James Grifo
NYU Langone Fertility Center
Available Lines of Communication
Doctor email
Nurse email
Nurse email
Direct line to doctor
Direct line to nurse
Direct line to nurse
Not available by personal cell phone
Medical SchoolCase Western
ResidencyCornell
FellowshipYale
NY - 1st Ave
660 1st Avenue
New York, NY 10016
212-263-7629
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33 assessments
10
8
Age
32 - 33
Treated
2017 - 2018
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
4 IUI, 2 IVF
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
8
After three transfers and no successful pregnancy, he [Dr. James Grifo] is not only encouraging me to continue but ensures me that this process will result in a baby it is just a matter of time and numbers (at some point it will work). He understands how frustrating that is and is constantly encouraging me and letting me know how well I'm doing despite the anxiety, fear, pain, discomfort and hormonal roller coaster.
Don't be overwhelmed by the size of the office or the staff [at NYU]...Despite its size, it is extremely well run. Signing in at the computer is arguably the only time I felt like a "number." I have never experienced a mishap or mistake on behalf of the clinic or a missed call etc...They [nurses] are exceptional, all of them. Caring, kind, compassionate and HUMAN. They know me by name and are all cheering me on.
Age
32 - 33
Treated
2017 - 2018
Success with this Doc
?
Race
Ashkenazi Jewish
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Lawyer
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1st of 2 Docs
Treatment
4 IUI, 2 IVF
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
8
How was your experience with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Dr. Grifo is all about numbers. He is extremely smart, continues to do research and I find him to be candid and honest with me. After three transfers and no successful pregnancy, he is not only encouraging me to continue but ensures me that this process will result in a baby it is just a matter of time and numbers (at some point it will work). He understands how frustrating that is and is constantly encouraging me and letting me know how well I'm doing despite the anxiety, fear, pain, discomfort and hormonal roller coaster. I find him open to working with other doctors (even when he doesn't agree with their ideology), he is willing to try different things than what his normal protocol allows for. He is open to my suggestions and patiently answers pages and pages worth of prepared questions I have presented him with after doing my own research. In dealing with autoimmune issues he has been particularly accommodating and his ongoing work on Chronic Endometritis has been extremely informative.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Don't be overwhelmed by the size of the office or the staff.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Nurses know my name, as does Dr. Grifo, all are patient, kind, attentive and in tune with my particular case.
Describe the protocols James Grifo used in your cycles at NYU Langone Fertility Center and their degree of success.
First retrieval cycle we did 150 Follistim, 150 Menopur. I had 13 eggs, 11 fertilized with ICSI. Did a fresh transfer and PGS tested the balance. Got 2 PGS normal embryos and 1 Mosaic. After failed fresh transfer we did an endometrial biopsy that was positive for Chronic Endometritis. Took months to treat that, once it cleared I did two frozen transfers that both resulted in chemical pregnancies. The first frozen transfer was done with Estrace and an autoimmune protocol that included Prednisone, Plaquenil and IVIG. The second FET was a natural cycle transfer with autoimmune protocol as well.
This current retrieval cycle I am doing 300 Follistim, 150 Menopur and Letrozol.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
I love these women! They are exceptional, all of them. Caring, kind, compassionate and HUMAN. They know me by name and are all cheering me on.
Describe your experience with NYU Langone Fertility Center.
The clinic is big, there are always people in the waiting room. If you want a boutique experience this is not for you. Despite its size, it is extremely well run. Signing in at the computer is arguably the only time I felt like a "number." I have never experienced a mishap or mistake on behalf of the clinic or a missed call etc.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
A lot of women in the waiting room, if you show up at the very end of monitoring hours you will wait for sure. But once you put your name into the system that you arrived, you will be called in turn (usually within 20 minutes at the very longest) and from there it is a well oiled machine. You get to know all the doctors and PA's that are doing the sonograms and you know all the nurses drawing blood.
Describe the costs associated with your care under James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
For a self-pay full cycle, with PGS testing, transfer and medications the OVERALL cost (everything included) is approximately $24,000.
Describe James Grifo's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
Dr. Grifo does not endorse multiple embryo transfer but is willing to do so at the patient's request or insistence.
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Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
10
10
Age
31 - 32
Treated
2019 - 2020
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
4 IUI, IVF
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
10
Dr. Grifo does a great job about running through the statistical odds of pregnancy success while also maintaining a level of compassion / acted as a quasi therapist during my treatments. He is well respected in the industry and I feel comfortable in his care. ... Dr. grifo was extremely compassionate when we experienced a loss due to ectopic pregnancy as a result of a round of IUI. He was always available if we needed to talk.
This clinic [NYU] has a long history of positive results and while you might not see your doctor for the iui / monitoring process, they have a very well regarded team and I still felt comfortable being in trusted hands. Sometimes you feel like a number while going through the process but I think it’s somewhat a reflection of how busy they are / the number of cases they have seen / they have had a lot of success.
Age
31 - 32
Treated
2019 - 2020
Success with this Doc
?
Race
South Asian
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Investment Banker
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
4 IUI, IVF
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
10
How was your experience with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Dr. Grifo does a great job about running through the statistical odds of pregnancy success while also maintaining a level of compassion / acted as a quasi therapist during my treatments. He is well respected in the industry and I feel comfortable in his care.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Stay organized and don’t be afraid to speak up if you want to try something and ask for his honest opinion on it. While doctors can do their best to give their most educated advice, they are not psychics and part of figuring out which treatment to move forward with is in part a personal choice.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Dr. grifo was extremely compassionate when we experienced a loss due to ectopic pregnancy as a result of a round of IUI. He was always available if we needed to talk.
The office itself is run like a very well oiled machine. Morning monitoring makes you feel like a number - but at the same time I am thankful they are efficient and I am in and out of there in the mornings before work.
Describe the protocols James Grifo used in your cycles at NYU Langone Fertility Center and their degree of success.
We have done 4 IUI cycles which included clomid for 5 days, a ovidrel trigger shot and a IUI.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
The nursing staff was always so nice and friendly. Sometimes can be a bit unorganized but only on minor things.
Describe your experience with NYU Langone Fertility Center.
This clinic has a long history of positive results and while you might not see your doctor for the iui / monitoring process, they have a very well regarded team and I still felt comfortable being in trusted hands. Sometimes you feel like a number while going through the process but I think it’s somewhat a reflection of how busy they are / the number of cases they have seen / they have had a lot of success.
Describe the costs associated with your care under James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
All IUI costs were covered by insurance
Describe James Grifo's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
Dr. grifo strongly urges for a single embryo transfer
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Ask this reviewer a question about their experience with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
10
10
Age
39 - 41
Treated
2017 - 2019
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
3 IVF, Embryo Freezing
Diagnosis
Endometriosis
10
10
Dr. Grifo is very straight forward with his communication. He is blunt when delivering statistics and probabilities. However, he has his own story of infertility with his wife and children and he has compassion for what his patients are going through. He is invested in figuring out why things aren't working and provides comfort and hope when needed. He is extremely knowledgeable and respected in this industry.
My embryo [at NYU] was thawed for a FET and I was on the table waiting for the transfer. The embryologist was unable to properly get my embryo into the catheter for transfer. They said it became damaged and no longer felt comfortable transferring it.... I was impressed that they told me and confessed to the incident rather than transferring it and risking an unsuccessful transfer. Dr. Grifo also gave us some financial relief for a subsequent retrieval cycle
Age
39 - 41
Treated
2017 - 2019
Success with this Doc
No
Race
—
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Sales Representative
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
3 IVF, Embryo Freezing
Diagnosis
Endometriosis
10
10
How was your experience with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Dr. Grifo is very straight forward with his communication. He is blunt when delivering statistics and probabilities. However, he has his own story of infertility with his wife and children and he has compassion for what his patients are going through. He is invested in figuring out why things aren't working and provides comfort and hope when needed. He is extremely knowledgeable and respected in this industry.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Have all of your questions prepared before seeing him or getting him on the phone. He's willing to spend time with you answering them, but is quick and succinct, so be prepared. He is not overly warm, but after completing several cycles with him, I can attest he is a compassionate doctor. He's not the doctor you go to for a close Dr./Patient relationship. You go to him for his expertise and experience.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Dr Grifo appeared genuinely invested in our success and showed sympathy when things did not work out time after time. He would spend as much time on the phone as we needed, answering questions, suggesting further tests, providing condolences, etc.
Describe the protocols James Grifo used in your cycles at NYU Langone Fertility Center and their degree of success.
I did a cycle at RMA where I was on 150 of Gonal F and 150 of Menopur. Dr. Grifo studied my results and ordered me to double that protocol and do 300 of each. He also added Clomid to my protocol. These changes helped me produce more eggs.
Describe your experience with NYU Langone Fertility Center.
It used to be painful to call the clinic. You got the answering service each time, even during business hours, but they have changed it recently. Someone actually answers the call and they try to get someone on the line that can help you real time. The wait times can be long during monitoring hours, but I've been to RMA as well and it's bad everywhere. Get there early. They move through monitoring quickly.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
Often long waits, but the clinic was very efficient getting people in and out as quick as possible.
Describe the costs associated with your care under James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
$20K+
Describe James Grifo's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
He prefers to only transfer one PGS tested embryo. He says there are too many risks to the mother and baby with Multiples. I don't know if he would agree to transfer multiple. I did not press him on this because his argument makes a lot of sense.
What specific things went wrong at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
- Failed to call with results
- Lost or damaged samples
Describe the specific things that went wrong at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
My embryo was thawed for a FET and I was on the table waiting for the transfer. The embryologist was unable to properly get my embryo into the catheter for transfer. They said it became damaged and no longer felt comfortable transferring it. I was really upset, given I did not have many embryos. However, I was impressed that they told me and confessed to the incident rather than transferring it and risking an unsuccessful transfer. Dr. Grifo also gave us some financial relief for a subsequent retrieval cycle given one of our precious embryos was destroyed. These things can happen, and clinic handled the mishap very well.
