Peter Lu

He has to rely on his notes when he saw you. He shudders, but he is ok to understand. Have your questions with you before you go. He will answer any questions you have, but you have to ask them. He likes to talk, and it cam cause him to get behind. He has a steady hand, and it gentle when doing a procedure. Although he can seem rushed if there is something on his mind.

Have questions written down before you go. He's happy to answer them, but you have to be prepared to ask them.

During medicated cycles, you were treated like a number. Which I complained about. Suddenly it got better. Doing IVF, you were a human they were very interested in.

Clomid, 3 months, 1 pos pregnancy, miscarried, 1 month metronome, chemical pregnancy, 1st round of IVF, 2 eggs retrieved, both fertilized, fresh transfer and frozen. 1 neg, 1 chemical. 2nd IVF round, 6 eggs retrieved, 5 fertilized, 3 made if to freeze, 1 neg, 1 pos, ended in miscarriage, about to transfer embryo 3.

They are nice, and willing to talk to you. One of them smokes too much, and comes in the room smelling of smoke. Also, she is a little blunt. They are caring, and called to check on me when I miscarried. They always call back very quickly.

Strengths-they are knowledgeable and have many years of experience. They are a little conservative when it comes to treatments, which is for the patient's health, but it can be annoying. Weaknesses-they need to be upfront with costs before you start treatment. Nurses need to not smoke or spray with something before coming in the rooms.

$800 per Clomid cycle $200 for post cloitle exam $12,000 for first IVF cycle $7,000 for 2nd IVF cycle

I had to do single transfer because of my uteral deformity.

Dr. Lu is highly qualified and experienced. He is very patient in explaining procedures and answering questions. He has a very understanding and warm bedside manner. We had 1 egg retrieval, 1 fresh embryo transfer, and 2 frozen embryo transfers. Currently, we have 1 more frozen embryo. Our fresh embryo transfer resulted in a negative pregnancy test. Our first frozen transfer resulted in a positive pregnancy but miscarried very early (chemical pregnancy), and our 2nd frozen embryo transfer has resulted in the birth of our son! After our second transfer miscarried, we had a appointment with Dr Lu to discuss our plan moving forward. I went into the appointment very sad and frustrated. Since we are dealing with Male-Factor infertility, and I was under 30 years old at the time, we (meaning me, my husband, and Dr Lu) really thought that I would have gotten/stayed pregnant on the 1st or 2nd try. (side note- we did not do any PGD testing to know if our embryos were genetically normal/abnormal). Embryos were transferred in the order of highest rating to lowest rating. At our appointment, we discussed how he has had patients have perfect embryos that just don't work out, and then end up giving birth to their lowest rated embryo. His stories and examples helped me to feel more confident to move forward, thus resulting in our 3rd transfer and giving birth to our son. Dr Lu works between 2 clinics in the New Orleans area, so he is not always at the clinic at the time of my appointment. This was never a negative in my opinion! He is a very busy man, but if I ever felt the need to talk to him directly, his nurses would pass the message, and he would call me soon after. Dr Lu did perform all of my procedures, and was always available when needed.

Don't hesitate to make your appointment! He's great, and I highly suggest anyone to work with him.

The nursing staff at FINO is amazing! They truly care how you are feeling and take time explaining everything and answering questions. I still keep in contact with some of my nurses! I am looking forward to working with them again for my next embryo transfer. Dr Lu is also great! He's very personable and realistic. He remains positive in outlook, which helped me to feel confident that things would work out for us, which they did. He is patient in his explanations, and setting expectations.

