was the one that figured out I had silent endo and suggested a treatment path. Most other docs keep just doing ivf after ivf without trying to find what is wrong. I would recommend him to anyone. He is truly amazing and I'm so glad I found him!
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jeffrey Wang at Sher Fertility of New York?
You will not regret going to Dr Wang - he is amazing!!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jeffrey Wang at Sher Fertility of New York?
Dr Wang is amazing and treats everyone with care and compassion. He spends so much time and energy on every patient. He sets such a high standard for all doctors to follow
Describe the protocols Jeffrey Wang used in your cycles at Sher Fertility of New York and their degree of success.
He recommended the Yale EFT test to test for silent endo and then a 3 month course of lupron depot - I believe it helped me to be successful ultimately. He also was able to retrieve the most eggs from me (21 each time). Previous docs got at most 8. His stim method is slow and patient so it took a while but paid off.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
Leslie was amazing - she got back to me quickly even after hours and on the weekends. I did remote monitoring so i didn't see many nurses in person but always helpful via email, over the phone or when I was there for procedures.
Describe your experience with Sher Fertility of New York.
They are small which I like. You don't feel like a number - you get individualized care. Everyone seems to work after hours and on weekends to answer questions for you. The billing department can be disorganized though.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Sher Fertility of New York.
I was an out of town patient that monitored locally
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jeffrey Wang at Sher Fertility of New York.
20k per IVF cycle with PGS testing
Describe Jeffrey Wang's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Sher Fertility of New York.
We transferred 2 embryos since my egg quality is poor. It also costs me a lot to transfer each time so I liked that he was willing to transfer 2.
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10
10
Age
35
Treated
2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
4 IUI, 2 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Poor Egg Quality
10
10
Dr Wang treats you like a human more than any doc I have ever experienced (and I have known a lot). He is honest but optimistic and understands the emotional side...If you have DOR or egg quality issues RUN to Dr Wang....One thing ihat I loved about him is unlike the docs in Boston who had a very cookie cutter approach, he was willing to think out of the box. ...) He responded to EVERY email I sent within 12 hours max, often in 20 mins. This includes emails sent in the middle of the night ....
[Nurse at Sher - Manh] always responded right away to email .... I did monitoring in Boston and she was in NYC and went above and beyond to get all my papers and info in right away...the cycle was about $25K (it's expensive but worth it)... we paid out of pocket for PICSI at 1000...I only went there for retrieval and transfer. I was surprised it wasn't more sleek/new/shiny but in the end that didnt matter .... if you travel from out of state it is very easy.
Age
35
Treated
2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Professor
Order & Number of Docs Seen
4th of 4 Docs
Treatment
4 IUI, 2 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Poor Egg Quality
10
10
How was your experience with Jeffrey Wang at Sher Fertility of New York?
If you have DOR or egg quality issues RUN to Dr Wang. I live in MA but traveled to NYC to cycle with him (did monitoring in Boston). I had 2 doctors in Boston tell me I might need donor eggs at 34 and with already having a naturally conceived child, and that seemed crazy. My first cycle in Boston was cancelled before retrieval due to no response (MGH). My second one in Boston got a good number of eggs for me (11) but nothing made it to day 5.... after this I wondered if I would never have another child. I read about Dr Wang on a fertility chat board and made a phone consult. What I loved about him is unlike the docs in Boston who had a very cookie cutter approach, he was willing to think out of the box. Like whereas they said I should do a 5 day transfer, he said sometimes those with quality issues do better on day 3 (which happened for me). While the Boston docs thought the problems were all me since my husband's sperm was always normal, he thought due to terrible quality of embryos on one cycle, it was worth doing a sperm DNA fragmentation test (which showed abnormality) and so we used PICSI in this cycle (no on in Bos would do it). He allowed HGH because while he agreed with Bos docs that it often doesn't help, it sometimes can, and when I told him I wanted to throw the kitchen sink at this, he said great..... His stance on many issues was "if it won't hurt and there's some evidence to suggest it will heko, let's do it" (eg giving me low dose prednisoe because i have an autoimmune disease)
He responded to EVERY email I sent within 12 hours max, often in 20 mins. This includes emails sent in the middle of the night .... at other clinics the docs didn't even answer email, it was all filtered through nurses
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jeffrey Wang at Sher Fertility of New York?
Do not be afraid to ask him anything!!! he is very open minded
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jeffrey Wang at Sher Fertility of New York?
Dr Wang treats you like a human more than any doc I have ever experienced (and I have known a lot). He is honest but optimistic and understands the emotional side -- example, night before retrieval I freaked out when I had night sweats and worried my estrogen was dropping and I had ovulated. I emailed him at 2am!! HE emailed at like 5:30am saying it's probably fine but he gets I'm worried and we did a quick ultrasound before retrieval to be sure I hadn't ovulated (I had not)
Describe the protocols Jeffrey Wang used in your cycles at Sher Fertility of New York and their degree of success.
Estrogen primed microdose lupron
Describe your experience with your nurse at Sher Fertility of New York. (Assigned nurse: Leslie)
always responded right away to email .... I did monitoring in Boston and she was in NYC and went above and beyond to get all my papers and info in right away. 1000% better than ppl at "top clinic" i went to in Boston
Describe your experience with Sher Fertility of New York.
I only went there for retrieval and transfer. I was surprised it wasn't more sleek/new/shiny but in the end that didnt matter .... if you travel from out of state it is very easy. we used hotels tonight to get cheap hotel
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jeffrey Wang at Sher Fertility of New York.
i had insurance coverage but believe the cycle was about $25K (it's expensive but worth it)... we paid out of pocket for PICSI at 1000
Describe Jeffrey Wang's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Sher Fertility of New York.
Given our horrible quality (never making a blast) and my insistence I was not doing IVF again (I had insurance coverage but emotionally could not handle it), and our saying we'd prefer twins to zero kids, we were aggressive. we transferred 4 day 3 embryos. We ended up with twins born healthy at 38 weeks
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10
10
Age
37 - 38
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
3 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
PCOS, Immunological, Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Unexplained, Other
10
10
She treated me for having overactive natural killer cells, PCOS and hormonal imbalance. Whether via email or in person, Dr. Dicken was readily available to me and my husband during a very challenging time...Dr. Dicken was responsive, attentive, patient and very accessible by phone, email or in person. She made me feel like I was her only patient...
The clinic’s strengths are that it has Flexible hours, great team, great with technology (e.g. email), resourceful (I.e. each doctor has their own expertise) , open minded (I.e. supportive of holistic measures like acupuncture) and comprehensive beyond just the medical/technical work involved (e.g. They have financial counseling)....
Age
37 - 38
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Black or African-American
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Lawyer
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
3 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
PCOS, Immunological, Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Unexplained, Other
10
10
How was your experience with Cary Dicken at Sher Fertility of New York?
Dr. Dicken made me feel like I was her only patient. She was compassionate, accessible, has a strong command for her field and can explain things in terms that are easy for a non-medically trained person to understand. Dr. Dicken was the second doctor I saw after 2 failed IVF transfers with Greenwich Fertility and several IUI’s. On the first IVF transfer Dr. Dicken performed, I conceived. She treated me for having overactive natural killer cells, PCOS and hormonal imbalance. Whether via email or in person, Dr. Dicken was readily available to me and my husband during a very challenging time. We are grateful for our newborn son who was born just 13 months after our first time meeting with Dr. Dicken.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Cary Dicken at Sher Fertility of New York?
Ask as many questions as you must and avail yourself of asking questions of her via email or her team.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Cary Dicken at Sher Fertility of New York?
Dr. Dicken was responsive, attentive, patient and very accessible by phone, email or in person. She made me feel like I was her only patient.
Describe the protocols Cary Dicken used in your cycles at Sher Fertility of New York and their degree of success.
Progesterone, estradiol (to induce ovulation), Intralipids (to address natural killer cells), steroids (to address inflammation, Folgard (to address vitamin B deficiencies)
Describe your experience with your nurse at Sher Fertility of New York. (Assigned nurse: Jacqueline Piccardo)
Incredibly compassionate - I felt like Jackie felt everything I was going through personally and did everything she could to make me feel less alone.
Describe your experience with Sher Fertility of New York.
The clinic’s strengths are that it has Flexible hours, great team, great with technology (e.g. email), resourceful (I.e. each doctor has their own expertise) , open minded (I.e. supportive of holistic measures like acupuncture) and comprehensive beyond just the medical/technical work involved (e.g.
They have financial counseling).
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10
10
Age
32 - 33
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
3 Fertility Medications
Diagnosis
Anovulation, PCOS
10
10
Dr. Wang is the most caring, engaged, and dedicated doctor i have visited in 15 years of living in NYC. He takes as much time as needed to explain everything that is going on in your body (helpful for us non-medical professionals) and gives his candid evaluation in a straightforward but kind and patient way. His receptionists knew me by my first name, and his office is absolutely not a factory. He also is completely available and responsive by email, even once when he was on vacation and I called with a minor question that I thought another doctor would answer, he sent me an email.
