Alyaa Elassar

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

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

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

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

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

Being a patient of Dr. Elassar’s was a treat. It’s rare you get so much 1on1 time with a doctor. She cares about every single one of her patients equally and is always 100% prepared for all scenarios. She was incredibly knowledgeable and versatile. Throughout the process, my body didn’t always cooperate but Dr. Elassar was always ready to adjust the treatment as needed and to respond to many of the unknowns. She was always 100% honest with me in regards to treatment and outcomes. She also always followed up, it was one of my favorite traits of hers. Also, she was shockingly available 24/7, always wanting to be available for her patients.

Ask any and all questions!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I had insurance cover most of it

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

She is very direct and no-nonsense, which we very much appreciated during the stressful experience that is seeing a fertility doctor. She always has time to answer questions and was available whenever we needed her outside of our appointments. She explains everything clearly so that we could evaluate what the best course of action was for us, and while she makes her opinions known about what course of action to take, she is clear that the choice is always in our hands. I found her to be an excellent doctor and a lovely person.

She may seem a bit brusque the first time you meet her, but she is very caring and compassionate. Don't let her direct manner turn you away- she is the best!

We were diagnosed with unexplained fertility, and because we were older (I was 36 and my husband was 49), she encouraged us to go straight to IVF using an agonist cycle.

I believe the total cost was between $10,000 and $15,000.

She strongly recommended single embryo transfer because of the risk of complications from multiples, but was clear that the decision was in our hands.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Quality over Quantity

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

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

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

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

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

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

$8000 plus drop costs

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dr. Alyaa Elassar solved my inquires with her expertise, which helped me to know my body better and also saved a lot of unnecessary spending, like Hysteroscope. What is the most important is that I finally get pregnant after 3 times IUI failure and twice embryos transfer failure in other clinic. So Dr. Alyaa Elassar is highly recommended.

nil

nil

Without PGS, almost 20,000 dollars per cycle.

Since my husband and I would like to have two babies, we asked our doctor to transferred two embryos.

My obgyn recommend her after 6 failed clomid cycles. At our first visit with Dr Elassar she went through our history and was very thorough. After required tests, she recommended IVF and explained th reasons for it. She helped me get ready for the IVF cycle by adjusting my thyroid medication. I was well informed throughout the process and grateful for her kindness in the moments I was feeling a bit scared/insecure.

Don't be afraid to ask questions and trust her.

We did 1cycle of IVF IMSI with own eggs. I don't recall the dosage but used Follistim, Menopur, Ganirelix for stimulation. My body was a bit stubborn and she adjusted the dosage and medication accordingly.

Appointments were frequent and had no issues with scheduling. They work with your schedule

We put 2 embryos in and glad we did so. Currently 2nd trimester

Dr Elassar was open and honest all the way. She explained the process with patience. She was compassionate but also matter of fact. Her staff were helpful and the facility was very nice. I would recommend her to others seeking treatment.

Ask many questions, and you will receive the guidance you need.

IVF cycle

Out of pocket for IVF cycle and medicines. Insurance covered some medical costs associated with bloodwork, etc.

I want to start by saying that Doctor Alyaa Elassar is very knowledgeable in what she does. I can say this because after every visit, my husband and I would spend time doing google research and find that Doctor Elassar was spot on with what she said. We had faith in Doctor Elassar's expertise, we were just a paranoid couple who were spending money on an expensive treatment and didn't want anything to go wrong so we did our own research. I liked that every single scan of my ovaries and uterus was done by Doctor Elassar only. I only met with Doctor Elassar and no other doctor. It put me at an ease that I am seeing the same Doctor each visit and she knows where I am in my treatment cycle very well. Doctor Elassar has great bedside manner. I am a little shy with my body because I have so much body hair due to PCOS. I never felt like I had to wax/shave my legs for each visit. Doctor Elassar made me feel comfortable in my own skin with hairy hands and legs. Doctor Elassar is flexible with the treatment option. We first met her in February of 2019 and wanted to do IVF. She recommended we try IUI since we have never tried it and if it is unsuccessful, we can just move on to IVF. Our IUI went great except my embryo never made it down the Fallopian tube so it ended in an ectopic pregnancy. Doctor Elassar went over the options with us and we decided to let my body end that pregnancy naturally rather than taking strong medications to end it (since ectopic pregnancy never goes to full term any way). I decided to take a break after the IUI because I wanted to do some traveling and job hunting before the next treatment. Doctor Elassar never forced me to come in for appointments during those times. She gave me my space that I needed. In January 2020 we met with Doctor Elassar and were ready to begin our first cycle of IVF treatment. She had preliminary bloodwork and sonogram done the same day to see where my hormone levels stand and from there, everything was a smooth process. I had a successful pregnancy by end of March 2020. Doctor Elassar always wishes the best for her patients regardless of your racial/educational background. She does her best for her patients. She came in on weekends if I just needed a bloodwork or a sonogram done for monitoring purposes. Doctor Elassar works 24/7! A very hard working woman. She is also professional and does not stick her nose in your personal matters. Even when it comes to 'timed intercourse' during IUI, she does not want to know the details, she just wants to know if the 'timed intercourse' was done or not. Doctor Elassar is great at what she does and I look forward to doing a 2nd IVF transfer from her when time comes. In the end, I want to say that even though I started going to a different clinic after my 6 weeks of successful pregnancy, I always reached out to Doctor Elassar for any question that my clinic was not able to answer.