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Ask this reviewer a question about their experience with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
10
10
Age
36 - 37
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
4 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
PCOS, Unexplained
10
10
Dr. Grifo was very encouraging throughout our process. He was mindful of both the emotional and physical demand of IVF. He was sure to communicate how none of this was our fault, talked us through each step of the process, and reassured us when things didn't go as planned.... When our first transfer failed, it was very evident that Dr. Grifo was upset for us. He called us and scheduled a face to face to talk through options and next steps.
They [NYU] are very organized. When you arrive, you check in with the video monitors, and wait to be called. The wait time was always minimal. You were escorted to the back room for blood work, if needed, and then into one of the rooms. They knew who you were, what you there for, and answered any questions which made you feel more like a patient than a number. While it was sometimes crowded, they clearly knew what to do and were able to make their way through each patient in a timely manner.
Age
36 - 37
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
—
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Consultant
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
4 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
PCOS, Unexplained
10
10
How was your experience with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Dr. Grifo was recommended to us by a very close family friend. After starting our journey with another doctor, when IVF became the best next step, we had to switch for insurance purposes. Our first visit with Dr. Grifo was comprehensive and very informative. He asked us a tone of questions, talked us through the science of the process in ways that we could understand and was sure to create space and time for any questions that we might have. My husband and I felt very comfortable with him and were eager to get started. Throughout my treatment, I was fortunate to visit the clinic on his "days" which always made me feel better. He was always very thorough and would talk us through the implications of anything that was going on, offering encouragement and support. When our first transfer failed, it was very evident that Dr. Grifo was upset for us. He called us and scheduled a face to face to talk through options and next steps. He assured us it wasn't our fault and that there was hope in terms of next steps both traditional and more innovative, and even offered ideas based on his latest research. He suggested further testing to help inform the course of action. I saw him for a biopsy, which was uncomfortable, but I always appreciated how Dr. Grifo would talk me through the procedure to help pacify any fears or discomfort. Lastly, we were very fortunate that Dr. Grifo was able to transfer our second embryo, which was successful! It was so great to have him there, and provide us with the confidence and calm that we needed. He told us it was his birthday, and that he had a good feeling about it! When we saw him at one of the first ultra sounds after being pregnant, it was clear how thrilled he was for us. He expressed his joy and confidence in us as parents, and allowed us to hear the heart beat as many times as we wanted! We simply could not have done this without him and we are so thankful for his knowledge and expertise.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
To be patient, and to understand that as much as you'd like to see Dr. Grifo every time you are there, there are doctors of the day for a reason. Trust that he is very informed of your journey, and is always available if you want to schedule a call or email.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Dr. Grifo was very encouraging throughout our process. He was mindful of both the emotional and physical demand of IVF. He was sure to communicate how none of this was our fault, talked us through each step of the process, and reassured us when things didn't go as planned.
Describe the protocols James Grifo used in your cycles at NYU Langone Fertility Center and their degree of success.
We used a series of injections to stimulate egg production/growth. I was then monitored regularly to ensure the right dose/frequency and monitor progress. These injections included daily doses of gonal, a few of lupron, and then an ovulation stimulator to ensure ovulation occurred. I was also put on estragen to help encourage a healthy uterine lining for the transfer. During the retrieval process, we retrieved 28 eggs, however, the nurse suggested we use ICSI, to help ensure fertilization given my husbands sperm numbers, were just slightly under the amount they wanted. After the transfer, I was put on progesterone and estrogen to help support the pregnancy. When our first transfer failed, Dr. Grifo suggested a biopsy of my uterine lining to test for bacteria which could have influenced the transfer. It came back negative so he told us to move forward with another transfer. This time around, Dr. Grifo suggested that we might want to try something different just for our peace of mind. So we tried a natural cycle without the use of estrogen and just the use of letrazole. However, after my first visit, Dr. Grifo didn't really like that I wasn't progressing and decided to put me back on the same cycle we tried before as it seemed to work better. It did, and that is what got us to our second transfer with Dr. Grifo! After that transfer, he put me back on the progesterone shots and estrogen, however, after I told him that the shots were making me really sore, he offered my progesterone inserts to help alleviate some of the shots.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
The nursing staff was very knowledgable, encouraging, kind and patient. They were very thorough when calling with results and directions. I appreciated they also help talked me through the emotional implications of all of this.
Describe your experience with NYU Langone Fertility Center.
They are very organized. When you arrive, you check in with the video monitors, and wait to be called. The wait time was always minimal. You were escorted to the back room for blood work, if needed, and then into one of the rooms. They knew who you were, what you there for, and answered any questions which made you feel more like a patient than a number. While it was sometimes crowded, they clearly knew what to do and were able to make their way through each patient in a timely manner.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
I provided some of my thoughts on a previous question.
Describe the costs associated with your care under James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
I fortunately had good insurance which covered most of the costs of our first cycle with frozen embryo transfer. We did however, have to pay out of pocket for the PGS testing, about $7000, and then we had to pay out of pocket for the second transfer as it put us over my lifetime max. That was $4000.
Describe James Grifo's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
Dr. Grifo shared his concerns about transferring one PGS normal embryo at a time. Given our embryos were normal, he was pretty adamant about his thoughts on transferring one at a time to reduce risks. However, he ultimately said that he'd do whatever we wanted.
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Ask this reviewer a question about their experience with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
10
10
Age
43 - 44
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
1 IUI, 1 IVF, 2 Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
10
Dr. Grifo has a call with me each step of the way, good or bad, to explain what is going on, to answer questions, to discuss next steps and create a plan of action. He uses his own personal experiences to relate to you, and shows empathy and compassion... He adjusted my plans accordingly. He was compassionate and empathatic and while I didn't see him often, he called and we spoke on the phone as long as I needed to to feel comfortable.
The one criticism would be that sometimes billing comes before all else, but that is understandable to some degree. They [NYU] are very good at what they do overall, and very efficient. I like that for retrievals you don't need to be there in one cattle call, you are assigned specific times. Morning monitoring is efficient particularly when you get there early. Their check in system is very easy to use.... Mary and the other nurses were wonderful and helpful.
Age
43 - 44
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
?
Race
European
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Accountant
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
1 IUI, 1 IVF, 2 Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
10
How was your experience with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
He is just wonderful. I had an experience with one other doctor as a consult and another for treatments, Dr. Grifo was the first to treat me like a human. He adjusted my plans accordingly. He was compassionate and empathatic and while I didn't see him often, he called and we spoke on the phone as long as I needed to to feel comfortable. He also shared tips outside of the treatment protocol to help give us the best chances possible.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Go to him!! And trust him and his experience and judgement.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Dr. Grifo has a call with me each step of the way, good or bad, to explain what is going on, to answer questions, to discuss next steps and create a plan of action. He uses his own personal experiences to relate to you, and shows empathy and compassion
Describe the protocols James Grifo used in your cycles at NYU Langone Fertility Center and their degree of success.
Dr Grifo learned from my past protocol with someone else that I needed an adjustment to my protocols. In addition to menopur and gonal F we added Clomid. In my prior cycle with another dr just menopur and gonal f resulted in a cancelled cycle. Dr. Grifo adding the clomid resulted in retrieving 5 eggs, which was more than even when I did a stimulation round several years ago when I was younger.
Describe your experience with your nurse at NYU Langone Fertility Center. (Assigned nurse: Mary)
Mary and the other nurses were wonderful and helpful. They are efficient and compassionate.
Describe your experience with NYU Langone Fertility Center.
The one criticism would be that sometimes billing comes before all else, but that is understandable to some degree. They are very good at what they do overall, and very efficient. I like that for retrievals you don't need to be there in one cattle call, you are assigned specific times. Morning monitoring is efficient particularly when you get there early. Their check in system is very easy to use.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
I felt this was a very efficient process. Obviously there was some waiting on some days, but nothing significant.
Describe the costs associated with your care under James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
Medications out of pocket were about 7K, insurance covered IVF I beleive the cost was about 8K, PGS testing was $5,100 upfront for related costs but receive refund for embryos not able to be tested
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Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
0
0
Age
42
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
1 IVF
Diagnosis
—
0
0
Perhaps upon further tries it would become a more tailored, personal process [with Dr. Grifo] but we won't try there again - felt factory-like...In person the conversations were frank and direct. Upon failure of the procedure my husband and I asked to revisit what went wrong / what could be done differently. During that visit it felt like he was reviewing the details for the very first time and hadn't prepared for the discussion - like the center was indeed a factory without much tailoring or specific patient focus or analysis.
They won't transfer multiple [embryos] - against policy [at NYU]...despite having to "pay upfront" . . . I'm still getting bills a year later . .. . all in probably $40k with medicines...Very busy with lots of people coming in and out; nevertheless relatively well organized and answers were fairly timely. DId have a couple of issues with assigned nurse not being very communicative. Felt old/tired in terms of layout and cleanliness and technology...
Age
42
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
No
Race
European
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Investor
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
1 IVF
Diagnosis
—
0
0
How was your experience with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Our takeaway was that had ICSI been performed at the outset we would have had a successful experience. We were told NYU waits 24 hours to determine whether it's necessary "to save costs" - at $40k / IVF pop I'm pretty much all in already . . . trying to do everything possible to achieve a successful outcome and wish I'd been educated further upfront and been allowed to make my own cost/benefit analysis. Instead, we were left with "try again and go ahead and do ICSI upfront, sure" or "go somewhere else" or "give up" - not ideal choices but then again nothing about this process is ideal. Punchline - I liked Dr. Grifo but didn't think he "dug in" the first round to maximize its success so couldn't recommend him to anyone. Perhaps upon further tries it would become a more tailored, personal process but we won't try there again - felt factory-like.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Ask him if he does his best the first try to maximize results or does a one-size-fits-all approach the first time assuming you'll have to do multiple rounds and at that point he starts to focus on tailoring approaches.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
In person the conversations were frank and direct.