This clinic is not a factory. The receptionists knew me by name and were always cordial and helpful. I always got the early appointments I wanted so that I could go to my monitoring before work, which was very helpful.... After not getting my period for 6 months I was prescribed three cycles of clomid by my OBGYN. After not getting pregnant i went to Dr. Wang, who immediately diagnosed me with PCOS. I went on to do three cycles of letrozole, and got pregnant on the third cycle with an injection to induce ovulation once the follicles were mature.
Age
32 - 33
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Ashkenazi Jewish
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Lawyer
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
3 Fertility Medications
Diagnosis
Anovulation, PCOS
10
10
How was your experience with Jeffrey Wang at Sher Fertility of New York?
Dr. Wang is a patient, kind doctor who treats you like a partner on the fertility journey. He explains everything and always treated me with the utmost respect. He shared equally in our disappointment when there were setbacks and in our happiness when I got pregnant. I always saw him (with the exception of one visit when he was on vacation).
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jeffrey Wang at Sher Fertility of New York?
Run, don't walk, to an appointment with him. You will not find someone more dedicated.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jeffrey Wang at Sher Fertility of New York?
Dr. Wang is the most caring, engaged, and dedicated doctor i have visited in 15 years of living in NYC. He takes as much time as needed to explain everything that is going on in your body (helpful for us non-medical professionals) and gives his candid evaluation in a straightforward but kind and patient way. His receptionists knew me by my first name, and his office is absolutely not a factory. He also is completely available and responsive by email, even once when he was on vacation and I called with a minor question that I thought another doctor would answer, he sent me an email.
Describe the protocols Jeffrey Wang used in your cycles at Sher Fertility of New York and their degree of success.
After not getting my period for 6 months I was prescribed three cycles of clomid by my OBGYN. After not getting pregnant i went to Dr. Wang, who immediately diagnosed me with PCOS. I went on to do three cycles of letrozole, and got pregnant on the third cycle with an injection to induce ovulation once the follicles were mature.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
Kind and respectful.
Describe your experience with Sher Fertility of New York.
This clinic is not a factory. The receptionists knew me by name and were always cordial and helpful. I always got the early appointments I wanted so that I could go to my monitoring before work, which was very helpful.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jeffrey Wang at Sher Fertility of New York.
I had insurance coverage, but a high copay for the sonograms.
Describe Jeffrey Wang's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Sher Fertility of New York.
n/a
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10
10
Age
34 - 35
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
4 IVF, Egg Freezing, Embryo Freezing, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
Anovulation, PCOS, Unexplained
10
10
Dr. Dicken is up to date with the latest research, explains her opinion to our questions directly with the positives/negatives, shows compassion/empathy to the tough situation we are in, typically responds to our questions within hours, has a kind/understanding "bedside manner", remembers our preferences for almost every issue (e.g. preference for how medicated we want our cycle to be, how we prefer to take medication), is very sensitive to how we react to the medication, and basically goes ABOVE AND BEYOND IN EVERY SITUATION to provide excellent patient care.
It always feels very orderly and zen-like in the waiting area [at Sher]. The staff that picks up the phone/coordinates appointments are professional and efficient. The clinic's schedule is managed so well that I am simultaneously always able to get an appointment and yet there is never a wait to see the Dr...Dr. Dicken's nurse Jackie is efficient, friendly and caring. She answers all our questions promptly, takes extra time to send us our blood test results levels (our request) after every blood test (and there are many!) and efficiently executes tasks accurately e.g. calling in prescriptions and conveying doctor's response.
Age
34 - 35
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
East Asian, South Asian
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Consultant
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
4 IVF, Egg Freezing, Embryo Freezing, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
Anovulation, PCOS, Unexplained
10
10
How was your experience with Cary Dicken at Sher Fertility of New York?
Dr. Dicken is up to date with the latest research, explains her opinion to our questions directly with the positives/negatives, shows compassion/empathy to the tough situation we are in, typically responds to our questions within hours, has a kind/understanding "bedside manner", remembers our preferences for almost every issue (e.g. preference for how medicated we want our cycle to be, how we prefer to take medication), is very sensitive to how we react to the medication, and basically goes ABOVE AND BEYOND IN EVERY SITUATION to provide excellent patient care.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Cary Dicken at Sher Fertility of New York?
I wish I switched to Dr. Dicken sooner. Do not hesitate. She is an all around rock star in all aspects of patient care.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Cary Dicken at Sher Fertility of New York?
From the onset, Dr Dicken asked what our long term goals were and what we were willing to do to achieve them. She remembers practically every detail we've shared with her about issues ranging from our preference for non-medicated cycles to why we have a timing preference for our most recent planned transfer. She demonstrates empathy and always shares her professional opinion directly, kindly and without judgement.
Describe the protocols Cary Dicken used in your cycles at Sher Fertility of New York and their degree of success.
Dr. Dicken monitored my results closely throughout the process and adjusted my protocol, as needed. Unlike my previous clinic, she was open to estrogen priming and allowed me to use the patch when the pill caused nausea.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
Dr. Dicken's nurse Jackie is efficient, friendly and caring. She answers all our questions promptly, takes extra time to send us our blood test results levels (our request) after every blood test (and there are many!) and efficiently executes tasks accurately e.g. calling in prescriptions and conveying doctor's response.
Describe your experience with Sher Fertility of New York.
It always feels very orderly and zen-like in the waiting area. The staff that picks up the phone/coordinates appointments are professional and efficient. The clinic's schedule is managed so well that I am simultaneously always able to get an appointment and yet there is never a wait to see the Dr.
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0
0
Age
38 - 40
Treated
2015 - 2017
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
1 IVF, 2 Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
Poor Egg Quality, Unexplained
0
0
Her strengths: she will answer emails in a timely manner. She seems like a nice person. Her weaknesses: very poor verbal communication skills. You may have to wait several days before receiving lab report. Dr. Dicken will call you herself. You will have no communication with the embryologist....Overall, Dr. Dicken disappointed us greatly. She failed to communicate important information to me and my partner several times which nearly cost us a cycle and caused emotional distress while we awaited our results FOR EIGHT DAYS! We also felt she didn't even take the time to read our notes before checking in with us during apts. Ie. In a conversation with me she did not remember my partner's name nor the fact that we'd opted for PICSI. I am also very concerned that the lab did not provide me with an embryology report---vital information for our next cycle.
Neither Dr. Dicken nor her team [at Sher] communicated with me or my partner for 8 days while we waited for the embryology report. An IVF clinic will typically provide you information about embryo growth at days 2, 3, 5, and 6. Not the case here. On the morning of day 8 she called me to tell me all embryos had suddenly arrested on day 3. However, she said she was not sure she could provide me or my partner with an embryology report because she wasn't sure the embryologist had even taken notes on day 3! It is important to note that I froze my eggs with Dr. Dicken two years ago. I had great results---18 eggs retrieved and 14 eggs frozen. I also had 6 eggs frozen from another clinic. We attempted to thaw and fertilize these 20 eggs along with the fresh cycle. I received a call from Dr. Dicken letting me know that only 25 percent of my eggs had properly tha
Age
38 - 40
Treated
2015 - 2017
Success with this Doc
No
Race
European, Ashkenazi Jewish
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Doctor
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
1 IVF, 2 Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
Poor Egg Quality, Unexplained
0
0
How was your experience with Cary Dicken at Sher Fertility of New York?
I will say that I am impressed with Dr. Dicken's ability to help us improve our egg quantity during a cycle that was initially bound for failure. We had 8 eggs retrieved after she greatly lengthened our protocol. That said, I have read that longer stim protocols more often result in poorer outcomes. I wish she had iterated that information to us in order to help us make a decision about continuing with the cycle.
Overall, Dr. Dicken disappointed us greatly. She failed to communicate important information to me and my partner several times which nearly cost us a cycle and caused emotional distress while we awaited our results FOR EIGHT DAYS! We also felt she didn't even take the time to read our notes before checking in with us during apts. Ie. In a conversation with me she did not remember my partner's name nor the fact that we'd opted for PICSI. I am also very concerned that the lab did not provide me with an embryology report---vital information for our next cycle.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Cary Dicken at Sher Fertility of New York?
Her strengths: she will answer emails in a timely manner. She seems like a nice person.
Her weaknesses: very poor verbal communication skills. You may have to wait several days before receiving lab report. Dr. Dicken will call you herself. You will have no communication with the embryologist.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Cary Dicken at Sher Fertility of New York?
Dr. Dicken informed us that we could have local monitoring (in conjunction with care at Sher) since we live in another state. However, neither the Sher medical team nor my local clinic techs communicated with one another throughout day 5 of my monitoring cycle. I had to call Sher several times to ensure the ultrasound and blood test results were received and read by my RE. In addition, when we arrived at Sher NYC for day 8 monitoring apt, Dr. Dicken said that she only saw 3 large follicles. She said that had been given more information by the local clinic (i.e. follicle sizes measuring under 10mm) then she would have known my follicles were not properly aligned and would have suggested I be placed on a full week of estrogen priming prior to the cycle. However, Dr. Dicken and her team failed to communicate this information to me or to my local clinic during the first 7 days of my cycle. As a result, I nearly cancelled this retrieval.