I was under 30 years old at the time we started to seek treatment, never had any sort of problems of my own in regards to my cycle or reproductive system. We had tried several years to conceive on our own before starting to investigate why we weren't getting pregnant on our own. Come to find out, we are dealing with male-factor infertility. My husband's sperm count and quality are extremely low, giving us less than a 1% chance of conceiving on our own. Given all this information, Dr Lu explained why we should move straight to IVF. Because of my husbands sperm quality/quantity, clomid or IUI wouldn't raise our chances much at all. Shortly after our 1st consultation with Dr Lu, we decided to move forward. Once I started my next period, I called the office so we could start monitoring my uterus, ovaries, and blood levels. Once everything looked good, we order medications and started stimulation injections. I don't remember dosages, as they all changed day to day depending on my hormone levels. I know I was on Folistim and Menopur at the beginning, and then started hCG injections a few days before the egg retrieval. Once egg retrieval day arrived, we went in for the surgery. No complications. I started progesterone injections this same day, in anticipation that I would possibly do a fresh transfer. Retrieved 17 eggs, 12 of which were mature enough to fertilize. Dr Lu suggested that we uses ICSI to fertilize to make sure that each egg received a healthy sperm. Of the 12 eggs that received a sperm, 9 actually fertilized. Of those 9, 4 were healthy enough to make it to day 5/6 embryos. Because my hormone levels, uterus and ovaries were looking good, we decided that it was safe to do a fresh transfer 5 days after retrieval. This first transfer resulted in a negative pregnancy test. On the very next cycle, we did a frozen embryo transfer. I know I had injections leading up to the transfer, but other than progesterone, I can't remember what it was. This cycle, we did get a positive pregnancy test, but miscarried a week later. The following cycle, we went for another frozen transfer, which resulted in full term pregnancy and live birth of my son. We currently have 1 frozen embryo left, and plan to transfer in the next year or so.

The nursing staff is very kind, compassionate and understanding. They are patient in explaining procedures and your plan of care. They are always available via phone as well. I always received follow up calls with in a few hours of my appointment to discuss my hormone levels, and the next steps/medication changes. To this day, I still keep in touch with some of the nurses!

The hours are great! I was always able to make appointments early in the morning so I wouldn't miss work for routine labs/blood work. The reception staff is not always warm and welcoming, but hey... they just answer phones and sign people in. They aren't responsible for my care, so that didn't bother me. It may bother some people.

I was very lucky! My employer offered benefits that included fertility treatment up to $20,000, or 1 full round of IVF. Which, after my deductible, I only paid 10% of the overall charges. I would not be a good example of the associated costs, because I paid very little compared to the majority of patients.

Dr Lu suggested that we only transfer 1 embryo at a time. Since I have a healthy reproductive system, and was under the age of 30, it didn't make sense to try more than 1 at a time. He had actually mentioned that they were preforming multiple embryo transfers for women under the age of 35, as it only increased the risk of multiple miscarriages and pre-term birth/complications. The chances of getting pregnant were only 1% higher with multiple embryo transfers vs single transfers. Dr Lu went on to explain that if you transfer 2 embryos, and 1 is healthy and implants, and the other implants and isn't healthy or miscarries, it could cause the healthy one to miscarry too.

Dr. Lu was VERY thorough and straight forward. He explained my risk of having multiples, as my body responded almost too well to my shots. He adjusted the dosage to lower my risk while still ensuring a successful pregnancy. It’s so important to have a responsible doctor that has the experience to adjust and lower the risk of multiples. We underwent IUI in March 2017 and have beautiful, healthy boy/girl twins that arrived at the end of October. I’d recommend him to anyone!

Ask questions if you don’t understand and he always answers thoroughly.

He was very thorough and took a lot of time to explain the treatment. I didn’t always see him for my appointments as he was between clinics, but it wasn’t really necessary to see him every time. He always reviewed my ultrasounds and blood work and the nurse called after every appointment.

I had level 1-2 endometriosis that caused me a lot of pain and pregnancy is one of the few treatments for it. I was 23 and my husband was 24 and our blood levels were so good that it was confusing to him why I hadn’t gotten pregnant easily after trying for 6 months. We had a miscarriage in December after getting pregnant naturally and started treatment in March. He decided to use injections for the type of endometriosis I had, as he said with his experience injections worked better for this type. I used 75IU of follistim for about a week and then used 10,000 IU of pregnyl for a trigger. We did IUI the day after trigger. This resulted in a fraternal twin pregnancy.

All of the nurses were kind and helpful during the treatment. The ultrasound techs were especially kind and gentle, as once my ovaries got so big ultrasounds were very uncomfortable.

They do a really good job getting you in and out in a timely manner, which is especially important when you have a full time job. Everyone is friendly and will try to help the best they can. Often the nurse isn’t available to talk when you call but will always call you back that day.