Upon failure of the procedure my husband and I asked to revisit what went wrong / what could be done differently. During that visit it felt like he was reviewing the details for the very first time and hadn't prepared for the discussion - like the center was indeed a factory without much tailoring or specific patient focus or analysis.
Describe your experience with NYU Langone Fertility Center.
Very busy with lots of people coming in and out; nevertheless relatively well organized and answers were fairly timely. DId have a couple of issues with assigned nurse not being very communicative.
Felt old/tired in terms of layout and cleanliness and technology.
Describe the costs associated with your care under James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
despite having to "pay upfront" . . . I'm still getting bills a year later . .. . all in probably $40k with medicines
Describe James Grifo's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
They won't transfer multiple - against policy.
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Ask this reviewer a question about their experience with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
9
7
Age
40
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
1 IUI, 2 IVF
Diagnosis
—
9
7
You see him [Dr. Grifo] once in a while in the corridors, and if you are lucky, he'll see you for 1 ultrasound out of 15. When you catch him, in your first appointment or a consultation call post PGS results, he is indeed a star. He will give you his full attention, the full truth, and will be blunt about your chances, which I appreciate, but I can see some women not being a fan of. He knows his numbers inside out, which is great, but that in itself can make you feel like another number
You feel like a human when you are seen by the team of doctors and nurses, but once you need a follow up call with one of the doctors or nurses, the answering system is efficient, but does make you feel like just another number. They [NYU] will call you back, but it's often someone you've never spoken to before...the billing team should be 200% better at their jobs...The FC NYU is a well-oiled machine. 1:1 interactions with nurses are great.
Age
40
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
?
Race
Other
Income
$500K
Occupation
Marketer or PR
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
1 IUI, 2 IVF
Diagnosis
—
9
7
How was your experience with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Spotting Grifo in the clinic is like spotting a celebrity. You see him once in a while in the corridors, and if you are lucky, he'll see you for 1 ultrasound out of 15. When you catch him, in your first appointment or a consultation call post PGS results, he is indeed a star. He will give you his full attention, the full truth, and will be blunt about your chances, which I appreciate, but I can see some women not being a fan of. He knows his numbers inside out, which is great, but that in itself can make you feel like another number compounding that average, that median, and keep you on your tip toes secretly hoping for the moment he will pull you aside and say "look, I followed your case day by day, I know a lot about you now, and you are not part of this statistic anymore... you are you and this is what I think!" It's not going to happen, but emotionally I'm in that phase now, as I wait for for my 2nd IVF cycle yet (I'm banking after 1 PGS-tested euploid embryo already frozen).
The retrieval is performed by the doctor in attendance that day, so if Grifo is there 1 out of 5 days, your chances of seeing him are 20%.
I just went through the embryo transfer course from Fertility IQ and am now freaking out about the performance variances across different doctors within the same clinic. Looking forward to touching base with Grifo to know his POV on this.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Try to take your emotions out of the equation as much as possible. Convince yourself you are making the best possible choice by enduring IVF: 1) you are maximizing your chances, 2) you are controlling the outcome (if you are doing PGS you are screening the best quality embryos in advance, and you are lowering your miscarriage chances to lower rates than mother nature), 3) you are taking an expensive, emotionally tolling, short-cut to starting a family, if time is of the essence for you.
Personally, IVF me dread every evening of treatment, but I took one day at a time, and even tried to enjoy the fact that I was taking control over my destiny (vs. years worth of trying, especially if you are retrieving a high number of eggs per cycle --imagine the monthly disappointments, or even mourning a miscarriage (which happened to be in the recent past).
Grifo is a matter-of-the-fact person, so if you are able to rationalize all the facts above, he is the doctor for you. He can be personable, funny, and charmingly smart.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
You feel like a human when you are seen by the team of doctors and nurses, but once you need a follow up call with one of the doctors or nurses, the answering system is efficient, but does make you feel like just another number. They will call you back, but it's often someone you've never spoken to before. Also, sitting in a packed waiting room and having your name called among other 10 names, definitely feels like a manufacturing plant scale... The 1:1 interactions are great (with with exception of billing), but everything else around it is of inhumane scale.
Describe the protocols James Grifo used in your cycles at NYU Langone Fertility Center and their degree of success.
Gonal F, Menopur, Cetrotide and Lupron + HCG triggers. My body responded very well to drug stimulation, and all along, doses of Gonal F and Menopur were being adjusted by doctors so my follicles had time to mature appropriately. Cetrotide was taken to prevent early ovulation, and my triggers consisted of 2 days of Lupron and 1 day of HCG, at 36 and 24hrs prior to retrieval. Triggers are to be shot at specific times, so that generates a little anxiety, especially if you have to excuse yourself from a client meeting for a few minutes :(
My 1st cycle produced 20+ eggs and 2nd cycle 20+ eggs again. Quality is very different from quantity, so if you can, PGS will give you a good reality check and ensure a lower miscarriage/bad surprises rate.
I don't have final results yet as I'm still waiting on 2nd cycle results (1st one yielded 1 euploid embryo that is currently frozen).
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
The FC NYU is a well-oiled machine. 1:1 interactions with nurses are great. And when you have to call for questions, the message service is tremendously impersonal, but efficient. Nurses will call you back in a couple of hours, and leave very unambiguous voice mails. They are great.
A few of them are more talkative and will give you invaluable tips (that should probably be part of orientation), such as: 1) if you are doing PGS, what is the best possible way to optimize timing (brith control pills); 2) if you are using the Gonal F or Follastim pens, don't throw them away if they are not completely finished as you can get a full day worth of dosage in it, or even combine it with a brand new cartridge, representing hundreds of dollars of savings in the end; 3) don't buy all drugs at once, get supplies worth a few days, because you never know how quickly your body will respond to drugs, and you might get stuck with a ton of expensive drugs you can't return.
Describe your experience with NYU Langone Fertility Center.
Not a state-of-the art clinic. Success rates, doctors, equipment were what mattered to me, but if you are looking for premium waiting rooms, 1:1 attention from your doctor during the full length of treatment, immediate responses to follow up calls, this may not be the clinic for you. The academic association of this clinic warrants a team approach, so you will have to trust the team of doctors' best practices, proven protocols, years of research and published papers. The few star doctors of the clinic will be there for you if you really need them. But you will need to be a very patient patient.
In FC NYU there are great embryologists, so if you fear your age is determining a lower quality of your eggs, you want that team looking at your embryos and performing biopsies. You also want to go for the PGS testing lab they recommend and trust their interpretation of results.
One thing I absolutely loathed about this clinic was the billing department. Staff sitting there is misinformed, inefficient, insecure, and unprofessional. Even if you consider that dealing with any insurance is a dreadful process, the billing team should be 200% better at their jobs. Every time I know I have to deal with them, my adrenaline is through the roof. FC, please reassess billing staff + provide better "client services" training and make measurable improvements ASAP!
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
Efficient well-oiled machine. Nurses are very personable despite the scale of the clinic. Well-mannered, up beat, rain or shine, as early as 7.30 on a holiday. They are GREAT!
Describe the costs associated with your care under James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
Depends. If insurance covers, the value per IVF cycle charged is lower (about $7,500), if you are paying OOP the iVF cycle is about $10,200. Retrieval anesthesia, cryo, transfer, PGS costs, drugs are all separate. I don't have all the info yet because of insurance processing delays, but if you are doing all OOP, costs are as follow (approx. total $: 24,000)
- $15,300 retrieval + cryo + PGS
- $1,000 retrieval anesthesia
- $2,500 PGS lab testing (minimum fee, pending # of biopsied embryos)
- $5,000 drugs
Insurance scam I leaned about after many hours on the phone amidst my full time job: my Express Scripts insurance drug coverage gives me a lifetime max coverage of $4,000. If I process through insurance 1 pen of Gonal F 900 units, the cost is of $1,900. If I pay OOP, the cost is of $850 through the same pharmacy. So.... with my insurance I was hoping to cover at least 80% of the drugs I needed for 1 cylce, and with 2 pens of Gonal F (approx. 10% of the drugs I actually needed) my life time max was done!
Appalling... specially when you read Australian blogs in which women go through 10 cycles of IVF for free...
Describe James Grifo's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
Not discussed with Grifo yet, but my philosophy is to take as little drugs as possible, especially after the recent bombarding I did to my body, and the fact that I have no issues ovulating and a well functioning endometrium.
What specific things went wrong at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
- Provided conflicting information
- Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
Billing: Even if you consider that dealing with any insurance is a dreadful process, the billing team should be 200% better at their jobs. A few real life examples:
1) on day 2 of your cycle, you have to make the payment for the full treatment, already considering what your insurance will and will not cover. I got the initial information about the PGS test price during my first visit with Grifo months ago, but when I went to actually pay for the test, the billing department surprised me by saying that the lab costs were separate and could amount to almost the same price you pay for the biopsy in FC. No one ever told us that biopsy in FC and analysis in a lab are 2 separate costs, that are almost as equally costly. End result: by surprise, we spent 60% more for a test we were initially misinformed was going to cost "only" $3,600 (it's not covered by insurance).
2) on day 2 of my 2nd cycle I was the one to bring up the fact that my insurance was not going to cover my 2nd full cycle (they have a life time max that covers about 1.5 IVF cycles). The person from billing had already charged my new PGS $3,600 and forgot to check my coverage, so I had to bring it up myself. Once she started digging, she repeatedly stood up to ask for more info from her supervisors, and every time came back with a different number. A total nightmare. That day, I spent over $3,000, and all the "documentation" I got was a poorly hand-written post-it (front and back), a copy of my credit card receipt, and a verbal statement "there is no way for us to know how much your insurance has actually covered at this point, so at some point we can refund you in case you paid in excess, but I can give you this post-it with the itemized list of expenses". WHAT?!?!?!?!? I definitely expected to get better financial information from a billing department, specially since everything else in the clinic seems to be a large scale highly-functioning well-run BUSINESS. FC, please reassess billing staff + provide feedback + improvements ASAP - billing lady on 03/22/2018 at approx 9.30am.