Neither Dr. Dicken nor her team communicated with me or my partner for 8 days while we waited for the embryology report. An IVF clinic will typically provide you information about embryo growth at days 2, 3, 5, and 6. Not the case here. On the morning of day 8 she called me to tell me all embryos had suddenly arrested on day 3. However, she said she was not sure she could provide me or my partner with an embryology report because she wasn't sure the embryologist had even taken notes on day 3!
It is important to note that I froze my eggs with Dr. Dicken two years ago. I had great results---18 eggs retrieved and 14 eggs frozen. I also had 6 eggs frozen from another clinic. We attempted to thaw and fertilize these 20 eggs along with the fresh cycle. I received a call from Dr. Dicken letting me know that only 25 percent of my eggs had properly thawed! She said she didn't know why---possible poor lab conditions (and 14 of my eggs were vitrified at Sher) or poor egg quality. Again, she couldn't give me a clear answer.
Describe the protocols Cary Dicken used in your cycles at Sher Fertility of New York and their degree of success.
Estrogen priming (although not primed for long enough)
225 Gonal F, 75 menopur, ganirelix
16 day stim cycle because my follicles were many different sizes
Describe your experience with your nurse at Sher Fertility of New York. (Assigned nurse: Marian)
Nurse was extremely organized and thorough. She was very busy and hard to reach but overall I enjoyed my experience with her.
Describe your experience with Sher Fertility of New York.
Clinic is small boutique style which is nice.
Compare this embryology lab to some of the more reputable clinics: NYU, CCRM Colorado, Cornell. Their SART rates are much higher. In retrospect, I regret not choosing another clinic regardless of my outcome because at least I would trust my eggs/embryos were in good hands!
Describe the costs associated with your care under Cary Dicken at Sher Fertility of New York.
14.5 K and 5 K for medications
Describe Cary Dicken's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Sher Fertility of New York.
We were extremely disappointed that she wasn't direct about the pros and cons of day 3/day 5 transfer. Also, had I known my embryos would arrest on day 3 I would have opted for this option. Since the embryologists do not check the embryos on day 2 there is no option for day 3 transfer if you opt for day 5.
What specific things went wrong at Sher Fertility of New York?
- Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
- Lost paperwork
- Failed to call with results
- Failed to send your chart to another clinic
- Lost results
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Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
10
10
Age
35 - 36
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
1 IVF
Diagnosis
—
10
10
Dr. Wang is very responsive. He takes his time to answer all the questions. Does not rush. After each setback he is eager to learn from the past and do testing to assure positive results in the future. I feel like he really cares to help me...Leslie was very responsive and I felt I could always email her with any questions. She send the prescriptions to my pharmacy promptly. She even helped me with getting some paperwork from my previous doctor. Leslie kept me organized by sending me detailed calendar with each medication dosage and appointment/blood test scheduled. She would follow up with new calendar if anything changed. Leslie spend an hour with me showing me how to administer each shot or each medication by myself which made me very confident when I had to do it at home. She also send me some video links in case I forgot.
Clinic [Sher Fertility of New York] is very organized. Appointments are on time. I never waited more than 10 minutes and most of the time my wait was less than 5 minutes. Staff is pleasant. The waiting room is clean and not crowded...Leslie was very responsive and I felt I could always email her with any questions. She send the prescriptions to my pharmacy promptly. She even helped me with getting some paperwork from my previous doctor. Leslie kept me organized by sending me detailed calendar with each medication dosage and appointment/blood test scheduled. She would follow up with new calendar if anything changed. Leslie spend an hour with me showing me how to administer each shot or each medication by myself which made me very confident when I had to do it at home. She also send me some video links in case I forgot.
Age
35 - 36
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Accountant
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
1 IVF
Diagnosis
—
10
10
How was your experience with Jeffrey Wang at Sher Fertility of New York?
Dr. Wang is very responsive. He takes his time to answer all the questions. Does not rush. After each setback he is eager to learn from the past and do testing to assure positive results in the future. I feel like he really cares to help me.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jeffrey Wang at Sher Fertility of New York?
Try this doctor because you will not go wrong with him. Be as open as you can about your concerns or symptoms.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jeffrey Wang at Sher Fertility of New York?
Dr. Wang was very accessible to answer all my questions. I could call him as well as email him with any updates or questions and he responded right away, most of the time within an hour or two.
Describe the protocols Jeffrey Wang used in your cycles at Sher Fertility of New York and their degree of success.
injectible drugs before the egg retrieval.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Sher Fertility of New York. (Assigned nurse: Leslie)
Leslie was very responsive and I felt I could always email her with any questions. She send the prescriptions to my pharmacy promptly. She even helped me with getting some paperwork from my previous doctor.
Leslie kept me organized by sending me detailed calendar with each medication dosage and appointment/blood test scheduled. She would follow up with new calendar if anything changed.
Leslie spend an hour with me showing me how to administer each shot or each medication by myself which made me very confident when I had to do it at home. She also send me some video links in case I forgot.
Describe your experience with Sher Fertility of New York.
Clinic is very organized. Appointments are on time. I never waited more than 10 minutes and most of the time my wait was less than 5 minutes.
Staff is pleasant. The waiting room is clean and not crowded.
Describe Jeffrey Wang's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Sher Fertility of New York.
Dr. Wang educated me on eSET vs multiple embryo transfer not once but each time before the decision needed to be made. He left the decision to me and my husband. He was NOT preferring one over the other. Dr. Wang would not transfer more than 2.
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10
10
Age
38 - 39
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
5 IUI, 6 IVF, 2 Embryo Freezing
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Other
10
10
With Dr. Wang, I go to sleep at night knowing that we're in excellent hands and even if we don't end up having children, we both know we tried everything and won't have regrets...Switching to Dr. Wang after my original doctor gave me the donor egg speech was like switching between night and day. He was candid about his expectations and limitations and was the first to say he was cautiously optimistic. He doesn't make promises, but he works the hardest anyone can to help you bring home a baby. He's also incredibly articulate, which my husband and I found invaluable as both of us are fact driven people who want to know as much as possible in order to feel secure about our choices. Dr. Wang always answered questions well the first time so I didn't have to ask for further clarification or wonder what he meant or feel like he d
The billing system here [at Sher Fertility of New York] is very frustrating in that they're very slow to file claims and don't always get it done right the first time. That said, it's worth the price of admission to see Dr. Wang, so don't let it discourage you. Just be prepared to not get bills right away and to sometimes get improper bills. The finance department always gets it sorted out, but it takes a while...I did my monitoring remotely, so I can't talk about the monitoring appointments at SIRM-NYC. However, I CAN say that for remote patients, Dr. Wang and his office do a great job of getting results and orders handled and providing feedback within several hours.
Age
38 - 39
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
?
Race
European, East Asian
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Doctor
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
5 IUI, 6 IVF, 2 Embryo Freezing
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Other
10
10
How was your experience with Jeffrey Wang at Sher Fertility of New York?
Switching to Dr. Wang after my original doctor gave me the donor egg speech was like switching between night and day. He was candid about his expectations and limitations and was the first to say he was cautiously optimistic. He doesn't make promises, but he works the hardest anyone can to help you bring home a baby. He's also incredibly articulate, which my husband and I found invaluable as both of us are fact driven people who want to know as much as possible in order to feel secure about our choices. Dr. Wang always answered questions well the first time so I didn't have to ask for further clarification or wonder what he meant or feel like he didn't understand my question. With Dr. Wang, I go to sleep at night knowing that we're in excellent hands and even if we don't end up having children, we both know we tried everything and won't have regrets.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jeffrey Wang at Sher Fertility of New York?
No question is off limit with him. He's open to everything and will give you feedback as to why or why not he thinks it's a good option. I wish I'd switched to him sooner, so I'd encourage everyone who is wondering if they should get a second opinion to go ahead and do it sooner than later.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jeffrey Wang at Sher Fertility of New York?
Dr. Wang always took time to explain his thoughts and to answer any questions thoroughly. He never rushed me and never left me wondering what he meant or what the plan was. He also has an incredibly thoughtful personality and I truly felt like he was seriously invested in getting us pregnant and taking home a baby. He also remembered little bits about me that weren't pertinent to our fertility, which also made me feel like a real person and not just another patient. I also know for fact that his other patients also feel the same way as I've talked with several of them.
Describe the protocols Jeffrey Wang used in your cycles at Sher Fertility of New York and their degree of success.
We failed to implant after transferring 3 nearly perfect looking day 3 embyros so he recommended doing the Yale EFT test. My results came back abnormal so we did the lupron depot 3 month suppression to help suppress my estrogen and essentially give the uterine lining a break and chance to "reset." We banked for two cycles before starting the lupron though, b/c with my DOR, there was a chance it would be hard to cycle afterwards and also b/c we wanted to make sure I could make blasts before undergoing the depot treatment. We then went straight into frozen transfer after the suppression phase was over and had a chemical; our first time implanting. We'll continue with more transfers.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Sher Fertility of New York. (Assigned nurse: Leslie)
Quick to reply via email, quick to send in meds, etc.