We spent about $3,200 for one round of injectable IUI. My insurance didn’t cover a lot of the ultrasounds so almost everything was out of pocket.

Dr Lu has been rated the best fertility doctor in the region, and I can see how. His strength is assessing a situation and making a treatment plan. He has done a great job of telling us what to expect for each round of treatment and the stats of likely success. I would definitely recommend him.

With infertility in general, Do your own research and always be your own advocate. He is flexible to change your plan if you want to be more aggressive. Come to the appointment with your questions prepared.

He was the first doctor to agree with me that something is very wrong just based on having tried for 4 years before going to him and my husband's varicocele having been corrected but still not conceiving. He validated my concerns and communicated with numbers, which is how I understand and process situations.

Because Clomid thinned by lining worse than its usual level, and letrozole didn't give me much response, Dr Lu put me on injections. He decided I didn't need an IUI since our post coital tests kept coming back postitive. The injections were able to achieve desirable lining thickness and ample follicles. There was still only a 20% success rate for us at best and we did 2 rounds without a bfp. I am completely impressed by his protocol on our IVF. I was so scared as he lowered my meds doses so much but at the end, he manipulated everything PERFECTLY. I was risking and nearly OHSS and he gave me letrozole and cabergoline to prevent full ohss and so I know we maximized the potential for eggs retrieved while keeping me safe. He did an excellent job of changing my doses every day. Transfer was perfect as well.

I only had issues with one nurse (not named). All other nurses were compassionate, informed, honest, helpful, empathetic, and genuine.

The front desk staff is incredible. They are very personable and even coordinate a monthly support group meeting on their own dime. They offer refreshments and rally a medical professional to discuss their field of expertise. The Mandeville location is never crowded(never felt like a cattle service, like other clinics and ob/gyn offices feel like).

Clomid and letrozole rounds may have been around 300-400. Injection rounds had a flat rate (for all bloodwork and ultrasounds and appointments up to ovulation) of 1250 each. There were med costs from the pharmacy on top of that and if I had needed the iui, it would have been another 500. We spend just under 2000 each injection cycle (follistim, menopur). IVF single/simple round is $12000 for fresh or frozen transfer.

In August 2017, the SART board regulated in our region that you may only transfer one embryo (or be sanctioned), unless female is 38+yrs old or has had 2 previous failed transfers, no other exceptions. I was sad to only transfer one but it wasn't really up to Dr Lu. All the fertility clinics in Louisiana have to adhere to the new regulations. He was clear about the risks of transferring more than one, though.

Dr. Lu's strengths include taking a thorough approach to understanding his patients' history and goals for seeking fertility treatment. He is a candid communicator and is able to answer our questions from both a statistical and a compassionate mindset. I have felt confident in every step of our treatment because Dr. Lu truly understands our specific concerns and keeps those at the forefront of every recommendation. I have also appreciated his straightforward approach to communicating next steps and results, while still leaving room for compassion and understanding. An example of this is when he called with the Diminished Ovarian Reserve results. I was 29 at the time and this was a result we sincerely did not consider possible. Dr. Lu re-explained the testing process, the diagnosis, and his recommended treatment comprehensively, but stopped to say "I hear that you're upset, and I want you to know that it's okay. Now is the time to be upset." This was incredibly affirming of my experience as a patient. He was gentle in pushing us forward in our treatment to not waste time while also being incredibly understanding.

Dr. Lu is a straightforward communicator and an incredibly good listener but you should be prepared to ask questions and be clear about your concerns and goals! He answers all of our questions in full and has continued to keep our goals in mind. I would imagine that if you don't have those things ready and would like more of a coaching approach, you may not feel fulfilled in the relationship.

From the first appointment with Dr. Lu, I felt that he was deeply invested in my individual fertility journey. He was candid about the different infertility realities couples face and outlined his reasoning behind every single test he first administered. He has continued to be patient, thorough, and transparent throughout the ups and downs of our treatment. He has listened to what our major concerns are and has helped us to make the most informed decisions possible that are the best for our family.

