Drew Tortoriello

Excellent doctor who listens to the needs of the patient. Great bedside manner and optomistic. I Highly recommend Dr. T. I had a bad experience with another fertility doctor and Dr. T was the complete opposite.

Ger ready to get pregnant!

Dr. Tortoriello was going to put me on 50mg of Clomid. I suggested we increase that to 100mg since that's the dosage the previous doctor had given me which resulted in a positive pregnancy test. He listened and increased the doseage. I appreciated that. It led to my successful pregnancy!

My IUI was covered. I just had to pay for clomid which was discounted through insurance.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

Just listen to him, and don't be afraid to ask any questions because he is very happy to answer them all.

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!

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 !

Just co-pays. Everything was covered. My requirement for inseminations was waived because of our combined issues....too many to count it seemed.

I had 2 blasts and he recommended one at a time. Good advice as it took !

Dr. Tortoriello was my third fertility doctor. I went through many IUIs and 2 IVF cycles elsewhere at a large factory clinic in NYC. By far my experience with Dr. T was the best. He knew me. He saw me for all my visits. He is very straightforward, patient, and kind. Plus he is technically great. His sonograms and procedures never hurt me...he is very gentle.

No advice except see him first!

I did an estrogen patch before stimulation and then did 11 days of gonal and menopur. I also did femara pills for a few days. Femara was supposed to be for endometriosis as I had it diagnosed 2 years ago with a laporoscopy.

Covered 100%.

I only had one blastocyst by day 5, and it took. But if I had another he said he still prefers one at a time.

Dr. T was very attentive the first time around. I’ll never forget the time we went for our 8week check up and found out our baby had no heart beat. My screams consumed the room and Dr. T got very emotional. He cried with my husband and I.

Do your research before seeing any doctor. We were blinded by the fact that we wanted a baby so badly that we put all our faith in our doctor and didn’t question his decisions.

Luckily our treatments were covered by my health insurance. Unfortunately we maxed out.

He was very even keel. I had a huge set back and he just sent me an email delivering the news. I was offended by this. He then was rushing me to try again right away and I wasn't ready. I decided it was best to go somewhere else. I also was told I could have later appts. That was not the case when I was cycling.

Ask tons of questions

I was on low dose of injections for egg banking.

Copays and anesthesia

Extremely patient. Answered all my emails very quickly. Very kind. Understanding. Never makes you feel like a number and remembers the details of your situation. He doesn't push any treatments but always gave options and let me decide.

You need to do your own research and bring those ideas and get his feedback.

Used estrogen priming for DOR. Used HGH, viagra suppositories, and stims for thin lining

Around 25k for ivf

No

I thought that he treated my case like no big deal. He said he sees a ton of patients with DOR and recommended banking embryos. He also suggested that I could just do a regular cycle but it seemed like he highly recommended the banking.

Ask a tons of questions!

He used low dose meds bc I have DOR. He recommended banking for 3 cycles and then testing.

Copays

Dr. T meticulously managed my case/care. While my AMH and FSH numbers were low-normal, i responded as if my ovarian health was much worse off. During my first two attempts, I had shown signs of ovulating through my meds. Instead of Dr T pushing through, he advised we cancel, convert to an IUI and revise our strategy. He monitored me every single day to avoid this happening our 3rd time. During our 3rd attempt, we did slow stimming and I had one embryo. This turned out to be my healthy and adorable daughter. We're planning to go back within the year to give her a sibling. If you have any doubts regarding your RE, go to dr. T!!! He is amazing.

Ask questions for your comfort, but trust him completely. He is a true expert, as well as ethical and fair.

Luckily we had insurance coverage so I'm not sure about OOP cycle costs.

I believe Dr. T preferred single transfer to avoid multiples. I didn't have that option so it wasn't an issue for us.

After initially being treated at Cornell for 4 failed cycles, I switched to Dr. T after my original doctor suggested using a surrogate. Although I should have been a very easy case (blocked tubes and a history of prior successful pregnancies, I was diagnosed with implantation failure. Dr. Tortoriello did a full and thorough work up with different testing and was willing and able to think outside of the box. This was EXACTLY what I needed. We transferred my last 3 frozen embryos - the ones that had been picked over each prior transfer - and it finally worked. I only kick myself for not going to him sooner. Dr. T is kind, compassionate to a point but also realistic. During our consultations, he didn't sugar coat things and gives you the honest facts. This was actually a little hard for me as a patient since I prefer a hand holder and a little more optimism. But he wholeheartedly wants it to work for his patients without making promises. During procedures and monitoring, he was upbeat and reassuring. I will 1000% be going back to him again. When everyone had given up on me, he made it happen.

Do your research beforehand. He is very willing to try new things.

We did a natural, frozen embryo cycle. He had me on 2 weeks of antibiotics during the first part of my cycle since I had been questioning infection. In addition, 5mg of prednisone and Foltanx. After the transfer, I supplemented with PIO and estrogen.

I don't remember the exact breakdown since I still had insurance coverage at that time. However, I know it is an extremely expensive clinic.

He based my transfer on my individual history (many prior failed transfers) and the grading of my embryos which I greatly appreciated. I think this is his approach with all his patients.