3) on day 2 as I was making the payment for another cycle, I asked yet another billing lady for itemization of services and wanted to confirm that the price for the cryopreservation was already taken care of (specially if you are nervous you have 1 single good embryo in the freezer, you want to make sure the contractual/financial part is in good standing). Her answer "I don't have time for this now, I should not get into any details with you, look, there are other patients waiting, I'm alone here this Saturday, whereas there are 30 nurses here today. Are you going to make this $8,200 payment now on your card? We need to move on". WHAT?!?!?!??! I'm giving you almost $10,000 and you can't give me the time of day to answer a financial question? Well, she did give me another post-it I guess. I have no idea what was formalized into the system as paid or unpaid. I guess I still need to be open for surprises. FC, please reassess billing staff + provide feedback + improvements ASAP - billing lady on 03/24/2018 at approx 8.30am.
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Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
0
0
Age
40
Treated
2017
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
IUI
Diagnosis
—
0
0
Dr. Griffo barely reviewed my file before meeting with me. He and his staff [at NY] talked about numbers and procedures like I was a machine...My husband and I went to Dr. Grifo for an initial consultation...He then proceeded to show me to a room and asked me to put on a robe so that he would examine me. Not understanding at all why this would be part of an initial consultation, and even though I asked him repeatedly about it, in an effort to do everything I could to have a baby, I ended up submitting myself to an ultrasound and a swab. I was confused, felt completely taken advantage of, and left that place feeling like a machine
All the staff in that office [NYU Langone] treated us like we were machines. They gave us tons of papers with information, and they kept mentioning dates and enumerate steps of procedures in the most impersonal way I can possibly describe....It was clean. But being there felt very impersonal, and all the staff were pretty bad communicators. We were guided to at least 4 different desks, where different nurses and admin staff talked to us about different parts of the procedures, and none of them seemed to care about or even realize that I was so overwhelmed I was about to break down in tears.
Age
40
Treated
2017
Success with this Doc
No
Race
European
Income
$50K - $99K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
IUI
Diagnosis
—
0
0
How was your experience with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
My husband and I went to Dr. Grifo for an initial consultation. He spoke to us for about an hour without focusing on our case - he just kept referring to statistics, graphs, and numbers. We told him that we had a fertility doctor who had already done all the standard tests on us, but that we had decided to also meet with him to be confident that we were comfortable with our decision. We couldn't have been clearer that we were there to gather information. He then proceeded to show me to a room and asked me to put on a robe so that he would examine me. Not understanding at all why this would be part of an initial consultation, and even though I asked him repeatedly about it, in an effort to do everything I could to have a baby, I ended up submitting myself to an ultrasound and a swab. I was confused, felt completely taken advantage of, and left that place feeling like a machine. A few weeks later, I received a bill, as my insurance was not covering the tests he did on me that day, something I have no doubt he knew. So I ended up having to pay for those completely unnecessary tests that I had never asked for.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Do NOT chose him as your doctor.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Dr. Griffo barely reviewed my file before meeting with me. He and his staff talked about numbers and procedures like I was a machine. I have met with other doctors, this was my worst experience.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
All the staff in that office treated us like we were machines. They gave us tons of papers with information, and they kept mentioning dates and enumerate steps of procedures in the most impersonal way I can possibly describe.
Describe your experience with NYU Langone Fertility Center.
It was clean. But being there felt very impersonal, and all the staff were pretty bad communicators. We were guided to at least 4 different desks, where different nurses and admin staff talked to us about different parts of the procedures, and none of them seemed to care about or even realize that I was so overwhelmed I was about to break down in tears. They have no good internal processes, and it ends up being quite upsetting to just even be there.
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Ask this reviewer a question about their experience with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
5
6
Age
33
Treated
2017
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
4 IUI
Diagnosis
Unexplained
5
6
Dr. Grifo may come off as cold and standoffish; however, you should not be afraid to ask any questions. I would encourage to ask as many questions as possible and pick his very knowledgeable brain. Be your own advocate!...Dr. Grifo is very straight forward and says it like it is. He is very into his statistics and its all about the numbers. He provides you with the different options for you to make the decision. To me he basically admitted that he has no idea why I am not conceiving and said its a luck game. He even said "If you tried naturally for 5 years you would probably get pregnant". He said if I want to rush he would do IVF(which is costly) but then also suggested I try 3 letrizole IUI cycle after having 3 failed clomid IUI cycles. With Dr. Grifo I tried 1 letrizole cycle which unfortunately failed. I suggested to try an injectable IUI cycle as I wanted to try something new; however, he did not agree with that and said that he would want to do IVF instead of injectables. I did not understand from him or his nurses why it is a problem to try injectables before IVF. Also I have an autoimmune
My experience at NYU was pleasant. Wait times were not long and the clinic was not super crowded. The nurses have a good eye as they were able to catch things my previous RE didn't catch. They are all very patient even when I called many times...The nurses and other staff are very caring and patient. They return phone calls and emails promptly. When I needed a copy of my records emailed to me they had it done very quickly.
Age
33
Treated
2017
Success with this Doc
No
Race
Middle Eastern, Other
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
4 IUI
Diagnosis
Unexplained
5
6
How was your experience with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Dr. Grifo is very straight forward and says it like it is. He is very into his statistics and its all about the numbers. He provides you with the different options for you to make the decision. To me he basically admitted that he has no idea why I am not conceiving and said its a luck game. He even said "If you tried naturally for 5 years you would probably get pregnant". He said if I want to rush he would do IVF(which is costly) but then also suggested I try 3 letrizole IUI cycle after having 3 failed clomid IUI cycles. With Dr. Grifo I tried 1 letrizole cycle which unfortunately failed. I suggested to try an injectable IUI cycle as I wanted to try something new; however, he did not agree with that and said that he would want to do IVF instead of injectables. I did not understand from him or his nurses why it is a problem to try injectables before IVF. Also I have an autoimmune condition; however, he does not believe it affects my infertility; however, he was open to me being on certain medications such as blood thinners if needed during a cycle. But they would have to be prescribed by another Dr. such as hematologist, rheumatologist , RI. Right now I put a hold on treatment as i am moving apartments, i am looking into a Dr. who will try an injectable IUI
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Dr. Grifo may come off as cold and standoffish; however, you should not be afraid to ask any questions. I would encourage to ask as many questions as possible and pick his very knowledgeable brain. Be your own advocate!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
It is a smaller clinic less doctors. The nurses really care and return phone calls/ and emails Promptly
Describe the protocols James Grifo used in your cycles at NYU Langone Fertility Center and their degree of success.
I did 1 Letrizole IUI cycle with ovadril, I produced 2 follicles 1 large the other smaller. Unfortunately it resulted in a negative pregnancy test. He used Letrizole to try something different because I had 3 failed clomid IUI. He also re-tested my platelet count because they appeared to be slightly below the norm. I was very happy they caught the low platelet count because when I was at RMA they missed it. His nurses were reviewing my records from RMA and noticed this low platelet count. I went to a hematologist and turned out to be the platelets were not such a big issue.
Describe your experience with your nurse at NYU Langone Fertility Center. (Assigned nurse: Carole and Andrea )
The nurses and other staff are very caring and patient. They return phone calls and emails promptly. When I needed a copy of my records emailed to me they had it done very quickly.
Describe your experience with NYU Langone Fertility Center.
My experience at NYU was pleasant. Wait times were not long and the clinic was not super crowded. The nurses have a good eye as they were able to catch things my previous RE didn't catch. They are all very patient even when I called many times.
Describe the costs associated with your care under James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
My IUI was covered by insurance; however, I had to pay for the Ovardril approximately $75 and ultra sounds were applied to my deductible which was about a total of $198
Describe James Grifo's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
I did not do embryo transfers but in my initial consult Dr. Grifo strongly disagrees with transferring more than one embryo.
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Ask this reviewer a question about their experience with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
7
8
Age
39
Treated
2017
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
3 IUI, 2 IVF
Diagnosis
Unexplained
7
8
Dr. Grifo was always kind and compassionate with every conversation. I only met with him in person once, but he was always available for a conference call with my husband and I and we never felt rushed when on the call. I felt like he really understood how tough this process is and how much of an emotional roller-coaster it can be.... He explained the science and numbers but in a compassionate way. He's clearly seen it all and would give advice, but also understands that every experience is individual and personal and deserves that attention.
Dr. Grifo's assistance was extremely nice and helpful! Everyone else [NYU] was nice, as well. The only issue was the wait time for monitoring was often pretty long. Although you may feel like you're just one of too many, once you see someone they are very nice and always answer questions. Billing was helpful, as well.... There were two main nurses I saw who both did the IUI. Both were nice and chatty in a good way as it relaxed me. With one the procedure hurt, with the other not as much, but both were nice and answered questions I had.
Age
39
Treated
2017
Success with this Doc
No
Race
Prefer not to answer
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1st of 2 Docs
Treatment
3 IUI, 2 IVF
Diagnosis
Unexplained
7
8
How was your experience with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
I am so happy I saw Dr. Grifo as my first fertility doctor as he was so great at explaining everything. He explained the science and numbers but in a compassionate way. He's clearly seen it all and would give advice, but also understands that every experience is individual and personal and deserves that attention. My only complaint is that I would have preferred to have seen him in person during my iui's
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Make sure you request phone calls with him since you won't see him in person (if doing an IUI). But he is very responsive and receptive on the phone.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Dr. Grifo was always kind and compassionate with every conversation. I only met with him in person once, but he was always available for a conference call with my husband and I and we never felt rushed when on the call. I felt like he really understood how tough this process is and how much of an emotional roller-coaster it can be.
Describe the protocols James Grifo used in your cycles at NYU Langone Fertility Center and their degree of success.