Describe your experience with Sher Fertility of New York.
The billing system here is very frustrating in that they're very slow to file claims and don't always get it done right the first time. That said, it's worth the price of admission to see Dr. Wang, so don't let it discourage you. Just be prepared to not get bills right away and to sometimes get improper bills. The finance department always gets it sorted out, but it takes a while.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Sher Fertility of New York.
I did my monitoring remotely, so I can't talk about the monitoring appointments at SIRM-NYC. However, I CAN say that for remote patients, Dr. Wang and his office do a great job of getting results and orders handled and providing feedback within several hours.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jeffrey Wang at Sher Fertility of New York.
I had insurance for the year I did retrievals, but the out of pocket cost for FETs is 3800, not including monitoring visits.
Describe Jeffrey Wang's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Sher Fertility of New York.
Dr. Wang will support eSET or multiple. He encouraged us to try multiple embryo transfers given my past history of poor implantation.
What specific things went wrong at Sher Fertility of New York?
- Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Sher Fertility of New York.
It's important to always check your protocol calendar and make sure it's what you and your doctor discussed. Once or twice I had to clarify some discrepancies between Dr. Wang and what Leslie had put on the calendar. Not a big deal for me, but for someone who isn't familiar with medicine or comfortable with emailing Dr. Wang, they might've done the wrong med/dose/etc.
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8
9
Age
35
Treated
2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
1 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Male Factor, Poor Egg Quality
8
9
The doctor [Dr. Tortoriello] communicates quickly by email -like within the half hour- to answer any questions...He explains things calmly and in detail. I saw him at every visit except one weekend monitoring. I trust his judgement and results were close to what he had predicted. For my 2nd round I requested he change one aspect of treatment and he agreed to do so...He recommended a mid amount of medication for my poor egg quality and dimished ovarian resserve. He didn't change anything during monitoring.
[Sher] Strengths: quick communication, billing was smooth (I have insurance), easy to make appointments in the near future. I only had to wait a long time in the waiting room once, and it was in the weekend so I didn't care too much...I actually never met the primary nurse on my doctor's team because She only spoke by phone to my husband (I had a meeting at work) and she wasn't available when I had my injections class. But she was great over email and the nurse I met at the injections class and at my retrieval was warm and organized.
Age
35
Treated
2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Marketer or PR
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
1 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Male Factor, Poor Egg Quality
8
9
How was your experience with Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York?
He explains things calmly and in detail. I saw him at every visit except one weekend monitoring. I trust his judgement and results were close to what he had predicted. For my 2nd round I requested he change one aspect of treatment and he agreed to do so. He responds to emails very quickly which reassures me that my treatment is important.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York?
Don't be afraid to ask lots of questions and explain your ideal outcome. Initially he didnt recommend PGS testing but when we explained we wanted to bank frozen embryos he agreed PGS testing would be beneficial. I'm glad we made that choice.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York?
The doctor communicates quickly by email -like within the half hour- to answer any questions. The support staff also responds quickly and with empathy.
Describe the protocols Drew Tortoriello used in your cycles at Sher Fertility of New York and their degree of success.
He recommended a mid amount of medication for my poor egg quality and dimished ovarian resserve. He didn't change anything during monitoring. I only got 1 PGS embryo but I guess egg quality was a little worse than expected. He recommended ICSI and DNA sperm fragmentation for my husband because of low morphology.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Sher Fertility of New York. (Assigned nurse: Bushra suddal)
I actually never met the primary nurse on my doctor's team because She only spoke by phone to my husband (I had a meeting at work) and she wasn't available when I had my injections class. But she was great over email and the nurse I met at the injections class and at my retrieval was warm and organized.
Describe your experience with Sher Fertility of New York.
Strengths: quick communication, billing was smooth (I have insurance), easy to make appointments in the near future. I only had to wait a long time in the waiting room once, and it was in the weekend so I didn't care too much.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York.
My insurance paid for most of it, except retrieval anesthesia ($625) plus cost of PGS testing. I paid copays for office visits and medications. Calls with dr were $75 (not covered by insurance). Injections meeting with nurse cost $100. We had to pay co-pays on all testing. DNA sperm fragmentation test was not covered by insurance.
Describe Drew Tortoriello's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Sher Fertility of New York.
We told him we were very against twins so he didn't recommend iui or clomid. So he knows we would never transfer more than one embryo.
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8
8
Age
38 - 39
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
2 IUI, 2 IVF, 1 Egg Freezing, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Poor Egg Quality
8
8
Dr. O'Shaughnessy is very experienced and authoritative. She made me feel at ease after a bad experience at another clinic. She is very matter of fact, which for me, works well. She gives the facts and doesn't necessarily add much color commentary. She is responsive by email and also makes time available to talk on the phone...Dr. O'Shaughnessy is very real, upfront, and while not warm and fuzzy, she is responsive, and knows you and your issues and the plan.
Sher (SIRM) is a much smaller clinic than most in NYC but is still very highly rated. The best part is the you always see your doctor...[Nurse] Marian could be a little disorganized and on several occasions did send me calendars and medication details that were not reflective of what the doctor and I had spoken about. She is super responsive on email and quick to check with the doctor and correct the details... The outward appearance of the clinic is not the most modern - they could probably use a little office face lift, but the quality of the care makes up for that. The reception and nursing staffs are kind and familiar.
Age
38 - 39
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
No
Race
European, Middle Eastern
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Operations
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
2 IUI, 2 IVF, 1 Egg Freezing, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Poor Egg Quality
8
8
How was your experience with Althea O'Shaughnessy at Sher Fertility of New York?
Dr. O'Shaughnessy is very experienced and authoritative. She made me feel at ease after a bad experience at another clinic. She is very matter of fact, which for me, works well. She gives the facts and doesn't necessarily add much color commentary. She is responsive by email and also makes time available to talk on the phone.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Althea O'Shaughnessy at Sher Fertility of New York?
Don't expect warm and fuzzy or humor. She's very pragmatic and straightforward.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Althea O'Shaughnessy at Sher Fertility of New York?
Sher is a much smaller clinic. I had previously been at RMA and was very happy with the level of engagement you get with only your doctor. Dr. O'Shaughnessy is very real, upfront, and while not warm and fuzzy, she is responsive, and knows you and your issues and the plan.
Describe the protocols Althea O'Shaughnessy used in your cycles at Sher Fertility of New York and their degree of success.
1 IVF - Gonal F (150) / Menopur (75) / Omnitrope protocol. Day 5 of monitoring showed only 3 follicles. Decision to convert to IUI cycle due to low response. - IUI not successful.
Diagnosis - diminished ovarian reserve
2 IVF - Estace pre-cycle // Letrazole / Gonal F (150) - "estrogen primed cycle" - introduced Menopur later in the cycle. Ganirellex. Trigger shot. 5 follicles retrieved. 3 fertilized (donor sperm) // 1 arrested at day 3 // 2 arrested at day 5. None made it for PGS testing.
3 IVF - about to begin // will use Ganirellex prior to cycle day 1 in hopes of getting more even growth across follicles.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Sher Fertility of New York. (Assigned nurse: Marian Gerges)
Marian could be a little disorganized and on several occasions did send me calendars and medication details that were not reflective of what the doctor and I had spoken about. She is super responsive on email and quick to check with the doctor and correct the details. But I did need to be super on top of it and reconfirm everything. She is very very kind and compassionate.
Describe your experience with Sher Fertility of New York.
Sher (SIRM) is a much smaller clinic than most in NYC but is still very highly rated. The best part is the you always see your doctor. Your doctor does all your monitoring, your retrievals, your transfers - unlike some of the bigger clinics where the doctors all rotate. I think when you're dealing with multiple cycles and poor responses, this type of connection is so important. The outward appearance of the clinic is not the most modern - they could probably use a little office face lift, but the quality of the care makes up for that. The reception and nursing staffs are kind and familiar. They accommodate appointments easily. It may not seem like an important detail, but there is never a packed waiting room so you don't feel like you're being herded through like I have felt in other places. The doctors are still busy and dealing with lots of patients, but you very much feel like a patient and not a number when you're at Sher.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Althea O'Shaughnessy at Sher Fertility of New York.
I have $25k Lifetime coverage through United Healthcare which Sher accepts. I gave a $1k deposit to cover all office copays at the start of my cycle. My medication is coverage through my medical insurance - minus $3k deductible.
What specific things went wrong at Sher Fertility of New York?
- Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Sher Fertility of New York.
The only thing I had go wrong is sometimes the daily email from the nurse with meds and calendars was conflicting with what I had discussed with the doctor. It was always corrected, but I had to be paying close attention.
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10
10
Age
36
Treated
2017
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
4 IUI, 5 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Endometriosis, Poor Egg Quality
10
10
Over the next month and a half, even while getting treatment elsewhere, we were in constant email communication with him [Dr. Jeffrey Wang] and he provided guidance every step of the way. He always responds quickly and never makes me feel like any question is crazy or stupid. He has looked for, tested, and found issues that no other doctor thought to check before. I live 7 hours away and he is worth every second of the drive to see him. With my other doctors, I was stressed and frustrated because I never thought they listened or cared. Jeff is a true one in a million, and I will be eternally grateful for having found him.