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.

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.

Our dream came true thanks to Dr. Drew Tortoriello Everything began four years ago when we decided to start family. We tried to get pregnant for year with no luck met. That time I went to see my ob/gyn who sent us for some tests. We were confused, sad and depressed. She told us that IVF is our only option. So we went to clinic that was closest to our hometown. Doctors explained us what should we expect, but after failed IUI, IVF cycles and one miscarriage we were disappointed. We did not know what to do next, stay with clinic that follow protocol and won't make any changes or find someone else who can help us. At that time, I met a friend who was doctor’s T. patient and who got pregnant after first cycle of IVF in her 40s. So we called dr. T. office to make apt. and it was best decision of our live. Doctor Tortoriello is caring, knowledgeable and professional. He is always available to his patients, even when he is not in his office. We again ALWAYS received an answer within 5 minutes. He run tests, gave us hope and came up with a plan. After couple additional tests we were diagnosed with thyroid problems, endometriosis and my husband has low sperm count. We also had prolactin level problems and high alfa cells counts. We did not succeed with the first approach, but it gave doctor enough information to optimize and individualize approach. Right now, it is middle of the night when we are writing it, and we are not sleeping because we have a small miracle that is crying by our side since she is hungry. We are happiest since this is something that wouldn't be possible without doctor T. What we want to say is beyond 5 stars, excellent service etc. He helped us made life dream come true, so make appointment with him and you will see by yourself. THANK YOU DR. TORTORIELLO and SHER INSTITUTE FOR OUR BEAUTIFUL BABY GIRL AIMEE :)

TRUST HIM

He is just a very kind man who cares. You can tell. He never rushed me and answered my emails, sometimes late at night, all the time. He was very realistic without dashing my dreams and prayers. He is incredibly busy but somehow always reached out to me to see how I was doing. Love that man.

See him first...not after schlepping through 2 factory centers first!!!

He used estrogen patches and then stimulation medication. Lower dosages than before. Felt much less bloaty. He triggered me a bit later I think. I got the same egg number but made 2 blastocytes. He implanted both on day 5 and one made my daughter!

Not much....my insurance covers me for 3 cycles.

He offered to implant one, but I wanted both, and he said it was all right as I was nearly 40.

My experience as a patient was excellent. I was extremely nervous visiting Dr. Tortoriello because I was heavily bleeding and did not know why. Dr. T made sure I did multiple tests to diagnose my situation. He prescribed an endometrial biopsy, sonogram, and inter uterine sonogram. Once he diagnosed the fibroid pressing on my uterus, he knew I needed a hormone shot, medicine and surgical procedures. All went very well and the bleeding has stopped! I didn't feel like a number, I felt like a patient who was cared about. Dr. T. always remembered my case and plus he even wrote me in between visits to check on me. My experience with him has been wonderful. Thank you Dr. T!

Be very honest with him about all your symptoms and trust him.

I was very pleased to find out that Dr. Tortoriello took my insurance and that he participates in many insurances. He tries very hard to work with his patients' comfort level.

Thanks to Dr. T, I have 2 beautiful children. I did 2 cycles with him, and each resulted in a singleton birth. I can't thank Dr. T enough for the joy of having full family. He explained all treatments, checked in on how I felt, followed up on any emails and phone calls, was realistic in setting expectations, was compassionate and guiding every step of the way.

Listen to him and trust him. Don't be afraid to ask questions - he's there for you.

Cycle mostly covered by insurance. About $5000 out of pocket for medications, co-pay and non-covered tests

Dr. T described what he thought would be best approach for the transfer and given my age expected outcomes. I always felt that I was making an educated decision

Dr. T is the most honest fertility doctor I dealt with. I was a confusing case and he worked his hardest to find a way for me to become pregnant. He did not beat around the bush and was always up front about his thoughts and plans. He has a very dry sense of humor that I loved every time I saw him. He talked me like a peer not a patient. He knew how informed was about situation and never talked down to me. We always had collaborative conversations about my situation.

He’s very honest and has a dry sense of humor that could take some getting used to.

Dr T always made exceptions for me to come in for monitoring in the afternoons to accommodate my work schedule.

I had insurance

Dr. T. was very good at communicating, he replied very thoroughly / promptly to my questions. I think there was probably unnecessary part of the treatment and testing (immunology, hgh), i was stunned to have just one embryo after 2 months of prepping, and better results with other doctors.

Some treatment of immunology issues was done on me, it did not hurt probably. I also was taking hgh. Dr. T also adjusted protocol in the beginning of the cycle, given my hormone levels (there was a switch in drugs, and i actually lost some money on that). Since the results were dismal, I am not sure it worked.

10-13K + meds

Dr. T is great! He was a little matter-of-fact about some things, when I could have used some reassurance at times, so that is probably my one complaint. But he is gentle, and I always trusted him. He did a great job and has a gentle touch.

Make sure you ask questions. He will answer, but isn’t always direct with offering information that you might need to know in anticipation of your needs.

We did Femara IUI. I am an SMC and didn’t have any proven infertility at the time, so we started slow. I had one cycle cancelled because my estrogen was low. Two actual IUIs, both negative.