We did 3 IUIs. Each time I took clomid and went in for monitoring. Trigger shot and then the next day came in for the IUI (done by a nurse). My husband gave a fresh sperm sample.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
There were two main nurses I saw who both did the IUI. Both were nice and chatty in a good way as it relaxed me. With one the procedure hurt, with the other not as much, but both were nice and answered questions I had.
Describe your experience with NYU Langone Fertility Center.
Dr. Grifo's assistance was extremely nice and helpful! Everyone else was nice, as well. The only issue was the wait time for monitoring was often pretty long. Although you may feel like you're just one of too many, once you see someone they are very nice and always answer questions. Billing was helpful, as well.
Describe the costs associated with your care under James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
My insurance did not cover IUI so I think we paid between 1-2K per cycle
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10
10
Age
38
Treated
2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
2 IUI, 4 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Poor Egg Quality, Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Unexplained
10
10
He [Dr. Grifo] was so personal and personable. He humanized this entire, gut-wrenching process of IVF. While being very data driven and showing us statistics regarding success rates at my age and ovarian reserve level, Dr. Grifo also said I was heroic for undergoing such procedures and to stop blaming myself. He shared his personal story of infertility and feelings of helplessness and failure.. During the process, my meds were customized and monitored daily
NYU has a smaller clinic on the Westside of Manhattan that was a life saver for me w/ all of the early morning blood draws and ultrasounds...The nurses were accommodating (arriving early for me), sympathetic and I truly felt like they were rooting for me. They were always patient and kind...Despite the size and being part of an academic institution, I never felt like a number at NYU. My treatments were so customized and the Drs and nurses so personal, I felt like they really knew me. The technology was also great; iPads to sign in quickly, online secure emails and online videos to help w/ injections.
Age
38
Treated
2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$500K
Occupation
Marketer or PR
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
2 IUI, 4 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Poor Egg Quality, Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Unexplained
10
10
How was your experience with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Dr Grifo was transparent from the get go about our chances of success. He used data regularly to supplement his commentary. He was so, so human and made us feel like heroes for undertaking IVF, as opposed to failures who couldn't conceive. He shared his own story of infertility and all of the associated feelings. I felt so comfortable from that first visit; I was depressed, angry and confused, and Dr Grifo was understanding of each of these emotions and offered suggestions to help. He never made me feel like just a number. He was patient in person and by phone, always answering our questions and personalizing his advice.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Go sooner rather than later.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
From the initial visit, it was clear Dr. Grifo was different. He was so personal and personable. He humanized this entire, gut-wrenching process of IVF. While being very data driven and showing us statistics regarding success rates at my age and ovarian reserve level, Dr. Grifo also said I was heroic for undergoing such procedures and to stop blaming myself. He shared his personal story of infertility and feelings of helplessness and failure; can you even imagine a pioneer of IVF feeling like this, let alone admitting it? He made me and my husband feel hopeful, but again he utilized data to explain his beliefs and confidence. During the process, my meds were customized and monitored daily (this was certainly not the case at the prior clinic where we went through three, unsuccessful egg retrievals. The nurses were supremely confident, down to earth and competent. Furthermore, I felt like they were rooting for me and knew me. The Dr who performed the transfer (not Grifo) was incredible; she was realistic, yet optimistic and spoke to me like a real human (not just #7 transfer today).
Describe the protocols James Grifo used in your cycles at NYU Langone Fertility Center and their degree of success.
While at first my protocol looked similar to the prior clinic we'd used for 3 rounds of eggs retrievals (all unsuccessful), I quickly saw that NYU was different. The nurses and Drs were constantly evaluating and tweaking my dosage. I took clomid pills, menapur injections, ganerilex injections and double trigger shots. For the transfer there was vaginal and oral estogren pills, as well as other injections. I produced 21 eggs for retrieval, 3 survived until day 5 and 2 tested normal w/ PGS. We transferred 1 embryo and I'm due to have a baby in less than 6 weeks.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
NYU has a smaller clinic on the Westside of Manhattan that was a life saver for me w/ all of the early morning blood draws and ultrasounds. I have to be at work by 8am and going to NYU on the East side would've been very stressful. The nurses were accommodating (arriving early for me), sympathetic and I truly felt like they were rooting for me. They were always patient and kind.
Describe your experience with NYU Langone Fertility Center.
Despite the size and being part of an academic institution, I never felt like a number at NYU. My treatments were so customized and the Drs and nurses so personal, I felt like they really knew me. The technology was also great; iPads to sign in quickly, online secure emails and online videos to help w/ injections.
Describe the costs associated with your care under James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
Dr Grifo did not accept my primary insurance (Cigna) but did take my secondary (UHC). Many things were covered, but this was our fourth egg retrieval in 1 calendar year so we didn't have a lot of coverage left. Out of pocket was ICSI and PGS, and they charged you in advance and refunded the difference (if fewer embryos made/tested).
Describe James Grifo's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
We had 2 PGS tested embryos at the end of the retrieval and asked Dr Grifo his thoughts on transferring both. He strongly preferred transferring one, saying odds for pregnancy wouldn't increase w/ 2 and given my age (39) why risk both taking and having an even higher risk pregnancy. His rationale was, would you be more upset to not have a 3rd child or lose both and not get the 2nd you've been trying for all this time.
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10
10
Age
37 - 39
Treated
2014 - 2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
1 IVF, Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Poor Egg Quality, Tubal Blockage, Uterine Fibroids
10
10
I did do an endometrial scratch and we did do PGS [with Dr. Grifo]...Dr. Grifo's strengths: his success rate, his expertise, his compassion. The only weakness is that it's hard to get in touch with him directly and sometimes his assistant does not respond for a few days...Dr. Grifo was immediately empathetic, but realistic. He does not have the "God" complex that I found other IVF doctors had. He is incredibly knowledgeable and compassionate. HIs staff was very professional as well.
The nursing staff [at NYU] was very efficient and compassionate. My only complaint is there is no direct phone number to reach them at, you always have to leave a message and they will call you back... I found the monitoring hours (early morning) totally manageable. Weekends were more crowded, but sometimes I was seen right away...To check in during morning monitoring hours, you check in at a computer. I actually like this set-up, but some people think its impersonal. I did not mind and actually thought it was quite efficient.
Age
37 - 39
Treated
2014 - 2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
South Asian
Income
$500K
Occupation
Sales Representative
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
1 IVF, Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Poor Egg Quality, Tubal Blockage, Uterine Fibroids
10
10
How was your experience with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Dr. Grifo's strengths: his success rate, his expertise, his compassion. The only weakness is that it's hard to get in touch with him directly and sometimes his assistant does not respond for a few days.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Ask as many questions as you need to. Tell him how important it is for you that HE himself monitors your daily appointments. Listen to his advice, whether good or bad. He does not say things just to be nice, if he thinks you are progressively positiviely, you are!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
When my husband and I met with Dr. Grifo, we had been trying to conceive for over 2 years. We had had several miscarriages, ectopic pregnancies, and failed FETs. We were completely heartbroken and full of despair. Dr. Grifo was immediately empathetic, but realistic. He does not have the "God" complex that I found other IVF doctors had. He is incredibly knowledgeable and compassionate. HIs staff was very professional as well.
Describe the protocols James Grifo used in your cycles at NYU Langone Fertility Center and their degree of success.
I cannot recall the medications I took, but I did do an endometrial scratch and we did do PGS.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
The nursing staff was very efficient and compassionate. My only complaint is there is no direct phone number to reach them at, you always have to leave a message and they will call you back.
Describe your experience with NYU Langone Fertility Center.
To check in during morning monitoring hours, you check in at a computer. I actually like this set-up, but some people think its impersonal. I did not mind and actually thought it was quite efficient.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
My job and home schedule is flexible. I found the monitoring hours (early morning) totally manageable. Weekends were more crowded, but sometimes I was seen right away. I was fine with it.
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Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
10
10
Age
39 - 40
Treated
2014 - 2015
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
2 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Uterine Fibroids, Unexplained
10
10
It's not always easy to speak to him right away, but he will see you or set up time to talk to you if you are willing to wait a week or so. When I had a question that was easily answered by email, he answered through his assistant quickly. But when I needed treatment, he was right on it. When I needed minor surgery, he scheduled me for surgery two days after diagnosis and he did the surgery himself.
Nursing staff was great... Always called back right away with answers to my questions and very thorough and efficient during morning monitoring....they do rely on the fellows a lot though. During my IUIs, I was only monitored once by an attending and during IVF monitoring, I'd say it was 50/50. But the fellows took more time with me and were more thorough in answering my questions.
Age
39 - 40
Treated
2014 - 2015
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Other
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
2 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Uterine Fibroids, Unexplained
10
10
How was your experience with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
We loved Dr Grifo. He was upfront with us and extremely empathetic abut our case. He knows what he is doing and is confident in his approach, which turned out to be the right one for us-- we got pregnant on the first try. He made sure we were fully educated every step of the way. He was understanding and supportive of my anxieties in the operating room at the hospital and during treatments at the fertility center.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
He's a busy doctor. It's not always easy to speak to him right away, but he will see you or set up time to talk to you if you are willing to wait a week or so. When I had a question that was easily answered by email, he answered through his assistant quickly. But when I needed treatment, he was right on it. When I needed minor surgery, he scheduled me for surgery two days after diagnosis and he did the surgery himself.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Dr Grifo was empathic and kind in his bedside manner and approach. He was available to speak to us when necessary, happened to be the attending when we had our retrieval and made himself available to us to do our transfer.
Describe the protocols James Grifo used in your cycles at NYU Langone Fertility Center and their degree of success.
Gonadotropin antagonist protocol using Gonal F, Menopour and Ganirelix with a Lupron trigger mixed with A small amount of HCG. 22 eggs retrieved, 16 embryos created, 11 at day 6. 3 PGS normal. One transfered. Positive.
Describe your experience with your nurse at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
Nursing staff was great. Team oriented but my nurse was he one I called with specific questions. Always called back right away with answers to my questions and very thorough and efficient during morning monitoring.
Describe your experience with NYU Langone Fertility Center.
