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Mark Damario

Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota

Rated 5.1
Strongly recommend: 24%Neutral: 28%Don't recommend: 48%5.1
24% strongly recommend
26 reviews
Humanity
6.1
6.1
Humanity

Ratings of 1 mean patients felt this doctor treated them as "a number."

Ratings of 10 mean patients felt this doctor treated them as "a human."

Communication
6.4
6.4
Communication

Ratings of 1 mean poor communication.

Ratings of 10 mean excellent communication.

Frequency Seen
3.5
3.5
Frequency Seen

Ratings of 1 mean patients only saw this doctor once or twice during treatment.

Ratings of 10 mean patients saw this doctor at every appointment.

LGBTQ+ Care
8.2
8.2
LGBTQ+ Care

Ratings of 1 indicate an unsatisfactory LGBTQ+ care.

Ratings of 10 indicate an excellent LGBTQ+ care.

Responsiveness
7.5
Good
Responsiveness

Scale is "poor, ok, good, excellent" and measures how responsive a care team was when patients needed to speak to them.

Education

Medical School
Med Col of Virgina
Residency
Med Col of Virgina
Fellowship
Emory & Cornell

How Doctor Communicates

nurse available by email
doctor, nurse available by directline
doctor, nurse available by directline
not available by personal cell phone
not available by personal cell phone
Mark Damario works in 1 office at

Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota
Rated 7.4
Strongly recommend: 52%Neutral: 24%Don't recommend: 24%7.4

Explore Clinic
St. Paul
991 Sibley Memorial Highway, Suite #100
St. Paul, MN 55118
651-379-3110

6 patient reviews filtered by:

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Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2021 - 2022, Unsuccessful
NPS
7
NPS
8
Age 41 - 42
2 IVF
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
Black or African-American
Income $50K - $99K
Consultant
Only Doc Seen
Neutral
Neutral
Unsuccessful
Review of
Dr. Damario cares about his patients based on communication. He is however conservative and doesn’t give the option of trying things that seem new and experimental. For a patient with DOR, this is important...He’s got single embryo transfer...Expect someone who has experience doing what he does. Expect a traditional way of practicing medicine. Also ask him lots of questions, otherwise he will be brief.
Only thing is that the St.Paul clinics is closed over the weekend, and you have to go to Minneapolis. That’s where retrieval’s happen as well...[the nurses] relay messages to doctor Damario, and are not road blocks...$15,000 for the retrieval without medication...Strength - experienced doctor with hood success rates. Dr. Damario is conservative in his approach, and I wish he was more flexible. As a new patient, please do your homework and be prepared to ask questions. He will answer them and is willing to be challenged.
How was your experience with Mark Damario at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?
Dr. Damario cares about his patients based on communication. He is however conservative and doesn’t give the option of trying things that seem new and experimental. For a patient with DOR, this is important.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Mark Damario at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?
Expect someone who has experience doing what he does. Expect a traditional way of practicing medicine. Also ask him lots of questions, otherwise he will be brief.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Mark Damario at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?
The nurses always call back within 24 hours. The doctor takes the time to explain things as well.
Describe the protocols Mark Damario used in your cycles at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota and their degree of success.
Microdoze Lupron - cycle 1 and 2 (both 150 menopur and 300 Gonal F) - 4 blasts total. Cycle 3 - Antagonist with same dose of Menopur and Gonal F (this was cancelled for slow response)
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.
Matter of fact. They relay messages to doctor Damario, and are not road blocks.
Describe your experience with Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.
Strength - experienced doctor with hood success rates. Dr. Damario is conservative in his approach, and I wish he was more flexible. As a new patient, please do your homework and be prepared to ask questions. He will answer them and is willing to be challenged.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.
They’re great. Only thing is that the St.Paul clinics is closed over the weekend, and you have to go to Minneapolis. That’s where retrieval’s happen as well.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Mark Damario at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.
$15,000 for the retrieval without medication.
Describe Mark Damario's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.
He’s got single embryo transfer.
7
Doctor
Mark Damario
NPS
Humanity
4 of 5
Communication
4 of 5
Frequency Seen
1 of 5
Trustworthiness
4 of 5
Compassion
4 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
8
Clinic
Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota
St. Paul
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
4 of 5
Billing Department
4 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
4 of 5
Educational Resources
6 of 5
Review of
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2018 - 2019, Unknown Success
NPS
8
NPS
10
Age 31 - 32
4 IUI
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss
Unexplained
European
Income $0 - $49K
Only Doc Seen
Neutral
Strongly Recommends
Success w/ Doc Too early to know
Review of
He [Dr. Mark Damario] was very clinical, but I preferred that as we are pursuing our second child, I just wanted to see progress and results. He was very detail oriented and required all the tests in order to determine diagnosis. He also is very good at explaining procedures and reasoning.... Our first round of IUI, I did a Clomid, to stimulate follicles. Then a trigger shot of Ovidrel to make sure I ovulated and progesterone vaginal suppositories following the IUI up until my pregnancy test. The suppositories were to help secure the possible pregnancy. This IUI failed. We repeated the same protocol for IUI#2.
The nursing staff [at Center for Reproductive Med of MN- St. Paul] is FANTASTIC. They listen to my cry and complain but are so compassionate and understanding. They just want me to feel as comfortable as possible... They are generally very flexible with scheduling, very nice front desk staff, and are very organized. The offices are comfortable and not too clinical feeling. They can sometimes get behind on their schedule but not very often.
How was your experience with Mark Damario at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?