In general I feel like the office [at Sher] is disorganized. I had to call or email in often to follow up about whether they had received paperwork, tests I had done, verified my insurance, ordering meds, scheduling my nurse and financial consults, etc. A lot of necessary tests were not ordered until the last minute which I found annoying considering I was signed up with the doctor months before. It was almost like having a second full time job trying to keep tabs on what the office staff had or hadn't received on my behalf and when things were supposed to be done or ordered. In the end it all worked out, and I think we should be set for our future cycles, but it was definitely a headache. Thankfully the doctor and embryology have their act together, which is the most important with all this.
Age
36
Treated
2017
Success with this Doc
No
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Teacher
Order & Number of Docs Seen
4th of 4 Docs
Treatment
4 IUI, 5 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Endometriosis, Poor Egg Quality
10
10
How was your experience with Jeffrey Wang at Sher Fertility of New York?
Dr. Wang is incredibly kind and compassionate. He listens and involves me and my husband with every step of the journey. How many doctors can you email personally and who actually find the time to write you back? I can tell you at least in my experienc - one! And it's Dr. Wang. He has gone above and beyond to help us, and I will never go to another doctor. I feel like we are partners in my care. I can't say enough about him. Just go to him - you won't regret it.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jeffrey Wang at Sher Fertility of New York?
Be prepared to work with the best doctor in your life.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jeffrey Wang at Sher Fertility of New York?
Dr. Wang is the best doctor I've ever had. Beginning with our consult, he welcomed us recording the session. He gave us some great advise and came up with a game plan right then. He never and still has never uttered the words "donor egg", even with now 5 IVF failures. We left there and he wrote down his personal email address to write him with any questions. Over the next month and a half, even while getting treatment elsewhere, we were in constant email communication with him and he provided guidance every step of the way. He always responds quickly and never makes me feel like any question is crazy or stupid. He has looked for, tested, and found issues that no other doctor thought to check before. I live 7 hours away and he is worth every second of the drive to see him. With my other doctors, I was stressed and frustrated because I never thought they listened or cared. Jeff is a true one in a million, and I will be eternally grateful for having found him.
Describe the protocols Jeffrey Wang used in your cycles at Sher Fertility of New York and their degree of success.
For my 5th IVF and first with Dr. Wang, he recommended estrogen priming with a lower dose stim protocol for me with my DOR. We also tried HGH. He said HGH will help 20-30% of people get better eggs, so it is worth a try. From that we got 10 eggs - more than ever retrieved, and 4 fertilized - more than I ever had fertilize. Unfortunately the quality was the same as all my other tries - highly fragmented and only 3-4 cells. So the HGH didn't help me in my case but I'm glad we tried. He tested my husband for DNA fragmentation to see if that could be a reason for poor embryo growth (he was normal). He also recommended I get an EFT test, which showed I had receptivity issues. From there he recommended I get a laparoscopy to see whether I might have endometriosis, which could potentially cause the receptivity issues. Sure enough, they found the endometriosis during the lap, which was removed. Knowing this, he may have discovered why we've had such trouble all along - no other doctor suggested looking into whether I had endometriosis. So now we are going to try a new protocol to tackle that somewhat and hope we get different results.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Sher Fertility of New York. (Assigned nurse: Leslie)
Leslie gets back to me quickly, just like Dr. Wang. However sometimes it takes a lot of back and forth to get a simple answer done. I feel like I need to follow up a lot to make sure things aren't forgotten or to make sure things are received. Often she'll tell me something wasn't received, so I have to call my local doctor or pharmacy and they will tell me it was sent, so there's a lot of back and forth and then Leslie will find it. I don't know if that's her fault or if maybe the office is not so organized in general.
Describe your experience with Sher Fertility of New York.
SIRM has a lovely, modern waiting room. As for the pre-op and operating rooms, I found them a bit outdated. I was surprised that the operating room was separated by just a curtain from the hallway, and I remember looking at a lot of messy shelves in the OR while I was waiting for the anesthesiologist. But in the end, it isn't pretty ORs or facilities or even the nurses or office staff that make a place great - it's the doctors and the lab that are going to get you your baby. And with Dr. Wang and the embryologists at SIRM NY, you've got a winning combo.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jeffrey Wang at Sher Fertility of New York.
Everything was billed to my insurance - I haven't received any bills yet. We did pay ~$1,000 for various testing that was not covered by insurance.
Describe Jeffrey Wang's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Sher Fertility of New York.
For my poor embryos, I think we would have transferred 2. But mine didn't develop well enough to have that conversation.
What specific things went wrong at Sher Fertility of New York?
- Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
- Lost paperwork
- Failed to call with results
- Failed to order appropriate test
- Lost results
- Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Sher Fertility of New York.
In general I feel like the office is disorganized. I had to call or email in often to follow up about whether they had received paperwork, tests I had done, verified my insurance, ordering meds, scheduling my nurse and financial consults, etc. A lot of necessary tests were not ordered until the last minute which I found annoying considering I was signed up with the doctor months before. It was almost like having a second full time job trying to keep tabs on what the office staff had or hadn't received on my behalf and when things were supposed to be done or ordered. In the end it all worked out, and I think we should be set for our future cycles, but it was definitely a headache. Thankfully the doctor and embryology have their act together, which is the most important with all this.
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10
10
Age
33 - 34
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
3 IVF, 3 Embryo Freezing
Diagnosis
Endometriosis, Male Factor, Immunological, Recurrent Pregnancy Loss
10
10
He created a unique plan that was tailored to our case that helped us to generate many more embryos than previous cycles and resulted in a pregnancy.... I have endometriosis so approximately six weeks before my most successful cycle, I had my second laparoscopic excision. The month prior to the cycle, I primed with HGH (Omnitrope), BCP, and Femara. During the cycle, I used Gonal-F (low dose), HGH, and added low dose HCG at the end. I triggered with Lupron. I also did a two day transfer of embryos as my history suggests my body is a better place then the lab for our embryos to grow. I typically produce many eggs but struggle to make blastocysts. With this cycle, I produced about 17 eggs. We transferred five day-two embryos and froze five blastocysts (combination of day 5 & 6).
Dr. Wang is the clinic's [Sher- NY] strength. I have heard good things about their embryologist and lab as well. Billing practices and cost of treatments/cycles is very expensive and prohibitive.... Dr. Wang is an exceptional doctor. He genuinely cares for his patients and responds thoroughly to every question (not matter how seemingly insignificant) with care and concern. He takes his time to understand your case and never forgets a detail about you.
Age
33 - 34
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
—
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
3rd of 3 Docs
Treatment
3 IVF, 3 Embryo Freezing
Diagnosis
Endometriosis, Male Factor, Immunological, Recurrent Pregnancy Loss
10
10
How was your experience with Jeffrey Wang at Sher Fertility of New York?
Dr. Wang was a gift to my husband and I after four very difficult pregnancy losses. He created a unique plan that was tailored to our case that helped us to generate many more embryos than previous cycles and resulted in a pregnancy. He responded to every question I asked with care and helped me to truly understand the reasons behind my treatments/care. Dr. Wang is one of a kind and his care is unparalleled. He is an incredible combination of scientist, practitioner, and counselor. I have never met a doctor with better "bed-side manner." We could not survive infertility/RPL without him. He has your back and will see you through.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Jeffrey Wang at Sher Fertility of New York?
If Dr. Wang is an option for your family, do not hesitate.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Jeffrey Wang at Sher Fertility of New York?
Dr. Wang is an exceptional doctor. He genuinely cares for his patients and responds thoroughly to every question (not matter how seemingly insignificant) with care and concern. He takes his time to understand your case and never forgets a detail about you.
Describe the protocols Jeffrey Wang used in your cycles at Sher Fertility of New York and their degree of success.
I have endometriosis so approximately six weeks before my most successful cycle, I had my second laparoscopic excision. The month prior to the cycle, I primed with HGH (Omnitrope), BCP, and Femara. During the cycle, I used Gonal-F (low dose), HGH, and added low dose HCG at the end. I triggered with Lupron. I also did a two day transfer of embryos as my history suggests my body is a better place then the lab for our embryos to grow. I typically produce many eggs but struggle to make blastocysts. With this cycle, I produced about 17 eggs. We transferred five day-two embryos and froze five blastocysts (combination of day 5 & 6).
Describe your experience with your nurse at Sher Fertility of New York. (Assigned nurse: Leslie Dychiao)
Leslie was very responsive to questions, prescription requests, etc. She and Dr. Wang make a great team.
Describe your experience with Sher Fertility of New York.
Dr. Wang is the clinic's strength. I have heard good things about their embryologist and lab as well. Billing practices and cost of treatments/cycles is very expensive and prohibitive.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Jeffrey Wang at Sher Fertility of New York.
Insurance covered my IVF cycles. Some medications used in my care were deemed experimental so I had to pay out of pocket.
Describe Jeffrey Wang's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Sher Fertility of New York.
