How was your experience with Isaac Kligman at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Dr. Kligman has been my doctor since 2013 at which time we did our first IVF cycle and I became pregnant with our first child. I resumed seeing him in 2016 and we are working on number two. Dr. Kligman is the ultimate professional. He is smart, well-versed, courteous and caring. He is always responsive to my concerns and questions and provides straightforward and honest answers (he is not one to sugar coat). In between cycles, I had a natural pregnancy that ended in miscarriage. He insisted on caring for me the whole way through, was completely supportive through a difficult time and even insisted on doing my D&C himself so that he could be comfortable that I would not have any delays when I was ready to try again. He makes recommendations, and feels strongly about them, but will also let you give input on your preferred course of treatment and supports alternative courses of action. We are having a tough time with number two and this is when your care gets put to the test but thus far I have not lost any confidence in him as my doctor. I think Cornell as a practice can be somewhat rigid in approach and I see this from time to time in the way Kligman practices but ultimately he won't stick with something that isn't working. I always feel in good hands.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Isaac Kligman at Weill Cornell Medical College?
You have to do some self-education and be prepared to ask questions and prompt him as he won't always be as effusive as you might want him to be. He is 100% willing to spend all the time in the world with you discussing treatment and options but you should come prepared with a list of questions and concerns.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Isaac Kligman at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Cornell has a reputation for being a "factory-like" clinic, and I echo the sentiment in regards to monitoring, nursing staff, etc. There are improvements to be made, for sure, but on the whole it is a well run clinic. However, I have never felt like Dr. Kligman was not fully invested in my success and cared personally about my care. If we saw one another on the street, he would recognize me, call me by name and stop for a chat.
Describe the protocols Isaac Kligman used in your cycles at Weill Cornell Medical College and their degree of success.
On our initial round of IVF, I was 32 and had no identified issues - our issue was male infertility - so was a fairly straightforward situation as these things go. We used ICSI and ended up with 8 day 5 blasts - we put one in and we have our daughter and froze the remaining 7. They were not PGS tested as that was fairly new at the time. All of my FETs are being done on a medicated cycle using Lupron, estrogen and progesterone. We have opted for a single embryo transfer in each case (he has suggested we move to two, which we are considering).
Describe your experience with your nurse at Weill Cornell Medical College. (Assigned nurse: Kristin, Crystal, Susan)
I have had VERY mixed experiences with the nursing team. The attitude, level of organization and information given vary drastically from nurse to nurse. I find that most of them are not very compassionate, frankly - I'm ok with that as I understand they have a difficult job but every once in a while it would feel nice to have a personal connection. I have never been in a situation where I have not timely received instructions or have been given incorrect instructions, however - they are on the whole, organized when it comes to following protocols.
Describe your experience with Weill Cornell Medical College.
Cornell is a well respected clinic where the doctors confer on approach and they also have excellent support services (genetics, billing, etc.). It lacks a personal touch and that waiting room in the morning for monitoring is about the worst place on this Earth but some of it comes with the territory. It's important to work to establish a relationship with your doctor and his assistant and focus on that and otherwise ensure to advocate for what you need as they are responsive.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Weill Cornell Medical College.
The waiting is the worst, and some days it can be up to an hour. This is the number one thing I would change about the experience and wish it could feel less like a cattle call.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Isaac Kligman at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Dr. Kligman accepts some insurance and we had coverage for many of our treatments but paid out of pocket for fertility medication and some hospital charges.
Describe Isaac Kligman's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Weill Cornell Medical College.
It has been my experience that Dr. Kligman will recommend eSET in all cases other than when it is not the patient's desire or when eSET is not producing results. He will always go over the statistics and recommendations with us pre-transfer to help us make an informed choice.