He was very clinical, but I preferred that as we are pursuing our second child, I just wanted to see progress and results. He was very detail oriented and required all the tests in order to determine diagnosis. He also is very good at explaining procedures and reasoning.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Mark Damario at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?
Don’t go into it expecting lots of warm and fuzzy conversations. He is focused on the details and every little thing, even things you wouldn’t have thought would matter.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Mark Damario at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?
While he was pretty clinical and blunt (which I preferred) the nurse practitioners were fantastic and relatable.
Describe the protocols Mark Damario used in your cycles at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota and their degree of success.
Our first round of IUI, I did a Clomid, to stimulate follicles. Then a trigger shot of Ovidrel to make sure I ovulated and progesterone vaginal suppositories following the IUI up until my pregnancy test. The suppositories were to help secure the possible pregnancy. This IUI failed. We repeated the same protocol for IUI#2. For the 3rd IUI, we switched to femara, and continued with Ovidrel and Progesterone. Saw better results with more follicles on Femara. IUI failed. We upped my dose of Femara for round 4 of IUI. This IUI is still in progress so we will know in about 2 weeks if it is successful.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.
The nursing staff is FANTASTIC. They listen to my cry and complain but are so compassionate and understanding. They just want me to feel as comfortable as possible.
Describe your experience with Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.
They are generally very flexible with scheduling, very nice front desk staff, and are very organized. The offices are comfortable and not too clinical feeling. They can sometimes get behind on their schedule but not very often.
What specific things went wrong at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?
  • Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.
I just had one incident that they called in my prescription to the wrong pharmacy but it was quickly remedied.
8
Doctor
Mark Damario
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
1 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
4 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
10
Clinic
Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota
St. Paul
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
4 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
6 of 5
Educational Resources
7 of 5
Review of
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2019, Unknown Success
NPS
8
NPS
7
Age 32
1 Fertility Medications
PCOS
European
Doctor
2nd of 2 Docs
1 IUI With Other Docs
Neutral
Neutral
Success w/ Doc Too early to know
Review of
He is very thoughtful and methodical. He lays out all the options and explains things well and always answers our questions. He doesn't mince words. He allowed us to choose treatment steps that were best for us. ... I am just starting an IVF cycle and I will start on birth control pills, do follistim + generelix then trigger with hcg or lupron depending on my risk of OHSS at that time. We will have special sperm testing and if it looks ok we will not do ICSI. We plan on doing fresh transfer if possible.
There are two convenient locations and they [Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota] have a rule about patients not bringing children which is really nice. We sometimes felt a little unsure about the plan or things worked more slowly than we wanted. ... They [nursing staff] have been friendly so far and good communicators. They answered our questions. Sometimes response time is slower than I would like.
How was your experience with Mark Damario at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?
He is very thoughtful and methodical. He lays out all the options and explains things well and always answers our questions. He doesn't mince words. He allowed us to choose treatment steps that were best for us.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Mark Damario at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?
Have your questions ready ahead of time.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Mark Damario at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?
He kept track of my history and he gave me options based on my priorities.
Describe the protocols Mark Damario used in your cycles at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota and their degree of success.
I am just starting an IVF cycle and I will start on birth control pills, do follistim + generelix then trigger with hcg or lupron depending on my risk of OHSS at that time. We will have special sperm testing and if it looks ok we will not do ICSI. We plan on doing fresh transfer if possible.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.
They have been friendly so far and good communicators. They answered our questions. Sometimes response time is slower than I would like.
Describe your experience with Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.
