How was your experience with Kerri Luzzo at Boston IVF?
Nine years ago when I started seeing Dr. Luzzo she was very thorough and helped us to understand everything that we were about to experience. We had started out from the very beginning of time in intercourse to the IUI procedures, to IVF, to IVF with ICSI hatching , to IVF with ICSI , hatching and PGS. It’s been a long journey, and she has been with us through the whole thing. Each time we had a negative result she would help dust us off and get us back in the saddle. When I got my first positive pregnancy, she was so excited she called me with the results. When we “graduated” we opted not to know the gender but asked her to surprise us, she made out a card for us to open when we were ready. Although later I lost my pregnancy due to IC ( incompetent Cervix), we got pregnant again and again and she would always tell me to text her or email her and keep her updated. She would contact me on my appointment days wishing me luck and I would share sonogram photos with her and updates. She genuinely cares about her patients. I never had a bad experience with her.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Kerri Luzzo at Boston IVF?
Don’t give up on her, she will do everything she can to figure it out and help you. Trust her advice and her treatment plan. She’s more than just a RE , she is one of the best.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Kerri Luzzo at Boston IVF?
Dr. Luzzo has always been such a huge support to my husband and I during our journey. She has called me from her home to check on me, she also had given me her personal cell phone number to keep her updated after my “graduation” ( when you transfer to OB with pregnancy). Whenever we would come to the office and she would see us she would always make small chitchat and was always smiling and laughing with us. When times were hard, she would check on us and hug us. Dr Luzzo became like family. I completely trust her and I know she has and would do whatever she can to help us become a family. When your going through such a hard challenge like infertility, it’s important that the doctor takes their time with you and is patient. Dr Kerri Luzzo is the best IVF RE and I would never change doctors.
Describe the protocols Kerri Luzzo used in your cycles at Boston IVF and their degree of success.
I don’t remember each treatment strategy however, when we did the IVF process we did the Gonal-F and started our doses low I believe (75) and then gradually higher , by our 3rd retrieval we started high (300) and stayed high approx 2-3 weeks. We also did Menopur and again started at 1 vial then by our 3rd retrieval we started at 2 vials during the 2-3 weeks. Then we would go in for ultrasounds and check on the follicle growth and count and bloodwork for levels of LH and FSH. Slow and steady wins the race! Close to the time of “ triggering “ (ovulation stimulant) I would start on cetrotide (.25MG)for the last week and then when ready to finally “pop” the nurse would call with the time that I would inject the Pregnyl (HCG). Then about 48 hours later I would have the eggs retrieved and ready for testing.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Boston IVF. (Assigned nurse: Julie Perry)
Just like Dr. Luzzo her staff Julie Perry( Dr.Luzzo coordinator), Joanna Leroux, (front desk) Wendy Shaw (nurse) Heidi LaValley( ultrasound tech), Chrystal Norates (phlebotomists) were amazing. They are the best team to work with and when you are there often it’s nice to have such great faces welcoming you in. We have all became like family. Dr Luzzo’s team is incredible. They also kept in touch during my pregnancies and I have made some great friends that I consider very close.
Describe your experience with Boston IVF.
As a new patient you might be overwhelmed but they make it as easy as possible for you. The strength of this clinic is that they work as a team and work all together. They are very friendly, thorough and compassionate.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Boston IVF.
Monitoring appointments would be scheduled for early mornings. There had been times where I was stuck in traffic and running late for my appointment when I would call they would say don’t worry we’ll see you when you get here. One time I did forget about my appointment and they called me to make sure I was ok, and we just rescheduled for the next day. The nice thing about the appts is that they can start very early in the morning so you can still make it to work on time.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Kerri Luzzo at Boston IVF.
The cost of care was expensive. We had changed our insurance company last year but some costs were not always covered. We spent a couple thousand dollars each cycle for medications, some bloodwork (3rd party ), co-payments and meeting our deductible, also our genetic testing was not covered the first time so that cost us $3,700 for the testing of 5-8 day 5 embryos. IVF is not cheap and we have done it multiple times. Luckily, the last time we had the PGS testing done, insurance covered the cost with the recommendation from the doctor.
Describe Kerri Luzzo's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Boston IVF.
Because of my age we would only put in one, since it could split and we knew they were checked for chromosomal abnormalities. I trusted her advice and was ok with just the one at a time approach.