My husband and I tried to conceive naturally for 10 months before I made an appointment with my gynecologist, Dr. Sacha Wax. Due to my history of endometriosis, she moved forward with treatment and prescribed the first round of Clomid (50 mg/day), suspecting that I wasn’t successfully ovulating. My reaction to Clomid was not ideal but not uncommon. I developed a large cyst and went on birth control to diminish its size. Due to my history, reaction, and low progesterone, Dr. Wax recommended that I see a fertility specialist, and I made an appointment with Dr. Lu. The first few appointments with Dr. Lu were likely what every couple experiences on this journey. Bloodwork, ultrasounds, more bloodwork. From the initial imaging, Dr. Lu suspected an ovulation timing issue. We tried the HCG shot to trigger ovulation when one of my follicles was just on the cusp of the right size and my lining looked great. More bloodwork and progesterone supplements followed, as well as another sizeable cyst that ruptured and resulted in a trip to the emergency room. In the follow up conversation with Dr. Lu, he said that my bloodwork revealed my AMH results were extremely and surprisingly low for my age (29). I had an AMH of 0.677, when he expected it to be closer to 8, which meant my ovarian reserve was very low. The next step Dr. Lu recommended was another round of Clomid (100 mg/day), not to try for a successful pregnancy but instead to determine my FSH level to identify the quality of the eggs left in my limited reserve. The Clomid caused my FSH levels to almost double (from 6.8 to 11) which confirmed that both the quantity and quality of my ovarian reserve are extremely low. From there, Dr. Lu recommended that we try one-two months of Follistim injections (October 2016) in the hopes that this course of treatment would be successful instead of IVF. We tried one month of Follistim (150 mg/day) and I developed only one viable follicle on my left ovary, with two much smaller on my right. The treatment was unsuccessful and, on November 1, 2016, Dr. Lu shared that we were now at the point where IVF was the only course of treatment he could recommend due to my poor response to Follistim.

The nursing staff at The Fertility Institute is inconsistent. Some of Dr. Lu's nurses are absolutely wonderful. They respond to requests in a timely manner and when I was starting at-home injections, gave me their cell phone number just in case I forgot how to properly mix something during off-hours. This is my primary nurse with Dr. Lu. The other nurses who have supported me at random points don't feel as invested or knowledgeable of my course of treatment.

The clinic is extremely well organized! You can expect the same routine each time you go and the staff is efficient and mindful of your time. They are also flexible with scheduling appointments and have a very thorough financing department.

In total (including medications, imaging, bloodwork, special testing, and office visit fees) we have spent over $6,000 on our fertility treatment thus far. Louisiana Insurance companies are not required to cover infertility treatment so none of our visits with Dr. Lu are covered.

We have not gotten to this point in our treatment yet.

He was easy to talk to and gave me expected outcomes. He did "damage control" from the other doctor I saw at another clinic. I felt like he had my interest at heart and not simply taking my money. I had to meet with him weekly due to a cyst that developed after my first IUI. He took his time to explain to me and my wife how he could help us in the process. Unfortunately, the IUI didn't turn into a pregnancy so we will be doing a follow up appointment to see what our next step will be.

When you first meet him, put all your cards on the table with expectations and concerns with the process.

I felt he took the time to explain things and the process in which we took. I didn't feel like a number.

When I started the process with him in December 2017, it was discovered I had a cyst, in which birth control was prescribed to make it smaller. This process last until the end of February. I was put on Letozole 7.5mg for 5 days , wait for 5 days to do ultrasounds to check follicle size and I took Pregnyl on March 2 and I was inseminated on March 3

The nurses are knowledgeable about the process.

The parking for the clinic is horrible. You will have a difficult time trying to find somewhere to park. The staff is quick with check ins and taking labs. The privacy aspect is not completely private, you can guess what others are there for during the visit.

$1385 for IUI and labs $270 for co payments for the treatment of cyst $150 in medication

N/A

Dr. Lu is very knowledgeable. He is down to earth and talks to you like you are a friend not a patient. He stutters but is not hard to follow what he is saying. It’s more like his mouth can’t keep up with what his brain wants to say. He talks to both partners and explains in detail what treatment he recommends. He takes his time with talking to you and will answer any questions.