There are two convenient locations and they have a rule about patients not bringing children which is really nice. We sometimes felt a little unsure about the plan or things worked more slowly than we wanted.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Mark Damario at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.
Each IVF cycle is 15,000. FET is about 5,000. There is an insurance program that patients can apply to participate in.
Describe Mark Damario's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.
He recommended single embryo transfer unless the quality of embryos is poor in which case we could transfer two embryos. He states he prefers single embryo transfer due to the risks associated with multiples.
8
Doctor
Mark Damario
NPS
Humanity
4 of 5
Communication
4 of 5
Frequency Seen
2 of 5
Trustworthiness
4 of 5
Compassion
4 of 5
Explained risks
4 of 5
Adaptability
4 of 5
7
Clinic
Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota
St. Paul
NPS
Operations
4 of 5
Scheduling
3 of 5
Billing Department
3 of 5
Nursing Staff
4 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
5 of 5
Educational Resources
5 of 5
Review of
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2018, Successful
NPS
7
NPS
9
Age 36
6 IUI
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
European
Income $50K - $99K
Writer
Only Doc Seen
Donor Sperm
Neutral
Strongly Recommends
Successful
Review of
I didn't have a lot of medical history for Dr. Damario to work from, so our couple meetings were brief and informative, especially if I asked questions, but they weren't as lengthy or detailed as I expected. I did appreciate how he made a recommendation at first, but then when he got my test results back, he was very clear about changing his opinion, and why. That promoted me to take a clear course and not second-guess whether it was the right one.
The nurses [at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota] were nice, compassionate, and treated me well. My only complaint is that because I saw different nurses, they weren't always up-to-date on details of my situation. I had to mention each time that a certain tool made the IUI much easier to accomplish, and it was a little annoying that they weren't reading that in my chart each time, or always taking my word for it.
How was your experience with Mark Damario at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?
I didn't have a lot of medical history for Dr. Damario to work from, so our couple meetings were brief and informative, especially if I asked questions, but they weren't as lengthy or detailed as I expected. I did appreciate how he made a recommendation at first, but then when he got my test results back, he was very clear about changing his opinion, and why. That promoted me to take a clear course and not second-guess whether it was the right one.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Mark Damario at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?
Come in with questions and don't be afraid to ask him to elaborate. He's more than willing to explain things, but sometimes takes prompting, otherwise he'll wrap up a meeting quickly.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Mark Damario at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?
Dr. Demario was pretty dry and generally straight-forward in his communications, without a lot of personality or emotion, but his staff (who I ended up seeing a lot more) were very friendly and more caring.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.
The nurses were nice, compassionate, and treated me well. My only complaint is that because I saw different nurses, they weren't always up-to-date on details of my situation. I had to mention each time that a certain tool made the IUI much easier to accomplish, and it was a little annoying that they weren't reading that in my chart each time, or always taking my word for it. So, they didn't usually have that tool there; some went and got it, while others tried without and then had to get it. One was successful without.
Describe your experience with Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.
Front desk staff was friendly and recognized me...or had a great system to do so. So, visiting was quick and easy and on schedule. And it felt like they knew me, and I wasn't just a number. Processing medical account info or any other details went smoothly.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Mark Damario at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.
Depends on insurance, of course, but a natural IUI cycle was about $700 (I did 4) and a fertility support cycle was about $2,000 (I did two). Fertility meds about $100 each round. Recommended ovulation tests $90 (for 2). Lab unfreezing and testing was $160 each time, worked into total round cost.
7
Doctor
Mark Damario
NPS
Humanity
3 of 5
Communication
4 of 5
Frequency Seen
2 of 5
Trustworthiness
4 of 5
Compassion
3 of 5
Explained risks
3 of 5
Adaptability
4 of 5
9
Clinic
Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota
St. Paul
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
4 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
5 of 5
Educational Resources
7 of 5
Review of
Verified