Dr. Wang made his decision about the number of embryos to transfer based on my history and past cycles. Other doctors would have only allowed one embryo given my age.
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6
8
Age
37 - 38
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
2 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Male Factor, Poor Egg Quality
6
8
I see Dr. Dicken for EVERY SINGLE THING - meetings, follow-ups, consultations, every single morning monitoring, egg retrieval, etc. If I ever have any questions - big or little - I email her and she responds directly to me within 24 hours. It's been amazing. Such great, personal care...Since she is so good at answering questions - bring ALL the questions you have! She will give you her honest, professional opinion. If you have a wild idea or heard of a new thing, mention it - she's open to talking about everything and seems to understand how hard and complex this is. She may stick to her professional assessment, but always worth mentioning anything and everything that crosses your mind.
[Nurses at SHER] They are all very nice, friendly and compassionate. They work pretty efficiently as well...It's a small clinic with personal care... At Sher, we feel very much seen. One time they messed up our consultation appointment time and that was annoying. But that was the only bump, logistically. The facilities are nice as well. I don't feel "gross" going there. I feel comfortable...It's a small clinic - only 4 total doctors...Freezing and boring embryos was about $80/month.
Age
37 - 38
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
No
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1st of 2 Docs
Treatment
2 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Male Factor, Poor Egg Quality
6
8
How was your experience with Cary Dicken at Sher Fertility of New York?
Dr. Dicken is great. She took the time in our first consultation to review our charts (from another clinic), give us her opinion and talk about ALL the options - something we did not get at our previous clinic. She is open-minded, caring, thorough and very responsive to all our questions in person and via emails. I feel very taken care of in a personal way with her.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Cary Dicken at Sher Fertility of New York?
Since she is so good at answering questions - bring ALL the questions you have! She will give you her honest, professional opinion. If you have a wild idea or heard of a new thing, mention it - she's open to talking about everything and seems to understand how hard and complex this is. She may stick to her professional assessment, but always worth mentioning anything and everything that crosses your mind.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Cary Dicken at Sher Fertility of New York?
It's a small clinic - only 4 total doctors. And I see Dr. Dicken for EVERY SINGLE THING - meetings, follow-ups, consultations, every single morning monitoring, egg retrieval, etc. If I ever have any questions - big or little - I email her and she responds directly to me within 24 hours. It's been amazing. Such great, personal care.
Describe the protocols Cary Dicken used in your cycles at Sher Fertility of New York and their degree of success.
I did an antagonist protocol. I did a week of estrogen priming in hopes of creating good quality, uniform eggs. I did FSH only to start then added menopur. I did about 14 days (longer than originally expected) of stims to create as many follicles as possible. We also did ICSI and PGS. She also had me take a lot of supplements and antioxidants - CoQ10, Fertilaid, Vitamin C, D, Red wine extract.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Sher Fertility of New York. (Assigned nurse: Yisraela)
They are all very nice, friendly and compassionate. They work pretty efficiently as well.
Describe your experience with Sher Fertility of New York.
It's a small clinic with personal care - this is what we needed after being at Columbia where we never knew who we would see and did not get to really know our primary doctor and vice versa. At Sher, we feel very much seen. One time they messed up our consultation appointment time and that was annoying. But that was the only bump, logistically. The facilities are nice as well. I don't feel "gross" going there. I feel comfortable.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Cary Dicken at Sher Fertility of New York.
The first cycle was covered by our insurance. The next one we will wither choose 1 IVF with ICSI and1 FET for $13,000 (not including PGS) or two IVFs with ISCI and unlimited FETs for $26,000. Roughly. I believe the PGS was about $2,000. Freezing and boring embryos was about $80/month.
Describe Cary Dicken's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Sher Fertility of New York.
I believe she prefers single embryo transfers - after PGS tested - for best results
What specific things went wrong at Sher Fertility of New York?
- Lost appointments
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Sher Fertility of New York.
One time they messed up a consultation appointment - they had it down fro the wrong day. We took off work to get there only to be turned away. They tried to see if Dr. Dicken could see us, but she couldn't. So we had to reschedule.
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10
10
Age
39 - 40
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
3 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Unexplained
10
10
Dr. Dicken was consistently warm and friendly, while still being honest and frank about our chances. She remembered me and the details our my history from appointment to appointment and answered emails quickly...I was doing an IVF transfer with a PGS'ed 5 day blastocyst. I did the usual drug protocol I'd done at another clinic, but I also did intralipid infusions every 2-3 weeks starting before the transfer and then through the beginning of the pregnancy. SIRM does this treatment for people who've has recurrent, unexplained miscarriages like me in the past.
It's a small clinic [Sher Manhattan], which I found helpful in navigating treatment, schedules, and billing. Nurses sometimes goofed on details of drug protocols and scheduling, but I just made sure to check things and follow up. They were always very kind and accommodating...I was doing an IVF transfer with a PGS'ed 5 day blastocyst. I did the usual drug protocol I'd done at another clinic, but I also did intralipid infusions every 2-3 weeks starting before the transfer and then through the beginning of the pregnancy. SIRM does this treatment for people who've has recurrent, unexplained miscarriages like me in the past.
Age
39 - 40
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Teacher
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
3 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Unexplained
10
10
How was your experience with Cary Dicken at Sher Fertility of New York?
Again, Dr. Dicken was warm, friendly, available and kept my feelings in mind during a difficult time. She didn't withhold information or try to sugar coat anything, but she was clearly rooting for our success. At another clinic, I sometimes felt like their course of action was motivated more by their need to keep up their success rates.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Cary Dicken at Sher Fertility of New York?
I'm not sure -- I really felt like I received good care. I was transferring embryos from another clinic and I wish I'd done a better job of keeping all the details of all of my testing clear, but that is more a statement about my own level of disorganization. Dr. Dicken was thorough and considered all the aspects of my history.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Cary Dicken at Sher Fertility of New York?
Dr. Dicken was consistently warm and friendly, while still being honest and frank about our chances. She remembered me and the details our my history from appointment to appointment and answered emails quickly.
Describe the protocols Cary Dicken used in your cycles at Sher Fertility of New York and their degree of success.
I was doing an IVF transfer with a PGS'ed 5 day blastocyst. I did the usual drug protocol I'd done at another clinic, but I also did intralipid infusions every 2-3 weeks starting before the transfer and then through the beginning of the pregnancy. SIRM does this treatment for people who've has recurrent, unexplained miscarriages like me in the past.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
They were all very kind and encouraging. Again, I felt like a human at every turn. I will say I found it much easier to communicate via phone than email.
Describe your experience with Sher Fertility of New York.
It's a small clinic, which I found helpful in navigating treatment, schedules, and billing. Nurses sometimes goofed on details of drug protocols and scheduling, but I just made sure to check things and follow up. They were always very kind and accommodating.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Cary Dicken at Sher Fertility of New York.
My insurance covered 80% of the cost of the transfer. Some of the drugs weren't covered.
Describe Cary Dicken's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Sher Fertility of New York.
Dr. Dicken suggested we transfer only one embryo rather than the two we had to choose from b/c of my history of miscarriages.
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Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
10
10
Age
35 - 36
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
2 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Endometriosis, Male Factor
10
10
Dr. Tortoriello is very patient and is truly your doctor. He spent about 70 minutes with me at our first visit and he went over all the options and treatments. I asked him about PDG testing and he said it was an option but for me with such low egg number it might be best to just implant any healthy looking day 5 embryo. He really listened and he also did all my procedures...all of them. He also is great with emails...The strength is the doctors professionalism and compassion, and the same is true for his nurse
The strength is the doctors [Tortoriello] professionalism and compassion, and the same is true for his nurse. i saw many medical assistants [at Sher] and they were all friendly enough...I had scheduled appointments for each visit. As I left the office I would book the next one. Sometimes I would have a time that was later than I wanted, but they would always manage to work with my work schedule...Lindsay called and emailed me often. She is the sweetest nurse I ever met, and I have met many in my line of work.
Age
35 - 36
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Latino, Other
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Entrepreneur
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
2 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Endometriosis, Male Factor
10
10
How was your experience with Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York?
Dr. T was my first fertility doctor. (i saw one before him like a consult but never followed through because it was like a meat factory. ) I can't imagine any improvement except for the fact that his monitoring starts later than I was expecting, so i had to make some plans at work to accomodate that. Totally worth it though because I got to see him each time.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York?
Just listen to him, and don't be afraid to ask any questions because he is very happy to answer them all.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York?
Dr. Tortoriello is very patient and is truly your doctor. He spent about 70 minutes with me at our first visit and he went over all the options and treatments. I asked him about PDG testing and he said it was an option but for me with such low egg number it might be best to just implant any healthy looking day 5 embryo. He really listened and he also did all my procedures...all of them. He also is great with emails.
Describe the protocols Drew Tortoriello used in your cycles at Sher Fertility of New York and their degree of success.
I did not do a lot of medicine as my egg count is low. The first time I used a pill with gonal-F 150. The second time I did no pills but increased gonal to 250 I think. Over 2 cycles i made 2 blasts. i transferred one frozen blast and that took!
