During my 1:1 consult I felt very connected with Dr Grifo especially because I met with him in the past and he seemed to really understand my journey. He recommended surrogacy at this point due to torturing my body for 8 years now with no results. He himself did surrogacy so I felt like I was in good hands. However once I was a patient I felt a little like a number because he was not as involved in my cycles and I mainly was in contact with whatever dr was on call.
The [NYU Langone Fertility Center] clinic seems to have an organized system for monitoring but you need to be aggressive sometimes and pay attention because they sometimes tell you to sit somewhere to wait and then forget about you. Other than that the wait isnt usually too long and everyone who I had to work with was very nice. I really liked the lab supervisor as well.
How was your experience with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Dr Grifo is very realistic and does not sugar coat anything. That is what when I met with him years ago into my journey I did not proceed with him because sperm donor was not something I was ready for. However after many years of failures with other drs I returned to him because I now understood why this would be the best option. At this point he also recommended surrogacy since I had many failed transfers with normal embryos and put my body through very intense treatments. I agreed to this and felt like I was in good hands. However once I started to cycle I did not have much communication with them and everyday a different dr would call me with next steps. It felt kind of impersonal and my first retrieval was cancelled because my numbers were not getting communicated properly. That was frustrating. My second retrieval was a success but my biggest concern which I mentioned to dr Grifo several times came true and I had very bad OHSS which I had to get my abdomen drained. I feel like if dr Grifo was personally the one handling my care that would have been avoided.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
He is a really good doctor and knows a lot but he will admit a lot of this treatment just comes down to luck. He diagnosed me as being "extremely unlucky". He does not believe in supplements much as well and wont be hands on during your treatments so you need to be okay with that.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
During my 1:1 consult I felt very connected with Dr Grifo especially because I met with him in the past and he seemed to really understand my journey. He recommended surrogacy at this point due to torturing my body for 8 years now with no results. He himself did surrogacy so I felt like I was in good hands. However once I was a patient I felt a little like a number because he was not as involved in my cycles and I mainly was in contact with whatever dr was on call. Since I have been through so much I really expected him to be more involved and we even had a cycle get cancelled and converted to IUI because of that.
Describe the protocols James Grifo used in your cycles at NYU Langone Fertility Center and their degree of success.
Since I have a history of making many eggs and am high risk for OHSS my first protocol involved low dose gonal F, menopur, and letrozole. I wanted him to copy what my last dr did with me since I did not hyperstim those cycles but he did not listen. This first cycle was too low and my eggs did not grow evenly. At the point of my cycle in which they should have increased my meds they did not and I only had 2 large follicles and many small ones which never happened to me before. We converted this to an IUI because I know I can do better than that. Second cycle he increased meds but I thought it was a little too aggressive. I was on gonal 150, menopur 75 and letrozole for 5 days. I ended up with 33 eggs and had moderate OHSS which I needed to get my abdomen drained and I was sick for a month. I wished he just copied the cycle I did with my last dr because it always resulted on around 20 eggs and I would not get OHSS like I have in the past. I listened to Dr Grifo because I trusted him and thought maybe hed know better.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
during monitoring they have a system and once or twice I was forgotten about in line and waited longer than I should. Other than that the nurses themselves were nice and I had no issues with any
Describe your experience with NYU Langone Fertility Center.
The clinic seems to have an organized system for monitoring but you need to be aggressive sometimes and pay attention because they sometimes tell you to sit somewhere to wait and then forget about you. Other than that the wait isnt usually too long and everyone who I had to work with was very nice. I really liked the lab supervisor as well.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
they have a system which seems organized but you have to be on top of it because sometimes you get overlooked
What specific things went wrong at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
I felt like my medication dosages/egg growth results were not shown to dr Grifo to review which ultimately lead to a cancelled cyle
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.
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 at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
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.
Dr. Grifo always gave us his full attention and thorough, thoughtful explanations for every step of treatment. He often spoke within the context of his extensive career and personal experience with infertility, with the point being that his professional opinion of our specific circumstances could be trusted, because he's seen it all - and he also understood the heartache and hope. This was always done in a reassuring - not arrogant - manner. We felt confident we were in good hands.