Doctor Elassar is an expert and will do her best to help you achieve your treatment goal. She will always be there with you at every visit (except bloodwork). If you want to be treated as a human and not just a number at a clinic, then this is the Doctor you SHOULD think about seeing.

In February 2019, we had a consultation visit with Doctor Elassar. She asked some screening questions and explained a couple of things about how conceiving works normally. We had our initial bloodwork, sonogram and genetic carrier testing done. In March 2019 we began IUI treatment. I took Clomid and Doctor Elassar monitored my ovaries to see how the egg was growing. Based on bloodwork and her scan, she confirmed I was ovulating and asked to come in for insemination. In between there was bloodwork done to monitor progesterone level. I was prescribed progesterone pills. Unfortunately the embryo never made it down the fallopian tube on its own so we let the body naturally end the pregnancy. If we had taken medication to end the pregnancy, it would add a 4 month wait before we could try conceiving again because the medication takes time to come out of the system. After taking break, I met with Doctor Elassar January of 2020 and decided to do IVF as we did not want anything getting stuck in the fallopian tube again. Since all our genetic screening was done, I only needed a hormone checks through bloodwork and a sonogram check to see how my ovaries are doing as well as my uterus lining. I received a green light once bloodwork results came in. Gonal F was ordered and shipped to my house. In between, I would visit Doctor Elassar so she could do a scan to see how many eggs were growing in each ovary. In the middle, I was also prescribed Menopur along with Gonal F to pump my ovaries to grow those eggs. My ovaries were taking a bit too much time in growing them. The retrieval day was scheduled and 14 eggs were retrieved and fertilized. 10 lived up to day 5. We opted to do a PGS testing so our embryos were frozen and the PGS results came back in a week. Only 6 our to 10 embryos had normal chromosomes. I had to wait until my uterus lining was back in normal range. We began injections to ready my uterus and did transfer beginning of March. We continued with the injections as advised by Doctor Elassar. After 2 week wait, pregnancy test was done and I was pregnant! Injections for progesterone were continued until Week 9 of pregnancy.

Doctor Elassar was out of network. There's cost of drugs which varies depending on your insurance coverage. Embryo retrieval process has it's own set of costs. The PGS/PGD testing has it's own set of costs as well. The last major cost was embryo cost, set by Doctor Elassar's clinic.

We chose to transfer only 1 of the 6 normal embryos we had because did not want to have twins. We didn't want to choose gender so we let Doctor Elassar decide. The embryologist just pulled out the first normal chromosome embryo from our 10 frozen embryos (4 were tested as not good) and transferred that. It turned out to be a girl!

Dr. Alyaa Elassar and her entire team were amazing! We would recommend her without a doubt and know that she played a big part in us finally achieving our dreams of having a family! The IVF process is a tough one, usually filled with ups and downs, and a lot of anxiety and heartache. Like many others like us, when we started having difficulty in getting pregnant, we didnt know where to turn or whether to go to a large, well established place, or a smaller private practice. Everyone is different and has unique needs, but my husband and I were very turned off by the experience of the large well known places, and besides wasted time / effort / money, later on found out that the advice given to us was not actually in our best interest. After giving up hope we ultimately stumbled upon Dr. Alyaa Alassar and are we glad we did! From the start, the doctor and her team were very warm and inviting, always patient to explain to us our options, and we never felt like we were just another "number". You see Dr. Alassar every time, which I think is a big benefit. Not just whichever doctor is on the schedule who have skimmed your records. The doctor would email us personally with certain results, and shared in our disappointment when things didn't always go as we wanted. We did two cycles of egg retrieval and two transfers. After the first transfer failed, Dr. Alassar took the time to sit down with us and brainstorm how we should approach the next transfer. The rest of the team (especially Racquel) is also great, each appointment (for which there are many) was always super efficient, and her office is very warm and inviting. Everything ended up working out great, and my husband and I now have a fully healthy baby boy and we couldn't be happier! At the end of the day, the process is long and difficult, and so much of it can be mental - it is super important to be in the best headspace possible and to feel like you're being taken care of and on the right path. That is what we got with Dr. Alassar's practice and would highly recommend her and her team. You won't regret it.

Don't hesitate to use her. You won't regret it.

She is a very brilliant woman who knows what she is doing. From the moment I met her I knew I could trust her guidance and methodology. I never questioned her decisions and knew she was doing the best for myself and husband and our fertility journey. We had 2 frozen embryo, day 5 transfers. The first was unsuccessful, which can be common. She was compassionate when this happened and reiterated that it was bad luck and to be positive and give it another go. I am glad that we did as the 2nd transfer was successful. We are so very thankful!

Trust her, her methodology and don’t get caught up in looking at the internet and doing your own analysis paralysis.

We tested both myself and my husband with the usual tests - tubal view, egg quality, count and sperm. We’re able to quickly conclude 2 male factor issues. She advised that IVF would be the quickest and most cost effective rather than going through IUI as well. We trusted her and agreed with her rationale.

Dr. Elassar was out of network for us but still covered by Aetna. This meant slightly higher costs for us but we opted for this as choosing our Dr was important for us. Think in the end it was around $20k give or take. Well worth it.

We did single embryo due to my age. We were all comfortable with this approach.