Describe your experience with your nurse at Sher Fertility of New York. (Assigned nurse: Lindsay)
Lindsay called and emailed me often. She is the sweetest nurse I ever met, and I have met many in my line of work. She would even call me after emails I would send late at night sometimes.
Describe your experience with Sher Fertility of New York.
The strength is the doctors professionalism and compassion, and the same is true for his nurse. i saw many medical assistants and they were all friendly enough. The lab must also be good too as I got pregnant.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Sher Fertility of New York.
I had scheduled appointments for each visit. As I left the office I would book the next one. Sometimes I would have a time that was later than I wanted, but they would always manage to work with my work schedule. Once Dr. T waited to see me at 5:30pm !
Describe the costs associated with your care under Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York.
Just co-pays. Everything was covered. My requirement for inseminations was waived because of our combined issues....too many to count it seemed.
Describe Drew Tortoriello's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Sher Fertility of New York.
I had 2 blasts and he recommended one at a time. Good advice as it took !
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10
10
Age
44
Treated
2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
3 IUI, 4 Egg Freezing, IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor, Poor Egg Quality
10
10
Dr. T has a very deliberative manner and makes it very clear that he takes your care seriously. Although I saw the other two doctors in the clinic for some of the procedures because of scheduling, Dr. T did all of his own monitoring rather than having technicians do them...it meant that I saw him all the time and felt like I had many opportunities to ask any questions I may have had. He never sugarcoated what was going on, but neither was he pessimistic. I appreciated his balanced attitude.
After the first couple visits, everyone knew my name and the desk staff knew me on sight...SIRM never felt like a factory. There were never more than a couple women at a time in the waiting room, I never waited more than 10 minutes during a visit, and no one ever raised their voice at anyone The staff also seemed relaxed... SIRM is very good with technology. Both the Dr and the nurses are available by email, and they send very clear instructions laid out by day on the calendar. They are also very fast on their insurance submittals.
Age
44
Treated
2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
East Asian
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
3 IUI, 4 Egg Freezing, IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor, Poor Egg Quality
10
10
How was your experience with Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York?
Dr. T has a very deliberative manner and makes it very clear that he takes your care seriously. Although I saw the other two doctors in the clinic for some of the procedures because of scheduling, Dr. T did all of his own monitoring rather than having technicians do them. I wasn't sure if I would care one way or the other, since in the first clinic I went to, the monitoring was done by techs and I loved those ladies, in the end I think I felt more comfortable with Dr. T doing the monitoring simply because it meant that I saw him all the time and felt like I had many opportunities to ask any questions I may have had. He never sugarcoated what was going on, but neither was he pessimistic. I appreciated his balanced attitude.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York?
I recommend Dr. T, and from limited interaction with the other two doctors, all of the doctors at this clinic without reservation. They ALL come across as very serious and caring.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York?
After the first couple visits, everyone knew my name and the desk staff knew me on sight. Unlike the first clinic I went to, there were never more than one or two other women waiting at any given time. The staff also seemed relaxed.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Sher Fertility of New York. (Assigned nurse: Bushra and Leslie)
The nurses are very organized about follow-ups, and are 100% available via email. I never had to wait more than an hour or so to get a response back to a question, and often it was within minutes.
Describe your experience with Sher Fertility of New York.
In contrast to the first clinic I went to, SIRM never felt like a factory. There were never more than a couple women at a time in the waiting room, I never waited more than 10 minutes during a visit, and no one ever raised their voice at anyone (again, in contrast to my first clinic). The doctors do their own monitoring visits, so the only thing support staff do is blood. It's all very very calm and professional. Secondly, SIRM is very good with technology. Both the Dr and the nurses are available by email, and they send very clear instructions laid out by day on the calendar. They are also very fast on their insurance submittals.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York.
Monitoring (each visit) $525
Egg retrieval $2400
ICSI $2400
PICSI $1000
Embryo culture $1500
Extended culture $1500
PGD biopsy $500 per embryo
Cryo $1000
Storage $80
FET - ? haven't seen the bill yet
Describe Drew Tortoriello's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Sher Fertility of New York.
I don't recall what Dr. T had to say about multiple transfer - I was never going to do more than single embryo transfer and it was never an issue since I only had one normal embryo post-PGS
What specific things went wrong at Sher Fertility of New York?
- Failed to order appropriate test
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Sher Fertility of New York.
There was just one visit when I was supposed to have two sets of tests and I ended up having to go back the next day because they hadn't taken blood for the 2nd test. That said, they make the time work for me and clearly told me it was their mistake.
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5
5
Age
37
Treated
2017
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
3 IUI
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Poor Egg Quality
5
5
At our initial meeting, I thought Dr. Dicken was incredible (she still is). She was knowledgeable with just the right amount of empathy and professionalism. We went into detail about my concerns. On the day that we met, I got a surprise positive pregnancy test. I emailed Dr. Dicken and asked if I could use the progesterone that she had prescribed for my upcoming IUI. She responded quickly and gave me the go-ahead to use the progesterone. Unfortunately, that pregnancy ended in a miscarriage. Once my first period showed, I went back to SIRM for the IUI. Dr. Dicken was available for the first ultrasound. She explained that she would be out of office over the weekend and that I would see another doctor.
Strengths [of Sher]: Scheduled appointments (no early morning blood draws). Front desk staff was efficient. Care coordinator is amazing! Weaknesses: Not all doctors are created equal. Not all doctors will be as great as yours. (Pray your Doctor shows up on the day of your procedure).... My coordinator was Jacqueline. All of the support staff are helpful and nice. Jacqueline responded to me immediately. She had a big smile every time I saw her. I have absolutely nothing but great things to say about her.
Age
37
Treated
2017
Success with this Doc
No
Race
Latino, Black or African-American
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
3rd of 3 Docs
Treatment
3 IUI
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Poor Egg Quality
5
5
How was your experience with Cary Dicken at Sher Fertility of New York?
At our initial meeting, I thought Dr. Dicken was incredible (she still is). She was knowledgeable with just the right amount of empathy and professionalism. We went into detail about my concerns. On the day that we met, I got a surprise positive pregnancy test. I emailed Dr. Dicken and asked if I could use the progesterone that she had prescribed for my upcoming IUI. She responded quickly and gave me the go-ahead to use the progesterone. Unfortunately, that pregnancy ended in a miscarriage.
Once my first period showed, I went back to SIRM for the IUI. Dr. Dicken was available for the first ultrasound. She explained that she would be out of office over the weekend and that I would see another doctor. Dr. O’Shaughnessy was neither warm nor patient centered. She gave me minimal information during the ultrasound. It felt very impersonal. Still, I figured its only one appointment.
I was called that afternoon and told to trigger the next day and come in 2 days after. In that time, I emailed Dr. Dicken about my positive OPK. She assured me that I wasn't ovulating yet. I apologized profusely for constantly emailing her. I was having a tough time. She never responded to my email. Okay. I figured I was going to be seeing her anyway.
On the morning of the IUI, I was told that the Doctor was with someone else and would be with me soon. I was taken to a room to undress. I was very surprised to see Dr. O’Shaughnessy walk in. I was baffled. One of the reasons I chose SIRM was the fact that they did things differently. Now, I understand that emergencies happen. What was confusing to me was why no one could let me know that my Doctor was not available. Dr. O’Shaughnessy was very rough. This was my third and most painful IUI ever. She didn't even say what she was doing. She just rammed the speculum and catheter inside of me. She gave me no instruction (even about the progesterone). Didn't tell me how long to lay down for either. I didn't even hear a good luck. I waited 20 minutes, dressed and left quietly.
Downstairs in the car, I cried my eyes out. I guess my doctor was busy with another procedure. I just felt like my procedure was not important. She did the old bait and switch on me and I did not appreciate it. The whole "patient centered" thing is nonsense. I don't think I'll even bother going in for beta.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Cary Dicken at Sher Fertility of New York?
Communication is key. Ask questions and don't let yourself be treated like cattle.
Being told that she would be unavailable would have allowed me to be informed and aware of the changes. That is important to women dealing with infertility as we already have little control over most things.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Cary Dicken at Sher Fertility of New York?
At first, everything was perfect. The structure of visits was totally different than the factories I was used to going to. Unfortunately, it ended up being like most places I have been to. Impersonal and another number.
Describe the protocols Cary Dicken used in your cycles at Sher Fertility of New York and their degree of success.
150 of Menopur. Trigger shot of Ovidrel. Only one follicle. In the two week wait.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Sher Fertility of New York. (Assigned nurse: Jacqueline Piccardo)
My coordinator was Jacqueline. All of the support staff are helpful and nice. Jacqueline responded to me immediately. She had a big smile every time I saw her. I have absolutely nothing but great things to say about her.
Describe your experience with Sher Fertility of New York.
Strengths: Scheduled appointments (no early morning blood draws). Front desk staff was efficient. Care coordinator is amazing!