I can only say good things, the whole [NYU Langone Fertility Center] team was responsive and helpful. Very clear from day one who I needed to work with on what, and they were all prompt and thorough and professional and polite. No complaints...[nurses are] Always warm and reassuring. So important to fertility patients who are on edge waiting for results!
How was your experience with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Dr. Grifo is present and focused on you as his patient and never distracted. Always patient and repeatedly asked whether there were questions or if we needed clarification on anything. Like I said in a previous answer, we were very confident we were in good hands.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Book him early! He is in demand!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Dr. Grifo always gave us his full attention and thorough, thoughtful explanations for every step of treatment. He often spoke within the context of his extensive career and personal experience with infertility, with the point being that his professional opinion of our specific circumstances could be trusted, because he's seen it all - and he also understood the heartache and hope. This was always done in a reassuring - not arrogant - manner. We felt confident we were in good hands.
Describe the protocols James Grifo used in your cycles at NYU Langone Fertility Center and their degree of success.
I don't recall doses or timelines, but for the egg retrieval I took Gonal F, Menopur, Ganirelix, Pregnyl, and Leuprolide. I took Estrace, Crinone, and progesterone in oil shots for the FET. We had great results, after 1 egg retrieval we had 4 genetically normal embryos after PGT testing, the first FET resulted in a live birth, and we are looking to do another FET soon.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
Always warm and reassuring. So important to fertility patients who are on edge waiting for results!
Describe your experience with NYU Langone Fertility Center.
I can only say good things, the whole team was responsive and helpful. Very clear from day one who I needed to work with on what, and they were all prompt and thorough and professional and polite. No complaints.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
This was an efficient, well-oiled machine, and in the midst of Covid protocols to boot. I never had to wait long - times were assigned in advance and the nursing team were pros, as were the ultrasound techs and attending doctors.
Describe the costs associated with your care under James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
We paid out of pocket for everything except general testing and some monitoring (ultrasounds) counted towards a deductible. So it wasn't cheap, but it was worth it to work with this doctor at this clinic!
Describe James Grifo's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
NYU Langone's policy is strict about singe embryo transfers, and we agreed with that approach.
Dr. Grifo spent a lot of time explaining, in blunt terms, the chances of a successful IVF given my age. (We are a same-sex couple, so IVF was our only option really to conceive). He explained the process and the protocol he'd use at our initial consultation. After that, we didn't see Dr. Grifo again — patients at NYU Fertility will see other doctors during monitoring and for procedures, which makes you feel more like a number than a patient of one specific doctor. It's also unclear if the doctor personally reviews monitoring results and makes decisions or if the doctor you see during monitoring is making decisions about next steps. That was never clear to me.
during monitoring [at NYU Langone Fertility Center] you may see a different nurse as there are multiple women waiting each morning. You'd get a quick blood draw and they would review instructions for drugs etc., This was when you had a chance to ask any questions. They would call in the afternoon with instructions based on your blood results...There's a $4,600 fee that you have to pay up front to cover biopsies. After you're done at the clinic, you get a refund for any unused funds. It took me MONTHS to get the refund and had to repeatedly follow up in order to get any update...
How was your experience with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Dr. Grifo spent a lot of time explaining, in blunt terms, the chances of a successful IVF given my age. (We are a same-sex couple, so IVF was our only option really to conceive). He explained the process and the protocol he'd use at our initial consultation. After that, we didn't see Dr. Grifo again — patients at NYU Fertility will see other doctors during monitoring and for procedures, which makes you feel more like a number than a patient of one specific doctor. It's also unclear if the doctor personally reviews monitoring results and makes decisions or if the doctor you see during monitoring is making decisions about next steps. That was never clear to me.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
If you want to speak to Dr. Grifo you should push for that. Otherwise, you will only ever deal his assistants and with other doctors and nurses you see along the way.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
I went to Dr. Grifo because he came highly recommended from another friend/patient. He obviously knows what he's doing and has tons and tons of experience however, apart from our initial consultations and video calls with Dr. Grifo after the first failed cycle, we never had any interactions with him. I saw a different doctor or fellow during monitoring and Dr. DeVore did my transfers both times. I'm also not entirely sure my monitoring data was ever personally reviewed by Grifo to determine course of action.