Take notes on what he says. He can cover so much information that it’s hard to remember it all sometimes.

Staff is very pleasant and personable. They seem to be excited for us when we were able to start treatment.

We went to Dr. Lu interested in his donor embryo program. He was very happy for us to adopt embryos and work with us. After we ran bloodwork to be matched with donors, we did an shg and then began a fet cycle.

Dr Lu’s nurse Wendy and the ivf nurse, Lisa, are very easy to talk to. They encourage you to call them with any questions. They make sure you understand what you need to do and what’s next.

This clinic has a couple locations. I went to the Mandeville location. It’s a small office so when they get busy there’s not a lot of room in the waiting area. Everyone seems happy to be there and happy to see you. They make you feel like they really want you to be successful.

I had to pay for initial consult & testing & then fet cost.

Dr. Lu was very adamant that he would only transfer 1 embryo at a time. He explained that the risks of a multiple pregnancy was much higher than a singleton pregnancy.

Dr. Lu is hugely knowledgeable and sweet. My only issue is that I feel he may have had too many patients to really retain an understanding of each patient. Sometimes I felt as if he didn’t remember me or my husband and I’s specific issues and concerns from visit to visit. Thank goodness for charts and record keeping! Overall he is an awesome doctor and we wouldn’t have our beautiful baby girl without him.

Educate yourself on procedures, medications, etc. Research. Dr. Lu is a total pro but sometimes he speaks quickly so it helps if you have a little understanding and can keep up.

Dr. Lu is very knowledgeable and sweet. However, I never felt like he remembered me or previous conversations he’d had with me. I think he, perhaps, juggled too many patients.

Typically short wait times, which is great for working people. Hate that procedures and Saturday appointments have to be done in the New Orleans office. Once you find out you are pregnant (which should be a joyous time) they hit you with an office fee that is very expensive!! Especially considering it doesn’t include blood work and ultrasounds ordered. It’s literally just for the visit - didn’t even see the doctor on these visits!

We bought a package that allowed us 2 attempts. It was somewhere around 10 thousand. This does not include medications, which are also very costly.

Having two babies at once is hard! Both the pregnancy and afterwards with twins (or more!). It’s safer to hope for a healthy Singleton.

Right from our first meeting I felt that Dr. Lu cared. He did not immediately push ivf on us, which we assumed would happen. With each question or concern Dr. Lu has taken time to explain things to us. He is always very specific and chooses his words carefully. Dr. Lu is very professional and he's also very personable. We've been very satisfied with our choice of Dr. Lu as our dr so far.

Dr. Lu can sometimes talk a little fast and he likes numbers and statistics, so pay close attention!

Dr. Lu took time to explain things to us. His bedside manner was warm and welcoming. He went as far as calling us on his own time to answer questions, give clarification and address concerns we had.

I can't really describe this, but it did seem as though with each monitoring appointment, Dr. Lu was great with analyzing the situation and adjusting as needed. He seemed very intuitive.

Overall very helpful and caring.

Strengths are the drs and nurses as well as the facility itself. Our Dr. is great, the nurses and techs are all nice and helpful. Unfortunately we have had issues with the billing department, but those have been resolved. Overall we are very pleased and glad we chose this clinic.

Our ivf with icsi was about $15.

Dr. Lu follows their clinic policy which goes along with the state recs of putting back one embryo under a certain age and two if over. If younger he will do two after failed cycles.

Dr. Lu spent extra time with my husband and I to explain the entire process. He made sure that he had our entire history, and took the time to perform extra testing not offered elsewhere. He took the time to answer all of our questions and made sure we understood. He is a very caring and personable doctor.

Make sure you choose him as your doctor.

He really takes the time to explain what is involved in the IVF process. He spent over an hour with my husband and I, answering our questions and making sure we understood the individualized plan he had. He also did extra testing that other clinics had not done, and saved us from attempting a third IUI, needlessly.

Lisa promptly communicated with me any new information. She made sure I had the medications I needed, and was always understanding when I asked her questions when I needed clarification on information I had previously received.