This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.

2015 - 2016, Successful
NPS
8
NPS
10
Age 30 - 31
2 IVF
Male Factor
European
Income $100K - $199K
Nurse or HC Services
2nd of 2 Docs
6 IUI With Other Docs
Neutral
Strongly Recommends
Successful
Review of
Dr. Damario decided to change my dosages on my meds and add in Ganirelix in hopes that I would produced more mature eggs and prevent any premature ovulation. ... He was very nice and personable and explained everything to my husband and I in great detail. Even though he was quiet I felt like he was to the point and made sure we understood everything. ....
My monitoring appointments were always in the morning as then it gave time for the doctor to review everything and then make any necessary medicine dosage changes or anything like that. It was very much a well-run clinic [CRMM] and never did it feel like you were the next in line. ... The staff is really there to help you and they want the best outcome for their patients. Never once did they make me feel like I was being a burden and they always answered any questions I had.
How was your experience with Mark Damario at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?
He was a very good doctor. I was scheduled with him after I had to reschedule my appointment from another doctor at the clinic. He was very nice and personable and explained everything to my husband and I in great detail. Even though he was quiet I felt like he was to the point and made sure we understood everything. He took the time to answer all of our questions and address our concerns.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Mark Damario at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?
Don't be afraid to ask questions. He is quiet but very personable.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Mark Damario at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?
Dr. Damario was quiet but explained everything very well. He always answered my questions and never did I feel like I was being a burden to him. He was to the point and never gave any sense of false hope.
Describe the protocols Mark Damario used in your cycles at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota and their degree of success.
My first protocol I was on Lupron, Menopur, and Follistim. After the first retrieval I produced 17 eggs, 10 were mature and 8 fertilized. Unfortunately we were left with no embryos after our genetic testing was done. For my next egg retrieval Dr. Damario decided to change my dosages on my meds and add in Ganirelix in hopes that I would produced more mature eggs and prevent any premature ovulation. At my retrieval we got 15 eggs, 13 were mature and 10 fertilized. After both retrievals and genetic testing we were left with 2 genetically normal embryos.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.
The nurses and staff were the ones who I/we dealt with the most. We had the most communication between us and they could not have been more great. They always made sure our questions were answered and our concerns were addressed. Because I live about 2 hours away from them they were always so good about communication and accommodating when needed.
Describe your experience with Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.
The staff is really there to help you and they want the best outcome for their patients. Never once did they make me feel like I was being a burden and they always answered any questions I had. They were so helpful in so many ways and they really made you feel comfortable and that you mattered. When you're dealing with infertility the last thing you want to feel is as if you're just another number. The staff really treated me well.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.
My monitoring appointments were always in the morning as then it gave time for the doctor to review everything and then make any necessary medicine dosage changes or anything like that. It was very much a well-run clinic and never did it feel like you were the next in line.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Mark Damario at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.
The costs were broken down into monitoring, procedures, and they gave estimates on what medications and genetic testing would cost. They also had the embryo storage cost information.
Describe Mark Damario's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.
We did discuss the risks about transferring 2 vs 1 and ultimately the decision was left up to myself and my husband.
8
Doctor
Mark Damario
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
5 of 5
Frequency Seen
3 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
5 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
10
Clinic
Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota
St. Paul
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
5 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
6 of 5
Educational Resources
7 of 5
Review of
2015 - 2016, Successful
NPS
7
NPS
10
Age 36 - 37
1 IVF
Unexplained
European
Teacher
Only Doc Seen
Neutral
Strongly Recommends
Successful
Review of
Dr. Damario did a great job of explaining my cycle, process and possible outcomes with both my husband and myself. He is thoughtful in his answers and takes his time with patients... is very soft spoken...Sometimes the science behind the procedures gets in the way of his human connection. He is the person that made decisions as to how to proceed in my treatment plan because of his knowledge and previous experience and then handed my treatment off to the incredible nursing staff at CRM. He explained risks and procedures well and was able to answer our questions.
I always felt welcome at CRM St. Paul. The entire staff is fantastic! They are very organized, well versed in insurance, compassionate, honest, friendly, kind and gentle. They get to know you, your family and your availability. They care!...The nurses at CRM are incredible! They are compassionate, kind, super intelligent, honest and available. I cannot say enough remarkable things about the nurses at CRM...The cost of procedures was very clearly outlined early on in our treatment and we were very aware of what to expect as far as insurance coverage and personal billing.
How was your experience with Mark Damario at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?
Dr. Damario is very soft spoken. He is thoughtful and very intelligent. Sometimes the science behind the procedures gets in the way of his human connection. He is the person that made decisions as to how to proceed in my treatment plan because of his knowledge and previous experience and then handed my treatment off to the incredible nursing staff at CRM. He explained risks and procedures well and was able to answer our questions.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Mark Damario at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?
I would suggest a future patient to be prepared with questions during the meeting with Dr. Damario. After our first two meetings, we did not see him but saw the fabulous nursing staff at CRM. (Seriously, the nurses are AMAZING!)
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Mark Damario at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota?
Dr. Damario did a great job of explaining my cycle, process and possible outcomes with both my husband and myself. He is thoughtful in his answers and takes his time with patients.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.
The nurses at CRM are incredible! They are compassionate, kind, super intelligent, honest and available. I cannot say enough remarkable things about the nurses at CRM.
Describe your experience with Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.
I always felt welcome at CRM St. Paul. The entire staff is fantastic! They are very organized, well versed in insurance, compassionate, honest, friendly, kind and gentle. They get to know you, your family and your availability. They care!
Describe the costs associated with your care under Mark Damario at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.
The cost of injections and other medications were expensive. I learned quickly to call around to various pharmacies when that option was available. The cost of procedures was very clearly outlined early on in our treatment and we were very aware of what to expect as far as insurance coverage and personal billing.
Describe Mark Damario's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota.
Dr. Damario talked very openly and honestly about multiple vs. single transfers. He offered insight into possible challenges and listened carefully to our wishes.
7
Doctor
Mark Damario
NPS
Humanity
5 of 5
Communication
4 of 5
Frequency Seen
1 of 5
Trustworthiness
5 of 5
Compassion
4 of 5
Explained risks
5 of 5
Adaptability
5 of 5
10
Clinic
Center for Reproductive Medicine of Minnesota
St. Paul
NPS
Operations
5 of 5
Scheduling
5 of 5
Billing Department
5 of 5
Nursing Staff
5 of 5
Clinic Atmosphere
5 of 5
Educational Resources
7 of 5
Review of

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