Describe the protocols James Grifo used in your cycles at NYU Langone Fertility Center and their degree of success.
On our first cycle, I was on 300 of Gonal F and 150 of Menopur and Clomid, Cetrotide and a combo of Ovidrel and Lupron for the trigger shot. This resulted in 6 eggs being retrieved, 4 of which were successfully fertilized using ICSI, 2 were biopsied, there were no viable embryos first cycle.
Second cycle, I took Lupron from the start and alternated between Gonal F and Menopur starting on the 4th day. Ovidrel for the trigger shot, 6 eggs retrieved, 4 embryos, 4 biopsied, 1 healthy embryo, 1 segmented-mosaic. The healthy embryo resulted in a baby girl!
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
during monitoring you may see a different nurse as there are multiple women waiting each morning. You'd get a quick blood draw and they would review instructions for drugs etc., This was when you had a chance to ask any questions. They would call in the afternoon with instructions based on your blood results. They were all friendly, some more than others, but no complaints.
Describe your experience with NYU Langone Fertility Center.
The waiting room is nice and open and the check in process was organized. Sometimes, they'd not call you in in the order you arrived, so after waiting a very long time I would go to the back to check in. This only happened once or twice otherwise I was called in quickly on most days.
Describe the costs associated with your care under James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
There's a $4,600 fee that you have to pay up front to cover biopsies. After you're done at the clinic, you get a refund for any unused funds. It took me MONTHS to get the refund and had to repeatedly follow up in order to get any update. It was not easy to get the refund and if I hadn't persisted I don't think I would have seen the money.
Describe James Grifo's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
I trusted and agreed with Dr. Grifo's advice that we should only transfer a single embryo and that's what we did.
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.
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 at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
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
Dr. Grifo took the time to sit with me and my husband on our first visit, to explain everything to us. I was so impressed by his warmth, especially as one of the top doctors in this field, during that first visit. Subsequent visits were more rushed and I didn't really feel that same warmth...You're not going to get a lot of face time with Dr. Grifo...I felt the whole time that I was in good hands in his practice.
This is a very professional clinic [NYU Langone Fertility Center], and they have clearly been around the block. They have a TON of experience, and it shows. One downside of being part of a huge clinic is that it can sometimes feel like you're getting lost in a sea of patients. I often had a hard time getting through to the nursing team...The nursing and coordinator teams, overall, were fantastic. Very compassionate and took the time to explain things to me.
How was your experience with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
There's no question Dr. Grifo is one of the top experts in this field. While I would have loved to have had more face time with him throughout my treatment, I trust him and his associates implicitly. I felt the whole time that I was in good hands in his practice.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
You're not going to get a lot of face time with Dr. Grifo, and the office is quite large and busy, but it's generally a well-oiled machine.
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 on our first visit, to explain everything to us. I was so impressed by his warmth, especially as one of the top doctors in this field, during that first visit. Subsequent visits were more rushed and I didn't really feel that same warmth, but I guess that is to be expected.
Describe the protocols James Grifo used in your cycles at NYU Langone Fertility Center and their degree of success.
In our case, we are dealing with male factor infertility (my husband has non-obstructive azoospermia). Everything on my end was totally fine, so I didn't have to go through quite as aggressive of an egg retrieval protocol as initially expected. I don't remember all the details but the drugs used in my cycle were gonal-f, menopur, and one other (can't remember the name right now!). They were able to retrieve 18 eggs, of which 12 were able to be frozen. Then those eggs were thawed on the day of my husband's TESE procedure. They fertilized 6 eggs, and only 1 made it to the blastocyst stage. Unfortunately, it was a mosaic with a very low chance of survival so this was a failed IVF cycle. We'll try again in the future.
Describe your experience with your nurse at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
The nursing and coordinator teams, overall, were fantastic. Very compassionate and took the time to explain things to me. My only complaint was that they were very difficult to get in touch with at times. I had a lot of complicated timing things to work around and it took me days to get through to a nurse to explain how things were going to go. That was very frustrating.
Describe your experience with NYU Langone Fertility Center.