The staff is extremely friendly and helpful. Sandy from ultrasound always made us feel more comfortable as she described what she was looking at and what Dr. Lu was looking for from the tests ordered. She always too the time to explain to us what was going on during our IVF journey. They have a support group that meets monthly.

Dr. Lu strongly encouraged single embryo transfers for my age group. He explained in detail risks vs benefits.

He is very knowledgeable and real with his patients. He tells you exactly what you need to hear, like it or not. We did two cycles with my OB before starting at the FC, and luckily our first round there worked!!

Don’t wait. If you’re struggling or even think there may be an issue, go see him.

He was very involved in my care. I always felt like I was his only patient.

150mg Clomid, Estradiol twice a day and progesterone. Once pregnancy was confirmed, continued progesterone until 2nd trimester.

The nurses are top notch. I had seen just about every one of them in my short time there, and they were all incredible. Very knowledgeable and extremely companionate.

There wasn’t one thing I thought could be different in the Mandeville location. It’s very clean and inviting. The diffuser was always on when you walk in, so you feel a sense of calm. My husband and I were always pleased going there.

The cycle was a lump sum that included monitoring. Other testing and all medications are separate.

He has a stutter but is very educated and knowledgeable. He listens to the couple’s wishes and concerns and answers questions very thoroughly. He will answer the questions multiple times if needed. He also knows when people aren’t hearing what he’s saying - like when being told miscarried and next steps.

Trust him and don’t be afraid to ask questions.

Dr Lu personally called me and spoke with me.

Oral medications - high dose clomid for one last try. Made my cervical mucus “hostile” Femera x 2 worked but didn’t get pregnant and I needed an emotional break Injections - this is where we are now. Haven’t gotten my first cycle started yet.

Very kind and patient.

Two locations to go to for care. Can be seen either one. If seen in both sometimes chart isn’t complete and that leads to some insurance and care issues. Staff is at both locations. Very easy to breeze in and out

Medications injections - $120-300 a vial depending on med

Not considering IVF so have no experience with this

Dr. Lu is very knowledgeable and thorough in his visits with you. I never felt like he was rushed, and always felt like he truly cared. Dr. Lu himself will personally call you with some results and to check on you at home.

Make a list of questions you have for him before your visits. Take notes while at the appointment.

Dr. Lu makes you feel like he really matters to you, he is never in hurry, and always seems willing to explain things and make sure you understand and are comfortable before going forward.

Mary was excellent, very caring, compassionate, and understanding. She is always organized and timely.

Clinic is very nice, with little to no wait times on the day of your scheduled appointment. All staff is friendly and competent in their role.

3 egg retrievals, 1 fresh transfer, 2 frozen transfers and all meds, labs, and US were $60,000

He is research driven & positive. He is not a firm believer in alternative therapies, sich as herbs & supplements, but he's also not against trying them. He seemed to understand our desire for having another child & seemed hopeful but also realistic that there's no exact science for treating infertility. His bedside manner is efficient and knowledgeable, backed up by statistics and information, but he did not appear well-versed or particularly supportive of additional alternative resources (accupuncture, diet, growth hormone, etc.) to utilize in addition to the typical injection protocol.

Ask him for information about why he does not subscribe to alternative supplemental therapies to enhance fertility treatments.

He seemed very research driven, but he also articulated & echoed our reasons for wanting another child after havibg had one easily & naturally earlier.

Expensive!

Dr. Lu is a good doctor. He explains things scientifically and I felt like he did want us to conceive. It is important to ask question along the process to make sense of a lot of complicated information. He will answer your questions and make sure you understand the course of action and next steps.

The strategy for me was injection medications. I was not receptive to Clomid.

The were caring and thorough, but at times I felt had a lot of patients and things felt rushed.

Very easy to schedule appointments, but the parking lot filled up fast. I was always able to make an appointment at my time period of preference. The staff was friendly and quick. I never waited very long in the waiting room before I was seen.

around 15,000

Dr Lu has a great bed side manner very supportive and compassionate. He makes sure you understand what you are getting into and all the steps along the way. A very kind and thoughtful man

Tell him everything

He took time and care to answer all our questions and encouraged us.

Helpful

Very efficient and on top of things. You are seen quickly and taken good care of

4000