Well oiled machine. Excellent doctors and nursing staff. The only area that I wouldn't rate a 10 is the billing staff. Had to follow up when I had questions about insurance, etc.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
Extremely efficient. The only time I had to wait longer than 5 minutes was the day after a big snowstorm. Otherwise, i was always in and out within 15-20 minutes. they do rely on the fellows a lot though. During my IUIs, I was only monitored once by an attending and during IVF monitoring, I'd say it was 50/50. But the fellows took more time with me and were more thorough in answering my questions.
Describe the costs associated with your care under James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
With in-network insurance, IVF plus frozen transfer was around 10 and PGS was about 2-3k additional. (Not including the PGS lab)
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10
10
Age
31 - 33
Treated
2013 - 2015
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
1 IUI, 2 IVF, 1 Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
10
My doctor [Dr. Grifo] was kind and caring, took his time during examinations and consultations and was always available for questions. He was honest and practical, and did not push more serious interventions before I was ready for them.
The billing department [at NYU Fertility] was extremely transparent and professional. The nursing team was extremely kind and available for questions and follow-up when needed. The office was very well organized and I never felt forgotten or overlooked.
Age
31 - 33
Treated
2013 - 2015
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Marketer or PR
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
1 IUI, 2 IVF, 1 Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
10
How was your experience with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
I came to Dr. Grifo after having a bad experience at another, very highly renowned practice in NYC. I felt like a number in that office, from the way the billing office and office managers dealt with me, to the nurses whom I saw each morning and even my own doctor. I felt that my doctor had a terrible bedside manner and moved me very quickly through the process with little regard to my feelings or what I was ready for. When I came to Dr. Grifo, I was upset and confused, and he very clearly communicated to me my situation, how difficult it is for anyone (not just the 'infertile') to get pregnant, and how it is important to give it time, but also to be smart about it and maximize your chances for a healthy pregnancy, using all of the available data that we have. My other doctor had seen me through one chemical pregnancy, one frozen embryo transfer which failed, and suggested that I seek surrogacy options immediately. I felt as though she was speaking more to her numbers than me as a patient, and a person.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Make an appointment as early as possible! It can take a few months to get a new patient appointment.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
The billing department was extremely transparent and professional.
The nursing team was extremely kind and available for questions and follow-up when needed.
The office was very well organized and I never felt forgotten or overlooked.
My doctor was kind and caring, took his time during examinations and consultations and was always available for questions. He was honest and practical, and did not push more serious interventions before I was ready for them.
Describe the protocols James Grifo used in your cycles at NYU Langone Fertility Center and their degree of success.
Day 2 starter - Follistim (start w 300 units) / menopur (start w 150 units) with daily blood tests and ultrasound
HCG ovulation trigger
The first cycle with Dr. Grifo was a success.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
They were friendly! Such a difference from my last clinic and so important as you see them every morning.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
Visit windows were 7 - 9 am, so convenient for me. If you needed to get in quickly, you could arrive before 7 am and be seen very soon. Not too crowded, efficient process.
Describe the costs associated with your care under James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
10 - 15k
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9
9
Age
36
Treated
2015
Success with this Doc
6 Eggs Frozen
Treatment
1 Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
Endometriosis
9
9
My issues were always addressed very promptly...Only wish it would be cheaper procedure. My results were not as great as I expected, however in the process I found out that I have a medical condition that would make it hard for me to conceive naturally.
[NYU Fertility] staff was very professional and attentive, very keen for detail and always took care of any issues and addressed any concerns right away. I was surprises to learn that my phone calls can be answered so quickly...I never had to wait for longer than few minutes to be seem, despite the large volume of patients treated by this facility. I have ben seen by different Providers during my monitoring cycle, yet the communication between all staff was superb.
Age
36
Treated
2015
Success with this Doc
6 Eggs Frozen
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Nurse or HC Services
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
1 Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
Endometriosis
9
9
How was your experience with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Experience was very satisfactory. Staff was very professional and attentive, very keen for detail and always took care of any issues and addressed any concerns right away. I was surprises to learn that my phone calls can be answered so quickly. Very efficient communication between staff, any issue or questions raised with one staff, always been addressed and responded by appropriate party without initiating same concern twice. I was very impressed with the efficiency and precision NYU Firtility clinic ran. I never had to wait for longer than few minutes to be seem, despite the large volume of patients treated by this facility. I have ben seen by different Providers during my monitoring cycle, yet the communication between all staff was superb. They knew exactly where we left off and where to pick-up and where to go next. Very impressed. No regrets. Only wish it would be cheaper procedure. My results were not as great as I expected, however in the process I found out that I have a medical condition that would make it hard for me to conceive naturally and egg Freezing was a great decision on my part. Hopefully some day it will be worth all the expenses.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
I don't think I can think of any at this time.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
I was impressed with efficiency and attention to detail from all the staff, superb communication between every level of care, Doctors, Nurse, Secretarial staff. My issues were always addressed very promptly, everyone placed a great afford to make me feel that I was taken care of. All staff was unbelievablely helpful and supportive. Unfortunately, I expected much better outcomes - (more eggs to be retrieved) All the labs looked great, however it turned out that many of the follicles were empty/or filled with fluid instead of mature eggs. Besides the costly price, I would definately use same facility.
Describe your experience with your nurse at NYU Langone Fertility Center. (Assigned nurse: Shantel)
Compared to all other staff, nurses, care coordinators, My Care-coordinator-Shantel did not impressed me with her care. It was someone difficult to get through to her, get her call returned or my questions answered prompt. Whenever answered, was dry and cold with responses. However, other staff quickly covered, stepped in and addressed all my issues. If I could not get a hold of Shantel, someone else helped me right away regardless of the complexity of issues.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
IT ran very efficiently and quick. Due to my work, I was the one frequently being tardy for my blood work and US-monitoring, yet I never felt uncomfortable for creating inconvenience to the rest of staff. Always been treated kindly, with respect and well taken care of. Not once anyone made me feel guilty for running late, yet I never had to wait for more then few minutes to be seen.
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8
10
Age
40
Treated
2014
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
1 Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
—
8
10
Dr Grifo is a nice guy but VERY blunt. I am a journalist so I appreciated that candor. He is very statistical in his analysis and doesn't mince words. I was 38 about to turn 39 and he was really honest with me that I might not get great results. To my delight, I got 19 perfect eggs, and a 20th that was a little premature. Even he was a little surprised I think. I will say that when he called me to go over the results, he was way more optimistic and said 20 was a terrific number. That was great. The guy is just honest, but I know some women don't like that approach.
[NYU Fertility was a] totally well-oiled machine but definitely packed. Never had a problem though and nurses were great at blood taking which is a huge pain...A little crowded in the waiting room - but just because their team is the best and had big write ups in recent news. I saw FIVE friends in the waiting room during the course of my treatment. That was weird. The clinic clean and efficient. Definitely knew what they were doing but it was always packed.
Age
40
Treated
2014
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Marketer or PR
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
1 Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
—
8
10
How was your experience with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Please see previous description. During the procedure it felt like a mill - there were back to back appointments - I felt that I received great treatment.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
You're an adult. He will treat you like one. You can get compassion from your husband and your friends... Grifo will give you numbers, data, statistics. He'll also temper your expectations which I appreciated. Then when I received 20 eggs, it was like Christmas.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Dr Grifo is a nice guy but VERY blunt. I am a journalist so I appreciated that candor. He is very statistical in his analysis and doesn't mince words. I was 38 about to turn 39 and he was really honest with me that I might not get great results. To my delight, I got 19 perfect eggs, and a 20th that was a little premature. Even he was a little surprised I think. I will say that when he called me to go over the results, he was way more optimistic and said 20 was a terrific number. That was great. The guy is just honest, but I know some women don't like that approach.
Describe the protocols James Grifo used in your cycles at NYU Langone Fertility Center and their degree of success.
Honestly, I was SO focused on this, but since it was 2 years ago, I'd prefer not to. I really don't recall. I do think I was overstimulated given my age. I really truly don't think I needed all the drugs they gave me. They were very surprised that I produced so many eggs mid-way through and reduced my dosage of stims. I could barely walk my ovaries were so full! Seriously. It was brutal as was the recovery.
Describe your experience with your nurse at NYU Langone Fertility Center. (Assigned nurse: Francis Hooper)
Loved her. She gave me her email and always emailed right back. There were some problems on the weekend - as you know egg retrieval is a two-week procedure - so I was always a little freaked when I couldn't get through but someone always called right back.
Describe your experience with NYU Langone Fertility Center.
A little crowded in the waiting room - but just because their team is the best and had big write ups in recent news. I saw FIVE friends in the waiting room during the course of my treatment. That was weird. The clinic clean and efficient. Definitely knew what they were doing but it was always packed.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
Totally well-oiled machine but definitely packed. Never had a problem though and nurses were great at blood taking which is a huge pain.
Describe the costs associated with your care under James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
15K?
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Ask this reviewer a question about their experience with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
10
8
Age
33 - 34
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
2 IUI, 6 IVF
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
8
He [Dr. Grifo] is very hard to reach and you barely ever see him. Having said that, his assistants are incredibly responsive. During our first consultation I felt he had all the time in the works for us and was going to do all he could. He also responded to us on an emotional level in a way that deeply resonated with me - something our previous doctor could not do.... Don’t expect to see him often. If you need to speak, his assistants will give you a small window in which he will call you.
[NYU is] So so busy and not as efficient as RMA. You will wait a long time for monitoring. Nurses are super nice. When you call you don’t get a person - you get a machine. But at least dr grifo has an assistant that is very helpful and responsive.... For the most part, they have great personalities and are very thoughtful and responsive.... [Cost Of Treatment] Between $15-20 for retreival and $2k for transfer... Strongly emphasizes transferring one embryo
Age
33 - 34
Treated
2018 - 2019
Success with this Doc
?