This is a very professional clinic, and they have clearly been around the block. They have a TON of experience, and it shows. One downside of being part of a huge clinic is that it can sometimes feel like you're getting lost in a sea of patients. I often had a hard time getting through to the nursing team, which was completely understandable given how many patients they have, but that didn't make it any less frustrating. They're also not fully up-to-speed from an EMR standpoint. My husband's side of things were a lot easier to navigate because the male fertility center is fully on the up-to-date EMR platform through NYU. Even though the female fertility center is part of the same system, they're using an antiquated system so results aren't uploaded, and it's very hard to communicate with the care team through there.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
It was generally pretty efficient. I always made sure to go first thing in the morning so I always missed that morning rush.
Describe the costs associated with your care under James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
I don't remember the exact breakdown but if I recall correctly it was about $10,000 for the egg retrieval and another $10,000 for the thaw and fertilization (including genetic testing)
Describe James Grifo's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
I know that Dr. Grifo does not do multiple embryo transfers, as his experience has shown him that it's not worth the risk. I understand and agree with his position.
What specific things went wrong at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Failed to call with results
Failed to inform you of changes in protocol
Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
Communication was a really big issue. I had multiple days where I had to spend the entire day on the phone trying to track down a member of the nursing team or a care coordinator, to get answers on how to proceed with certain parts of my cycle. In the end it all worked out, but that lack of clear communication added a lot of stress to an already stressful situation.
Dr. Grifo spoke to me in a professional, respectful manner and responded to my question by clarifying with elaboration, visuals, charts, scientific research, and articles. He explained the process very clearly and I felt confident in his experience, abilities and credentials...I would have preferred he performed my surgery but it was explained to me that due to the unpredictability and nature of the procedure and human body that this might happen, so I felt prepared...
All of the staff [at NYU Langone Fertility Center] seems authentic and legitimately concern about my well being and care. I was very happy with my experience...It [monitoring appointments] was very convenient and run smoothly. I managed fitting it into my busy schedule....The waiting room was spacious and had several kiosks for check-in. The wait was rarely long and the system for the different parts of the process felt streamlined...
How was your experience with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
The doctor was calm, thorough and patient with me. He seemed very comfortable with the work that he does and invested in helping people. I would have preferred he performed my surgery but it was explained to me that due to the unpredictability and nature of the procedure and human body that this might happen, so I felt prepared. I felt very good about my experience and investment of time and money.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Make sure to follow up because I never heard anything after the procedure and not sure what I am supposed to do next besides pay the freezing fee. I have been to busy to pursue until I plan to use the eggs.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Dr. Grifo spoke to me in a professional, respectful manner and responded to my question by clarifying with elaboration, visuals, charts, scientific research, and articles. He explained the process very clearly and I felt confident in his experience, abilities and credentials.
Describe the protocols James Grifo used in your cycles at NYU Langone Fertility Center and their degree of success.
I receive ongoing injections myself, he performed sonograms once or twice a week depending on the day. I didn't suffer negative side effects and the videos were helpful in giving me confidence in injecting myself.
Describe your experience with your nurse at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
All of the staff seems authentic and legitimately concern about my well being and care. I was very happy with my experience.
Describe your experience with NYU Langone Fertility Center.
The waiting room was spacious and had several kiosks for check-in. The wait was rarely long and the system for the different parts of the process felt streamlined. I felt comfortable coming here on a regular basis. The nurses communicated with me and the nurses left messages when they couldn't reach me despite my challenging work schedule.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
It was very convenient and run smoothly. I managed fitting it into my busy schedule.
Describe the costs associated with your care under 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.
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
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.
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.
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 at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
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.
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.
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
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...
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.
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.
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 at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
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.
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.
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 at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
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
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.
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 at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
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.
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.
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 at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
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.
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.
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)
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.
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 at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
[Dr. Grifo is] very scientific and thorough. He gave me very realistic expectations with respect to the number of eggs retrieved and embryos created...we retrieved more eggs than expected and were able to freeze more embryos than expected...He was a strong proponent of eSET given my age and the fact that we used a PGS embryo...it takes months to book an appointment with him
I was pleasantly surprised how NYU's clinic was truly state of the art. I trusted the lab, the doctors, administrators, staff, and nursing team. Everyone was accommodating and understanding and worked with my schedule. I was able to start my cycle within a week of meeting with Dr. Grifo for the first time and was pregnant within less than two months...Monitoring appointments were an efficient, well-oiled machine.