Weaknesses: Not all doctors are created equal. Not all doctors will be as great as yours. (Pray your Doctor shows up on the day of your procedure) Also, they need better monitoring equipment (you can not see what they see on ultrasound. In other clinics, there is a tv on the wall so you can view it too. No justified system where you can find your bloodwork results (you have to ask your coordinator to give you details).
What specific things went wrong at Sher Fertility of New York?
- Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Sher Fertility of New York.
My Doctor did not show up to my procedure. Instead, another doctor who did not give me pertinent information and had a terrible bed side manner.
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10
10
Age
38 - 39
Treated
2015 - 2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
4 IUI
Diagnosis
—
10
10
Dr. Dicken is an amazing doctor. She was constantly present wether it was during a visit, over the phone and through email. She answered every question clearly and non-judgmental can, even if it was a question that I had asked a ton of times before. I felt she truly understood what U was going through not only medically and emotionally and handle it in a delicate manner but still direct and professionally. When I found out I was pregnant she was just as excited for me.
The nurses and front desk [Sher Fertility NY] were a welcome sight durning such an emotional time. They understood the challenges of fertility and managing it with everyday life a family.... From the moment I walked in the door I was treated with compassion. The nurses knew my name, which made it feel like a comfortable place to be. My doctor was available, direct, but would consoul me when I needed it. I truly have wonderful memories from my experience, I can not think of any weaknesses.
Age
38 - 39
Treated
2015 - 2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Teacher
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
4 IUI
Diagnosis
—
10
10
How was your experience with Cary Dicken at Sher Fertility of New York?
Dr. Dicken is an amazing doctor. She was constantly present wether it was during a visit, over the phone and through email. She answered every question clearly and non-judgmental can, even if it was a question that I had asked a ton of times before. I felt she truly understood what U was going through not only medically and emotionally and handle it in a delicate manner but still direct and professionally. When I found out I was pregnant she was just as excited for me. I thought that was amazing because she sees so many people. But I felt I was the only one.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Cary Dicken at Sher Fertility of New York?
No matter what you are thinking or feeling tell Dr. Dicken. She is understanding and kind. Dr. Dicken wants the same outcome as you and she truly cares.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Cary Dicken at Sher Fertility of New York?
from the moment I walked in to Dr.Dickens office I was treated with such kindness. She was direct, but had a nice way of speaking to me. I left her office hopeful.
Describe the protocols Cary Dicken used in your cycles at Sher Fertility of New York and their degree of success.
We used clomid to help with the folicals.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Sher Fertility of New York. (Assigned nurse: Jacqueline Piccardo)
The nurses and front desk were a welcome sight durning such an emotional time. They understood the challenges of fertility and managing it with everyday life a family.
Describe your experience with Sher Fertility of New York.
From the moment I walked in the door I was treated with compassion. The nurses knew my name, which made it feel like a comfortable place to be. My doctor was available, direct, but would consoul me when I needed it. I truly have wonderful memories from my experience, I can not think of any weaknesses.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Cary Dicken at Sher Fertility of New York.
I would only have to pay our copay and for the shots, which were around $300. We also had to pay for some tests.
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10
10
Age
31 - 33
Treated
2014 - 2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
3 IUI, 2 IVF
Diagnosis
Endometriosis, Immunological, Unexplained
10
10
I had ‘unexplained’ infertility and nothing seemed to be working, despite seemingly endless tests and attempts. After some time under his care Dr. T [Tortoriello] believed I had silent endometriosis and other immunological issues. ... He dealt gracefully and calmly with my sometimes unpleasant and frustrated attitude. His responsiveness to emails was extremely valuable to me, as I often emailed him frantically about my case.
I really appreciated that this clinic [Sher Fertility of New York] was small and it felt intimate. The nurses were great and the other doctors I saw were so wonderful and compassionate, even though I wasn't their patient. The most difficult part was dealing with billing. It's been 3 years since I've been at the practice so maybe this has changed but I had a lot of hours spent trying to track down invoices and bill, etc.
Age
31 - 33
Treated
2014 - 2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Ashkenazi Jewish
Income
—
Occupation
Business Executive
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 4 Docs
Treatment
3 IUI, 2 IVF
Diagnosis
Endometriosis, Immunological, Unexplained
10
10
How was your experience with Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York?
I found Dr. T after being dissatisfied with the care at another practice. I did a lot of research and chose to move to Sher so I could be treated by Dr. T. This was the best decision I made as he is truly one of a kind. I had ‘unexplained’ infertility and nothing seemed to be working, despite seemingly endless tests and attempts. After some time under his care Dr. T believed I had silent endometriosis and other immunological issues. He referred me to a specialist who was able to remove my endometriosis surgically and he worked with that practice to continue my treatment until he delivered the amazing news that I was finally pregnant!! Throughout my time there, Dr. T always remained positive and always approached us with new ideas on how to change course (we requested this). He dealt gracefully and calmly with my sometimes unpleasant and frustrated attitude. His responsiveness to emails was extremely valuable to me, as I often emailed him frantically about my case. 10 months after I had my daughter I found out I was pregnant again (naturally!) and my OBGYN was concerned that my hormone levels were very low, he was certain it was a bad pregnancy. I quickly emailed Dr. T, whom I hadn’t spoken to in over a year and asked his opinion. He was, as always, honest but hopeful. That pregnancy ended in a perfectly healthy baby. I will always be thankful to him for finally diagnosing my issue and providing a solution, and ultimately being responsible for the two beauties that are now in our lives! I cannot forget to also acknowledge the nurses and other doctors in the practice who were all so wonderful as well. This is truly a special practice.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York?
I think all patients of all doctors should always advocate for themselves. Come to the appointment as informed as possible, think about what questions you want to ask beforehand.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Drew Tortoriello at Sher Fertility of New York?
The practice seemed small and more intimate. You would see maybe 2 or 3 patients in the waiting room. At another practice I had been to there were more than 50 patients in the waiting room each time I went, a different doctor would see me every time and had no clue what my history was. Dr. T always met with me for a discussion whenever I requested, always responded to my emails within an hour and most importantly remembered who I was when I came into his office.
Describe your experience with Sher Fertility of New York.
I really appreciated that this clinic was small and it felt intimate. The nurses were great and the other doctors I saw were so wonderful and compassionate, even though I wasn't their patient. The most difficult part was dealing with billing. It's been 3 years since I've been at the practice so maybe this has changed but I had a lot of hours spent trying to track down invoices and bill, etc.
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10
8
Age
31
Treated
2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
1 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor, Tubal Blockage
10
8
Given my relatively young age at the time (30) and no egg quality or quantity factors, he [Dr. Melvin Thornton] selected a not aggressive stem process that left me with little to no side effects and success on the first try...Given my age (30) and quality of eggs, he recommended eSET unless we were ok with multiples...I always personally saw Dr. Thornton or a trusted colleauge at each of my appointments. If it was not going to be Dr. Thornton, he would let me know in advance.
Hours and location were convenient for monitoring appointments [at Sher Fertility of New York]. Retrievals and transfers were done in the NYC office, which was also accommodating with hours (my transfer was on a Sunday). Did not batch patients which I liked. However, sometimes long waits. The reception staff in the Westchester office were sometimes less than understanding and could be abrasive.
Age
31
Treated
2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European, Latino
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
1 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor, Tubal Blockage
10
8
How was your experience with Melvin Thornton at Sher Fertility of New York?
Warm, compassionate, calming presence. Matter of fact about all aspects of treatment. Always reachable, provided us with his cell and direct email. Selected the appropriate protocol given our infertility factors and history.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Melvin Thornton at Sher Fertility of New York?
Don't be afraid to push for more details and clarity when needed. He can sometimes act like the treatment is simplistic but if you ask questions he will always take the time to answer them thoughtfully.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Melvin Thornton at Sher Fertility of New York?
I always personally saw Dr. Thornton or a trusted colleauge at each of my appointments. If it was not going to be Dr. Thornton, he would let me know in advance.
Describe the protocols Melvin Thornton used in your cycles at Sher Fertility of New York and their degree of success.
Gonal F 225. Given my relatively young age at the time (30) and no egg quality or quantity factors, he selected a not aggressive stem process that left me with little to no side effects and success on the first try.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Sher Fertility of New York. (Assigned nurse: Shardae)
Always compassionate, however, tended to see many different nurses and instructions were not always clear.
Describe your experience with Sher Fertility of New York.
Hours and location were convenient for monitoring appointments. Retrievals and transfers were done in the NYC office, which was also accommodating with hours (my transfer was on a Sunday). Did not batch patients which I liked. However, sometimes long waits. The reception staff in the Westchester office were sometimes less than understanding and could be abrasive.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Melvin Thornton at Sher Fertility of New York.
24K plus prescriptions.
Describe Melvin Thornton's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Sher Fertility of New York.
Given my age (30) and quality of eggs, he recommended eSET unless we were ok with multiples. i agreed with this approach.
What specific things went wrong at Sher Fertility of New York?
- Lost appointments
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Sher Fertility of New York.
Again, it was just receptionist staff at Westchester clinic. They did not make scheduling appointments easy, and sometimes missed scheduling appointments I tried to make altogether. Reaching out to Dr. Thornton directly solved these issues.
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