Race
Ashkenazi Jewish
Income
$500K
Occupation
Lawyer
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
2 IUI, 6 IVF
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
8
How was your experience with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
He is very hard to reach and you barely ever see him. Having said that, his assistants are incredibly responsive. During our first consultation I felt he had all the time in the works for us and was going to do all he could. He also responded to us on an emotional level in a way that deeply resonated with me - something our previous doctor could not do.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Don’t expect to see him often. If you need to speak, his assistants will give you a small window in which he will call you.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
He is the most empathetic doctor I have ever had. During our first consultation, I felt he understood on a complex emotional level what we were going through and what we needed to hear (even if it was tough to say).
Describe the protocols James Grifo used in your cycles at NYU Langone Fertility Center and their degree of success.
High doses of stims- it worked because I got 30 eggs (which is May more than my previous 5 retrievals).
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
For the most part, they have great personalities and are very thoughtful and responsive.
Describe your experience with NYU Langone Fertility Center.
So so busy and not as efficient as RMA. You will wait a long time for monitoring. Nurses are super nice. When you call you don’t get a person - you get a machine. But at least dr grifo has an assistant that is very helpful and responsive.
Describe the costs associated with your care under James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
Between $15-20 for retreival and $2k for transfer
Describe James Grifo's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
Strongly emphasizes transferring one embryo and warns against risk of multiples.
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Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
8
5
Age
33
Treated
2019
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
1 IUI, IVF
Diagnosis
PCOS
8
5
You don't see him [Dr. Grifo] often during your treatment, but he's always happy to get on the phone with you to answer any questions. Thoughtful, informed, and open to collaboration (we tried a med recommendation I'd found in a recent study for PCOS patients that his team hadn't done before: it worked to get me to ovulate but unfortunately did not result in pregnancy.)... Tried clomid + letrozole together for IUI cycle which first time resulted in dominant follicle
Strengths [of RMA NY]: talented team, ease in protocol. Weakness: all communication is mostly via phone, vs results + instruction via e-mail, sometimes harder to get everything straight. Biggest con is far east side location. But team is overall super helpful. Generally quick turnaround for monitoring, though I've waited there once up to an hour.... IUI not covered: $2K. Monitoring and visits covered by insurance.
Age
33
Treated
2019
Success with this Doc
?
Race
European
Income
—
Occupation
Marketer or PR
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
1 IUI, IVF
Diagnosis
PCOS
8
5
How was your experience with James Grifo at RMA of New York?
You don't see him often during your treatment, but he's always happy to get on the phone with you to answer any questions.
Thoughtful, informed, and open to collaboration (we tried a med recommendation I'd found in a recent study for PCOS patients that his team hadn't done before: it worked to get me to ovulate but unfortunately did not result in pregnancy.)
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of James Grifo at RMA of New York?
Don't be afraid of being proactive: and be specific with questions to take advantage of his knowledge.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with James Grifo at RMA of New York?
Thoughtful discussion of my background, warm coupled with insight and knowledge. Conversational, but direct.
Describe the protocols James Grifo used in your cycles at RMA of New York and their degree of success.
Tried clomid + letrozole together for IUI cycle which first time resulted in dominant follicle and ovulation with trigger shot but did not result in pregnancy. Trying again next cycle did not produce a follicle, neither did just a higher dose of letrozole. Currently preparing for IVF
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
I know several of the nurses by name, they are super friendly and helpful, and responsive.
Describe your experience with RMA of New York.
Strengths: talented team, ease in protocol. Weakness: all communication is mostly via phone, vs results + instruction via e-mail, sometimes harder to get everything straight. Biggest con is far east side location. But team is overall super helpful. Generally quick turnaround for monitoring, though I've waited there once up to an hour.
Describe the costs associated with your care under James Grifo at RMA of New York.
IUI not covered: $2K. Monitoring and visits covered by insurance.
Describe James Grifo's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at RMA of New York.
n/a
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10
10
Age
32
Treated
2019
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
—
Diagnosis
Male Factor
10
10
Dr. Grifo took the time to sit with me and my husband, and explain every part of this process. In every interaction I've had with him, I've never felt like he was rushing me or seeing me as just another number...I have not yet started my protocol (we are waiting on my husband to have another surgery in a few months) but I will be going through a cycle of IVF to do egg retrieval and freezing, then when the other doctor does my husband's surgery, if they find sperm (fingers crossed!) then they'll thaw and fertilize my eggs.
The staff is excellent at Dr. Grifo's office [NYU] ! Very communicative, and has spent a lot of time on the phone explaining things to me...The one thing that is lacking at this clinic is that it's not 100% on the NYU MyChart system yet, so it's not very easy or intuitive to access test results or to communicate electronically with staff or the physician. Otherwise, things run very smoothly there!...not a proponent of multiple embryo transfer because he feels it puts the mother at risk unnecessarily.
Clinic Description
Age
32
Treated
2019
Success with this Doc
?
Race
European, Ashkenazi Jewish
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Marketer or PR
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
—
Diagnosis
Male Factor
10
10
How was your experience with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Dr. Grifo is a truly caring doctor, and it is clear how much pride he takes in being able to help so many couples conceive. He's one of the pioneers of IVF in the U.S. and his expertise is apparent. He has a very warm bedside manner, while remaining candid in his explanations.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Come prepared with as many questions as you can. You will have ample time to ask, so take notes!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Dr. Grifo took the time to sit with me and my husband, and explain every part of this process. In every interaction I've had with him, I've never felt like he was rushing me or seeing me as just another number.
Describe the protocols James Grifo used in your cycles at NYU Langone Fertility Center and their degree of success.
I have not yet started my protocol (we are waiting on my husband to have another surgery in a few months) but I will be going through a cycle of IVF to do egg retrieval and freezing, then when the other doctor does my husband's surgery, if they find sperm (fingers crossed!) then they'll thaw and fertilize my eggs.
Describe your experience with your nurse at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
The staff is excellent at Dr. Grifo's office! Very communicative, and has spent a lot of time on the phone explaining things to me.
Describe your experience with NYU Langone Fertility Center.
The one thing that is lacking at this clinic is that it's not 100% on the NYU MyChart system yet, so it's not very easy or intuitive to access test results or to communicate electronically with staff or the physician. Otherwise, things run very smoothly there!
Describe the costs associated with your care under James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
I haven't gotten there yet...
Describe James Grifo's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
Dr. Grifo is not a proponent of multiple embryo transfer because he feels it puts the mother at risk unnecessarily.
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8
8
Age
32 - 33
Treated
2015 - 2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
3 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
—
8
8
Dr. Grifo provided excellent care and clearly made us aware of the process and managed expectations appropriately. He made himself available for phone consultations during each step of the process....Made himself accessible for individual phone consultations. Emphasized us knowing about the option of genetic screening, which was important to us.... Dr. Grifo followed a medium aggressive drug plan for me.
Strengths [of NYU]: Experience, efficiency, availability Weaknesses: Rotating Dr's every time you go in for an apt.... [The nursing staff were] Efficient and always made themselves available for my questions and explaining the next steps of the process.... 17,500 for retrieval. Total after implantation and drugs was close to ~25k... Dr. Grifo followed a medium aggressive drug plan for me.
Age
32 - 33
Treated
2015 - 2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$500K
Occupation
Marketer or PR
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
3 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
—
8
8
How was your experience with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Dr. Grifo provided excellent care and clearly made us aware of the process and managed expectations appropriately. He made himself available for phone consultations during each step of the process.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Ensure to keep track of your own records of hormones, blood tests etc.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Made himself accessible for individual phone consultations. Emphasized us knowing about the option of genetic screening, which was important to us.
Describe the protocols James Grifo used in your cycles at NYU Langone Fertility Center and their degree of success.
Dr. Grifo followed a medium aggressive drug plan for me. I do not recall the exact protocol, but I did not respond as expected and only ended up having one ovary really respond and 3 eggs retrieved. Luckily, we had one healthy blastocyst that resulted in a healthy pregnancy.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
Efficient and always made themselves available for my questions and explaining the next steps of the process.
Describe your experience with NYU Langone Fertility Center.
Strengths: Experience, efficiency, availability
Weaknesses: Rotating Dr's every time you go in for an apt.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
Very efficient and the Dr's were mostly great to work with.
Describe the costs associated with your care under James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
17,500 for retrieval. Total after implantation and drugs was close to ~25k
Describe James Grifo's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
I very much agreed with Dr. Grifo's approach of only implanting one embryo and doing genetic testing. He stressed the importance of having a healthy pregnancy - considering the risks to the mother, instead of just focusing on getting pregnant and risking multiples.
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Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
10
10
Age
35 - 37
Treated
2014 - 2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
1 IUI, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
Uterine Fibroids
10
10
He's [Dr. James Grifo] extremely knowledgeable. He's honest. He always told me all the pros and cons to each option and there was never any pressure. He pretty much lets you decide how you want to go. And he has an excellent personal manner. I definitely would recommend him to a friend...It's [NYU Fertility] very efficient and well run. It's busy and very popular. It can be somewhat factory like. Honestly, there is just no other efficient way to get that many people through the process. However, they always gave me the time I needed.
He's [Dr. James Grifo] extremely knowledgeable. He's honest. He always told me all the pros and cons to each option and there was never any pressure. He pretty much lets you decide how you want to go. And he has an excellent personal manner. I definitely would recommend him to a friend...It's [NYU Fertility] very efficient and well run. It's busy and very popular. It can be somewhat factory like. Honestly, there is just no other efficient way to get that many people through the process. However, they always gave me the time I needed.
Age
35 - 37
Treated
2014 - 2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Lawyer
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
1 IUI, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
Uterine Fibroids
10
10
How was your experience with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
He's extremely knowledgeable. He's honest. He always told me all the pros and cons to each option and there was never any pressure. He pretty much lets you decide how you want to go. And he has an excellent personal manner. I definitely would recommend him to a friend.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Make your appointment ASAP. The wait for a first appointment is like 2 months.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Dr. Grifo is very nice. He was always very pleasant and personable. He is a very caring physican.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
The nursing staff is very efficient and nice. They generally got me in and out quickly in the mornings and had a good bedside manner. If I had a question, I generally got a timely call back. The one thing I would say is that the practice is very busy, so sometimes you have to be a little aggressive to make sure you get a call back or get taken care of quickly. However, I never felt like they weren't trying to give me a good experience. It's just hard with so many patients. The quality of the care was always great though.