How was your experience with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
He's the best in the field. He's absolutely brilliant, and I trusted him with all decisionmaking. I instantly felt that I was in great hands. He's very scientific and thorough. He gave me very realistic expectations with respect to the number of eggs retrieved and embryos created, and I was pleasantly surprised when we retrieved more eggs than expected and were able to freeze more embryos than expected.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Do your homework before you see him. He is happy to answer as many questions as you have even though his time is previous and it takes months to book an appointment with him.
Describe the protocols James Grifo used in your cycles at NYU Langone Fertility Center and their degree of success.
I don't remember.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
The nursing staff was extremely competent and helpful. I was always able to connect with someone who could answer any of my random questions and concerns.
Describe your experience with NYU Langone Fertility Center.
The clinic is phenomenal. I used a different clinic with my first IVF pregnancy in Florida, and I was pleasantly surprised how NYU's clinic was truly state of the art. I trusted the lab, the doctors, administrators, staff, and nursing team. Everyone was accommodating and understanding and worked with my schedule. I was able to start my cycle within a week of meeting with Dr. Grifo for the first time and was pregnant within less than two months.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
Monitoring appointments were an efficient, well-oiled machine.
Describe the costs associated with your care under James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
Around $35,000
Describe James Grifo's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
He was a strong proponent of eSET given my age and the fact that we used a PGS embryo.
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
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 at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
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.
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.
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 at RMA of New York.
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.
Dr Grifo is a very straight forward, compassionate and efficient doctor. He is open to questions, and will explain the procedures. He doesn't waist time but will leave you time to process your options and the emotional components involved...I had 2 retrievals, 2 transfers and I now have 2 children...thanks doctor Grifo for his eSET approach to keep a safe pregnancy but also a gentle "fourth trimester".
The [NYU Langone Fertility] center felt exactly the contrary of an industry. I often saw doctor Grifo, all the doctors and nurses knew me, knew my name and my fertility journey, and all were very helpful and compassionate...The clinic is clean, friendly and comfortable. The organization is well functioning. It is easy to access in Manhattan and part of a major hospital (NYU). The billing department could be their weakness.
How was your experience with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
Dr Grifo is a very straight forward, compassionate and efficient doctor. He is open to questions, and will explain the procedures. He doesn't waist time but will leave you time to process your options and the emotional components involved.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
To do the embryo screening (PGD/PGS).
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center?
The center felt exactly the contrary of an industry. I often saw doctor Grifo, all the doctors and nurses knew me, knew my name and my fertility journey, and all were very helpful and compassionate.
Describe the protocols James Grifo used in your cycles at NYU Langone Fertility Center and their degree of success.
IVF, day 5 embryo PGD/PGS and transfer of a frozen single embryo.
For each retrieval (11 eggs at 38 years old and 14 eggs at 40 years old) there was each time only 1 chromosomally normal embryo.
I had 2 retrievals, 2 transfers and I now have 2 children.
Describe your experience with your nurse at NYU Langone Fertility Center. (Assigned nurse: Maribel Feliciano)
The coordinator and nurses were really good. The follow-up during the treatment was excellent, and I never felt I didn't know what I was doing or supposed to do. All instructions were very clear and nurses were easy to reach.
Describe your experience with NYU Langone Fertility Center.
The clinic is clean, friendly and comfortable. The organization is well functioning. It is easy to access in Manhattan and part of a major hospital (NYU). The billing department could be their weakness.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
It was an efficient well oiled system. Monitoring was in the morning between 7am and 9am and the wait was short.
Describe the costs associated with your care under James Grifo at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
All was covered by my insurance.
PGD/PGS was around $4000
Describe James Grifo's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at NYU Langone Fertility Center.
I agree and thanks doctor Grifo for his eSET approach to keep a safe pregnancy but also a gentle "fourth trimester".