I had insurance, so I just paid copays.

He gave us the opportunity to have the kids that we were having trouble getting. However the odds of Multiples the second time around were obviously WAY off base. We wanted a girl and transferred 2 embryos (the only girl we had and one boy) to increase the chance of one taking. We were given a less than 5% chance that they would both take and of course they both did. Now after PGD screening of the embryos and >$100,000 spent and 7 miserable years trying to build a family destroying my wifes body we have our first child and the twins with the boy twin being terribly sick with a very rare genetic mutation called CTNNB1 Haploinsufficiency that essentially means severe mental retardation and severe Cerebral palsy. SO we in essence gave up the best years of our lives to create a sick child that will drain us financially and emotionally for the rest of our lives- not to mention how it will mess up our children.

He is a great doctor. Though I think I will take statistics advice elsewhere. However I would make sure people are appraised of the risks involved and think twice

Standard cycle medications and treatment were used though the ONLY success we had was after doing FROZEN transfers BOTH times. The second time my wife was given hormones to shut her reproductive system down for 3 months prior to the frozen transfer to get her ready and it worked--- A little too well it turns out.

the 2 cycle plan I think was $17,000 and the 3 cycle plan I think was $21,000 the medication was very expensive but that was not at the clinic

He combines facts/figures with also the emotional piece. Didn't shy away from any topic. Gave us realistic picture but also hope. I'm glad we were recommended to him by friends who also had success. More importantly, seems to be very ethical--never wanted to go over board with drugs, used by own cycle at least to try to see if it would work (did), never suggested we transfer too many, respected our decisions

Be prepared to listen even if it's emotional. He really listens but the patient needs to know how to listen also and express all of their concerns

Don't really remember. Seemed to include ganerelix and some other shot for ovulation and the usual trigger injection, progesterone etc at the beginning. Nothing all that unusual

Covered by insurance. Out of pocket probably around $2000 per cycle? Covered around 10-20K/cycle?

I already covered this in the why I felt like a human rather than a number section, and this interface won't let me cut and paste so unfortunately if you want more coherence you're going to have to refer to my previous answer. Short version, Dr. Tortoriello: -- listened to me -- was never patronizing or dismissive of my questions -- never discouraged me from doing my own research -- was kind -- was a straight talker about my treatment details -- had a good sense of humor -- was deft and gentle in his touch with both ultrasound and during retrievals

I remember all of this, but I did too many cycles to be extremely specific here. To give a quick overview, though, after my first disastrous high stim cycle (nothing frozen), I then always did a low-medium stim cycle with Femara for a few days, then added anywhere from 75-300 FSH plus a small dose of HGH (Omnitrope .5mL or less) per day. We then added Ganerelix to suppress ovulation when that became necessary, until it was time for retrieval. The standard 10,000iu hCG trigger shot was used every time. Occasionally we did a luteal phase start. The rationale for this was that the super high stim protocol oversuppressed me and my AFC was never that high anyway (although we would never start a cycle with less than 4, which meant I took off a couple of months after every cycle so my follicle count could replenish itself a bit). With this protocol, I always had at least 1 blastocyst frozen per cycle. I didn't do genetic testing so I've no idea how many of those embryos are normal, butvam assuming at least a few of them probably are.

I've tried to block it out, but it was commensurate with other equivalent clinics in NYC and slightly cheaper than a couple of the others I considered at the time

As long as my doctor is willing to do eSET, I think that's up to the patient; I never wanted it so it never came up, but I'm pretty sure Dr. Tortoriello would do it if that was what I wanted--it's my body/money/willingness to risk or reduce a multiple pregnancy!

Was sure to explain every step of each process and always answered any questions. Very knowledgeable in his field. Never misleading. Explained things we had no idea about. As to why pcos causes infertility. Helpful throughout the whole process especially when we ran into issues with our insurance and med coverage

Expect honesty and to actually feel like a human not a pay check

I dont remember

I explained this in my last post - but Dr. T is kind, patient and hopeful. He is easy to talk to and knows his stuff. He also is able to think "outside the box" and change up a cycle when needed. He is a rockstar RE!

Ask questions - be open - you're in good hands.

This is hard to remember - it was 2015. He did use intralipids (sp?) infusions which I think helped to keep the pregnancy as I have an autoimmune disorder.

Easy to schedule

I don't remember - but finance dept. was helpful

I would recommend anyone struggling to have a baby to Dr. Tortoriello. I was advanced maternal age, had diminished ovarian reserve, and male factor issues. He recommended we try IVF and I became pregnant after the first round. Everyone in the Manhattan office from office staff to nurses were so kind. This is by not means an easy process to endure. I now have beautiful 7 year old boy thanks to Dr. T and his staff at Sher. I am forever grateful and blessed.

I received a few rounds of lipids during the first 8 weeks of my pregnancy at the Sher office. I also gave myself daily Lovenox injections throughout my pregnancy. Placental health is of utmost importance to maintain a healthy pregnancy, especially with a history of miscarriages.

I don’t remember. It was covered under my insurance plan.

Two embryos were transferred, one was successful.