Describe your experience with NYU Langone Fertility Center.
It's very efficient and well run. It's busy and very popular. It can be somewhat factory like. Honestly, there is just no other efficient way to get that many people through the process. However, they always gave me the time I needed.
Describe the costs associated with your care under James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
My workup was paid for by insurance. My IUI was supposed to be covered by insurance but the insurance said my numbers were low, and they refused to cover IUI without drugs, so I paid for it myself rather than use drugs I didn't think I needed. I got pregnant on the first try. :)
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Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
7
7
Age
41 - 45
Treated
2014 - 2018
Success with this Doc
18 Eggs Frozen
Treatment
1 Egg Freezing, IVF
Diagnosis
—
7
7
Dr Grifo answers questions, but the process feels disorganized and providers write things illegibly on pieces of paper which both feels disorganized and ineffective. Why don't they prepare material and customize it as needed....Do some research ahead of time. Also, he is a bit conservative...The clinic's [NYU - 1st Ave] strengths is their success with live births. The clinic's weaknesses are their lack of organization and the lack of ease of the process.
The clinic's [NYU - 1st Ave] strengths is their success with live births. The clinic's weaknesses are their lack of organization and the lack of ease of the process. Access to the office is difficult even when you are an existing patient...Office doesn't call back or follow-up in a timely manner. ... for scheduling and billing. The actual visit feels personal, but the office logistics are impersonal...They also kept saying someone would call me back to discuss billing and no one ever did. In the past, I also mailed and dropped off my checks for annual Oocyte fee and they misposted it.
Age
41 - 45
Treated
2014 - 2018
Success with this Doc
18 Eggs Frozen
Race
Latino, Prefer not to answer
Income
—
Occupation
Business Executive
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
1 Egg Freezing, IVF
Diagnosis
—
7
7
How was your experience with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Dr Grifo answers questions, but the process feels disorganized and providers write things illegibly on pieces of paper which both feels disorganized and ineffective. Why don't they prepare material and customize it as needed.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Do some research ahead of time. Also, he is a bit conservative. Other doctors in other clinics have different approaches.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Office doesn't call back or follow-up in a timely manner. ... for scheduling and billing. The actual visit feels personal, but the office logistics are impersonal
Describe the protocols James Grifo used in your cycles at NYU Langone Fertility Center and their degree of success.
Menopur
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
Lots of handwritten instructions
Describe your experience with NYU Langone Fertility Center.
The clinic's strengths is their success with live births. The clinic's weaknesses are their lack of organization and the lack of ease of the process. Access to the office is difficult even when you are an existing patient.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
Electronic check-in works well
Describe the costs associated with your care under James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
Egg freezing was about $17k
Describe James Grifo's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
He said he would only do single transfers for my age group
What specific things went wrong at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
- Lost paperwork
- Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
I requested my results from 2014 and they kept losing my request form. They also kept saying someone would call me back to discuss billing and no one ever did. In the past, I also mailed and dropped off my checks for annual Oocyte fee and they misposted it.
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Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
9
9
Age
31
Treated
2017
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
4 IVF
Diagnosis
—
9
9
Dr Grifo really gives you the time and attention and has a great demeanor, but it is tough to get an appointment and get him on the phone sometimes because he is so in-demand...He is willing to take risks when necessary and was able to retrieve the most eggs. He is on top of all the most updated studies in the field and i trust his judgement completely. The only concern is that he is not there at every appointment and did not do the retrieval, but he is at the ones that matter.
The one weakness is there is no one nurse assigned to your case [at NYU] to followup with you. Every day a different nurse called. That being said, they were all warm and knowledgeable and always willing to help answer any questions. I never felt like I was falling through the cracks...[ The monitoring appointments are] Quick and efficient...Dr. Grifo is extremely patient and compassionate.He is also extremely knowledgeable and I highly recommend him. He is willing to take risks when necessary and was able to retrieve the most eggs. He is on top of all the most updated studies in the field and i trust his judgement completely. The only concern is that he is not there at every appointment and did not do the retrieval, but he is at the ones that matter.
Age
31
Treated
2017
Success with this Doc
?
Race
Ashkenazi Jewish, Middle Eastern
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Consultant
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
4 IVF
Diagnosis
—
9
9
How was your experience with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Dr. Grifo is extremely patient and compassionate.He is also extremely knowledgeable and I highly recommend him. He is willing to take risks when necessary and was able to retrieve the most eggs. He is on top of all the most updated studies in the field and i trust his judgement completely. The only concern is that he is not there at every appointment and did not do the retrieval, but he is at the ones that matter.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Trust him and know you are in good hands
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Dr Grifo really gives you the time and attention and has a great demeanor, but it is tough to get an appointment and get him on the phone sometimes because he is so in-demand.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
Friendly and efficient!
Describe your experience with NYU Langone Fertility Center.
The one weakness is there is no one nurse assigned to your case to followup with you. Every day a different nurse called. That being said, they were all warm and knowledgeable and always willing to help answer any questions. I never felt like I was falling through the cracks
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
Quick and efficient
Describe James Grifo's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
Dr. Grifo is a strong supporter of PGS and single embryo transfer
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Ask a Question
Ask this reviewer a question about their experience with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
7
7
Age
42 - 43
Treated
2015 - 2016
Success with this Doc
31 Eggs Frozen
Treatment
3 Egg Freezing, 3 Embryo Freezing, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
—
7
7
Dr. Grifo is incredibly knowledgeable and overall is a great doctor. However, the time taken with me as a patient was higher at other clinics, as was the granularity of answers...Dr. Grifo is a very knowledgeable doctor. My experience overall with NYU was positive, as far as it went... However, it was unclear at the end of it whether I had enough eggs to be a true insurance policy. Additionally the hormone dose used was higher than at other clinics, where my results were similar...
The nursing staff is phenomenal at NYU...Efficient and not unpleasant, although assembly line...I had mild OHSS post treatment. There are medications that can be given to diminish this (ganirelex or cetrotide for a few days). While the other clinics I have been to were willing to provide that, NYU will not, which makes the recovery time much more prolonged and difficult...
Age
42 - 43
Treated
2015 - 2016
Success with this Doc
31 Eggs Frozen
Race
Ashkenazi Jewish
Income
$500K
Occupation
Investor
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1st of 3 Docs
Treatment
3 Egg Freezing, 3 Embryo Freezing, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
—
7
7
How was your experience with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Dr. Grifo is a very knowledgeable doctor. My experience overall with NYU was positive, as far as it went. The process itself was straightforward. However, it was unclear at the end of it whether I had enough eggs to be a true insurance policy. Additionally the hormone dose used was higher than at other clinics, where my results were similar.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Ask his thought process behind the hormone doses he chooses. Also ask his viewpoint on whether eggs or embryos makes more sense, given your age and goals.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Dr. Grifo is incredibly knowledgeable and overall is a great doctor. However, the time taken with me as a patient was higher at other clinics, as was the granularity of answers.
Describe the protocols James Grifo used in your cycles at NYU Langone Fertility Center and their degree of success.
300 follistim, 300 menopur, 5 days clomid, ganirelex
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
The nursing staff is phenomenal at NYU
Describe your experience with NYU Langone Fertility Center.
I had mild OHSS post treatment. There are medications that can be given to diminish this (ganirelex or cetrotide for a few days). While the other clinics I have been to were willing to provide that, NYU will not, which makes the recovery time much more prolonged and difficult.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
Efficient and not unpleasant, although assembly line
Describe the costs associated with your care under James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
$9200 per egg freeze cycle, $1000 for anesthesia. Med costs were separate and above this
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Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
10
10
Age
35 - 38
Treated
2013 - 2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
3 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Endometriosis, Unexplained
10
10
[Dr. Jamie] Grifo is one of very few doctors who doesn't talk down to his patients, but instead equips them with the information they need to decide on a course of action. I really appreciate that! I suspect this is partly because he is *not* insecure and because he is well-informed (partly due to undertaking research himself).
[NYU Fertility's] Strengths: extremely well-organized, with cutting-edge knowledge of procedures and expertise. Weaknesses: Sometimes it can be hard to get in touch of nurses by phone....Grifo is a straight-forward communicator, meeting with my husband and I a few times to talk about options and setting up a treatment plan. I felt he was doing evidence-based (rather than anecdote-based) medicine, and I got great results.
Age
35 - 38
Treated
2013 - 2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
European, Ashkenazi Jewish
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Professor
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
3 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Endometriosis, Unexplained
10
10
How was your experience with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Grifo is a straight-forward communicator, meeting with my husband and I a few times to talk about options and setting up a treatment plan. I felt he was doing evidence-based (rather than anecdote-based) medicine, and I got great results.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Take advantage of his expertise, and don't hesitate to ask questions.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Grifo is one of very few doctors who doesn't talk down to his patients, but instead equips them with the information they need to decide on a course of action. I really appreciate that! I suspect this is partly because he is *not* insecure and because he is well-informed (partly due to undertaking research himself).
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
There is a team of people you deal with. I found them all very nice in person. My one complaint is that they could be difficult to reach by phone. My calls, even during business hours to the nursing staff, often went to the answering service. If you have a busy schedule, it can be easy to miss the call they place back resulting in a lot of frustrating phone tag.
Describe your experience with NYU Langone Fertility Center.
Strengths: extremely well-organized, with cutting-edge knowledge of procedures and expertise.
Weaknesses: Sometimes it can be hard to get in touch of nurses by phone.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
Very easy, usually a wait of less than 20 minutes.
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Ask a Question
Ask this reviewer a question about their experience with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.